To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nursing and midwifery staff from each of the old grades have been assimilated to each of the new grades in the clinical grading structure in Wales.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the replies given to my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Sir R. Gower) on 30 November at columns 244-46 and on 1 December at columns 349-50.

Public expenditure on grants and subsidies payable in Wales under the CAP1 (£ million; calendar year unless indicated otherwise)
	Total					Against which receipts from EAGGF
	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	(Per cent. EAGGF reimbursement 19872)
Hill livestock compensatory allowances	23·8	23·9	25·4	28·7	28·9	10·8	5·7	—	5·6	6·0	25
Suckler cow premium scheme	2·1	3·4	3·6	3·9	4·8	1·6	1·3	1·4	1·5	2·4	50
Non-marketing of milk and conversion scheme	1·4	0·8	0·4	—	Scheme terminated	1·4	0·8	0·4	—	—	100
Sheep annual premium scheme	5·0	26·3	26·8	31·2	28·3	5·0	26·3	26·8	31·2	28·3	100
School milk subsidy	0·7	0·8	0·6	0·4	0·4	0·6	0·5	0·8	0·9	1·0	100
Farm capital grants scheme (EC element)	15·4	14·6	9·8	9·1	9·1	4·9	—	3·2	5·0	1·7	25
Marketing and processing improvement grants3	0·8	0·7	0·9	0·3	0·2	0·8	0·7	0·9	0·2	0·1	25
Beef premium scheme	4·5	5·0	5·0	5·0	3·7	4·9	4·7	5·0	5·3	5·7	40
Sheep variable premium scheme	28·2	22·4	21·3	23·3	17·3	30·3	21·4	21·0	21·0	21·4	100
Common fisheries policy awards3	—	0·5	0·2	0·7	0·1	0·4	0·1	0·2	0·8	0·4	25
Milk supplementary levy (Outgoers) scheme	—	0·1	0·6	0·8	0·7	—	—	—	—	0·1	100
TOTALS4	81·9	98·5	94·6	103·3	93·5
1 Excludes expenditure by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce on market regulation under the CAP because separate figures are not available for Wales.
2 The figures shown for reimbursements from the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) may not correspond exactly to these percentages because of lags between expenditues and reimbursement from EAGGF. The percentage rates of reimbursement have also changed over time for some schemes.
3 Awards from EAGGF under these schemes arc made up to a maximum cif 25 per cent. For both these schemes and the beef premium scheme the figures shown for EAGGF reimbursement are on a financial year basis.
4 Total EAGGF reimbursements arc not shown because figures for the individual schemes arc based on financial and calendar years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of European regional development fund moneys allocated to Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive, broken down by county areas.

European regional development fund (1983 to 1987) commmitments (net)1
County	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	Total 1983–1987
Clwyd	9,658,852	4,293,245	18,312,315	19,155,531	10,204,739	61,624,682
Dyfed	3,393,893	3,922,841	14,417,924	2,730,857	4,285,535	28,751,050
Gwent	10,341,870	7,679,511	2,927,907	10,020,199	17,408,377	48,377,864
Gwynedd	1,664,076	1,305,972	3,773,701	4,102,332	1,247,940	12,094,021
Mid Glamorgan	5,828,655	18,455,007	3,733,570	3,639,302	24,769,400	36,425,934
Powys	-5,139	1,413,387	1,328,249	693,832	74,161	3,504,490
South Glamorgan	6,438,275	22,712,497	2,136,124	1,755,475	14,541,500	47,583,871
West Glamorgan	6,894,318	2,179,691	8,318,214	2,432,747	5,256,395	25,081,365
Other3	914,298	1,050,000	—	5,167,911	—	7,132,209
TOTAL	45,129,098	63,012,151	54,948,004	49,698,186	57,788,047	270,575,486
1 Commitment figures are shown net of grants which have been decommitted.
2 Includes £3,930,400 drawn down for schemes within the Mid Glamorgan programme.
3 Commitments that cannot be disaggregated to a county level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when work on the Haverfordwest eastern bypass is to commence; and if he will make a statement.

The road programme for Wales is presently under review. Details of individual schemes will be given in "Roads in Wales", to be published in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of agricultural guidance and guarantee fund moneys allocated to Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive, and for each assisted area or function so designated to receive such funds.

The information is as follows:

European regional development fund commitments to Wales since 1983 have amounted to more than £270 million. The county breakdown is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total amount of loans made to Wales by the European investment bank; and to whom they were given in each of the years 1983 to 1987, inclusive.

The annual breakdown of loans provided to Wales between 1983 and 1987 by the European investment bank is as follows:

	£ million
1983	23·1
1984	13·2
1985	47·1
1986	25·3
1987	31·7

Details of individual loans are listed in the bank's annual reports for the years in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the geographical areas or functions in Wales which are eligible for moneys from (a) the European regional development fund, (b) the social fund, (c) agricultural guidance and guarantee fund and (d) the European investment bank.

