To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the letter from the Minister for Overseas Development of 18 February to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what is the outcome of the inquiries by the British embassy in Paris about injury to the rain forest in French Guyana.

[holding answer 2 March 1992]: The French Ministry of the Environment has confirmed that the hydro-electric project at Petit Saut referred to in the New Scientist of 25 January 1992 has over some 10 years been the subject of extensive study, including a public inquiry, which looked at all the possible options for power generation. There had been a full environmental impact assessment undertaken on the project in which the Ministry of Environment had participated. The conclusion was that a hydro-electric dam was the best option. The scheme is intended to meet not only the electricity needs of the launch-site at Kourou, but also the wider need for electricity throughout French Guyana. I am writing to the hon. Member with further details provided by French officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) on how many days consultants have been paid, or are expected to be paid, more than £1,000 per day in total payments for operations designed to reduce waiting lists in Gwent during the current financial year;(2) what is his estimate of the current weekly cost to the national health service of operations being undertaken on their behalf by the BUPA hospital at Pentwyn, near Newport.

Operational information of this kind is not held centrally. It is for district health authorities as commissioners of care to decide on and account for the benefits and costs of any health gain investment, including consultant fees and contracts with private sector health care providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the names of those people who met him regarding assisted area status for Monmouth on 2 March; and if he will provide details of the bodies that they represent.

On 2 March, I met Cllr. W. J. Parker, Cllr. W. G. A. Hathaway, Cllr. J. Lewis and Mr. J. Martin representing Monmouth borough council County Cllr. C. White, Mr. P. Smith, town clerk of Monmouth town council and Mr. Roger Evans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to announce his decision on assisted area status for the Monmouth travel-to-work area.

I am presently considering the issues put to me by local representatives at a meeting on 2 March and shall be responding in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the number of operations carried out in Wales in 1978–79 and at the latest available date for (a) hip replacements, (b) cataracts and (c) open heart surgery.

The information on hipH-Sreplacements and cataracts is given for 1978, 1979 and 1989 (the latest available year) in the following table:

Principal operations in National Health Service hospitals in Wales1
	1978	1979	1989
Hip replacements2	1,372	1,501	2,407
Cataracts	2,232	2,330	5,019
1 Figures may understate the true position in that not all hospitals provide complete clinical details relating to patient discharge and deaths.
2 Includes replacement of head of femur for 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the hospitals in Wales which impose car parking charges.

This is a matter for individual district health authorities and this information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the numbers of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in each county in Wales in 1992, to the latest available date.

The numbers of confirmed cases of BSE in each county in Wales during 1992 to 28 February are shown in the table:

County	Number of confirmed cases
Clwyd	62
Dyfed	288
Gwent	31
Gwynedd	13
Mid Glamorgan	9
Powys	47
South Glamorgan	17
West Glamorgan	2

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the operation of the vehicle watch Wales scheme in Gwent.

None. Vehicle watch is a police initiative and it is for the Gwent constabulary to assess its effectiveness in Gwent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to fund the vehicle watch Wales scheme; and if he will make a statement.

I have received representations from the Gwent police authority about the funding of vehicle watch and these are presently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received regarding the implications of the MacSharry proposals for dairy farmers in Monmouthshire; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations from industry bodies in Wales and individual farmers, including some dairy producers from Monmouthshire, on the implications for the industry of the EC reform proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to ensure that senior citizens are provided with access to suitable home security equipment to ensure the security of their homes and allay fears of crime.

