To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the 20 local authorities in England which will gain the most and the 20 which will lose the most on cash terms, as the basis of his proposals for a unified business rate.

In principle, the present grant arrangements remove the benefit of high rateable value from local authorities by making corresponding reduction in grant entitlements. Under our proposals for grant in the new system, grant per adult will vary between authorities only in so far as authorities' expenditure needs vary. A simple comparison of non-domestic rate income to authorities before and after introduction of a uniform business rate would be misleading in not allowing for the different grant effects.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the National League for the Blind and Disabled regarding the Local Government Bill; and if he will make a statement.

A circular letter from the league was received in my Department on 26 November and is being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consult women's organisations with regard to the particular effect of the proposed community charge upon women; and if he will make a statement.

We engaged in a major consultation exercise on all aspects of our proposals after we published the Green Paper "Paying for Local Government", Cmnd. 9714. Women's organisations have had ample opportunity to make representations, both during and after the formal consultation period and several have done so. My officials have, for example, had a recent meeting with representatives of Women's Aid organisations. I announced the outcome of those discussions in the answer I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Billericay (Mrs. Gorman).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply of 27 October, Official Report, column 209, he has yet received a formal submission from Birmingham city council for the declaration of the Charles housing action area; and if he will make a statement.

No submission has yet been received. I understand that Birmingham city council is still considering its proposals for the Charles housing action area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the additional administration costs falling on the London borough of Waltham Forest as a result of his decision to make transitional arrangements for the introduction of community charge in that borough; and if he will reimburse those additional administration costs.

In the first instance, the size of any extra costs must be a matter for the local authority. The question of support for administration costs will be an issue for the rate and revenue support grant settlements for the years in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if in the light of the failure of the News on Sunday newspaper, he will introduce legislation to define the types of venture in which local authorities are permitted to invest pension fund money; and if he will make a statement.

The management, use and investment of local government superannuation fund moneys and related matters are already subject to the provisions of part P of the Local Government Superannuation Regulations 1986 (Statutory Instrument 1986 No. 24). My right hon. Friend is currently considering a number of options to control further the investment of local government pension fund monies in the light of the failure of the News on Sunday newspaper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of new private houses built in the Easington constituency in the last three years.

This information is not collected for individual constituencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the proportion of fossil fuel power stations that have been fitted with flue gas desulphurisation equipment in (i) west Germany and (ii) Sweden; and what is the figure for the United Kingdom.

Information on control technology in operation in the Federal Republic of Germany and in Sweden is contained in the major review of national strategies and policies for air pollution abatement, published this year by the Executive Body for the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. A copy of the report

("National Strategies and Policies for Air Pollution Abatement" (paragraph 50). Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, United Nations, New York, 1987)

has been placed in the Library of the House.At present, no power stations in the United Kingdom are so equipped, but the Central Electricity Generating Board plans to retrofit 6,000 MW of generating capacity with flue gas desulphurisation equipment during the next 10 years. Furthermore, all new fossil fuel fired power stations will be required to have the technology to control sulphur emissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many urban programme fund units on the industrial estate at Milkwood road, London S.E.24 are now occupied; and what was the total number of units funded.

I understand from the London borough of Lambeth, which is responsible for letting these units, that 36 units on the Mahatma Gandhi/Milkwood Road industrial estate are let out of a total of 41 and that negotiations are in hand to let three of the remainder.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet in a position to give the estimated costs of the damage caused by the storms in October in (a) Essex and (b) the Basildon area; and if he will make a statement.

Essex has estimated that the cost of storm damage to them will be around £8 million. Information for Basildon is not available. Expenditure above a threshold will be eligible for special financial assistance under the Bellwin scheme, or in respect of insurable losses and, where authorities have not insured, additional capital allocations will be available this year for repair works that are capitalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is yet in a position to list, by region, the estimated cost of the damage caused by the storms in October; and if he will make a statement.