Eligibility for each of the four sources of finance is as follows:

(a) European regional development fund—Grants are available to local and public authorities for the promotion of regional development projects and programmes undertaken in the assisted areas and in the area covered by Mid Wales Development;

(b) European social fund—Assistance is available throughout Wales including the following areas to which the Commission accords priority:

• Clwyd, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan and the Llanelli travel-to-work area;

(c) Agricultural guidance and guarantee fund—Assistance under the individual grant schemes is available throughout Wales except for the environmentally sensitive areas grant which is limited to the Lleyn peninsula and the Cambrian mountains, and the hill and livestock compensatory allowances which are limited to the designated less favoured areas;

(d) The European investment bank—Loans are available to public and private sector borrowers throughout Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice his Department is giving to parents who wish their children's school to be exempted from the requirement to include Welsh as a foundation subject from September 1990.

I would advise parents who are interested in the position of Welsh in their children's school to read the interim report of the national curriculum Welsh working group and to let the working group know their views. When we have received the final report of the working group—due at the end of April 1989—the Government will publish proposals on which there will be wide-ranging consultation. Until then it would be premature to consider cases where it might be appropriate for schools to be exempted. I hope that the working group's report will be widely acceptable and will minimise the need for exemptions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how expenditure which needs to be incurred by housing for Wales between now and 31 March 1989 is to be met.

Housing for Wales has been established under powers contained in the Housing Act 1988. Parliamentary approval of expenditure on this new service will be sought in a supplementary Supply Estimate for the "Tourism, roads and transport, housing, other environmental services (including civil defence), education and science, arts and libraries, and health and personal social services, Wales" vote. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £106,000 will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that drivers of mini-buses for voluntary organisations, charitable organisations and community transport organisations will be exempted from the provisions of the European Community directive on driver licensing harmonisation.

There is no justification for tougher controls on minibus drivers. Statistics show that minibuses are at least as safe as cars.Public consultations confirmed that the EC proposals would cause serious problems for voluntary and community transport organisations. The groups that they serve would suffer as a result.We want to support a modified directive. We want to maintain and enhance safety. We want to maintain and enhance mobility for special needs groups and common interest groups. We do not want statutory additional driving and medical tests for non-commercial drivers of minibuses.The United Kingdom has wide experience in safe mobility for the handicapped. We aim to share our approach with others. We aim to achieve the modification needed so that each country may choose to develop safe services like ours.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give further details of the Government's contribution to the disaster fund set up by the London borough of Wandsworth for the victims of the Clapham junction railway accident and their families.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister told the House yesterday, the Government will be making a contribution of £250,000 to the Clapham junction disaster fund. I very much hope that the Government's example will encourage others to join in helping the bereaved and those who suffered in the accident. Neither the fund nor the Government's donation to it will affect claims for compensation.Parliamentary approval for this payment will be sought in a supplementary Supply Estimate for the administration and transport services vote. Pending that approval, the £250,000 donation will be met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund. As savings have occurred in class VIII, 2, there will be no increase in the public expenditure planning total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of British Rail on the status of British Rail's plans to close 36 lines, including the Swansea to Milford Haven line; and if he will make a statement.

I see no need to call for a report. The 36 lines referred to in an article in The Guardian newspaper concern a review of engineering costs by BR's freight business; they are not a list of planned closures for passenger services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of trainees in companies, employing 100 or more YTS trainees, in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the east midlands region and (c) Leicestershire, are from (i) the Afro-Caribbean community, (ii) the Asian community and (iii) ethnic minorities in general.

The information is not available in the form requested. Percentages of YTS trainees from Afro-Caribbean, Asian and all ethnic minorities in employer-led schemes are given in the table.Percentages of YTS trainees stating their ethnic origin as being from Afro-Caribbean, Asian and all ethnic minorities in employer-led schemes at 31 March 1988.

	Afro-Caribbean Per cent.	Asian Per cent.	Total ethnic minorities Per cent.
Great Britain	1·1	1·1	2·6
East midlands	0·8	1·0	2·3
Leicester	1·1	2·4	4·4

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many local authorities are co-operating with employment training; and how many authorities and other public employers are known to the Training Agency to be boycotting employment training.

Contracts have been signed with 55 local authorities to be training agents and with 176 local authorities to be training managers. In addition, many other local authorities are involved as members of consortia or as subcontractors to training managers. We are aware of a small number of local authorities which are boycotting the programme or campaigning against it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion and number of trainees on employment training had either been offered or undertaken work placements by early December.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply to his earlier question on 28 November at column 114.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what effect the decision by a number of Labour-controlled local authorities to boycott employment training has had on (a) the number of work placements available to trainees and (b) the overall quality of the programme.

The opposition to employment training by some Labour-controlled local authorities has had no long-term effect on the number of training places available to trainees and has not impeded the development of good quality training.However, the opposition to employment training by a small number of local authorities has in some cases unncessarily restricted opportunities for training, particularly in some inner city areas where co-operation by local authority is important in helping to secure access to suitable premises for training activities. I very much regret that in a small number of such cases the deplorable attitude of Labour local authorities is making it more difficult than necessary for long term unemployed people to undertake the quality training they need and want to get back into a job.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what proportion of registered disabled people who have received career development loans have gained employment within three months of completion of the training course funded by the loan;(2) how many registered disabled people have taken up career development loans since their introduction.

