To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) working heads and (b) dependants facing marginal tax and benefit withdrawal rates in excess of 50 per cent. in the manner of his answer on 25 March 1988, Official Report, column 244.

Precise details can be provided only in overall terms. On the basis of the earlier reply the figures for families with children are as follows. Before taking account of the effect of the March 1988 Budget, an estimated 510,000 workings heads with 1·4 million adult and child dependants had marginal deduction rates of over 50 per cent. Post-Budget, 480,000 working heads with 1·3 million dependants were in this category. The underlying assumptions are those used in "Impact of the reformed structure of income related benefits" October 1987, copies of which are in the Library. Similar figures for working heads without children are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will break down the numbers of prosecutions for 1987–88 in his answer of 2 February, Official Report, column 192, by type of offence, type of offenders and sex of offenders.

I regret that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford concerning Mr. RFD, 3 February, Official Report, column 441, if he will give details of the undertaking received by officers of his Department about the non-eviction of RFD; if he was aware that RFD was threatened with eviction prior to his Department being informed by the hon. Member for Stretford; and what advice was subsequently given.

A verbal undertaking was given by the acting hotel manager that, pending the hotel owner's release from custody, no evictions would take place. The Department was aware that Mr. RFD feared eviction prior to the notification by the hon. Member; Mr. RFD was advised about the undertaking and his solicitors were informed about the inquiries which were in progress. If the hon. Member requires further information perhaps he would write to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he has any plans to restore the link with earnings when the annual adjustment to pensions takes place;(2) if he has any plans to raise the basic level for the retirement pension to half of average earnings for a couple and a third of average earnings for a single pensioner.

The Government are pledged to maintain the value of the state retirement pension as a result of our policies, pensioners' average total net incomes rose by 23 per cent. in real terms in the seven years from 1979. This compares with only 3 per cent. between 1974 and 1979, when pensions were uprated by the higher of prices or earnings increases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans to replace the 25p pension increase in the weekly payment to (a) those aged 80 plus years and (b) those aged 75 plus years and over by a substantial increase.

No. Pensioners over 80 on low incomes receive higher pensioner premiums under income support. From next October the higher pensioner premiums will be increased over and above the increase due from next April, and in addition there will be new premiums for pensioners aged 75 and over. The October increase will mean an extra £2·50 per week for single pensioners and £3·50 for couples. The 25p age addition is paid to pensioners from age 80.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he has any plans for a non means-tested winter heating premium for pensioners during the winter months.

No. Such a premium would not he an effective way of using available resources. Income support provides benefit for less well-off pensioners. The rates are intended to cover basic living costs including heating. Extra help is targeted through the premiums which will be enhanced for older and disabled pensioners from October 1989. These provisions are reinforced by the social fund cold weather payments scheme which this winter was extended to include income support recipients aged 60–64 as well as those aged 65 and over.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will publish in the Official Report the social fund expenditure of each local office in the north-east region for loans and grants, respectively, and the same figures expressed as percentages of monthly profiles (a) for the latest month available and (b) for the total period covered by the social fund, on the same basis as the information given in the answer of 31 October 1988 to the hon. Member for Derby, South (Mrs. Beckett) Official Report, columns 497–500.

[holding answer 15 February 1989]: The information available is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to initiate a study on the Health and Safety Commission's report on the "Tolerability of Risk from Nuclear Power Stations".

Following publication of the Health and Safety Executive's document in February 1988, a number of individuals and organisations made comments on the report. These were published on 9 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the discovery of a defective gas detection system, defective fire alarm, and one fire pump out of action on the West Stadrill rig; what estimates he makes of the likelihood of such defects on other rigs; and what additional action is being taken by the inspectorate over and above the normal schedule of inspections, to uncover and prevent such defects in safety systems on rigs.

My safety directorate undertook an inspection of the mobile drilling rig West Stadrill on 31 January and 1 February 1989. The inspector found major safety deficiencies and ordered the immediate cessation of well-drilling activities.Prime responsibility for safety rests with the owner and operator of an installation. However, my inspectors will continue to be vigilant in this vital area of safety and to rigorously enforce the strict safety regulations which apply offshore.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Coal; and what matters were discussed.

My right hon. Friend and I meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he plans to have any discussions with the Director General of Gas Supply about relieving pensioners from standing charges for gas.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any plans to relieve pensioners from standing charges for electricity.

