asked Her Majesty's Government:How the estimated cost of effectively protecting London Underground trains from extensive graffiti compares with the actual cost of removing them.

London Underground Ltd. estimate that the cost of clearing graffiti from trains and stations in 1987–88 will amount to about £¾ million. Costs of effective prevention cannot yet be established. However, a range of security measures to protect trains in sidings are currently being tested in two pilot projects and some of these seem likely to prove cost effective in wider application. London Underground Ltd. are also experimenting with protective coatings and graffiti resistant materials.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have completed their study of rate expenditure by local authorities, particularly in respect of economic development, under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972; when they will announce their conclusions; and whether the announcement will enable the matter to be dealt with in the current Bill dealing with local government finance, thus enabling local authorities to plan ahead beyond abolition of the rating system.

The Government are considering the future basis and scope of local authorities' discretionary spending powers in the light of the recommendations of the Widdicombe Inquiry into the conduct of local authority business. As they proposed, we are looking in particular at the case for specific powers for economic development. We will be issuing our response to the recommendations of the report later this year.It is not necessary for the future basis of the limit on expenditure under Section 137 to be dealt with specifically in the Local Government Finance Bill. Clause 110 would give a general power to the Secretary of State to change by order, references to rates, rateable values and any other factors connected with rating to some other appropriate reference. It would be possible to use this power to adjust the basis of the limit in Section 137.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress the Departmental Advisory Committee on Arbitration is making in its consideration of the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Law and the Arbitration Acts.

The Departmental Advisory Committee on Arbitration put out a consultative document on the UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration in October last year. Responses are presently being received. It is hoped that the committee will be able to put forward a recommendation on the model law in the near future. The committee has already reported on a number of other matters concerning arbitration law and practice. I have arranged for copies of the committee's recommendations to date to be placed in the Library.