To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce measures to reduce the delays which occur at small claims courts; what research he has conducted on the cost of these delays to public funds; and if he will make a statement. [36948]

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research his Department has conducted into the effects that increasing the small claims limit to £3,000 will have on the small claims procedure; and if he will name the courts where pilot schemes have been conducted. [36949]

An increase in the small claims limit would not affect the nature of the small claims procedure. No pilot schemes have been conducted. However, if the small claims limit is increased, the effects of this will be closely monitored, as recommended by Lord Woolf.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to introduce measures which will allow people to choose to opt out of the small claims procedure if the limit is increased to £3,000; and if he will make a statement. [36950]

Under the rules of court, district judges have discretion to order a case to be referred out of the small claims procedure if it meets certain criteria. The judge can order this after considering the defence, either on application by a party or of his own accord.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the level of weekly disposable income below which (a) free legal aid and (b) contributory legal aid was available in (i) 1979, (ii) 1993, (iii) 1994 and (iv) 1995; what was the percentage of the adult population eligible for (a) and (b) in each of those years; and what is the present-day value in real terms of these disposable income levels. [35545]

The hon. Member will recall that I was unable to provide him with an answer to his question earlier this year. I am now in a position to do so and it is set out in the tables. It is not possible to calculate figures to show the percentage of the adult population eligible for (a) free legal aid and (b) contributory legal aid so I have shown eligible households instead. All figures are annual ones.

Table 1—Levels of annual disposable income for non-contributory and contributory civil legal aid
Year	Non-contributory	Contributory	PI
1979	7,500	3,600	—
1993	2,294	6,800	7,750
1994	2,382	7,060	7,780
1995	2,425	7,187	7,920

Table 2—What is the present day value in real terms of these disposable levels
Year	Non-contributory	Contributory	PI
1979	3,816	9,138	—
1993	2,403	7,126	7,860
1994	2,439	7,229	7,935
1995	2,425	7,187	7,920

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in respect of how many cases the legal aid fund has reimbursed the costs of a successful opponent in each of the past five years. [37158]

It is not possible to identify exactly the number of cases in which the legal aid fund has reimbursed the costs of a successful unassisted party under the terms of section 18 of the Legal Aid Act 1988; the Legal Aid Board records the number of payments made but not the number of cases in which section 18 costs are reimbursed. The number of payments made each year was:

• 1990–91: 119
• 1991–92: 134
• 1992–93: 171
• 1993–94: 186
• 1994–95: 158

Although it is possible that more than one payment may be made in a small number of cases, costs are usually reimbursed by way of a single payment.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current annual expenditure on legal aid in Britain; and what are the equivalent figures in other EU countries. [37215]

Annual net provision for legal aid expenditure in the United Kingdom, excluding administration, for the current financial year is as follows:

	£m
England and Wales	1,457
Scotland	133
Northern Ireland	22

In the time available it has not been possible to obtain equivalent figures for other EU countries.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor plans to implement Lord Woolf's recommendation that small personal injury claims under £1,000 should be exempt from the small claims procedure; and if he will make a statement. [36951]

In his interim report on access to justice Lord Woolf recommendation that all personal injury cases up to £10,000 should be dealt with in the fast track. Lord Woolf is presently developing his detailed proposals for the fast track.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of similarities shared by road traffic accident cases and personal injury cases in the area of assessing liability and quantum, and if he will make a statement. [36944]

Insofar as the damages claimed are for personal injuries, road traffic accident cases are treated in the same way as other personal injury claims.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken or intends to take to monitor the delays by those found guilty of criminal actions in payment to their victims of sums ordered by the courts; and if he will make a statement concerning the efficacy of such arrangements. [37333]

My Department has set up a working group under the chairmanship of a senior official to identify and promote good practice in the enforcement of financial penalties—including compensation to victims—and recommended procedural, administrative or legislative changes which would improve the enforcement of such penalties. The group is considering what modifications and improvements may be made to management information systems in the magistrates courts to secure better monitoring of arrears. As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 19 July, Official Report, columns 1300–01—the working group is expected to continue for at least a year but it hopes to be in a position to issue guidance to the courts as and when conclusions are reached during that period.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Anderson Consulting, (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36995]

The Chief Executives of the Land Registry and the Public Record Office will respond on behalf of their agencies. The chief executives of the Public Trust Office will also respond on behalf of this agency for expenditure from 1 July 1994.For my Department, including the Court Service agency, two outsourcing contracts have been granted since 1990, one to Capita—the parent company of Telecom Capita—for specific research work at a value of £40,851 in the financial year 1992–93 and one to Digital Equipment for system development and implementation at a value of £429,362 in the financial year 1993–94. Additional work for the latter contract came to £16,346.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Andersen Consulting, (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36967]