No. Standing charges are the fairest means of recovering the industry's fixed costs in providing a supply of electricity. If pensioners were relieved of paying standing charges the unit rate of electricity for domestic consumers would need to rise by about 3·5 per cent. to recoup the lost revenue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will arrange a copy of the transcript of the BBC Radio 4 "Analysis" programme broadcast on 9 February on nuclear energy futures to be placed in his Departmental library.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen), 3 February, Official Report, column 424, if he will set out the criteria he uses to decide between questions for which he has responsibility in regard to the Central Electricity Generating Board, and questions which are the responsibility of the chairman of the board.

Questions which relate specifically to matters within the management competence of the Central Electricity Generating Board are referred to the chairman of the board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the Government's latest forecasts of levels of United Kingdom petroleum production.

The latest forecasts for United Kingdom petroleum production in the years 1989 to 1993 are as follows:

	million tonnes
1989	95–115
1990	100–120
1991	90–120
1992	85–115
1993	80–120

As in previous years, the forecasts are presented in the form of a range of outcomes for each year. These take into account the many uncertainties involved. The figures comprise stabilised crude oil, natural gas liguids (NGLs) and condensates. NGL and condensate production is expected to contribute between 6 and 12 million tonnes annually to the figures.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ascertain the percentage of bank credit card holders who have repaid in full each month for each year since 1984.

Details of repayments by credit card holders are primarily a matter for the institutions concerned.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans any further extension of the powers of building societies; and whether he will make a statement.

The series of orders extending building societies' powers, made last June, were designed to set the future framework for building societies within which they could make sensible plans about their development. However, I indicated then that it would be necessary from time to time to make minor changes by order to suit particular circumstances, within that broad policy framework.I announced last June that the Building Societies Commission would consult societies and other interested bodies about one such order, namely one to permit societies to own, or to take an equity stake in, companies involved in the acquisition of mortgages from other lenders. Following those consultations, the order was made by the Commission yesterday and will be laid before Parliament shortly. Recently, the attention of the Treasury and Building Societies Commission has been drawn to the two minor respects in which the intention of the June 1988 measures is not being fulfilled as expected.The first is that some societies have been frustrated in developing money transmission services by the fact that although they could offer such services to companies, they cannot offer them incidental overdraft facilities. I accordingly intend to table a draft order for approval by Parliament to be made under section 19 of the Building Societies Act 1986, to create a new type of class 3 asset. It would empower societies to offer temporary or occasional overdraft facilities, incidental to the provision of money transmission business. But it would not allow continuing unsecured lending to a company in the form of a permanent overdraft.The second limitation is that a society can provide a wide range of financial services to companies, but they can neither provide companies with unsecured loans themselves, nor introduce the borrower to another lender. I adhere to the view that for at least the next stage of their development, societies should continue to be limited in making unsecured loans on their own balance sheet only to individuals. But I have agreed to a proposal from the Building Societies Commission that it should make an order which would enable societies to introduce, or otherwise arrange, unsecured loans and leases for companies as agents of another financial institution.The Building Societies Commission is initiating consultations on two new draft orders, so that the draft money transmission order may be laid before Parliament shortly. Many societies have their annual general meetings during March and April, and they may wish to adopt the revised powers at this time.

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 13 February. I represented the United Kingdom.The council heard proposals from the Commission for two new directives. The first would introduce a common minimum withholding tax on interest income. The second would amend directive 799/77 concerning co-operation between national tax administrations in the field of direct taxation and VAT. The proposed directives will be discussed by officials of the member states before being considered further at the April meeting of the ECOFIN Council.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the growth in (a) non-oil national income and (b) national income including oil per head since 1979.

The only measure which is compiled including and excluding oil is the output-based measure of the gross domestic product (GDP). Expressed in per capita terms, this grew 14·8 per cent. between 1979 and 1987. Excluding the contribution of the extraction of mineral oil and natural gas, the growth over the same period was 12·3 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what benefits would accrue to the United Kingdom from joining the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system; and if there are any comparable disadvantages.

[holding answer 16 February 1989]: I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Holland with Boston (Sir R. Body) on 20 January 1989 at column 358 and the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) on 1 February 1989 at column 226 and to my right hon. Friend's reply to a question from the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) at column 1162 on 26 January 1989.

To ask the Minister for the Arts what was the subsidy per seat via the Arts Council and local authorities to the leading touring dance companies in the latest available year.

The information requested is as follows:

Dance company	Subsidy1 per seat £
Royal Ballet	20·25
Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet	16·55
Rambcrt Dance Company	12·25
London Festival Ballet	11·00
London Contemporary Dance Trust	9·50
Northern Ballet Theatre	4·60
1 1987–88, including Arts Council and local authority subsidy.

