asked the Minister for the Arts whether he has any plans to review the dissemination of patent information.

An efficiency scrutiny is being undertaken jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Office of Arts and Libraries and the British Library to review existing arrangements for the dissemination of patent information in the United Kingdom and for the exchange of British and overseas patent documentation.

asked the Minister for the Arts if the British Library has completed its assessment of the damage to its collections inflicted by Miss Norma Hague and discovered in 1984.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 291]: The British Library has completed its assessment. I understand that all the property for which there was conclusive evidence of theft by Miss Hague was subsequently recovered.

asked the Minister for the Arts if he will list the individual and total value of the damage inflicted by Miss Norma Hague on the collections of (a) the British Library, (b) the Birmingham public library and (c) the Liverpool public library, including in each case the token value mentioned as their share of the damage on the charge when Miss Hague pleaded guilty and was convicted in November 1984.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987, c. 291]: Miss Norma Hague was convicted in 1984 of stealing property to an estimated value of £21,847 from these libraries. The individual values were £12,847 for Liverpool city libraries, £5,000 for the city of Birmingham public libraries, and £4,000 for the British Library. A considerable proportion of the stolen property was subsequently recovered. I understand that there is no conclusive evidence that further damage was inflicted by Miss Hague beyond the amounts with which she was charged.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland what is the amount of the additional costs falling on the Crown Office to date of inquiries in relation to the Zircon affair.

Almost all the additional costs falling on the Crown Office to date of the inquiries in question have been those caused by parliamentary interest in the matter. It is not, however, possible to quantify the costs involved.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will make a statement on the work of the Scottish Law Commission.

In the period from 1980 to date the Scottish Law Commission has produced 27 reports on its law reform projects. Legislation has been passed or introduced to implement, wholly or partially, 21 of these reports. Two of these reports did not require legislation and the remaining reports are under consideration.

asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland if he will give details of plans to increase the work load of procurators fiscal.

The work load of procurators fiscal is dictated by the number of reports received from the police and other agencies and will vary from office to office. Case tracking computers have been installed in the two biggest offices, Glasgow and Edinburgh, which will deal more efficiently and effectively with the work load of these offices.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much has been awarded in grants by the Science and Engineering Research Council to (a) education institutions and (b) others in Yorkshire and Humberside in each year since 1979; how much the council will disburse in the current year; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows:

SERC research grants to education institutions and others
Financial year	Amount £ million (Cash)
1979–80	43·3
1980–81	56·2
1981–82	62·3
1982–83	67·6
1983–84	70·4
1984–85	78·8
1985–86	87·0
1986–87	198·4
1987–88	2103·7
1 Provisional outturn
2 Estimates

The Science and Engineering Research Council's total grant-in-aid from the science budget in 1987–88 is £350 million. SERC's overall allocation is determined by my right hon. Friend in the light of advice from the Advisory Board for the Research Councils. The SERC is primarily responsible for deciding priorities within its overall allocation.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much grant has been paid to the Science and Engineering Research Council in cash and real terms in each year since 1975; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows:

Grant-in-aid to science and engineering research council
£'000
		Cash terms	Real terms (at 1986–87 prices)
	1975–76	106,277	294,610
	1976–77	125,243	306,735
	1977–78	136,765	294,088
	1978–79	153,308	297,871
	1979–80	175,466	291,731
	1980–81	201,377	282,229
	1981–82	216,720	276,463
	1982–83	234,806	279,337
	1983–84	254,278	289,505
	1984–85	277,866	303,383
	1985–86	298,534	307,490
	1986–87	316,187	316,187
	1987–88	350,252	335,169

The amount of grant-in-aid allocated to the Science and Engineering Research Council is decided by my right hon. Friend on the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of full-time students in non-advanced further education are pursuing GCSE or GCE-O, A-level courses.

In November 1985, 25 per cent. of full-time and sandwich students in non-advanced further education were enrolled on GCE O and A-level courses.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

The financial managememt initiative covers a wide range of management reforms to improve management in central Government in support of the Government's commitment to improve value for money. In my Department it has given added impetus to work which had already begun and has also led to new initiatives.The introduction of the FMI has encouraged the further development of performance indicators and output measures for individual programmes and policies. It has also led to the creation of a financial information system covering the Department's running costs. These and other initiatives, such as a new coherent top management system

Thousands
	Academic year beginning in	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
	Great Britain
	Home/full-time initial entrants
	University	74·7	76·4	74·0	71·6	69·2	70·5	70·3
	All initial entrants	142·0	146·3	155·9	160·9	160·7	163·2	164·6
	Home full-time students
	Higher education	451·2	465·5	488·9	504·9	517·9	524·9	531·0
610

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total national financial provision for school building projects in the financial years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89.

Information is not available in the form requested. The Government's expenditure plans have included the following provision for schools in England.

	£ million
	11986–87	21987–88	21988–89
Central Government:
Building grants to voluntary and special schools3	46	54	50
Local authority capital:
Schools4	217	299	290
1 Cmnd. 9702.
2 Cm. 56.
3 Includes repairs-maintenance, purchase of sites and buildings and building work.
4 Includes building work and purchase of sites, furniture and equipment. Provision is net of in-year receipts.

Schools in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what has been the total number of home full-time and sandwich students in higher education in each year since 1979;(2) what has been the total full-time equivalent number of part-time students in higher education in each year since 1979;(3) what has been the total number of home full-time entrants to universities in each year since 1979.

The information is shown in the following table :

Academic year beginning in	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
FTE1 of part-time students Higher Education	93·8	2100·9	2104·0	2105·9	2109·1	2109·1	114·0
1 Conversion factors vary in the different sectors and for different levels of course. An illustrative average factor of 35 per cent. has been used for all part-time students.
2 Including about 1,000 non-advanced full-time equivalents in Scotland. The figures are to be revised.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, on the basis of the revised projections of future higher education student numbers announced in the White Paper, "Higher Education: Meeting the Challenge", what he estimates average unit costs in 1986–87 prices will be in 1988–89 for the universities, for the polytechnics and local authority colleges and for the voluntary and grant-aided colleges.