Assistance for installing home security equipment for senior citizens is already being provided under specific crime prevention initiatives; as part of wider measures to improve conditions for the elderly; and as part of the action being undertaken to renovate dwellings.Proposals for improving household security are eligible for consideration as crime prevention measures under the urban programme; any local authority in Wales may submit a bid. Projects that have received support recently include the "Cardiff Safe and Secure" initiative, and improvements to the security of the communal areas of flats on the Sandfields estate in Port Talbot. Funds made available to victim support schemes have also on occasion been used to improve household security. In undertaking such projects the needs of elderly people, especially those living alone, attract high priority. Under the Welsh Office elderly initiative scheme some £315,000 is being made available over a three-year period to support a project in Mid Glamorgan that is designed to improve the safety and well-being of senior citizens living in their own homes. In addition to providing improved door and window locks, and door viewers, the project entails the provision of advice to the elderly on how to deal with bogus officials and confidence tricksters.Within the renovation grant arrangements those over 60 who receive income related benefits may be able to get help with home security installations in the form of minor works assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement regarding the funding of crime prevention panels in Wales.

Crime prevention panels are an excellent means by which local communities can become involved through voluntary activity in the fight against crime. They are encouraged to be self-sufficient and to seek local funding arrangements. Many crime prevention panels obtain private sponsorship from local businesses. Possible sources of funding will vary from area to area. Crime Concern has published a booklet entitled "Attracting Business Sponsorship" which provides detailed advice for panels on how to obtain sponsorship for crime prevention projects. Some panels have been successful in obtaining charity status and any panels wishing to do this can contact the Charity Commission who will advise them on the necessary procedures.Although central funding is not made available to support the panels themselves, individual projects that they propose may be eligible for consideration for support under the urban programme, provided that the bids are sponsored by the appropriate local authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the revenue allocation to the Kettering regional health authority for (a) 1982–83 and (b) 1992–93 expressed in (i) absolute terms and (ii) 1992–93 prices.

Information about the funds allocated by regional health authorities to district health authorities is not held centrally. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Dr. Stuart Burgess, the chairman of Oxford regional health authority, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed by Mid Cheshire hospitals trust; and what was the number previously employed by the health authority responsible for staffing the equivalent hospitals.

This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Richard F. Lawrence, the chairman of the Mid Cheshire hospitals trust for current nursing levels, and Sir Donald Wilson, the chairman of the Mersey regional health authority, who may be able to provide the historical data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost per hour of consultants employed by Mid Cheshire hospitals trust; how many patients they see on average in one week's clinics; and what time is normally taken by consultants to visit NHS patients outside the hospital.

This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Richard F. Lawrence, the chairman of the Mid Cheshire hospitals NHS trust, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the average cost of collection per litre of blood from (a) recovered plasma and (b) plasmapheresis for each regional transfusion centre of the National Blood Transfusion Service.

Information on the regional cost of collecting plasma is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give details of (a) the consideration given by his Department to the report by management consultants commissioned by the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital, before his recent decision on the future of the hospital and (b) the consultations between the regional health authority and the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

On 10 February 1992 I announced our decision to accept certain proposals put forward by West Suffolk health authority on the future of Newmarket hospital, subject to the health authority agreeing to undertake a further examination of the scope for provision of day surgery, minor accident and maternity services in the new hospital proposed for Newmarket.In reaching this decision full consideration was given to the report commissioned by the Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital. Several issues were thoroughly analysed including patient safety, medical staffing, size of catchment area, patient activity levels and effective use of resources.The Committee for the Retention of Newmarket Hospital met East Anglian regional health authority members on 24 April 1991 to present their proposals for the future of the hospital. Additionally, the region's finance manager met the committee's management consultants, J. J. Thompson and Partners, on 29 October 1991 to go through their report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what circumstances contact lenses can be obtained under the national health service.

All general opthalmic services patients may put any optical voucher to which they are entitled towards the cost of contact lenses. Under the hospital eye service patients who require contact lenses for clinical reasons will, if they are entitled to an optical voucher, get the lenses free; other patients can take advantage of the maximum charging arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to publish the goal strategy and objectives in the national health service management executive and the Department of Health priorities and key challenges for 1992–93 and beyond.