To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if he will make a statement about the discretionary pay scheme for grades 2 and 3 staff in the home Civil Service.

In the second round of awards made under the arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister on 23 April 1987, awards have been made to 11 grade 2s and 41 grade 3s. The total number of staff currently in receipt of awards following the first and second rounds of the scheme is 34 grade 2s and 108 grade 3s, respectively 25 per cent. and 22 per cent. of all those in each grade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to his Union of Soviet Socialist Republics counterpart about the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan; what response he has received; and if he will make a statement.

We have repeatedly called upon the Soviet Union to withdraw all its forces from Afghanistan. A Soviet Government statement published in Pravda on 16 February announced that withdrawal had been completed. We have no reason to believe that there are now any Soviet troops in Afghanistan's Wakhan corridor.

To ask the Prime Minister how many Select Committee recommendations the Government have accepted since the last general election and in which Departments.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Prime Minister how many Government Departments have a locus in training in London Docklands.

The Department of Employment (which includes the Training Agency), the Department of the Environment, and the Department of Education and Science each have a locus in the provision of training in London Docklands.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on co-ordination between the Scottish Office, the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on action concerning unpasteurised milk cheese.

Regulations controlling the composition, advertising and labelling of all cheese offered for sale for human consumption in England and Wales are made jointly under the Food Act by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Health. Regulations also exist in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the cost of entertaining proprietors of United Kingdom-based newspapers over the last year; and if she will break the cost down by proprietor.

No. Information in the form requested is not available.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans for pensioners groups to be represented on policy making bodies including the areas of (a) broadcasting and television, (b) the health service, (c) social services, (d) housing authorities and (e) local government.

Ministers are in regular contact with pensioner groups and the major voluntary organisations representing pensioner interests. Pensioners' interests are therefore already taken into account in the Government's decision-making process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the role of (i) the Scottish tourist board, (ii) the Scottish Development Agency, (iii) the Locate in Scotland office and (iv) any other public body in attracting large-scale luxury golf courses and associated developments to Scotland.

Where such developments further the various objectives of bodies like the Scottish Development Agency and Locate in Scotland, then advice or assistance may be offered to the schemes' promoters.In 1987, the Scottish tourist board commissioned a report from consultants on the marketing and provision of golfing facilities. The board assesses that golf has the potential to attract more visitors to Scotland but that major investment will be required if Scotland is to compete with rival destinations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice is available from his Department to local authorities concerning the development of large-scale luxury golf courses and associated developments.

No specific advice has been given to local authorities on the planning issues arising from such developments. Local authorities are expected to have regard to our general advice on development in the countryside.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has about the number of applications for the development of large-scale luxury golf courses and associated developments; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that a number of proposals to develop golf courses and associated hotel facilities in locations throughout Scotland have been announced recently. Information on the number of these developments for which planning permission has been or is being sought is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if his Department has any plans to carry out an impact assessment of the development of large-scale luxury golf courses and associated developments on the economies of the areas in which they are situated and on the Scottish economy as a whole.

No.A consultant's report on golfing facilities commissioned by the Scottish tourist board (STB) in 1987 indicated that there could be a considerable and growing market for Scottish golf both at home and abroad. It is already an important asset to Scottish tourism. Information available to STB suggests that visiting golfers contribute at least £6·5 million to Scottish golf courses with golfers participating in organised tours adding a further £5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what public funds have been spent by his Department and public bodies for which he is responsible, in attracting large-scale luxury golf courses and associated developments to Scotland.

The Scottish tourist board has made a number of small grants to golf clubs towards the improvement of courses and clubhouse facilities.The Scottish Development Agency and the Cumbernauld development corporation are assisting the development of a hotel and leisure complex, which will be associated with golfing facilities, at Westerwood, Cumbernauld.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what studies have been carried out by (a) his Department and (b) the Scottish tourist board on the impact on the relative tourist industry in Scotland of large-scale luxury developments, and small-scale indigenous developments.

The Industry Department for Scotland has undertaken a study of the net impact of a sample of projects assisted by the Scottish tourist board. This work was undertaken as a contribution to an evaluation of the cost effectiveness of the National tourist boards' scheme of financial assistance to tourist projects.The Scottish tourist board conducts feasibility, research and planning studies, details of which are contained in the board's annual reports, copies of which are available in the Library. The board also undertakes ongoing monitoring of projects which they assist.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) on whose authority a register of attendance is being taken of hospital staff attending the video presentation of "Working for Patients";(2) if he will give the purpose of maintaining a register of attendance of hospital staff at the video presentation of "Working for Patients".