The Privy Council Office has granted no contracts to the companies in question in the last five years. I am not responsible for any agencies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyn/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Andersen Consulting, (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36999]

I regret that information prior to 1991 can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.HM Treasury has not let any outsourcing contracts with the companies listed.HM Treasury did not have any agencies in the period reported above.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue that would be lost if principal private residences were excluded from asset valuation for the purposes of inheritance tax liability. [36440]

The full-year cost in 1996–97 of excluding principal private residences from asset valuation for the purposes of inheritance tax liability, is estimated at around £300 million. This estimate takes no account of any consequential behavioural changes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on house prices of exempting principal private residences from inheritance tax liability. [36441]

It would be inappropriate to comment on tax matters at this stage in the Budget cycle.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what rates of travel allowance may be claimed by civil servants in his Department when using their vehicles for official business. [36351]

The current rates of travel allowance that staff in the Treasury may claim when using their vehicles for official business are as follows:

Standard rate (pence per mile)
Cars with engine capacity	Up to 1500 cc	1501–2000 cc	Over 2000 cc
Up to 5,000 miles	35.7	40	43
Over 5,000 miles	17	21	27

Motorcycles with engine capacity
	Up to 125cc	Over 125cc
First, 4,000 miles at:	15.4p	24.7p
Over 4,000 miles at:	5.5p	8.1p

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total cost of travel expenses claimed by civil servants using their own vehicles for official business in each of the last five years in his Department; and what would have been the saving in the last year if the maximum rate that could be claimed was set at the lowest rate. [36352]

The total cost of travel expenses claimed by civil servants using their own vehicles for official business in the Treasury in the last five years is as follows:

	£000
1995–96	7
1994–95	21
1993–94	23
1992–93	32
1991–92	29
1 To date.

The saving in the last full year can only be estimated, as the records on mileages travelled on individual trips by individual officials are currently held manually and it would involve disproportionate cost to work through those. Of the £21,000 shown for 1994–95, only £7,700 was reimbursed at our maximum rates. The saving had reimbursement been at our lower rate in that year is estimated to be approximately £2.900.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has of the savings to the Inland Revenue over 10 years of the contract between the Inland Revenue and EDS; when the contract was (a) awarded and (b) revised. [36702]

When the Inland Revenue signed a 10-year outsourcing contract with EDS in May 1994, the estimated value based on the work load identified in the invitation to tender was £1 billion, which represented a potential saving of £225 million over the in-house costs.The Inland Revenue is in the process of updating the original estimates to take into account the actual changes to the work load identified in the first year of the contract and revising forecasts for the remaining life of the contract.This work is not yet complete and therefore revised figures are not yet available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the distribution of earnings and of ages of households having a first child. [36971]

The table shows the breakdown of households by range of total gross weekly earnings and age of eldest dependent child as estimated from the winter 1994 labour force survey. Benefits are excluded.

	Age of eldest dependent child
	0–5	6–10	11–15	>15	Total
<£200	6	6	10	5	27
£201–£300	4	4	4	2	14
£301–£400	4	4	5	2	16
£401–£500	4	4	4	2	13
£501–£600	2	2	3	2	9
£601–£700	2	2	2	2	7
£701–£800	1	1	1	2	5
£801–£900	1	1	1	2	3
>£900	2	1	2	1	7
Total	26	25	31	18	100

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate his Department has made of the hourly average rate of pay in manufacturing in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) in each of the members of the European Union; [30074](2) what estimate his Department has made of the average hourly rate of pay in food retailing. [37005]

Estimates of manufacturing hourly earnings for manual and non-manual workers in the United Kingdom and the other member states of the European Union are published by Eurostat in "Earnings—Industry and Services 1994". This report is available in the House of Commons Library.More recent information on hourly earnings by industry of full-time adult workers in Great Britain, is shown in tables X2.1–X2.7 of part A of the April 1995 new earnings survey report, also available in the House of Commons Library. Table X2.1 gives date for all manufacturing, and food retailing is shown in table X2.5.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate of the number and proportion of the work force in (a) each county and (b) the United Kingdom that are employed in the agriculture and fishing sector. [36722]

The table shows regional estimates from the spring—March to May—1995 labour force survey of the number in employment in agriculture and fishing industries and the proportion they represent of the work force. Estimates for each county are not available.