My Department does not yet have sufficient reliable information to provide such an estimate. We expect the majority of local authorities' storm damage expenditure to be eligible under the Bellwin scheme, and so to qualify for special financial assistance above the threshold, or to be in respect of insurable losses. Where authorities have nevertheless failed to insure, additional capital allocations will be available this year for repair works that are capitalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what applications he has received from Nottingham county council for money to enable the subways on Crabtree road, Bulwell, Nottingham, to be filled in.

I know of no such bid from the county council. Nottingham city council applied in January for an Estate Action allocation for improvements to Crabtree Farm estate. These included filling up two subways. The bid was unsuccessful but I understand that more comprehensive proposals may be put forward again for 1988–89. If they are I shall consider them carefully.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to restore the Albert memorial; and if he will make a statement.

The memorial is now over 100 years old. Water penetration has caused corrosion which has weakened the iron structure of the roof and spire. Below the roof level the structure of the memorial is generally sound, but many of the sculptures and other decorations have been damaged or are badly weathered.The Government therefore intend that the memorial should be repaired and restored. Costs will of course have to be contained within acceptable levels. I shall be seeking further expert advice on the feasibility and cost of alternative options before deciding on how to proceed.I am arranging for an engineer's report on the condition of the ironwork in the roof and spire to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to review the criteria for selecting members of urban development corporations; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend is considering the procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what information he has as to the proportion of the homeless who are women;(2) what proportion of households living in bed and breakfast accommodation are headed by women.

I regret that this information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that every local authority has adequate resources to provide victim support schemes.

The rate support grant settlement includes provision for both personal social services, and for services which are the responsibility of the Home Office. It is, however, entirely for individual authorities to make resources available for particular activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what his policy is towards the resettling of homeless children outside their original local education authority boundaries; what advice he offers to local authorities contemplating such a resettlement; and what advice he offers to the local authorities into whose areas the children may be moved.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her on 12 November, at column 191.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to review the selection criteria for members of the London Docklands Development Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

The selection criteria for LDDC members are reviewed on each occasion when a vacancy occurs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the types of dwelling-houses which have so far been designated under the Housing Act 1985, and indicate for which of these a repair system has been determined.

The 24 house types designated nationally under the Housing Defects legislation—part XVI of the Housing act 1985—are listed in the table, together with progress on repair systems for each. In all, the national House-Building Council's subsidiary, PRC Homes Ltd., has now approved 44 repair systems covering 11 of the most common house types. More detailed progress reports are provided regularly by PRC Homes Ltd. and are placed in the Library.

Designated house type	Number of repair systems submitted but not yet licensed	Number licensed by PRC Homes Ltd.
Airey	6	7
Boot	—	1
Boswell	—	—
Cornish Unit	—	10
Dorran	2	—
Dyke	—	—
Gregory	—	—
Myton	1	—
Newland	2	1
Orlit	1	1
Parkinson	1	2
Reema Hollow Panel	1	2
Schindler and Hawksley SGS	1	—
Smith	—	1
Stent	—	2
Stonecrete	—	—
Tarran	1	—
Underdown	—	—
Unity and Butterley	2	7
Waller	—	—
Wates	1	6
Wessex	—	—
Winget	—	—
Woolaway	—	5
Totals	19	144
1 Includes 5 systems licensed subject to amendments.

Percentage
		Fee competition		Fee negotiation
		1984–85	1986	1984–85	1986
	Architectural commissions	15	32	3	7
	Quantity Surveying commissions	26	35	8	21
	Mechanical and Electrical Engineering commissions	15	24	2	4
	Civil and Structural Engineering commissions	10	39	1	14

In view of the increased level of savings from competition and the continuing difference between competition and negotiation, I have decided that the current £2 million project value threshold above which fee bids are sought will be reduced to £1 million from 1 January 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to ban the use of concrete as a form of containment for radioactive waste in the light of the problem of alkali silica reaction.

Research is progressing into the integrity of cement as an encapsulating medium. I will make no decision until that research is completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases of alkali silica reaction in concrete have been reported in the years 1985, 1986 and 1987.

There is no formal system of reporting cases of alkali silica reaction to my Department. However, I understand that the Building Research Establishment has had 20 cases brought to its attention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on progress in establishing a design of concrete mixes which would not be susceptible to alkali silica reaction; and if he will make a statement.

