To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by each health district in Wales, the amount spent on intensive care for children in 1979 and in the latest year for which figures are available.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, by each Welsh district health authority, the cost of abortions in money and as a percentage of all Health Service expenditure, in the latest year for which figures are available.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if any grants are available from his Department for bus transport to Welsh primary schools in Wales where the main language of teaching is Welsh.

No, but local education authorities have powers to provide school transport free of charge where they consider it necessary. Expenditure on such transport is eligible for rate support grant.

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any proposals to abolish the Cleddau bridge tolls; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for Dyfed county council which is the owner and operator of the bridge.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to Bradford.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Stourton Coundle.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement following her visit to Enniskillen.

I found the Remembrance service which I attended in Enniskillen on 22 November a most moving occasion. I have been deeply impressed by the brave and noble response of the people of Enniskillen to the horrific murder of 11 people on Remembrance Sunday.This Government will never concede to those who seek to pursue their aims through violence. We shall continue to give all possible support to the security forces and to the law abiding people of the Province in resisting terrorism. We shall also strengthen co-operation on security with the Government of the Irish Republic, as agreed at my recent meeting with the Taoiseach.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to make an official visit to Godshill in the Isle of Wight.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 8 December.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with the Polish Foreign Minister.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what measures he has of the effectiveness of the monitoring by his Department of the London Life Association Ltd. life assurance company; and whether his Department has received any report on the internal management reporting and internal control systems operated by that company;(2) if his Department receives, as part of its work on monitoring the financial and trading position of life and other insurance companies, regular reports from independent accountants on the adequacy of the management information systems and internal control systems in those companies; and if he will make a statement.

My Department monitors the financial and trading position of non-life insurance companies mainly by examining the returns which insurance companies submit each year. In the case of life insurance companies, examination of the returns is carried out on behalf of my Department by the Government Actuary's Department.Regulations require that there shall be annexed to each return a certificate by directors of the company which, unless such a statement cannot truthfully be made, must state

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any information on the progress of the inquiry into the affairs of Westminster Property Group plc; and whether he or the inspectors have referred any matters arising from the inquiry to the Crown prosecution service.

The inspectors' report on the affairs of Milbury plc and on the membership of its subsidiary, Westminster Property Group Ltd., has been received. Certain matters arising from the investigation have been considered by the Crown Prosecution Service, which has decided that no action should be taken.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will finance or organise a national training scheme for the organisers of firework displays;(2) if he will introduce legislation to require the manufacturers of fireworks to sponsor a national training scheme for the organisers of firework displays.

No. The fireworks industry already helps train organisers of major displays when requested. I am not convinced that a national training scheme is needed. Organisers should follow the instructions on the fireworks and heed the advice in the leaflet for display organisers issued by my Department.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will adopt trade directives or regulations which positively discriminate in favour of timber from sustainable sources; and if he will make a statement.

The Community's import regime for timber is in general a liberal one, and the Community is committed to the further liberalisation of trade in tropical products, including tropical timber, in the GATT Uruguay round. The Government would need to study carefully with Community partners any specific proposals from the world timber industry for positive discrimination worldwide in favour of imports from sustainable sources. Such proposals would need to be consistent with the Community's international trade obligations, which normally require non-discriminatory treatment as between like products from all suppliers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure the implementation of the International Tropical Timber Organisation's policy objectives.

The Government support the objectives of the international tropical timber agreement and recognise that they contain provisions both to promote the expansion of trade and the encouragement of sustainable tropical forestry development.The United Kingdom was one of the first signatories to the agreement, and we have continued to be supportive in the work of the organisation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when changes in strategic export controls, recently agreed in COCOM, will be introduced in the United Kingdom.

The Export of Goods (Control) Order 1987 (SI. 1987/2070) published today and coming into force on 1 January 1988 includes agreed changes to strategic export controls. My Department is also publishing a booklet on these controls for the guidance and information of exporters. Copies of both the order and the booklet are being placed in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the expected level of throughput of patent applications through the United Kingdom Patent Office, in the light of his policy of expediting the transfer of work to the European Patent Office in Munich.

I have no plans to transfer domestic applications to the European Patent Office. For a number of reasons the demand for patent services from the United Kingdom Patent Office is reducing. I am therefore considering what steps might be taken to ensure that the United Kingdom Patent Office can provide a more cost effective service which will thereby benefit United Kingdom users.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the European regional development fund's grants made to the United Kingdom during 1987 was made to the south-west region.

[holding answer 7 December 1987]: The south-west region's share of 1987 grants so far has been 6·0 per cent, but further allocations of grant in respect of 1987 remain to be made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps have been taken to ensure that the Sendzimir Club, which controls the price of stainless steel and of which British Steel is a member, promotes an efficient, competitive market in stainless steel; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 December 1987]: The main safeguard of an efficient, competitive market is EC and national competition law, for which the appropriate authorities are the European Commission and the Director General Fair Trading.

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service when his Department will publish the report of the latest phase of the staff-in-post ethnic origin survey of the Civil Service.

A copy of the latest phase of the staff-in-post surveys covering London and the south east and East Anglia will be published tomorrow. Two other reports will be published at the same time. These are:

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on his proposals to provide incentive funding for public libraries.

I am glad to announce the establishment of an incentive scheme for public libraries in England. For this, I have set aside £250,000 a year for three years, 1988–89 to 1990–91. The main objective of the scheme is to promote new developments in the provision of these services. The awards given, following open competition, will cover up to 40 per cent. of the cost of development projects and feasibility studies. I shall give priority to the support of activities which involve collaboration with other libraries and the private sector. I have placed a descriptive note on the scheme in the libraries of Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the formation of new urban development corporations; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave on 7 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Hayward).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was budgeted for the urban regeneration grant for the last 12-month period; and how much was spent.

Urban regeneration grant was introduced in April 1987. £30 million of public expenditure was allocated for urban regeneration grant and urban development grant together in 1987–88. Expenditure at the end of September is estimated at £14·3 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses and flats were sold in each London borough from 8 May to 8 May for five years up to and including 1987; and if he will snake a statement.

Information on council house sales has been collected almost wholly in regular quarterly returns, and the figures in the table are those reported for the period of five years from 1 April 1982.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration is being given to proposals for the storage of nuclear or toxic waste off the North sea coast utilising existing coal mines as means of ingress; and if he will make it his policy not to adopt such proposals.

My right hon. Friend is not aware of any proposals to store radioactive or toxic waste off the North sea coast with access via existing coal mines. We have no policy to adopt such proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he intends making a final decision on the granting of full protection under section 9(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to further wildlife species;(2) which animals, recommended by the Nature Conservancy Council for further protection, partial protection or full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 quinquennial review, were not so included in his recent announcement of changes to the Act's protected lists;(3) if he will give reasons for the exclusion of each of those species recommended by the Nature Conservancy Council for further, partial or full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 quinquennial review which were not so included in his recent announcement of changes to the Act's protected list.

Further to the announcement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on Tuesday 1 December of wider protection for a total of 79 species of animals and plants under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, he is currently giving further careful consideration to the conservation case for those species recommended for protection by the NCC and not referred to in his announcement. The species concerned are the adder (vipera berus), allis shad (alosa alosa), basking shark (cetorhirius maximus), freshwater pearl mussel (margaritefera margaritefera) and 22 species of British butterflies (rhopalocera). A final announcement on these will be made in due course, when further evidence on these species has been secured and evaluated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the number and value of housing improvement grants in each year since 1974.

The numbers and amounts of housing renovation grants paid to private owners and tenants in each year from 1974 to 1983 appear in table 7.2 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1974–1984", and the figures for 1984 to 1986 are in table 2.18 of "Housing and Construction Statistics" part 2, No. 30: copies of these publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated total cost of the renovation and new building works in Whitehall incorporating Richmond terrace.

I reported in November 1986 that the estimated cost of construction and fitting-out was £36 million. The current estimate, including contractors' claims paid to date, additional inflation and variation of price payments, is £38·6 million. The final cost will depend on settlement of the final account including claims still being negotiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of the joint housing land availability studies which were recommended in his Department's circular 15/84.

Joint studies by local planning authorities and housebuilders which look in detail at the housing land supply situation, have now been completed for 33 structure plan areas; details are given in my Department's "Progress Report Land for Housing", published on 13 November, copies of which are in the Library.These studies have demonstrated their value in establishing the facts of land availability, and I hope that planning authorities and housebuilders will continue to cooperate in keeping them up to date.Problems have arisen in some instances over the treatment of sites which are not individually identified in the study, but may in aggregate make a significant contribution to land supply. It may be helpful to amplify the advice given in paragraph 8 of annex B to DOE circular 15/84.Land availability studies should not normally attempt to identify small sites of less than 0·4 ha (one acre) or infill sites; nor should they identify small sites which are not specifically allocated for development or redevelopment. But such sites, together with the conversion of larger houses into smaller units or the adaptation of nonresidential buildings for use as housing, can make a useful contribution to total housing provision and this is to be encouraged. It is reasonable therefore that land availability studies should include a realistic allowance for supply from these sources. On the basis of past experience and appraisal of future potential, the local planning authority and housebuilders should aim to agree an allowance for this in the overall assessment. Whatever allowance is made should be clearly justified by evidence of the contribution which such sites have made to housing provision in the area in recent years, and should not be overestimated.Larger sites of more than 0·4 ha that are likely to become available for development within the five-year period should normally be capable of being identified and should be assessed on the basis set out in the circular. While some unidentified sites of more than 0·4 ha may become available, their incidence is likely to be highly variable and their contribution to housing land supply is inherently unpredictable. To attempt to take such sites into account is likely to introduce too great an element of uncertainty into the overall assessment and no allowance should be made in the studies for this factor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his best estimate of the total annual amount of central Government support, assuming 1987–88 budgeted expenditure, that would be required to pay for rebates on the proposed commmunity charge.

The cost of rate rebates is estimated, on the basis of assumptions underlying the Chancellor's Autumn Statement, to amount to £1,370 million in Great Britain next year. As indicated in the financial memorandum to the Local Government Finance Bill, the estimated additional cost of community charge rebates in England and Wales is £130 million. This estimate is, however, sensitive to factors such as changes in the number of claimants, the level of the community charge, and the precise details of the rebates, which have not yet been determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has commissioned into the feasibility of a banded community charge; and if he will publish them.

[holding answer 7 December 1987]: A banded community charge is a local income tax rather than a community charge. In addition to all the disadvantages of LIT, a banded community charge would uniquely have major "earnings trap" effects, whereby a person whose income rose by £1 could find his bill increasing by as much as £400.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what maximum payment of community charge including community water charge would have been payable by pensioners on basic retirement pension income, in the current financial year, for each local authority area; and if he will express each sum payable as a percentage of the total community charge in that area.

[holding answer 4 December 1987]: Water is not a local government service in England. On the basis of the 1988–89 social security arrangements, all pensioners wholly reliant on a state pension would pay only 20 per cent. of the full community charge levied by their local authority and would receive help towards that 20 per cent. through income support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 3 December.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on Monday 7 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what conclusions he has reached following his consultation with local authorities about the exclusion of storm damage expenditure from grant penalties.

On 21 October I announced that in view of the severe damage caused by the storm on 16 October the Government would make available to local authorities special financial assistance under the Bellwin rules. This meant that the Government would meet 75 per cent. of the costs of eligible works above a threshold.I subsequently made it clear that the threshold proposed for the operation of the Bellwin rules would apply cumulatively to any subsequent emergency for which the Government were prepared to grant special financial assistance during the course of the financial year. To help, where expenditure was not eligible for Bellwin assistance, the Government proposed to make additional capital allocations available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many employees of his Department have been made redundant on grounds of redundancy or financial exigency in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Eight, four of whom are on notice which expires in May 1988These redundancies occurred as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to seek to ensure that all state school children take part in competitive team sports.

The working group on physical education which my right hon. Friend will set up in due course will recommend guidelines for the content of physical education as a foundation subject within the national curriculum.Taking account also of the recommendations of the forum on school sport set up by my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to consider the place of sport in schools, we hope to ensure a balanced programme of physical education, including competitive sports within all maintained schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the extent to which current teaching includes instruction on Christian history and Christian values for all pupils.

Her Majesty's inspectorate provides evidence through reports of inspections on the nature and quality of religious education given in schools. All the agreed syllabuses currently in use give a central place to teaching about Christianity. Where an LEA wants to update its syllabus, it is a statutory requirement that the Church of England should be represented on the conference appointed by a local education authority for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if there is to be any change in the arrangements for funding the Open University.

No. The Open University will continue to be funded directly by my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now appoint a chairman to the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council.

Following the Second Reading on 1 December of the Education Reform Bill, which makes provision for the establishment of a Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council, I have invited Sir Ronald Dearing to become the first chairman of the council. I am delighted to say that he has accepted. Sir Ronald will relinquish his present appointment as chairman of the Council for National Academic Awards next summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much capital expenditure for advanced further education in each local education authority in England and Wales was (a) applied for and (b) spend in each of the last six years, respectively, both in absolute terms and as a percentage of their allocated advanced further education numbers.

[pursuant to his reply, 12 November 1987, c. 182]: The table sets out LEAs' bids for advanced further education capital expenditure in cash terms and on a per student basis for each of the financial years 1985–86 to 1987–88. The bids per student were calculated using the National Advisory Body target AFE student numbers (in full-time equivalents) for the year in question. Similar information for the earlier years is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the value of total grants made to the coal industry by the Government since 1946–47 at 1987 prices.

Information on grants made to the coal industry can be obtained from the British Coal Corporation's annual report and accounts, copies of which are held in the Library of the House. To convert figures to 1987 prices one should refer to tables 114–117 (general index of retail prices—all items) of Economic Trends annual supplement 1987, a copy of which is also held in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, when next he meets the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board, he will discuss with him the case for the maintenance of the national grid in the event of privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

I meet Lord Marshall regularly to discuss matters relating to the privatisation of the electricity supply industry. Our proposals for privatisation do not envisage the breaking up of the national grid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if there are any plans to pursue the possibility of a further cross-Channel link to secure the interchange of electricity between France and the United Kingdom.

The CEGB keeps this matter under regular review with Electricite-de-France. There are no plans at present for a further cross-Channel link.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what plans there are for the release of seismic data.

I have no plans for releasing seismic data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements are in hand for the public release of offshore and onshore oil exploration records held by his Department; if any changes are to be made to the time scale for the release of information on wells drilled; and if he will make a statement.

Arrangements have been in existence since 1976 for the release of well data after five years. I have no plans at present to change the time scale for the release of such information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to assist the tourist industry in Fife, North-East.

The development of the tourist industry in Fife, North-East is primarily the responsibility of the industry itself as the main beneficiary. The local authorities and the Scottish Tourist Board co-operate with the industry in a number of ways, including the partnership in the area tourist board. For its part, the Scottish Tourist Board will continue to encourage and assist development in the area, as elsewhere in Scotland, and will consider all proposals on their individual merits and in relation to the board's overall priorities. I understand that the board, in conjunction with other bodies, is currently examining tourism opportunities in the East Neuk of Fife.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether there will be any nature conservancy involvement in the committee dealing with windblow problems; and whether the Nature Conservancy Council will be represented on this committee.

I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Forest Windblow Action Committee set up by the Forestry Commission. This committee is primarily concerned at this stage with providing advice to woodland owners on the clearing of blown timber and the orderly marketing of that timber. This being so, there is no need for the Nature Conservancy Council to be represented. The committee will be able to seek the advice of the council if nature conservation issues arise in connection with the replacement of the blown woodland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has contingency plans to contain an epidemic of AIDS within the heterosexual population of Edinburgh in the next five years.

At present there is little evidence of infection among the heterosexual population in Edinburgh, apart from intravenous drug misusers. One of the objects of the Government's public education campaign is to persuade the public to take the necessary safeguards to avoid the spread of the infection. Nevertheless, an expert working party we set up in November last year under the general manager of Lothian Health Board (the Tayler working party), in assessing the likely scale of the AIDS problem in Scotland, estimated that a small number of the heterosexual population would contract AIDS by 1991. Any estimates of the numbers developing the disease have to be treated with extreme caution, but meantime health boards have been asked to plan on the basis of the Tayler report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by each health authority, the amount spent on intensive care for children in 1979 and in the latest year for which figures are available.

I regret that the information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has regarding the number of tourist visits paid to forests run by the Forestry Commission in 1986; and what information he has about any plans to develop forests further for tourism.

Information is not available in the form requested, but surveys carried out in 1987 suggest that as many as five million visits are made to Forestry Commission forests on a Sunday in the peak holiday season. The commission is reviewing its recreation policies at present, giving particular consideration to how it might further encourage tourism and collaborate with other interested agencies to help meet the growing demand for countryside recreation. Three new forest parks were announced in 1987, with special provision for public access and recreation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to seek to ban the export of raw logs and endangered tree species; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to ban the export of logs. I am not aware of any tree species in the United Kingdom that might be endangered through exports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is his estimate of and basis of calculation for the cost to the Scottish egg industry of adapting to EEC battery cage legislation in Scotland;(2) what is his Department's estimate of and basis of calculation for the costs of compliance with the additional requirements for three, two and one birds under the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987 for egg producers in Scotland.

EC directive 86/113 places inescapable obligations on all member states. The cost of compliance will vary from producer to producer according to the type of cage in use, its age, and how the space allowance and other requirements contained in the directive are to be met. No estimate of the aggregate cost to Scottish producers is available.The same consideration will largely apply in the context of the allowances for three, two and one birds specified in the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the number of Scottish egg producers who will cease egg production because they are unable to comply with the additional requirements for three, two and one birds contained within the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987; and what representations he has received on this matter.

Representations on the regulations have been made by a number of hon. Members and by the president of the National Farmers Union of Scotland. The views expressed have in some cases been critical of the additional space requirement for less than four birds and in others have condemned the retention of the cage system and complained that the space allowance is too low. No information is available on the number of egg producers who may cease production, if any.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to ensure that Scottish egg farmers are not put at a competitive disadvantage with their European counterparts in the implementation of the provisions of EEC directive 86/133/EEC, as implemented by the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987.

EC directive 86/113 lays down minimum standards. Other than in situations where less than four birds are housed in a cage these minimum standards will apply in the United Kingdom. In the majority of cases therefore Scottish farmers will be in an identical situation to most of their European counterparts though it is worth pointing out that in Denmark and in West Germany the minimum space allowance for four birds and more will be higher than in the United Kingdom. We shall be keeping the matter under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he proposes to give egg producers in Scotland as to the time at which they should comply with the provisions of the Welfare of Battery Hens Regulations 1987, implementing EEC directive 86/113/EEC, in the light of the further scientific review to be undertaken in 1993 and of the assurances given by the Government that consequential problems will be kept under continual review.

The regulations come into force on 1 January 1988. As from that date all new cages must conform: for existing cages the space allowance must be achieved by 1 January 1995. Within the seven-year lead-in period for existing cages, the timing of any change will largely be a matter for the individual producer. The Government will maintain close links with the industry on both its ongoing review and the scientific report due from the Commission by 1 January 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to monitor compliance within Europe of the provisions of the European directive 86/113/EEC, on the welfare of battery hens.

Compliance with EEC directives is a matter for individual member states and for the European Commission. In this instance article 7 requires the Commission to undertake inspection programmes within member states to ensure that the directive is complied with and uniform standards applied. The Commission is also required to produce reports on these inspections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give figures to show the average acres of planting for the Glen Clova variety of raspberries in each year since 1982.

Information on the areas of soft fruit grown commercially in Scotland is not collected on a varietal basis. The total areas of raspberries grown in each year since 1982 were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the difference in the costs of the supplies and services required to run (a) standard grade courses and (b) the O-grade courses they supersede.

No information is available centrally on the costs of specific items. In 1988–89 £6 million will be available to local authorities generally in respect of current expenditure on non-teaching costs associated with standard grade, and there is provision of £3 million for capital expenditure. In that year there will also be current expenditure of £870,000 by central Government on support for the new standard grade courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list at 1987 prices the real value of Government expenditure on the Scottish Development Agency for each year from 1979.

[holding answer 26 October 1987]: The information, at 1987–88 prices, is set out in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in the light of advice by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities on the effect of any reduction in the threshold or any increase in the proportion of works required to be put out to tender on roads authorities' ability to maintain adequate direct labour organisations, he will abandon his proposals to change the present direct labour organisation tendering regime.

No. Last summer a survey of Scottish roads authorities was undertaken to find out the distribution of work between the direct labour organisations and private contractors in 1985–86, which was the first fully operational year of the present system (1984–85 having been a transitional year). The survey showed that it would be practicable to reduce from £50,000 to £25,000 the threshold above which all general roads work in Scotland must be put out to tender and, on 10 April 1987, it was announced that this reduction would be put into operation from 1 April 1988, subject to a further survey of the performance of Scottish roads authorities over the period 1986–87. The Scottish Development Department is analysing this second survey and a further announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities regarding the impact of any further reduction in the threshold or increase in the proportion of works required to be put out to tender on the ability of roads departments to retain sufficient labour with the proper expertise to cope with a severe winter emergency.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities has made known to the Scottish Development Department, on three separate occasions, its opposition to increased competition for roads work undertaken by roads authorities' direct labour organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of places on the job training scheme in Easington for each week since it started; how many places were taken; and how many trainees have dropped out.

Since 1 April 1987, a total of 521 people from the Easington area have been offered the opportunity to attend an information session about the new job training scheme and it is known that 109 of these have started on a scheme.Trainees leave the scheme for many reasons, some to get jobs. The Manpower Services Commission has commissioned a follow-up survey to look into the destinations of trainees. The first results will be available in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of serious accidents sustained by Manpower Services Commission trainees within Easington constituency during the last three years.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. The number of major injuries to YTS trainees in the Durham area over the last three years to the end of September is 29. Comparable figures for adult trainees are not available.MSC accident figures have been compiled on a similar basis to those prepared by the Health and Safety Executive on employed persons. However, the Commission's figures will include a number of accidents to trainees in educational establishments which may not have been reportable to the Health and Safety Executive had the individuals been employed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many contracted managing agents for new job training schemes are: (a) local authorities, (b) public sector colleges, (c) non-profit making or voluntary organisations and (d) private sector commercial training agencies, what is the number of traineeships planned for each sector; and what is the number of those who have entered work placements for each sector, at the latest available date.

At 30 October 1987, there were 314 managing agents across the country, of these 41 were local authorities, 16 were public sector colleges, 55 were nonprofit making or voluntary organisations, 177 were private training agencies and 25 were from the Skills Training Agency.The number of contracted starts for each sector is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of new job training scheme trainees have had identified in their personal action plan a recognised qualification; and how many are expected to achieve the qualification during the training period.

The information is not available. The new JTS provides long-term unemployed people with a mix of directed training and practical experience with employers which may lead to a qualification or a credit towards one. At the outset of their training, when personal action plans are drawn up, it is not always possible to identify the potential qualifications that long-term unemployed people may achieve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what the regional occupancy rates on the YTS are at the latest date, and for equivalent dates for each year since the scheme started.

The table shows a regional breakdown of occupancy rates on YTS at the end of September for the five years 1983–1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many YTS trainees left the scheme to enrol in another scheme run by a different employer or a different managing agent in the current year.

The Manpower Services Commission's latest follow-up survey of all young people who have left a YTS scheme during the period April 1986 to May 1987 shows that, in Great Britain 11 per cent. of leavers were enrolled on another YTS scheme at the time of the surveys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of unemployed people in (a) Burnley, (b) Pendle, (c) Rossendale and (d) Accrington travel-to-work areas at the latest date for which figures are available.

The following information is in the Library. On 8 October 1987, the numbers of unemployed claimants in the areas requested were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to sustain the disarmament process following the intermediate nuclear forces agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will take to sustain the disarmament process following the signing of the intermediate nuclear forces agreement.