Spring 1995
	Agriculture and fishing
	All in employment Thousands	As a proportion of the work force1 Per cent.
United Kingdom	517	1.8
Northern region	22	1.5
Yorkshire and Humberside	47	1.9
East Midlands	46	2.2
East Anglia	36	3.3
Greater London	n/a	n/a
Rest of South East	70	1.3
South West	79	3.3
West Midlands	51	2.0
North West	27	0.9
Wales	41	3.2
Scotland	56	2.3
Northern Ireland	36	5.1

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average increase in rateable value for small shops caused by the installation of security equipment; and if he will make a statement. [36947]

Information is not available on the average increase in rateable value for small shops caused by the installation of security equipment.The effect that security equipment may have on the rateable value of small shops will depend upon its nature and extent. This will vary but, in general, relatively minor security devices fitted in small shops are unlikely to increase the value significantly and in many cases they may not increase the value at all.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines his Department has issued to local valuation offices regarding the rateable value of security devices in small shops. [36945]

No specific guidelines have been issued with regard to the rateable value of security devices in small shops, but valuation officers will consider the rateability and value of such items in line with general guidelines on the rateability of plant and machinery.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's estimate of central Government expenditure per head to each English region in each of the last five years. [36726]

Identifiable general government expenditure per head by region and function for 1992–93 was published in "Public Expenditure"; Cm 2821, table 7.9. An exercise to collect regional figures for general government expenditure for one financial year only is

Name	Country	Sector	Amount (mecu)	Lender guaranteed
Panafon, SA	Greece	TEN1 telecoms	54.74	EIB
Groupe Banque Populaire (GBP)	France	SME2	75.91	GBP
Telecom Italia	Italy	TEN telecoms	101.38	EIB
SNAM Trans-mediterraneo	Italy	TEN energy	100.49	EIB
Aeroporto di Malpensa	Italy	TEN transport	375.59	EIB
Transgas	Portugal	TEN	4107.22	EIB
Total			515.33

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure has been incurred by the European Monetary Institute in respect of preparation for possible designs banknotes or coinage for a common currency; and on whose authority such expenditure was made. [37269]

The European Monetary Institute has the responsibility of supervising the technical preparation of single currency banknotes under the terms of article 109f(3) of the EC treaty, as amended at Maastricht, which has been ratified by all member states. The accounts published by the European Monetary Institute do not separately identify expenditure incurred in fulfilling this responsibility.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action is being taken to ensure taxation of trading at car boot sales. [37147]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what approvals have so far been made under the European Investment Fund for guarantee of loans made for projects within member states of the European Union; and if he will give for each case the purpose of the investment, the amount guaranteed and the financial agency concerned. [37007]

The full list of projects signed is:

Those who trade at car boot sales are liable to investigation by the Inland Revenue in the same way as any other trader. The Inland Revenue continuously evaluates all areas where there might be under-declaration of taxable profits.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from privatised utility regulators suggesting extra taxation to take account of hidden values in respect of the regulated companies. [37071]

I receive many representations on a wide variety of tax issues in the run-up to the Budget, but it is not my practice to comment on them individually.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which EU countries are currently achieving the convergence criteria of the Maastricht treaty. [37210]

The question of which countries meet the Maastricht criteria will be decided by the European Council on recommendations from the Commission. On the basis of the latest Commission forecast, Luxembourg, Germany and the UK are likely to have budget deficits below 3 per cent. of GDP and debt ratios below 60 per cent. of GDP by 1996.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals for a special one-off tax on gains made by regulated monopolies where the regulator certifies that the gains were unexpected. [37062]

It would not be appropriate for me to comment on tax measures in the run-up to the Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie immunity from United Kingdom tax arrangements in respect of the Kuwait investment office in London; and if he will list the other Kuwaiti commercial operations in the United Kingdom to which this immunity extends. [37068]

The normal rules of tax confidentiality preclude the provision of information about the affairs of named individuals or entities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are in place for the disclosure for tax purposes of salaries and benefits in kind paid to British employees of foreign embassies in London. [37072]

Some embassies voluntarily operate the "pay as you earn" scheme on the salaries of their British staff. Where the embassy does not do this, it is approached at the end of each tax year by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—acting on behalf of the Inland Revenue—for details of the emoluments which it has paid during the year to its staff who are liable to tax. Those staff are also under the normal obligation to declare their emoluments in the returns of income which they make to the Inland Revenue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of United Kingdom funded projects in India in each of the past six years have been in the states of (a) Kashmir and (b) Punjab. [37105]

One project in Kashmir—hydroelectric power—is currently being funded under the aid and trade provision at a total cost of £17 million. Apart from this, the ODA has not given any bilateral aid for projects in either Kashmir or Punjab in the past six years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests for overseas aid assistance have been made by the Indian Government for projects in (a) Kashmir and (b) Punjab states in the past 10 years; and how many of these were approved. [37107]