Work is in progress at the Building Research Establishment on methods of test and classification of aggregates. The test methods are now being submitted to the British Standards Institution as a draft standard. BRE is also revising its present recommendations on mixes in BRE Digest 258 and is contributing to a committee of the Concrete Society which is considering the subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what fee reductions have been achieved in the Property Services Agency as a result of fee competition on major works projects since the agency's initial review which covered the period July 1984 to December 1985; and if he will make a statement.

The fee reductions achieved through fee competition and fee negotiation in 1986 compared with those of the initial review which covered the period July 1984—December 1985 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects the report on schizophrenia research of the Medical Research Council's schizophrenia and allied conditions committee to be published.

I understand from the Medical Research Council that the report is due to be published early in 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he is satisfied with standards of school discipline; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 1 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Mr. Speed).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has of the numbers of deaf-blind children in the United Kingdom.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 November at column 375. This information should be available when the analysis of responses to the questionnaire which accompanied the Department's consultative document on educational provision for deaf-blind children is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a statement on the educational needs of deaf-blind children.

My right hon. Friend hopes that the final version of the Department's policy statement on educational provision for deaf-blind children will be published in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many replies he has received to the consultative document about the numbers of deaf-blind children within each local education authority.

Seventy-nine — four out of 97 — local education authorities in England replied to the questionnaire which accompanied the Department's consultative document. In addition, 42 replies were received in response to the points raised in the consultative document itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to meet officials of SENSE, the National Deaf-Blind and Rubella Association, to discuss the educational needs of deaf-blind children; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 November at column 375.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the proportion of women academic staff in British universities who are employed on short-term and temporary contracts.

The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the ratio of medical teaching staff to medical students at Dundee university for each year since 1974.

The information is as follows:

Academic year	Pre-clinical medicine and dentistry	Clinical medicine
1974–75	6·1:1	6·8:1
1975–76	5·0:1	6·8:1
1976–77	5·8:1	7·0:1
1977–78	6·0:1	7·5:1
1978–79	5·9:1	7·5:1
1979–80	5·9:1	7·1:1
1980–81	6·6:1	9·5:1
1981–82	8·6:1	5·9:1
1982–83	7·5:1	6·7:1
1983–84	10·9:1	7·0:1
1984–85	12·9:1	7·5:1
1985–86	12·5:1	7·4:1

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of new medical students admitted to Dundee university for each year since 1974.

The information is as follows:

Academic year	First year admissions
1974–75	115
1975–76	104
1976–77	119
1977–78	112
1978–79	103
1979–80	118
1980–81	116
1981–82	119
1982–83	114
1983–84	121
1984–85	120
1985–86	120
1986–87	132
1987–88	1115
1 Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the provision of funds for medical equipment and laboratories in Dundee university for the purposes of medical teaching and training, for each year since 1974.

The University Grants Committee's allocations of furniture and equipment grant to Dundee university were as follows:

Academic year	£000
1974–75	389
1975–76	821
1976–77	209
1977–78	536
1978–79	462
1979–80	572
1980–81	772
1981–82	805
1982–83	830
1983–84	790
1984–85	830

Academic year	£000
1985–86	1,173
1986–87	983
1987–88	1,287

The use of such grants in the various subject areas is a matter for individual universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the number of applications made to Dundee University; and as to how many places were available, for each year since 1979.

Full-time undergraduate new entrants to Dundee university were as follows:

Academic year	New entrants
1979–80	702
1980–81	895
1981–82	877
1982–83	797
1983–84	656
1984–85	795
1985–86	860

Information on applications to individual universities is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much the United Kingdom spends per capita on higher and further education; and what information he has as to the per capita expenditure in (a) the United States of America, (b) Sweden, (c) West Germany and (d) Japan.