Unit costs in 1988–89 will depend on various decisions still to be taken by the institutions in recruiting students, by the Government in the annual public expenditure survey, and by local authorities and others in providing additional income. However, it is worth noting that against the 2·1 per cent. increase in student numbers between 1986–87 and 1988–89 adopted as the planning target in the recent White Paper, current plans for centrally provided or determined recurrent funding allow for an increase, at 1986–87 prices, over the same period of 6 per cent. for universities, 7 per cent. for local authority polytechnics and colleges, and 2 per cent. for voluntary and other grant-aided colleges.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what national agreements exist regarding the rates of pay to he paid to school meals supervisory assistants.

I understand that the latest manual workers pay settlement was agreed by the National Joint Council of Local Authority Services (Manual Workers) in October 1986.

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what improvements are being made in the provision of career education and guidance.

Following from the White Paper "Working Together", I am pleased to say that my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Employment and Wales and myself today launched a new initiative designed to improve the effectiveness of the provision of career education and guidance. A copy of the booklet "Working Together for a Better Future" has been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements will be made to the fuel community insulation projects in 1988; and if he will make a statement.

At present the Department of Health and Social Security makes single payments to recipients of supplementary benefit for the cost of materials to draughtproof their homes. The work of draughtproofing is normally undertaken by community insulation projects, under the auspices of NEA, and carried out by long-term unemployed people on the Manpower Services Commission's community programme. There are now 384 of these projects, and over 300,000 homes have already been insulated under this programme, to which the Manpower Services Commission, DHSS, the DOE and my Department have all contributed.I have drawn hon. Members' attention to the success of this programme because in many of their constituencies it is helping the old to keep warm and providing the younger with worthwhile jobs, as well as improving the energy efficiency of the 300,000 homes.Present arrangements for single payments for draught-proofing will end in April 1988 as part of the social security reforms. The Government have, however, made clear their commitment to continue help with the cost of draughtproofing materials where it is needed. The Departments supporting this programme have therefore been considering how this can best be done.My right hon. Friends and I have now decided that in the long term the right solution will be to extend the home improvement grant scheme to include the cost of draughtproofing materials within a revised system. The new arrangements for the home improvement grant scheme will not, however, be in place before the social security changes.As an interim measure, therefore, the Government have decided that from April 1988 help with the cost of draughtproofing materials will be provided through the Manpower Services Commission. The commission will be well placed to undertake this task because of its responsibility for operating the community programme through which the actual work of draughtproofing is now done. It will operate a scheme in consultation with my Department and others with an interest.Eligibility for the scheme will be widened in April 1988 to include all households in receipt of income support, housing benefit or family credit. This means an increase in eligible households from under 3 million to about 7 million. A small contribution will be sought from householders benefiting from the scheme, but this will amount to no more than about 3 per cent. of the cost of the draughtproofing service provided.As a result of these decisions the future of the community insulation projects is now assured. We estimate that Government support for them in 1988–89 will be worth some £55 million to £60 million, of which £14·5 million will be for draughtproofing materials alone. This would represent an increase of 80 per cent. on 1986–87 and nearly 30 per cent. on 1987–88. Discussions will now be taking place with NEA and other organisations involved in draughtproofing work in order to finalise the administrative arrangements which will come into force from April 1988.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his discussions on Afghanistan during his recent visit to the Soviet Union.

My right hon. and learned Friend made clear to Mr. Shevardnadze, as did my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to Mr. Gorbachev, that we would support a neutral and non-aligned Afghanistan, but that this could emerge only by early Soviet withdrawal and the creation of conditions enabling the Afghan people freely to decide their own future.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

The FCO response to the financial management initiative involves a wide range of management reforms which have built on work already being done by the FCO to improve management and value for money. The precise effects of the financial management initiative cannot therefore be defined.Both the diplomatic and aid wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have introduced top management systems, which provide a structured framework for planning the strategic deployment of resources. All posts and departments in the diplomatic wing and all staff in the aid wing have an agreed set of objectives against which performance is regularly assessed.Computerised management information systems provide managers at all levels with information on the costs of their programmes. The aid wing has a long-established system of budgeting for programme expenditure. Further delegated budgeting has been introduced, notably overseas. Thirty per cent. of local expenditure is now controlled directly by posts and greater responsibility has been devolved to Overseas Development Administration's development divisions.These reforms have led to a clearer setting of priorities, more effective targeting of activities and greater awareness

Experiments by primary purpose: Scotland
Thousands
		1983	1984	1985
	Study of normal or abnormal body structure or function	119·3	115·6	122·1
	To select, develop or study the use etc. of medical, dental and veterinary products	54·4	49·2	42·0
	Development of transplant techniques	0·4	0·9	1·3
	To select, develop or study the use, hazards or safety of:
	Plant pesticides (including fungicides)	1·0	0·5	4·1
	Herbicides or substances modifying plant growth	1—	0–5	1—
	Substances used in industry	2·6	1·3	3·4
	Substances used in the household	1—	0·1	0·1
	Cosmetics and toiletries	0·9	0·2	0·9
	Food additives	3·8	0·4	1·1
	Tobacco and its substitutes	—	—	—
	Injurious plants or metazoan animals and their toxins	1·8	0·8	0·5

of the financial implications of policy decisions. The results of these improvements are reflected in the specific output measures published in Cm. 56 and in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's success in meeting many of the additional demands on its services through efficiency savings without recourse to extra resources from central funds.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 11 March, Official Report, column 212, to the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) if he will make a further statement on the response to the advertisement about the Foreign Compensation (USSR) (Registration and Determination of Claims) Order 1986.