A hydroelectric power project on Kashmir was approved under the aid and trade provision in 1989. No other British bilateral aid projects have been approved in the past 10 years in Kashmir or Punjab. Information on requests during that time from the Indian Government for assistance for projects in Kashmir and Punjab is not readily available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the major projects in India funded by United Kingdom overseas aid in the past six years. [37103]

Projects over £5 million funded by UK overseas aid in India in the past six years are:

• Maharashtra Water (1990) £16m
• Calcutta Slum Improvement Project (1990) £13m
• Orissa Health and Family Welfare 2 (1991) £20m
• Vijayawada Slum Improvement Project (1991) £17m
• Programme Aid Grant (1991) £30m
• Coal Project Grant (1991) £ 11m
• Andhra Pradesh School Health (1991) £6m
• Programme Aid Grant (1992) £20m
• Western Ghats Environmental Forestry Project (1992) £25m
• High Voltage Interconnector, Chandrapur, (1993) £65m
• Hirakud Hydro (1993) £20m
• Heat Treated Rails (1993) £15m
• Regional Engineering Colleges (1994) £7m
• Eastern India Rainfed Farming Project (1994) £8m
• Andhra Pradesh Energy Efficiency (1994) £43m
• Maharashtra Earthquake (World Bank Programme) £15m
• Gomti River Pollution Control Project (1995) £4m (initial phase)
• Andhra Pradesh District Primary Education (1995) £46m

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the amount of United Kingdom bilateral aid in India in each of the past six years. [37104]

UK bilateral aid to India was:

• 1989–90: £75.851 million
• 1990–91: £88.260 million
• 1991–92: £128.144 million
• 1992–93: £94.719 million
• 1993–94: £79.231 million
• 1994–95: £82.652 million

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy on respect of granting overseas aid assistance to India; and to what extent this takes into account geographical location of projects. [37106]

Priorities for United Kingdom aid are discussed and agreed with the Government of India at annual talks, taking into account priorities of both Governments.For management reasons, major new projects are increasingly being focused in a smaller number of target states, including West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made to fulfil the statement made by his predecessor at the Overseas Development Institute that Her Majesty's Government had plans to increase annual expenditure on overseas aid. [37363]

In his speech to the Overseas Development Institute on 15 February 1995, the then Foreign Secretary reiterated the Government's plans for increased aid spending announced by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement on 29 November 1994.In common with all other areas of Government expenditure, these plans are reviewed each year during the public expenditure survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the fate of the Twa people of Rwanda, and those of them presently refugees in Zaire; and what plans he has to take any special action to protect these victims of the situation in Rwanda. [37286]

We have little specific information about the fate of the Twa people, other than reports by bodies such as the Unrepresented Peoples and Nations Organisation. An UNPO mission to Rwanda in late 1994 estimated that 10,000 Twa were killed in the genocide and civil war of 1994—representing one third of that community in Rwanda—and that a further 8,000 to 10,000 Twa had fled the country.Other reports indicate that the Twa form a particularly vulnerable group among the refugees, often living outside the established camps and meriting special attention from UN agencies and non-governmental organisations. The Red Cross and Christian Aid have organised separate food distribution and shelter provision for groups of Twa refugees. Inside Rwanda, the Twa have traditionally been a disadvantaged group, subjected to discrimination. A Christian Aid rehabilitation programme has assisted the Twa, and further programmes targeting the Twa as a group are planned. The UK has contributed to these programmes.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his Department. [36836]

Although none of the Departments for which I am responsible uses the private finance initiative for the funding of any services or projects at present, use of the PFI is being considered for future projects where appropriate. It is not expected that use of the PFI would affect the rights of individuals to complain to an ombudsman.

To ask the Lord President of the Council what proposals he has for providing additional opportunities for parliamentary scrutiny of policies under (a) the second and (b) the third pillar of Maastricht.

The procedures for parliamentary scrutiny of documents emerging under the inter-governmental pillars work well and are kept under review. I await with interest the publication of a report from the Select Committee on European Legislation on the arrangements for the scrutiny of EU documents, which is planned for the autumn. The Government will consider the report carefully together with any proposals the Committee may have for improving the current arrangements.

To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Dr. Wright), 17 July 1995, Official Report, column 914, how many of the Members who claim only one rate of car allowance have cars in each of the three categories.