I hope that all who work in the Scottish Health Service will have the opportunity to see the video presentation, which explains the Government's proposals in "Working for Patients". Arrangements for providing such an opportunity are a matter for the health boards, as part of their day-to-day management function. My right hon. and learned Friend has issued no specific instructions on such local arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he intends to review the level of penalty applicable under the Winter Herding Act 1686 for trespass from its current level of half a merk per beast.

The Winter Herding Act 1686 was repealed by the Animals (Scotland) Act 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in each of the past 10 years recommendations contained in memoranda of observations of committees of the Law Society of Scotland have been adopted by the departments to which such recommendations were addressed; and if he will list the recommendations in each case.

This information is not centrally collated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft, and of what type, have been used for spares in each year since 1980.

The information is not readily available in the form required, and could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is currently being carried out on the reactor equipment at atomic weapons research establishment, Aldermaston; and whether he will make a statement.

AWE Aldermaston's HERALD research reactor was closed down in September last year after 30 years of operation. The reactor fuel elements have been removed and safely stored. The reactor building is now being put on a care and maintenance basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department has made any study of the feasibility of using a linear proton accelerator to produce tritium on the closure of British Nuclear Fuels pic's Chapelcross plant;(2) if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours), 7 February,

The reactors at Chapelcross are expected to be effective for the production of any military nuclear materials which may be required, until the late 1990s. Any longer-term defence requirements and options for the replacement of reactors will be kept under review as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Cartwright), Official Report, 25 January, column 651, about military aircraft destroyed or severely damaged in accidents during the last 10 years, he will set out the total costs for these losses in pounds sterling at present day values.

It is not our practice to publish unit production costs of equipment. For information on the costs of major equipment projects I refer the hon. Member to table 3.2 of volume 2 of the statement of Defence Estimates 1988 (Cm. 344–11).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has on the number of nuclear missiles removed from the European theatre by the Soviet Union; and what is the source of this information.

The Soviet Union has publicly announced that it will be withdrawing about 24 short range missile systems from the forward area as part of the unilateral withdrawals that they intend to make before 1991. This will be in addition to the complete removal of INF systems under the terms of the INF treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Wealden (Sir G. Johnson Smith), Official Report, 7 February, column 795, if he will set out the source of his information that the Soviet Union has modernised all its shorter-range nuclear systems in the last few years.

It is not our practice to discuss in detail the sources of our information on such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has recently discussed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with his counterparts in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries.

No, but nuclear proliferation and the non-proliferation treaty are kept under continual scrutiny by Ministers and officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of his Department's appropriate grant aid budget has been allocated to the training of child care workers over the last five years to date.

The information requested is not available in the form requested, since the financial records of the Department of Health and Social Services do not distinguish between grants allocated for the training of child care workers and for other purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on the numbers of dependants of those claiming income support or supplementary benefit in each social security office in the past four years.

[holding answer 13 February 1989]: The available information, which is based on a 5 per cent, sample, is as follows:

	1986	1987
Dependants of people on supplementary benefit	183,700	185,800

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing the number of punishment cases involving paramilitaries in Northern Ireland for which criminal injuries compensation has been paid and the amounts in each of the years 1979, 1984 and 1987.

The information that is readily available relates only to criminal injury claims for punishment shootings in the form of kneecapping and is as follows. The annual figure represents those cases settled within that calendar period and not those initiated during the year. I understand that five cases were initiated in 1987 of which four have recently been resolved and the other is currently under appeal.

Kneecapping cases
Year	Cases awarded compensation	Compensation paid £
1979	7	16,200
1984	3	85,500

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all those water supplies in Wales which currently fail to meet the standards set out in the EEC directives on the quality of drinking water and whether or not these are subject to derogations; how and when it is proposed for each of those water supplies to meet the standards laid down; and what is the estimated cost of complying with the standards in each case.

For the supplies covered by derogations I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given on 3 February to the hon. Member for Gateshead, East (Ms. Quin).The following table lists those supplies for which application has been made to the Commission under article 20 for a longer period in which to comply fully with the directive. For these supplies improvement programmes have been submitted which should mean that most of those sources will comply with the directive by 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what allocation of resources is to be made to the Health Promotion Authority for Wales for the financial year 1989–90.