The closing date for claims in respect of bonds was 31 March 1987. As there was a last-minute rush to register claims for bonds by some major institutions which hold large numbers of them, it will be several weeks before accurate figures for the number of bonds received and their total face value is known. However, provisional estimates, and I would emphasise that these are only estimates, put the number of bonds received at half a million, with a face value of approximately £20 million. Up to the end of March some 3,300 requests for application forms in respect of other claims were received and dealt with by Foreign Compensation Commission. The closing date for these other claims is 30 June 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in the Official Report the number of experiments on animals carried out in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom during the last three years which were of a non-medical nature.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, information on the primary purpose of experiments on living animals in Great Britain started in the years 1983 to 1985, the latest year for which information is currently available, is given in table 15 of "Statistics of Experiments on Living Animals Great Britain, 1985" (Cmnd. 9839). Corresponding information for Scotland is given in the following table; corresponding information for Northern Ireland is not available.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when post offices in The Wrekin constituency will be provided with passport application forms.

This is part of a general problem. Shortages have arisen as a result of an exceptionally high level of demand for passports. Steps are being taken to increase the number of forms being printed and to restock any post offices in short supply as quickly as possible.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates are available to him as to the number of prisoners who are HIV positive.

On 7 April the prison population of England and Wales included 44 inmates reported as having been identified as HIV antibody positive. There is no statistically reliable estimate of the number of unidentified cases.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what increases in police and other manpower he has approved for the six metropolitan joint police authorities in 1987–88.

The following increases are contained in the establishment schemes for the six authorities for 1987–88, which I have laid before Parliament today.

Authority	Additional Police Posts	Additional Civilian Staff
Merseyside	—	49 full-time
Northumbria	175	5 full-time
South		33 full-time
Yorkshire	50	2 part-time
West Midlands	—	2427 full-time
West Yorkshire	50	50 full-time

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many category A women prisoners there in Her Majesty's prison, Durham; how many strip searches have been made on category A prisoners in Her Majesty's prison, Durham in March, indicating (a) strip searches before and after consultation with legal advisers, (b) after visits and (c) after cell change, wing search and cell search.

Last month there were, until 25 March, four women category A prisoners in Durham prison. There have been three since that date. During the month strip searches were carried out on women prisoners in this category in the circumstances and the number of occasions shown:

	Number
After legal visits	Nil
After other visits	4
At the time of cell changes and wing and cell searches	11
Total	15

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many police officers attended at 34 Carson road, Canning Town, E16, on the morning of 28 March, as to the purpose of the raid, as to how many occupants were in the flat, as to whether a warrant was presented and as to who was arrested and on what charge.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that five police officers entered 34 Carson road, Canning Town, E16 on the morning of 28 March 1987. Four uniformed officers arrived in response to a call for assistance from an officer who had arrested a man for road traffic offences. The man had assaulted the officer and then run to 34 Carson road. The only other person on the premises at the time was a woman alleged to be the man's girlfriend. No warrant was presented, nor was one necessary in the circumstances.The man was arrested and charged with driving while unfit through alcohol, driving with excess alcohol and two charges of assaulting a police officer with intent to resist arrest.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to the number of police engaged in wheel-clamping duties.

A maximum of 14 police constables supervise wheel clamping units from Mondays to Fridays, while six constables are deployed on such duties on Saturdays. In addition, the inspector, sergeant and six constables at the Hyde Park car pound spend a proportion of their time on duties arising from wheel clamping as does the chief inspector in charge.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for changing the area analyses of the crime figures.

I have no plans to change the area analyses of the recorded crime figures which are published annually by police force area in the Home Office "Statistical Bulletin" issued in March and later in the year in more detail in "Criminal Statistics". Separate figures for London boroughs will continue to be placed in the Library of the House each quarter. More detailed analyses of the figures may be prepared and published from time to time.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet had an opportunity to consider claims for compensation from applicants to the community radio experiment.

We have received 35 claims for compensation from the final total of 270 applicants to the scheme. We have also considered the case for making a modest ex gratia payment to each applicant, in view of the cancellation of the experiment. However, we have decided that such payments from public funds would not be justified, in particular since it was made clear that applicants should not incur the expense of elaborate applications.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the prevention of terrorism legislation before the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984 expires in March 1989.

I have asked Viscount Colville of Culross, QC, who carried out the 1986 annual scrutiny of the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1984 and will perform the same function in 1987, to carry out a general review of the Act. I am pleased to announce that Lord Colville has accepted my invitation. The terms of reference of his inquiry will be based on those given to Lord Shackleton and Lord Jellicoe when they reviewed the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Acts, 1974 and 1976, and will be as follows:

"Accepting the continuing need for legislation against terrorism, to assess the operation of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1984, with particular regard to the effectiveness of the legislation and its effect on the liberties of the subject, and to report".

Lord Colville's report will be published as a Command Paper.Any individual or organisation who wishes to submit written observations on matters relevant to Lord Colville's terms of reference should write to him, before 31 July at: Room 14, Hepburn House, Marsham Street, London SWIP 4HW.

asked the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply of 17 March, Official Report, column 457, if she will list all press releases prepared with the aid of the new computer system in her Press Office since it was installed.

I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 17 March at columns 457–58.

asked the Lord Privy Seal what representations he has made to the suppliers of the House of Commons self-adhesive envelopes about the non-adhesiveness of those envelopes currently supplied to the Serjeant at Arms Department.

A number of examples have been found in a batch of self seal envelopes code number 23(146)S where the adhesive on the top flap has been inadequate. HMSO was asked to pursue the matter with the manufacturer as soon as it came to light in February, and arrangements have recently been made for the remainder of the batch to be withdrawn from the Serjeant at Arms Stores. HMSO did check samples before delivery but has been asked to carry out a more extensive check in future.

asked the Lord Privy Seal when Her Majesty's Government expect to reply to the Second Special Report of Session 1985–86 from the Select Committee on European Legislation.