There are six Members who submit claims for one rate of vehicle but who have cars registered in all three categories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those daily and Sunday newspapers used by his Department for advertising purposes in 1994–95; and what was the total expenditure in each case. [36340]

Publicity advertising undertaken by my Department for the period 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1995 was as follows:

	£
The Scotsman	9,176
The Herald	8,770
Dundee Courier and Advertiser	6,543
Press and Journal	7,167
Daily Record	51,138
Scottish Daily Express	1,876
The Sun (Scottish)	8,882
Daily Mirror	361
Glasgow Evening Times	296
Scotland on Sunday	9,724
Sunday Times Scotland	6,881
Sunday Mail	47,795
Sunday Post	49,761
News of the World (Scottish)	2,100

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of his Department's advertising budget has been allocated to local weekly newspapers in Scotland in each of the past 10 years. [36341]

The figure for 1993–94 was 5.7 per cent. and for 1994–95, 7.3 per cent. Details for previous years are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all Forestry Commission land sold so far during 1995. [36983]

I have arranged for a list to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his Departments. [36827]

Under the private finance initiative, Departments or relevant public bodies may contract with private organisations for the supply of services to specified standards. The rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen are not affected assuming that the responsibility to provide services lies with the public authority concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or Agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Andersen Consulting, (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [36957]

I can confirm that no outsourcing contracts were let to any of the named suppliers during the period in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to include a question on the use of Scots in the next census in 2001 on the same basis as the existing question on Gaelic. [36987]

The General Register Office for Scotland, together with the Census Office for England and Wales, the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, has started to consult users of census information about their needs from the next census of population, planned for 2001. A number of letters have been received expressing support for a question on the Scots language. Needs have also been expressed for information about various other languages and other topics.The census offices and users will consider whether these requirements can be met by a set of simple questions without the census form imposing an undue burden on the public. For each topic a preliminary assessment will be made on whether the census is the most appropriate means of collecting the required information. Questions for which there is likely to be a good case will be tested to see if the public find them acceptable and can provide answers of a quality adequate to meet user's needs. Business cases for such questions and previously proven questions will then be considered. The Government's proposals will be pubished in 1998, and the final selection of questions will be approved by Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now specify the quantity and nature of the drugs found in the debris near Lockerbie after the destruction of Pan Am flight 103. [37394]

The hon. Member is referred to the answer given on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 87.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance the Crown Office gave to the deputy chief constable of the Dumfries and Galloway police in responding to the letter from the former Bradford police surgeon, Dr. David Fieldhouse, regarding the failure to make further inquiry of him about body DCF12, labelled by Dr. Fieldhouse at a hillside north-east of Shawhill farm, Lockerbie, on 22 December 1988. [37460]

Communications between the prosecuting and Investigating authorities are confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration the Crown Office has now given to the advancing age of those witnesses whom the prosecution proposes to lead in court in relation to the Lockerbie case. [37446]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 90, and have nothing to add except to note that a further seven months have passed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will now reveal on what dates Scottish police interviewed Dr. David Fieldhouse, Bradford police surgeon, in connection with his work in the Lockerbie area in December 1988; what knowledge he now has of body DCF12, male, hillside north-east of Shawhill farm, found at Lockerbie by Dr. David Fieldhouse, and if the Crown Office has endorsed the apology given in his written report by Sheriff John Mowat to Dr. David Fieldhouse for overlooking his information about Lockerbie body DCF12, male, hillside north-east of Shawhill farm, and for the undeserved criticism of his activities. [37459]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 6 March 1995, Official Report, columns 89 and 90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has anything to add to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 90, regarding the likelihood of a trial of the Lockerbie suspects taking place. [37464]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he has taken to secure the extradition of Adam Busby from Dublin. [37364]

Arrangements for the backing warrants in Ireland are the responsibility of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate and the police. There is a warrant in force for the arrest of Adam Busby and it is not the policy of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate to discuss the steps which might be taken to enforce such a warrant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rates of travel allowance may be claimed by civil servants in his Department when using their vehicles for official business. [36355]

FCO—diplomatic wing and ODA—staff can claim the following rates when using their private vehicles for official business in the United Kingdom:

Private cars	Per mile
Public transport rate	22.3p
Standard rate (up to 4000 miles per year)	37.0p
Standard rate (over 4000 miles per year)	21.0p

Motor Cycles
Public Transport rate	Up to 125cc	Over 125cc only
(Up to 4000 miles per year)	14.1 per mile	21.8 per mile
(Over 4000 miles per year)	5.8 per mile	8.6 per mile

The standard rate for private cars is payable only when public transport is unavailable or impractical.Overseas mileage rates are calculated by individual diplomatic missions using a formula set by the Treasury and agreed with the Inland Revenue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the total cost of travel expenses claimed by civil servants using their own vehicles for official business in each of the last five years in his Department; and what would have been the saving in the last year if the maximum rate that could be claimed was set at the lowest rate. [36356]