Career development loans were launched nationally in July. An in-depth survey next year will provide information about participants which is not sought on the application form, including whether the individual is registered as disabled. The survey will also cover employment after completing training with a loan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proportion of overseas visitors enter the United Kingdom by (a) plane and (b) ship; and in (i) the latest available annual period, and (ii) 10 years previously.

The information readily available from the international passenger survey relates to the mode of transport used by overseas visitors when leaving the United Kingdom rather than when arriving. During 1987, 66 per cent. of overseas visitors left the United Kingdom by air and 34 per cent. left by sea. The equivalent figures for 1977 were 59 per cent. and 41 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees are in employment by industry in (a) non-metropolitan areas and (b) rural areas giving the figures by region and by county for 1979 and the most recent year available.

Information on employees in employment classified by non-metropolitan and rural areas is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give long and short-term unemployment rates in rural areas for 1979 and 1987.

Information is not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give average gross hourly earnings for males and females in (a) non-metropolitan and (b) rural areas in 1979 and 1987.

The available information is published in table 110 for males, and table 113 for females, of part E of the reports on the new earnings surveys for 1979 and 1987. Copies of the reports are in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if copies of the Treasury report on Civil Service manpower changes in 1987–88 will be made available to hon. Members.

Yes. The report for 1987–88 has been passed to the Treasury and Civil Service Select Committee today and copies placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.

The ECOFIN Council met in Brussels on 12 December. I represented the United Kingdom.The Council agreed in principle on two own resources implementing regulations, successors to 2891/77 and 2892/77, and agreed on declarations to cover arrangements after 31 December until the new regulations are formally adopted.The Council agreed the Commission's annual economic report for 1988–89 as amended in discussion with member states.The Council reached a common position on the draft directive on own funds of credit institutions and on the draft directive on public offer prospectuses.The Council agreed that the Commission's proposals for the abolition of fiscal frontiers need further study by the new Commission and the Council.The Council agreed a two-year extension modifying a Danish derogation on traveller's allowances.The Council agreed on proposed increases in the limits on travellers' allowances and tax relief for small consignments within the Community.The Council heard a proposal from the Commission for a further instalment of the New Community Instrument (NIC V).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which body within the Community has the responsibility for pursuing the reports made by the Court of Auditors; and what action was taken on the report by the Court that 19 million lire of Community funds were spent on financing the delivery of non-existent fruit juice to NATO in Palermo by the Mafia-connected firm.

The court's annual report is discussed chapter by chapter by the Council's budget committee, which formulates a draft council recommendation for discharge of the accounts to which the report relates. Under article 206(b) of the treaty of Rome, the European Parliament has the final responsibility for deciding whether or not to grant the discharge.I am looking into the specific issue referred to in the second part of the question and will let my hon. Friend have an answer as soon as possible.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the report of the Court of Auditors published on 13 December.

The Government will consider the court's report in detail, preparatory to a chapter by chapter examination of its findings by the Council's budget committee. In line with established practice, the House of Commons will have an opportunity to debate the report before it is considered by the Economic and Finance Council.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out figures showing his estimates of: (a) how many families with children have lost more as a result of increased interest rates than they gained as a result of the Budget tax cuts, (b) the amounts by which they are worse off and (c) the income groups worst affected.

[holding answer 29 November 1988]: I regret the delay in replying.Out of some 6·9 million families with children, the number whose income tax and mortgage interest payments during 1988–89 are likely to exceed the payments which would have been made if the tax rates, allowances and average mortgage interest rates in force in 1987–88 had applied is estimated to be about 570,000. The table shows a breakdown by total income and also the average difference in tax and interest payments.

Total income £	Number of families with children paying more in tax and interest at 1988–89 rates1 (thousands)	Average extra payment £
Up to £5,000	225	85
£5,000 to £10,000	220	100
Over £10,000	125	60
TOTAL	570	85
1 Assumes that current mortgage rates remain unchanged for the rest of the financial year.

Most of these 570,000 families are likely to be in receipt of a pay increase which comfortably exceeds the extra payment that they will make, quite apart from any extra income from higher interest on savings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what factors he attributes the fall from £1,063 million in the period August to October 1987 to £393 million in the period August to October 1988 in the United Kingdom's trade in oil.

I have been asked to reply.The biggest single factor explaining the change in the United Kingdom trade balance in oil over the period was the significant fall in crude prices, which reflects a weakening in the world oil market.In addition, oil production is provisionally estimated to have fallen by around 14 per cent. between the two periods—a significant part of which is due to the loss in output from fields affected by the Piper accident. Domestic oil consumption has also increased.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster why the non-life insurance directive to operate in 1992 and later years does not include provisions for freedom of trade in mass risks; and if he will explain the purpose of the Cumul rule included in the directive.