The Government's response to the report is published today as a Command Paper (Cmnd. 123). Copies of the response have been placed in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

The financial management initiative covers a range of reforms aimed at obtaining the best possible return for public expenditure. The principles have been incorported into, and are increasingly indistinguishable from, my Department's drive towards more responsive management.Budgeting is being extended; increasingly officials are accountable for the resources under their control and this has led to an improved awareness of costs and value for money. Every six months divisions report to me on the cost of their operations and progress towards agreed objectives; they also set targets for the period ahead. This informs me in the discussions which I have in the public expenditure cycle and has led generally to the better use and direction of resources. Some of the improvements can be seen in the tables of indicators of output incorporated into Cm. 56. Examples of others are savings of 15 per cent. achieved by adopting new methods of distributing mail and up to 13 per cent. in respect of telephone call charges.I am taking steps to improve the quality of the information provided and wherever it is sensible and practicable to do so to achieve a more consistent approach across my multi-functional Department. Approximately 80 per cent. of the public expenditure which falls within my responsibility is made available to local authorities, district health authorities and other public bodies. I expect them also to apply the principles of the initiative. An example of better management contributing to improved value for money is the closer attention to energy efficiency measures by the National Health Service in Wales which aims to realise savings of 20 per cent. in the five-year period to 1988–89.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals to change the present milk outgoers scheme; and if he will make a statement.

The first phase of the Milk (Community Outgoers Scheme) closed on 15 February 1987. We shall shortly be announcing details of a new national outgoers scheme under which the rate of compensation will be 27·49p per litre payable over seven years.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many primary schoolchildren in each local education

Percentage
		1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985
	Clwyd	5·7	6·9	6·1	5·4	5·6	6·9	7·8	8·1	8·3
	Dyfed	8·8	10·0	11·4	12·5	12·3	13·6	14·2	15·0	17·4
	Gwent	0·2	0·4	0·4	0·7	0·7	0·9	1·0	1·1	1·2
	Gwynedd	17·4	18·4	19·8	20·4	22·1	22·4	26·6	27·1	31·9
	Mid Glamorgan	3·9	4·6	5·4	5·9	6·3	6·8	7·3	7·6	8·2
	Powys	6·3	6·9	4·4	4·9	7·1	5·8	7·1	6·9	6·5
	South Glamorgan	1·0	1·2	1·3	1·8	3·0	1·7	1·5	2·3	2·6
	West Glamorgan	2·8	2·8	3·2	4·0	4·9	3·2	3·4	3·0	3·2

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the secondary schools in each local education authority in Wales in which it is possible for pupils (a) to undertake most or all of their education through the medium of the Welsh language, and (b) to undertake part of their education through the medium of Welsh; and if he will indicate the schools in which no teaching, or very little teaching is done through the medium of Welsh.

Information in the form requested is not readily available.The following provisional information for September 1986 indicates, however, those schools in which none of the teaching is undertaken through the medium of Welsh and those in which at least some of the teaching is undertaken through the medium of Welsh. For each school in the latter category the number of subjects offered through the medium of Welsh is given.

The information, which relates to pupils aged five and over in maintained primary schools, as at September 1985, is given in the following table:

Number of pupils assessed as being fluent
	First language1	Second language2
Clwyd	1,401	2,367
Dyfed	4,783	4,032
Gwent	17	393
Gwynedd	6,638	5,114
Mid Glamorgan	264	3,307
Powys	454	520
South Glamorgan	278	700
West Glamorgan	685	837
1 Pupils whose home language is Welsh.
2 Pupils whose home language is not Welsh.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of primary school children in each local education authority area in Wales speak Welsh fluently as a second language; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1977.

The percentages of pupils, aged 5 and over in maintained primary schools, who speak Welsh fluently as a second language are given in the following table. The figures, which relate to September of each year, exclude pupils whose principal language is Welsh.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of primary school children in each local authority area in Wales do not receive Welsh language lessons.

The percentages of pupils who are not taught Welsh in maintained primary schools, as at September 1985, are given in the table:

	Percentage
Clwyd	3·8
Dyfed	19·1
Gwent	98·7
Gwynedd	1·0
Mid Glamorgan	13·4
Powys	19·8
South Glamorgan	54·9
West Glamorgan	38·0

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to announce decisions on the recommendations of the review of regional services to north Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to be able to announce the decisions which will take forward the review of regional services to north Wales. These have been set out in a Welsh health circular which has been issued today.The review constituted a thorough appraisal of the adequacy of regional services provided for patients in north Wales. It also covered those major regional services which are available elsewhere in Wales and those operated by authorities in England to which patients in north Wales have access.The recommendations of the review were the subject of wide consultation with health authorities and other interested bodies. The great majority of responses received supported the report's findings. As a consequence it is my right hon. Friend's intention to implement the report in the light of the comments received and in collaboration with the district and English regional health authorities concerned as quickly as possible. The following action is to be taken:

asked the Secretary of State for Wales when copies of the report of the review of the Welsh Development Agency will be made available.

Copies of the report have now been placed in the Library of the House.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales in what circumstances he has the role of adjudicator in appeals against decisions made by local authorities and public bodies in Wales; and if he will list the powers under which he fulfils that role.

[pursuant to his reply, 18 March 1987, c. 516]: A list of the various appellate powers given to the Secretary of State for Wales against decisions made by local and public bodies in Wales are shown in the following tables :

• General Dental Services Regs 1973
• National Health Service
• Sch 1, Para 17
• Decision of Executive Council and Dental Estimates Board.
• NHS Regs 1974. SI 160
• Reg 12
• Refusal of Family Practitioner Committee to include doctor on Medical List etc.
• Reg 30(6)
• Decision of Rural Dispensng Committee that pharmaceutical services be provided.
• Reg 30G(1)
• Decision of Rural Dispensing Committee on pharmaceutical services application.
• Reg 3
• Refusal of Family Practitoner Committee of deputising services.
• Reg 3
• Refusal by F.P.C. on approval of consultation premises.
• Reg 3
• Conditions imposed by Medical Practices Committee.
• NHS Service Committees etc Regs 1974
• Reg 11
• Decision of F.P.C.
• Reg 21
• Decision of Dental Estimates Board.
• Reg 48
• Decision of tribunal constituted under s. 42 of NHS Act 1946.
• NHS Act 1977
• Section 33
• Refusal by Medical Practices Committee of application for inclusion in list to provide general medical services.
• Section 40
• Determination of a recognised committee re general ophthalmic services.
• Section 46
• Direction of a Tribunal that a practitioner's name be removed from the list.
• Community Health Regulations 1985
• Reg 20
• Refusal of District Health Authority to disclose information.
• NHS General Ophthalmic Services Regs 1986
• Reg 5
• Decision of Ophthalmic Qualifications Committee that appellant is disqualified.
• Welsh Office Planning Procedure Paper 1975
• Proposals of District Health Authority re closure of Health Service buildings.
• Terms and Conditions of Service of Hospital Staff 1981 Para 190
• Termination of appointment.
• Agriculture and Land Drainage
• Agriculture Act 1967—
• Section 49
• Witholding of consent by a Rural Development Board to land transfer.
• Section 52
• Refusal of licence to plant trees.
• Land Drainage Act 1976—
• Section 68
• Refusal of Internal Drainage Board re exemption of rates.
• Section 84
• Resolution of water authority requiring contribution to expenses.
• Section 86
• Resolution specifying amounts in lieu of contribution.
• Environmental Protection
• Public Health Act 1936—
• Section 17
• Local authority declaration re adoption of sewers.
• Public Health (Drainage of Trade Premises) Act 1937—
• Section 3
• Local authority decision as to discharge of trade effluent.
• Coast Protection Act 1949—
• Section 7
• Determination of a coast protection authority.
• National Parks and Access to Countryside Act 1949—
• Section 29
• Draft maps etc prepared by surveying authorities.
• Clean Air Act 1968—
• Section 4
• Local authority decision re arrestment plant.
• Section 6
• Local authority decision not to approve chimney height.
• Control of Pollution Act 1974—
• Section 10
• Decision on licence for waste disposal.
• Section 39
• Decision on inland water protection.
• Section 43
• Water authority notices controlling discharges of trade effluent.
• Sections 64, 65 & 67
• Decision of local authority on noise pollution protection.
• Section 87
• Local Authority notice requiring air pollution information.
• Special Waste Regulations 1980—
• Regulation 9
• Refusal to give directions concerning special waste.
• Highways etc.
• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 14
• Decision by Authority not to make Modification Order.
• Highways Act 1980
• Section 183
• Local highway authority refusal of licence to lay apparatus.
• Section 220
• Application of advance payments code.
• Section 233
• Application of private street works code.
• Town and Country Planning
• Town and Country Planning Act 1971, Section 36
• Planning decision of local planning authority.
• Section 37
• Default of planning decision.
• Section 88
• Enforcement notice.
• Section 95(2)
• Established use certificate.
• Section 103
• Replacement of trees in a Tree Preservation Order.
• T.P.O. Regulations 1969, Paragraph 21, Article 25
• LPA's refusal to consent to cutting etc.
• Control of Advertisements Regulations 1984, Regulation 22 Refusal of consent for display of advertisement.
• Land Compensation Act 1961, Section 18
• Certificate of appropriate alternative development.
• Water
• Water Act 1945, Section 18
• Byelaws for preventing pollution of water of undertakers.
• Water Resources Act 1963
• Section 39
• Decision of water authority re licence.
• Section 40
• Failure of water authority to determine application for licence.
• Section 72
• Refusal of water authority's consent re control of discharges into underground strata.
• Section 78
• Conservation notice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether all pensioners whose sole income is the full national insurance pension are entitled to some supplementary benefit; and how the figures for the national insurance pension for a single person and married couple compare with the minimum they would be entitled to have their incomes increased to by supplementary benefit.

The amount of supplementary benefit payable, if any, is dependent upon the claimant's circumstances. Pensioners who have available capital in excess of £3,000 are not entitled to supplementary benefit. Unless they are entitled to special additions, pensioners in the following categories who are in receipt of standard rate basic retirement pension (in respect of couples, where their pensions are based on the contribution record of only one partner) would not be entitled to supplementary benefit:

(a) Single person living as member of someone else's household.

(b) Single resident in accommodation provided by a local authority under part III of the National Assistance Act 1948 (unless they have continuing housing requirements for example water rates).

(c) Single person or both partners of a couple in hospital.

(d) Exceptionally, a single woman householder aged under 65 or a married couple with very low net housing requirements (but they may be entitled to housing benefit supplement).

The relevant rates of retirement pension and supplementary benefit are as follows.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what further steps he is taking to seek to protect children from abuse.

The second stage of our training initiative to tackle child abuse will consist initially of four projects and cost £200,000 in 1987–88.The first of the four will involve the Open University in a two-year project to produce an introductory course on the problems of recognition and referral in cases of child abuse for professionals and others.The second is for a video and training pack on child sexual abuse for medical practitioners under the auspices of the Royal Society of Medicine.The other two projects will cover inter-disciplinary working: Professor Stevenson of Nottingham university will be developing training materials on the inter-agency aspects of case conferences; and the NSPCC will be developing training for social workers and health visitors who need to provide expert advice to colleagues in their own agencies.This programme complements other work already announced which the Department has in hand, including a new guide on inter-agency co-operation ("Working Together") and on the handling of child abuse ("Inquiries"); the preparation of practice guidance for social workers and health visitors; conferences organised by the Social Services Inspectorate on child sexual abuse; and the preparation of new legislation as envisaged in the White Paper "The Law on Child and Family Services".I believe that the four projects, together with the first stage of our training initiative which my right hon. Friend announced last October and the work which the Department has on hand, will make a useful contribution to improving practice in this area of child care, which is of concern to us all.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the reasons for the delay in the construction of the new hospital planned to serve the Mid-Staffordshire parliamentary constituency and neighbouring constituencies.

My hon. Friend will be aware that the West Midlands regional health authority is responsible for the management of individual building schemes contained in its operational capital programme. However, I understand that work on the new Lichfield/Tamworth district general hospital will commence in July 1989. The adjustment of the starting date arises from a review of the region's £870 million capital programme to ensure that the year-on-year expenditure remains within budget.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many applications for severe weather payments have been made in Dundee since 1 January; and how many applications have been granted.

Information concerning the number of applications made in Dundee for exceptionally cold weather payments is not available. However, for the period from 1 January 1987 to 10 March 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, the two Dundee local offices made approximately 8,000 £5 weekly payments.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much public money paid directly or indirectly has been used in the national no-smoking day campaign.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brigg and Cleethorpes (Mr. Brown) on 18 December 1986, at column 702.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total national financial provision for building projects for (a) National Health Service hospitals and (b) other National Health Service facilities in the financial years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89.

Information is not available in the form requested. The table shows the provision for hospital and community health services capital and other National Health Service capital for 1986–87 and 1987–88 and planned provision for 1988–89. Allocations are not aligned to particular projects. Their deployment and the use of income generated locally from the sale of surplus land and buildings is a matter for individual spending authorities.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to encourage the development of mediparks making use of surplus land with a view to encouraging technological innovation.

It is for the regional and district health authorities concerned to consider in the light of local circumstances any specific proposals which are put to them for the use of surplus National Health Service land, including development of mediparks.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consult the Royal College of General Practitioners as to whether referral patterns can be changed to make maximum use of new hospital facilities provided in recent years.

General medical practitioners usually prefer to refer their patients to hospitals conveniently situated, but they may refer to any National Health Service hospital consultant able to accept them. Referral patterns and waiting lists are amongst the topics currently being discussed with the medical profession.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his proposals for reducing cross-boundary patient flows in the context of resource allocation policy.

Our policy is to distribute resources more fairly across the country so as to ensure equal opportunity of access to health care for people in equal need. We expect regions to follow the same principles in planning services and allocating resources across their districts.Patterns of patient flows across health authority boundaries will change and in many cases may reduce as this process continues, but the pace and extent of such changes will depend on local circumstances. District self-sufficiency is not an aim; patient flows will continue for specialist treatment, or where natural catchment areas of hospitals or other facilities do not exactly match health authority boundaries. In addition, general medical practitioners remain free to refer patients to the hospital consultant of their choice.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated number of patients treated in hospitals in the London borough of Hillingdon referred by general medical practitioners in practice in the boroughs of Watford, Harrow and Ealing and in the counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire; and what additional financial resources are received by Hillingdon district health authority to take account of these cross-boundary flows.

Information about hospital referrals by general medical practitioners is not collated centrally.My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the Hillingdon district health authority for any information about the location of practices of general medical practitioners referring patients to hospitals in the district, and the chairman of the North West Thames regional health authority, which is responsible for resource allocation to individual districts. The general principle followed by regional health authorities is that district funding takes account of cross-boundary flows of patients.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will consult the North West Thames regional health authority about the extent to which general medical practitioners in the boroughs of Ealing, Watford and Harrow and in the counties of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire are encouraged to refer patients to consultants in the hospitals that have been newly provided in their boroughs and counties in recent years;(2) if he will make it his policy to seek to ensure that regional health authorities in the Thames regions consult their respective family practitioner committees with a view to achieving a change in referral patterns so that patients can take advantage of the facilities provided by the National Health Service in the boroughs and districts in which they are resident.

We encourage regional and district health authorities to consult family practitioner committees and local medical commitees with the aim of encouraging general medical practitioners to make the most appropriate referrals for their patients bearing in mind the needs of individual patients and the location and availability of appropriate services.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will review the extent of the interim relief money recently allocated to Hillingdon district health authority to take account of cross-boundary flows.

Hillingdon district health authority has been awarded £450,000 from the £2·6 million allocated to North West Thames regional health authority. This allocation was from a special fund of £30 million over two years designed to assist regions with less than average growth.Decisions on how the £2·6 million should be distributed to districts were a matter for North West Thames regional health authority.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to seek to accelerate the rate at which patients from Ealing, Watford, Harrow, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire are treated at hospitals in their respective areas and to ensure that the movement of financial resources from Hillingdon is deferred until this has been achieved.

Strategic planning for the region as a whole, and resource allocation to district health authorities, is primarily a matter for the North West Thames regional health authority. Where new facilities are being developed and resources redeployed within or between regions, which may have effects on referral patterns, the extent and pace of change is also primarily a matter for the authorities concerned.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans there are to encourage health authorities to put pathology services out to competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

There are no present plans to encourage health authorities to put pathology services out to competitive tendering.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how much money his Department is making available for the purchase of Hasicom equipment for use by the deaf-blind.

The Department has not provided funding, but the Department of Track and Industry helped to set up the Hasicom project by providing £85,000 towards equipment costs and £10,000 in consultancy fees. Local authorities, if they consider that there is a need for such equipment, have a duty to provide it under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. 'The Manpower Services Commission can also loan equipment if it is considered that this will help a disabled person overcome problems in the workplace and work efficiently.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has about the number of deaf-blind persons in England and Wales.

