To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of any revised cash limits for his Department's Votes.

Subject to parliamentary approval to the necessary supplementary estimate, cash limits for the following Votes will be revised as follows:

Vote	Current cash limit	Increase-decrease	Revised cash limit
	£	£	£
Class XII
Vote 1	463,655,000	16,366,000	480,021,000
Class XII
Vote 3	1,843,563,000(1)	-53,000	1,843,510,000

Of these changes, £1,900,000 will be charged to the reserve and £14,436,000 is contained within the planned provision for programmes. There will therefore be no increase in the planned total of expenditure.Additional provision is sought for Class XIII, Vote 1 as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those of his Department's forms, leaflets and pamphlets in relation to university education in Wales which were issued in bilingual or Welsh language format.

Most publications concerning university education in Wales are issued by other agencies: the Department does not use the Welsh language in its publications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he will take to reorganise the pay structure of lecturers in further education so that they receive promotion through merit rather than by effluxion of time.

The Department has only observer status on the National Joint Council (Further Education).

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils in Bolton's secondary schools took A-level examinations during 1986 and 1987; and how many are scheduled to sit the examination in the current year.

In 1985–86, 710 school leavers from maintained schools in Bolton attempted A-levels and 670 achieved one or more A-level passes. Information for 1987 and 1988 is unavailable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give guidance to local education authorities about the implications of the recent decision in the courts with respect to equal opportunities between male and female pupils.

I assume the hon. Member is referring to the recent decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold the earlier High Court ruling that Birmingham city council was guilty of unlawful sex discrimination in providing fewer selective places for girls than for boys in the city's maintained grammar schools. I understand that the council now intends to appeal against the judgment to the House of Lords. My right hon. Friend wishes to await the outcome of that appeal before considering whet her it would be appropriate to offer any guidance to local education authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current level of funding by his Department for research into problems associated with dementia in the elderly.

The Medical Research Council, which receives a grant in aid from this Department, is the main agency through which Government fund medical research in the United Kingdom. In 1986–87, the last financial year for which figures are available, the council spent £4:15,000 on projects directly related to dementias and a further £2·4 million on research that could increase our understanding of dementias. Some support for research on dementia is also provided through UGC block grants to universities and medical schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many research students are funded by the Medical Research Council; and what proportion of the total are engaged in research into aging.

I understand that the Medical Research Council is currently supporting 605 research students. The council does not hold any information on the proportion of these students engaged on research into aging.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will take steps to introduce in England and Wales a facility for the proposal of corrections of facts in drafts of inspectors' reports at planning inquiries, similar to that which already exists in Scotland.

We have no plans to make such a change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, when he next meets the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, he will discuss the criteria to be used at the route licence hearings involving the former British Caledonian routes from Gatwick to Nice, Oslo, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester.

In view of his appellate role, it would be improper for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to discuss individual cases with the chairman. The authority will consider these applications on the evidence and arguments presented, in the light of its duties and its current statement of air transport licensing policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the decision by the Civil Aviation Authority not to award the Gatwick-Brussels route formerly operated by British Caledonian Airways to British Airways for Her Majesty's Government's policy on competition and consumer choice in aviation.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State does not comment on the implications of specific licensing decisions which may be subject to appeal to him.

To ask the Secretay of State for Transport if he will list his Department's proposed road improvement or new road schemes costing £100,000 or more which are planned to start in Kent within the next five years.

"Policy for Roads in England: 1987" (Cm125) lists the following national trunk road programme schemes in Kent:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford on 23 May, if he plans to alter his definition of and acceptable evacuation time for a passenger ferry; if the research programme to which he refers is concerned with evacuation time; and when he expects it to report.

The maximum evacuation time of 30 minutes, which is the time within which the muster and evacuation arrangements (including the launching and deployment of lifeboats and other life-saving appliances) must enable the ship to be evacuated, came into force on 1 July 1986 and there are no plans to alter it. The research programme referred to in my answer on 23 May is concerned with facilitating movement in, and escape from, a ship at high angles of heel and not with evacuation time. I expect to receive a report on this work by spring 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to hold an inquiry into the collision on 7 May between the Danish-registered Pandalus and the North Sea Surveyor which resulted in the death of two fishermen; and if he will make a statement.

The collision involved two foreign vessels—the Danish fishing vessel Pandalus and the Norwegian survey ship North Sea Surveyor. The Danish and Norwegian authorities are conducting their own inquiries and surveyors from my Department are co-operating with them. The question of a fatal accident inquiry is a matter for the procurator fiscal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recorded collisions there have been between fishing vessels and other ships in the North sea in each of the past five years.