The FCO—diplomatic wing and ODA—processed over 20,000 travel and subsistence claims during the financial year 1994–95. Information on payments made to staff who use their private vehicles for official business in that year and preceding years is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many outsourcing contracts were granted by his Department or agencies in each year since 1990, indicating the nature and value of each contract; and if any additional work was added and of what value to (a) Hoskyns/Cap Gemini Segeti, (b) AT and T Istel, (c) EDS, (d) Sema Group, (e) Datasolve, (f) ITN Net, (g) Andersen Consulting, (h) Centre File, (i) BIS, (j) Telecom Capita, (k) ICL, (l) Digital Equipment, (m) CFM, (n) Siemens, (o) Nixdorf, (p) CMG and (q) Logica. [37000]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of French nuclear testing on the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island; and what her Majesty's Government's obligations to the Pitcairn Islanders. [36761]

We remain committed to the protection of United Kingdom dependent territories. We do not believe that the French nuclear tests should cause any danger to the inhabitants of Pitcairn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will commission a study of the increased incidences of the food poisoning strain called ciguatera in so far as it relates to the residents of British dependent territories in the South Pacific, in the context of nuclear weapons tests in the region. [36754]

The incidence of ciguatera in the South Pacific is monitored locally. It depends on a variety of factors. We see no need to commission any separate study.

To ask the Secretary of State and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his latest assessment of progress in the middle east peace process. [36897]

The interim agreement between Israel and the Palestinians was signed in Washington on 28 September. This represents a major achievement in the peace process, which we warmly welcome. The interim agreement paves the way for Palestinian elections in the west bank and Gaza. We will be making a substantial contribution to the EU-organised observation of the elections. Negotiations between Israel and Syria remain suspended for the time being. We hope that they will resume soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the source documents which comprise the scientific evidence at Her Majesty's Government's disposal on the environmental risks posed to coral atolls by nuclear tests to which the Minister of State made reference in the adjournment debate on 19 July. [36839]

The scientific evidence is drawn from a number of sources. Copies of key documents will be available in the Library of the House shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the rights of individual members of the public to make complaints to any of the appropriate ombudsmen about services or projects funded through the private finance initiative in his Department. [36832]

Members of the public have the right to make representations to the appropriate ombudsman about any service or project provided by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office—diplomatic wing or Overseas Development Administration—including those funded under the private finance initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) on what date Her Majesty's Government was informed by the German Government of the decision to free Abdel Ghadanfar in November 1994; [37454](2) whether Her Majesty's Government was informed of and consulted about the release of, and the decision to free, Abdel Ghadanfar, by the German Authorities in November 1994; and if he will make a statement. [37453]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 9.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) following the court case Air Malta v Granada Television and pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southend, East (Sir T. Taylor) of 31 January, Official Report, column 332, what evidence has now been found to substantiate a Maltese connection with the Lockerbie bombing; [37406](2) what information he has sought since March 1995 from Juge Brugiere in France, in relation to the UTA case, with particular reference to a Libyan connection for Lockerbie. [37423]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report column 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) for what reason Her Majesty's Government supported the US decision that the Montreal convention, requiring attempts at conciliation and arbitration, should not be applied in relation to Pan Am 103 and Lockerbie; and that the preferred action was through the UN Security Council; [37435](2) what consideration has now been given to evidence involving officials of countries other than Libya in relation to Lockerbie; and what efforts her Majesty's Government have made to obtain such evidence concerning nationals of countries, other than Libya, as undertaken on 20 January 1992,

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 6.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met Amro Musa, Foreign Minister of Egypt, to discuss the Lockerbie situation; and what contact he has had since. [37448]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs saw the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 27 September, and expects to meet him frequently in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs following his undertaking given in Glasgow on 3 February, to look into the claims made by the Bradford police surgeon, Dr. David Fieldhouse, what further action he has taken to verify Dr. Fieldhouse's claims about the body count at Lockerbie on 21, 22 and 23 December 1988. [37438]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995. Official Report, column 5.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has anything to add to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 7, regarding his assertion on 3 February at the Scottish Oils Clubs Annual Dinner that a trial in relation to Lockerbie would be prejudiced by a public inquiry. [37463]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will now enter into discussions with Dr. Esmat Abdel Maguid with a view to resolving the Lockerbie case; [37442](2) what representations he has now had from Esmat Abdel Maguid on the issue of Libya's position in relation to the Lockerbie case. [37443]

At his meeting with Dr. Maguid on 5 April, the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) discussed a range of matters, including Lockerbie.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice has now been sought from her Majesty's Government by the German Government on the reply that they should give to the letter to Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl, in German from a German national, Elizabeth Mosey, mother of a Lockerbie victim, of 23 January 1995; and what advice was given by her Majesty's Government. [37447]