[holding answer 1 December 1987]: For international purposes, data for non-advanced further education are included with secondary education and cannot be separately identified. Figures for Sweden are not readily available.Current public expenditure on higher education per capita is given in the table:

£ at 1983 prices1
Country	Year of data	All HE expenditure	Excluding student support, welfare and general research funding2
United Kingdom3	1983	57	34
United States of America4	1982	168	149
Germany, Federal Republic of	1983	37	14
Japan5	1982	23	13
1 At purchasing power parity: expenditure adjusted to calendar year, where necessary, using consumer prices indices.
2 General research funding data for 1982 adjusted to 1983 from ABRC report below.
3 Excludes expenditure on nursing and paramedical courses at DHSS establishments.
4 Includes capital expenditure.
5 Excludes public subsidies to private education.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next plans to pay an official visit to Stoke Newington.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Charlton Marshall.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit Teesside.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the proposal by the EEC Commission that major takeovers and mergers of United Kingdom companies should require the prior approval of the Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Discussion of this matter is continuing within the Community, and it would not be appropriate to raise it at the European Council.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the status of the recent declaration of the European Council on combating terrorism; if she will raise the issue again at the Council in the light of the agreement on hostage exchanges concluded between the French and Iranian Governments; and if she will make a statement.

The December 1986 European Council statement reaffirmed all EC partners' commitments to make no concessions under duress to terrorists or their sponsors. This remains our position which I shall restate at the Council. I expect that the French Government will wish to take the opportunity of the European Council on 4–5 December to give an account of the events leading to the release of the French hostages.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the recent report of the European Economic Community Court of Auditors about the legality of the transfer of butter dumping responsibility to member states; and if she will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him on 1 December at column 508.

To ask the Prime Minister if, when she meets Mr. Gorbachev, she will ask for the release of Mr. Raoul Wallenberg; and if she will make a statement.

I doubt that it will be practical to raise individual cases in the limited time available. The Soviet authorities are well aware of our views in this case.

To ask the Prime Minister, if she will take disciplinary action against those members of the security services who failed to pass on information to the Cabinet Secretary about their conduct in relation to Chapman Pincher's "Their Trade is Treachery"; and if she will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will recommend the establishment of a Royal Commission to examine the implications of public expenditure levels on essential services for the ability to prevent serious fatal accidents in those services; and if she will make a statement.

No. Public expenditure on essential services will continue to be determined in the normal way, having full regard to the safety of those working in the industries and of the wider public.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 3 December.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be departing later today for Copenhagen to attend the European Council.

To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions for fraud involving bogus prescriptions by (a) doctors and (b) pharmacists have been made in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement.

The Crown Prosecution Service does not keep separate records of prosecutions for fraud involving bogus prescriptions, and the answer to the hon. Member's question cannot therefore be ascertained without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the Attorney-General (1) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Mr. Mohammed Fazal of Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, for fraudulently accepting as payment for a razor a National Health Service prescription with a value of £14; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Dr. Mohammed Mahmood of Green Lane, Bradford, for fraudulently charging for a prescription, knowing that the prescribed drugs were to be dispatched abroad; and if he will make a statement;(3) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Dr. Ashish Banerji, of Front Street, Newcastle, for fraudulently charging for a prescription knowing that the prescribed drugs were to be dispatched abroad; and if he will make a statement;(4) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Dr. Rai Ahmed Sangra, of Birmingham for fraudulently charging for a prescription, knowing that the prescribed drugs were to be dispatched abroad; and if he will make a statement;(5) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Dr. John Tighe of Nechells, Birmingham, for fraudulently charging for a prescription, knowing that the prescribed drugs were to be dispatched abroad; and if he will make a statement;(6) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Mr. Terence Taylor of Lumbs Lane, Bradford, for fraudulently accepting as payment for a toothbrush and a medicinal drink a National Health Service prescription with a value of £20; and if he will make a statement;(7) whether the Crown Prosecution Service will prosecute Mr. Jawaid Ahmed, of Washwood Heath Road, Birmingham, for fraudulently accepting as payment for a packet of nappies a National Health Service prescription with a value of £30; and if he will make a statement.

The Crown Prosecution Service has not received any papers from the police in relation to the matters raised by the hon. Member's questions.