I have agreed a statement of the aims, goals and priorities for my Department for 1992–93 and the following three years. It covers the whole range of the Department's work relating to health services, health promotion, public health, social services, EC and other international issues, and internal management. It includes our specific priorities for the NHS management executive, which are taken forward in more detail in the management executive's statement, "The Goal and Strategies of the Chief Executive and the Management Executive of the NHS and their Objectives for 1992–93", approved by the NHS policy board. Copies of both statements have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support trust hospitals give to post-registration nurse education.

Post-registration training which is designed to provide nurses and midwives with specific professional skills is to be funded from a separate and protected budget held at regional level. Employers are expected to bear the cost of other post-registration nurse education and training because they are in the best position to determine need. Trusts are expected to play their full part in training the staff they employ, in the same way as other employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the mental handicap hospitals planned for closure over the next five years and the district health authority in which each is situated.

This is a matter for regional and district health authorities and the hospitals themselves. Government policies on the treatment of people with learning disabilities in the community are well known and understood.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what would be the gross cost of abolishing sight test fees for all people over 60 years old.

NHS sight tests are already free to approximately 40 per cent. of the population, including those pensioners who qualify on medical or income grounds. The estimated additional cost at 1991–92 prices of extending eligibility to all those aged 60 and over would be between £30 million and £35 million in a full year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated privately under the waiting list initiative from (a) Leeds united hospital trust and (b) the Bradford hospitals NHS trust.

This information is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Anthony Clegg, the chairman of the United Leeds hospitals trust and Mr. Rodney Walker, the chairman of the Bradford hospitals NHS trust, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total level of expenditure on pay for general and senior managers in each year since 1985.

[holding answer 18 February 1992]: The grades of general and senior managers were introduced as part of the new arrangements recommended by the Griffiths report in 1983. The cost of staff employed in general management grades is shown in the table:

England (HCHS) General managers
£ million (cash)
	Regional/District general managers	Unit/other general managers
1985–86	6·8	4·1
1986–87	8·6	17·1
1987–88	9·0	20·7

Vaccination and immunisation (2 year uptake2)
	Year	Diphtheria	Tetanus	Pertussis	Polio	Measles	1Mumps and Rubella
South Derbyshire
Number immunised	1982	6,333	6,339	5,042	6,342	5,042	—
Uptake rate		(90)	(90)	(63)	(91)	(74)	—
	1990–91	6,486	6,486	6,123	6,494	6,332	6,321
		(91)	(91)	(86)	(92)	(89)	(89)
Trent Region
Number immunized	1982	52,833	52,925	34,880	52,594	36,904	—
Uptake rate		(88)	(88)	(58)	(88)	(62)	—
	1990–91	56,421	56,429	52,740	56,303	54,036	53,797
		(91)	(91)	(85)	(91)	(87)	(87)
Source: SBL 607.KC51. DH Statistics and Management Information (SMI2B), March 1992.
1 Data was not collected before 1988–89.
2 The two year uptake rate is the percentage of children immunised by their second birthday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current negotiations by the United Nations Secretary-General on a united Cyprus and on the role Britain has played since 1979.

Representatives of the UN Secretary-General have recently ocmpleted another round of talks

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give figures for the number of immunisations carried out in South Derbyshire district and Trent region in 1982 and the latest year for which figures are available.

[holding answer 6 March 1992]: The numbers of two-year-olds vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella in South Derbyshire and Trent in 1982 and 1990–91 are given in the table.The uptake rates are also given to allow comparisons between the years.with all parties in the region. We have throughout given full and active support to the UN Secretary-General's efforts to promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers of assistance and expertise have been made to the Turkish Government in the search for the trapped coal miners near Zonguldak.

The Government were not approached by the Turkish authorities for help in dealing with the disaster at Kozlu coal mine in Zonguldak on 5 March.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 March, Official Report, column 29, for what reasons Her Majesty's Customs and Excise did not charge excise duty on denatured wine products for culinary uses before 1 January, but did do so from that date onwards.