None

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 9 December 1993 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, if he will now discuss with the German Government the visit to Germany of the Iranian Intelligence Minster, Mr. Fallahian, and subsequent visits by Iranian Ministers at which the destruction of Pan Am 103 was discussed. [37449]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has had from Adnan Omran, assistant secretary-general for political affairs of the Arab League, following the meeting between the League and the United Nations in Vienna in July 1995 about the Lockerbie situation. [37455]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's communications with the solicitors of Pan Am, Windels, Marx, Davies and Ives, regarding aspects of the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, since May 1995. [37440]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 8.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was last in contact with the Government of Finland about the identity of a caller to the United States embassy in Helsinki on 5 December 1988, warning that within two weeks a bomb would be carried on to an American airliner from Frankfurt, destination New York. [37450]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Grantham on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 8.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the judgments of the Court of the European Community which have required retrospective amendment of any United Kingdom Acts of Parliament or related instrument arising from (a) a Community directive and (b) a Community regulation stating in each case the relevant United Kingdom amended instrument and its principal effect. [37257]

We are not aware of any judgment of the European Court of Justice which has required the United Kingdom to amend retroactively legislation arising from a community Directive or Regulation. Some judgments of the Court may have significant retrospective effects without the need for amending legislation, especially in the pensions and social security fields. We intend to address this issue at the 1996 intergovernmental conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his letter of 12 July, what contribution Her Majesty's Government have made to the international programme set up under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency to consider the implications of past dumping operations; and what requests he has received from the Russian Government for technical help in relation to the Lepse in Murmansk harbour. [37396]

We continue to participate in the international programme established to assess the risks to human health and the environment from radioactive wastes dumped in the Kara and Barents seas, to examine possible remedial actions and to advise on whether any are necessary and justified. This project, managed by the IAEA in co-operation with the Norwegian and Russian Governments, is expected to report in 1996. No specific request to provide technical assistance for the Lepse has been received from the Russian Government. The European Union is, however, proposing to assist the relevant Russian authorities by funding a feasibility study into the options for dealing with the Lepse and the radioactive material stored on board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 3 May, Official Report, columns 313–14; what contribution he has made to the recent discussions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. [37108]

We continue to encourage both the Indian and Pakistani Governments to resolve their differences over Kashmir through bilateral negotiation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will put in the Library a copy of the recent statements by the Government of Iran, in the possession of his Department, that the skies would rain blood on America, as a result of the shooting down of an Iranian Airbus by the USS 'Vincennes' [37444]

I have nothing to add to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 8.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has now given to the death of British subject, Mr. Prazak, on 22 December 1992, on a Libyan airliner on an internal flight, in the light of approaches from Mrs. Felicity Prazak, a British citizen. [37437]

We have helped Mrs. Prazak arrange a visit to her husband's grave in Libya and we are pressing the Libyan authorities to provide a crash report. We are not empowered to launch our own inquiry because the crash involved two Libyan aircraft inside Libyan air space.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to his press statement of 24 August concerning his hopes for education, what procedures, flexibilities and diversity will potentially be available to future pupils, or parents, not already available at schools currently under local management arrangements, if they become directly funded under conditions laid down by Her Majesty's Government; and by what means in those circumstances Ministers will ensure that the options now preferred, or currently available, will be maintained under such arrangements. [37358](2) pursuant to his press statement of 24 August concerning education, which freedoms, flexibility, and additional diversity will potentially be available to future parents and pupils in schools now under local management arrangements in England and Wales if they became directly funded under conditions laid down by Her Majesty's Government; and by what means Ministers will ensure that options currently available will be maintained. [37383]

Self-government is a significant and logical step beyond local management. A self-governing school controls its total budget, not just the proportion delegated by an LEA. It is also free to preserve its existing character or to propose changes without reference to the local authority.This gives self-governing schools greater flexibility to innovate, and to respond quickly and efficiently to the needs and aspirations of the communities they serve.I believe that the benefits of grant-maintained status should be extended to all schools. This option is currently being examined.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will require all relevant Government Departments to maintain a register listing sporting facilities in receipt of public funds (a) closed after 1 September 1995 and (b) proposed for closure; and if he will then instruct his Minister for Sport to investigate and report to him on relevant reasons for closure. [37336]

The sports policy statements issued during the summer recognised the important role which sports facilities, including those provided by public funds, play in the development of sport. The documents detail the measures that have taken and will be taking to safeguard and improve the current level of facilities provision. We will also shortly be consulting on a proposal that the Sports Councils should be given statutory consultee status on planning proposals affecting all playing fields. Additionally, the Government will retain statutory area standards to protect school playing fields. The Government do not see a need for a register of publicly funded sports facilities of the kind that the hon. Member suggests.

