To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give for each health authority (a) the square footage of unused properties and (b) the square footage or acreage of unused land and the estimated value of each category as a percentage total land and property and as a percentage of the total land and property value of each authority; and if he will make a statement as to his Department's policy on the sale of unused land and property.

This information is not recorded in the form requested and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information about the acreage of the land held by the National Health Service in Wales including the surplus land no longer needed for health purposes is available and is summarised in the following table:

District health authority	Total estate (acres)	Surplus area (acres)	Percentage surplus
Clwyd	113·0	20·80	18·40
East Dyfed	189·0	1·65	0·87
Gwent	369·0	28·50	7·72
Gwynedd	358·0	107·00	29·89
Mid Glamorgan	694·0	48·00	6·92
Pembrokeshire	41·6	4·50	10·82
Powys	236·0	77·00	32·63
South Glamorgan	500·0	48·00	9·60
West Glamorgan	81·0	23·00	28·40
TOTAL	2,581·6	358·45	13·90

The Department's policy is that surplus land will be sold in a publicly acceptable manner for the best possible price and the sale proceeds will be used for the benefit of health care in Wales.The chief valuer of the Inland Revenue estimated the open market value of all National Health Service land and property in Wales in March 1988 to be approximately £219 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many fifth form pupils have moved into full-time education in each of the last three academic years giving the figures in numerical and percentage terms and for each standard planning region.

The information is not available in the form requested. The figures in the following table relate to leavers aged 15 at the beginning of the academic year who intended to proceed to a course of full-time further education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are employed in the Training Commission in Wales dealing with the curriculum in schools and the extension of the technical and vocational education initiative; and of those so employed how many have teaching or education training qualifications.

There are currently 10 staff employed by the Training Agency to support the development of TVEI in Welsh local education authorities. This team includes three specialist advisers who are head teachers on secondment to the Training Agency, and who have considerable experience in curriculum development.All three have a range of professional qualifications in education. The remaining seven members of the TVEI unit provide administrative support.Training Agency advisers work closely with HMI Wales, the WJEC and the Welsh Office education department in all matters concerning the development of TVEI in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place a contract for educational research to promote tourist visits to Wales with the countryside interpretation unit, presently located at the Open university, Milton Keynes.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will specify each donation made by his Department in response to public appeals for financial aid during each financial year since 1979–80.

Since 1979–80 the Department has made no such donations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will list those he has appointed to the working party on the history curriculum in Wales.

My right hon. Friend has appointed the following to serve as members of the history committee for Wales:

Members	Designation
Mr. Peris Jones-Evans	Head of history, Ysgol y Berwyn, Bala, Gwynedd
Mrs. Ruth Powell	Deputy head teacher, Cwmtawe secondary school, Pontardawe, West Glamorgan
Mr. Richard Waller	Head teacher, Overmonnow junior school, Monmouth, Gwent
Mrs. Gill Foley	School teacher, Cyfartha junior school, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan
Mr. David Maddox	LEA Adviser, Mid Galmorgan
Dr. Gareth Evans	Lecturer, Department of Education, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth
Dr. Gareth Elwyn Jones	Reader in education, Department of Education, University College of Wales, Swansea
Mr. Malcolm Jones	Assistant principal, Education Department, Trinity College, Carmarthen
Dr. William Lambert	Deputy examination secretary, WJEC
Mr. Robert Morris	Senior lecturer, Bangor Normal College, Gwynedd
Mr. Jon Vodden	Senior producer, BBC Radio Wales (Schools)
Mr. Roy Harrison	Head of staff training, education and development, British Coal plc

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the trunk road construction contracts (a) that will have been let by his Department during 1988–89 and (b) that his Department expects to let during 1989–90.

In 1988–89, the following contracts were let:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessments he has made of the availability of trained teachers of the Welsh language.

A survey of secondary school teachers' qualifications and deployment was conducted in January 1984 the results of which were published in 1986 in Welsh Education Statistics Bulletins Nos. 1 and 2. A new secondary school staffing survey is being undertaken at present.A survey of the staff in primary schools was carried out in March 1987 and the results published in Welsh Education Statistics Bulletin No. 5 in 1988. The surveys were designed to assess the numbers of Welsh speakers amongst teachers in Wales as well as those who have qualifications in Welsh. The above publications are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total of Government support for the tourist industry in 1988 prices for each year from 1960 to 1988 for Wales; and what is the projected amount for the next five years.

The principal tourism agency in the Principality is the Wales tourist board. Information on the board's net expenditure at 1988 prices is set out in the following table.Future plans are set out in the 1989 Public Expenditure White Paper (Cm. 617).