The following table shows the numbers of collisions in the Department's records, between fishing vessels and other ships in the North sea, since 1983.

	Number
1983	1
1984	5
1985	4
1986	1
1987	2

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many meetings have been held between his officials and representatives of the Scottish fishing industry in connection with accidents or near misses of fishing boats and other seafaring vessels in each of the last five years; and if he will list such incidents in the Official Report.

There has been one formal meeting between my officials and representatives of the Scottish fishing industry within the last five years devoted specifically to accidents or near misses of fishing boats and other seafaring vessels. And there have been a number of meetings at which accidents involving fishing vessels have been among the topics for discussion, notably those of the fishing industry safety group on which the Scottish industry is represented. This group meets regularly, and has held 11 meetings since April 1983.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many disabled people have visited the mobility advice and vehicle information service since its foundation.

Since January 1986, 493 disabled people have attended for assessments and advice on driving and car adaptations; and a further 7,702 have been given advice by telephone or letter. In addition several hundred disabled people and professionals in the disability field have visited the centre as individuals or in groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he proposes to introduce regarding the approval of tachograph repairers.

We have today issued a consultation paper setting out in detail proposals for a new scheme for approving tachograph repairers, following preliminary consultation last year. Copies are available in the Library.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on co-ordination between the Department of Health and Social Security and the Scottish Office of Government policy towards the future development of the National Health Service, with particular reference to the inquiry currently in progress and its consideration of matters of particular application to Scotland; and what representations she has received on this subject.

The circumstances of the Health Service in Scotland will be taken fully into account in our review of the National Health Service. The Scottish Office and the Department of Health and Social Security are closely in touch on these matters.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will report on progress of the Government's plans to celebrate the year 2000.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Mr. Amess) on 23 February 1988 at column 126.

To ask the Prime Minister whether any Government Department in the United Kingdom or its representatives abroad were consulted about the decision to delay the inquest on the three Irish Republican Army members shot in Gibraltar; and if she will make a statement.

The decision to delay the inquest was the coroner's alone, although it was known for some time before his announcement that he was considering this.

To ask the Prime Minister why the decision to delay the inquest on the three Irish Republican Army members shot in Gibraltar was announced from No. 10 Downing street in advance of any formal announcement by the coroner in Gibraltar; and if she will make a statement.

A decision by the coroner to postpone the inquest had been widely forecast in the press. My press office understood that it had already been announced, as indeed it was later that same day. The decision to delay the inquest was the coroner's alone.

To ask the Secretary of 'State for Energy if he will direct the Central Electricity Generating Board to undertake investment in energy efficiency programmes, so as to reduce the need for its growing programme of pressurised water reactor nuclear power stations.

The electricity supply industry already promotes the efficient use of energy through schemes in the domestic sector such as Economy 7, Budget Warmth, Energy Wise, Medallion and Civic Shield awards; and in the industrial and commercial sectors through Energy Management in Lighting, PEP and BETA awards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if there is a minimum agreed work obligation linked to all petroleum production licences.

Most licences in practice include a work obligation, but there is no standard programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he varies or amends obligations entered into with companies to whom petroleum production licences have been granted exclusively.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend gave him on 5 May 1988 at columns 559–60, which details the circumstances in which amendments or variations are usually made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if Gazette notices are required inviting applications for petroleum production licences which have been surrendered.

Surrendered areas which it was proposed to offer for relicensing in a future licensing round would be included in an announcement of the round made by means of parliamentary written statement, press notice and Gazette notice. Where the licence has been replaced by another form of licence, there would not be a notice inviting applications for the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy on what basis his Department decides to replace surrendered licences with different types of licences.

When considering applications for replacement of surrendered licences with different types of licences, I expect applicants to meet the requirements of the relevant regulations and to establish that it would be appropriate to award them the licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what mechanisms exist, where the holder of a petroleum production licence seeks to have it extended, for other applicants to be considered for the rights conferred by that licence.

For certain forms of production licence, I have a discretion, set out in the relevant regulations, to extend the term. I would consider all the circumstances of the case before deciding whether to extend the term. If it was decided that the licence should not be extended, then the area in question would normally be made available in a future licensing round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if it is the practice of his Department to notify owners of land affected when an extension is sought for an existing petroleum production licence;(2) if it is the practice of his Department to notify owners of land affected when the holder of a petroleum production licence seeks to have the licence altered materially.