To ask the Prime Minister how many postcards he has received expressing support for the national postcard campaign for breast cancer; and how many of these have been answered. [37051]

To ask the Prime Minister how many postcards he has received in response to the recent campaign on breast cancer. [37481]

I have received a substantial number of representations regarding this campaign.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 25 January, what strategy, other than demanding a trial of two junior operatives, Her Majesty's Government now have for obtaining justice for all the victims of the crime of Lockerbie. [37461]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 79.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will now place in the Library a copy of the memorandum from No. 10 Downing street in 1989 adducing the reasons why Her Majesty's Government would not allow a public inquiry into the Lockerbie crime; and at what level the decision on the public inquiry was taken. [37458]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 78.

To ask the Prime Minster what reports the United Kingdom and United States authorities in Cyprus have now received from Dr. David Lovejoy, an employee of the United States Government, directly or through other sources, on the movement of the United States hostage rescue team, including Matthew Gannon and Major Charles McKee, subsequently killed at Lockerbie, before the destruction of Pan Am 103; and if he will discuss with President Clinton the reasons why these reports were sought. [37456]

I have nothing further to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 80.

To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government were informed by the US authorities on or around 19 December 1988 of the travel plans of Major Charles McKee. [37405]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 79.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 30 August 1994 to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what examination has recently taken place of the Toshiba and Helsinki warnings in relation to Lockerbie, since the fatal accident inquiry. [37457]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 78.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 26 January, Official Report, column 300, in what month of what year allegations were first made to the effect that Ali Akbar Mostashemi had paid $10 million to have the Lockerbie bombing carried out; who were the competent authorities to whom the Prime Minister refers; and how much of the alleged contradictory material came from Abdul Meged Jiacha. [37434]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, columns 80–81.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment Her Majesty's Government have now made of the role of Khaled Jaafar, a Lebanese victim of the Lockerbie bombing. [37407]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 79.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will now discuss with President Clinton the implications regarding Iranian links and baggage being onloaded on Air Malta 180, destination Frankfurt airport. [37445]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 78.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will now discuss with Chancellor Kohl the prima facie evidence that a German-based terrorist organisation used their knowledge of a covert US drugs operation to switch an unaccompanied bag containing drugs with an identical bag containing a bomb which destroyed Pan Am Flight 103. [37441]

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 6 March 1995, Official Report, column 78.

To ask the Prime Minister what information has come recently to Her Majesty's Government about approaches by members of the Jaafar family offering precise testimony about Hezbollah and Achmed Tibril and their role in using a member of the Jaafar family to get a bomb on board Pan Am flight 103. [37395]

So far as I am aware, no such approaches have been received.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will discuss with Chancellor Kohl the reasons why the Justice Department of the German Government have challenged Anglo-US explanations of the Lockerbie crime. [36747]

The German Federal Ministry of Justice has not challenged the basis on which charges have been brought against the two individuals accused of having carried out the Lockerbie bombing.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 571, if he will identify the partners to whom he referred in relation to discussions about Lockerbie and UTA 772. [37452]

No.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 9 March to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what recent consideration Her Majesty's Government have given to the recommendation of the Government's panel on sustainable development on the establishment of an intergovernmental panel on the oceans. [37291]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is organising an international workshop from 30 November to 2 December to consider the machinery by which global decisions on the oceans take place. The Government will be putting the conclusions of this workshop, with their own views, to the next meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations Her Majesty's Government have had recently, since 15 July, from the German Government about their interrogation of Edward Bollier's Stasi control, and the sale of timing devices to the Stasi. [37408]

So far as I am aware, none.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his letter of 2 May to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, what progress has been made on the plan of action agreed by the European summit at Essen in December 1994 to improve co-operation between member states of the Union on how to develop programmes of assistance to third countries in relation to illegal trafficking in fissile materials; and if he will make a statement. [37288]

The Essen report on Illicit Traffic in Radioactive Substances and Nuclear Materials recommended a plan of action to improve co-operation with countries which were potential sources of illicit nuclear material. Since then, EURATOM has promoted a number of projects, the primary aim of which has been to provide assistance on improving nuclear materials accountancy and control. Three projects involving co-operation with Russia are currently under way and five are planned for 1996. The United Kingdom has been pursuing bilateral projects in Russia and Kazakhstan to assist those countries in a range of safeguards-related areas.

To ask the Prime Minister if the United Kingdom now has an extradition treaty with Libya. [37462]

No.