The non-life insurance services directive, which will enter into force in July 1990, lays down procedures for the conduct of business on a services basis for both large and mass risks. A majority of member states considered that for mass risks it should be open to them to impose measures needed in their view to protect consumers. The distinctions between mass and large risks was endorsed by the European Court of Justice judgments in December 1986 on certain insurance cases. The purpose of the Cumul rule is to assist these member states with the regulation of mass risks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits he or Ministers and officials in his Department paid to the Gloucestershire regiment at Bally Kelly, Northern Ireland, during the past 12 months.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many motor cars have been stolen from the grounds of the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast, in the past 12 months; how many of those cars were recovered intact; how many were recovered damaged; how many were not recovered; and what measures he will take to improve security for staff and visitors' vehicles within the grounds of this hospital.

A total of 238 cars were stolen from the grounds of the Royal Victoria hospital between 15 January 1988 and 7 December 1988; 23 were recovered intact, 195 were recovered damaged and 20 have not been recovered.Security at the Royal Victoria hospital site is primarily the responsibility of the eastern health and social services board which, I understand, recently spent £400,000 on security measures recommended by the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The board is seeking at present to identify what additional steps can reasonably be taken to improve security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the information he has readily available on the accountancy firms which have submitted business plans or proposals in each of the last three years to the local employment development unit and the industrial development board on behalf of clients.

Although most applicants to the industrial development board and the local enterprise development unit for selective financial assistance are supported by business plans, these are not necessarily prepared by accountancy firms. Information on the authors of business plans for the approximately 2,900 applications received by IDB and LEDU over the last three financial years is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the effect of the new grading structure on health visitors in Northern Ireland and upon individual health visitors.

As a result of the clinical grading review, 98·9 per cent. of health visitors in Northern Ireland were placed on scale G and are now on salary scales 13·7 per cent. to 19·1 per cent. higher than those applying prior to the review. 1·1 per cent. of health visitors were placed on scale H are are now on salaries 25·3 per cent. to 33·2 per cent. higher than before.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the guidance issued to health boards by his Department as to how they should determine gradings for health visitors and any further advice he has issued.

Guidance on the grading of health visitors is contained within the management guidance issued to health and social services boards in the departmental circular HSS(TC5)3/88, copies of which are available in the Library. No other advice relating specifically to the grading of health visitors has been issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available to indicate pupil numbers and expenditure for each of Northern Ireland's secondary schools in the past three school years.

Information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the number of officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary serving in Northern Ireland in each year from 1969 to the current date.

[holding answer 15 December 1988]: The information is as follows:

Strength of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
	Royal Ulster constabulary	Royal Ulster constabulary reserve (full time)	Royal Ulster constabulary reserve (part time)
31 December
1969	3,044	—	—
1970	3,809	—	578
1971	4,086	—	1,284
1972	4,257	153	1,981
1973	4,391	290	2,224
1974	4,565	510	3,350
1975	4,902	661	4,158
1976	5,253	870	3,827
1977	5,692	1,002	3,684
1978	6,110	1,188	3,417
1979	6,614	1,305	3,209
1980	6,935	1,685	3,067
1981	7,334	2,060	2,810
1982	7,718	2,173	2,666
1983	8,003	2,294	2,198
1984	8,127	2,533	1,907
1985	8,259	2,755	1,753
1986	8,234	2,753	1,659
1987	8,236	2,987	1,657
30 November
1988	8,245	3,000	1,666

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether, in the light of the undertaking given in the reply to the hon. Member for Brent, East on 23 May, Official Report, column 35 on firearms, he will look into the case of Robert McConnell, convicted for the murder of John Turnley at Belfast Crown Court in June 1982.

[holding answer 15 December 1988]: The murder of Mr. Turnley has been fully investigated by the RUC. In the absence of any new evidence, there are no plans for the case to be reopened.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he intends to seek to extend the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to Northern Ireland.

[holding answer 15 December 1988]: A proposal for a draft Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order was published on 20 July 1988, and distributed widely to political parties both here and in Northern Ireland and to a number of other interested groups and individuals.We are presently assessing all the responses that we have received. After considering these, we intend to finalise the contents of the order and lay it before Parliament early in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will ensure that Dromara police station will not be disposed of before 30 June 1989.

[holding answer 8 December 1988]: Operational matters concerning the Royal Ulster Constabulary are the responsibility of the chief constable, but I understand that no decision has yet been taken regarding the disposal of Dromara police station.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will give the financial savings resulting from the closure of Dromara police station, including a breakdown of the sum in terms of wages and running costs.

[holding answer 8 December 1988]: Operational matters concerning the Royal Ulster Constabulary are the responsibility of the chief constable. I understand, however, that the decision to redeploy the police personnel from Dromara police station was one of several measures recently announced by the chief constable to support and maintain the current thrust of police operations against terrorist activities rather than produce actual financial savings. The savings resulting from the closure of Dromara police station would therefore be limited to running costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last attended a meeting of the North Atlantic Assembly.

My right hon. and learned Friend has never attended a meeting of the North Atlantic Assembly in plenary session.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any progress is being made to find an international solution to the problems of Kampuchea; and if he will make a statement.