To ask the Attorney-General what advice is being given to magistrates who hold shares in British Gas in relation to disqualification or otherwise when issuing entry warrants on behalf of British Gas.

Whether justices who hold shares in British Gas are disqualified from hearing applications for entry warrants made on behalf of British Gas is a question of law, on which they will be advised by their clerk.

To ask the Attorney-General what criteria he used in deciding to make his announcement, concerning the decision not to bring prosecutions in the Zircon affair, in the form of a written answer.

In following earlier precedents, I adopted the most convenient way of ensuring that the first public announcement of my decision was made to this honourable House; and that it was made as soon after the decision was taken as was practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government intend to make a contribution to the Disasters Emergency Committee's appeal for Ethiopia.

I have just informed the disasters emergency committee that the Overseas Development Administration will be contributing £2 million to its appeal. This follows the Government's recent £2 million contribution to the United Nations' airlift operation and brings to over £25 million the Government's help so far this year for famine relief in Ethiopia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made with plans to merge the Crown Agents pension division with the Overseas Development Administration at East Kilbride.

The merger took place on 1 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many patients were registered with general practitioners for National Health Service contraceptive services in 1986 in Wales.

Registration with general practitioners for contraceptive services is not required.An estimate of the number of patients in receipt of National Health Service contraceptive services from general practitioners in 1986 is 126,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total cost of the general practitioner provision for National Health Service family planning services to patients for 1986 in Wales.

For financial year 1986–87 the estimated cost is £2·7 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners are registered to provide a National Health Service family planning service to their patients in Wales; and how many premises are involved.

There were in Wales at the 1 October 1986, 1,530 general practitioners who provided a family planning service. Of these, 368 provided the service to only those who were registered with them for general medical service, and 1,162 provided a family planning service to any patient irrespective of whether that patient was registered with that general practitioner or not. No information is available centrally on how many premises are involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of (a) men and (b) women attending sexually transmitted diseases clinics in Cardiff and tested for HIV have proved to be HIV positive.

The information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of each Welsh national park planning board live within the area of that park as a percentage of the total numbers on each board.

The Welsh national parks are administered by National Park Committees rather than planning boards. The relevant information in respect of the committees is as follows:

	per cent.
Snowdonia	42
Brecon Beacons	56
Pembrokeshire Coast	22

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the Welsh national parks and the parliamentary constituencies that fall within the boundaries of each park.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales to what extent his Department uses recycled paper or provides paper for recycling.

My Department purchases its stationery from Her Majesty's Stationery Office; it contains varying elements of recycled paper. A small proportion of my Department's waste paper is recycled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which museums had employed Touche Ross and Co. as management consultants before February 1986; and what were the total fees paid by the National Museum of Wales to Touche Ross and Co. from grant in aid, in respect of its inquiry into its department of art conducted in 1986.

The decision to employ Touche Ross and Co. was made by the National Museum of Wales authorities acting under the terms of their Royal charter. The fee paid was £43,398·70.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with regard to the staffing recommendations of his Department's staff inspectors for the department of art of the National Museum of Wales in 1983–84, how many conservators were in post at the time of the inspection, how many conservators were specified in the complement recommended and whether a new post at Curatorial Grade F (Registrar) was recommended.

There were two full-time and one part-time conservators in post at the time of the staff inspection. An increase to four conservator posts was recommended. A new post at curatorial grade F was also reommended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) when officers of the National Museum of Wales asked Dr. Roderick Bowen, QC to undertake the inquiry into allegations of professional misconduct in the department of art; when members of staff of the National Musuem were requested to submit their statements of complaint; and what disciplinary action was taken subsequently with respect to the writer of the unauthorised letter to the president of the National Museum, dated 16 September 1982, alleging professional misconduct;(2) what were the allegations of professional misconduct in the department of art of the National Museum of Wales as a result of which a senior member of its council conducted an inquiry in 1982; and when the keeper of the department of art was provided with them in writing.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 6 November 1987 at column 891.

To ask the Minister of the Arts what statements he has made, following his approval of the virement of funds from those voted by Parliament for the purchase of specimens by the National Musuem of Wales in 1984–85, about his policy towards permitting such virement in future and as to what steps he will take to ensure that this policy is adhered to.

The Department's policy, which is that virement between expenditure heads should be limited to meeting exceptional needs for which specific provision has not been made, is understood and accepted by the museum authorities. As for the steps taken by the Department to ensure compliance with the policy, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Treasury minute on the fifteenth report of the Committee of Public Accounts 1986–87 (Cm. 236).

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if Her Majesty's Government will make representations to the European Commission as to the peripherality and extreme rurality of Mid Wales, so as to reinforce the case for continued European regional development fund funding for Mid Wales; and if he will make a statement;(2) if Her Majesty's Government have made representations to the European Commission to ensure that the forthcoming reforms of the European Community's structural funds will not result in the exclusion of Mid Wales from access to the funds; and if he will make a statement.

Discussions continue — on the basis of draft Commission proposals — but on the key objectives which will underpin the future operation of the EC structural funds and on the criteria for defining those areas which may, in the longer term, be eligible for assistance. My Department is fully involved in such discussions and I have already made, in the course of them, representations to the Commission regarding the continued inclusion of Mid-Wales for European regional development fund purposes. Final decisions on the review will be a matter for the Council but I have naturally a very strong interest in seeking to ensure that structural fund assistance is retained in all those parts of Wales where the funds have a continuing role to play in structural re-adjustment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many deaths in road traffic accidents occurred in the years 1985, 1986 and the first three quarters of 1987 by counties; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is given in the following table:

Number of deaths arising from road traffic accidents
	1985	1986	11987
Clwyd	35	49	15
Dyfed	40	36	18
Gwent	34	39	7
Gwynedd	21	21	15
Mid Glamorgan	47	28	14
Powys	12	12	9
South Glamorgan	29	26	11
West Glamorgan	27	23	9
Wales	245	235	98
1 Figures for 1987 are for January-June inclusive and are provisional. No later information is currently available.

There is an encouraging downward trend in the number of deaths on roads in Wales, and we hope that this will continue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals for the establishment of an initiative to improve foreign language teaching in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

A modern foreign language will be one of the foundation subjects in the National curriculum for all children in Wales aged 11–16 under our proposals in the Education Reform Bill. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science and I will be publishing shortly a joint statement of policy for modern language teaching in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will outline the year-by-year change in real terms in Welsh local authority capital expenditure provision, in the light of his announcement of 30 November in an answer to the hon. Member for Delyn (Mr. Raffan) in (a) the period since the present capital control system was introduced in 1981–82 up to the latest provision for 1988–89, and (b) the period 1978–79 to 1988–89.

Gross capital provision between 1981–82 to 1988–89 in real terms is shown in the following table. Comparable figures for 1978–79 to 1980–81 are not readily available.

At 1987–88 prices1	£ million
Gross provision
1981–82	346
1982–83	428
1983–84	472
1984–85	395
1985–86	376
1986–87	385
1987–88	410
1988–89	400
Percentage change 1981–82 to 1988–89	16
1 as measured by the GDP deflator at market prices applicable at 24 September 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to monitor at all stages the transit and storage arrangements made with regard to the consignment of 800 tons of contaminated soil imported into the port of Mostyn from Holland; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 November 1987]: The handling of this consignment was monitored by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the plant health and seeds inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of the German Democratic Republic following reports of persecution in that country of Protestant churches by the state security police; and if he will make a statement.

We deplore abuses of human rights wherever they occur. We are discussing with our European partners an appropriate reaction to the reports and continue to take opportunities to urge the Government of the German Democratic Republic to fulfil their commitments under the United Nations charter on human rights and the Helsinki final act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will have urgent talks with his European Community colleagues in order to take practical steps in support of the Acapulco declaration signed by the Rio 8 group of countries; and if he will make a statement.

We shall be giving the Acapulco declaration full consideration. In some areas which it covers, we share the Group of Eight's approach, for example, through the current efforts of the Twelve to encourage negotiated peace in central America. We look forward to continuing, with our European Community colleagues, the political dialogue with the Group of Eight begun last September in New York.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the demands contained in the Acapulco declaration recently signed by the Rio 8 group of countries.

We welcome the positive aspects of the Acapulco declaration for peace development and democracy, which we are studying.We shall continue to support the current efforts to achieve a peace settlement in Central America. The United Kingdom voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly resolution concerning the south Atlantic zone of peace to which the declaration refers, and we have consistently supported efforts to eradicate drug trafficking.We welcome, too, the commitment of the Group of Eight to continue to seek negotiated solutions to the debt problem. We recognise the severity of many countries' difficulties and the need for the international community to provide adequate support to countries implementing economic reform programmes.Latin America's debt problems are primarily a matter for negotiation between the debtor country and the commercial banks in which creditor Governments should not intervene.We will continue to play our part, with our European Community partners, in the dialogue with Latin American states represented in the Group of Eight, which was begun in New York in September.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown, by region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development."

I have been asked to answer on behalf of my right hon. Friends.The information is not available and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what extent his Department uses recycled paper or provides paper for recycling.

Balance of payments on current account
United States $ billion
	United States of America	Japan	Federal Republic of Germany	France	Canada	Italy	United Kingdom
1981	+6·9	+4·8	-5·0	-4·8	-5·1	-9·5	+13·1
1982	-8·6	+6·9	+3·9	-12·1	+2·2	-6·4	+6·9
1983	-46·3	+20·8	+4·2	-5·2	+2·5	+1·4	+5·0
1984	-107·1	+35·0	+8·2	-0·9	+2·6	-2·3	+1·8
1985	-116·4	+49·2	+15·7	+0·9	-0·9	-3·5	+4·2
1986	-141·5	+85·8	+37·7	+3·4	-6·7	+4·8	-1·5

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the present level of imports of

My Department uses paper having a recycled content where this is consistent with operational effciency and offers good value for money. General printing and writing papers contain up to 10 per cent. recycled fibre, the buff envelopes in general use contain at least 50 per cent. recycled fibre, and some stationery items are made of 100 per cent. recycled material. Used paper is disposed of for recycling where this is consistent with economic and security considerations. Following a paper recycling commitment conference which I chaired in January 1987, a working group is exploring the scope for greater use of waste paper in the production of printing and writing papers which are acceptable to private and public sector users in terms of both quality and cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has about the balance of payments surpluses and deficits for the seven leading industrialised countries in each of the years 1981 to 1986.

The information is in the table. International comparisons are normally made in a common currency, but exchange rate fluctuations cause different trends to emerge depending on which currency is used. Data are therefore given both in United States dollars and in national currencies.cigarettes into the United Kingdom by main supplying country; and what were the comparable figures in 1986 and 1985.

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what were the level of imports of acrylic yarn from Turkey in 1985, 1986 and to the latest available date in 1987.

United Kingdom imports of acrylic yarn from Turkey were: 1985, £1·6 million; 1986, £81 million; and, for the seven months to July 1987, £5·9 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received from the British Textile Confederation, the British Textile Employers' Association, and the Confederation of British Wool Textiles on European Community negotiations with Egypt and Turkey for renewal of voluntary restraint arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

Various representations have been received by the Department expressing concern at the level of the voluntary restraint on exports of Egyptian cotton yarn agreed in the recent negotiations between the European Community and the Egyptian authorities, and urging the need for increases in access for cotton yarn and certain other textile products to be kept to a minimum in the negotiations for a voluntary restraint agreement between the European Community and Turkish textile exporters. We have taken note of these representations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the outcome of recent negotiations between the European Community and Egypt for renewal of a voluntary restraint arrangement on cotton yarn; and if he will make a statement.

In the recent negotiations between the European Community and Egypt for renewal of the voluntary restraint arrangement on cotton yarn the level for 1988 was agreed at 29,500 tonnes for the Community as a whole, with a growth rate of 3·4 per cent. The United Kingdom share for 1988 is 2,500 tonnes.The outcome was the best the Community could achieve in the circumstances. Without an agreement the Community market would have been wide open to unrestrained imports of Egyptian cotton yarn.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assistance Her Majesty's Government provided to British Aerospace in connection with its securing an order to supply Westair Airlines of Fresco California with six BAe 146–200 regional airliners; and if he will make a statement.

This order was secured entirely as a result of British Aerospace's marketing skills.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give for 1986 the amounts of United Kingdom imports of hard wood, soft wood and other wood products, United Kingdom production of the same, and totals for both categories, respectively, in millions of cubic metres wood raw material equivalent, and expressing each figure as a percentage of apparent domestic consumption.

The available information is contained in the table.

United Kingdom imports of wood 1986
	Hardwood1	Softwood1	Other wood products2
Domestic consumption	1·4	8·6	n/a
Imports (percentage of domestic consumption)	1·2	6·9	2·4
	(86)	(80)	(n/a)
UK Production	0·3	2·3	n/a
	(21)	(27)	(n/a)

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster lf he will give such figures as are available to him for the latest year available for the aggregate turnover of the financial and banking sector of the economy, broken down (a) between institutions operating in the City of London, Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom, respectively, (b) with income divided into: charges, premiums etc; and simple interest, dividends and rents etc. received, (c) with outgoings divided into: salary and associated costs; other operating expenditure on goods, services, rents etc; interest paid out; and dividends distributed and (d) between building societies, clearing banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions.

The information is not available in the form requested. Such information as is available is given in table 8 of the article "National Income and Expenditure in the Second Quarter 1987" which appears in the October 1987 edition of Economic Trends.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the Internal Market Council held on 30 November.

The Council, at which I represented the United Kingdom, reached agreement on directives on the approximation of the laws of member states relating to the type approval of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors; the permissible sound power level of lawnmowers; the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations; and on the transparency of member states' measures regulating the pricing of medicinal products for human use. The Council also adopted decisions to accept on behalf of the Community certain annexes of the international convention on the simplification and harmonisation of Customs procedures — the Kyto convention.Subject to a United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny reserve the Council reached agreement on the substance of a regulation determining the persons liable for payment of a Customs debt. The Council also discussed proposals for directives on non-life insurance services, on the mutual recognition of member states' professional qualifications, on the approximation of member states' laws on cosmetic products, on good laboratory practice and on procedures for the provision of information by member states on new technical standards. Also discussed were proposals for Community regulations on the control of concentrations between undertakings—the "merger control" regulation —and member states' laws on trade marks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy toward the role of investment in energy efficiency in inner-city revitalisation, in the light of the recommendations contained in the recent report "Regenerating The Inner City: The Energy Dimension", published by the Association for the Conservation of Energy, a copy of which has been sent to him.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Midlothian (Mr. Eadie) on 30 November 1987 at column 376.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the average cost of electricity in 1987 prices generated from coal-fired power stations in each of the years 1980 to 1986.

The latest analysis of comparative generating costs made by the CEGB gave data relating to 1981–82 and 1983–84. This showed the single year generation costs of major coal-fire stations, adjusted to March 1987 prices, to be 2·60p/KWh and 2·67p/KWh respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the level of imports of anthracite annually since 1980.

Annual imports of anthracite into the United Kingdom for each year from 1980 were as shown in the following table:

Anthracite Imports
	('000 tonnes)
1980	321
1981	330
1982	617
1983	672
1984	1,264
1985	1,190
1986	592

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has as to the royalty paid by importing companies to British Coal on anthracite imports.

No royalties are paid to British Coal in respect of any imported solid fuels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give estimates of the total stocks of coal held in Britain in each January from 1980 to January of the current year.

The total stocks of coal held in the United Kingdom at the beginning of each year from 1980 to 1987 were as shown in the following table.

Total United Kingdom coal stocks at beginning of year
('000 tonnes)
	Stocks
1980	27,908
1981	37,687
1982	42,253
1983	52,377
1984	57,960
1985	36,548
1986	34,979
1987	38,481

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give a breakdown, by country and by English region, of his Department's total expenditure on research and development, as shown in the latest edition of the "Annual Review of Government Funded Research and Development".