asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange to transfer the responsibility for the payment of pensions to retired members of the Overseas Civil Service from the Overseas Development Administration to the body responsible for the payment of other service pensions.

No.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the future of the Crown Agents.

It remains the Government's intention that the Crown Agents should continue to move towards privatisation.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place a copy of the supplementary report concerning the future of the Crown Agents in the Library.

I know of no such report.

asked the Attorney-General if taxation of bills of costs in the recent trial of Mr. Derry Mainwaring Knight has yet taken place; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 9 May 1986 at column 254. No taxation or determination of costs in the trial of Mr. Derry Mainwaring Knight has yet taken place. All defence bills must be in the hands of the court before the assessment may take place. To date only one defence bill has been received.

asked the Attorney-General how many of the recommendations of the last Royal Commissions on Legal Services in England and Scotland, respectively, have been implemented.

I refer the hon. Member to the White Paper "The Government Response to the Report of the Royal Commission on Legal Services" (Cmnd. 9077) published in November 1983. This set out how matters then stood on the recommendations for which the Government are responsible. Of the matters still under consideration the following recommendations have since been implemented in whole or part: recommendations 9.3 (duty solicitor schemes), 9.11 (legal representation in prison disciplinary proceedings), 33.17 (consultations on appointments), 37.3, 37.5–37.8, 37.16, 37.23 (simplification of civil taxation).The Administration of Justice Act 1985 provides for the enactment of recommendations 16.4(a) (reimbursement of costs thrown away by the death or incapacity of a judge), 21.3 and 21.4 (restrictions on conveyancing for reward), 25.3 (legal aid complaints tribunal).The recommendations made in the report of the Royal Commission on legal services in Scotland are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

asked the Attorney-General if he will take steps to improve the services provided in the processing and issuing of attachment of earnings orders at Leicester court and to eliminate present delays; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that except for a brief period in May of this year, the Leicester county court has been able to process and issue applications for attachment of earnings orders generally within one day, but at most seven days of receipt. The time taken from issue of application to the making of an order is normally eight weeks and steps are being taken to reduce this figure to six weeks. Under rules of court, the earliest hearing date could not be before four weeks from issue of the application. If my hon. Friend has any particular cases in mind he may wish to write to the Lord Chancellor giving details.

asked the Attorney-General how many (a) officials and (b) Ministers from his Department gave evidence to Commons Select Committees in each of the Sessions (i) 1983–84 and (ii) 1984–85.

I submitted written evidence to the Select Committee on Procedure in Session 1984–85. No other Minister or official from this Department has given evidence to Commons Select Committees in the Sessions 1983–84 or 1984–85.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, further to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 433–4, he will publish in the Official Report particulars showing how much of the expenditure in each case was based on capital expenditure and how much on current expenditure, as defined in United Nations statistics.

As stated in my revised reply of 12 June at column 278, only the figures for the United States of America included capital expenditure. Separate figures for capital and current expenditure for the United States of America have not been published by UNESCO since 1979. Officials are attempting to obtain more information for the United States.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the number of persons employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in higher education, and further education, both (i) in teaching and (ii) in ancillary posts, for each of the years 1979, 1983 and 1986.

Information on the numbers of non-teaching staff in public sector higher and further education is not available centrally. The latest date for which complete information for universities is available is 1984. All figures are for England except the column showing non-teaching staff in universities, which has a wider geographical coverage.

Thousands
	Teaching staff1		Non-teaching staff universities4
Year5	Public 2 sector	Universities 3
1979
Full-time	75·2	33·2	43·4
Part time:
numbers	*	1·2	17·9
FTE6	*	*	9·0
1983
Full-time	77·7	33·3	36·0
Part-time:
numbers	*	2·1	14·5
FTE6	21·97	*	7·3
1984
Full-time	77·6	33·8	34·0
Part-time:
numbers	*	2·4	15·0
FTE6	22·37	*	7·0
* Not available.
1 Staff in teaching grades. Not all of them had teaching duties at the date of the count.
2 Maintained, assisted and grant aided establishments of further education. No figures are available for independent further education.
3 Excludes the Open University and the University of Buckingham.
4 United Kingdom but excluding Cambridge, the Open University and the University of Buckingham. Excludes craftsmen and supervisors (approximately 5,000 in 1984).
5 Relates to the academic year starting in year stated for univesities and ending in year stated for all others.
6 Full-time equivalent.
7 Maintained establishments only.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent representations his Department has received from the National Deaf Children's Society concerning the training of teachers of the deaf; what reply he is sending; and if he will make a statement.

The director of the society has written a letter welcoming the general principle of post-experience training for the deaf and emphasising the need for sufficient in-service training to assure the supply of such teachers. My reply says that it is the Government's intention that appropriate in-service provision should be available when existing specialist initial training courses are phased out. It is intended that their last intakes will be in 1987. The costs to local authorities of such in-service training should be eligible for support under the new financial arrangements for in-service training which we intend to introduce on 1 April 1987 and for which we are seeking statutory powers through the Education Bill now before the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has given any guidance to education authorities about the inclusion or exclusion of grammar schools from secondary reorganisation proposals; what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on grammar schools; and if he will make a statement.

Guidance to local education authorities on secondary reorganisation proposals designed to meet falling rolls was issued in DES circular 4/82. It is for local education authorities to take a view on the form and pattern of secondary education best suited to local circumstances and the preferences of parents.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has given any advice to education authorities on the significance which they should give to the views of local industry and commerce when promoting any schemes for secondary reorganisation.

No specific advice has been issued on this matter, but local education authorities are encouraged to consult widely before making statutory proposals for secondary reorganisation. It is open to local employers to make their views known either at the consultation stage or subsequently, as Government electors, when statutory are published under the provisions of sections 12 to 16 of the Education Act 1980.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has collected statistics on the relative success of pupils in secondary schools in different areas of the country in obtaining O and A-level examination passes; and if he will make a statement.

Statistics of the examination achievements of school leavers are collected annually. Results for 1983–84 have been published in statistical bulletin 4/86.A study comparing examination achievements in different local education authorities was published in statistical bulletin 13/84, which considered examination achievements in the context of measures of social background and of schooling.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he proposes to establish a National Council for Vocational Qualifications.

The Government hope very shortly to announce their response to the recommendations of the review group on vocational qualifications. including the recommendations that a National Council for Vocational Qualifications be established. I cannot anticipate the details of that response, but I can say that the Government have welcomed the thoughtfulness and hard work of the review group and will be considering all its recommendations with great care.

asked the Secretary of State of Education and Science if' he will publish a table showing for each university and each institution within the University of London, how many of its departments have had their research rated by the University Grants Committee outstanding, above average, average and below average.

This information is available in the Library in the institutional annexes to the University Grants Committee's letter to universities of 20 May.

asked the Secretary of State of Education and Science how many local education authorities in England have established sixth form colleges during the last five years, and how many had been established before that; and what proportion of sixth form students of each of the local education authorities receive their education at such colleges.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 June 1986, c. 276]: There were 106 maintained secondary schools in January 1985 in local education authorities in England which were classified as sixth form colleges in the Department's annual census of schools compared with 96 schools five years later.Over this period, 17 new sixth form colleges were established, according to the census, six were reclassified as tertiary colleges and one closed. The table lists the local authorities which had sixth form colleges recorded in the January 1985 census and gives the proportion of pupils aged 16 to 19 years in maintained schools in the local authorities who attended these colleges.

The number of sixth form colleges and the proportion of 16 to 19-year-olds in the maintained sector being taught there England, January 1985
	Number of sixth form colleges	Percentage of 16 to 19 pupils being taught there
Barnet	1	15
Harrow	4	99
Birmingham	4	23
Dudley	1	48
Sandwell	2	55
Solihull	1	74
Sefton	1	24
Bolton	2	47
Bury	3	100
Manchester	5	85
Salford	3	100
Stockport	1	9
Tameside	2	95
Wigan	2	77
Barnsley	1	57
Rotherham	1	29
Kirklees	3	50
North Tyneside	1	42
Avon	1	10
Bedfordshire	1	31
Cambridgeshire	2	33
Cheshire	3	19
Cleveland	9	92
Cornwall	2	35
Cumbria	1	13

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the negotiations between his Department and representatives of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry for a renewal of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme are now complete; and if he will make a statement.

The negotiations are complete, and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry is now consulting its members on the outcome.A renewal of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme is proposed for a period of six years from 1 October 1986 with a provision for review after three years.I have placed copies of the detailed proposals in the Library. They retain the essential characteristics of the scheme which was introduced in its present form in 1978 and which successive Governments have used to ensure that National Health Service pharmaceutical prices are reasonable and that the United Kingdom offers a fair return for pharmaceutical innovation and investment.The detailed changes proposed include a more objective method, to be used from 1988–89, for keeping allowable rates of return on capital in line with changes in the average profitability of United Kingdom industry generally, and interim increases in the rates of return between renewal of the scheme and 1988–89 to reflect the rising trend in general industrial profitability. There would be a renewed and more explicit commitment on the industry's part to containment of the growth in pharmaceutical supply costs, and a more explicit basis for determining the research and development allowance in National Health Service prices which, in recognition of the costs and benefits of pharmaceutical innovation, the Government intend generally to maintain at not less than its present substantial level. There are also renewed and more explicit arrangements for consultation between the Government and the industry on trends in the costs of National Health Service medicines, and on any general developments in National Health Service pharmaceutical services. Sales promotion allowances met through National Health Service prices would remain constrained as at present to no more than 9 per cent. of the industry's total National Health Service sales revenue, though in tightly defined cases of major pharmaceutical innovation companies would for a limited period be free to spend limited additional resources of their own on product familiarisation.Pending the outcome of the association's consultation with its members, the present scheme remains in force.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what has been the establishment staff number for his Department's offices in Walthamstow, Brighton and Leicester, respectively, in each year since 1979; what has been the average number of vacancies per year; and how many days have been lost each year for illness and sick leave;(2) how many staff have been employed in his Department's offices in Walthamstow, Leicester and Brighton, respectively, in each year since 1979; and what has been the average caseload for each member of staff.