While a number of difficult issues remain to be solved, progress is being made in talks between the Cambodian factions, through the "JIM" process initiated by the Jakarta informal meeting in July, in which the countries of south east Asia also participate, at the United Nations, and in bilateral meetings between those most concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Hobbein Zaminpour, reference 885675/704 and Mr. Mortela Faghih of the National Petroleum Company of Iran applied to the United Kingdom post in Geneva for permission to visit the United Kingdom to purchase equipment; and when decisions are likely to be made on their applications.

Mr. Zaminpour and Mr. Faghih applied on 8 December and 14 December respectively at the British consulate-general in Geneva for business visit visas. After personal interview, which is an essential part of our entry clearance procedure, both applications were referred to London for decision. Authority to issue visas was sent to Geneva today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the National Petroleum Company of Iran's office in London about delays experienced by members of their staff at present in Geneva in coming to the United Kingdom to purchase equipment in consequence of delays in securing interviews at the United Kingdom post to discuss visa applications; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the right hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth may expect the reply, hastened four weeks ago, to his letter of 18 August originally addressed to the Secretary of State for Defence, and transferred by him on 22 August.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth's letter today (16 December).

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what were the total annual sales of safeguarded plutonium to the United States of America for each year since the end of December 1982.

Total sales of safeguarded plutonium to the United States since the end of December 1982 have amounted to significantly less than one gram. Transfers of plutonium under the fast reactor collaborative programme announced by the UKAEA in 1979 were covered in my reply to the hon. Member on 14 December 1988 at column 582.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on progress made by research sponsored by his Department through the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority or British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. on laser isotope separation (LIS); for how long, and with what financial resources for the research and development, the laser isotope separation programme has continued; and what specific attention has been paid to safeguarding laser isotope separation technology in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency and Euratom.

Laser isotope separation studies have been proceeding for some years in the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels plc, but it is too early to quantify progress towards a competitive commercial system. It is also too early to formulate specific safeguards measures since these measures will depend on the physical feature of the production unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many projects there are of which he has knowledge for power stations to be built by the private sector; and if he will outline (a) the average capacity per plant, (b) whether any station exceeds 1,000MW and (c) the aggregated capacity involved.

We already know of nearly 20 proposed independent generation projects, with a total capacity of some 7 gigawatts. Specific details of individual projects are commercial-in-confidence until the companies announce them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has had any recent discussions with the chairman of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee, following on the concern he expressed at a Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive technical seminar at Didcot, that excavations for deep underground repositories would disturb the integrity of surrounding rock strata, and allow for transmigration of radionuclides from the repository.

My right hon. Friend has not met the chairman of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee since the United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. seminar at Didcot.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the European Commission report on the causes of and solutions to atmospheric warming (greenhouse effect) presented at the meeting of European Environment Ministers on 24 November; and if he will make a statement on his response to the Commission report.

A copy of the report has now been received. We are arranging through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for this document to be deposited in Parliament in accordance with the usual procedures. An explanatory memorandum will be prepared in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, for the most recent period for which figures are available, the total amounts of licensed abstraction of water in each water authority area and the amount, expressed as a percentage, of water actually taken up in each area.

For the calendar year 1987, the latest period for which figures are available, the information requested is as follows:

Water authority (England)	Amount of water licensed for abstraction (megalitres per day)	Percentage taken up
Anglian	3,614	57
Northumbrian	12,629	9
North West	5,922	64
Severn-Trent	10,282	62
Southern	2,849	60
South West	2,542	36
Thames	18,033	25
Wessex	1,775	57
Yorkshire	6,368	48

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding the delay in granting schedule monument consent for the repairs to the medieval packhorse bridge known as Old Perry, Aldridge road, Birmingham.

A provisional decision indicating that the Secretary of State is minded to grant conditional scheduled monument consent for the repairs to the bridge was issued on 18 November 1988. A final decision can be issued as soon as Birmingham city council has indicated its acceptance of the proposed conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussion his Department has had with local authority planning committees on the granting of planning permission on redundant farm buildings to be developed as holiday accommodation.

We have had no recent discussions with local authority planning committees specifically about this. The re-use of redundant farm buildings for a range of purposes arises quite frequently in correspondence with local authorities and others. The Government's policy is to encourage the granting of planning permission for beneficial re-use of such buildings whenever possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to make funds available to voluntary conservation bodies to assist them with the purchase and management of those national nature reserves which are currently owned or part-owned by the Nature Conservancy Council in the event of such areas being taken out of the public sector; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 9 December at column 350. The Government will consider whether any financial assistance to voluntary bodies is required in the light of the Nature Conservancy Council's report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a report on the nitrate desk studies will be published.

Today I, together with my right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, have published a research study of the economic and other consequences of various local options for limiting nitrate concentrations in drinking water. I have placed a copy in the Library. The Government will take these studies into account in developing its nitrate strategy and a further announcement will be made in the new year.Ten widely different catchment areas were chosen for the study. They were selected to provide a good mixture of farming type, geology and climate. There is no implication that the choice of areas in any sense increases the possibility that measures will be introduced in these particular locations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what capital allocations he is making available to charging authorities in England in 1989–90 for the capital costs of preparing for the community charge.