Wales tourist board net expenditure 1988 prices
	£000
1969–70	0·413
1970–71	1·909
1971–72	5·187
1972–73	7·727
1973–74	14·258
1974–75	4·641
1975–76	4·776
1976–77	4·855
1977–78	5·037
1978–79	6·374
1979–80	6·407
1980–81	6·519
1981–82	5·869
1982–83	7·176
1983–84	6·245
1984–85	7·524
1985–86	8·753
1986–87	8·648
1987–88	9·165
11988–89	9·211
1 Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department participated in the inter-governmental range on climate change held at Oxford between 24 and 26 January.

The Department of the Environment provided £8,751 to cover the costs of the first meeting of working group I of the inter-governmental panel on climate change. Additionally, the Department provided one member of staff for secretarial support and two officials attended as observers. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment attended during the first day.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to control and to reduce the rat population; and what advice he has given on rat control strategies to local authorities and water authorities.

Duties to control rats rest with district councils, London borough councils, the common council of the city of London and port health authorities under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949. This legislation is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will increase the resources available to enable local authority environmental health officers and pest control officers to deal with rat infestations.

It is for each local authority todecide what resources to make available to its environmental health department. The need for expenditure on public health is taken into account in assessing grant-related expenditure for the purposes of the rate support grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what figures are available as to the number of rats in Derbyshire, the numbers for the previous two years, and the anticipated numbers.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will amend the local government superannuation regulations so as to provide that employees of local authorities seeking early retirement on medical grounds have access to an independent medical examination.

Decisions about the retirement of employees currently in post are a matter for the employing authority and do not come within the scope of the superannuation regulations. A retired employee who believes that he or she should have been granted additional benefits on account of retirement on grounds of ill health would however have a right of appeal to my right. hon. Friend under the regulations. Such appeals are determined by reference to independent medical advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the operation by Gedling borough council of those parts of the local government superannuation regulations which relate to medical examination of those seeking early retirement on health grounds as they relate to Mrs. Elizabeth Laurence.

I have received no representations relating to the case of Mrs. Elizabeth Laurence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to how many families in the north west of England and each of the metropolitan boroughs in the north west of England have been admitted into local authority homeless accommodation from the year 1979 to the present due to repossession arising from mortgage arrears.

I have today placed in the Library a table giving the available information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to consult the tenants of the Commission for New Towns through a ballot on the question of the transfer of the management of their homes.

The management of the rented housing stock is a matter for the Commission for New Towns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an official visit to meet the residents of Grappenhall and Appleton in Warrington.

I have no present plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why a revised code of guidance is in preparation for sites of special scientific interest; and what changes and new proposals he expects this to include.

A revised code of guidance is being prepared to take account of the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985 and the Wildlife and Countryside (Service of Notices) Act 1985. It is expected to be submitted for approval by Parliament later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to introduce further legislation to provide adequate protection for the residents of mobile homes; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the report published by the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association entitled, "Safe Disposal of CFC Refrigerants", which was presented to him on 23 January.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 3 February, Official Report, column 427.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce proposals for regulations on drinking water quality, as provided for in the Water Bill.

Safeguarding the high standard of water supplied to consumers is a prime objective of the Government's Water Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the cost to the Exchequer, through grants payable by the Nature Conservancy Council under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, of protecting areas of conservation value from afforestation in the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland.

[holding answer 8 February 1989]: I understand that the Nature Conservancy Council has not received any applications for grant under section 38 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 related to possible afforestation in the flow country of Caithness and Sutherland. NCC's estimates for 1989–90 include a sum of up to £750,000 to pay both for possible compensation under management agreements in the flow country and for additional staff for work related to SSSI designations in the area. Provision of £1 million has also been made in the planned allocations to NCC for both 1990–91 and 1991–92 to cover similar expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for altering manning levels in the vehicle inspectorate and traffic commissioner enforcement sections of his Department.

There are no such proposals for traffic examiners or in the vehicle inspectorate agency. Small reductions will be made in the number of clerical support staff in the traffic area offices following streamlining of duties and the introduction of new technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to reduce the manpower levels in his Department's vehicle inspectorate and traffic commissioner enforcement sections.

There are no such proposals for traffic examiners or in the vehicle inspectorate agency. Small reductions will be made in the number of clerical support staff in the traffic area offices following streamlining of duties and the introduction of new technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review the purpose of bus lanes in London and take steps to ensure that they do not become parking places for coaches; and if he will make a statement.

Priority to buses can be justified when the benefit to bus users exceeds the cost to other road users.The Department has issued guidance in traffic advisory unit leaflet 2/88 on the use of with-flow bus lanes; further advice is in preparation.Violation of bus lanes—whether by parked or moving vehicles—is a matter for police enforcement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has conducted any studies to assess the effect of one-man operated buses on the free movement of other road users.

TRRL studies have shown that lengthy boarding times can diminish potential savings from one-person operation of buses and add to general traffic delays. London Regional Transport takes into account congestion effects on bus services in their cost-benefit appraisals of conversions to one-person operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, during the meeting of European Community Transport Ministers on 13 February in Murcia, he will make it his policy to initiate a European Communitywide survey of the hazards of transporting toxic and radiotoxic materials within and out of Community member states.

No such survey is needed. The transport of dangerous goods, including radioactive materials, is required to comply with international standards laid down by United Nations bodies. The regulations are kept under continuous review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his Department's estimate of the current average speed by road, of traffic in central London; and by how much he hopes to increase this over the next five years.

Current average speed is about 11 mph throughout the 7 am to 7 pm period. It is not expected that speeds will change significantly over the next five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish in the Official Report the number of public vehicle inspectors his Department employed in (i) 1984 and (ii) at the current time.

The number of vehicle examiners in May 1984 was 316; it is currently 472. Changes in the professional and technology grading structure and in the range of duties undertaken by the staff of the vehicle inspectorate mean that these two figures are not directly comparable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has any plans to change the current requirements which operators of public service vehicles must satisfy before being granted an operator's licence.

The Department is reviewing the operator licensing requirements for goods and passenger vehicles. There would be consultation on any proposals for change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that the office of the South Wales traffic commissioner will not be moved from Cardiff.

We have no intention of closing the traffic area office in Cardiff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of London Underground on the number of escalators at London Underground stations currently not in operation; how many such escalators have been out of action during the past 12 months; what proportion each of these categories comprises of the total number of escalators in the London Underground system; why one or more of the escalators at St. John's Wood station has been out of operation frequently and for prolonged periods; what action he intends to take to remedy this situation; and if he will publish the contents of this report in the Official Report.

The operation, repair and maintenance of escalators is a matter for the board and management of London Underground to whom the right hon. Member should address his questions. However, I understand that the need to take escalators out of service to carry out safety-related works recommended in the Fennell report has been a factor in the reduced availability of escalators in recent weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give capital expenditure on prisons for each year since 1974.

Figures for total capital expenditure are given in the "Report on the Work of the Prison Service" which is published annually. Total capital expenditure on the Prison Service, net of receipts, in the financial years from 1974 was as follows:

Financial year	Capital expenditure1
1987–88	108
1986–87	110
1985–86	105
1984–85	74
1983–84	61
1982–83	46
1981–82	32
1980–81	33
1979–80	26
1978–79	26
1977–78	27
1976–77	28
1975–76	32
1974–75	22
1973–74	19
1 £ million to the nearest million at outturn prices.

It should be noted that the definition of total capital expenditure has changed during the period covered: the figures are not, therefore, directly comparable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list all dates on which persons have been refused admission to the Unied Kingdom on the grounds of actual or suspected infection with HIV and the citizenship or country of origin of each such arriving passenger.

Government policy is that evidence of HIV infection is not of itself justification for a recommendation by a port medical inspector that a passenger should be refused entry to the United Kingdom on public health grounds. Passengers coming here for medical treatment, or who are likely to require treatment during their stay, including treatment for AIDS or for symptoms associated with HIV infection, are required to satisfy the immigration officer that they can meet any charges which might be made for such treatment and show that they can otherwise support themselves without recourse to public funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a study into the practicality of extending the plastic national insurance card into an identity card containing name, address, date of birth, sex, photograph and place for signature.

The information recorded on the plastic national insurance card is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private survey and other research organisations have access to the police national computer.

Organisations of this kind do not have direct access to the PNC. But chief officers of police may, from time to time, provide information from police records, including records held on the PNC, to assist such organisations in particular projects, where this is clearly in the public interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what safeguards there are against non-governmental organisations and private organisations using the police national computer.

Measures taken to prevent access to the PNC by unauthorised bodies, such as nongovernmental and private organisations, include restrictions on access from public telephone lines, and regular checks centrally and in forces on accesses to the information held on the PNC. These measures are being reviewed in the light of recent cases, although these cases involved the misuse of the PNC by personnel who were authorised to have access.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons British Telecom has access to the police national computer.

British Telecom does not have direct access to the Police National Computer. It does, however, receive from the police details of convictions of members of its staff, and some of this information is held on the PNC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the BBC has access to the police national computer.

The BBC does not have direct access to the PNC. It may, however receive from the police information held on the PNC in the course of carrying out the security procedures referred to recently in my hon. Friend's reply to questions from the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) on 1 February 1989 at column 254.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-governmental organisations have access to the police national computer.

No non-governmental organisations have direct access to the PNC, but arrangements exist for information from police records, including the records held on the PNC, to be disclosed to selected organisations where this is clearly in the public interest—for instance, the arrangements which enable local authorities and other bodies to obtain information on those seeking to work with children.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will invite environmental health officers to inspect police stations, including cells and canteens.

No. Environmental health officers already have powers to inspect police kitchens and canteens in the provinces. In the Metropolitan police district, the premises are regularly inspected by the public health engineers branch of the Metropolitan police. Lay visitors are already invited to visit police cells to ensure that the conditions of detention conform to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 codes of practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, when considering the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis' annual strategy document, he will take into account the recommendations made in Greater London Action for Race Equality report "Fair Cop, Policing and Racial Equality", on the case for a policy to tackle discrimination in police services to black Londoners.

My right hon. Friend discussed the Commissioner's strategy statement with him on 18 January and it was published on 24 January. Copies are available in the Library of the House. The strategy recognises the duty of the Metropolitan police to meet the policing needs of all sections of the community and gives priority to preventing and detecting offences such as racial attacks. In formulating his strategy, the Commissioner takes into account the views of a wide range of organisations, including Greater London Action for Racial Equality. The Metropolitan police maintain regular contact with GLARE, and the Commissioner met representatives of GLARE on 20 June 1988 to discuss the "Fair Cop" report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all his Department's contracts with (a) Zeus and (b) Securipol Ltd. since 1979; and if he will give the purpose of each contract.

Records are readily available only from April 1984. They include no contracts placed with, nor payments made to, Zeus or Securipol Ltd. by or on behalf of my Department during that period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy not to deport Abdullah Hassan Yousef pending his solicitor's representations on the grounds of the European convention on human rights.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet a deputation to discuss Her Majesty's Government decision to deport Mr. Abdullah Hassan Yousef.

I wrote to the hon. Member on 8 February and I have subsequently arranged to meet him on 15 February. Directions have been served for Mr. Yousef's removal on 24 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the income for the latest available year from parking fines and wheel clamps in London; and what targets he has for the next five years.

It is estimated that fixed penalty payments in respect of parking offences in London produced revenue of around £20 million to £25 million in 1987, and that income from fines imposed following court proceedings amounted to a further £250,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Mr. Griffiths) of 3 February, Official Report, column 422, concerning enforcement of parking restrictions, he will outline the safeguards for those motorists who feel they have been treated unreasonably.

Any person who has been issued with a fixed penalty notice, whether or not the vehicle in question has additionally been clamped or removed, may make representations to the appropriate chief officer of police, or may opt to challenge the matter before the courts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to seek to ensure that all cases relating to children in the juvenile court are heard on consecutive days.

The date to which the hearing of a case should be adjourned is for the court to decide with the advice of its clerk, having regard to the availability of the magistrates and to other factors. Often it would not be practicable to resume a hearing on the following day.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, which were concluded in the inner London juvenile court during 1987 and 1988, were completed within a time scale of eight weeks;(2) how many cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and similar proceedings, which were concluded in the inner London juvenile court during 1987 and 1988, and which involved final hearings of more than one day in length;(3) how many cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and similar proceedings, which were concluded in the Inner London juvenile court during 1987 and 1988, and which involved final hearings of more than one day in length, were heard on consecutive days;(4) how many cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and similar proceedings, which were concluded in the Inner London juvenile court during 1987 and 1988, and which involved final hearings of more than one day in length, involved hearings in respect of which more than 14 days elapsed between the first day of the hearing and the last.

Information is not available centrally on the time taken for cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969; to obtain such information from individual courts would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases under section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 and similar proceedings were concluded in the Inner London juvenile court during 1987 and 1988.

Records available to my Department, which may be incomplete, show 684 such proceedings in 1987. Data for 1988 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has undertaken of the types of proceeding most appropriately undertaken in (a) the domestic magistrates court and (b) the juvenile court.

The Government's general intention is that all family proceedings (including care proceedings) heard in magistrates courts under the provision of the Children Bill should be heard in the domestic court.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he has any plans to preclude one person from owning two ITV stations through control of a company which bids successfully for two contracts; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he has any plans to prevent a newspaper group from having an interest in more than one United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement;(3) if he has any plans to prevent a newspaper organisation from holding a stake exceeding 20 per cent. in a United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement;(4) If he has any plans to prevent non-EEC companies from holding a stake exceeding 12 per cent. in a United Kingdom television company; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to paragraphs 6.48–6.53 of the White Paper, "Broadcasting in the '90s, Competition, Choice and Quality" which set out our proposals for the formulation of rules to prevent the concentration of ownership of television companies. As my right hon. Friend has made clear, the White Paper sets out a range of principles and not a full set of rules. We shall be looking particularly carefully at arguments advanced for limiting newspaper interest in regional Channel 3 licences and for preventing anyone from controlling two large regional Channel 3 franchises. We would welcome any views on the scope and formulation of these rules during the consultation period on the White Paper which ends on 28 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently living in Great Britain have an immigration status which would subject them to the public funds test for income-related social security benefits.

The immigration rules require all overseas nationals coming to this country, except those with the right of abode and asylum seekers, to be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants or to be maintained and accommodated by a sponsor here without recourse to the public funds specified in the rules. The funds specified are those which are both means-tested and non-contributory.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any training was given to police or military personnel from Turkey or Chile during 1988; and whether there are any plans to give training in 1989.

[holding answer 9 February 1989]: No police officers from Turkey or Chile visited the United Kingdom for training in 1988. Some 40 police officers from Turkey are at present attending English language training courses in this country, which will be followed by training programmes in various aspects of police work. I have no information on training for military personnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects that Mrs. Maltman of 97 Carlton road, Derby, is likely to receive an answer either to the letter she wrote to him on 1 January 1988 or

Persons detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1984, by country of permanent residence and period of detention
Great Britain, December 1988	Number of detentions
	Country of permanent residence
Period of detention	England	Northern Ireland	Republic of Ireland	Lebanon	Total
Less than two hours	—	—	—	—	—
Two hours and less than four	—	—	—	—	—
Four hours and less eight	3	—	—	—	3
Eight hours and less than 12	1	—	—	—	1
12 hours and less than 24	1	13	—	1	15
24 hours and less than 36	—	2	3	—	5
36 hours and less than 48	—	2	—	—	2
Total under 48 hours	5	17	3	1	116
Two days and less than three	1	—	—	—	1
Three days and less than four	—	—	—	—	—
Four days and then less five	1	—	—	—	1
Five days and less than six	—	—	—	—	—
Six days and less than seven	21	—	—	—	21
Seven days	—	—	—	—	—
Total 48 hours or more	23	—	—	—	23
All periods	28	17	3	1	319
1Two of these persons were charged with an offence.
2One of these persons was charged with an offence.
3Three of these persons were charged with an offence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date Mr. Patrick Haseldine was suspended on full pay; what further disciplinary action has been taken since that date; what further action he proposes; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Haseldine was suspended on full pay on 7 December 1988. In accordance with diplomatic service regulations, the matter will shortly come before a disciplinary board.

[holding answer 30 January 1989]: I believe the question relates to Mrs. Dorthy Maltman. Her application for British citizenship has been approved, as have the similar applications for her two sisters. I have written to the hon. Member to explain the position.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act since 1 December 1988; what areas of the United Kingdom and other countries they were from; for what period they were held before being charged; and how many were subsequently charged.

[pursuant to his reply, 13 January 1989, c. 760]: The available information relates to persons detained in December 1988 and is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to increase any of the consular fees.

Yes, an Order in Council (the Consular Fees Order 1989) was made on 7 February which provides for increases in certain consular fees with effect from Saturday 1 April 1989 and a rationalisation of the consular shipping fees, reducing them in number from 30 to 10. It has been the policy of this and previous Governments that the cost of consular services should as far as possible be borne by the users.

To ask the Prime Minister how much money Her Majesty's Government estimate has been lost in each year since 1979 as a result of fraudulent tax claims and of social security claims; and how many persons have been successfully prosecuted in England and Wales.

Reliable estimates are not available of the cost of fraudulent tax or social security claims.Information about the number of persons successfully prosecuted for benefit fraud in England and Wales by the Department of Health and Social Security is held only in respect of each year since 1984–85, as follows:

	Number
1984–85	6,132
1985–86	6,045
1986–87	5,462
1987–88	6,228

The numbers of successful Inland Revenue prosecutions in respect of false accounts or returns and false claims to personal allowances, expenses and repayments in England and Wales are:

	Number
1978–79	59
1979–80	58
1980–81	56
1981–82	38
1982–83	20
1983–84	34
1984–85	22
1985–86	23
1986–87	19
1987–88	15

To ask the Prime Minister when she last travelled on official business as a passenger on a London Underground train; whether she will cause an inquiry to be set up into the London Underground system in the light of criticisms made of it since its removal from management and ownership by the Greater London council; and what action she intends to take to remedy the squalor, graffiti and litter on the London Underground system and the increasing tendency of certain passengers to place their feet on the seats in the trains.

It is impracticable for me to use the Underground for official business. Immediately on taking responsibility for London regional transport from the GLC the Government charged the board to bring forward a programme of investment to modernise the public transport systems, making them more attractive to passengers and more efficient. The Government have approved steadily increasing investment in the Underground which next year will be the last year attributable to the GLC. There can be no reason for an inquiry.

To ask the Attorney-General if the procedures to be established under clause 69 of the Children Bill [Lords] will be the same regardless of which court is hearing the procedures.

The Government are considering how far, given the different constitutions and structures of magistrates' and county courts and the high court, the procedure under the Bill in those courts can be aligned.

To ask the Attorney-General if the procedures to be established under clause 69 of the Children Bill [Lords] will follow the procedures currently followed in matrimonial proceedings and under the Guardianship of Minors Acts.

The procedures relating to proceedings under the Bill are still under consideration but will be designed to protect the interests of all those who may be affected and to ensure an expeditious disposal of the issues in the light of the fullest evidence using, where appropriate, procedures currently employed in cases affecting children.

To ask the Attorney-General if the rules to be made under clause 70 of the Children Bill [Lords] will provide for children and parents to be made parties automatically in all proceedings governed by the Bill.

No. Where parents wish to make an application or their legal position may be affected by proceedings they will be given the right to be joined in those proceedings. Children are to be parties automatically to proceedings relating to care, supervision and emergency orders. In other proceeding they will be parties if they are applying for an order in those proceedings and in other cases the courts will have power to join them as parties.

To ask the Attorney-General if the rules to be made under clause 70 of the Children Bill [Lords] will provide for all other persons who are either entitled to make applications within the Bill or given leave to make applications within the Bill, to be made parties automatically in all proceedings in which they are making the application.

Yes.

To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to seek to ensure that all cases in all courts relating to children are heard on consecutive days.

It is the intention that all cases relating to children will be dealt with expeditiously and that a system of court management should ensure that such cases are heard on consecutive days. In the high court such a facility already exists. In the county courts the further development of continuous hearing centres and the deployment of circuit judges and registrars with special responsibilities for child care cases should also ensure that cases are heard to their conclusion.

To ask the Attorney-General if he has proposals to increase the number of magistrates and judges available in higher courts with experience of cases relating to children.

The Government recognise that cases involving children need to be handled with particular sensitivity. There are already many magistrates and judges with experience of dealing with such cases. The judicial studies board is currently considering the need for training in this area.

To ask the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will take steps to bring into the public domain all documents bearing on the captivity and death of Rudolf Hess.

No. Any United Kingdom public records relating to Rudolf Hess that are more than 30 years old have either been made available in the Public Record Office, or are withheld from access under the provisions of the Public Records Act 1958 in accordance with the established criteria set out in paragraphs 24 to 31 of the White Paper "Modern Public Records", Cmnd. 8531, March 1982. Access to records less than 30 years old which have not yet been transferred to the Public Record Office is the responsibility of individual Departments.

To ask the Attorney-General what is the average time taken by the Land Registry to (a) register a title for the first time, (b) transfer a registered title, (c) transfer a part registered title and (d) grant a new lease; and what is the current backlog for each of the above categories.

The average completion times for the categories stated are:

(a) 34 weeks,

(b) 9 weeks,

(c) and (d) 33 weeks.

Having regard to the registry's target completion time of 14 weeks for category

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are his Departments' responsibilities for the financial support and furtherance of education on Third world development issues in schools, universities and through the media; and in what specific ways those responsibilities are currently being discharged.

The Overseas Development Administration has no direct responsibility for the furtherance of education on Third world development issues in schools and universities in Britain. However, under its public information programme the Overseas Development Administration disseminates a wide range of material on development issues to schools, universities, the media and interested organisations and groups.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the advice of the Veterinary Products Committee concerning the possible licensing of bovine somatotropin.

The committee offers advice whenever appropriate but it will not make a final recommendation until it has received and assessed all pertinent information, including the data being generated in the current field trials and the conclusions of the Community's committee on veterinary medicinal products. I cannot forecast when this might be.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning veterinary products undergoing licensing considerations by the Veterinary Products Committee.

I frequently receive such representations from non-members, other individuals and organisations representing the consumer, trade and other interests, and sometimes from applicant companies.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement about the future of agricultural research and development.

The Government's position is well known. We will continue to fund strategic and public good research while looking to industry to take on support for near market research, which is work which offers the prospect of commercial application or exploitation as product, process or system with a reasonable time scale.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on why grooms who are working on establishments which are both equestrian centres and farms are not covered by Agricultural Wages Board orders.

The orders made by the Agricultural Wages Board for England and Wales apply only to workers in agriculture as defined in the Agricultural Wages Act 1984. The definition relates to activities carried out by the worker rather than to the type of establishment.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider extending the Agricultural Wages Board order to cover private gardeners, estate workers, gamekeepers and equestrian workers.

I have no plans to extend the scope of the Agricultural Wages Board.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to re-classify the horse as an agricultural animal.

No. The horse is treated as an agricultural animal when it is used for the purpose of farming of land.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response he has had from the Irish Government concerning the import of contaminated beef.

Irish veterinary authorities have now confirmed that they have reviewed procedures at the Republic's export-approved meat plants and are satisfied that Community rules are being observed. In addition, they have issued instructions to veterinary inspection staff that in future all carcases exported to the United Kingdom should be from good quality cows and should be able to withstand a journey of three to four days and the temperature fluctuations which occur when parts of a consignment are unloaded at different destinations.I welcome those assurances. The Irish Government are as anxious as we are that consignments of meat from the Republic should reach their destinations in the United Kingdom in first class condition.

To ask the Minister fo Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he intends to make in respect of laying flocks subject to notices served under the Zoonoses Order 1975.

I shall very shortly be making an order under section 29 of the Animal Health Act 1981 to provide where necessary for the compulsory slaughter of laying flocks in which salmonella has been confirmed. Compensation will be paid as required under the provisions of the Act.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to ensure that all milk, including goats' milk, is subject to hygiene control testing.

The production and processing of cows milk is already subject to strict controls, and new tests were introduced on 1 January 1989. As a result, the United Kingdom has been granted step 2 status under the heat treated milk directive and this means that we can apply the same high standards to imported milk. I set out the position on goats milk in the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Bar (Mr. Rooker) on 8 February.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to meet the chairman of the Merseyside chamber of commerce.

I do not at present have any plans to meet the chairman of the Merseyside chamber of commerce but such a meeting could well be accommodated within a future visit to Liverpool

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what advice his Department is giving to export industries concerning the exchange rate of the £ sterling.

Our consistent advice to exporters has been that they should consider protecting themselves against the risk of exchange rate fluctuation and to consult experts, primarily the banks, about the best way of doing this.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has received a copy of the east midlands business survey and its analysis for the prospects of the textile industry; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of the survey's conclusion that the textile and clothing industry is optimistic about employment prospects over the next six months notwithstanding the survey's findings that the industry has performed less well than other sectors in the last six months.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) if he will provide the figures for spending on regional selective assistance and regional development grants for the north west of England for each year from 1978–79 to the present and estimated figures for 1989–90, 1990–91, and 1991–92 in cash at 1987–88 prices;(2) what is the total estimated expenditure on regional development grants and regional selective assistance in the north west of England for each of the years 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Gross expenditure at current and constant (1987–88) prices on regional development grant (RDG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) in the north west region in the financial years 1978–89 to 1988–89 is shown in the table. Figures for RDG and RSA provision in future years are not available at the regional level.

Expenditure at current prices
£ millions
	RSA1	RDG2
1978–79	40·1	64·3
1979–80	23·3	58·7
1980–81	19·3	105·7
1981–82	14·6	143·4
1982–83	18·3	97·3
1983–84	13·6	83·0
1984–85	13·7	79·9

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for 1988 and 1989 to date the contacts his Department has had with church organisations on rural area matters; what were the subjects for discussion in each case; and what meetings are planned in the near future.

I am not aware of any such contacts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if his Department has received any request for guidance from, or supplied any advice to, RTZ plc concerning the Government's voluntary ban on new investment in South Africa, in the light of RTZ's recent acquisition of BP's mineral division.

[holding answer 9 February 1989]: Contacts between this Department and United Kingdom companies are treated as commercial-in-confidence. The Office of Fair Trading is at an early stage in its consideration of the RTZ corporation's proposed acquisition of certain of BP's mineral interests and will report to the Secretary of State in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many licences for the export of leg-irons, shackles and gallows were granted during 1988; and what were the destinations of goods to which licences were given.

[holding answer 9 February 1989]: It is our general policy not to issue licences for the export of leg-irons, shackles and gallows. No licences for such equipment were issued during 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will specify each donation which his Department has made in response to public appeals for financial assistance during each financial year since 1979–80.

Donations were made as follows:

	1988–89
	£
Scottish Television's Telethon Trust—in response to the Telethon '88 Appeal.	120,000
Lockerbie Air Disaster Appeal Fund.	150,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the numbers of local authority housing stock, by district council area, as at (a) 1 April 1979 and (b) 30 September 1988.

The information requested is set out in the table. The figures are taken from different sources and may not be strictly comparable. Estimates for authorities which failed to submit returns have been included.

Local Authority dwelling stock, Scotland
	31 March 1979	30 September 1988
Local Authority Total	900,644	808,521
Berwickshire	2,861	2,455
Ettrick and Lauderdale	4,998	4,010
Roxburgh2	6,272	5,450
Tweeddale2	1,629	1,470
Clackmannan	9,671	8,568
Falkirk1	33,572	29,413
Stirling1	13,131	11,825
Annandale and Eskdale1	4,939	4,821
Nithsdale	8,365	7,360
Stewartry	2,519	2,308
Wigtown	4,705	4,256
Dunfermline	23,143	19,141
Kirkcaldy2	26,850	22,973
North East Fife1	7,831	6,475
Aberdeen	38,680	36,869
Banff and Buchan	12,552	11,446
Gordon	6,111	5,444
Kincardine and Deeside	3,613	3,532
Moray	10,556	10,035
Badenoch and Strathspey	1,048	1,046
Caithness2	4,250	3,800
Inverness	7,013	6,469
Lochaber	3,350	2,893
Nairn	1,115	1,064
Ross and Cromarty	6,181	6,078
Skye and Lochalsh2	684	780
Sutherland	1,706	1,702
East Lothian	16,274	13,919
Edinburgh	57,478	49,237
Midlothian	13,032	10,868
West Lothian	22,525	19,985
Argyll and Bute	8,205	7,852
Bearsden and Milngavie	1,895	1,715
Clydebank2	12,413	11,030
Clydesdale	9,634	9,215
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	4,356	4,035
Cumnock and Doon Valley	10,327	9,445
Cunninghame	23,536	21,332
Dumbarton	13,174	11,817
East Kilbride	1,622	1,282

	31 March 1979	30 September 1988
Eastwood	2,038	1,731
Glasgow	180,209	160,309
Hamilton	22,822	21,562
Inverclyde	20,071	17,945
Kilmarnock and Loudoun	18,226	16,187
Kyle and Carrick	18,398	16,011
Monklands	28,716	27,251
Motherwell	40,209	37,117
Renfrew	39,645	36,325
Strathkelvin	10,893	9,426
Angus	14,513	12,640
Dundee	40,479	37,842
Perth and Kinross	16,343	14,355
Orkney Islands2	1,432	1,416
Shetland Islands	2,475	2,578
Western Isles1	2,359	2,411

Source: 1979—SDD S1 returns.Source: 1988—SDD rent returns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will make a statement on his future intentions with regard to the proposals to deregulate the supply of cattle semem to farms in Scotland.

[holding answer 1 February 1989]: In July 1988 the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland invited interested organisations to comment on proposals for changing the regulations governing the sale and supply of cattle semen for artificial insemination. These paralleled similar consultations being undertaken in England and Wales.Seven responses were received by the Department. In addition, representations were made to my noble Friend the Minister of State by 10 hon. Members. Further discussions have taken place with a number of interested parties. The views expressed are currently being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what further tests of hill lambs for radioactivity resulting from Chernobyl have been taken in the past year; what have been the results; and what action he is taking as a result.

[holding answer 30 January 1989]: Information on the level of radioactivity in sheep in Scotland resulting from the Chernobyl accident is published on a regular basis by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. The measured levels of radiocaesium in live sheep tested in 1988 in those areas in which restrictions on the movement and slaughter of sheep are in force range from 53 becquerels per kilogram to 3,683 becquerels per kilogram. Readings taken from sheep in slaughterhouses throughout Scotland in 1988 range from 2 becquerels per kilogram to 145 becquerels per kilogram. The mark and release arrangements ensure that sheep which may be contaminated to levels above the 1,000 becquerels per kilogram safety level may not be removed from the restricted areas unless they are painted the appropriate colour and that such sheep may not be slaughtered unless they are marked with a tag to show that they are below this level. Monitoring and the related restrictions are designed to protect the public from the risk of eating sheep meat contaminated to an unacceptably high level and they will continue until it has been demonstrated that there is no longer any cause for concern in this respect.