The excise duty liability of imported wine and made-wine, including denatured wine and made-wine, has not changed in recent years. Customs regret that an importer was incorrectly advised that if wine denatured with 2 per cent. salt was to be used as an ingredient in food manufacture it would not be liable to excise duty at importation. The correct liability has been applied since February 1991.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what higher rate of income tax would be necessary to raise the same revenue as would be raised by a higher rate of 50 per cent. and removing the ceiling on national insurance contributions.

At 1992–93 levels of income and assuming statutory indexation of allowances and thresholds, a higher rate of 59 per cent. would raise an approximately equivalent amount of revenue in a full year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he employs to determine whether a property with a paying guest or guests should be classified as a commercial property for Inland Revenue purposes.

Unless a paying guest or guests are using the property as their main or sole residence as defined in the Local Government and Finance Act 1988, any short-stay accommodation in excess of six bed spaces or which is not ancillary to the owners own domestic use will be treated as non-domestic property for uniform business rate purposes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer he will make a statement on the level of share ownership in Great Britain.

A joint Treasury/ProShare survey carried out in January and February of this year shows that almost 10 million people, or more than 22 per cent. of the adult population in Great Britain, now own shares compared with 7 per cent. in 1979. I am placing copies of the survey report in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on tax revenues (a) in the first year and (b) in a full year, assuming this is introduced in 1992–93 of the introduction of a 50 per cent. top rate of income tax on annual taxable incomes of (i) £31,555, (ii) £33,555, (iii) £36,555, (iv) £39,555 and (v) £42,555, in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

[holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is in the table.

Estimated yield in 1992–93 from a 50 per cent. tax rate
Threshold of taxable income at which 50 per cent. rate is charged £	Yield in a full year1at 1992–93 levels of income (£ million)
31,555	2,550
33,555	2,370
36,555	2,140
39,555	1,950
42,555	1,790
1 About half of the yield would be collected in the first year.

These estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and do not include capital gains tax.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table in his answer of 12 June 1991, Official Report, columns 547–50, on taxes and benefits, to include information on 1989.

[holding answer 9 March 1992]: The information is as follows:

Taxes and benefits as percentage of income by quintile groups of households1, 1989
	per cent.
RETIRED HOUSEHOLDS
Cash benefits as percentages of gross income
Bottom quintile group	88
2nd quintile group	84
3rd quintile group	78
4th quintile group	54
Top quintile group	23
Average over all groups	51
Income tax, NIC, rates and community charge as percentages of gross income
Bottom quintile group	17
2nd quintile group	12
3rd quintile group	12
4th quintile group	14
Top quintile group	20
Average over all groups	17
Indirect taxes as percentages of unadjusted disposable income
Bottom quintile group	27
2nd quintile group	20
3rd quintile group	19
4th quintile group	21
Top quintile group	17
Average over all groups	20
Benefits in kind as percentages of final income
Bottom quintile group	44
2nd quintile group	34
3rd quintile group	31

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the revenue raised from a 9 per cent. charge on unearned income for those below state retirement age with a (a) £3,000 exemption, (b) £3,500 exemption, (c) £4,000 exemption, (d) £4,500 exemption and (e) £5,000 exemption, giving both full year and first year revenues for 1991–92 and 1992–93, specifying the numbers affected in each case, for the United Kingdom.

[holding answer 9 March 1992]: Latest estimates for 1991–92 are as follows:

Threshold £	Yield in a full year £ million	Numbers affected Thousands
3,000	870	1,130
3,500	820	970
4,000	780	840
4,500	750	750
5,000	720	660

The amount of revenue collected in the first year would depend on the administrative arrangements for collecting such a charge. The yield in 1992–93 would depend on the levels of investment income for that year.These estimates take no account of any possible behavioural changes following the introduction of such a charge.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will institute proceedings, pursuant to section 48 of the Banking Act 1987, against Mr. Bengt Bangstad arising from the Nicholas Young Ponzi fraud; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 3 March 1992]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no powers to institute proceedings under section 48 of the Banking Act 1987. That is a matter for the Bank of England.

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give (a) the total number of books lent by and (b) the total amount of public spending on the library service in England and Wales, for each year since 1962.

Reliable and comparable information for England and Wales is available only from 1966–67 to 1989–90:

Public library service
England and Wales
Book issues and expenditure
		Total expenditure
Year	Book issues	Cash	Real terms 1991–92 prices
	Million	£ million	£ million
1989–90	501	553	642
1988–89	480	505	624·5
1987–88	525	450	596·5
1986–87	524	432	604
1985–86	566	404	582·5
1984–85	551	377·5	575
1983–84	576	361·5	578
1982–83	574	338	565
1981–82	578	310	556
1980–81	579	276	542·5
1979–80	582	239	556·5
1978–79	570	204·5	555
1977–78	566	184·5	555
1976–77	554	168	575
1975–76	571	149	578
1974–75	547	113	550
1973–74	—	87·5	551
1972–73	—	76·5	478·9
1971–72	579	66·5	448·9
1970–71	562	57	418·2
1969–70	594	49	392
1968–69	585	45	377
1967–68	559	41·5	364·5
1966–67	533	37	335·5

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received from pottery manufacturers about the effects of the regulatory regime established by the Electricity Act 1989 as it affects contract users.

To date my Department has received one representation—from a pottery manufacturer —about electricity contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on British Coal's external financing limit for 1991–92.

British Coal's deep-mine and opencast operations have achieved much in the present financial year and the corporation is likely to record a substantial profit after interest for the second year running. Cost cutting through restructuring has, however, been making calls on British Coal's cash resources in the short-term and it has been agreed that the corporation's external financing limit for 1991–92 should be raised from £542 million to £622 million to provide more financial headroom. This increase will be funded out of the existing vote provision for the current financial year.

To ask the Prime Minister if he has plans to make an official visit to Havering Atte Bower.

I am making plans for a series of visits to all parts of the country and hope to include Essex among them.

To ask the Prime Minister whether a successor has been chosen to Lord Justice Lloyd as commissioner appointed under the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

Lord Justice Lloyd's second term of appointment expires on 10 April. I am most grateful for his work in carrying out his duties as commissioner. I have decided to appoint Lord Justice Bingham as commissioner for a period of three years with effect from 11 April 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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.

The only part of my Department yet to conduct a detailed review of pay and grading structures is the Queen Elizabeth II conference centre. That study was assisted by MCP Management Consultants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authority associations or others, concerning exempting from the community charge those currently qualified to pay 20 per cent. of the full payment.

Few local authorities have proposed exempting all people currently liable for 20 per cent. of the community charge. However, a number of authorities and others have supported bringing forward the principle of 100 per cent. council tax benefit to the last year of the comunity charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the cost for the collection of community charge for those on the minimum 20 per cent. rate.

No separate information is held on collection of the community charge from those making the minimum 20 per cent. contribution. However, the average cost of collecting the community charge from all charge payers is about £14 compared to an average 20 per cent. payment of £45.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage figure of reliability for sprinkler systems he took into account when establishing the parameters for minimum periods of fire resistance in approved document B (fire safety) approved for the purposes of the Building Regulations 1991.

Estimates of the reliability of sprinkler systems vary, and no one figure was used as the basis of the new guidance. However, the opinion of experts at the fire research station, and of the Fire Advisory Panel which the Department consulted while developing the guidance, was that a fire resistance reduction could be allowed over a wider range of cases than hitherto when a sprinkler system was installed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell) of 6 November 1991, Official Report, columns 160–61, when the appropriate ministerial order will be made to implement section 9 of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 dealing with stop notices.

My written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor), Official Report, 16 December 1991, columns 68–69, announced that the main enforcement provisions in part I of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 (including section 9) would be brought into force on 2 January this year. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 (Commencement No. 5 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1991 (SI 1991 No. 2905 (C90)) implemented those provisions accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will establish a working group including English Heritage, the Civic Trust and the Royal Institute of Town Planning to establish ways in which town and city shopping centres may achieve security from crime combined with good visual and aesthetic quality.

The type of security measures required to protect shops and the visual and aesthetic qualities which would be appropriate are best considered locally, informed by local circumstance and need. The Town and Country Planning (Development Plan) Regulations, which came into force on 10 February, require local planning authorities to have regard to crime prevention when preparing development plans. Furthermore, my Department's circulars 1/84—issued jointly with the Home Office—and 22/88 provide guidance on the role of planning crime prevention. Local planning authorities should use this advice to establish local policies which combine the encouragement of effective security and good design.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about county archive services; and if he will make a statement.

We have received a number of letters about local government restructuring and county archive services. The Local Government Commission to be established under the Local Government Act 1992 will review the structure of local government in the shire counties in England. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State intends to direct the commission to have regard to guidance which he will issue about the policy considerations which should underlie its reviews. This guidance will draw the commission's attention to the importance of satisfactory arrangements for existing archive services. Decisions about local government structure and arrangements for services will be for Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the recent visit by the Minister for Local Government and Inner Cities to the Liverpool, Riverside constituency.

I visited the Liverpool Riverside constituency on 6 January 1992. At the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall I announced urban programme support of £3 million towards the hall's refurbishment along with city grant support of £4·5 million towards an office development at Exchange buildings. Later I visited the garden festival site to see work in progress on leisure developments, particularly at the Festival hall. I then met representatives of the Eldonian Development Trust.I also visited the constituency on 6 March for a number of official engagements including the signing of Liverpool's city challenge implementation agreement, the launch of a civil service access training initiative for ethnic minorities in Liverpool, and a tour of the Duke street/Bold street areas with potential developers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities awarded a higher standard spending assessment for 1992–93 per unit of population than the metropolitan borough of Rotherham together with their standard spending assessments per unit of population.

The table shows 1992–93 standard spending assessments for those authorities with a higher amount per head of resident population than Rotherham.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made to date, with regard to the relocation of English Heritage to Nottingham; and what is the timetable for the various stages of the move, and the expected time and date for its completion.

English Heritage is to relocate its headquarters to Nottingham in 1994. Two city centre sites are being examined in detail before a choice of site is made and submitted to the Secretary of State for approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the report of his working party on the east Thames corridor.

My right hon. Friend has appointed consultants, Llewelyn-Davies Planning, to consider the potential of the East Thames Corridor for development and environmental enhancement. It is anticipated that their study will be completed by June 1992. We expect that the report of the study will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the final report of the district auditor investigating the sale of housing stock of Rochester-upon-Medway city council to the Medway Housing Society will be available; and if he will indicate the reasons for the delay.

The district auditor has been carrying out an investigation into the sale by Rochester upon Medway city council of its housing stock to Medway Housing Society in July 1990. The auditor is currently completing the consultation process in accordance with the statutory audit code of practice. He hope to issue his public interest report to the council shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the provisional allocations of the derelict land grant for 1992–93 in England and Wales in descending order according to the size of the grant, within the following categories (a) shire county councils, (b) metropolitan district councils, (c) other district councils, (d) planning boards and (e) others.

The information requested for England is as shown in the table. Derelict land reclamation in Wales is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales.

Provisional Allocations of Derelict Land Grant—1992–93 (a) Shire County Councils
Region and Council	Amount £
EM Nottinghamshire	2,631,000
EM Derbyshire	2,597,000
NW Cheshire	2,000,000
NR Northumberland	1,700,000
NR Durham	1,500,000
WM Shropshire	1,257,000
EM Leicestershire	873,000
WM Staffordshire	601,000
SW Cornwall	400,000
NW Lancashire	300,000
NR Cleveland	120,000
WM Warwickshire	29,000
Total	14,008,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government have completed their consultations on the proposed new expenditure limits for grant eligible reinstatement works under the housing defects legislation; and if he will make a statement.

I am most grateful to all those who have responded to our consultation proposals; we have, as a result, been able to settle the final figures for each designated house type. Our suggestion that the limits should be revised within a structure of six main cost bands was widely welcomed, as indeed were most of the individual proposals. Some concern was expressed as to whether £32,000 would be sufficient for repairs to Airey and Schindler and Hawksley SGS houses, and we have therefore decided instead to place these types within the £36,000 cost band.The new limits will therefore be as follows:

New limit house type	Present limit £
£20,000
Cornish unit (1 storey PRC)	17,000
Gregory	17,000
Unity and Butterley (1 storey PRC)	17,000
£24,000
Dorran (1 storey PRC)	17,000
Myton (1 storey PRC)	17,000
Newland (1 storey PRC)	17,000
Tarran (1 storey PRC)	17,000
Wessex (1 storey PRC)	17,000
£28,000
Cornish unit (2 storey PRC)	23,000
Stent	23,000
Unity and Butterley (2 storey PRC)	23,000
£32,000
Boswell	27,000
Dorran (2 storey PRC)	27,000
Dyke	27,000
Myton (2 storey PRC)	27,000
Newland (2 storey PRC)	27,000
Stonecrete	27,000
Tarran (2 storey PRC)	27,000
Underdown	27,000
Waller	27,000
Wates	27,000
Winget	27,000
£36,000
Airey	27,000
Schindler and Hawksley SGS	27,000
Smith	27,000
£40,000
Boot Pier and Panel	31,000
Orlit	31,000
Parkinson	31,000
Reema Hollow Panel	31,000
Wessex (2 storey PRC)	31,000
Woolaway	31,000
£14,000
All locally designated types	14,000

These new limits should enable local authorities themselves to decide the appropriate level of grant, in the majority of cases, without further reference to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what maintenance work is planned on Big Ben this year; and if he will make a statement.

The mechanism of the great clock is subject to regular expert inspections and routine maintenance. Included in this year's programme is the replacement of the chime main wheel. The work is expected to start in April and to last about eight weeks. During the period the quarter hour chimes will be silent. The clock itself and the hour strike will not be affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what use he intends to make of his sanction powers under part III of the Local Government Planning and Land Act 1980 in relation to Milton Keynes borough council.

On 15 October 1991, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State served a notice under section 19A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980 on Milton Keynes borough council, setting out his view that in 1989–90 the authority has failed to achieve the required rate of return in carrying out the work described in section 10(2)(d) of the Act—maintenance work, other than such works of maintenance in connection with highways or the maintenance of a sewer.He has now considered the response which the authority has made to the section 19A notice, and which has acknowledged the failure to achieve the rate of return in 1989–90 and also for 1990–91. The authority has also indicated that performance in the current financial year may culminate in losses between £100,000 and £150,000.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has concluded that the record of financial failure by the authority's direct service organisation is such as to justify further use of his sanction powers. He has therefore today made a direction under section 19B of the 1980 Act, prohibiting the authority from carrying out the work described in section 10(2)(d) of the Act after 1 October 1992, with the exception of emergency work.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet considered the London borough of Haringey's response to the notice served on the authority on 12 November 1991 under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has given careful consideration to the response which the London borough of Haringey has made to the notice served on the authority on 12 November 1991, and has today given the authority a direction under section 14 of the 1988 Act. The effect of the direction is that after 1 January 1993 the authority will cease to have the power to carry out refuse collection work itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take against those local authorities whose direct labour organisations made significant financial losses in 1989–90, and on which notices were served on 31 July and 28 October 1991.