My right hon. Friend announced on 21 October that capital allocations totalling £135 million will be made for the capital costs in 1989–90 of preparing for the community charge. This level of allocations derives from the forecast made by Price Waterhouse in its independent report on costs.Letters have today been sent to each charging authority in England informing them of their individual allocations. A list of these allocations has been placed in the Library. The allocations have been made to charging authorities on a basis which reflects the number and relative mobility of charge payers in each area.Now that these allocations have been made and charging authorities know the resources they have for 1989–90 they have no excuse for not getting on with the job of implementing the community charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many professional staff there are in the legal departments of each of the shadow National Rivers Authority unit of each regional water authority.

[holding answer 9 December 1988]: The information is as follows:

Shadow National Rivers Authority unit in regional water authority	Fully qualified Legal staff	Legal assistants
Anglian	2	3
Northumbrian	1	0
North West	1	2
Severn Trent	3	0
Southern	3	3
South West	3	1
Thames	3	4
Welsh	4	4
Wessex	1	1
Yorkshire	2	2
TOTAL	23	20

These figures do not include the contracting out by many water authorities of the legal work on prosecutions for pollution incidents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many disconnections of water supplies there have been in each water authority for the half year since April.

[holding answer 14 December 1988]: This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) whether he has any plans to extend community care grants to persons leaving hospital and in receipt of invalidity benefit; and if he will make a statement;

We have no such plans, but we have undertaken to monitor the operation of the recent social secrity reforms, including the social fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of (i) all pensioners, (ii) male single pensioners, (iii) female single pensioners, (iv) pensioner couples, (v) newly retired single men, (vi) newly retired single women and (vii) newly retired pensioner couples are in receipt of a state additional pension; and, for each group, what is the average amount received.

I regret that the information is not available in the form requested, as records of recipients of the state additional pension are not broken down by marital status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is (i) the total number and (ii) the proportion of (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples who are in receipt of housing benefit.

The latest available information is for autumn 1987 when the estimated total number of pensioners receiving housing benefit was 3·8 million. Information about the number of single pensioners and pensioner couples is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons and what proportion of those over pensionable age in Derbyshire are in receipt of payments from occupational pension schemes.

I regret that the information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for 'Social Security what assumptions his Department has made for the percentage take-up of each social security benefit in making its calculations for the impact upon public expenditure for the latest year for which figures are available.

Forward expenditure estimates are based on expected caseload. Estimates for 1989–90 will be published in the next public expenditure White Paper. Precise take-up estimates are available only on the basis of historical surveys. For the latest available estimates, I refer the hon. Member to pages 272 and 273 of Cm. 288 "The Public Expenditure White Paper". Later take-up estimates, for 1985, will be published in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will seek to amend existing legislation to permit the direct payment of income support into the personal bank accounts of disabled pensioners already receiving all other benefits through the credit transfer system.

The facility to have benefit paid directly into a bank account is restricted to beneficiaries paid by computer because a transfer of magnetic tapes is required to effect the payment to the bank. Income support is paid clerically in local social security offices and the direct payment facility cannot be made available at present.However, it is anticipated that payment of income support will be computerised by the early 1990s and direct payment to bank accounts will then be offered as an option. Amending legislation is not required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has for implementing Council directive 86/378/EEC on the principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social security schemes.

The Social Security Bill published today includes provisions to equalise treatment for men and women in occupational schemes. The Occupational Pensions Board will be given powers to assist schemes to modify their rules to conform with the equal treatment requirements, but scheme rules which by 1 January 1993 do not comply will be overridden so that the more favourable treatment accorded to persons of one sex will apply equally to persons of the other sex. An exception to the general principle of equal treatment will he allowed for survivors' benefits, and we intend to introduce an amendment during the passage of the Bill permitting schemes to retain in accordance with the terms of the directive different ages at which retirement benefits come into payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will investigate why the Post Office has failed to pay the national insurance contributions deducted from Miss B. M. Shaw, formerly sub-post mistress of the Freshwater East sub-post office, for the first nine months of the financial year 1986–87; how many other Post Office employees are similarly affected; what action is being taken by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is currently investigating the deficiency in the 1986–87 contribution record for Miss B. M. Shaw. I regret that I cannot as yet say how many other Post Office employees are similarly affected. I shall write to my hon. Friend when investigations are completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he is planning any further changes in benefits for unemployed people.

In addition to the legislative measures that we introduced into the House yesterday, we propose to abolish the outdated and complicated rules applying to seasonal workers claiming unemployment benefit. At the same time, the income support rules for calculating notional earnings of seasonal workers will be removed. We also propose to amend the unemployment benefit earnings rules where they operate harshly on people earning very small amounts and yet leave the benefit of people in highly paid weekend jobs unaffected. Our proposals to add a de minimis provision to the so-called "full extent normal" rule and to introduce a cut-off point, at which those on high earnings from part-time work will lost all benefit in the week concerned, will remove these anomalies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate for each of the Hoxton, Bloomsbury, and Finsbury Park Department of Social Security local offices, the number of cases of fuel direct payment in (a) 1981, (b) 1983, (c) 1985 and (d) 1987; and if he will indicate the amount of the average deduction made under fuel direct in each category.

No reliable data are available before 1987. The number of fuel direct cases in the local offices requested is set out in the table.

Local office	November 1987
Bloomsbury	514
Finsbury Park	1,807
Hoxton	2,167

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the nature and extent of library services at Ashford remand centre; and if he will make a statement.

There are two library facilities available at this establishment. A non-fiction paperback collection is available on the two wings to which all inmates have access. There is a central library containing a non-fiction book stock which is situated in the education department to which all inmates who wish have access.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time spent on remand in custody by those who had completed their period of remand in the three months before 1 April 1987 and 1 April 1988 and who were remanded from courts in (a) Avon, (b) Somerset, (c) Kent, (d) the west midlands and (e) the rest of England and Wales.

The information requested is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in Armley prison are on remand in respect of charges of violent crime, murder, burglary and theft, expressed by number and percentage of the total on remand.

[holding answer 8 December 1988]: Details of the offences with which remand prisoners are charged are not recorded centrally until the completion of court proceedings. The readily available information is given in the table.

Untried and convicted unsentenced prisoners initially received into Leeds prison: by type of offence, 1987
Offence with which charged2	Number1	Per cent
Murder	9	0
Other violence against the person	454	14
Sexual offences	125	4
Burglary	914	28
Robbery	118	4
Theft	540	17
Handling, fraud and forgery	162	5
Drugs offences	68	2
Arson	40	1
Criminal damage	122	4
Motoring offences	101	3
Other offences	216	7
Not recorded	398	12
Total	3,267	100
1 The figures, which are provisional, are those recorded centrally and are approximate.
2 In the case of prisoners convicted, the offence is that for which convicted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the percentages of those aged 18 years in both schools and colleges obtaining two or more A-levels for each year since 1970–71.

Information is not readily available for years before 1974–75. The table below shows the numbers of English school leavers and students at colleges of further and higher education, of any age, who attained two or more A-levels, expressed as a percentage of the average of the 18 and 19 year age groups.

England Qualifiers with two or more A-levels at schools and colleges as a percentage of the relevant age group1
Academic years	Per cent.
1974–75	14·0
1975–76	14·7
1976–77	14·7
1977–78	14·8
1978–79	14·4
1979–80	14·4
1980–81	14·6
1981–82	15·1
1982–83	15·6
1983–84	16·1
1984–85	16·2
1985–86	16·0
1986–87	16·7
1 The numbers of qualifiers are derived from sample surveys. The figures are therefore subject to sampling error.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the implications for his policies of the report of the Commission for Racial Equality on racial harassment in schools, entitled "Learning in Terror".

There is no place in our schools or colleges for racial antagonism or intolerance. The Government are pursuing a range of measures to try to promote racial harmony. These include action on initial and in-service teacher training and a number of projects funded through the education support grant activity on educational needs in a multi-ethnic society. It is Government policy that ethnic minority pupils should have the same opportunity as all others to profit from what schools can offer them and that schools should preserve and transmit our national values in a way which accepts Britain's ethnic diversity and promotes tolerance and racial harmony.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish the rates of student grants and parental contributions for 1989–90.

Subject to Parliament's approval of the necessary regulations, the main rates of grant will be increased in the 1989–90 academic year by 5 per cent. for students studying outside London and students who study from the parental home. For those studying in London, the main rate of grant will be increased by 9·3 per cent. in recognition of their higher living costs. In England and Wales the new rates will be as follows (rates for 1988–89 are shown in brackets):

	undergraduate (£)	postgraduate (£)
Halls or lodgings
(i) London	2,650 (2,425)	3,970 (3,630)
(ii) Elsewhere	2,155 (2,050)	3,125 (2,975)
Parental home	1,710 (1,630)	2,270 (2,160)

The threshold for parental contributions, and the points on the contribution scale at which the rate of contribution changes, will be uprated to reflect the movement of earnings. Parents whose residual income is below 10,600 will not be assessed for a contribution.The full parental contribution scales for 1989–90 are as follows:

Residual income	Contribution
	Scale 1	Scale 2
£	£	£
10,000	0	0
10,600	60	45
11,000	117	88
12,000	260	195
13,000	402	302
13,500	474	356
14,000	574	431
15,000	774	581
16,000	974	731
17,000	1,174	881
18,000	1,374	1,031
19,000	1,574	1,181
19,800	1,734	1,301
20,000	1,784	1,338
21,000	2,034	1,526
22,000	2,284	1,713
23,000	2,534	1,901
24,000	2,784	2,088
25,000	3,034	2,276

Residual income	Contribution
	Scale 1	Scale 2
£	£	£
26,000	3,284	2,463
27,000	3,534	2,651
28,000	3,784	2,838
29,000	4,034	3,026
30,000	4,284	3,213
31,000	4,534	3,401
32,000	4,784	3,588
33,000	5,034	3,776
34,000	5,284	3,963
34,064	5,300	3,975
35,000	5,300	4,151
36,000	5,300	4,338
37,000	5,300	4,526
38,000	5,300	4,713
39,000	5,300	4,901
40,000	5,300	5,088
41,000	5,300	5,276
41,130	5,300	5,300

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the European Community programme, second phase, on co-operation between universities and enterprises regarding training in the field of technology (Comett II); what funds will be available to the United Kingdom under this phase; and what will be the net cost to Her Majesty's Treasury.

Her Majesty's Government are today negotiating at the Labour and Social Affairs Council the terms of the proposed second phase of the European Community programme on co-operation between universities and enterprises regarding training in technology. As soon as a final decision has been reached, I shall write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my reply in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to ensure that schools have access to computers capable of running MS-DOS software.

Education support grants are now available to LEAs for the purchase of microcomputers, including those which run MS-DOS software.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) amount and (b) proportion of total public

Local authority net expenditure on PSS: capital and current combined £million revalued by GDP deflator (base 1987–88)
	1971–72	1972–73	1973–74	1974–75	1975–76	1976–77	1977–78	1978–79	1979–80	1980–81
Local authority PSS (current and capital)	1,295	1,542	1,889	2,173	2,314	2,327	2,231	2,276	2,391	2,504
Local authority as percentage of total	94·1	95·3	96·8	98·2	99·1	99·4	99·4	99·5	99·4	99·5

	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91
Local authority PSS (current and capital)	2,528	2,574	2,672	2,707	2,670	2,870	3,060	3,151	3,086	3,092
Local authority as percentage of total	99·4	99·5	99·4	99·5	99·5	99·5	99·5	99·5	99·4	99·4

Figures are derived from public expenditure White Papers up to and including the 1988 edition, as subsequently amended by the 1988 Autumn Statement. The figures up to and including 1986–87 are final outturn, 1987–88 are provisional outturn, 1988–89 are local authority budgets and 1989–90, 1990–91 are planned provision.It should be noted that from 1977–78 local authority net expenditure includes recharged central administration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give for each health authority in the northern region the number of nurses in each grade prior to any review or appeal.

The new clinical grading structure for nursing, midwifery and health visitor staff
Numbers of old clinical grades assimilated to each of the new clinical grades on the basis of duties and responsibilities on 1st April 1988:
Northern Regional Health Authority
District	Staff in post (whole time Equivalents)	Numbers transferred to each new clinical grade
		A	B	C	D	E	F	G1	H	I
Hartlepool	676·00	108·00	5·00	128·00	75·00	162·00	73·00	108·00	17·00	—
North Tees	1,037·00	164·00	42·00	152·00	140·0	275·00	59·00	170·00	28·00	7·00
South Tees	2,343·00	381·00	60·00	125·00	574·00	558·00	274·00	294·00	41·00	36·00
East Cumbria	1,319·00	300·00	22·00	202·00	181·00	307·00	79·00	185·00	26·00	17·00
South Cumbria	1,010·00	240·00	11·00	158·00	146·00	186·00	47·00	180·00	26·00	16·00
West Cumbria	979·00	246·00	30·00	62·00	206·00	182·00	58·00	152·00	30·00	13·00
Darlington	1,042·00	175·00	56·00	168·00	238·00	191·00	35·00	138·00	40·00	1·00
Durham	1,067·00	223·00	20·00	113·00	228·00	180·00	58·00	212·00	24·00	9·00
North West Durham	597·00	131·00	1·00	44·00	127·00	139·00	53·00	89·00	7·00	6·00
South West Durham	1,321·00	389·00	10·00	15·00	304·00	274·00	109·00	176·00	37·00	7·00
Northumberland	2,836·00	968·00	34·00	375·00	314·00	398·00	216·00	446·00	58·00	27·00
Gateshead	1,237·00	293·00	20·00	119·00	252·00	211·00	95·00	206·00	31·00	10·00
Newcastle	4,253·00	758·00	103·00	509·00	1,009·00	850·00	333·00	529·00	103·00	59·00
North Tyneside	845·00	155·00	12·00	99·00	137·00	159·00	73·00	176·00	21·00	13·00
South Tyneside	846·00	211·00	13·00	94·00	132·00	164·00	56·00	151·00	18·00	7·00
Sunderland	2,117·00	430·00	31·00	277·00	33500	466·00	146·00	359·00	66·00	7·00
Blood Transfusion	68·00	59·00	—	3·00	3·00	1·00	—	1·00	1·00	—
TOTAL	23,593·00	5,231·00	470·00	2,643·00	4,401·00	4,703·00	1,764·00	3,572·00	574·00	235·00
1 Excludes some additional '6' posts which health authorities have indicated they intend to create in future on existing two-sister wards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff

The information requestd is shown in the table for 1971–72 and later years. Information prior to 1971–72 is not available in a comparable form.

The information is given in the table.from each of the old grades have been assimilated to each of the new grades in the recent clinical grading structure in South Manchester district health authority.

The information is given in the table.