No. I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given by my right hon. Friend on 5 May 1988 at column 558. A petroleum licence by itself does not confer on the licence holder any rights over the freeholder's land, and the position would not change if the licence were extended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by what the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1976 (S.I. 1976 No. 1129) were replaced when superseded; and in what ways the regulations were varied.

The regulations referred to by my hon. Friend were amended by SIs 1978/929 and 1980/721 and then replaced in their entirety so far as the grant of new licences is concerned by the Petroleum (Production) Regulations 1982. In respect of seaward areas, the 1982 regulations have been amended by SIs 1984/397 and 1986/1021. For landward areas, the 1982 regulations were in turn superseded insofar as the grant of new licences was concerned by the Petroleum (Production) (Landward Areas) Regulations 1984, which are still in force. Details of the new system introduced by the 1984 regulations were given in the 1984 report to Parliament by the then Secretary of State for Energy on the development of the oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how his Department notifies freehold owners of land that it is the Department's intention to grant or issue a petroleum production licence in respect of their land.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given of 5 May 1988 by my right hon. Friend at column 558. My hon. Friend wil also wish to note that information about the area which will be covered by new licences is given when my Department publishes a press release following every petroleum licensing round, showing the geographical areas over which I intend to issue the new licences. A notice is also published in the London Gazette giving the relevant co-ordinates and/or describing the extent of the areas which will be covered by the licences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he expects the United Kingdom will be self-sufficient in its coal needs in 1992.

Both the demand for coal and the share of that demand supplied by United Kingdom sources will depend upon the United Kingdom industry's ability to compete with other fuels and with imported coal. The Government have every confidence that the British coal industry will take the necessary measures to enable it to become fully competitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what action he has taken to remedy past inequalities in employment practices in his Department, in compliance with the codes of the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission, respectively.

The good practice set out in the codes published by the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission underpin the employment policies that operate within my Department. For example, recruitment advertisements are now placed with selected newspapers from the ethnic minority press as well as local newspapers; opportunities are available for female staff to attend women only development courses; and flexible working arrangements encourage those with domestic responsibilities to continue in paid employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will ask the European Commission to investigate unfair competition in energy pricing in member states.

With the support of all member states of the Community, the Commission has taken an initiative to identify obstacles to a single energy market. They include energy pricing practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make it his policy to support economic development measures for north Nottinghamshire aimed at its recovery from the effects of pit closures.

The Government have established a wide range of measures aimed at providing employment opportunities in areas hit by closure. These include the enterprise initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry, the programmes of the Manpower Services Commission, the activities of British Coal Enterprise Ltd., the advisory and counselling services of the small firms service, and the encouragement of local enterprise agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will delay the date of publication of his Department's consultative document "Coal Mining Subsidence—Compensation".

The Department of Energy's consultation paper "Coal Mining Subsidence Compensation: Proposals for Legislation" was issued on Friday 29 April, as referred to in column 334 on 29 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will meet a deputation of local authority representatives from Nottinghamshire to discuss compensation for damage caused by coal mining subsidence.

I welcome the opportunity to learn the views of the local authorities in Nottinghamshire on coal mining subsidence compensation when they respond to the consultation document on the subject issued by my Department on 29 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has given further consideration to the abandonment policy for North sea oil production platforms; and if he will make a statement.

Part I of the Petroleum Act 1987 provides a framework for regulating abandonment and the Government have also played an active part in the development of international guidelines and standards in the International Maritime Organisation. Abandonment of offshore installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of all relevant factors including safety of navigation, fishing patterns, the protection of the marine environment, technical complexity and cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any change has been agreed in the 1988–89 cash limits for the Overseas Development Administration.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the summer supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the overseas aid vote (class II, vote 5) will be increased from £1,221,114,000 to £1,223,114,000. This increase covers the higher level of contribution to the International Monetary Fund enhanced structural adjustment facility announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 December 1987, at column 371. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many meetings with United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. the Minister for Sport, the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mr. Moynihan) has attended in the course of his official duties in the last year; and if he will list them.

I met the chairman of Nirex on 22 October 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidelines he follows in assessing the economic availability of the best available technology in relation to point sources discharges into the North sea;(2) if he will list those toxic substances that are likely to accumulate in living organisms and which should be controlled by emission standards based on the best available technology.