Subject to parliamentary approval £2·057 million will be made available for allocation to the Health Promotion Authority for Wales in 1989–90. The allocation will be conditional upon satisfactory completion of annual performance review. It represents a further and substantial additional commitment of resources to HPAW over the £1·792 million allocated in 1988–89.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has received a report from the Government researchers based at Warren Springs on lead in the air in Cardiff; what significance he places on the latest available figures for Cardiff; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 February 1989]: My right hon. Friend has received a report including figures for Cardiff up to 1987. The Cardiff figures are well below the limit value required by the EC directive on lead in air.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of net flows from the United Kingdom to developing countries in each year from 1979 to 1987 at 1979 prices; and what is his definition of net flows.

Total net flows comprise those official and private flows set out in table 3 of "British Aid Statistics 1983–87" which is available in the Library of the House. The information requested is as follows:

Net flows from the United Kingdom to developing countries at 1979 prices (£ million)
	Official	Private	Total
1979	1,083	5,277	6,360
1980	607	3,782	4,388
1981	948	3,446	4,394
1982	778	1,716	2,494
1983	795	1,864	2,659
1984	901	1,389	2,290
1985	886	253	1,139
1986	812	1,755	2,567
1987	699	77	776

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances it is his practice to tie British overseas aid grants or loans under either the multilateral or the bilateral aid programme to the purchase of British goods or services.

Goods and services funded by bilateral aid are generally British and provided by British firms. In the poorer countries generous provision is made within project aid to help meet the local costs of projects incurred within the recipient country. Part of our contribution to the World Bank's special programme for Africa, project loans and investments by the Commonwealth Development Corporation, budgetary aid, food aid, debt relief and disaster relief are untied. European Community aid is lied to member states and recipient countries. Other multilateral aid is effectively untied.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum of money in total is made available to the Criminal Injuries Compensation board; and by what formula payments are made.

In 1988–89, £70 million has been provided for compensation and £7.4 million for administration. This expenditure falls on the votes of the Home Office and the Scottish Home and Health Department and is paid as grant-in-aid monthly in advance to meet forecast expenditure. Details about the administration and scope of the criminal injuries compensation scheme and the basis on which compensation is paid are set out in the board's latest annual report (Cm. 265), copies of which are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to initiate the inquiry into horserace betting recommended by the Royal Commission on Gambling in 1978.

The Royal Commission recommended a study of bookmaking finances, possibly through the Office of Fair Trading and the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Beginning in 1986, the Office of Fair Trading undertook extensive inquiries into the off-course bookmaking industry, to see if it should be the subject of a complex monopoly reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. In January 1988, the Director-General of that Office announced that he had decided that there were no grounds for such a reference.We are considering a recommendation from the chairman of the Horserace Betting Levy Board that, following my right hon. Friend's forthcoming determination of the 28th horserace betting levy scheme, there should be an inquiry into the long term financing of racing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish his estimates of television advertising revenue and the increase in total advertising necessary to support a viable fifth television channel, satellite television, cable television and channels 3 and 4 plus three new national radio channels and new local radio stations as envisaged in his Broadcasting White Paper; and what consultations he has had with the advertising industry about its own projections of revenue.

My right hon. Friend does not think it appropriate for him to publish forecasts of the revenue that will arise under the new broadcasting arrangements. I am, however, aware of a number of academic studies undertaken in this area and of a variety of forecasts by the advertising industry. In July 1988, we held a seminar on television advertising expenditure to explore the implications of such studies and forecasts for broadcasting policy. Regular contact is maintained with representatives of the advertising industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department where a salary is paid in excess of the JNC for the justices' clerks national salary arrangements to a clerk to the justices, what proportion of the excess is contributed by his department; and if he will make a statement.

The Home Office meets 80 per cent. of the cost of justices' clerks salaries under the provisions of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. The Secretary of State may, however, impose conditions on the payment of grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any proposals to seek to eliminate the use of needles and halt the market in illegal drugs, needles and syringes in prisons by the introduction of treatment facilities to replace injectable illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

The possibility of a history of drugs misuse is one of the factors that medical officers inquire into during the course of their examination of inmates being received into prison custody. Staff are particularly watchful for signs that illicit drugs have been injected. The nature and extent of medical help offered is determined by the medical officer's clinical assessment of the individual case. Counter-measures have been taken to tackle the smuggling and misuse of illicit drugs and implements, and further steps are under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long applications now being considered for (a) registration and (b) naturalisation, are taking on average, to complete; and what reduction in time taken to complete consideration of such applications he anticipates by the end of 1989.