The information available centrally relates to the numbers of persons registered with social services departments in England as being blind with an additional handicap. The information cannot be considered comprehensive because registration is voluntary, the registers may not reflect migration or deaths and additional handicaps may not be categorised. The latest information is given in the table. Figures for Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Number of Persons Registered as Blind who are also Deaf or Hard of Hearing at 31 March 1986
England	Number
	Males	Females	Total
Blind-Deaf without speech	126	153	279
Blind-Deaf with speech	501	868	1,369
Blind-Hard of hearing	1,049	1,952	3,001

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has yet made an appointment to the chairmanship of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening.

We have appointed professor Martin Vessey, professor of social and community medicine in the university of Oxford, as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening. Other members will be appointed shortly.The role of the advisory committee will be to advise on the development of the breast cancer screening service, to monitor its effectiveness and its efficiency and to advise on research concerned with the provision of the service.Responsibility for ensuring that a call and recall service for breast cancer screening for all women in England in the 50 to 64 age group has been set up by the target date of 31 March 1990 will lie with the small team led by Sir Roy Griffiths, which, as my right hon. Friend announced on 1 April, will also be overseeing the implementation of the call and recall system for cervical cancer screening.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance the chief medical officer at his Department has given on the professional position of doctors suffering from AIDS; what information he has as to the number of (a) general practitioners, (b) hospital doctors and (c) other doctors suffering from AIDS; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1987, c. 74]: Like any other sick person, doctors with AIDS would receive advice from their own medical practitioners on whether they were fit to continue at work. The expert advisory group on AIDS, which is chaired by the chief medical officer, is currently preparing guidance on whether any restrictions are needed on the employment of HIV-infected doctors. The current advice from the United States, where there is far greater experience of HIV infection, is that it is not necessary to recommend restrictions on the activity of health care workers who are infected with HIV. The Department does not have information on the occupation of patients with AIDS and is unable to provide the information requested.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many death grant payments were made in the London borough of Southwark in each of the last three years and how many of those who received the payments will be eligible for the new means-tested death grant.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 110]: Information is not available in the precise form requested. The London borough of Southwark is covered by the Department's offices in Peckham, Southwark, Brixton, Kennington Park and Lewisham, although their boundaries are not conterminous with the borough. The number of claims for death grant received in each of the five local offices during the last three years (April to April) were as follows:

	1984–85	198–86	1986–87
Peckham	1,245	1,331	1,126
Southwark	723	728	649
Brixton	800	926	739
Kennington Park	598	610	495
Lewisham	1,198	1,531	1,224
1 To 10 March 1987.

It is not possible to predict how many people in the borough of Southwark will qualify for funeral payments from the social fund from April 1987.

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to what percentage of the residents of the London borough of Southwark will be eligible for the new means-tested death grant.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 110]: Such a prediction depends, in part, on the number of people in the London borough of Southwark who receive supplementary benefit, or housing benefit, or family income supplement. Since all of this information is not available on the basis of local authority areas, no estimates of local levels of eligibility have been made.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make a statement on the effect on his Department of the financial management initiative.

The Northern Ireland Office has implemented a programme of work to improve the value for money obtained from the Department's expenditure. Line managers have been given greater responsibility for, and better information on, expenditure in their areas of responsibility. This includes a management information system under which managers set objectives and targets and identify output and performance measures. The redesign and computerisation of the Department's accounting and financial information systems has accompanied the delegation of responsibility for the management of expenditure to line managers, including scope to redeploy resources across programme and running cost budgets.The Northern Ireland Civil Service, in parallel with developments in the Home Civil Service, has also engaged in a programme to improve financial management and efficiency by a variety of means. These include the use of top management systems to bring together information on objectives, resources, and performance, the development of computerised financial information and accounting systems to assist in budgeting and control of departmental expenditure and in the progressive application of the cost centre concept, and new initiatives on training and personnel management.The practical effects of the FMI within my area of responsibility can be seen in two particular respects. First, there are real long-term benefits emerging in the form of enhanced managerial awareness of the need to define clear objectives for the use of resources, to use these to set challenging targets and to measure performance against targets through the use of relevant management information. Secondly, this work has already led to greater efficiency in a number of areas where progress can more readily be quantified. Examples include a projected 5 per cent. decrease in energy consumption in Northern Ireland prisons, a reduction of£7·3 million in Northern Ireland electricity generating costs, a 5 per cent. reduction in unit costs per student at agricultural colleges, a Province-wide reduction in water leakage levels from 21 to 26 litres per property per hour to 13·19 litres by 1988–89, and the redeployment of £28 million in the Northern Ireland Health Service over the next five years to higher priority areas through better use of resources.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish in the Official Report figures for Northern Ireland corresponding to those published for England and Wales in "Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles England and Wales" issued by the Secretary of State for the Home Department; and if he will make a statememt.

[pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1987, c. 67]: Figures corresponding to those published in "Offences Relating to Motor Vehicles England and Wales" are not available for Northern Ireland. However, I have today placed in the Library, a copy of "A Commentary on Northern Ireland Crime Statistics 1985" published by the Northern Ireland Office, which give, amongst other data, information on motoring in Northern Ireland.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the allocation of funds to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for capital works to existing dwellings as at 1 April 1986;(2) what was the outturn figure for capital works carted out to existing dwellings owned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as at 31 March 1987;(3) what was the funding allocation to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for capital works to existing dwellings in the south region as at 1 April 1986;(4) what was the outturn figure for capital works to existing dwellings in the south region of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive as at 31 March 1986;(5) what increased funding was requested by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for capital expenditure to existing dwellings at the last autumn review; and what increase was allocated;(6) what increased funding was requested by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for the south region at the last autumn review; and what increase was allocated.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 118–19]:The Housing Executive's budget for capital works existing dwellings approved by the Department of the Environment (NI) for 1986–87 was £64 million. Additional capital receipts, savings elsewhere within the Executive's budgets and the transfer of a surplus of £1·5 million from the co-ownership scheme led the Executive to seek a number of revisions to its approved budgets in the autumn, including an increase to £68 million in the budget for work to existing dwellings. I understand from the Housing Executive that, on the basis of provisional figures, outturn for capital works to existing dwellings in 1986–87 is estimated to have been £67·9 million.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the period of the delay in a payment from the Masonic Housing Association to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for a housing development in Donaghadee, established by a local government audit; and if he will make a statement;(2) if the normal accounting procedures of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive were implemented in relation to a payment from the Masonic Housing Association in respect of a housing development in Donaghadee; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 118–19]:A payment of £322,000 was made to the Masonic Housing Association (NI) Ltd. by the Department of the Environment (NI) on 23 March 1984 to allow the association to meet part of the cost of 20 dwellings constructed for it at Donaghadee by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, within a total contract of 40 dwellings.I understand from the chairman of the Housing Executive that a recoverable charge was not formally raised against the association at the time in accordance with normal procedures. Payment was not, therefore, demanded by the executive and made by the association until February 1987. I also understand that the Housing Executive's procedures have now been revised to ensure that similar delays will not recur.