The principal criterion currently governing the setting of discharge consents is the need to protect the aquatic environment and safeguard legitimate uses of water, normally by reference to particular quality objectives or standards for receiving waters.However, I announced on 18 November that the Government intend to introduce an additional requirement for industrial processes discharging significant quantities of certain dangerous substances to use the best available technology not entailing excessive cost in order to minimise inputs of those substances. Detailed proposals, including how such a requirement might be applied, and to which substances, will be included in a forthcoming consultation paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the sums of free reserves available currently to each water authority over and above the estimated costs of fulfilling the recommendations of the Select Committee on Environment as stated in its report on river and estuary pollution; and if he will make a statement.

In the water authorities' accounts, the amounts shown in the balance sheet as "reserves" represent retained profit which has already been deployed to finance investment and do not therefore represent funds which are free to finance investment in later years. Details of the funding of the investment of each water authority are shown in the source and application of funds statement

Loans outstanding
Water authority loans outstanding time series [Outturn prices]
£ million cash
As at 31 March	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987
Loans outstanding
Northumbrian	89	100	134	168	202	239	259	305	353	389	397	407	424	431
North West	234	359	399	450	486	522	566	652	691	730	811	851	920	985
Severn Trent	370	410	459	512	501	545	568	619	675	737	748	787	840	851
Yorkshire	180	196	235	270	285	314	347	381	415	442	469	507	537	553
Anglian	343	383	447	494	516	553	572	610	681	722	792	843	885	916
Thames	367	383	433	472	459	443	409	424	449	432	423	394	315	242
Southern	146	155	159	186	196	216	241	272	284	290	312	321	328	321
Wessex	105	115	127	146	151	157	167	173	180	196	213	226	250	265
South West	74	83	98	111	115	117	120	125	128	130	133	140	143	141
England Total	1,908	2,184	2,491	2,809	2,911	3,106	3,249	3,561	3,856	4,068	4,298	4,476	4,642	4,705

Water authority loans outstanding time series1 [1987 prices]
memo: Index in use:	102·6	124·3	150·6	175·8	191·8	210·6	252·2	284·0	313·4	327·9	345·1	366·1	381·6	396·9
As at 31st March	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987
Northumbrian	344	319	353	379	418	450	408	426	447	471	457	441	441	431
North West	905	1,146	1,052	1,016	1,006	984	891	911	875	884	933	923	957	985
Severn Trent	1,431	1,309	1,210	1,156	1,037	1,027	894	865	855	892	860	853	874	851
Yorkshire	696	626	619	610	590	592	546	532	526	535	539	550	559	553
Anglian	1,327	1,223	1,178	1,115	1,068	1,042	900	852	862	874	911	914	920	916
Thames	1,420	1,223	1,141	1,066	950	835	644	593	569	523	486	427	328	242
Southern	565	495	419	420	406	407	379	380	360	351	359	348	341	321
Wessex	406	367	335	330	312	296	263	242	228	237	245	245	260	265
South West	286	265	258	251	238	221	189	175	162	157	153	152	149	141
England total	7,381	6,974	6,565	6,342	6,024	5,854	5,113	4,977	4,883	4,924	4,943	4,853	4,828	4,705
1 Repriced figures adjusted for inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each financial year for each water authority since its inception the capital investment for each both (a) in real terms measured against the retail prices index and (b) as a cash sum; and if he will make a statement.

Water authority capital investment time series

(1986–87 Prices DOE services only)

Repricing to: =114·8 = 1986–87 prices

Repriced figures adjusted for inflation

Memo:

42·6

51·5

55·0

58·5

66·4

83·4

103·7

104·6

102·9

102·5

105·1

111·0

114·8

Index in use:

Year

1974–75

1975–76

1976–77

1977–78

1978–79

1979–80

1980–81

1981–82

1982–83

1983–84

1984–85

1985–86

1986–87

Northumbrian

65·5

99·7

123·4

119·7

112·5

84·0

65·4

41·4

42·1

35·8

29·4

40·4

36·7

North West

148·3

129·3

147·4

131·9

116·3

115·9

102·4

97·1

120·8

147·9

160·3

169·3

185·0

Severn Trent

196·0

156·8

148·9

140·5

132·1

104·4

109·2

106·4

155·7

128·5

116·6

124·2

150·0

Yorkshire

96·8

106·1

97·3

95·8

93·7

77·7

84·5

81·0

79·5

86·6

101·8

96·8

123·9

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each financial year for each water authority since their inception the amount owed to creditors at the end of each financial year (a) in real terms, measured against the retail price index and (b) as a cash sum; and if he will make a statement.

The information is shown in the tables below. The amounts of loan outstanding at the end of each accounting period is based upon water authorities' annual accounts and may also be found in the Water Authorities Association annual publication, "Waterfacts".

The information requested is shown in the tables. Capital expenditure figures are drawn from water authority annual accounts. Real terms capital investment has been calculated with reference to the public works non-road index. This is an index specifically applied to water industry capital investment and as such is accepted as a more meaningful deflator of capital expenditure than the RPI.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what his Department estimates will be the result of privatisation on the debt burdens of the current water authorities; and what effect this will have on the Government's policy towards water authorities being self financing;(2) what information his Department currently holds on the likely dividends to shareholders resulting from water privatisation;(3) what his Department estimates will be the gross yield per annum of dividends to shareholders, assuming the whole water industry is privatised simultaneously, exempting those aspects of it which will be the responsibility of the National Rivers Authority;(4) what his Department estimates will be the effect on overheads and administrative costs of the water industry as a result of

It would be premature to speculate about the magnitude of the sums involved in the questions raised by the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the per capita redistribution proceeds of the classified business rate will be calculated only on the basis of those adults registered to pay the community charge in a local authority area; and if he will make a statement.

Our present intention is that the sums available from non-domestic rates should be distributed by reference to the best estimate of the registrable population making allowance for exempt persons and students, who will pay only 20 per cent. of the community charge. We intend to consult the local authority associations about these proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the percentage increase or decrease in rate payments which will be paid by businesses and proprietors of commercial and industrial premises as a result of the introduction of the uniform business rate, in the following constituencies (a) Amber Valley, (b) Mid-Worcestershire, (c) West Lancashire, (d) Staffordshire, Moorlands, (e) Hendon, South, (f) Darlington and (g) Fylde.

If a national non-domestic rate had been in operation in 1987–88 at the then average level of 224·1p, general rates in the named constituency areas would have been changed as follows:

	1987–88
	Per cent.
Amber Valley	-22
Mid Worcestershire
Redditch	+11
Wychavon	+14
West Lancashire	-1
Staffordshire Moorlands	+1
Hendon South	+21
Darlington	-17
Fylde	-1

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Under-Secretary of State's visit to Liverpool.

I visited Liverpool on Monday 16 May for a meeting with the Merseyside residuary body. Discussions centred on the RB's progress towards wind up, scheduled for March 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton, North East (Mrs. Hicks) on 5 May, Official Report, columns 571–77, on what date he will place in the Library a detailed summary of the results of the bathing water survey.

Within a few weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide estimates to show the change in numbers of barn owls in England and Wales over the last 20 years.

The only available figures for England and Wales are a survey in 1932 which showed a breeding population of just over 12,000 pairs and the Hawk Trust's barn owl survey, taken over the period 1982–85, which showed some 3,750 pairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the implications for his initiatives to reduce violence at sporting events of the refusal of Torquay United FC to relocate its match against Swansea on 28 May.

A representative of Swansea City supporters club telephoned my officials on 24 May. We have made inquiries of the Football League and the police and my concerns have been made clear to them. However, it is for the Football League and the police to decide whether there is a case for relocating this match. I have been assured that the police are satisfied that they have made appropriate arrangements to deal with potential problems. They are aware of the possible problems and have prepared a contingency plan to cope with them. The situation will, however, continue to be monitored by the police and their policing arrangements will be reviewed in the light of any further information they receive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of how many councils with waste disposal responsibility in England have terms of contract which will be affected by the recent court ruling in the case of Torfaen borough council v. ReChem plc; and what representations he has received about the implications of this judgment.

The judgment made on 16 September 1987 in the case Regina v. ReChem International Ltd. concerned the validity of a condition in a licence for waste disposal under part 1 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. Under the 1974 Act, it is the responsibility of waste disposal authorities to issue such licences, and it is for each authority to satisfy itself that any conditions in the licence are valid and enforceable. Licences do not come before the Secretary of State except on appeal. I do not, therefore, have the information to assess how many licences may be affected by the ReChem case. I have received no representations about the implications of the judgment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the proportion of planning appeals he has allowed for residential development for schemes of (a) 100 houses and under and (b) over 100 houses (i) nationally, (ii) in the south-east planning region and (iii) in Kent, over the most recent convenient 12-month period.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations were taken into account in deciding which bid was successful in the sale of the eight freight depots by British Waterways Board to Leggett Freightways; what conditions of sale were offered by the Leggett Freightways which enhanced the employment conditions of British Waterways Board employees over and above those provided by statute; and why the sale was spread over five accounting years.

In assessing bids, the British Waterways Board took into account all relevant considerations, including the financial basis of the bid, the nature of the firm's interest and the implications for BWB employees.The bid from Leggett Freightways, as well as being the most financially advantageous for the board, provided the best prospects for the long-term future of the employees concerned. Their conditions of service on transfer will be unchanged in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. For pensions, which are not covered by the regulations, employees will initially remain in the BWB scheme. Leggett Freightways has undertaken to introduce within six months a scheme of its own which will provide comparable benefits at comparable levels of contribution.The arrangements for payment of the purchase price over five years compare favourably on the basis of net present value with the terms offered in other bids.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment pursuant to the answer of 20 April, Official Report, column 493, regarding the conveyance of Heveningham Hall to ID Investment Development AG, what information he has as to the identity of the main shareholders in that company.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many people are employed in planning in his Department;(2) what is the total annual cost of the planning function at his Department;(3) how many people are employed in regional planning in his Department;

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many people are employed at Serplan;.(2) what is the cost per annum of Serplan.

I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will allow a ballot of tenants in Milton Keynes corporation on the transfer of housing management functions back to the corporation.

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable councils in Great Britain to refuse to contract work to companies and firms which are discovered to have poor records on racial equality in the work force.

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the current membership and affiliations of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee; and what criteria are used for making appointments to the Committee.

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any changes to announce to his Department's cash limits or the running cost limit for 1988–89.

The cash limit for Class X, Vote 5 (Department of the Environment: administration) has been reduced by £0·160 million from £123·597 million to £123·437 million. This results from the transfer of responsibility for payments to the Post Office for issuing game licences from my Department to the Home Office. The departmental running costs limit has also been reduced by £0·160 million from £155·222 million to £155·062 million.The cash limit for Class X, Vote 6 (rate support grants, England) has been reduced by £400 million from £10,224·200 million to £9,824·200 million. The latest estimate of block grant payable in respect of 1988–89 is £8,938 million, £533 million less than provided in the settlement and hence in the original vote estimate. However, there are indications that this underclaim will reduce later in the year and in the light of this and other information I consider a reduction of £400 million to be appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the names of consultants appointed by the London Docklands development corporation in the last financial year, together with the nature of the contract, and indicating those cases where the auditors have found no evidence of formal competition.

[pursuant to his reply, 2 November 1987, column 598.]: The LDDC let contracts to 140 consultants in the 1986–87 financial year, at a total cost of £10·9 million. The external auditors, Messrs Ernst and Whinney, have not found any cases during their audit which fail to meet the guidelines on competition. The consultants appointed during 1986–87 are identified in a list which has been placed in the Library by the type of expertise they provided.The LDDC also let contracts to 145 consultants in the financial year 1985–86, at a total cost of £7·9 million. The external auditors, Messrs Robson Rhodes, reported 40 cases where the full documentary evidence of the competitive process that had been carried out was not always available to those ratifying appointments. The LDDC has made it clear, however, that such evidence was always kept on file, and was available for inspection if requested. A list of these contracts has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Government have completed their consultations on the proposed new expenditure limits for grant eligible reinstatement works under the housing defects legislation; and if he will make a statement

[pursuant to his answer, 5 May 1988, column 567]: The order made on 3 May (1988 No. 820), introducing the new grant-eligible expenditure limits for repairs under the housing defects legislation, contained certain errors. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales have therefore made a second order (1988 No. 923) which ensures that the correct limits come into force, as intended, on Tuesday 31 May 1988. My officials are dealing with this in their letter to local authorities, home owners' groups and repairers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sports events the Minister with responsibility for Sport, the hon. Member for Lewisham, East (Mr. Moynihan), has attended in the course of his official duties in the last year; and if he will list them.

[holding answer 10 May 1988]: Following are the principal events I have attendee. This list does not include a wide range of local and school sporting activities also seen on official duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he possesses further to that included in the 1987 annual report, to April 1987, of the radiochemical inspectorate, concerning the whereabouts of a consignment of Americium-241 which disappeared en route from the United States of America to Amersham International; what investigations have been undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 23 May 1988]: A full investigation was carried out by inspectors of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, who interviewed employees of the agencies concerned and arranged for an extensive physical search of the agencies' premises to be carried out. Despite those efforts, the radioactive source was not located. The freight handling agencies have been instructed to notify HMIP immediately if the package is found. Steps have been taken to ensure that the carriers concerned are fully aware of the requirements of the Storage in Transit Exemption Order 1962, and I am considering whether any amendments to that Order are required.