Information on average case loads is not available and some other information is not available in the precise form requested. Information that is available for each office is as follows:

	Complement*	Vacancies at 1 June†	Man years sick leave‡	Staff in post 1 June
Walthamstow ILO		1979–80	N/A	N/A
N		/		A
147
1980–81	N/A	N/A	N/A	159
1981–82	N/A	N/A	7·84	158
1982–83	152	N/A	8·21	159
1983–84	145	5	9·26	145
1984–85	145	2	8·92	146–5
1985–86	142	2	9·11	151·5
1986–87	153	1	1·55	158·5
Brighton ILO
No information is available for 1979–82.
1983–84	180	0	11·77	214
1984–85	186	4	9·32	195
1985–86	201	1	10·07	203
1986–87	214	0	2·81	206
Leicester (Burleys Way) ILO
1979–80	105	N/A	N/A	N/A
1980–81	103	N/A	3·40	N/A
1981–82	107	N/A	5·62	N/A
1982–83	109	N/A	4·47	N/A
1983–84	93	0	4·52	N/A
1984–85	95	0	4·13	101
1985–86	100	0	3·59	103
1986–87	110	3·5	0·57	107·5
Leicester (Lower Hill St.) ILO
1979–80	153	N/A	N/A	N/A
1980–81	155	N/A	7·40	N/A
1981–82	156	N/A	6·35	N/A
1982–83	156	N/A	5·85	N/A
1983–84	139	0	5·35	N/A
1984–85	143	0	6·97	149
1985–86	148	0·5	7·57	152
1986–87	161	4	1·78	157
Leicesler (Norton St.)
ILO
1979–80	188	n/a	n/a	n/a
1980–81	188	n/a	5·26	n/a
1981–82	191	n/a	8·15	n/a
1982–83	190	n/a	5·98	n/a
1983–84	169	0	4·14	n/a

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what evidence is available to his Department about any correlation between the incidence of Legionella and the use of water fittings which do not comply with British safety standards.

Legionella pneumophila is an organism commonly found in water. Although there is some laboratory evidence that certain materials used in fittings —for example, washers—may support microbial growth, no outbreak of infection has been directly attributable to water fittings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the progress in implementing recommendations numbered 5 to 7 of the report of the advisory group, chaired by Sir Douglas Black, on the incidence of cancer in West Cumbria.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Brent, South (Mr. Pavitt) on 16 May at columns 587–88.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the National Childbirth Trust to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that, under the procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 23 June to Friday 27 June 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he may expect to receive a reply to his letter of 22 April to the Secretary of State concerning proposed reforms to the social security system.

I replied to my hon. Friend yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (I) what were the number of fraudulent benefit claims in Leeds in the years 1979 to 1985; and what was the average amount of money involved in each claim;(2) if he will state the number of fraudulent benefit claims as a proportion of total numbers of benefit claims, in the years 1979 to 1985;(3) if he will publish the average amount involved in

The information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the number of his Department's staff based in Leeds— and what proportion of these are assigned to investigating fraudulent benefit claims.

On 1 June 1986 875·5 staff were employed at the six Leeds offices. The number of posts allocated to fraud work in these offices at that date was 27. The proportion of posts allocated to the investigation of fraudulent benefit claims as a percentage of total staff employed is just over 3 per cent.In addition, the specialist claims control teams based in the north-east region of the Department's local office network will on occasion be involved in the investigation of fraudulent benefit claims in Leeds. These staff are not included in local office complements.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will state how many fraudulent benefit claims resulted in prosecution in 1985; and what was the number of prosecutions as a proportion of the total number of cases discovered.

Six thousand, six hundred and seventy-six claimants were prosecuted by this Department for social security benefit fraud during 1985–86; this represents approximately 7 per cent. of those cases considered for legal proceedings.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the number of staff employed by his Department to investigate fraudulent benefit claims, in the years 1979 to 1986.

I regret the information requested is not available for 1979. The following table sets out the number of staff allocated by the Department's complementing system to fraud work for the years 1980 to 1986, and also includes specialist claims control staff not included in local office complements.

	Number
1980–81	2,044
1981–82	1,945
1982–83	2,284
1983–84	2,216
1984–85	2,488
1985–86	2,804
1986–87	*3,673
* Proposed

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the estimated cost of fraudulent benefit claims in the years 1979 to 1986.

No reliable estimate is available of the cost of social security benefit fraud.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has plans to ensure that those district health authorities facing a proportionately higher rates bill than the percentage increase in resources can meet their obligations without transferring funds from other cost centres.

Health authorities are expected to meet pay and price increases and develop services from within the total resources allocated to them by the Government and their cost improvement programmes.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount paid in lieu of rates for hospital and health centre buildings by the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley district health authority for each of the past three years; and what was the percentage change over the period.

The annual accounts of the health authority show expenditure on rates as follows:

	£
1982–83	391,338
1983–84	418,700
1984–85	489,615

The figures reflect an increase of 25·1 per cent. (15 per cent. in real terms) over the period.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of the nurses' pay award will be met by extra specific funds from his Department in (a) Leeds Western Health Authority, (b) the Yorkshire region and (c) England as a whole.

The Government have increased cash limits for the hospital and community health services in England by £50 million, following the pay awards for review body staff. Of this increase, £3·575 million has been allocated to the Yorkshire regional health authority. The allocation of this sum amongst district health authorities is a matter for the region.The Government's assessment is that this increase to their initial cash limits, together with the benefits of falling general inflation, will enable health authorities to meet the costs of the pay awards for all review body staff without adversely affecting patient services. The increased funding has not been apportioned between individual staff groups.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with the recruitment level of junior hospital doctors; how many have been recruited from EEC countries; and if he will make a statement.

The latest available figures for numbers of junior hospital doctors are set out in the following table. Although overall the numbers in post have been increasing, I am aware of recent reports of recruitment difficulties in particular specialties and locations and I am considering the position. With regard to doctors from European Community countries, I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to him on 12 May at column 387.

Hospital Doctors in Training Grade Posts at 30 September: England
	1981		1982		1983		1984		1985
	Number	Wte	Number	Wte	Number	Wte	Number	Wte	Number	Wte
All doctors in Training	20,761	19,973·6	20,946	20,209·6	21,358	20,620·7	21,105	20,450·8	21,511	20,796·6
of which:
Senior Registrars	2,935	2,546·2	2,951	2,588·4	3,084	2,677·9	2,988	2,638·0	3,132	2,755·4
Registrars	5,657	5,339·1	5,771	5,472·3	5,821	5,559·8	5,755	5,503·7	5,749	5,483·2
Senior House Officers*	9,453	9,372·8	9,514	9,440·5	9,627	9,557·8	9,598	9,537·0	9,792	9,721·5
House Officers	2,716	2,715·5	2,710	2,708·4	2,826	2,825·2	2,773	2,773·1	2,838	2,836·5

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people were in receipt of supplementary benefit in (a) Cleveland and (b) Langbaurgh parliamentary constituency for each year since 1979.

The county of Cleveland is covered by five of the Department's local offices—Eston, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Stockton. The boundaries of these offices are conterminous with the boundary of Cleveland. Two of these offices, Eston and Redcar, deal with the parliamentary constituency of Langbaurgh and the boundaries are conterminous.Figures of people receiving supplementary benefit from the five offices covering the county of Cleveland in May 1986, and at comparable dates for the previous seven years, are as follows:

	Number
1979	39,637
1980	41,690
1981	49,623
1982	59,850
1983	65,286
1984	72,212
1985	77,657
1986	78,241

Figures of people receiving supplementary benefit at the two offices covering the parliamentary constituency of Langbaurgh for the same dates are as follows:

	Number
1979	9,403
1980	9,584
1981	11,459
1982	13,759
1983	15,771
1984	17,493
1985	18,926
1986	18,603

asked the Minister for the Arts whether he will make a statement on the level of funding for Visiting Arts.

I am pleased to report a substantial increase in the direct funding of the Visiting Arts organisation in the present financial year. The overall budget of the Visiting Arts organisation in 1986–87 will be trebled compared with 1985–86 to enable it to develop the already valuable work that it performs in facilitating visits by overseas artists and performers. The contributions will include an Arts Council grant of £210,000, in partial replacement of previous direct GLC funding; an additional contribution of £50,000, to be increased by £25,000 if further matching funding is obtained, by my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; and a contribution from me of £50,000.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many collieries currently deposit waste in sea areas surrounding the United Kingdom; what was the total tonnage deposited in the latest year for which figures are available; and what materials were involved.

Three collieries in the United Kingdom are licensed under the provisions of part II of the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 to dispose of waste at approved sites off the coast. The last full year of production, before the coal strike, was 1983 when 1,770,000 tonnes of minestone was deposited.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of fishing vessels decommissioned, the total cost in grants, the number of new vessels and the total cost in grants in England and Scotland in each of the years 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985, respectively.

The following are details on vessels and grants in England and Scotland for which information is available:

Year	Vessels decommissioned*	Grant:	New vessels†	Grant
		£		£
		England
1980	—	—	7	607,000
1981	—	—	30	390,000
1982	—	—	23	494,000
1983	—	—	26	645,000
1984	34	6,221,960	27	876,000
1985	61	6,137,704	28	700,000
		Scotland
1980	—	—	15	2,020,000
1981	—	—	16	1,709,000
1982	—	—	20	1,543,000
1983	—	—	13	1,538,000
1984	18	726,264	21	2,224,000
1985	27	611,624	23	3,129,000
* Vessels decommissioned with grant under the Fishing Vessels (Financial Assistance) Scheme 1983.
† Figures relate to new vessels joining the fleet in the years shown on which grant was paid. FEOGA grants paid on some vessels are not included.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his Department's principal achievements in the field of animal welfare since May 1979.

We have set up the Farm Animal Welfare Council, which has carried out wide-ranging studies and made recommendations to improve the welfare of animals on the farm, at markets and at slaughter. Its current studies include the transport of animals. We have sponsored the Animal Health and Welfare Act 1984 and made regulations to protect the welfare of poultry at the point of slaughter, have made regulations to stop unnecessary mutilations on the farm, and have introduced new welfare codes for cattle and pigs. We have also commissioned research into various aspects of poultry slaughter. Within the European Community we have secured the adoption of a directive to tighten enforcement of the rules governing welfare in transit and made implementing legislation and we have supported the setting of minimum welfare standards for battery hens. We have also played an active part in the formulation of welfare measures on hens and pigs within the Council of Europe. Work is well advanced on further codes and regulations on welfare at the point of slaughter.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his policy objectives in the field of animal welfare.

Our objective is to ensure that farm animals are kept, transported, marketed, exported and slaughtered under satisfactory welfare conditions.

	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
European Community* exports of rice to third countries (thousand of tonnes—milled equivalent†)	377,433	380,189	319,471	358,320	339,580	470,602
European Community expenditure on export restitutions for rice (million ecus) ‡	44·4	17·2	30·0	67·9	26·9	║35·8
* 1980—EC-9; 1981–85—EC-10.
† Source: Eurostat.
Source:‡ FEOGA financial report.
║ Provisional.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to encourage small English cheese producers to produce camembert, brie and other soft cheeses; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome the innovative efforts of the dairy industry to develop new products and thus expand the market for milk. The way forward for a strong and healthy dairy industry involves thorough market research and promotion and products marketed at a consistently high quality and at a competitive price. It is for the industry itself to consider and decide how this should best be achieved.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he expects animal feed processing units now classified as farm units to be exempt from payment of the cereal co-responsibility levy.

The Commission rules for implementing the cereals coresponsibility levy have not yet been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. I currently expect levy to be payable on cereals processed and then put on the market by any animal feed processing unit.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to announce the system of collection to be used for the co-responsibility levy on cereals.

The cereals coresponsibility levy applies from 1 July to this season's Community grain which undergoes first processing, is exported or is sold into intervention. The system of collection will be outlined in Commission rules which have not yet been published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. I expect these to be supplemented by a statutory instrument which will be laid before the House as soon as possible.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the volume of EC exports of rice in each of the years 1980 to 1985, inclusive; and what was the cost to the EC budget of export restitutions for rice in each of those years.

The information requested is as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what measures he proposes to take to promote employment in Renfrew district in the light of the 95 redundancies announced by Armitage Shanks of Barrhead.

The Government's full range of employment measures continues to be available to unemployed people in Renfrew district. These comprise the following:

• Community Industry;
• Community Programme;
• Job Release Scheme;
• Job Splitting Scheme;
• Enterprise Allowance Scheme;
• Voluntary Projects Programme;
• Geographical Mobility Schemes;
• Services for Seriously Disabled.

The Government's overall economic policies are designed to produce the right environment for enterprise to flourish and thereby to create employment opportunities in the longer term.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) officials and (b) Ministers from his Department gave evidence to Commons Select Committees in each of the Sessions (i) 1983–84 and (ii) 1984–85.

In 1983–84 one Minister and 12 officials from my Department gave evidence to Select Committees of the House including the Public Accounts Committee; the figures for 1984–85 were three Ministers and 19 officials. A number of Ministers and officials gave evidence on more than one occasion.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985*
Argyll and Clyde	5,813	6,458	6,351	4,715	7,137	7.627	7,211
Ayrshire and Arran	4,438	4,364	4,005	4,731	5,051	5,045	5,214
Borders	486	637	411	382	402	255	330
Dumfries and Galloway	2,236	1,897	1,883	2,894	2,871	2,529	2,681
Fife	4,617	4,245	3,974	6,857	6,477	6,127	5,788
Forth Valley	4,742	4,233	3,466	3,893	3,547	2,766	2,745
Grampian	7,848	7,036	7,012	10,651	10,247	9,172	8,642
Greater Glasgow	15,947	15,320	15,776	18,612	19,266	18,749	16,006
Highland	1,188	1,354	1,224	1,703	1,941	1,806	2,543
Lanarkshire	5,303	5,222	5,247	9,110	8,282	7,520	6,983
Lothian	13,007	10,834	9,715	16,953	14,717	13,845	13,381
Orkney	38	48	46	42	56	54	58
Shetland	277	207	204	186	125	140	174
Tayside	5,142	5,333	5,599	5,473	8,112	7,369	6,493
Western Isles	165	199	315	163	107	73	78
* 1985 data are provisional.

The increase in waiting lists caused by industrial action in 1982 is now being steadily reduced over Scotland as a whole. Lists tend to overstate numbers of patients waiting for treatment since they include duplicated entries and

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what will be the total capacity of the generating stations of the two Scottish electricty boards, including oil-fired capacity, when Torness becomes fully operational.

I am advised by the Scottish electricity boards that their maximum available sent-out capacity in 1989–90, taking Torness at its full output capacity, will be 9,788 MW. This includes 1,284 MW of oil-fired capacity which is available for immediate operational use but excludes 1,926 MW of oil-fired capacity held in reserve which is not so available, and also excludes generating plant on the Scottish islands.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to (a) the extent of the fire at Hunterston on Monday 16 June, (b) the damage which resulted, (c) the implications for the operation of the reactor and (d) the radioactive discharge or contamination which occurred; and if he will make a statement.

I am advised by the SSEB that a hearing in the number 8 turbine at Hunterston B nuclear power station caught fire at 11.41 am on Monday 16 June and the fire was extinguished at 11.52 am. Damage was limited to the turbine bearing and cabling in the immediate vicinity. The reactor was shut down immediately. There are no implications for radioactive discharge or contamination. The board expects that the unit will be operational again within a few days.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the number of patients on waiting lists for (a) urgent treatment and (b) non-urgent treatment on a health board basis for 1979 and each subsequent year.

Information distinguishing urgent and non-urgent cases is not held centrally. The numbers on waiting lists at 30 September in the years in question were as follows:patients who no longer need treatment. Lists exclude altogether the significant numbers of patients who are admitted directly into hospitals without being at any stage included in waiting lists, that is, emergency cases.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report, the average waiting time for (a) urgent treatment and (b) non-urgent treatment for each health authority for 1979 and each subsequent year.

	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
Argyll and Clyde	89	98	93	77	103	95
Ayrshire and Arran	85	92	86	95	108	107
Borders	87	75	88	59	60	54
Dumfries and Galloway	95	126	98	95	147	128
Fife	89	85	97	71	138	123
Forth Valley	106	95	90	72	92	81
Grampian	90	89	90	73	138	111
Greater Glasgow	74	65	63	59	105	81
Highland	48	46	49	55	58	63
Lanarkshire	76	73	67	67	79	57
Lothian	80	69	62	60	83	72
Orkney	21	25	19	24	19	22
Sheland	89	94	115	66	59	46
Tayside	70	70	77	71	97	94
Western Isles	45	49	46	48	57	43
Scotland	79	75	73	67	98	85

The general increase in 1983 reflects the effect of industrial action in 1982.

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is in a position to make a statement of the Government's consideration of whether, within the existing rules, ancient semi-natural woodlands should be able to qualify for exemption from capital taxation in recognition of their heritage value.

The policy statement on broadleaved woodlands made on Wednesday 21 July 1985 by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Younger) at columns 557–61 indicated that the Government would be giving consideration to this matter. The conclusion which has been reached is that ancient semi-natural woodlands which are, or could be, properly included on the Nature Conservancy Council's "Inventory of Ancient Woodland" are eligible for consideration for exemption under the existing rules. In order to bring this matter to the attention of woodland owners, it has been decided to include a specific reference to the position in the next revision of the Treasury memorandum "Capital Taxation and the National Heritage", the official guide on tax reliefs for heritage property. This passage will read as follows:

"Ancient semi-natural woodlands which are, or could be, properly included on the Nature Conservancy Council's Inventory of Ancient Woodland will be eligible for consideration for exemption on scientific as well as scenic or historic grounds, but each case will need to be considered on its merits. Other woodlands on ancient woodland sites, including plantations, would not normally be expected to qualify on scientific grounds, but may be accepted if they satisfy the criteria relating to land of outstanding scenic or historic interest."

In our broadleaves policy statement of Wednesday 24 July 1985, we said that steps would be taken, in particular, to ensure that the special interest of the ancient semi-natural woodlands is recognised and maintained. I hope that the amplification of the capital taxation provisions that I have given above will provide a positive lead to owners of such woodlands and other woodlands of outstanding interest.

Information distinguishing urgent and non-urgent cases is not held centrally. The mean waiting times (in days) for all in-patient treatment up to 1984 (the latest year for which statistics are available) were as follows:

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, further to his answer of 16 June, Official Report, he will publish the information on the structure of employment in the Queensland division of the Stirling constituency which was available to him when he decided not to include that area within the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

I shall reply to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

asked the Paymaster General how many persons have died from asbestos-related diseases in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

The following table gives the numbers of' death certificates which mention the asbestos-related diseases asbestosis and mesothelioma. Some deaths involving mesothelioma may not be related to asbestos. The most recent figures are for 1984.

Death certificates mentioning asbestos-related diseases
	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984
England and Wales
Asbestosis without mesothelioma	90	119	119	108	115
Asbestosis with mesothelioma	67	62	76	86	78
Mesothelioma without asbestosis	338	352	368	426	468
Total	495	533	563	620	661

In addition, studies have shown that workers heavily exposed to asbestos in the past now suffer a significantly higher incidence of lung cancer than the general population. There are, however, no figures of the total numbers of asbestos-related deaths from this disease.

asked the Paymaster General if he will specify job-creating schemes planned for the Portsmouth area in the next year.

The full range of employment, enterprise and training opportunities described in the "Action for Jobs" booklet is available to people living in Portsmouth. The only exception is the new career development loans initiative which we are piloting in four areas. I am pleased to say that a jobclub will be opening in Portsmouth in the early autumn.

asked the Paymaster General when the proposed clean-up campaign will be started.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment will shortly announce the start of a new initiative aimed at increasing the quantity and quality of environmental improvement work carried out by voluntary agencies and by workers within the community programme.

asked the Paymaster General if he has any plans to publish a newspaper for unemployed people; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to publish a newspaper for unemployed people. My Department and the MSC do, however, produce a wide range of publicity material covering the services available to both employed and unemployed people, including Executive Post, a newspaper distributed without charge to those registered with professional and executive recruitment.

asked the Paymaster General how many people were unemployed for more than one year in (a) Cleveland and (b) Langbaurgh parliamentary constituency for each year since 1979.

The following information is in the Library. The table gives figures for 10 April 1986, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available and for April 1984 and April 1985. The comparison is affected by the change in timing of compilation of unemployment statistics in March 1986. Statistics of unemployment for metropolitan areas and Parliamentary constituencies are derived from the new ward-based system and are available only from June 1983.

Claimants unemployed over one year
	Cleveland metropolitan area	Langbaurgh parliamentary constituency
April 1984	25,135	3,643
April 1985	27,991	3,979
April 1986	27,295	3,954

asked the Paymaster General (1) what information he has as to how many people were employed in the chemical and associated industries in Cleveland for each year since 1979;(2) how many people were employed in manufacturing industry in Cleveland for each year since 1979.

The available information is from censuses of employment taken in 1978 and 1981 and is as follows:

Cleveland: Employees in employment in manufacturing industries and in chemical and allied industries
Standard Industrial Classification 1968	June 1978	September 1981
Manufacturing industries (Orders III to XIX)	93,700	73,700
Chemical and allied industries (Order V)	26,500	21,000

More up-to-date employment figures for counties will become available following publication of the 1984 census of employment later this year. Between censuses, employment estimates are based on small scale sample inquiries which cannot produce reliable results for areas smaller than regions.

asked the Paymaster General how many people were registered as unemployed in (a) Cleveland and (b) Langbaurgh parliamentary constituency for each year since 1979.

The following information is in the Library. The numbers of unemployed claimants in the Cleveland metropolitan area and the Langbaurgh parliamentary constituency for May of each year from 1984 to 1986 are as follows:

	Cleveland	Langbaurgh constituency
May 1984	54,933	8,275
May 1985	56,191	8,327
May 1986	53,205	7,917

The comparison is affected by the change in the timing of compilation of unemployment statistics in March 1986. Statistics of unemployment for metropolitan areas and parliamentary constituencies are derived from the new award-based system and are available only from June 1983.

asked the Paymaster General what is his estimate of the number of unemployed construction workers in Cleveland.

The information is not available.Data on the previous occupations of the unemployed are derived from the labour force survey, and cannot be provided for areas smaller than regions because of the sampling error that would he involved.

asked the Paymaster General if the review of the section 4 financial assistance scheme for tourism in England has been completed; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has recently completed its review of the scheme of financial assistance run by the English tourist board under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969. The Government announced in the tourism review statement on 22 November 1983 at columns 167–80 that we planned to maintain grants for section 4 expenditure in England at about the current level over the four years to 1986–87 giving a total of some £35 million for the period. It was agreed to review the scheme towards the end of that period.The Government have now decided to continue the section 4 scheme in England. In reaching this decision, account has been taken of a study carried out by Department of Employment economists which indicates that the scheme has a valuable role in the creation of jobs at regional and local level. The English tourist board has therefore been requested to develop detailed proposals for the launch later this year of a revised section 4 scheme. This will reflect the findings of the Department's study and of the ETB's own assessment of work carried out by its consultants.Decisions on the future level of funding for the scheme will be announced in the autumn after the current year's public expenditure round has been completed.The scheme will also continue to be operated in Scotland and Wales.

asked the Paymaster General what information he has about the survival rate of new start worker co-operatives in Britain; and what comparable information he has about the survival rate of traditional forms of small business new starts.

No information is available on new start worker co-operatives but the co-operative Development Agency estimates that in any one year 90 per cent. of the total stock of worker co-operatives will survive. Information about the lifespan of small businesses more generally was published in "British Business" on 12 August 1983 and 7 October 1983. Copies of these articles were placed in the Library.

asked the Paymaster General what information he has as to how many people are currently employed in worker co-operatives in Britain.

It is estimated that there are around 12,000 people currently employed in worker co-operatives in the United Kingdom. An estimate for Great Britain alone is not available.

asked the Paymaster General what information he has as to how many jobs have been created in worker co-operatives in Britain since 1976.

I regret that there are not sufficient data available on worker co-operatives to make an assessment of job creation over the period in question. However, in

Distance from nuclear facilities
Ages	up to 5 miles	up to 10 miles	up to 25 miles	up to 50 miles
Under 5	45,000	175,000	900,000	2,500,000
Under 20	200,000	800,000	4,000,000	11,000,000
All	700,000	3,000,000	14,000,000	40,000,000

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Greek Government on the current

asked the Paymaster General what information he has as to the average annual rate of growth of employment in firms registered under the Industrial Common Ownership Act 1976 during the period November 1976 to 31 March 1986.

The certification of co-operative and common ownership enterprises under the Industrial Common Ownership Act 1976 ceased on 2 November 1981 when the financial provisions of the Act expired. Certification was for the purpose of identifying potential recipients of loans under the Act. No information is available on the growth of employment in those enterprises certified under the Act between 1976 and 1981.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy when it is intended to appoint the two independent directors to the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive.

The appontments will be made as soon as selection procedures have been completed. I cannot, at this moment, say exactly when that will be.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy how many people and how many children under five and under 18 years, respectively, live within five, 10, 25, and 50 milies, respectively of power generating nuclear reactors.

[pursuant to his reply] 23 May 1986, 354]: Information is not available in the form requested. The following table sets out estimates, which were derived from data held by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, relating to the 19 principal civil nuclear establishments of the Central Electricity Generating Board, the South of Scotland Electricity Generating Board, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels plc, some of which do not have operating power reactors.requirement for British travellers to Greece to complete landing forms, in the light of that country's membership of the European Economic Community.

Under the transitional arrangements in their accession Treaty, the Greek authorities are not required to apply the full provisions of the treaty of Rome on free movement of persons until the end of 1987. Until then they are entitled to require landing cards for travellers other than the self-employed who already have full treaty rights during the transitional period. For this reason I do not propose to make general representationss at present though I would consider sympathetically any evidence of inconvenience to British travellers which may have come to my hon. Friend's attention.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report those international strategic alliances to which the United Kingdom is currently a signatory; and if he will indicate in each case the date on which the United Kingdom first became a signatory.

There are two international strategic alliances to which the United Kingdom is currently signatory: the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, of which the United Kingdom became a member upon signature of the North Atlantic Charter on 4 April 1949; and the Western European Union of which the United Kingdom became a member upon its creation on 6 May 1955. The Union replaced the Brussels treaty organisation, of which the United Kingdom had become a member upon signature of the Brussels treaty on 17 March 1948.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics concerning the case of Mr. Raoul Wallenburg; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Dumbarton (Mr. Campbell).

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Greek Cypriot leaders about the Cyprus peace plan put forward by the Secretary General of the United Nations.

When my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. and learned Friend met President Kyprianou on 7 April the UN initiative was discussed. We have subsequently remained in close contact with the Government of the Republic of Cyprus through diplomatic channels.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Cyprus.

The UNFICYP mandate was unanimously renewed for a further six months on 14 June as Security Council resolution 585. We joined the other troop contributors in issuing a statement drawing attention to the financial burden imposed by UNFICYP and expressing concern that other UN members should not take for granted the force's existence.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland last requested a meeting with the United Kingdom ambassador; what was the subject of the representations; and if he will make a statement.

No such request has been received recently.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those measures introduced by his Department within the past year and intended to be of benefit to small businesses.

In the past year the Local Enterprises Development Unit (LEDU), Northern Ireland's small firms agency, has introduced a market development grant scheme to help small firms adopt a better approach to marketing and a property development grant to encourage private developers to provide accommodation suitable for small companies. LEDU has also substantially revised its enterprise grant scheme for business start-ups, increasing the grant levels and adding a second tier of grant to stimulate very small firms to expand their work force. In April 1986 I announced an additional allocation of resources to this scheme, which will enable it to cater for a further 200 businesses in the current year.In addition, LEDU has extended its interest relief grant scheme to include interest charged to companies for factoring services and has significantly increased the grant limits under the better business services and innovation support services schemes, which help small firms to obtain professional expertise on business problems and the introduction of new technology.Outside LEDU's sphere, I have announced an expansion of the Northern Ireland enterprise allowance scheme to 2,200 places by April 1987 and a reduction in the qualifying period of unemployment for the scheme from 13 to eight weeks.A product development workshop has been established at Springtown training centre in Londonderry. The workshop's aim is to provide facilities to entrepreneurs wishing to develop new ideas or to manufacture prototypes.Small firms in Northern Ireland may also benefit from the introduction or improvement of schemes administered on a national basis, such as the small firms loan guarantee scheme.A major element in the Government's effort to help small firms is the policy of deregulation which, as the White Paper "Building Businesses … not Barriers" indicates, is being pursued as a parallel exercise in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Northern Ireland Electricity Service sold its 1·3 acre site at the rear of Chesterbrook crescent, Newtownards, Co. Down, by private treaty or by public advertisement; whether any requests to purchase parts of this site had been received by the Northern Ireland Electricity Service from adjoining householders; if adjoining householders were advised that the site was for sale; and if he will make a statement on the procedures implemented by the Northern Ireland Electricity Service in respect of the sale of this site.

The Northern Ireland Electricity Service sold the site in question by private treaty following public advertisement.In 1983, various people, including a public representative acting on behalf of local residents, expressed an interest in buying the land. At that time all inquirers were told that the land would not be placed on the market until after the completion of a road widening scheme.The land was eventually offered for sale in October 1985 and, at that time, advertisements were placed in all editions of two local newspapers. A large hoarding was also erected on the land. Adjoining householders were not separately advised of the intended sale and, in the event, no offers were received from them. In undertaking the sale of this site, the Northern Ireland Electricity Service followed its normal practice, which is to sell to the highest bidder by means of private treaty following notice of its intention to sell.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the planning authority consulted the traffic branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary prior to its decision to issue final planning permission for the change of use of premises at 20 Main street, Milliste, Co. Down; whether he is satisfied that larger oil tankers emerging from this location into Main street do not constitute a traffic hazard; and if he will make a statement.

The roads service of the Department of the Environment was consulted on this matter prior to the issue of planning permission and its advice was that there were no traffic reasons which would have justified a refusal of permission. On this basis it was not considered necessary to consult the traffic branch of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The site was formerly used as a petrol filling station to which deliveries were made by large oil tankers and it is not anticipated that the proposed new use of the site will lead to a traffic hazard.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the number of jobs promoted by the Industrial Development Board and its predecessor, the Department of Commerce, for (a) indigenous firms and (b) overseas firms in Northern Ireland since 1978–79; how many of these jobs are the result of (i) new enterprise or (ii) expansion; and what is the average cost per job.

The following table contains the information requested:

Jobs Promoted
	Indigenous Firms		Overseas Firms
Year	New	Expansions	New	Expansions	Total
1978–79	357	1,204	4,165	1,364	7,090
1979–80	308	1,793	3,100	2,333	7,534

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been promoted since 1978–79 by the Industrial Development Board or its predecessor the Department of Commerce in the following industrial groups: (a) engineering, (b) textiles, clothing and leather, (c) food, drink, and tobacco and (d) all other industries; and what was the average cost of each job.

The number of new jobs promoted since 1978–79, by industrial group, is set out in the following table:

	Engineering	Textiles Clothing and Leather	Food, Drink and Tobcacco	All Other Industries	Total
1978–79	4,634	1,282	144	1,030	7,090
1979–80	4,802	1,786	325	621	7,534
1980–81	1,494	1,092	264	455	3,305
1981–82	667	450	89	469	1,675
1982–83	2,368	598	567	258	3,791
1983–84	1,276	1,425	545	310	3,556
1984–85	1,615	1.286	1,309	1,057	5,267
1985–86	465	1,194	401	850	2,910
TOTAL	17,321	9,113	3,644	5,050	35,128

Information on the average cost of each job promoted could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the average cost per job for all jobs to which selective assistance was related during 1985–86 was £7,063.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which private sector organisations in Northern. Ireland received capital cost conversion grants in 1985 and 1986 for residential premises for the elderly from (a) the Local Enterprise Development Unit (LEDU) and (b) the Department of Health and Social Services (Northern Ireland); what amounts were paid to each organisation in each case; and on what basis payments were made and what proportion of total conversion costs these formed in each case.

Neither LEDU nor DHSS pay capital cost conversion grant in respect of residential premises for the elderly. However, LEDU has offered assistance towards the cost of adaptation of premises for nursing homes for both elderly and other patients. This assistance amounted to £193,826 in respect of eleven projects in 1985 and £134,440 in respect of three projects in 1986. For reasons of commercial confidentiality it is not our practice to give details of individual projects.