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the approved budget of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive nursery at Dundonald between 1983 and 1985;(2) how great was the loss to public funds deriving from overspending of the approved budget during 1983 to 1985 at the Northern Ireland Housing Executive nursery at Dundonald;(3) by how much the approved budget of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive nursery at Dundonald for 1983 to 1985 was exceeded.

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 118–19]: This is a matter for The chairman of the Housing Executive, who has informed me that the Housing Executive's financial systems did not entail the setting of a specific budget for the nursery. Financial provision for planting and general landscaping services which have been provided partly by the executive's own nursery but also by private contractors is made by each region within approved capital and revenue budgets; it would not be possible without disproportionate cost to identify the costs of services provided by the nursery, which is to close at the end of May.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet received notification of any decision taken by the EEC Commission indicating its response to a complaint lodged by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in February 1985; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1987]: I received such a communication late yesterday.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken since June of 1986 to have inspections made to the footings of motorway barriers; what defects or deficiencies have been found; what steps he intends to take as a result; what proportion of total motorway mileage has been covered by such inspections; and if he will make a statement.

Detailed inspections are being made this year to a sample of concrete post-footings during major maintenance works to carriageways where lane closures are required that give access to safety fences. These inspections are designed to identify the likely extent of misshapen footings. Any such footings found are being replaced. These inspections are in addition to those being carried out under a new code of practice for routine maintenance introduced in 1985.Comprehensive information on mileages inspected, defects found and remedial action taken is not yet available. We estimate that detailed inspections this year will cover a sample of up to about 150 miles of motorway safety fences. Complete results of detailed inspections to footings will not be available until the end of this year.I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 25 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young) and my subsequent letter to him of 27 March, a copy of which is in the Library.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has initiated studies about the effect of light dues on the use of British ports.

The light dues regime has virtually no effect on the volume of trade at many ports, but my Department is studying the extent to which the regime leads to trans-shipment of liner container traffic, which is of special importance to some ports.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates, times and places during which stretches of the M1 motorway between Derby (junction 25) and London have been reduced to single file traffic since January 1986.

The information requested is not available. Where work involving single file running is planned, it is where possible carried out overnight or at other times when traffic volumes are at a minimum. We try to keep traffic disruption and delays to a minimum. Single lane running is only employed where there is no reasonable alternative.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the cost of construction and erection of the "Keep Your Distance" signs on the MI motorway at junction 6A.

The two signs on M1 at junction 6A now used to display the message "Keep Your Distance" cost £50,000 to install. They were first used for traffic management purposes during the final stages of completion of M25.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to erect further "Keep Your Distance" signs on motorways.

Further use of "Keep Your Distance" signs will depend on the outcome of the experiment currently being conducted at the southern end of the M1. This experiment at present consists of nine permanent display motorway signs and a pair of variable message signs near junction 6A. There is also a pair of variable message signs on the M25 at junction 18 which are normally devoted to this purpose.The southern end of the M1 was chosen for this experiment because of the very heavy traffic density. The effectiveness of the signs is being monitored by the various police forces which patrol the sections of the motorway on which they have been erected.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report on the reorganisation of the marine surveying department.

I have placed in the Library a copy of the departmental notice describing the reorganisation of the Surveyor General's Organisation, which came into force on 1 April.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when there will be a fully wheelchair-accessible station-to-station service after the existing contract has expired.

Decisions on the future of the existing service beyond the present contract have not been taken. I understand that LRT intends to review the inter-station service in the light of experience once the wheelchair-accessible airbus service to Heathrow is in operation.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what are the estimated yearly savings on staff costs to London Regional Transport from the introduction of the Underground ticketing system.

The current estimate from London Underground is that annual savings in staff costs of around £10 million will be achieved when the new Underground ticketing system is fully operational.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what applications he has received from London Regional Transport for the purchase of replacement rolling stock for the Central Line of the Underground.

None. The requirements for replacement rolling stock have yet to be fully defined, following technical trials of prototype trains later this year.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been undertaken in the past two years by London Regional Transport or consultants appointed by them on the extension of existing Underground lines; and if he will make a statement.

A number of enhancements to the Underground network are under consideration by the London passenger transport group. These include extensions to the Bakerloo, Jubilee East London, Metropolitan and Victoria lines.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when was the last meeting of the London Passenger Transport Group; and what was discussed at that meeting.

The group met on 1 April, and discussed a range of matters concerning British Rail and London Regional Transport. These included joint ticketing, interchange improvements and rail planning issues.

asked the Secretary of State for Transport when the next statement of strategy will be produce by London Regional Transport; and what public consultation there will be.

London Regional Transport is required by the London Regional Transport Act 1984 to prepare and publish every three years a statement of strategy after consultation with the railways board, the local authorities concerned, the passengers' committee, and such other persons as it may think fit. The next such statement is to be published by June 1988. The nature of any public consultation on the statement and precise timing are matters for LRT.