The average time takent to complete applications for registration and naturalisation in January 1989 was 14 months and 21 months respectively.In view of the enormous number of applications received towards the end of 1987, no improvement in the average processing times is anticipated during 1989 but a considerable improvement is expected during the course of 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking in respect of recommendations by the Chief Inspector of Prisons that all prison cells should have in-cell toilet facilities; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 February, c. 760]: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons report on prison sanitation will now be published on 20 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to increase public transport facilities for the elderly.

Local authorities already have powers under the Transport Act 1985 to make provision for special transport facilities for the elderly and disabled. They can also make grants to improve transport facilities and equipment for the disabled and such improvements often benefit the elderly too.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to extend the existing schemes of free of charge public transport for pensioners throughout the United Kingdom.

Local authorities already have discretionary powers under section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 to establish cheap or free travel schemes for pensioners. In addition, private operators such as British Rail and National Express provide travel concessions for the elderly on a commercial basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce a decision of Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority's application for section 56 funding for safety improvements to Merseyrail facilities; and if he will make a statement.

I expect to announce a decision very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which local authorities he informed of his proposal, following the detrunking of the A361 between Taunton and Barnstaple, to declassify it and renumber it the B3227; and when this was done.

All the local authorities and parish councils through which the A361 runs were notified of the proposal to reclassify it as a classified road when the draft detrunking order was published in September 1984, and again when the order was made in August 1986.The number B3227 was agreed for the Taunton to South Molton section in 1982 with Somerset and Devon county councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make it his policy to review the remedies available to the courts when sentencing, after a finding of guilt, in respect of a case of oil pollution in British waters in order to ensure the equal treatment of British and foreign owners.

I have no reason to believe that the courts treat British and foreign owners differently either in oil pollution cases or in any others. Where it is not possible to bring a foreign owner before a British court the Department notifies the relevant flag Administration and invites them to consider prosecution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department's design standards for ventilation in road tunnels are intended to deal with lead in vehicle emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Road tunnel design standards control the dominant pollutants in vehicle emissions and set fresh air requirements for conditions when tunnel traffic is fully congested and emissions are at their worst.The ventilation standards are for carbon monoxide and diesel smoke and can safely disperse the small quantities of lead to be found in some tunnel atmospheres. Even the unlikely event of a lengthy traffic delay would not cause tunnel users to remain in a tunnel long enough appreciably to increase their overall exposure to lead.The issue of lead and health was considered by a Department of Health and Social Security working party on lead in the environment. After considering all sources of lead and the variability of short-term average exposures, it recommended that the annual mean concentration at places where people might be exposed to lead in air continuously and for long periods should not exceed 2 mg per cubic metre. The same limit was subsequently adopted in EEC directive No. 82/884—Council directive on a limit value for lead in air. The working party did not recommend, and the directive does not impose, any limits for short term exposures for lead in air, but the Health and Safety Executive sets occupational health limits in its guidance note EH 40/88 "Occupational Exposure Limits 1988". These are based on average exposures ever eight-hour periods and would be relevant to tunnel maintenance workers, in particular those allowed to work in tunnels which remain fully or partially open to traffic. In such cases it is standard practice for tunnel ventilation systems to remain in operation.There is no evidence to suggest that lead arising from vehicle emissions in tunnels increases health risks significantly for tunnel users, maintenance workers or nearby residents. In longer tunnels the environment is continuously regulated and in all cases tunnel exhaust shafts and portals are sited to minimise the impact of tunnel pollution on the immediate vicinity. The steps now taken to protect those working in or living close to tunnels from any adverse effects from tunnel pollution will be reinforced by the reduction of levels of lead in petrol, the increasing availability of unleaded fuel and the implementation of the requirement that from next year all new cars should be capable of running on unleaded petrol.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the malfunction of pedestrian crossings with an audible facility was detected, and on what dates subsequent action was taken by his Department.

[holding answer 14 February 1989]: On 26 September 1988. On 27 September 1988, 24 November 1988, 21 December 1988, 3 January 1989 and 1 February 1989.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current membership of the advisory panel on deregulation; and when he will be appointing new members.

A new member has been appointed and will join the panel on 1 March 1989. He is Mr. Neil McArthur, chairman of Thurnall Engineering Ltd., Northbank industrial estate, Cadishead, Manchester. A further four appointments will be made in April.The advisory panel makes an important contribution to the enterprise and deregulation unit's work by advising it on the impact of regulatory requirements on business and enterprise development.The new appointment will help to ensure the panel's continuing effectiveness as a source of valuable advice.The existing membership of the advisory panel on deregulation is as follows: