Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Tuesday 11 April 1989

Home Department

Electoral Boundaries (Liverpool)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the timetable for the redrawing of ward and constituency boundaries in Liverpool.

There are no immediate plans to review either the ward or constituency boundaries of Liverpool. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England will review the city's external boundaries in its mandatory review of metropolitan district boundaries, due for completion in 1992. The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England will review the boundaries of constituencies in Liverpool in its general review of constituencies in England, provisionally due to start in 1991.

Members (Prison Visits)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the procedures that an hon. Member needs to follow when seeking to visit a constituent detained in one of Her Majesty's prisons.

He or she should contact the governor of the prison, who will normally issue a special visiting order admitting the hon. or right hon. Member to the prison.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Newham, North-East dated 6 March on Paul Higgins.

A reply was sent on 6 April to the hon. Member concerning Mr. Higgins' appeal. A further letter will be sent to the hon. Member as soon as inquiries about Mr. Higgins' treatment in custody have been completed.

Safer Cities Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria by which London boroughs are selected for the safer cities programme.

The criteria used to select safer cities initiatives are that an area must (i) be an urban programme area; (ii) have a high crime rate; (iii) be targeted for Government action and (iv) be willing to participate in the safer cities programme. These criteria apply to all areas selected for inclusion in the programme including the London boroughs.

Telephone Tapping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to have included in future reports made under section 8 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985, details of the number of interceptions made on telephones belonging to (a) hon. and right hon. Members, (b) leaders of trades unions and (c) elected representatives of public bodies.

The annex to the report for 1988 of the commissioner appointed under section 8 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 gave the information concerning the number of warrants issued which the commissioner judged could be published without harming national security. I see no reason to take a different view or to depart from the established policy of successive Governments of not commenting on allegations relating to the interception of communications. The commissioner said in his report he was satisfied from his examination of cases that the issuing of the warrant in each case was justified on one or more of the grounds set out in section 2(2) of the 1985 Act. With regard to allegations of the interception of the telephones of Members of Parliament, the position remains as set out by the then Prime Minister the Lord Wilson of Rievaulx on 17 November 1966 at columns 634–41 and reaffirmed since by successive Governments

Basildon (Crime Statistics)

To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department what are the latest crime figures for Basildon and for the same period in each of the last four years.

The information requested is published annually in the report of the chief constable of the Essex police and is given in the following table.

Notifiable offences recorded by the police in Basildon
Year	Number of offences
1984	11,410
1985	10,534
1986	13,581
1987	13,717
1988	12,546

Arson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to support the proposed formation of the arson bureau, which was recommended in the Home Office standing conference on crime prevention report "The Prevention of Arson"; what steps have been taken to date; and when the bureau is likely to be running.

I believe that such a bureau might make a useful reduction in the problems of arson. It will first be necessary to develop the working party's proposals to see whether a precise basis for an arson bureau can be established which is acceptable to the Government, the insurers and to the business community. Discussions for that purpose are in hand.

Prisons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons prisoners Ella O'Dwyer and Martina Anderson, in H-wing of Durham prison, were locked up under rule 43 on 4 March; and for how long.

Ms. Ella O'Dwyer and Ms. Martina Anderson were removed from normal association with other inmates in the wing for a period of two weeks in the interests of good order and discipline. The authority under prison rule 43 was given by a member of the board of visitors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what complaint mechanisms there are for prisoners who consider their living conditions to be intolerable.

Prisoners may raise complaints informally with members of the prison staff, but there is a provision under the prison rules for them to see on request the governor, a visiting officer of the Secretary of State, or a member of the board of visitors on any matter. They may also petition the Secretary of State, Parliament or the Queen, write to their Member of Parliament (who may refer a complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration), the European Commissioner for Human Rights, or seek redress through the courts.

Deportation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were removed under deportation powers in 1987 and 1988; and whether he will make a statement.

A total of 1,388 persons were removed under the deportation powers in 1988, a 50 per cent. increase on the 923 removed in 1987. While the number of deportation orders enforced in the two years was much the same (776 in 1987 and 745 in 1988), the numbers of supervised departures increased very substantially from 147 in 1987 to 643 in 1988. This increase occurred among those removed under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971 for overstaying or working in breach of their conditions. It reflects the combined impact of more effective administrative arrangements introduced on 1 August 1988 and the provisions in the Immigration Act 1988 which restricted the appeal rights of those who had been here for less than seven years to matters of fact and which also provided authority to meet the cost of all supervised departures.The increases in the figures reflect the Government's determination to make every effort to deal quickly and effectively with those who offend against the immigration laws. As was announced when the Government's expenditure plans were published, we intend to increase the resources devoted to enforcement of the immigration laws over the next three years.More detailed figures on those removed under the enforcement powers, covering illegal entrants as well as those removed under the deportation process, were published in "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Fourth Quarter and Year 1988" (Home Office Statistical Bulletin 10/89), a copy of which is in the Library.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Kircindeep Singh

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is yet in a position to write to the hon. Member for Ealing, Southall concerning the immigration case of Kircindeep Singh in India, mentioned by the Minister of State, Home Office as having been referred to him in a letter dated 6 March.

A reply was sent to the hon. Gentleman on 6 April 1989.

Kampuchea

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will be willing to offer British personnel for an international control mission to monitor a Kampuchean settlement.

It is too soon to say what sort of international presence may be required in the event of a Cambodian settlement, and, hence, the nature of a possible British contribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he has expressed concern to Prince Sihanouk over the prince's proposal to bring Khmer Rouge troops back into Kampuchea in the context of a settlement;(2) with which members of the Khmer Rouge leadership Her Majesty's Government are prepared to deal; and if he will make a statement.

We have no dealings with the Khmer Rouge leadership. Prince Sihanouk has proposed the inclusion of the Khmer Rouge, but excluding Pol Pot, in an interim Government. If some Khmer Rouge involvement proved acceptable to the Cambodian factions, we would not oppose it, though it is clear that neither Pol Pot himself nor his cronies have any place in a peaceful settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to offer full support for Prince Sihanouk should the prince seek to negotiate with Premier Hun Sen on the basis of backing from the West.

We have made it clear on many occasions that we fully support Prince Sihanouk's efforts to bring about a peaceful and durable settlement in Cambodia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the subject of Kampuchea with Mr. Gorbachev and Mr. Deng Xiao Ping in advance of their Sino-Soviet summit in May emphasising Her Majesty's Government's concern over the threat to a peaceful settlement posed by the Khmer Rouge.

Cambodia was one of many issues touched on during Mr. Gorbachev's visit to Britain on 5–7 April. We keep in close touch with the Soviet and Chinese Governments on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will propose an amendment to the United Nations' resolution on Kampuchea naming the leadership of the Khmer Rouge as being unfit ever to govern Kampuchea again.

The terms of any future United Nations resolution on Cambodia will depend on developments. I hope that, by the next session of the General Assembly, Vietnam will have withdrawn completely from its illegal occupation, as called for in successive General Assembly resolutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the European Council of Ministers last discussed the future of Kampuchea; what issues were raised; and if he will make a statement.

Cambodia is regularly discussed in the context of political co-operation amongst the Twelve. The Twelve support efforts to restore an independent, democratic, neutral and non-aligned Cambodia, and call for early and unconditional Vietnamese withdrawal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the United Kingdom has given to the Kampuchea peace talks; and if he will make a statement.

We have supported the efforts of Prince Sihanouk and the ASEAN, as well as the two Jakarta informal meetings and talks between the factions in France and elsewhere. We have raised the issue among the five permanent members of the Security Council. With our EC partners we have issued several statements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King), Official Report, 8 March, column 877, that he has placed the matter of Kampuchea on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council, if he will now take the issue forward as a matter of urgency.

As my right hon. and learned Friend stated in his reply, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council will carry forward discussion of Cambodia when they feel it is appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Thai Government about the future of Khmer Rouge soldiers based in camps on the Thai/Kampuchea border and how the Thais propose to disarm and neutralise the threat of the Khmer Rouge army to peace and development in both Kampuchea and Thailand.

We regularly discuss the Cambodian problem with Thailand (and other members of the Association of South East Asian Nations). We believe that the only framework for removing any threat from Khmer Rouge forces is a peaceful political settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate proposals at the United Nations for the Kampuchean refugees in camps in Thailand to be given refugee status and the protection and rights afforded to refugees.

These Cambodians are in Thailand as a result of Vietnam's occupation of their country. We hope that they will soon be able to return in safety. The question of refugee status for any individual in Thailand is a matter for the Thai authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will initiate proposals to extend United Nation's protection in the Kampuchean refugee camps in Thailand to ensure that those wishing to leave camps controlled by the Khmer Rouge may do so safely.

We have taken a leading role with the Thai Government and the relevant United Nations agencies in securing proper access by United Nations personnel to Khmer Rouge-controlled camps. The Thai Government do not allow displaced persons in any of the Cambodian camps to leave them freely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will hold talks with representatives of the People's Republic of Kampuchea;(2) if, following the recent establishment by the Government of Thailand and the Government of Kampuchea of a joint committee to oversee economic co-operation, he will send a delegation to Kampuchea to discuss future aid, trade and commercial links between the United Kingdom and Kampuchea.

We have no plans at present to alter our policy towards the so-called People's Republic of Kampuchea.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, following Prince Sihanouk's recent statement that the coalition Government of democratic Kampuchea is dominated by the Khmer Rouge, he will seek to have CGDK removed from the United Nations where they occupy a seat.

I refer the hon. Lady to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State to the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy (Dr. Moonie) on 5 December 1988 at column 40.

Human Rights

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by the Government since 1979 in fighting cases before the European Court of Human Rights up to, and including the hearing of 28 March; how much has been paid for the instruction of lawyers; what are the estimated costs in employees' time, travelling and accommodation costs of officials involved in these cases; how much has been paid out in costs or expenses and compensation by the Government following rulings by the court; and if he will list the sums involved in each case which has reached a ruling stage.

The information requested is given in the accompanying table.It is not the practice to publish fees paid to individual counsel in specific cases. The total Government legal costs incurred to date in relation to the 24 cases before the court between 1979 and 28 March 1989 is approximately £215,000.It is not possible to estimate the costs in respect of officials' time, travel and accommodation for each of these cases.

Case	Compensation paid to the applicant/s	Costs and expenses paid to the applicant/s (Including proceedings prior to those before the Court)
	£	£
Sunday Times	—	22,626·78
Young, James & Webster	74,917·00	61,774·00
Dudgeon	—	3,315·00
X	—	64,811·11
Campbell & Cosans	3,000·00	9,577·13
Silver & Others	—	33,066·59
Campbell & Fell	—	13,000·00

Case	Compensation paid to the applicant/s	Costs and expenses paid to the applicant/s (Including proceedings prior to those before the Court)
	£	£
Malone	—	3,744·10
Ashingdane	—	—
Abdulaziz, Cabales & Balkandali	¹—	32,000·00
James & Others	—	—
Lithgow & Others	—	—
Rees	—	—
Gillow²	10,735·00	2,134·00
Weeks	8,000·00	1,793·33
AGOSI	—	—
Monnel & Morris	—	—

Case	Compensation paid to the applicant/s	Costs and expenses paid to the applicant/s (Including proceedings prior to those before the Court)
	£	£
Boyle & Rice	—	3,450·00
O	5,000·00	9,235·25
H	12,000·00	4,966·55
W	12,000·00	28,246·94
B	12,000·00	12,075·00
R	8,000·00	6,229·50
Brogan	³
¹ Approximate.
² These sums were reimbursed by the Government of Guernsey.
³ Judgment awaited.

National Finance

714 Certificates

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many section 714 certificates have been issued to the self-employed in each of the last five years; and how many of these have been issued to persons already engaged in full-time employment paying income tax through the PAYE system.

There are several types of 714 exemption certificate. 714I and 714S certificates are issued only to self-employed individuals. 714P certificates are issued to partnerships and companies but it is not possible to say how many are issued to each category.The numbers of certificates issued, including renewals, in each of the last five years are:

Year	7141 & S	714P
1984–85	149,410	29,877
1985–86	164,856	31,986
1986–87	167,316	32,627
1987–88	180,562	32,074
¹1988–89	187,994	34,509
¹ to 29 March 1989.

There is no record of issues to persons already engaged in full-time employment taxed through the PAYE system.

Whisky (Excise Duty)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish (a) the annual amount of revenue accruing to the Exchequer in real terms from the levying of excise duty on Scotch whisky and (b) the proportion of excise duty which has arisen from whisky production in Speyside, in the latest year for which figures are available.

During 1987–88 an estimated £0·7 billion accrued to the Exchequer from clearances to the home market of whisky produced in the United Kingdom. This figure includes a small amount attributable to production outside Scotland. An estimate is not available of the proportion of the tax borne by production in Speyside.

Third World Debt

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Her Majesty's Government support the initiative by United States Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady to provide debt relief to major Third world debtors.

The United Kingdom welcomes the recognition that the next phase of the debt strategy can give greater emphasis to debt reduction. It believes that this should not require a transfer of risk from the private to the public sector.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action Her Majesty's Government intend to take, in support of the Brady initiative, to persuade British banks to reduce the debt and the debt service of major Third world debtors.

The interim committee of the IMF encouraged the Governments of creditor countries to review the extent to which tax, regulatory and accounting systems might unnecessarily constrain the participation of commercial banks in debt reduction. It does not appear that such obstacles arise in the United Kingdom, but the United Kingdom has agreed to review its policies in these areas. G7 Ministers agreed that concrete negotiations on debt and debt service reduction are a matter for the debtor countries and the commercial banks.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Government will support a United States initiative to increase the resources of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank so that greater debt relief can be provided for major Third world debtors.

Secretary Brady has not proposed that the resources of the International Monetary Fund or the World Bank should be increased. A general capital increase at the World Bank of $74·8 billion was agreed in February 1988. The United Kingdom share was $3·7 billion. The interim committee has asked the executive board of the IMF to complete its work on the ninth review of quotas with a view to a decision by the board of governors before the end of this year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, following the International Monetary Fund riots in Venezuela, whether it remains the Government's policy only to assist major Third world debtors who comply strictly with International Monetary Fund adjustment policies.

The United Kingdom fully supports the internationally agreed strategy for middle-income debtors which involves the adoption by debtors of appropriate strong adjustment policies supported by the IMF and World Bank in conjunction with the provision of finance by creditors. Economic reform is vital to this process, which aims to restore growth and creditworthiness. The United Kingdom is playing an important role through its financial support to the international financial institutions, through Paris Club reschedulings and the provision of new export credits, and by maintaining and encouraging an open trading system and a favourable world economic environment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Her Majesty's Government anticipate that positive flows of resources to the major Third world debtors will be resumed.

Future resource flows to the major Third world debtors will depend in large part on the efforts of the countries themselves to repatriate flight capital and attract inward direct investment. The OECD estimates that in 1987 net resource flows to developing countries as a whole less net investment income paid by these countries were positive by $30 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on what percentage of the pre-tax profits of British banks was accounted for by debt servicing and repayments by major Third world borrowers in each of the last five years.

Data are not collected centrally in the form requested.

Balance Of Payments

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the balance of payments deficit as a percentage of gross domestic product in (a) 1974 and (b) 1988.

The current account deficit on the balance of payments was equivalent to 3·8 per cent. of GDP in 1974. In 1988 the deficit was equivalent to 3·2 per cent. of GDP.

£000 (1979 Prices)
Capital expenditure on Maintained Schools, Voluntary Aided and Special Agreement Schools, Polytechnics and Universities.
		Schools
		Maintained	Voluntary Aided	Polytechnics	Universities
	1979–80	258,155	n/a	19,480	153,800
	1980–81	292,157	n/a	28,553	144,600
	1981–82	200,860	n/a	24,128	138,800
	1982–83	184,650	n/a	24,675	134,300
	1983–84	186,021	13,144	20,754	123,900
	1984–85	188,215	16,272	20,633	122,200
	1985–86	189,164	19,381	23,501	128,300
	1986–87	192,245	16,338	23,003	136,700
	1987–88	¹	18,184	¹	128,800
	1988–89	¹	22,955	¹	130,600
¹ Not yet available.

The figures above relate to capital expenditure on schools and polytechnics in England whereas the universities figures are for Great Britain and apply to grants made on the advice of the University Grants Committee. Universities also have access to capital funding from other Government Departments, research councils and their own private funds, but such expenditure cannot be separately identified.The figures for voluntary aided and special agreement schools show the total value for grant aided capital expenditure, including the governors' contribution of 15 per cent. Figures for the years prior to 1983–84 are not readily available.

St Anne's Primary School, Worksop

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science why his department did not approve additional expenditure on St. Anne's primary school, Worksop, as requested by the governors and the Southwell diocesan education committee and Nottingham county council, in their submission to him on 14 September 1988.

It was not possible to provide an allocation for this school from the limited resources available because, under the Department's well-publicised criteria, it had a lower priority than the approved statutory proposals for other schools in south Worksop.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he intends to take to reduce the split-site operation of St. Anne's primary school, Worksop.

It is for the diocese and governors, in consultation with the Nottinghamshire LEA, to decide on priorities for improving educational facilities at this school. Should a scheme to unite the school on one site be submitted with the authority's plans for 1990–91 we shall give it most careful consideration in accordance with the criteria that we apply to all similar proposals.

Education And Science

Capital Investment

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the level of capital investment in each year since 1979 in constant prices in (a) schools, (b) polytechnics, (c) universities.

The information available is as follows:

Aided Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science why his Department refuses to give priority to capital allocation for projects carried out by governors of aided schools unless they are for basic need in housing growth areas and not simply for improvement.

Since resources available for providing grant aid are limited, my right hon. Friend has to apply a series of criteria in order to determine which of the many applications he receives should receive priority. These are, first, committed expenditure on projects which are already under way, second, basic need for additional school places in areas of population growth, third, building work which governors have a statutory duty to undertake as a result of proposals approved under section 13 of the 1980 Education Act and, fourth, projects to improve or replace inadequate buildings.

Under-Fives

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the individuals appointed to the recently announced committee of inquiry into the educational experience of under-fives, indicating for each the duration they have taught in (a) a nursery school or class and (b) a reception class.

The members of the committee have been invited to serve in a personal capacity with particular reference to the breadth of the committee's task. Full information on the teaching experience of all the members is not currently available; however, Mrs. Ann Sharp and Ms. Lesley Abbott taught four-year-olds in reception classes for seven years and five years respectively. Ms. Abbott also taught a nursery class for one year and Mrs. Rose Johnson teaches from time to time both reception and nursery classes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will consider inviting Margaret Clark, professor of education at Birmingham university, to serve on the recently announced committee of inquiry into the educational experience of under-fives; and if he will make a statement;(2) what consideration the recently announced committee of inquiry into the educational experience of under-fives will give to the recent review of research into the education of children under-five written by Professor Margaret Clark which was commissioned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The committee of inquiry contains suitably qualified academics. I see no need to supplement their expertise other than through the various forms of expert evidence. Among these Professor Clark's review will without any doubt have a prominent place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) when he expects to publish the Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools' document on quality in the area of education of under-fives;(2) what areas of consideration for the recently announced committee of inquiry into the educational experience of under-fives have not already been covered by

(a) his Department's commissioned review of research into the education of children under five and (b) Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools' document on quality in the area of education of under-fives; and if he will make a statement.

The report by Her Majesty's inspectorate, expected to be published on 22 May, deals with good practice in maintained schools only. Professor Clark's critical evaluation of the outcome of recent research on the under-fives was not so constrained. Neither study, however, addresses fully these issues which the committee is required to take into account: the diversity of needs and of types of provision; demographic and social factors; the nature of training for teachers and other professional staff involved in the education of children under five.

Government Data Network

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what considerations his Department has given to joining the Government data network; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is considering its requirements, and the extent to which these might be met by the Government data network, and will take into account advice from Racal Data Networks Ltd.

Academic Research Equipment

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when the Advisory Board to the Research Councils' survey of academic research equipment will be published; if he will undertake to place a copy of the report in the Library as soon as it is published; and if he will make a statement on the future funding of university research.

I understand that the Advisory Board for the Research Councils will receive a report on its survey of academic research equipment later this month. Publication of the report is a matter for the board.

As already announced, the Government intend to separate the funding of teaching and research in universities, through the Universities Funding Council, in order to encourage institutions to think more systematically about the quality of their performance in both areas. The level of public funding for university research will be reviewed in the normal way as part of the annual public expenditure survey, and by the UFC, the research councils, Government Departments and other publicly funded agencies.

Bovine Immunodeficiency Disease

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has received any applications for the funding of research into the bovine immunodeficiency virus; and if he will make a statement.

No applications have been received. The Agricultural and Food Research Council's institute for animal health has recently started a small research programme on BIV using existing science budget funds. In addition, the institute has recently been awarded a grant from the Medical Research Council's AIDS-directed programme for work on BIV.

University Physics Department (Funding)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the level of funding to each university physics department in England and Wales over each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Universities receive public funding in the form of block grants from the Universities Funding Council, which succeeded the University Grant; Committee on 1 April. It is for each university to determine how its block grant, and the other income at its disposal, is distributed between Departments.

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, if he will list in tabular form (a) the number of teachers in each local education authority in England and Wales, (b) the number of pupils in each and (c) the pupil-teacher ratio of each.

I shall reply as soon as possible giving the figures for England. Welsh statistics are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Wales.

Research Vessels

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list, with dates, the home ports of vessels of the British Antarctic Survey during the last 10 years, giving reasons for any change of port.

The British Antarctic Survey vessels, which are both used to supply the survey's bases at the start of each austral summer, sailed from Southampton from 1979 to 1984, and since 1985 have used Grimsby. The change was made for reasons of efficiency in handling cargo, and for economies in the laying up costs of the ships during the summer months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list, with dates, those ports at which refitting or servicing has been carried out on (a) vessels of the British Antarctic Survey and (b) other research vessels of the Natural Environment Research Council.

British Antarctic Survey vessels have been refitted at yards on the rivers Tyne and Humber exclusively in the last 10 years. Other Natural Environment Research Council vessels have used the following ports:

	Year
Discovery:—
Viana do Castela, Portugal	1988
Cardiff	1987
Falmouth	1986, 1982
Tyne	1979–80, 1983–85
Humber	1981
Charles Darwin:—
Valparaiso, Chile	1988
Singapore	1987
Glasgow and Mombasa	1986
Falmouth (Commissioned 1984)	1985
Challenger:—
Great Yarmouth	1988
Cardiff	1987
Southampton	1986
Tyne	1979–82, 1985
Falmouth (no refit in 1983)	1984

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many cruises have in whole or in part been undertaken in the last 10 years by research vessels based at Research Vessel Services, Barry, on behalf of departments of the university of Southampton; and what proportions these are of the total of such work.

During the past 10 years, Southampton university has used NERC ships as sole user for a total of nine weeks. Most cruises in recent years have involved more than one user. In the past three years Southampton university scientists participated in 24 of a total of nearly 120 cruises on Discovery, Charles Darwin and Challenger. Southampton provided the principal scientist on seven of the 24 cruises. It is not possible to calculate the proportion of the total work involved, since figures are not available for the time used where the university was not the main user.

In Vitro Fertilisation (Report)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether the report of the Medical

Table 1
Student teachers and instructors in maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools (January 1988)
	Student teachers			Instructors
LEA	Full time	Part time	Total FTE	Full time	Part time	Total FTE
Barking	—	—	—	28	39	47·5
Barnet	—	—	—	16	8	19·3
Bexley	—	—	—	10	5	12·9
Brent	25	—	25·0	—	8	3·3
Bromley	—	—	—	3	8	5·4
Croydon	—	—	—	1	61	23·6
Ealing	—	—	—	12	12	17·6
Enfield	—	—	—	9	36	22·9

Council into children conceived by in vitro fertilisation, referred to in his answer of 26 July, Official Report, column 210, has yet been published.

The report has not yet been published. I understand that the Medical Research Council expects it to be published later this year.

Schools (Employment Statistics)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will publish tables giving the most detailed information available, for England and Wales and by local authority, of the number of persons, full and part-time, other than fully qualified teachers, employed in schools including nursery schools and classes, breaking down the figures by nature of responsibilities undertaken and with an estimate of the full year salary costs and of average earnings per employee, at the latest available date;(2) what information is collected, and what studies have been made, concerning the number, qualifications and responsibilities of people employed in schools other than fully qualified teachers.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publication "Education Statistics 1988–89 Estimates", a copy of which is in the Library, shows, separately for each respondent local education authority and for primary (including nursery), secondary and special schools, estimated full-time equivalent numbers of and associated expenditure per full-time equivalent pupil on support staff, premises related staff, administrative and clerical staff and mid-day supervisory assistants. It also shows for each authority estimated numbers of unqualified teachers and of school meals service staff broken down into organisers and clerical staff, mid-day supervisors and kitchen and canteen staff. Staff numbers are not broken down into full time and part time.The Department collects information by local education authority on the number of student teachers and instructors in schools. The figures for January 1988 are set out in table 1. Local education authorities make returns to the Department of the Environment of their spending on non-teaching staff in schools. Table 2 sets out for 1986–87, the latest year for which firm data are available, spending by LEA on educational support staff, adminstrative and clerical staff and manual staff and on school meals staff. Information on average earnings per employee is not available.No other information is collected, and no specific studies have been made, of the number and characteristics of persons employed in schools other than qualified teachers. The information given above is for England only: information for Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

	Student teachers			Instructors
LEA	Full time	Part lime	Total FTE	Full time	Part time	Total FTE
Haringey	—	—	—	2	—	2·0
Harrow	—	—	—	10	30	19·3
Havering	—	—	—	26	50	43·3
Hillingdon	—	—	—	13	—	13·0
Hounslow	—	—	—	5	53	20·8
Kingston	—	—	—	—	9	3·1
Newham	—	—	—	39	6	42·7
Redbridge	—	—	—	17	10	22·3
Richmond	—	—	—	—	42	7·1
Sutton	—	—	—	4	3	6·1
Waltham Forest	—	—	—	40	10	46·3
ILEA	1	—	1·0	154	1,094	391·7
Birmingham	—	—	—	8	9	12·3
Coventry	—	—	—	14	76	50·7
Dudley	—	—	—	12	3	13·6
Sandwell	—	—	—	6	6	9·3
Solihull	—	—	—	9	14	13·9
Walsall	—	—	—	2	2	3·3
Wolverhampton	—	—	—	1	6	3·5
Knowsley	—	—	—	1	2	2·9
Liverpool	—	—	—	—	25	10·4
St. Helens	—	—	2·0	4	2	5·3
Sefton	—	—	—	3	14	8·7
Wirral	—	—	—	—	2	0·6
Bolton	—	—	—	11	12	17·4
Bury	—	—	—	4	3	5·1
Manchester	—	—	—	27	11	31·8
Oldham	—	—	—	7	2	8·0
Rochdale	—	—	—	5	—	5·0
Salford	—	—	—	1	2	1·6
Stockport	—	—	—	5	3	6·9
Tameside	—	—	—	—	—	—
Trafford	—	—	—	2	9	4·7
Wigan	—	—	—	13	1	13·2
Barnsley	—	—	—	1	2	1·3
Doncaster	—	—	—	14	9	18·5
Rotherham	—	—	—	15	12	19·8
Sheffield	—	—	—	13	11	18·5
Bradford	—	—	—	19	9	27·0
Calderdale	—	—	—	8	3	10·0
Kirklees	—	—	—	27	21	36·8
Leeds	1	—	1·0	9	34	31·1
Wakefield	—	—	—	9	2	9·8
Gateshead	—	—	—	—	32	14·1
Newcastle upon Tyne	—	—	—	2	2	2·8
North Tyneside	—	—	—	5	31	12·0
South Tyneside	—	—	—	8	—	8·0
Sunderland	—	—	—	8	3	9·5
Avon	—	—	—	2	10	7·6
Bedfordshire	—	—	—	25	27	36·5
Berkshire	—	—	—	17	26	27·6
Buckinghamshire	—	—	—	12	14	17·2
Cambrideshire	—	—	—	9	18	17·3
Cheshire	54	9	57·5	2	69	12·3
Cleveland	—	—	—	10	26	23·1
Cornwall	—	—	—	14	20	21·1
Cumbria	—	—	—	7	11	10·4
Derbyshire	—	—	—	14	14	18·9
Devon	—	—	—	8	30	17·5
Dorset	—	—	—	1	23	9·0
Durham	—	—	—	40	11	43·7
East Sussex	—	—	—	12	16	16·7
Essex	—	—	—	123	172	171·0
Gloucestershire	—	—	—	5	8	6·8
Hampshire	1	1	1·2	49	88	85·4
Hereford and Worcester	—	—	—	10	4	11·7
Hertfordshire	—	—	—	43	76	73·7
Humberside	—	—	—	7	31	23·0
Isle of Wight	—	—	—	1	3	1·9
Kent	—	—	—	26	40	42·8
Lancashire	—	—	—	5	31	18·1
Leicestershire	—	—	—	20	24	31·0
Lincolnshire	—	—	—	5	28	18·6
Norfolk	—	—	—	44	23	56·1
North Yorkshire	—	—	—	12	47	30·0
Northamptonshire	—	—	—	34	36	48·0
Northumberland	—	—	—	—	8	4·3

	Student teachers			Instructors
LEA	Full time	Part time	Total FTE	Full time	Part time	Total FTE
Nottinghamshire	—	—	—	23	1	23·7
Oxfordshire	—	—	—	1	37	16·1
Shropshire	—	—	—	10	44	18·1
Somerset	—	—	—	5	1	5·1
Staffordshire	—	—	—	38	8	41·8
Suffolk	—	—	—	13	24	25·7
Surrey	—	—	—	7	17	14·9
Warwickshire	—	—	—	11	27	19·8
West Sussex	—	—	—	12	11	19·1
Wiltshire	—	—	—	8	8	10·8
England	84	10	87·7	1,350	2,974	2,317·9

Table 2
Expenditure on salaries and wages¹ 1986–87 financial year
LEA	Schools Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special			School Meals
	Educational Support Staff²	Administrative and Clerical Stqff³	Manual Staff⁴	All Staff
	£'000	£'000	£'000	£'000
Barking	1,118	671	1,907	1,439
Barnet	2,575	1,049	3,393	2,475
Bexley	573	764	2,710	1,013
Brent	2,551	635	4,002	3,836
Bromley	1,218	850	2,198	1,668
Croydon	1,359	1,183	3,260	2,610
Ealing	2,608	1,093	3,017	1,372
Enfield	2,077	870	2,918	1,912
Haringey	3,584	906	3,668	3,388
Harrow	1,633	747	2,559	1,002
Havering	1,255	884	3,031	1,833
Hillingdon	1,287	1,646	3,188	1,388
Hounslow	2,192	820	2,325	1,968
Kingston-upon-Thames	490	754	1,056	917
Merton	821	454	858	310
Newham	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Redbridge	843	1,072	2,546	1,473
Richmond-upon-Thames	848	288	1,227	907
Sutton	788	661	1,485	1,108
Waltham Forest	2,436	1,131	3,191	1,973
ILEA	32,962	28,499	65,565	30,930
Birmingham	9,577	2,850	9,508	11,227
Coventry	341	1,554	4,247	2,861
Dudley	1,507	1,113	1,807	1,941
Sandwell	2,965	925	3,268	2,433
Solihull	1,564	553	1,408	1,586
Walsall	1,952	1,789	4,703	3,355
Wolverhampton	2,799	785	3,235	2,234
Knowsley	1,050	586	2,423	2,468
Liverpool	3,073	1,476	8,889	4,229
St. Helens	1,207	598	2,050	2,393
Sefton	1,373	794	2,797	2,900
Wirral	1,299	959	3,263	2,847
Bolton	1,789	642	2,760	2,703
Bury	1,007	415	1,495	1,674
Manchester	5,031	1,786	6,547	7,645
Oldham	1,766	649	1,954	2,438
Rochdale	1,420	906	2,833	2,642
Salford	1,939	762	2,861	2,400
Stockport	1,385	950	2,357	2,603
Tameside	2,086	725	2,033	2,878
Trafford	831	514	2,102	1,296
Wigan	1,398	1,129	3,565	2,978
Barnsley	1,461	775	2,368	2,695
Doncaster	1,834	911	3,768	3,942
Rotherham	1,325	762	2,507	2,849
Sheffield	5,425	1,544	6,492	6,547
Bradford	4,412	1,194	5,544	4,184
Calderdale	1,221	393	1,591	2,179
Kirklees	2,583	1,085	4,013	4,543
Leeds	4,629	2,184	7,257	7,589
Wakefield	2,166	728	3,198	3721
Gateshead	1,243	636	2,153	1,858
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne	2,904	938	2,870	3,647
North Tyneside	1,567	673	2,047	2,092

LEA	Schools Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special			School Meals
	Educational Support Staff²	Administrative and Clerical Staff²	Manual Staff⁴	All Staff
	£'000	£'000	£'000	£'000
South Tyneside	1,097	335	1,501	1,672
Sunderland	2,585	821	2,716	3,346
Avon	5,305	3,021	7,523	8,770
Bedfordshire	3,149	2,151	4,711	4,798
Berkshire	3,759	2,333	7,641	2,537
Buckinghamshire	4,766	2,016	6,352	2,961
Cambridgeshire	3,557	1,852	5,264	3,613
Cheshire	7,224	3,196	9,382	9,103
Cleveland	4,540	1,741	6,286	7,827
Cornwall	2,296	965	3,518	3,222
Cumbria	2,957	1,139	4,782	4,865
Derbyshire	8,623	1,640	8,823	11,136
Devon	3,717	1,880	7,147	6,751
Dorset	2,000	1,518	5,332	1,353
Durham	3,666	1,125	7,520	6,302
East Sussex	2,709	2,245	4,211	4,278
Essex	6,307	4,610	13,098	10,710
Gloucestershire	2,491	1,495	3,546	2,873
Hampshire	2,005	9,363	13,637	9,623
Hereford and Worcester	1,907	1,766	5,700	302
Hertfordshire	5,962	3,589	9,172	8,400
Humberside	5,823	2,066	2,961	10,240
Isle of Wight	806	417	1,166	735
Kent	5,186	5,058	7,275	10,275
Lancashire	6,032	3,957	12,227	13,511
Leicestershire	5,503	2,945	8,685	7,592
Lincolnshire	2,888	1,314	3,463	2,404
Norfolk	4,022	1,592	4,795	4,703
North Yorkshire	3,014	2,089	5,484	5,212
Northamptonshire	2,273	2,348	4,987	4,450
Northumberland	1,580	620	3,416	3,339
Nottinghamshire	7,285	3,005	10,734	9,717
Oxfordshire	3,849	1,426	4,517	2,817
Salop	1,812	1,189	3,684	3,350
Somerset	2,242	1,364	3,163	3,705
Staffordshire	6,729	3,229	9,677	6,642
Suffolk	2,511	1,772	4,288	3,720
Surrey	2,389	3,623	7,025	6,336
Warwickshire	2,802	1,379	3,266	3,281
West Sussex	2,2391	1,744	4,747	3,302
Wiltshire	2,022	1,448	5,014	3,083
England Total	295,899	171,524	486,435	401955

Notes:

¹ The figures quotes are based on LEA returns to DoE on Form RO1

² Nursery assistants, nurses and medical staff, laboratory, workshop and technology assistants and techicians employed in schools.

³ Clerks, typsists, receptionists and telephonists who look after the administrative needs of the education service.

⁴ Caretakers, cleamers and midday supervisory assistants.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Advisory Committee On Pesticides

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list of the members of his advisory committee on pesticides.

I published such a list on 26 January 1989, and a copy is lodged in the Library of the House.

Organic Farming

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any proposals to encourage the replacement of existing intensive farming systems with organic alternatives.

It is for individual farmers to decide whether to switch from intensive to organic farming systems. However, I am anxious that our own farmers should meet as large a share as possible of the increasing demand for organic produce. To this end I encouraged Food From Britain to establish the United Kingdom register of organic food standards which is currently drawing up agreed standards for the production and processing of organic food and is to provide an independent verification system. In addition, our agricultural advisory services now offer specialised advice to organic producers; UKROFS is being consulted on research needs; and the possibility of including an organic option in any extensification scheme that may be adopted under the European Community arrangements is under active consideration.

Intervention Stores

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the amount of foodstuffs, by weight and at current prices, held in the United Kingdom each year since 1979 under European Economic Community intervention policies in the Mr. Ryder; the information requested is as follows: following categories (a) butter, (b) beef, (c) wine and (d) cheese; and if he will make a statement.

Tonnes
	Butter		Beef		Wine	Cheese
Year ending	Held in intervention	Privately owned and stored against EC aided contracts	Held in intervention	Privately owned and stored against EC aided contracts
1980	19,148	4,674	25,588	2,055	Nil	Nil
1981	29	17,976	10,247	2,093	Nil	Nil
1982	8,830	26,085	13,025	310	Nil	Nil
1983	108,331	8,294	16,781	365	Nil	Nil
1984	144,430	10,097	52,430	29,200	Nil	Nil
1985	201,688	4,309	85,029	7,633	Nil	Nil
1986	237,632	7,066	55,985	5,970	Nil	Nil
1987	159,930	6,118	54,067	4,983	Nil	Nil
1988	24,179	448	25,412	4,357	Nil	Nil

Note: Current valuation figures for intervention butter and beef are £1,422·46/tonne and £1,322·71/tonne respectively.

Sheep Dips

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the approval process for organophosphate-based sheep dips took into account the regularly occurring residue impurities in technical grade organophosphates.

Yes.

Veterinary Medicine

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress towards European Community harmonisation of veterinary medicine licensing and distribution.

Common rules making the issue of licences for many veterinary medicinal products conditional upon a satisfactory assessment of safety, quality and efficacy were established in 1981. In February this year the Council received from the Commission proposals to extend the scope of these rules, and to harmonise the records which distributors are required to keep. The distribution system itself would not be affected. An explanatory memorandum (4228/89) has been submitted to the Scrutiny Committee, and I have also asked interested bodies to let me know their views.

Sole

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the European Community quota for Holland for sole for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Sole quotas for the Netherlands for each of the last three years were as follows:

tonnes
Geographical Region (Zones of International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES))	1986	1987	1988
III a, b, c, d	50	70	80
II, IV	15,050	10,530	10,530
VII a	300	330	275
VII h, j, k	80	80	80
VIII a, b	105	305	275
Total	15,585	11,315	11,240

The information requested is as follows:

Sources:

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3721/85 of 20 December 1985—Official Journal of European Communities (OJ) No. L361 of 31 October 1985.

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 4034/86 of 22 December 1986–0J No. L376 of 31 December 1986.

Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3977/87 of 21 December 1987–0J No. L375 of 31 December 1987.

The figures shown above do not take into account quota exchanges.

In the years 1986, 1987 and 1988 the United Kingdom has concluded important quota exchanges with the Netherlands giving the United Kingdom valuable additional opportunities of sole in the Irish sea, south coast of Ireland area and North sea of 590 tonnes, 430 tonnes and 655 tonnes respectively. So far in 1989 we have negotiated an additional 725 tonnes of sole from the Netherlands through quota swaps.

Pesticides

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list of those pre-1965 pesticide ingredients which have been re-reviewed, indicating in each case the year of re-review and whether or not the ingredient was approved.

The information requested by the hon. Gentleman may be found in table 1 of the information paper on the programme for routine reviews of approved pesticides which was made available to the public on 16 March 1989 and a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Of the 36 active ingredients or groups of active ingredients listed in table 1, numbers 2, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33 were first cleared for supply and use in the United Kingdom before 31 December 1965.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to complete his re-review of pre-1965 pesticide ingredients.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 23 March 1989 at column 726.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a list of all pre-1965 pesticide ingredients currently in use which have not yet been re-reviewed; and when he expects each ingredient to be reviewed.

Such a list is already available in table 3 of the information paper on the programme of routine reviews of approved pesticides, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those pesticide ingredients which he is currently reviewing; and if he will indicate in each case the year of the ingredient's initial approval.

Pesticide active ingredients which are currently under review are listed in tables 1 and 2 of the information paper on the programme for routine review of approved pesticides, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The year in which each was initially cleared is as follows:

	Year
2-aminobutane	1972
Alachlor	1969
Bromoxynil	1967
Captan	1962
Diazinon	1956
Dimethoate	pre-1958
Dinocap	1964
Fenbutatin oxide	1983
Fentin acetate	1965
Fentin hydroxide	1964
Furmecyclox	1979
Ioxynil	1964
Iprodine	1976
Methyl bromide	1964
2-Phenylphenol	1967
Tecnazene	1970
Tributyltin oxide	1976

Foot And Mouth Disease

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will identify those European Community countries that vaccinate against foot and mouth disease in cattle.

Cattle are vaccinated against foot and mouth disease in all European Community countries except Denmark, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to stop the testing for foot and mouth disease by British veterinary staff of imported livestock; and if he will make a statement.

No tests for foot and mouth disease are carried out on imported livestock. Livestock susceptible to the disease, from countries which have had outbreaks within the last two years or where vaccination is practised, are required to be tested with negative results before export and also to undergo 21 days supervised post-import quarantine. There are no plans to remove these requirements from our import controls.

Badgers

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further work is necessary before field trials can begin of the tuberculosis vaccine for badgers which has been developed by the Middlesex hospital.

Further work is necessary to check whether accidental contact with the vaccine could lead to desensitisation of cattle infected with tuberculosis so that they would no longer be reactors when tuberculin tested.

Veterinary Medical Products

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those products which the European Economic Community veterinary medical products committee have recommended as being suitable for product licences for each of the last three years.

The committee on veterinary medicinal products has not yet reached a conclusion on any of the product licence applications referred to it.

Alphachloralose

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food under what circumstances his Department authorises the use of alphacholoralose against wild birds; and how many such licences were granted in each of the last three years.

Under section 16(9)(d) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 my right hon. Friend is the appropriate authority for the purpose of issuing licences under section 16(1)(i), (j) and (k) of the Act for the use of prohibited methods to kill or take wild birds.In practice my Department issues licences only to local authorities of competent pest control contractors and for a limited number of species. namely feral pigeon, house sparrows and in one case, herring gulls. The number of licences issued in the last three years were:

	Number
1986	685
1987	738
1988	589

Milk (Testing)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Department is taking to ensure that there will be no reduction in the number of milk samples being tested as a result of the closure of research stations in the south-west, the north-west, the south midlands and Kent; and if he will make a statement.

The only regular milk testing carried out by my Department is to ensure that untreated milk producers comply with one of the conditions of their licence. This work will not be significantly affected by the closure of certain microbiology laboratories, since the samples in question will be transported to other laboratories. The comprehensive testing carried out by the Milk Marketing Board (which includes monthly testing for brucellosis on behalf of the Ministry) will not be affected at all.

Research (Funding)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the impact on the Agriculture and Food Research Council of funding reductions already announced; and if he will make a statement.

Commissions by my Department with the Agricultural and Food Research Council will be reduced by £1·6 million in 1989–90, as part of the £5 million reduction in Government funding which has been announced for that year. Decisions on the future programme of commissioned work will depend on the consultations we are currently holding with industry organisations. The implications of changes in funding for the staff and research establishments of the Agricultural and Food Research Council are matters for that organisation.

Salmonella

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the level of additional funding awarded to the Institute of Animal Health for research on salmonella contamination; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 21 March at columns 514–15. My Department was already spending around £700,000 in 1989–90 on research at the Institute of Animal Health on enteric diseases of poultry, including salmonella. Two new salmonella projects have now been added at a cost of £173,000 in 1989–90.

Veterinary Surgeons

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is proposing to take to consider the supply and demand for veterinary surgeons, particularly in the light of the Riley report.

Consideration of the Riley report is a matter for the Universities Funding Council. I am concerned, however that there appears to be a growing shortage of British-trained veterinary surgeons. After discussions with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Scotland, I have decided that it would be sensible and prudent to review the demand for veterinary surgeons in both the public service and the private sector. The study will also consider the supply of veterinary education and the demand from home and overseas students and will have regard to the potential funding from the Universities Funding Council and other sources. I shall be announcing the details as soon as possible.

Prime Minister

Climatic Changes

Q34.

To ask the Prime Minister what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to arrest world climatic changes.

I refer the hon. Member to the Government's reply to the first report from the Environment Committee, Session 1987–88 (Cm. 552).The United Kingdom continues to play a full part in international consideration of the climate change issue, in the WMO/UNEP intergovernmental panel on climate change, the EC and in other special fora.

Budget

Q78.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the Budget.

Q152.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the Budget.

Q190.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the Budget.

The proposals in the Budget have been widely welcomed.

Ec Fraud

Q134.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding fraud in the European Economic Community.

Q185.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding fraud in the EEC.

204.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding fraud in the European Economic Community.

I have received a small number of representations.

British Intelligence (History)

Q192.

To ask the Prime Minister when she expects an announcement to be made on the possible publication of the volume prepared by Professor Sir Michael Howard in the series entitled the "Official History of British Intelligence"; what criteria are being used in determining whether publication can take place; whether publication with appropriate deletions is being considered; on whose authority Sir Michael Howard was commissioned to write his volume; what has been the cost to public funds of work on this volume; and what assessment she has made of the utility and cost-effectiveness of the commissioning of official histories on intelligence matters which are not subsequently published.

The "Official History of British Intelligence in the Second World War" was commissioned in 1971 by the Government of the day. The right to decide on publication of this history, as with all official histories, rests exclusively with the Government. Four volumes of the "History of British Intelligence" have already been published, volume I in 1979, volume II in 1981, volume III, part I in 1984 and volume III part 2 in 1988. The decision about timing and form of publication of the volume commissioned from Professor Sir Michael Howard, the direct cost of which was in the region of £10,000, will be taken in the light of our best judgment of the national interest.

Griffiths Report

To ask the Prime Minister when she intends to announce the Government's conclusions on the report by Sir Roy Griffiths; and if she will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State, Department of Health to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 6 April.

Engagements

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 11 April.

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

Trade And Industry

Employee Share Ownership

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what discussions have taken place as to the feasibility of introducing an employee share ownership scheme in any future privatisation that his Department may sponsor.

When considering any privatisation proposal, the possibility of providing for an employee share ownership scheme is always carefully assessed.

Regional Initiatives

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he plans to announce any new initiatives to benefit Britain's regions.

No. Major changes in the focus of DTI's policies were made early last year. Regional policy now operates within a framework designed to encourage enterprise and economic growth in all parts of the country but with extra help available for firms in the regions.

Manufacturing Output

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the latest figures he has for the growth in manufacturing output.

Manufacturing output in the three months to January 1989 was at a record level, 7 per cent. higher than a year earlier, 11 per cent. above its 1979 average level and 6·5 per cent. above the previous all-time peak year of 1973.

Import Substitution

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he will take to encourage import substitution by United Kingdom manufacturing industry.

It is not for the Government to tell industry what to produce. The greatest encouragement to buy British is the availability of competitive British goods and services. My Department's policies are geared to helping business to achieve this.

Scotch Whisky

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made towards the liberalisation of Scotch whisky and the reduction in the rates of import duty and other taxation levied on Scotch whisky in the Korean market.

We continue to press the Korean authorities on all appropriate occasions, both bilaterally and through the European Community, to remove restrictions on the import of Scottish whisky to Korea. The Korean Government have recently proposed certain steps towards liberalisation of this important market. These proposals are welcome, but some problems remain. Further relaxation is being sought, and the Government will continue to pursue the issue vigorously.

Distance Measures

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what assessment he has made of the benefits for the United Kingdom resulting from the abolition by the European Economic Community of non-metric measures of distance;(2) what assessment he has made of the economic advantages which will result from the implementation of the European Economic Community proposal to abolish non-metric measures of distance.

[holding answer 10 April 1989]: My Department has made no assessment of the benefits or economic advantages which would result if non-metric measures of distance were abolished. In view of the substantial costs which would be involved in metricating distance and speed road signs and associated equipment in vehicles, the European Commission's proposal to amend the units of measurement directive would allow the United Kingdom to decide whether to phase out the mile, yard, foot and inch for road transport purposes.

Single Market

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he intends to change (a) the method of collection of trade statistics and (b) the form of their public presentation, as a consequence of the completion of the European Economic Community single market; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 10 April 1989]: I have nothing to add to the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 21 February at column 546 on the method of collection. The presentation of United Kingdom trade statistics after the completion of the single market has yet to be decided.

Attorney-General

Lynx

To ask the Attorney-General what representations the Treasury Solicitor has received concerning the self-misrepresentations of Lynx as a charity; what reply he has sent; what further action he will take in the light of continued misrepresentation in relation to donations from the profits deriving from sales of the "Eat Your own Pet Cookbook"; and if he will make a statement.

On a number of occasions since October 1987 the Treasury Solicitor has received complaints from solicitors acting for the British Fur Trade Association about statements, which have appeared in four publications, suggesting that Lynx, a campaigning body opposed to the trade in animal furs, is a charity. On each occasion the Treasury Solicitor has on my behalf made inquiries of the directors of Lynx, as a result of which I have in each case been satisfied that Lynx itself is not responsible for the alleged misrepresentations and has not sought to hold itself out as a charity.

Transport

M1 (Traffic Flow)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the current peak hourly traffic flow (a) south bound and (b) north bound on the M1 south of Luton; what was the maximum hourly flow for which the original specifications were drawn up; and what is the current average speed during peak hours in each direction.

The maximum hourly traffic flow recorded in each direction between junctions 9 and 10 of the M1 is 5,200 vehicles. During peak hours congestion may lead to lower traffic flows. There were no hourly traffic flow standards when this motorway, opened in 1959, was designed. Vehicle speeds are not recorded systematically on this stretch of motorway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will increase the length of the deceleration lane on the M1 to ease the way for traffic leaving the M25.

We are considering what remedial action might be justified. We are aware of some problems of queuing at this point.

Explosives (Carriage By Road)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on which date he approved the draft Carriage of Explosives by Road Regulations.

14 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he expects that the Governments of Germany and the Netherlands will continue to insist on the provision of locally trained drivers on British vehicles carrying explosives, following the introduction of the new Carriage of Explosives by Road Regulations.

Under the regulations the driver and any attendant must have received adequate training and instruction in the dangers to which the explosives carried may give rise, the action to be taken in an emergency and their duties under the regulations. A written record of the training must be kept. The CBI has prepared an appropriate training course. We intend to use this course as the basis for negotiation of reciprocal recognition with other authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will lay the new Carriage of Explosives by Road Regulations; and if he will make a statement.

The new regulations have been laid today; an advance copy of the associated approved code of practice has been placed in the Library.

Since the regulations are necessarily in part somewhat technical, the Department has also provided the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments with an additional memorandum on the changes being made and the ways in which these seek to improve the pre-1974 health and safety legislation in this particular field.

In making the regulations in the aftermath of the Peterborough incident, and following further discussion with the HSE, one change has been made to the draft code of practice. The guidance in the proposed code would have allowed the normal requirement for double manning to be waived in certain circumstances and where there was a means of radio communication in the cab. In the light of the discussions in the House on 23 March and additional comments received about the use of new technology to safeguard loads, the Health and Safety Commission has been invited to consider further that proposal.

The question of mixed loads has been considered again. As I explained in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway) on 4 April at columns 66–67, the new regulations aim to ensure that the possibility of ignition of any kind of explosion is not increased during carriage by the mixing of the load and that the consequences of an incident are not made worse by so doing. The main problem is fire, and the point is that high explosives are likely to burn to detonation whether detonators and other items are present or not. The new regulations proposed by the Health and Safety Executive deal satisfactorily with this.

As explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr) on 4 April at column 67, there is a requirement in the new regulations for the route to be followed to be agreed with the relevant chief officers of police when a large load of the most dangerous type of explosive is being carried. To require prior notification or agreement on routes for all dangerous goods, as has been suggested, would involve the emergency services in masses of additional paperwork which would not provide overall benefit in safety terms.

Employee Share Ownership

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place as to the feasibility in introducing an employee share ownership scheme in any future privatisation that his Department may sponsor.

My right hon. Friend will certainly consider the scope for furthering the Government's policy of encouraging employee shareholdings in any future privatisations that may be sponsored by this Department.

Road Maintenance

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement outlining the extent to which local authorities have used funds which were originally allocated by his Department for road maintenance for other projects, making specific reference to the situation of the Cheshire county council.

No specific grant is made for local authority spending on local road maintenance. Road maintenance needs are included in the needs assessments used to calculate authorities' block grant entitlements. Authorities have discretion as to how they choose to spend their grant. Statistical returns from Cheshire county council suggest that in 1988–89 it budgeted to spend more on local road maintenance than its assessed need to spend.

Hgv Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current waiting period for HGV tests in the north-west; and if he will make a statement.

Between four and six and a half weeks. The wait at some testing stations is longer than we would like because of the rise in demand for tests and the diversion of the work load resulting from the unforeseen need to close the Wallasey testing station. Urgent action is being taken to reduce delays. A replacement for Wallasey opens this summer, and the vehicle inspectorate executive agency is taking on extra staff.

Ferndown Relief Road

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he is making for reconsideration of the line of route of the Ferndown relief road, following rejection by the Department of the Environment on environmental grounds of the route proposed by Dorset county council.

I understand that Dorset county council is re-examining its proposals following the decision of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to refuse planning permission for its proposed route. It will be for my right hon. Friend to decide whether he wishes to consider any revised route which may be proposed by the county council.

Ferries (Safety)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is any evidence that the new safety rules for roll-on/roll-off ferries recently introduced by his Department are being avoided by ferries registered in foreign countries but operating from British ports.

The recently introduced safety rules for ro-ro passenger ferries, the Weighing of Goods Vehicles and Other Cargo Regulations and the Loading and Stability Assessment of Ro/Ro Passenger Ships Regulations, apply to all foreign-registered ro-ro passenger ferries while in United Kingdom ports with effect from 31 March 1989 and 4 April 1989 respectively.I have no evidence of any intent to avoid them.

Toll Charges

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he is giving to private funding for a new motorway between Newcastle and the Scottish border; and what is the Government's policy concerning the imposition of toll charges on any part of the national road network.

The Department is not considering motorway proposals between Newcastle and the Scottish border. We are keen to encourage the private funding of infrastructure and would willingly consider proposals from the private sector. Promoters of privately funded schemes would need to recoup their costs and this would probably involve tolls. There are no plans to impose tolls on existing routes.

Settle-Carlisle Railway

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he can now announce a decision on the future of the Settle-Carlisle railway.

I have now completed my consideration of British Rail's proposal to close the Settle-Carlisle railway. Having reviewed all the evidence, I have decided to refuse closure consent for this line as well as for the associated Blackburn-Hellifield line. A number of factors have changed since I announced last year that I was minded to give consent to closure.There have been changes in the financial case. For example, following the trial repairs to Ribblehead viaduct that I requested last year, it now seems that it will be much cheaper to repair the whole structure than previously thought, and a new survey by the local authorities suggests that traffic on the line has continued to grow and that significantly more people are travelling for essential purposes. British Rail has estimated that revenue on the line is some 40 per cent. higher in 1988–89 than in 1987–88. I believe that there is scope for increasing revenue further by better marketing of the line and by the pricing of tourist journeys on a more commercial basis. The line may continue to run at a loss, but not necessarily a large one. As required by statute, I have also taken account of new evidence on hardship and the line's importance to the local economy.The private sector has shown interest in the line and I want it to be involved in helping to develop it. I have asked the chairman of British Rail to see what private sector involvement can be arranged to make the most of marketing and operating the line.The local authorities are committed to co-operating with British Rail and other organisations to support and promote the line. It has been proposed that a trust fund be set up to care for the structures on the line of heritage importance. I support that proposal. I also look to all who have promised to support the line to work together to ensure that it has a successful future and so that the case for closure will not re-emerge.

Energy

Opencast Operations

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will detail the ex-gratia payments made for community benefit and as a sign of goodwill by British Coal's opencast operations in each year since 1979; (2) if he will explain the changes between 1987 and 1988 in the percentage of the total cost of mining opencast coal in Wales by British Coal devoted to site restoration.

These are matters for the British Coal Corporation, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

Employment

Restart

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will outline the terms of reference and details of the large restart cohort survey which his Department will be commissioning; if he will explain the position of those unemployed claimants who will not be called for restart interviews for the purposes of creating a control group; and whether the survey will be asking questions to find out to what degree claimants feel coerced into participation in employment service schemes as a result of the restart process.

The terms of reference of the restart cohort study are to look at the effects of restart on its clients and on the operation of the labour market, and to describe how restart is achieving changes.The study will be based on a random sample of 16,000 people, selected from those becoming eligible for a restart counselling interview. Information will be collected on their progress after they have had their restart interview. Survey interviews will be held with a random selected group of 5,500 people within the sample. Participation will be voluntary.The position of those in the control group is that they will not be invited for a restart interview but they will, of course, have access to the full range of employment service and Training Agency services through the jobcentres and unemployment benefit office networks. Eligibility for programmes will not be affected. Any member of the control group who requests a counselling interview will be able to have one.The interview survey will include questions on the characteristics and employment background of clients, and their attitudes to and views of the restart process.

Bridging Allowance

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people in the Doncaster and Mexborough areas of the county of South Yorkshire have applied for bridging allowance since September 1988; and if he will make a statement.

From September 1988 to 9 March 1989, the latest available date, 937 young people in the Doncaster and Mexborough areas have received bridging allowance. I am satisfied that there are more than sufficient YTS places in these areas for all young people who apply for them.

Benefits (Young People)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 and 17-year-olds in Doncaster and Mexborough have lost benefits since September 1988 because they are unemployed or have been unable to take advantage of guaranteed YTS places.

The guaranteed offer of a YTS place to all 16 and 17-year-olds not in full-time education or employment means that there is now no need for young people to be unemployed. I am satisfied that the training agency has more than sufficient YTS places available in Doncaster and Mexborough for those who apply for one.

Enterprise Allowance Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of unemployed people in the Doncaster and Mexborough areas of South Yorkshire who have been helped to start a business through the enterprise allowance scheme in each year since its inception; and how many of these schemes have failed in each year.

The information is not available in the form requested. In the area covered by the Wakefield EAS office which comprises Barnsley, Castleford, Doncaster, Mexborough, Pontefract, Thorne and Wakefield, a total of 7,189 unemployed people have joined the scheme from its inception to the end of the 1988–89 financial year.In each financial year the figures are as follows:

Financial year	Number
1983–84	442
1984–85	628
1985–86	892
1986–87	1,519
1987–88	1,824
1988–89	1,884

Data on business closure are not available below regional level.

Employment Training

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people have so far benefited from the employment training scheme; in what particular ways; and if he will make a statement.

Unemployed people clearly recognise the benefits the programme has to offer and the opportunity it provides to help them get a job. By 31 March over 238,000 people had entered the programme. This is a major achievement in the seven months since the programme was launched.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much has been spent advertising employment training.

A total of approximately £10·3 million has been spent on advertising employment training between July 1988 and March 1989.

Yts

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the latest fatal and major injury accident rate for participants on YTS.

The latest available figure for the year ended on 31 December 1988 is 146 per 100,000 trainees.

Technical And Vocational Education Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many local education authorities, schools and colleges are currently taking part in the technical and vocational education initiative; and if he will make a statement.

All education authorities in Great Britain are taking part in the technical and vocational education initiative; at present approximately 2,000 schools and colleges are involved. From September this year, some two thirds of authorities will have moved from the pilot phase to extending the initiative to all their schools and colleges.

Health And Safety

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to increase the qualifications of competent persons in health and safety matters.

I have no such plans. Requirements for "competent persons" in health and safety law do not normally specify qualifications because competence depends on a number of things including experience, training and personal qualities. Qualifications do not necessarily show that someone is competent for a particular task. Ultimately, whether a person is competent for the purpose depends on the circumstances and is a matter for the courts to decide.

Skills Training Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on his timetable to privatise the Skills Training Agency.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made clear in his statement on 13 March, it is important for sale to proceed as rapidly as possible. It is not possible to specify a timetable precisely at this stage, but we intend that the sale process should be completed as soon as possible after the relevant provisions of the Employment Bill have received Royal Assent.

Wage Levels (South-East)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what were the lowest wage levels reported to the south-east wages inspectorate in each of the last 10 years.

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Labour Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is (a) the current rate of unemployment and (b) the average annual salary of (i) all men in full-time employment, (ii) all women in full-time employment and (iii) all in full-time employment (a) in Great Britain, (b) in England and (c) in the standard English region.

The latest available information is provided in the tables.

Unemployment rates in February 1989
	Unemployment as a percentage of the workforce¹
	Males	Females	All
Great Britain	8·0	4·6	6·6
England	7·4	4·3	6·1
of which:
South East	5·0	3·0	4·2
East Anglia	3·8	3·1	3·5
South West	5·7	4·2	5·0
West Midlands	8·1	5·2	6·9
East Midlands	7·1	4·4	6·0
Yorkshire and Humberside	9·9	5·6	8·1
North West	11·9	6·2	9·4
North	13·3	6·8	10·6
¹ Unemployment, seasonally adjusted, expressed as a percentage of the total workforce (the sum of unemployed claimants, employees in employment, self-employed, HM Forces and participants on work-related government training programmes) at mid 1988.

Average gross weekly earnings of full-time employees on adult rates whose earnings were not affected by absence, April 1988
	Males £	Females £	All £
Great Britain	245·8	164·2	218·4
England	248·4	166·1	220·9
of which:
South East	283·0	188·1	249·5
East Anglia	229·6	150·3	204·4
South West	227·6	152·2	202·7
West Midlands	225·8	148·9	201·2
East Midlands	222·5	145·3	197·8
Yorkshire and Humberside	224·1	150·6	201·5
North West	231·1	153·2	205·5
North	223·8	148·8	199·3

Source: New Earnings Survey

Black Workers

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of the work force of each local authority is black.

I have been asked to reply. This information is not collected centrally.

Environment

Housing (Newham)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the 14,000 units of housing for Newham mentioned in the draft strategic planning guidance for London published on 6 March will be for people nominated from Newham's housing waiting list.

This is a matter for future decision. The draft guidance proposes the number of additional dwellings in the period 1987–2001 for which Newham should make provision in preparing its unitary development plan. The guidance refers to the use of land not to questions of tenure.

Psa (Cambridge)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he had made of the number of additional vehicle journeys into and out of the city of Cambridge that will arise as a result of his transferring Property Services Agency staff and functions from Newmarket to Cambridge, breaking this down into the following categories: staff journeys to and from their homes in and around Newmarket, client journeys by United States Air Force, Royal Air Force and other Ministry of Defence personnel, journeys made to service the construction of Property Services Agency's additional accommodation in Cambridge, and journeys made by contractors and others who service these officials' activities.

The transfer affects about 35 staff. The additional vehicle movements generated by the transfer will be insignificant in the context of total vehicle movements in Cambridge.

Housing Action Trusts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the costs of the examination of the Windmill lane estate in Sandwell for its inclusion in the housing action trust programme.

The total cost of the Sandwell housing action trust study completed on 1 December 1988 will not be known until all claims from the consultants have been settled by the Department. We expect the final cost to be less than £105,000, including VAT. The costs of examining the Windmill lane estate, which was one of four covered by the study, are not separately identifiable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the costs of examination of the Cape Hill area of Smethwick for its possible inclusion in the housing action trust programme; and what will be the additional costs for the further examination of that area for treatment under the programme.

The Sandwell housing action trust study included an examination of the Windmill lane estate but not of the wider Cape Hill area. For the reasons set out in their report the consultants recommended that a second study should be carried out to examine some further areas. This study is now in progress; the cost of the contract is commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many requests he has received to set up housing action trusts by (a) local authorities, (b) resident associations, (c) tenants' groups or associations, (d) urban renewal agencies and (e) amenity groups; and if he will list them.

We have received a number of inquiries from local authorities, tenants and other residents interested in the establishment of housing action trusts. It is for them to decide whether to make their informal approaches public. The latest position on the currently proposed trusts was set out in my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 16 March at column 322.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many housing action trusts he expects to be in place in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 16 March at column 322. It will be for the individual tenants to decide whether they want my right hon. Friend to seek Parliament's approval to orders setting up housing action trusts.

Property Services Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the Property Services Agency has recently paid £50 per sq ft to rent space at the Ade1phi, the Strand.

The PSA acquired the Ade1phi at the behest of the Departments of Health and Social Security as part of a major planned rationalisation of its London HQ accommodation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the Property Services Agency has recently examined office properties in docklands, available at under £25 per sq ft, for the location of some central London staff in better and cheaper accommodation than in the west end.

It is the Government's policy that Departments should review the location of their work with a view to selecting locations offering better value for money, easier recruitment and retention of staff and other advantages. PSA is currently assisting Departments in undertaking their reviews by giving relevant information on property in different locations, including docklands.

Docklands (Housing)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the commitment by the London Docklands development corporation in the agreement with the London borough of Newham on affordable rented housing in the borough; and what progress has been made in achieving this.

The memorandum of agreement states that

"both authorities agree the objective to produce 1,500 social housing units to let at fair rent or thereabouts subject to its achievement being reasonably practicable in all the financial circumstances".

Negotiations are at a very advanced stage for the provision of approximately 500 units at Winsor park. Discussions are under way concerning further social housing units on other sites in the royal docks.

Housing Associations

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of housing association units of accommodation which will be financed by mixed housing association grant and private finance for the 12 months period commencing 1 April; and if he will break down his estimates by Housing Corporation regions.

This information will be available in full only when the Housing Corporation have completed the annual regional allocation process to associations. I have therefore asked the Housing Corporation to respond to the hon. Member direct as soon as that process is completed.

Housing Act 1988

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many requests he has received under the provisions of the Housing Act 1988 to activate the process of opting out of local authority control by (a) housing associations, (b) private landlords, (c) local authorities, (d) tenants' groups or associations and (e) registered housing co-operatives; and if he will list them.

None. The responsibility for approving landlords for the purposes of tenants' choice (part IV of the Act) lies with the Housing Corporation in England and with Housing for Wales in Wales.

Personal Data

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce regulations under the Local Government Finance Act that will allow charging authorities and community charges registration officers to use or disclose personal data for purposes other than those directly related to the community charge; and whether he will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will list the uses and disclosures of personal data that can currently be made by charging authorities and community charges registration officers for purposes other than those directly related to the community charge; and whether he will make a statement.

An electoral registration officer may inspect the community charges register of any charging authority. Apart from that no personal data collected for the purposes of community charges registers may be disclosed for any purpose unconnected with the community charge.

Nuclear Waste (Imports)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the countries that send civil nuclear waste to the United Kingdom; and how such waste is moved in the United Kingdom.

There are no countries that send civil nuclear waste to the United Kingdom.

Council House Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council properties have been sold to council house tenants in Doncaster metropolitan borough council as a whole since 1979 to date; and what proportion of the total stock of council properties these sales represent in each year since 1979.

From April 1979 to September 1988 Doncaster metropolitan borough council reported selling 8,289 dwellings to is tenants. The sales represented the following percentages of the estimated stock at the start of each financial year.

	Percentage of Stock Sold to Sitting Tenants
1979–80	Nil
1980–81	0·2
1981–82	3·9
1982–83	8·3
1983–84	2·5
1984–85	1·7
1985–86	1·4
1986–87	1·3
1987–88	1·8
¹1988–89	1·2
¹ Six months only.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the annual cost since 1979 for South Yorkshire of the publicity material promoting the right to buy council housing and flats; and if he will give in his answer the amount for each local authority.

My answer of 6 March to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) at column 427, gave the costs of national publicity to draw the attention of tenants to their right to buy their homes. The expenditure cannot be attributed to particular areas.

Rating Reform

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response has he received from Nottingham city council to his request for a progress report on implementing the community charge; if he will publish that response; and whether he has received any request for a future survey of costs incurred by the council in implementing the poll tax.

We have received a progress report dated 26 January from the Nottingham city treasurer. As requested, it outlines the council's plans for staffing, accommodation, computing, etc. On the question of publication, I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr Cunningham) on 23 January 1989 at column 459.The Government have no plans to introduce a poll tax.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the reasons for publishing community charge practice note No. 16 on joint and several liability before community charge practice note 15 on enforcement; when practice note 15 will be published; and what are the reasons for the delay.

Practice notes are prepared jointly by the Government and the local authority associations. They are published as they become ready, and no reason was seen to delay the note on joint and several liability, which was numbered 16 on our provisional schedule, simply because No. 15 was not yet ready. Discussions on the practice note on enforcement are taking place in the normal way, and it will be published once these are complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the remainder of the leaflets listed in the booklet entitled "You and the Community Charge", dealing with (a) the rebate scheme, (b) students and the community charge, (c) the community charge and second homes, (d) the collective community charge, (e) the appeal system and (f) the business rate, are to be made available.

[holding answer 10 April 1989]: These are all in preparation and will be published variously over the next few weeks.

Colliery Slag Heaps

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what responsibility he has for the redevelopment of former colliery slag heaps.

Responsibility for the redevelopment of former colliery slag heaps is a matter for the developer, subject to the usual planning controls. The Department does provide financial assistance towards the reclamation of derelict spoil heaps in appropriate cases, through the derelict land grant system.

Littlewoods Cup Final

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will visit the Nottingham Forest v. Luton Littlewoods cup final on Sunday.

My right hon. Friend did not attend the cup final. However, my hon. and learned Friend the Minister for Water and Planning and I were present.

Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will print in the official Report the percentage rate increase in each English shire county between 1984–85 and the latest year for which figures are available.

The information requested is as follows:

County council precepts percentage increase 1984–85 to 1989–90
		Per cent.
	Avon	54·7
	Bedfordshire	75·5
	Berkshire	51·3
	Buckinghamshire	71·4
	Cambridgeshire	64·1
	Cheshire	46·7
	Cleveland	57·4
	Cornwall	61·6
	Cumbria	77·1
	Derbyshire	64·0
	Devon	59·6
	Dorset	50·0
	Durham	74·0
	East Sussex	62·8
	Essex	75·8
	Gloucestershire	64·3
	Hampshire	51·8
	Hereford and Worcester	37·2
	Hertfordshire	70·5
	Humberside	73·6
	Isle of Wight	71·2
	Kent	52·3
	Lancashire	69·7
	Leicestershire	71·1
	Lincolnshire	56·2
	Norfolk	61·2
	Northamptonshire	65·5
	Northumberland	56·6
	North Yorkshire	71·2
	Nottinghamshire	52·8
	Oxfordshire	77·2
	Shropshire	67·9
	Somerset	72·0
	Staffordshire	53·2
	Suffolk	53·5
	Surrey	54·1
	Warwickshire	76·1
	West Sussex	54·2
	Wiltshire	79·0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by county the percentage annual rate rise from 1981 to 1985 and from 1985 to 1989.

The information requested is as follows:

County council precepts Average annual percentage increases
	1981–82 to 1985–86	1985–86 to 1989–90
Avon	12·1	9·8
Bedfordshire	7·1	13·1
Berkshire	7·7	9·4
Buckinghamshire	6·0	12·8
Cambridgeshire	6·1	12·4
Cheshire	9·0	8·6
Cleveland	10·7	9·2

	1981–82 to 1985–86	1985–86 to 1989–90
Cornwall	7·6	11·8
Cumbria	7·7	12·1
Derbyshire	13·6	11·8
Devon	8·0	11·3
Dorset	5·8	9·3
Durham	8·1	12·4
East Sussex	6·9	11·7
Essex	8·4	13·1
Gloucestershire	6·2	11·1
Hampshire	6·5	9·3
Hereford and Worcester	6·7	7·2
Hertfordshire	8·0	12·5
Humberside	12·4	13·4
Isle of Wight	8·4	12·3
Kent	6·8	9·7
Lancashire	6·9	11·5
Leicestershire	10·2	12·3
Lincolnshire	5·7	10·5
Norfolk	7·4	11·1
Northamptonshire	6·9	11·9
Northumberland	8·8	10·4
North Yorkshire	7·3	12·0
Nottinghamshire	14·3	8·9
Oxfordshire	6·6	13·2
Shropshire	6·2	12·0
Somerset	6·1	13·7
Staffordshire	10·7	8·7
Suffolk	6·0	10·2
Surrey	8·2	10·1
Warwickshire	6·8	13·6
West Sussex	7·0	9·4
Wiltshire	8·0	13·4

Chlorofluorocarbons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount of chlorofluorocarbons used in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what are the corresponding figures for chlorofluorocarbons substitutes.

I regret that this information is not available.

Sulphur Emissions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes he expects in the levels of sulphur emissions in the United Kingdom as a whole over the coming decade; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are determined to cut sulphur emissions, the largest single source of which is electricity generation. We have a firm commitment, embodied in the European Community's large combustion plants directive, to reduce sulphur emissions from existing power stations by 40 per cent. of the 1980 level by 1998. We have also adopted stringent standards for new plants.

Local Development Projects

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what local development projects have been undertaken in England; and what are their costs.

"Local development projects" does not, in England, refer to any identifiable group of projects.

Methane Gas (Landfill Sites)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will name the landfill sites identified in the waste management paper No. 27 published in January where a potential danger from methane gas has been identified.

Waste management paper No. 27 is a technical memorandum on methods for dealing with landfill gas. A site survey is presently being conducted by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in conjunction with local authorities and results will be published as soon as possible.

Water Authority Land Holdings

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made for a review of water authority land holdings.

My right hon. Friend has appointed, jointly with the nine water authorities in England, the following firms of surveyors, to carry out a review of land holdings:

Anglian water authority—Jones Lang Wootton
Northumbrian water authority—Sanderson Townend and Gilbert
North West water authority—Grimley J. R. Eve
Severn Trent water authority—Bernard Thorpe and Partners
Southern water authority—Hillier Parker
South West water authority—Chesterton
Thames water authority—Healey and Baker and St. Quintin
Wessex water authority—J. P. Sturge and Sons
Yorkshire water authority—Savills

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has appointed the firm of Gerald Eve, jointly with the Welsh water authority. This review will help ensure that the prospectuses of the new water public limited companies contain any information about the land which is relevant to investors' decisions on whether to apply for shares.

Water Plcs (Share Applications)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to counter fraudulent applications for shares in the new water plcs.

My right hon. Friend has appointed the firm of Price Waterhouse to advise on procedures for preventing and detecting fraudulent share applications when the water authorities are privatised later this year.

North West Water Authority

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (I) what representations he has received about the sale of the Turton/Belmont estate by the North West water authority; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make it his policy to make consent to the North West water authority sale of land on the Turton/Belmont Estate tenanted by the Dunscar Golf Club Ltd. for less than the best price conditional on the offer to that golf club of the parcel of land of which it is tenant for a commercially acceptable price.

[holding answer 10 April 1989]: I have received five letters expressing concern about the sale. The authority does not need my consent if it obtains best price.

Otherwise, it is for the authority concerned to apply for consent to dispose of land if it believes this is required. I have received no such application from North West water in respect of the Turton/Belmont estate.

House Prices

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to what was the annual rate of increase for house prices in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Calderdale in 1988.

[holding answer 10 April 1989]: Between the last quarters of 1987 and 1988 the price of houses bought with building society mortgages rose at an annual rate of 34 per cent. for the United Kingdom as a whole. Information is not available for Calderdale but the regional index for Yorkshire and Humberside rose by 39 per cent. over the same period.

Eastbourne Waterworks Company

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what amount the Eastbourne Waterworks Company has increased its charges since 1 January; which water companies have increased their charges since that date by a larger amount; what powers he has to afford protection to the customers of the Eastbourne Waterworks Company against the price increase; and whether he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: I am writing to my hon. Friend today.

London Residuary Body

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will remove Mr. Michael Roberts from his position as a part-time member of the London residuary body; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what qualifications he took into account when appointing Mr. Michael Roberts a part-time member of the London residuary body.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: Particular account was taken of Mr. Roberts' financial expertise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he has refused to accept a nomination from the Association of London Authorities to membership of the London residuary body; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is not aware of any recent nomination from the Association of London Authorities. He is always prepared to consider suggestions for appointments.

Greater London Council Heritage Collection

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the items proposed by the London residuary body to be transferred from the Greater London council's heritage collection to the corporation of the City of London; and if he will make a statement;(2) if his Department has given consent to the transfer of items from the Greater London council's heritage collection to the City of London under the terms of section 67(1)

(b) of the Local Government Act 1985 as amended by section 162(2) (c) of the Education Reform Act 1988; and if he will make a statement;

(3) what proposals he has received from the London residuary body in respect of the Greater London council's heritage collection under the terms of section 67(1) (b) of the Local Government Act 1985 as amended; and what decisions he has made.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The London residuary body has proposed the substantive transfer of portraits and paintings to the Corporation of the City of London. We have made no decisions yet.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the terms of the deed of gift made between the London residuary body and the City of London in respect of items transferred from the Greater London council's heritage collection.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The Corporation of the City of London has agreed to make items reasonably available to the public either by display or, if stored, by inspection on request. Items may also be loaned for public exhibitions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice was given by his Department to the London residuary body in respect of the transfer of items from the Greater London council's heritage collection to the City of London.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: No advice was sought or given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the terms of the loan agreement between the London residuary body and the City of London in respect of items from the Greater London council's heritage collection.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Terms relate inter alia, to insurance, safe custody, conservation, public display, inspection of stored items, loans for public exhibition and return to the LRB in the event of a permanent transfer not being effected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what items have been transferred from the Greater London council's heritage collection by the London residuary body to the Victoria and Albert museum.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Three items have been given to the Victoria and Albert museum: an embroidered panel entitled "Flint" by Diana Springall, a porcelain polar bear, and a Victorian carved corner chair.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of each item from the Greater London council's heritage collection sold by the London residuary body at auction: and how much was realised for each item and in total.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Four items realised in all a sum of £30,195: an antique bookcase, an antique desk and two clocks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of the items transferred from the Greater London council's heritage collection by the London residuary body to (a) the London borough of Bromley and (b) the Thames Water authority; and what price was paid for each item in total.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: Trophies and memorabilia related to Crystal palace were given to the London borough of Bromley as functional successor to the GLC for Crystal palace. A painting of the Thames barrier was given to the Thames water authority as functional successor to the GLC for the Thames barrier.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list each of the bodies which have received or are likely to receive items from the Greater London council's heritage collection since 1 April 1986.

[holding reply 4 April 1989]: The London borough of Bromley, the Corporation of the City of London, the London borough of Harrow, the Inner London education authority, the London fire and civil defence authority, the Thames water authority, the Victoria and Albert museum, and the purchasers of items disposed of at auction.

Overseas Development

Tanzania

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussion his Department is having with the Government of Tanzania to develop a joint project for the mining of coal in that country.

No such discussions are taking place at present. The Government of Tanzania have not raised this issue with us.

Kampuchea

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guarantees he has received that the United Kingdom aid provided for the Kampuchean refugee camps in Thailand goes only to those camps to which the United Nations has access and that no United Kingdom aid, either bilateral or multilateral, goes to camps controlled by the Khmer Rouge.

Our assistance, which is provided through the relevant United Nations agencies, is subject to the stipulation that it should go only to the occupants of those camps controlled by the non-Communist elements of the Cambodian resistance. We have received assurances that this stipulation is observed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will increase the United Kingdom contribution to the UNBRO education and training for Kampuchean refugees in camps in Thailand.

I did so last month by increasing our 1988–89 contribution to UNBRO by £100,000 to £350,000 following an appeal for additional funds based on increased requirements in the camps.

Scotland

Funding Sources

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list sources of funding to which organisations previously funded by the Manpower Services Commission may apply for assistance.

The availability of assistance for any particular organisation will depend on its functions and the particular projects in which it is involved.

Community Charge

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the uses and disclosures of personal data that can currently be made by charging authorities and community charges registration officers for purposes other than those directly related to the community charge; and whether he will make a statement.

Personal data collected for community charges purposes can only be disclosed through inspection of community charges register. The register is available for inspection to the extent specified and for the purposes set out in section 20 of the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 1988, and in regulation 16 of the Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) (No. 2) Regulations 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people in Scotland have (a) registered and (b) not registered for the poll tax; how many have (i) paid and (ii) not paid the poll tax; and how many are currently undergoing court proceedings.

Registration for and payment of the community charges are matters for individual community charges registration officers and levying authorities (regional and islands councils) respectively and the information requested is not held centrally. However, I understand from figures provided by them that registration is estimated to be approaching 99 per cent. of the adult population. Local authorities have published no figures regarding payment levels.

Head Teachers

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland over each of the 10 years from 1978 to 1988 how many (a) male and (b) female head teachers of schools in Scotland have left for the following reasons: (a) normal retirement, (b) early retirement, specifying the various reasons for this, (c) death in service, and (d) death within five years of retirement; and how many in each category were from (i) primary schools, (ii) secondary schools, (iii) special schools and (iv) other schools.

The information requested is not available.

Sports Clubs

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what provision is made for rates relief for sports clubs in Scotland;(2) what additional funds have been made available to Scottish local authorities to enable sports clubs to obtain 100 per cent. rate relief.

Full account is taken of the relief that each local authority plans to give to sports clubs when calculating that authority's entitlement to revenue support grant. The cost of such relief in rate income forgone and in extra grant for 1989–90 is estimated to be £3 million.

Rating Reform

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what meetings he has had since 1 April on the implementation, registration and collection of the poll tax in England and Wales.

None.

Health Boards

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen and general managers of health boards; and what subjects were discused.

As part of my regular pattern of meetings I met the chairmen of health boards and of the Common Services Agency on 10 March, when we discussed a wide range of issues relating to the National Health Service in Scotland. I do not regularly meet the general managers as a group, though the Scottish Home and Health Department does.

Children's Playgrounds

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list in the Official Report those regulations which govern safety requirements in children's playgrounds belonging to local authorities;(2) what requirements are imposed on local authorities to ensure that local authorities play areas have yielding ground surfaces below playground equipment including swings and climbing frames;(3) what guidance has been given to local authorities regarding safety surfaces in local authority play areas;(4) what plans he has to introduce requirements to lay safety surfaces on local authority playgrounds.

There are no regulations governing safety requirements or safety surfaces in children's playgrounds belonging to local authorities. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 requires all playground operators to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of such facilities and to report certain accidents to the Health and Safety Executive, which enforces the Act. Additionally, a number of British standards apply to playground surfaces and equipment. I have no plans for further requirements or guidance to local authorities.

Historic Churches

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has any plans to introduce a scheme to assist the Church of Scotland to retain historic churches no longer used for acts of worship and which would otherwise be liable to be demolished; and if he will make a statement.

Churches in Scotland of any denomination may receive historic building repair grant for repairs and restoration, if they are of outstanding architectural merit or historic interest. Where a church is no longer used for worship, grant is available to encourage a prospective purchaser to restore the building for a new purpose. Over the past 10 years repair grants awarded to former churches for which new uses have been found have amounted to about £2 million.

Road Signs

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement outlining current criteria used to determine which forward destinations are shown on road direction signs on primary routes in Scotland.

First, places are selected as being of traffic importance because of their value as reference points for drivers to assist them to find the most satisfactory route on long journeys. They are then classed as either super-primary destinations (Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness only) or primary destinations (all others). As a rule advance direction signs should contain only one place name for each direction and on primary routes this should be the next primary destination along the immediate route. A super-primary destination may also appear. This rule is not applied so rigidly as to impair the effectiveness of the signing system and occasionally additional primary destinations may appear.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report all places of traffic importance in the Borders region.

They are Coldstream, Galashiels, Hawick, Jedburgh and Peebles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects the road signposting of the town of Hawick on that part of the A7 in the Dumfries and Galloway region and on the M6 to be carried out.

When the proposal to signpost Hawick was agreed in June 1986 it was on the basis of a gradual programme to implement the necessary sign changes over five years, with priority for replacement of these groups of signs that were in the worst state of repair.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report locations of primary route signs situated to the south of the town of Hawick which show (a) Hawick and (b) Galashiels as a place of traffic importance.

Work on amending signposting to the south of Hawick to show Hawick as a place of traffic importance has not yet started in Dumfries and Galloway or Cumbria. However, Hawick has been added to a route confirmatory sign 1½ miles south of Hawick and to an advance direction sign at the A7/B711 junction, both in Borders region. Galashiels appears on primary route signs at the following locations:

Cumbria
M6/A7	Junction 44 (for travellers on A7 northbound, A74 southbound and approaching from Brampton/Carlisle Airport).
A7	Harker Park.
A7	Blackford (south end and St. John the Baptist Parish Church).
A7	West Linton.

A7/A6071	Longtown (north and south).
A7	Oakbank.
Dumfries and Galloway
A7/B7201	Canonbie.
A7/B6357	Canonbie.
A7/B720	Hollows.
A7/B6318	Skipper's Bridge.
A7/B7068	Langholm.
A7/C76A	Whitsheils.
A7/C78A	Sorbie.
A7/C77A	Fiddleton Toll.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to list the town of Hawick as a place of traffic importance alongside the town of Galashiels on road signs from the north within the Lothian region.

I agreed last month that Hawick should be included alongside Galashiels on road signs from the north within Lothian region.

Petrochemical Development (Peterhead)

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has on the development of the North Collielaw site in Peterhead by petrochemical companies; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend is not aware of any such proposals at present. Any proposal would be subject to normal planning procedures and, in the first instance, would be the responsibility of Banff and Buchan district council as planning authority.

Sexual Assaults

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people have been tried in Scotland for sexual assaults of all kinds for each of the past five years for which figures are available.

The information available is given in the table:

Year	Persons called to court	Persons tried following a plea of not guilty
1983	197	103
1984	182	94
1985	221	126
1986	234	127
1987	225	116

The term "sexual assaults" includes rape, assault with intent to rape and indecent assault.

Toll Charges

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he is giving to private funding for a new motorway between Edinburgh and the English border; and what is his policy concerning the imposition of toll charges on any part of the national road network.

No Government consideration is being given to private funding for a new motorway from the border to Edinburgh. My right hon. and learned Friend is aware that a possible extension to Scotland of a proposed east coast motorway project from Cambridge to Teesside was mooted to Scottish local authorities by the group of promoting local authorities in England. He understands that the Scottish authorities approached are unlikely to favour considering an extension.As to toll charges on any part of the national road network, there are, of course, charges already on, for example, the Forth, Tay and Erskine bridges. Tolls can be an appropriate means of meeting all or part of capital costs.

Prisoners

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) successful escapes and (b) unsuccessful escape attempts there have been from prisons in Scotland by category A prisoners in each of the last 10 years.

[holding answer 4 April 1989]: The information is set out in the table.

Year	Prison	Escapes	Attempted escapes
1979	Perth	1	—
1980	—	—	—
1981	—	—	—
1982	Peterhead	3	1
1983	Peterhead	—	1
1984	—	—	—
1985	Peterhead	—	3
1986	Inverness	—	2
1987	—	—	—
1988	—	—	—

Wales

Valleys Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what representations he has received concerning the voluntary work content of the valleys initiative programme; and if he will make a statement;(2) what consultations his Department has undertaken with regard to the voluntary effort content of the valleys initiative programme;(3) if he will make a statement on the progress of the voluntary effort content of the valleys initiative programme.

Representations have been received from the Wales Council for Voluntary Action and the Mid Glamorgan Association of Voluntary Organisations about community development activity and the development of voluntary services generally in the valleys.Consultations are taking place with the county associations of voluntary organisations in Gwent, Mid Glamorgan and West Glamorgan to agree a programme of action for which £100,000 has been set aside in 1989–90. This is in addition to the substantial voluntary sector funding already made available under other headings.The urban programme is continuing to provide very substantial support for a wide range of voluntary schemes including those concerned with social services, environmental improvement and business support and advice. In 1989–90 allocations to voluntary schemes benefiting the valleys will total £3 million.Good progress is also being made with other schemes identified in the programme and being undertaken by the Community Projects Foundation, Groundwork Foundation, Prince of Wales Committee and UK2000, all of which are expected to make an important contribution in the valleys.

Housing

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures his Department is taking to ensure that changes in his Department's financial provision for housing associations allow the associations in Wales to continue to provide housing for rent to tenants on low wages; and if he will make a statement.

The Welsh Office is particularly concerned about the situation facing people on low incomes in Wales. We have accordingly secured Treasury agreement that there will be no maximum rate of housing association grant in Wales this year. This will give Housing for Wales the flexibility that it needs to progress schemes which reflect local needs and costs in every area in Wales and for all categories of people in housing need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his policy with regard to the promotion of low-cost home ownership schemes in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

We have asked Housing for Wales for this year to give particular attention to low-cost home ownership schemes, particularly in rural areas. Welsh Office officials have also recently secured a significantlly higher value limit for shared ownership schemes as it is important that this type of development should continue throughout the Principality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list (a) the number of dwellings owned, (b) the number of dwellings built, (c) the number of dwellings sold and (d) the number of dwellings purchased from the private sector, in each year since 1980 by each housing authority in Wales.

The information requested is not readily available and I will reply as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the details of each request he has received from housing authorities for special loans to allow them to purchase dwellings from the private sector.

The Welsh Office has received bids totaling £1·2 million from the following district authorities:

Aberconwy
Arfon
Ceredigion
Dwyfor
Isle of Anglesey
Montgomeryshire
Preseli (Pembs)

We are currently considering the applications and hope to announce the actual allocations shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many second homes there are in each district authority area in Wales; and in each case what percentage of the total housing stock they represent.

Estimates of the number of second homes alone are not available. The Welsh inter-censal survey, however, provides an assessment of the percentage of homes identified as definite or presumed second/holiday homes. These figures are given in the following table:

Second and Holiday Homes 1986
	Number of Second and Holiday Homes	Second and Holiday Homes as per cent. of District Stock (a)
Alyn and Deeside	50	—
Colwyn	960	4
Delyn	280	1
Glyndwr	690	4
Rhuddlan	480	2
Wrexham Maelor	100	—
Carmarthen	490	2
Ceredigion	1,570	6
Dinefwr	290	2
Llanelli	120	—
Preseli	1,950	7
South Pembrokeshire	1,510	9
Blaenau Gwent	50	—
Islwyn	20	—
Monmouth	130	—
Newport	100	—
Torfaen	80	—
Aberconwy	2,040	9
Arfon	1,380	6
Dwyfor	2,860	21
Meirionnydd	3,200	20
Ynys Mon	1,760	6
Cynon Valley	70	—
Merthyr Tydfil	0	—
Ogwr	50	—
Rhondda	20	—

Grant applications outstanding at 31 December 1988
	Improvement and conversion	Repairs	Intermediate	Special	All grants
Aberconwy	29	21	4	6	60
Alyn and Deeside	26	72	0	0	98
Arfon	97	239	1	1	338
Blaenau Gwent	1,206	3,153	156	0	4,515
Brecknock	62	342	31	0	435
Cardiff	1,888	2,994	334	159	5,375
Carmarthen	220	372	4	2	598
Ceredigion	131	866	36	0	1,033
Colwyn	172	77	0	4	253
Cynon Valley	180	1,774	1,581	0	3,535
Delyn	12	62	4	0	78
Dinefwr	23	276	1	0	300
Dwyfor	55	388	23	2	468
Glyndwr	174	184	60	0	418
Islwyn	14	157	0	0	171
Llanelli	24	327	7	0	358
Lliw Valley	45	207	23	0	275
Meirionnydd	1	4	2	0	7
Merthyr Tydfil	10	235	50	0	295
Monmouth	3	0	0	0	3
Montgomeryshire	21	71	16	0	108
Neath	221	472	20	1	714
Newport	632	1,554	47	24	2,257
Ogwr	300	774	36	48	1,158
Port Talbot (Afan)	178	1,196	14	0	1,388
Preseli	904	1,009	2	2	1,917
Radnor	89	190	21	0	300
Rhondda	1,196	3,461	1,229	0	5,886
Rhuddlan	63	19	1	0	83
Rhymney Valley	374	2,237	78	0	2,689
South Pembrokeshire	161	72	6	0	239
Swansea	891	658	45	27	1,621
Taff-Ely	141	151	26	41	359
Torfaen	229	719	293	0	1,241
Vale of Glamorgan	8	926	3	2	939
Wrexham Maelor	65	260	22	0	347
Ynys Mon	19	25	9	0	53
WALES TOTAL	9,864	25,544	4,185	319	39,912

	Number of Second and Holiday Homes	Second and Holiday Homes as per cent. of District Stock (a)
Rhymney Valley	20	—
Taff-Ely	100	—
Brecknock	650	4
Montgomeryshire	1,040	5
Radnor	410	4
Cardiff	50	—
Vale of Glamorgan	260	1
Lliw Valley	70	—
Neath	0	—
Port Talbot (Afan)	40	—
Swansea	460	1
WALES	23,340	2
(a)—indicates 0·5 per cent. or less.

Source: Welsh Inter-Censal Survey 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are on the waiting lists for accommodation of each housing authority in Wales.

The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are on each housing authority's waiting list for improvement grants in wales.

The number of home improvement grant applications outstanding at the end of December 1988 is given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the average price of each category of dwelling in each district authority area in Wales; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979.

Average private sector dwelling prices by type of dwelling: Wales
000's
Year	Bungalow	Detached house	Semi-detached house	Terraced house	Flat or maisonette in converted house	Purpose built flat or maisonette	All dwellings
1979	18·5	26·0	15·6	11·4	13·2	11·5	17·1
1980	21·5	29·6	18·3	13·6	16·1	17·0	19·4
1981	23·5	32·1	18·7	14·5	12·0	17·0	20·2
1982	22·8	33·7	18·3	14·6	17·1	13·1	19·7
1983	26·7	36·5	20·5	15·9	19·5	16·5	22·5
1984	27·1	37·2	22·0	17·6	15·4	19·2	23·7
1985	30·2	41·4	22·3	18·3	17·1	19·8	25·0
1986	34·8	42·4	25·5	19·8	18·9	25·2	27·4
1987	36·8	48·7	26·3	21·3	22·6	26·5	29·7
1988	42·4	59·3	30·1	25·7	24·3	27·3	34·2

Source: Sample Survey of Building Society Mortgages,DOE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total per capita public spending on housing in (a) Wales and (b) each district authority area in Wales; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since1979.

Local authority gross expenditure on housing per capita
Provisional
	1979–80 £/head	1980–81 £/head	1981–82 £/head	1982–83 £/head	1983–84 £/head	1984–85 £/head	1985–86 £/head	1986–87 £/head	1987–88 £/head
Alyn and Deeside	36·65	50·97	48·68	74·88	78·30	80·07	71·42	82·49	88·23
Colwyn	60·87	61·45	47·88	58·51	75·37	56·02	63·14	71·56	56·04
Delyn	48·34	48·14	53·85	62·65	74·14	60·59	61·89	80·96	85·32
Glyndwr	59·80	66·65	63·06	71·64	98·99	93·75	70·87	76·98	78·74
Rhuddlan	28·69	25·99	29·51	39·97	63·23	40·86	38·07	41·78	49·87
Wrexham Maelor	50·58	60·91	57·94	68·91	84·61	78·46	89·43	106·09	112·84
Carmarthen	77·27	70·30	79·22	106·44	209·08	117·92	102·11	116·40	145·68
Ceredigion	54·06	69·78	59·56	73·41	148·99	85·98	78·11	87·01	78·64
Dinefwr	51·50	49·73	41·40	60·28	96·10	74·79	65·24	75·89	85·91
Llanelli	72·87	63·43	54·47	68·49	108·30	102·24	95·10	100·19	114·04
Preseli Pembrokeshire	55·89	52·09	70·34	82·48	106·14	103·88	84·15	98·21	98·14
South Pembroke	67·91	71·38	63·75	85·41	134·09	134·06	102·86	96·08	140·29
Blaenau Gwent	127·67	157·64	115·16	182·66	221·86	181·98	149·33	215·14	245·63
Islwyn	87·02	92·12	82·14	122·88	169·67	169·41	137·36	192·33	241·41
Monmouth	57·86	60·60	66·74	87·89	127·55	95·42	112·28	128·49	145·89
Newport	89·18	90·18	95·21	119·50	156·08	125·49	139·75	148·96	190·47
Torfaen	84·12	77·18	80·54	121·85	129·43	120·39	105·03	178·64	190·91
Aberconwy	44·25	52·36	43·67	57·99	90·61	79·60	72·20	69·19	72·64
Arfon	58·26	78·11	83·21	87·79	136·13	108·97	99·34	106·43	116·10
Dwyfor	40·37	44·46	39·47	62·06	144·77	83·67	64·18	61·68	60·15
Meirionnydd	63·14	54·99	56·54	72·24	159·27	152·64	82·75	87·82	61·98
Ynys Môn	71·73	70·11	50·66	70·35	143·63	76·95	75·47	95·33	103·13
Cynon Valley	70·22	62·67	65·90	79·35	109·39	81·71	85·72	115·83	161·33
Merthyr Tydfil	108·93	97·93	80·46	92·96	132·91	107·66	103·53	127·49	174·92
Ogwr	73·30	66·69	62·94	74·23	107·63	101·97	81·54	90·50	69·05
Rhondda	100·66	96·93	92·63	119·35	203·16	196·69	139·19	165·95	204·32
Rhymney Valley	79·65	88·32	77·99	102·06	118·39	117·73	95·46	130·45	178·16
Taff Ely	82·70	81·56	88·93	109·08	154·94	102·42	84·52	113·48	136·36
Brecknock	50·12	48·00	49·32	51·46	95·03	66·15	68·81	86·37	83·35
Montgomeryshire	35·21	50·84	36·17	51·10	105·66	67·03	60·99	74·36	86·36
Radnor	41·70	51·61	46·25	91·55	118·22	68·20	66·09	72·73	81·27
Cardiff	76·54	76·64	82·47	99·17	152·80	117·31	123·56	130·02	170·59
Vale of Glamorgan	53·30	55·15	43·67	71·92	86·16	67·34	51·52	90·22	80·07
Port Talbot	54·93	58·92	59·96	89·35	125·88	119·69	102·88	150·96	222·79
Lliw Valley	89·14	80·97	73·31	95·05	111·13	87·55	89·26	103·20	119·65
Neath	51·92	53·86	60·46	92·88	116·69	87·29	94·39	112·65	135·25
Swansea	55·15	63·75	68·20	89·19	112·41	109·94	99·87	110·55	108·65
Total Wales	68·46	70·82	68·40	89·39	126·58	104·20	95·08	114·35	131·43

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the total receipts from the sale of dwellings from

Average dwelling prices are not available by district. The average dwelling prices by type of dwelling for Wales as a whole are shown in the following table:

The total per capita public spending on housing by local authority, excluding housing benefit, any expenditure by the Housing Corporation and advances under the Housing and Small Dwellings Acquisition Act, for each local authority and for Wales, for each financial year since 1979–80 is shown in the following table:their stock by each housing authority in Wales in each year since the inception of the right-to-buy policy; and what proportion of those receipts was allocated to the housing budget in each case.

Local authority capital receipts from sale of dwellings
£ thousand
Local authority	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88¹
Alyn and Deeside	528	218	262	258	385	684	762
Colwyn	728	663	529	415	544	585	713
Delyn	753	436	318	301	n/a	621	1,046
Glyndwr	782	890	456	254	428	540	585
Rhuddlan	409	316	326	299	196	340	673
Wrexham Maelor	1,997	1,244	467	464	820	1,259	1,669
Carmarthen	1,631	1,269	919	880	528	670	804
Caredigion	1,562	1,858	1,141	783	538	924	791
Dinefwr	700	544	276	220	364	634	596
Llanelli	1,562	1,545	1,813	974	672	897	1,234
Preseli	2,548	1,326	1,376	822	832	753	981
South Pembroke	277	1,110	1,416	562	440	n/a	722
Blaenau Gwent	935	1,313	756	507	n/a	1,274	1,429
Islwyn	1,652	8,274	2,702	1,615	1,433	2,064	2,270
Monmouth	690	864	1,326	1,431	1,296	1,422	2,263
Newport	1,217	1,421	1,726	1,727	2,250	3,326	2,668
Torfaen	2,688	2,750	1,921	2,137	1,220	4,644	3,393
Aberconwy	1,080	1,206	697	464	526	663	629
Arfon	1,006	639	457	491	363	475	489
Dwyfor	526	506	235	129	189	111	95
Meirionnydd	569	1,081	618	293	239	257	419
Ynys Mon	1,081	974	382	344	753	605	579
Cynon Valley	529	1,048	461	465	386	731	763
Merthyr Tydfil	1,361	1,732	978	670	1,103	1,411	1,706
Ogwr	1,229	2,982	1,614	1,370	1,601	2,486	3,054
Rhondda	362	171	191	132	243	365	375
Rhymney Valley	1,884	2,487	1,711	1,258	1,158	2,310	2,159
Taff Ely	1,056	936	1,694	1,378	1,363	2,067	2,838
Brecknock	1,838	830	915	831	768	n/a	988
Montgomeryshire	1,779	1,183	698	452	530	846	562
Radnor	692	658	655	246	272	215	522
Cardiff	1,312	5,089	2,239	583	3,777	7,224	5,600
Vale of Glamorgan	1,127	1,836	1,936	1,485	1,228	2,215	1,970
Port Talbot	803	1,483	1,607	1,197	1,481	1,917	2,363
Lliw Valley	598	1,262	508	401	670	877	998
Neath	1,604	970	417	536	532	971	1,366
Swansea	1,067	1,629	1,267	1,139	1,557	2,141	3,545
Total Wales	42,142	54,743	35,743	27,513	48,522	48,522	53,619
¹ Provisional.
n/a = Not available.

Source: Capital Outurn Return.

Health Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total amount of money raised towards the work of each hospital in Wales from voluntary and charitable sources since 1979.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money has been raised through public appeals, donations and other voluntary and charitable sources towards the cost of each whole body scanner purchased for National Health Service use in Wales since 1979.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which National Health Service hospitals in Wales at present have whole body scanner facilities; when the equipment was installed in each case; and which hospitals are planned to be provided with such facilities anew or to replace obsolete facilities.

The total receipts from the sale of local authority dwellings in Wales for the period requested is shown in the table. The proportion of those receipts allocated to the housing budget is not held centrally.

The following hospitals in Wales have whole body scanning facilities installed as shown:

Hospital	Year of installation
East Glamorgan Hospital, Church Village	1988
Llandough Hospital, Penarth	1988
Morriston Hospital, Swansea	1986
Nevill Hall Hospital, Abergavenny	1987
Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport	1987
Singleton Hospital, Swansea	1989
University Hospital of Wales	1984 and 1987
Velindre Hospital, Cardiff	1988
West Wales General Hospital, Carmarthen	1987
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Rhyl	1987
Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor	1988
Ysbyty Maelor, Wrexham	1987

The Welsh Office has at present no plans to provide additional whole body scanning facilities although their availability and disposition is to be reviewed. It will be for health authorities to make appropriate arrangements for the replacement of equipment.

to ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether all outstanding disputes with developers and contractors engaged in work on ysbyty Gwynedd have now been resolved satisfactorily; and if he will make a statement.

All disputes with the designers for this hospital scheme have been resolved but there remain outstanding disputes with contractors for the works.The Welsh Health Common Services Authority continues to withhold £130,000 from IDC Ltd. to pay for remedial work to windows and cavities in the residential buildings, where further remedial work may be necessary to modify some staircase balustrades and to repair defective wall ties. Liability for these items has not yet been determined.In the main hospital buildings there are items in dispute associated with the quality of the floor screeds in ground floor circulation areas and with the adequacy of fixings for suspended ceilings. These items are the subject of negotiations presently with the main building contractor Kyle Steward Ltd.

Welsh Language

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is undertaking to ensure that a sufficient number of qualified teachers are available in Wales in order to implement the provisions of the Education Act 1988 relating to the teaching of the Welsh language.

Work is in hand to estimate the number of teachers who will be needed to teach Welsh in the national curriculum. Officials have met local education authority representatives to discuss how the Welsh language provisions of the national curriculum are to be delivered and these discussions will continue. It is clear that the teaching capacity which will be needed must be met, to a large extent, by a programme of in-service training for existing teachers. Teachers training colleges will play an important part in delivering this in-service training programme.The local education authorities training grant scheme includes a national priority category for Welsh language training. In 1989–90 grant is available towards expenditure of £223,000 under this category. Further funding is also being provided from other Welsh Office programmes to assist authorities to increase their present in-service training provision.The teaching as a career unit (TASC) and its Welsh-speaking field officer for Wales are making particular efforts to persuade more Welsh speakers to train as teachers. This includes young people leaving school or colleges, and also more mature people seeking a change of career or married women wishing to take up employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of whether the financial resources allocated for the coming year to the Welsh language education development committee will be sufficient to allow it to undertake its work during that period; and if he will make a statement.

The resources allocated for 1989–90 are sufficient to meet the Welsh language education development committee's running costs and to undertake a programme for the development of Welsh language education which accords with educational needs. The grant offer has been accepted by the committee. In so far as the committee's proposals were not consistent with the needs of the national curriculum, or would have duplicated activity already being undertaken, or were deficient in other respects, they did not receive support. Other proposals needed further development taking account of work being undertaken by other bodies and of the extent of existing provision. Proposals for research are still receiving consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to increase funding for the Welsh language development committee; and if he will make a statement.

The funding for the Welsh language education development committee and for its proposed work programme increased from £248,000 last year to £669,000 this year. As previously announced, additional resources are available to support further work on the development of Welsh language education, and discussions on this are continuing. Funding for future years will be decided taking account of the merits of future proposals and the availability of resources.

Roads

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the progress and future plans for the improvement of the A470.

This information is set out in "Roads in Wales 1989: Progress and Plans for the 1990s", which was published on 10 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was his Department's total expenditure on roads in each year since 1979 in (a) each parliamentary constituency in Wales and (b) each district authority area.

This information is not available in the form requested.

Homelessness

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the numbers of people presented as homeless and accepted as homeless in each district authority in Wales.

The latest available information relates to the final quarter of 1988. The number of households presented as homeless and accepted as homeless in that period are given in the table:

Number of households presented and accepted as homeless October—December 1988
Welsh Districts	Presented	Accepted
Aberconwy	50	16
Alyn and Deeside	67	44
Arfon	4	2
Blaenau Gwent	75	63
Brecknock	21	18
Cardiff	354	317
Carmarthen	14	14
Ceredigion	32	11
Colwyn	6	2
Cynon Valley	135	67
Delyn	123	72
Dinefwr	19	19
Dwyfor	28	10

Welsh Districts	Presented	Accepted
Glyndwr	3	3
Islwyn	44	21
Llanelli	24	24
Lliw Valley	16	9
Meirionnydd	24	22
Merthyr Tydfil	21	21
Monmouth	93	48
Montgomery	8	8
Neath	87	87
Newport	159	158
Ogwr	125	118
Port Talbot	108	32
Preseli	16	13
Radnor	6	2
Rhondda	47	47
Rhuddlan	24	20
Rhymney Valley	78	66
S. Pembrokeshire	23	18
Swansea	147	43
Taff-Ely	121	36
Torfaen	175	119
Vale of Glamorgan	111	76
Wrexham Maelor	220	113
Ynys Mon	19	6
Wales Total	2,627	1,765

(a) under part III of the Housing Act 1985.

North-South Transport Links

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his Department's progress and plans to improve transport links between north and south Wales.

Information on road links is set out in "Roads in Wales 1989: Progress and Plans for the 1990s" published on 10 April. Public transport services are a matter for British Rail and for the county councils and public service operators.

Labour Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average annual salary of (a) all men in full-time employment, (b) all women in full-time employment and (c) all in full-time employment in (i) Wales, (ii) each county in Wales and (iii) each district in Wales.

Information for annual average earnings is not collected. The new earnings survey results giving data for average gross weekly earnings are given in the following table. District data are not available.

Average gross weekly earnings offull·time employees on adult rates —whose earnings were not affected by absence. April 1988
	Male £	Female £	All £
Clwyd	220·0	139·1	195·9
Dyfed¹	200·4	145·7	181·2
Gwent	218·8	150·7	197·8
Gwynedd	204·0	147·7	187·3
Mid Glamorgan	221·5	149·4	198·5
Powys	191·2	³	182·2
South Glamorgan	224·9	161·3	203·1
West Glamorgan²	220·7	145·9	199·6
Wales	217·8	150·3	196·5
¹ Excluding Llanelli.
² Including Llanelli.

³ Data not publishable due to low sample numbers giving a high standard error.

Source: New earnings survey April 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the current rate of unemployment in (a) Wales, (b) each travel-to-work area in Wales and (c) each district authority area in Wales.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Wales at 9 February 1989 was 8·9 per cent.Information on the travel-to-work areas in Wales is shown in the following tables:

Travel-to-work area	Unemployment rate (Per cent.)¹
Aberdare	17·5
Aberystwyth	8·1
Bangor and Caernarfon	13·3
Blaenau Gwent and Abergavenny	13·8
Brecon	6·1
Bridgend	10·5
Cardiff	9·1
Cardigan	18·0
Carmarthen	6·7
Conwy and Colwyn	11·6
Denbigh	8·0
Dolgellau and Barmouth	11·1
Fishguard	16·1
Haverfordwest	14·0
Holyhead	17·7
Lampeter and Aberaeron	13·2
Llandeilo	9·7
Llandrindod Wells	7·3
Llanelli	12·3
Machynlleth	11·9
Merthyr nd Rhymney	14·1
Monmouth	10·5
Neath and Port Talbot	10·1
Newport	9·5
Newtown	6·0
Pontypool and Cwmbran	10·9
Pontypridd and Rhondda	12·1
Porthmadoc and Ffestiniog	10·8
Pwllheli	19·0
Shotton, Flint and Rhyl	10·6
South Pembrokeshire	17·6
Swansea	11·8
Welshpool	5·9
Wrexham	10·0
¹ Unemployment rates quoted are as at 9 February 1989, which are the latest available and are on a basis which does not take into account the self-employed, Her Majesty's forces and those on Government-related training schemes. The corresponding rate for Wales on this basis is 11·0 per cent.
Unemployment rates are not calculated for districts.

Lakes (Pollution)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total number of lakes in each county in Wales in which fish life is affected by acidification from acid rain and other sources.

No categoric answer can be given. Provisional results from a Welsh water authority pilot survey of 37 lakes in Gwynedd located in class I and II catchments (that is, vulnerable to acidification) show that between 8 and 21 per cent. are thought to have suffered fishery decline which could be acid water related.

Dairy Processing Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those representations which he has received concerning the dairy processing industry in Wales since 1983; and if he will make a statement.

Since 1983 I have received a number of representations about a range of issues affecting the dairy processing industry in Wales.

Open-Cast Coal Sites

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the planning applications to develop open-cast coal sites submitted in 1987–88 in Wales were for (a) land, which at the time of the application, was being used for agriculture, (b) land which at the time of the application, was being used for forestry, (c) previously undisturbed countryside, (d) land which had previously been mined and (e) land which was already derelict due to previous industrial activity; and, in each case, if he will name the sites and the acreage involved.

This information is not available centrally.

Property Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what role his Department played in the sales of former Dairy Crest creameries in Wales, closed since 1979.

In addition to encouraging bodies such as the Welsh Development Agency and Mid Wales Development actively to seek alternative uses for the plants involved, my Department provided assistance, under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, to the new owners of the former Dairy Crest creameries at Llangefni, Felinfach and Newcastle Emlyn.

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
Woodlands sold in Clwyd
1982	Coed y Ffrith	8·1	SJ 138 750	C
1982	Land adjoining Cefn Rofft	1·0	SJ 008 498	C
1983	Dormitory Wood	3·0	SJ 060 728	B
1984	Big Covert	75·0	SJ 200 605	B
1984	Coed Jocelyn and Coed Salusbury	3·7	SJ 129 710	C
1984	Coed Wynne	2·3	SJ 134 715	C
1984	Coed y Moelfre	16·0	SJ 180 285	C
1984	Gop Hill	19·5	SJ 087 803	C
1984	Plas Nantyr	23·2	SJ 155 375	C
1984	Pontymeibion	2·0	SJ 198 351	C
1984	Ty Cerrig Wood	7·0	SJ 193 414	C
1984	Ochr y Fron	18·5	SJ 155 377	C
1984	Lower Blaen y Cwm	3·0	SJ 155 372	C
1984	Middle Blaen y Cum	0·3	SJ 153 372	C
1984	Blaen y Cwm Wood	1·4	SJ 151 372	C
1985	Bodrhyddan Woodlands Woodlands at Cwm Clwyd	21·0	SJ 075 765	C
1985	Coed Gaerwen	18·0	SJ 020 400	C
1985	Hafodunos	43·0	SH 860 677	C
1985	Land Adj Cefn Du Cyffylliog	0·6	SJ 045 547	C
1985	Pant yr Eos	9·0	SJ 180 285	C
1985	Pt Craignant Wd Bound Adj	1·8	SJ 244 345	C
1985	Pt Kinmel Estate Woods	11·6	SH 988 758	C
1986	Bodrhyddan Lot 4 Brior and Long Covert	6·0	SJ 075 765	C
1986	Bodrhyddan Woodlands Lot 1	130·0	SJ 075 765	C
1986	Bodrhyddan Woodlands Lot 3 Rhydorthwy Wen	3·0	SJ 075 765	C
1986	Coed Du and Coed Plas Wilkin	26·9	SJ 193 664	C
1986	Coed Duon	12·2	SJ 086 604	B
1986	Coed Moel Iago	19·9	SH 940 702	C
1986	Coed Nant Alyn	2·3	SJ 196 662	C

In the case of the creamery at Johnstown, the Welsh Development Agency sought and obtained my Department's approval to offer the new enterprise support under the rural conversion grant scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that property sold in Wales by publicly-owned companies is sold to the buyer most likely to bring the greatest economic advantages to the area; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's policy is that surplus land should be sold promptly at the current best price.

Winvest

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of inquiries received by WINvest for the nine last quarters for which figures are available.

WINvest has received many inquiries in the period under question, although the number involved has not been recorded. Inquiries are not considered to be a useful indicator of the genuine level of interest in Wales as a location for investment.

Woodlands

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all woodlands for each county in Wales which have been sold by the Forestry Commission in each of the last seven years indicating for each such woodland the (a) acreage, (b) grid reference and (c) species composition.

[holding answer 9 March 1989]: The information is given in the following tables:

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1986	Coed Nant Goch	7·7	SJ 083 608	B
1986	Coed Plas y Nant	29·3	SJ 160 577	C
1986	Coed Rhos Mostyn	3·8	SH 938 674	C
1986	Coed Sodom	8·3	SJ 100 723	C
1986	Coed y Fedw Cpt 522	12·4	SJ 200 617	C
1986	Fenns Wood	26·0	SJ 490 380	C
1986	Hafod Wood	24·2	SJ 001 687	C
1986	Oernant	5·4	SJ 190 468	C
1986	Plas Nantyr—Coed y Twmpath	9·0	SJ 155 375	C
1987	Bryn Gwenallt and Gopa Wood	47·5	SH 935 765	C
1987	Garth y Wig	26·0	SJ 044 492	C
1987	Land Adj Tan y Graig Boun	0·1	SJ 194 361	C
1987	Mostyn Dingle	14·5	SH 948 680	C
1987	Coed y Rhos	9·3	SJ 198 370	C
1988	Bodrhyddan Woods Lot 2 Coed Penymos	1·0	SJ 093 773	C
1988	Fedw Ithel and Coed y Fforest	16·0	SJ 099 591	C
1989	Coednant Barcutan	4·7	SJ 085 582	C
1989	Pwll Glas	5·3	SJ 112 543	C
Woodlands sold in Dyfed
1982	Allt Disgwylfa and Wern Wood	20·0	SN 562 480	C
1982	Belan (Glyn Brochan)	18·0	SN 930 816	C
1982	Dyffryn Woods	6·5	SN 577 503	C
1982	Gafriw Dingle	17·3	SN 477 544	C
1982	Pant Meddyg	11·4	SN 482 467	C
1982	Pen-yr-allt Llwyd	2·0	SN 478 587	B
1982	Pt Windleway Wood	0·4	SN 249 121	B
1982	Ynys Felen Plantation	5·0	SN 493 545	C
1983	Caed/Brechfa Package:
	Ty'r Cwm Woodlands	52·0	SN 533 342	C
	Allt Llwyn-Crwn	27·0	SN 533 446	C
1983	Castell Geifr	15·5	SN 420 587	C
1983	Christmas Wood	12·0	SN 774 288	C
1983	Coed Erglodd Fawr	29·0	SN 660 915	C
1983	Coed Erglodd Bach	1·7	SN 654 909	C
1983	Coed Maesygwandde (Cpt 294)	15·0	SN 775 365	C
1983	Forlan and Clover Hill	21·5	SN 080 249	C
1983	Glan yr Annell Isaf (Pt)	5·5	SN 655 360	C
1983	Gorslwyd	7·0	SN 737 763	C
1983	Lletty Twpa	2·9	SN 584 486	C
1983	Pantyrhyn/Neuadd Plantation	13·0	SN 363 562	C
1983	Part Ciliau Farm	20·5	SN 353 560	C
1983	Penyrallt Wood	9·4	SN 368 573	C
1983	Rhyd y Pererinion	2·8	SN 714 766	C
1984	Banc Grip (Cpt 3)	5·2	SN 585 706	C
1984	Cjlrhedyn Isaf (Land Adj)	4·5	SN 000 348	C
1984	Ffynon Ddu Wood (Pt)	27·0	SN 120 400	C
1984	Glanmarlais/Cwm Marlais	10·0	SN 685 330	C
1984	Pt Banc Fonllwyd	0·1	SN 562 561	C
1984	Tegfan	2·9	SN 547 578	C
1984	Ty-Gwyn Cpt 32	9·4	SN 528 646	C
1985	Allt Cwmllynfe	3·4	SN 701 337	C
1985	Allt Goch South (Cpt 8)	0·6	SN 238 402	C
1985	Allt Lwyd Plantation	8·9	SN 526 683	C
1985	Bettws Plantation	0·8	SN 593 515	C
1985	Caeo/Brechfa Package Allt Troed y Rhiw	67·0	SN 520 350	C
1985	Causeway Block	34·0	SM 908 224	C
1985	Crynfryn Pt	1·3	SN 583 610	C
1985	Derry Ormond Pt	1·3	SN 590 520	C
1985	Land Adjoining North Lodge	0·1	SN 564 498	C
1985	Old Pale Package Ffoswine Wood	17·0	SN 202 217	C
1985	Old Pale Package Allt Plas y Beili	7·0	SN 157 238	C
1985	Talog Package Corn Gafr and Bwlch Gwynt	35·5	SN 270 232	C
1985	Talog Package Nant y Castell	143·0	SN 450 304	C
1986	Abercych (Pt) Callt Sena and Allt Goch	23·0	SN 235 407	C
1986	Allt Crug Garn	5·3	SN 519 617	C
1986	Colby Woods Craig y Borion Wood, Little	39·5	SN 115 084	C
1986	Colby Woods Craig y Borion Wood and Pendeilo	0·1	SN 155 084	B
1986	Cwm Wyre	60·5	SN 555 698	C
1986	Dolau Aeron Package Fron Dolau, Allt Dolau and Tain Coed	42·6	SN 590 587	C
1986	Noyadd Trefawr	12·0	SN 260 458	C
1986	Noyadd Trefawr Allt y Cadno	4·0	SN 260 458	C
1986	Old Pale Great Pale and Little Pale	47·0	SN 235 150	C
1986	Old Pale Package Upper Newton	11·0	SN 270 115	C

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1986	Old Pale Package Dolwilym and Glyntaf	95·5	SN 170 255	C
1986	Old Pale Package Llanmiloe Woods	39·0	SN 253 091	C
1986	Old Pale Package Allt Glog y Fran	9·0	SN 243 153	C
1986	Old Pale Package Trevaughan	8·0	SN 205 150	C
1986	Old Pale Package The Pale Woodlands	119·0	SN 235 150	C
1986	Old Pale Package Windleway	26·0	SN 249 118	C
1986	Sealyham Woods	34·5	SN 960 273	B
1986	Talog Package Cilhir Uchaf and Talfan Uchaf	104·0	SN 325 238	C
1986	Talog Package Castell Mawr	8·0	SN 275 273	C
1986	Talog Package Allt Cilfrydin and Blaen y Cwm	25·0	SN 355 275	C
1986	Talog Package Llangarth Gynnin	8·0	SN 272 218	C
1986	Talog Package Allt Cefn Cloch and Allt Cithin Duon	41·5	SN 308 245	C
1986	Talog Package Nant Cwm Rhys	10·0	SN 336 305	C
1986	Talog Package Penygraig	8·0	SN 278 247	C
1987	Old Pale Package Allt Penlan	19·0	SN 206 194	C
1987	Scolton	9·5	SN 987 217	C
1987	Sychbant Recreation Area	9·0	SN 045 350	C
1987	Talog Package Caeruchedydd	14·0	SN 250 272	C
1987	Talog Package Cywyn Wood	17·0	SN 336 283	C
1987	Talog Package Allt Cilforch	22·0	SN 275 252	C
1987	Pt Allt Penarth	1·0	SN 651 407	B
1988	Allt Cae Gwynfys Wood	8·3	SN 751 343	C
1988	Castell Gorfod	22·9	SN 265 210	C
1988	Castle Hill	52·5	SN 623 745	C
1988	Cwm Darren Wood (Ty Canol)	5·0	SN 597 072	C
1988	Dan yr Allt	6·8	SN 780 350	C
1988	Gwaun Valley Glynwood	13·5	SN 008 345	C
1988	Lodge Park	10·1	SN 663 937	C
1988	Old Pale Package Glandycross	14·0	SN 140 270	C
1988	Panteg, Pencelli and Pontbren	68·4	SN 130 390	B
1988	Plas Estate	141·3	SN 332 142	C
1988	Talog Package Pant y Maen	7·9	SN 272 262	C
1989	Pen-yr-Heol Ddu	10·2	SN 661 150	C
1989	Talog Package Plas Parcau	9·0	SN 258 279	C
1989	Talog Package Plas Parciau	6·0	SN 323 224	C
1989	Talog Package Penrhiwlas	14·0	SN 334 265	C
1989	Talog Package Allt Tyddyn	11·0	SN 257 294	C
1989	Talog Package Cilhir Uchaf	5·0	SN 319 248	C
1989	Coed Glan Leri	7·2	SN 622 075	C
Woodlands sold in Gwent
1981	Penycwarel	9·0	ST 175 935	C
1982	Black Vein Washery Land	3·7	ST 229 911	C
1982	Llan Pill	9·0	SO 451 007	B
1982	The Knoll West Lane Coe	24·6	ST 424 903	B
1982	Wern Birs	13·0	SO 450 003	B
1983	Cpt 22 Tynffynnon	2·0	ST 253 874	C
1983	Tintern Package Lot 6 Talycoed	77·0	SO 415 163	C
1983	Lot 13 Manson Grove	10·5	SO 496 154	C
1983	Lot 7 Graig Farm Woods	46·0	SO 404 223	C
1983	Lot 7 Dyffryn Wood	9·5	SO 458 087	C
1983	Lot 12 Clappers Wood	4·5	SO 465 185	C
1983	Lot 2 Bourne Wood	9·0	SO 458 088	C
1983	Lot 9 Coed y Pwll	11·5	SO 440 212	C
1983	Lot 4 Graig Wood	10·5	SO 436 080	C
1983	Vineyard Wood and Adj Wood	2·0	ST 442 922	C
1983	Whitfield Wood	2·4	ST 496 962	B
1984	Barbadoes Wood Pt	2·0	SO 527 003	C
1984	Pontypool Park	19·5	SO 261 002	B
1984	Rogiett Brake	3·4	ST 455 887	C
1984	Tallycoed Court Areas A B	0·9	SO 420 149	B
1984	Tallycoed Court WD Area C	0·9	SO 420 149	B
1984	Land at Hafod y Daful	20·1	SO 200 047	C
1984	Land at Tormynydd	0·1	SO 474 019	B
1984	Ynys Hywell Farm	48·0	ST 193 909	B
1984	Tintern Package Lot 8 Highmeadow Wood	61·0	SO 412 228	C
1984	Lot 3 Yew Tree Wood	6·0	SO 454 087	C
1984	Lot 11 Colebrook Wood	7·5	SO 463 183	C
1984	Lot 5 Lower Pen y Clawdd	24·0	SO 436 080	C
1985	Tintern Package Lot 10 Tower Hill Wood	13·5	SO 454 193	C
1985	Woods at Lower Machen Pt 603	8·8	ST 238 879	B
1985	Youngs Grove	1·3	SO 532 093	C
1986	Henllys Cpt 32A	1·5	ST 273 910	B
1986	Skirrid Blocks Cpt 311	14·0	SO 327 168	C

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1987	Coed Wern Ddu	5·0	ST 489 893	C
1987	Kennels Wood	4·0	ST 489 946	C
1987	Skirrid Blocks Cpt 301	17·0	SO 327 168	C
1987	Wyelands Estate Cpt 152	3·0	ST 520 920	B
1987	Wyelands Estate Cpt 153	2·7	ST 520 920	B
1988	Coed Mawr Gotyre	7·0	SO 314 065	C
1988	Land at Carno	2·0	SO 162 130	C
1988	Graig Wyllt	12·1	ST 244 884	C
1988	Part Ffrwd Wood	2·0	SO 292 117	B
1988	Pwllmawr Wood	8·0	SO 528 103	C
1989	Coed y Trauch, Coed Llyneu	21·1	ST 299 856	C
1989	Lower Machen	7·5	ST 244 883	C
1989	Poolhead Wood	5·0	ST 397 887	B
1989	Trevella Woods	25·7	ST 422 978	C
1989	Goytre Wharf (Exchange)	0·7	SO 311 064	C
Woodlands sold in Gwynedd
1982	Land Adj Tyddyn Bach	1·4	SH 733 412	C
1982	Land Adj Tyn-Yr-Ardd	0·7	SH 779 602	C
1982	TyddynIsaf(Cpt 102)	27·0	SH 480 850	C
1983	Abergwynant	20·5	SH 680 180	C
1983	Goetre Land	5·7	SH 718 244	U
1983	Land Adj Brynprydydd	0·1	SH 741 229	C
1983	Llechwedd Melyn	10·6	SH 617 988	C
1983	Nannau Estate	79·3	SH 735 200	C
1983	Nurse Cae Seren	7·0	SH 900 332	B
1983	Parc Top Y Rhos	19·5	SH 198 308	C
1983	Penrhos Isaf Land	2·8	SH 739 239	U
1983	Pentre Plod	6·0	SH 895 304	C
1983	Ty Canol	28·6	SH 353 445	C
1984	Bangor By-Pass	1·9	SH 580 680	C
1984	Bedw (Cpt 56)	47·7	SH 910 310	C
1984	Coed Cae Fali (Pt Cpt 206)	58·0	SH 640 402	B
1984	Coed Pen Y Cefn	16·1	SH 725 187	C
1984	Cwm Mynach Isaf	180·0	SH 685 215	C
1984	Ffridd-Y-Mynydd (Penmaenpool)	31·5	SH 693 180	C
1984	Gwydyr Conwy Valley Package
	Coed Pentre Piogod	1·8	SH 765 719	B
	Marle Hall Woods	12·0	SH 800 790	B
	Coed Bryn Goleu	4·7	SH 813 700	C
	Coed Cae Coch	1·0	SH 779 651	C
	Maenen Hall Woods	21·6	SH 793 656	C
	Bwlch y Gwynt	8·5	SH 825 606	C
	Coed Tyn y Nant	4·4	SH 814 685	C
	Bryn Eisteddfod	21·0	SH 830 775	C
	Coed Frongoch	6·5	SH 814 690	C
	Coed Bron Garth	5·4	SH 820 793	B
	Coed y Brain	10·4	SH 819 665	B
	Coed Craflwyn	5·3	SH 764 723	B
	Cefn Llech	2·9	SH 809 665	C
1984	Land Adj Ffridd Bryn Coch	0·8	SH 694 290	C
1984	Taldrwst (Mynachdy)	46·9	SH 300 917	C
1984	Tyddyn Mawr	2·6	SH 707 160	C
1985	Aberglaslyn Wood	28·0	SH 590 463	C
1985	Abergwynant East Cpt F11	18·8	SH 682 176	C
1985	Bryn y Gwin	4·9	SH 717 177	C
1985	Caerhun Cpt 88	1·3	SH 573 687	C
1985	Coed Cefn Llanfair & Coed Wern	21·3	SH 323 336	C
1985	Coed Fron Acre Nant y Rhiw & Coed y Garth	20·9	SH 804 696	C
1985	Parc Mawr	33·9	SH 760 740	C
1985	Coed Pen y Bryn	2·9	SH 812 703	C
1985	Land Adj Esgairwen	0·6	SH 763 203	B
1985	Land Adj Nanthir	2·4	SH 816 110	C
1985	Maes y Neuadd	25·1	SH 620 350	C
1985	Plas Bodafon	21·0	SH 480 850	C
1985	Plas Bodafon	4·0	SH 477 855	C
1985	Pt Wern Wood (Road imp)	0·1	SH 626 418	C
1985	Road Impr at Hafod y Morfa	0·1	SH 705 196	C
1985	Rhiwerfa Cpt 1412	18·1	SH 670 065	C
1985	Trefriw Service Reservoir	0·2	SH 768 634	C
1985	Vale of Ffestiniog (Wernwood)	14·0	SH 626 420	C
1985	Vale of Ffestiniog (Hafod Boeth)	161·0	SH 635 410	C
1985	Vale of Ffestiniog (Coed Hafod Talog)	4·7	SH 625 399	C
1986	Cefn Creuan Cpts 7 and 8	93·7	SH 795 195	C
1986	Land at Tyddon Bach	5·6	SH 730 413	C
1986	Land Adj Creigiau Isaf	0·6	SH 947 391	C

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1986	Llwydiarth Exchange	9·0	SH 799 084	C
1986	Llwydiarth Plantation	2·5	SH 792 111	C
1987	Coed y Green	5·7	SH 405 714	C
1987	Dinas Mawddwy Lot 4 Tynypwll	11·6	SH 855 155	C
1987	Dinas Mawddwy Lot 3 Tynyceunant	12·7	SH 893 163	C
1987	Lot 5 Coed Cefn Coch and Coed y Bwlch	46·2	SH 865 143	C
1987	Lot 6 Coed Pant Glas and Bwlch y Garnedd	36·3	SH 879 142	C
1987	Lot 7 Tynywern	10·1	SH 900 142	C
1987	Dolhendre Wood	4·0	SH 855 310	C
1987	Goetre Woodlands	88·2	SH 645 185	C
1987	Gwydyr/Conwy Valley Package (Glyn Parc)	18·3	SH 770 730	C
1987	Land at Aberangell (Mary Pugh Fields)	3·0	SH 835 102	C
1987	Land at Gelligen Fach	0·4	SH 742 023	C
1988	Coed Perddwr, Hafod Gwyfs	52·7	SH 590 450	C
1988	Land Adj Pen Bryn	1·1	SH 556 796	C
1988	Sychnant	14·4	SH 707 391	C
1989	Dinas Mawddwy Lot 2 (Plasau)	58·2	SH 880 178	C
1989	Llwynbedw Isaf	5·3	SH 459 503	C
1989	Madryn Castle Woodlands	70·8	SH 285 367	C
1989	Mynogau	318·8	SH 830 180	C
Woodlands sold in Mid Glamorgan
1982	Land at Ffynon Dwyn	12·4	ST 053 964	C
1983	Derwen Block	6·4	SS 913 824	C
1984	Coed-y-Bedw	16·0	ST 112 827	B
1985	Coed Pen y Parc	13·0	ST 077 933	C
1985	Ogmore Washery Site	24·1	SS 942 894	C
1987	Land at End of Dunraven	3·7	SS 955 976	C
1988	Coed Llanfedw	6·0	ST 225 862	C
1988	Gelli Feddgaer	19·0	SS 952 865	C
1988	Hensol Package	2·0	ST 061 831	C
1988	Waun y Gilfach	37·0	SS 845 885	C
1989	Moelgilau	36·0	SS 904 885	C
1989	Pentre Tips	27·8	SS 978 960	C
Woodlands sold in South Glamorgan
1983	Garn Llwyd	13·0	ST 060 715	B
1983	Tair Onen Package—Coed Pen y Breach	10·0	ST 048 780	C
1984	Coed Pen y Fforddfawr	7·0	ST 030 750	C
1984	Tair Onen Packagc—City Wood	14·4	SS 996 782	C
1984	Tair Onen Package—Oak Park Wood	3·0	ST 036 803	B
1984	Tair Onen Package—Hill Farm Wood	2·0	ST 051 788	B
1984	Tair Onen Package—Coed Breigan	10·0	SS 982 926	B
1985	Tair Onen Package—Coed St Hilary	6·0	ST 011 732	C
1986	Cwrt-yr-Alla Woods	128·0	ST 138 743	C
1986	Tair Onen Package—Coed Horseland	8·0	ST 044 723	C
1986	Tair Onen Package Lot 7 Coed Arthur	26·0	ST 039 715	C
1988	Barry Link Road Ely Section	2·2	ST 153 755	B
1988	Plymouth Wood	52·9	ST 153 755	C
Woodland sold in West Glamorgan
1983	Cadoxton Wood	41·0	SS 765 995	C
1983	CPTS 3C D E (Baradychwallt)	5·3	SS 790 962	C
1983	Mosshouse Wood	11·0	SS 779 981	C
1983	Nicholaston Wood	27·0	SS 513 881	B
1985	Hafodheulog Wood	19·0	SS 845 847	C
1985	March Hywel (Pt)	61·0	SN 758 029	C
1985	Penrhiw Angharad Uchaf	45·5	SS 804 995	C
1985	Wern Halog Woods	4·0	SS 510 928	B
1986	Hayes Wood	28·0	SS 498 987	C
1986	Land for M4	0·4	SS 791 869	C
1987	Tarreni Gleison Tip	2·0	SN 757 062	C
1988	Derlwyn Opencast Site	123·0	SN 880 080	C
1988	Kilvrough Wood	7·0	SS 555 892	B
1988	Land at Nant-y-Gwddyl	10·0	SN 885 078	B
Woodlands sold in Powys
1981	Nant y Crach	2·0	SO 145 928	B
1981	Birchybank Coppice	5·7	SO 080 917	B
1981	The Forest	3·1	SO 170 973	B
1982	Alltwnog	20·2	SO 018 943	C
1982	Birchen Coppice	8·5	SO 265 573	C
1982	Gae Heylin	2·2	SO 106 895	C
1982	Cave Wood	7·0	SO 313 593	C
1982	Coed Glan Tanat	0·5	SJ 148 238	C

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1982	Coed y Bedw	12·0	SO 050 560	C
1982	Coed y Brain (W) and Lower	9·3	SO 110 982	C
1982	GlynlsafWood	4·3	SJ 134 036	C
1982	Land at Craig Farm	2·0	SN 853 518	C
1982	Lower Cwm y Ddalfa	9·3	SO 014 875	C
1982	Lower Wig	3·0	SO 125 880	C
1982	Newhouse Wood	1·8	SO 145 928	C
1982	Glyn Twymyn	27·2	SH 844 042	C
1982	Perth y Bi	4·1	SO 213 927	C
1982	Pwll-Iwrch and Pen y Banc	10·0	SH 835 011	C
1982	Rook Wood and Tylau Wood	10·5	SO 219 408	B
1982	Ty Mawrwoods	8·0	SO 144 970	C
1982	View Wood	5·2	SO 217 897	C
1982	Wenallt	2·8	SH 945 488	C
1983	Carno Wood	15·0	SN 983 231	C
1983	Coch y Dwst	8·0	SO 055 640	C
1983	Coed y Gwernydd	13·4	SJ 115 150	C
1983	Crynfryn and Cae Star	23·0	SN 975 625	C
1983	Dolagored Cpt 87	20·0	SO 005 550	C
1983	Ffridd Wood	15·3	SO 075 900	C
1983	Gwern Dyfnant	4·0	SO 232 568	C
1983	Cwgia Lake Woods	7·5	SO 054 982	C
1983	Cae Heulen	61·0	SN 790 990	C
1983	Penarth Cpt 108	8·2	SO 115 529	C
1983	Llwyndyrys	4·0	SN 948 843	C
1983	Crybynau Pltn	11·6	SN 943 857	C
1983	Clydffanau	5·4	SN 980 850	C
1983	Coedcwmheryr and Berthllwyd	117·4	SN 948 843	C
	Coppice		SN 980 850	C
1983	Rhydolgod	13·0	SN 940 680	C
1983	Talgarth Hospital Woods	8·0	SO 166 327	B
1983	Ty'n-y-Graig Wood	3·7	SO 050 977	C
1984	Allt Fawr	20·5	SJ 140 140	C
1984	Brycheiniog Main Block	634·0	SO 050 390	C
1984	Coed Erw Ddol	6·0	SN 942 543	C
1984	Coed Neuadd	3·7	SN 980 562	C
1984	Coed Ty Canol	4·2	SN 995 522	C
1984	Esgair Gronwen	3·6	SN 876 895	C
1984	Glangwesyn Cpt 30	9·0	SN 865 547	C
1984	Gwarallt Wood	15·0	SO 006 498	C
1984	Bettws Dingle	17·0	SO 226 462	C
1984	Wern Frank Wood	6·0	SO 195 335	C
1984	Wood Near Ty'n-y-Cwm	12·0	SO 113 310	C
1984	Llwyni Dingle	5·0	SO 198 445	C
1984	Tynyrhos Exchange	4·0	SN 875 815	C
1984	Cwmfforest Wood	7·0	SO 184 298	C
1984	Burnt House Wood	1·5	SO 193 446	C
1984	Wood Near Llandefaelog	6·5	SO 118 303	C
1984	Hendre Ladis	29·0	SN 802 108	B
1984	Llanfechan Wood	10·0	SN 978 498	C
1984	Llanwrtyd Package Ffosyrhyddod	65·0	SN 885 505	C
1984	Llanwrtyd Package Sugar Loaf	89·0	SN 840 431	C
1984	Lluast Cpt 170 (PT) (Land Adj Penywaun)	2·7	SJ 023 050	C
1984	Pencae Cpt 24D	6·0	SN 893 555	C
1984	Pentrenant Dingle	9·5	SO 240 905	C
1984	Tylwch	26·1	SN 973 805	C
1984	Banhadlog Woods	6·3	SN 972 807	C
1984	Penybank	7·8	SN 972 807	C
1984	Glascoed	8·2	SN 988 892	C
1984	Penpontbren	13·8	SN 972 807	C
1984	Robins Bank Plantation	3·9	SN 978 890	C
1985	Cefn Caregog	4·8	SJ 152 142	C
1985	Coed Lladron	28·7	SO 121 689	C
1985	Cwm Wood	19·2	SO 055 955	C
1985	Cwm yr Ychen Cpts 10 and 11	112·0	SN 950 760	C
1985	Foel Ortho Cpt 86	54·0	SJ 065 217	C
1985	Wood Near Bronydd	3·0	SO 224 456	C
1985	Land at Red Lion	1·5	SO 066 772	C
1985	Llanwrtyd Package	6·0	SN 892 489	C
1985	Mynydd Mawr North	3·8	SJ 151 217	C
1985	Mynydd Mawr South	3·7	SJ 156 211	C
1985	Mynydd Ty Coch	10·9	SJ 143 210	C
1985	Park Wood	57·0	SO 166 345	C
1985	Rhosgoch Wood North	7·3	SO 024 565	C
1985	Rhosgoch Wood South	6·4	SO 023 558	C
1985	Ty Gwyn Plantation and Neuadd Woods	38·2	SO 020 560	C
1986	Bailey Bevan	5·8	SO 046 650	C

Year	Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
1986	Bryn Hennllys Occs	69·0	SN 763 123	C
1986	Coed Bron-y-Fedw and Penarth	9·4	SJ 089 032	C
1986	Coed Dolgead	4·4	SJ 084 088	C
1986	Hendre-Fach	2·0	SO 003 676	C
1986	Land Adj The Kennels	0·1	SO 166 968	B
1986	Rhiw-Saeson	66·0	SH 900 600	C
1987	Allt Goch	8·0	SN 950 973	C
1987	Cefn yr Parc Woods	8·5	SO 003 283	C
1987	Dyffryn	11·8	SJ 148 133	C
1987	Hay Package Trefeinon Woods	22·0	SO 142 298	C
1987	Hay Package College Wood	4·0	SO 150 320	C
1987	Hay Package Allt Velindre	84·0	SO 195 363	C
1987	Hay Package Forest Wood	36·0	SO 207 432	C
1987	Hay Package (Pt) Penylan Wood	8·5	SO 209 442	C
1987	Nantyrofferiad (Pt)	10·7	SO 031 433	C
1987	Parc Llwydiarth	0·7	SJ 020 154	C
1987	Penlan Plantations	23·8	SO 037 655	C
1987	Pontbrenddu Cpt 4	15·0	SN 948 595	C
1987	Round Wood	3·3	SJ 185 098	C
1987	Stonehouse Wood	8·8	SJ 182 102	C
1988	Charity Wood	3·0	SO 241 210	C
1988	Hay Package Cwm Brychen	13·5	SO 256 323	C
1988	Land Adj Park Llwydiarth	1·0	SJ 023 153	C
1988	Llanwrtyd Package Maesygwaelod	18·8	SN 883 483	C
1988	Penarth Wood	5·6	SO 138 918	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Coed Tyddyn	3·4	SO 039 545	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Forty Acre Wood	3·6	SO 040 556	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Pencerrig East	1·8	SO 043 543	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Erw Bant	2·0	SO 042 562	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Castle Crab Wood	2·8	SO 044 554	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Dugoed Dingle	16·0	SO 035 540	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Tyncoed Woods	23·9	SO 029 551	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Cwrt yr Alla Wood	12·9	SO 085 610	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Pencerrig Wood	7·8	SO 040 537	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Cilgwynfydd	3·5	SO 041 549	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Newmead Farm 1	12·8	SO 055 540	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Coed Mawr	6·8	SO 050 545	C
1988	Plantations Near Llandrin Newmead Farm 2	8·6	SO 055 536	C
1988	Woodland Near Cathedine	24·0	SO 150 259	C
^* The species composition is not available in any more detail than B for mainly broadleaves, C for mainly conifers and U for unplanted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list all woodlands currently proposed for sale in Wales by the Forestry Commission and state for each such woodland the (a) acreage, (b) map reference and (c) species composition.

Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
Woodlands proposed for sale in Clwyd
Betws Lodge Wood	13·50	SH 928 764	C
Coed Pantglas and Coedynant	26·80	SJ 090 568	C
Coed y Garreg	22·10	SJ 133 782	C
Nant-y-Ffrith and Gwernto	153·00	SH 265 545	C
Plas Efenechtyd	8·30	SH 104 567	C
Woodlands proposed for sale in Dyfed
Allt Goch	34·30	SN 670 810	C
Allt Ty Cam	4·40	SN 688 802	C
Allt Waun Corngan	11·00	SN 383 184	C
Allt Y Gwreiddyn	35·0	SN 675 804	C
Blaencennen Cpt 562	4·00	SN 699 200	C
Caeo/Brechfa Package	33·00	SN 585 430	C
Caeo/Brechfa Package	107·00	SN 670 490	C
Cenarth Estate	58·00	SN 295 390	C
Coed Aberffrwd	12·30	SN 685 787	C
Coed Cwm Cae	4·00	SN 747 867	C
Coed Cwm Llety	3·70	SN 629 806	C
Coed Gault-y-Gyrnig Cpt 295	800	SO 808 418	C
Coed Rhiwarthen	9·00	SN 656 790	C
Coed Tan-yr-Allt	7·50	SN 513 580	C

[holding answer 9 March 1989] The information is given in the following table:

Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
Coed Troed Rhiwfelin	12·00	SN 667 780	C
Coed y Daren	12·20	SN 680 834	C
Coed y Gwyryn	14·80	SN 635 823	C
Coedmore Estate	56·00	SN 195 438	C
College Wood	12·00	SN 345 168	C
Craig Clogan Part Cpt 281	27·00	SN 726 587	C
Cwm Cynfelin	8·00	SN 607 856	C
Edwinsford Estate	151·00	SN 632 346	C
Faedre Fawr (Pt)	6·50	SN 433 420	C
Ffynnon-Rhys (Glan-Nant)	9·90	SN 468 513	C
Foel Allt Cpt 28 Part	7·80	SN 319 399	C
Glanmarlais/Cwm Marlais	9·00	SN 677 334	C
Glanymor	11·50	SN 590 835	C
Glanyrannell Lot 1 (Alt Isaf)	16·00	SN 654 382	C
Glanyrannell Lot 2	10·00	SN 673 372	C
Glanyrannell Lot 11 (Coed Gwynion, Rosehill and Allt y Fron)	14·30	SN 683 300	C
Glanyrannell Lot 4 (Maestwynog)	17·90	SN 690 372	C
Glanyrannell Lot 5 (Cwmrilath)	7·40	SN 679 335	C
Glanyrannell Lot 6 (Cwmmarlais)	1·00	SN 684 333	B
Glanyrannell Lot 7 (Allt Ysgllbor Yoroth)	8·10	SN 701 332	C
Glanyrannell Lot 8 (Banc y Llan)	7·30	SN 675 715	C
Glanyrannell Lot 9 (Goitre)	28·70	SN 648 293	C
Glynllydan	8·00	SN 682 195	C
Gwaun Valley Pengegin	5·90	SN 008 345	C
Letterston Moor	15·00	SM 940 288	C
Little Treffgarne Wood	46·00	SM 965 234	B
Llandovery Package (Now split into smaller packages)	466·20	SN 770 345	C
Llyn Llech Owen	64·00	SN 570 150	C
Melindwr Hall	10·00	SN 686 818	B
Motygido/Penllwyber	21·80	SN 405 575	C
Musland and Lower Broadmoor	10·00	SM 942 275	C
Nant Cellan Fach	5·00	SN 595 843	C
Old Pale Package Westmeads Farm	29·00	SN 263 093	C
Old Pale Package Colston	10·00	SN 254 102	C
Old Pale Package Gors Fach	9·00	SN 165 293	C
Orchard Covert	0·50	SN 564 992	B
Parc-y-Pwll	22·00	SM 976 266	C
Pentre Euan	28·00	SN 090 380	B
Penwenallt	30·00	SN 206 418	B
Plantations near Tynybedw	31·00	SN 690 713	C
Ridgeway Estate	15·00	SN 068 156	C
Ystrad Wood	12·00	SN 395 189	B
Woodlands proposed for sale in Gwent
Cefyn Mynog	5·50	SO 321 068	C
Craig and Dorlan Woods	8·00	ST 476 986	C
Craig Plantation	2·00	SO 458 153	B
Fruid Wood, Penallt	2·30	SO 529 085	B
Hayes Goldsmiths Joint WD	44·50	SO 525 150	C
Kinsons Plantation	7·00	SO 525 070	C
Land at Nant Hafod Tudor	1·50	ST 201 916	B
Longditch Wood	10·00	ST 380 876	B
Newport/Worcester T RD	4·00	SO 142 144	B
Park Wood (Pt)	11·50	ST 251 870	C
Risca/Rogerstone By-pass	2·90	ST 216 913	C
Routs Wood and Great Wood	35·40	SO 383 886	B
Upper Seven Acres	5·00	SO 441 897	B
Wilcrick Hill	7·00	SO 412 877	B
Woodlands proposedfor sale in Gwynedd
Cadair Ifan coch	52·40	SH 790 668	C
Coed Gorllwyn and Coed Aber	16·50	SH 589 426	C
Craig y Gelli (Ynysfor)	4·20	SH 591 433	C
Cwm Gwared	42·00	SH 413 483	C
Dinas Mawddwy Lot 7	1·40	SH 872 138	C
Dinas Mawddwy Lot 1	4·70	SH 910 199	C
Hafotty and Garreg Fawr	41·30	SH 627 436	C
Mynydd Rhiw	60·20	SH 240 295	C
Part Dolfriog	1·50	SH 612 457	B
Penmachno-NT Lease Exchange	27·00	SH 770 535	C
Pt Escair-Gawr	2·00	SH 822 231	C
Woodlands proposed for sale in mid Glamorgan
Coed Brithdir, Ty'r Capel	7·00	SO 138 027	C
Coed Wernlys	6·00	SS 898 828	C
Gelligaer	32·50	SS 768 940	C
Hensol Package	24·00	ST 034 796	B
Hensol Package	6·00	ST 029 831	C

Name	Area (hectares)	Grid Reference	Species^*
Land at St. John's Colliery	25·00	SS 883 917	C
Pennsylvania	35·00	SS 885 832	C
Woodlands proposed for sale in Powys
Allt Newydd	15·00	SN 993 343	C
Berth Ddu	9·00	SN 910 325	C
Cefn Hybol	8·20	SO 160 966	C
Cefn-Derw	10·10	SO 141 805	C
Cefyn Coed	8·00	SN 987 342	C
Coed Beili Glas/Cefn Gof	15·00	SN 910 325	C
Coed Cae Gilbert	5·30	SN 882 970	C
Coed Mawr	7·00	SN 946 306	C
Coed-y-Rhiwlas	19·00	SN 958 315	C
Cwm Lliw	5·50	SN 956 298	C
Cyfronydd	7·70	SJ 145 085	C
Dolgau	290·00	SN 900 935	C
Gamallt	13·60	SN 955 712	C
Gilfach Plantation	8·80	SO 275 662	C
Gwern Dyfnant Woods	11·90	SO 225 565	C
Gwern-f-Figyn	6·50	SN 948 309	C
Gwem-Illa	5·00	SO 220 540	C
Gwern-y-Bwlch Cpts 214·216	32·00	SN 870 040	C
Hay Package	72·50	SO 245 355	C
Llys Coppice & Penllys Ro	16·30	SO 175 218	C
Liower Ceulannau	6·70	SO 120 875	C
Lower Serth Wood	3·60	SN 965 695	C
Part Black Nursery	9·80	SO 210 530	C
Pen-y-Bryn	12·00	SN 957 306	C
Pen-y-Castle Wood (Middle)	10·40	SO 135 876	C
Pool & Kerry Hil Plantation	12·90	SO 135 855	C
Scrubby Wood	8·60	SO 210 540	C
Spite Inn	36·60	SN 860 405	C
St. Harmon	1·40	SN 957 700	C
Cefn Fannog	390·00	SN 820 510	C
Gamrhiw/Garth Bank/Cwmcly	424·00	SN 947 507	C
Woodlands proposed for sale in soulh Glamorgan
Hensol Package	6·00	ST 057 785	C
Hensol Package	14·00	ST 037 785	C
Hensol Package	14·00	ST 033 783	B
Hensol Package	12·80	ST 160 835	B
Hensol Package	5·00	ST041 774	B
Hensol Package	6·00	ST041 791	C
Hensol Package	4·00	ST 055 783	C
Woodlands proposed for sale in west Glamorgan
Brithdir Wood	12·00	SS 719 981	C
Briton Ferry Woods	16·30	SS 750 930	C
Caerau Park	162·00	SS 855 955	C
Craig Ynysgollen	10·00	SN 802 013	C
Craigfawr	52·00	SS 795 868	C
Gnoll Woods	26·00	SS 768 985	C
Hensol Package	4·00	ST 058 779	C
Melin Llan Road Improvement	0·20	SS 625 993	C
Pt. Penllergaer Wood	20·20	SN 621 002	C
Wern Halog Woods	16·30	SS 510 928	C
^* The species composition is not available in any more detail than B for mainly broadleaves and C for mainly conifers.

Health

Schizophrenia

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish in the Official Report the number of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia eligible for after-care under section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 and discharged after detention under (a) section 3, (b) section 37 and (c) sections 47 and 48 of the Act.

Central statistics for 1986, the most recent year for which figures are held, show the following numbers of discharges with a main diagnosis of schizophrenia from National Health Service mental illness hospitals and units in England immediately subsequent to a period of formal detention under these sections of the Mental Health Act 1983: (a) section 3, 933; (6) section 37, 236; (c) section 47 and 48, 6. The numbers do not relate to individuals as the same patients may be discharged and readmitted more than once during the year.All patients discharged following detention under these sections are eligible for after-care under section 117 of the Act.

Abortions

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by year from April 1986 to the latest available date the total number of abortions performed under ground five of the Abortion Act 1967 in the Trent regional health authority; and what percentage this represents by year of all abortions performed.

I regret that the information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. I will write to the hon. Member with the figures for the most recent year available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total number of abortions performed by year in the Trent regional health authority from April 1968 to the latest available date.

The information is shown in the table for residents of England and Wales.

Number of terminations performed under the Abortion Act 1967 in Trent regional health authority¹ to usual residents of England and Wales, 27 April 1968 to 30 June 1988.
Year	Number
1968^{1 3}	715
1969¹	2,035
1970¹	3,254
1971¹	4,240
1972¹	5,047
1973¹	9,116
1974	5,722
1975	5,081
1976	5,175
1977	5,529
1978	5,974
1979	6,626
1980	6,777
1981	6,863
1982	7,463
1983	8,847
1984	9,330
1985	9,099
1986	9,942
1987	10,392
1988⁴	5,420
Total²	132,647
¹ Sheffield hospital region 1968–73.
² Total from 27 April 1968 to 30 June 1988
³ Figure is from 27 April to 31 December only
⁴ Provisional figure for I January to 30 June.

Health Service Expenditure

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the gross domestic product was spent on the National Health Service in each year since 1959.

The table shows the percentage of GDP spent on the National Health Service for the years 1959 to 1988. The expenditure figures for 1959 to 1964 have been taken from the report of the Royal Commission on the National Health Service. Figures from 1965 have been derived from the United Kingdom national accounts prepared by the Central Statistical Office.

Gross expenditure on the NHS as a percenlage of GDP
Year	Per cent.
1959	3·3
1960	3·3
1961	3·4
1962	3·4
1963	3·4
1964	3·4
1965	3·3
1966	3·4
1967	3·6
1968	3·6
1969	3·6
1970	3·8
1971	3·9

Year	Per cent.
1972	4·0
1973	3·9
1974	4·8
1975	5·1
1976	5·1
1977	4·9
1978	4·9
1979	4·8
1980	5·3
1981	5·5
1982	5·3
1983	5·5
1984	5·4
1985	5·3
1986	5·3
1987	5·3
1988	5·2

General Practitioner Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost per patient per annum for general practitioner services.

In 1987–88, the latest year for which full information is available, the total cost of the general medical services in England represented an average cost per patient per annum of about £26·50. Including the cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by general medical practitioners, the average cost rises to about £59. These figures exclude any element for the costs of hospital referrals initiated by general medical practitioner, or for the administrative costs of family practitioner committees which manage these and other family practitioner services.

Benzodiazepines

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the percentage of those currently taking benzodiazepines in the United Kingdom who are addicted to the drug.

We do not hold this information centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce a compensation system for people whose lives have been damaged by benzodiazepine addiction.

We have no plans to do so.

Bolvidon

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were dispensed for the drug Bolvidon by community pharmacists in the last year for which figures are available.

Bolvidon is a branded form of Mianserin hydrochloride. In England in 1987 community pharmacists dispensed 150,200 prescriptions written for Bolvidon. In the same period, community pharmacists dispensed a further 412,100 prescriptions written for Mianserin, in a proportion of which cases they will have supplied Bolvidon.

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital patients were infected with methicillinresistant staphylococcus aureus in the last year for which figures are available; how many died; and if he will make a statement.

In the year to 31 December 1988, 625 hospital patients were infected with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with 24 deaths attributable or partly attributable to the infection. High standards of hygiene for both patients and staff, and the thorough cleaning of infected wards, are important for the control of MRSA. A national survey of MRSA is in continual progress conducted jointly by the hospital infection division of the public health laboratory service and the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre with results being available to microbiologists on request.

Neurosciences Centres (South East Thames Region)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce a decision on the future siting of a neurosciences centre in the South East Thames region.

I have today approved the proposal by South East Thames regional health authority to build a new neurosciences centre on Denmark hill, costing more than £27 million. It will bring together the two existing neurosciences units at the Brook hospital, Greenwich and at the Maudsley hospital, thus husbanding highly specialised professional expertise in order to improve the standard of treatment to patients. The centre will be on the Maudsley hospital site, but linked by a bridge to King's College hospital. The future siting of a neurosciences centre has been the subject of many years of study, with resulting uncertainty for the existing units at the Brook and the Maudsley. This decision will bring those years of uncertainty to an end. The health authorities want to improve the services now provided at the Brook hospital and I have asked the region to come back to me at the end of this year with their proposals for a range of hospital provision in the Greenwich district which will meet the needs of local people.

Social Security

Disabled People

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when sections 2, 3, 7, 8(ii) and 11 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 are likely to be implemented.

We plan to implement section 11 later this year. We have accepted the local authority associations' view that the next priority should be section 7, and detailed work on this is well under way. It will be followed by work on the remaining sections of the Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what account will be taken of the need of some people with disabilities for more space or extra rooms in deciding notional market rents for the purpose of housing benefit claims; and if he will make a statement.

The Government do not believe that the Exchequer should in general subsidise spare accommodation through the housing benefit scheme but we accept that some housing benefit claimants, such as the disabled, may need a spare room.Under the arrangements from 1 April 1989 for assessment of reasonable market rents, rent officers will indicate whether or not housing benefit claimants are living in accommodation with an excessive number of rooms and, if so, will assess a notional rent for accommodation of an appropriate size. They will take account of the number of people in the household, including any carer living with a disabled person.The decision whether to restrict the rent eligible for housing benefit is one for the local authority but, after 13 weeks, it will generally receive subsidy on benefit only up to the level of the rent officer's assessment. However, in the case of a disabled person, the local authority may restrict the eligible rent only if it is satisfied that suitable cheaper alternative accommodation is available and it is reasonable to expect the claimant to move. If the authority cannot restrict the rent, it will receive full, 97 per cent., subsidy up to the level of the rent officer's assessment and 50 per cent. sbsidy on benefit paid above that level. Benefit expenditure not met by direct subsidy is reflected in the rates support grant arrangements.

Industrial Injuries And Diseases

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the lung diseases which are currently recognised as industrial diseases for the purposes of workers' compensation legislation.

The lung diseases prescribed for defined occupations under the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations are:

Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (including farmer's lung)
Poisoning by oxides of nitrogen
Poisoning by beryllium or a compound of beryllium
Poisoning by cadmium
Primary carcinoma of a bronchus or of a lung
Pneumoconiosis
Byssinosis
Diffuse mesothelioma (primary neoplasm of the mesothelium of the pleura or of the pericardium or of the peritoneum)
Occupational asthma (due to exposure to specified agents)
Primary carcinoma of the lung where there is accompanying evidence of one or both of the following (a) asbestosis; (b) bilateral diffuse pleural thickening
Bilateral diffuse pleural thickening
Lung cancer

Community Care (Grants And Loans)

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate the number of cases in the year end 31 March for the Walthamstow, Leytonstone and Woodrange park offices of his Department in which applications for (a) community care grants and (b) community care loans were turned down.

Such information is available in the Library for the period April 1988 to February 1989. Information for March 1989 will be placed in the Library later this month.

Central Pensions Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the average waiting time for a telephone call to the central pensions office in Newcastle after it has been received at the switchboard before it is answered by the appropriate office;(2) what plans there are to improve the speed of response to telephone calls by the appropriate departments at the central pensions office at Newcastle after they have been received at the switchboard.

The average time when the required extension is free is 10 seconds. Information is not collected showing how long it takes to connect to an extension when it is engaged.A new telephone exchange and additional lines are to be installed at Newcastle central office later this year which will help to improve response times particularly through automatic re-routing of calls.

Grants And Loans

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, what are the staff to claimant ratios for social fund departments (a) nationally, (b) in the Northern region, (c) in South Tyneside, (d) in Gateshead, (e) in Newcastle, (f) in Sunderland and (g) in North Tyneside, respectively.

The information is not available in the format requested. Details are recorded monthly of the staff days spent on social fund activity. Information to 28 February 1989, the latest available date, is given in the table.

February 1989
	Staff days spent on Social Fund	Income Support Load
National	67,300	4,395,046
North Eastern Region	12,442	708,675
North Tyneside
Gateshead	276	21,072
Newcastle St. James	206	14,926
Newcastle East	285	14,514
Newcastle West	179	10,451
Wallsend	173	7,986
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	75	4,363
Jarrow	172	7,515
North Shields	160	10,438
South Shields	285	12,006
Sunderland North	374	18,823
Sunderland South	238	15,389

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications were received in each month since 1 April 1988 for (i) community care grants, (ii) budgeting loans and (iii) crisis loans (a) nationally, (b) in the Northern region, (c) in South Tyneside, (d) in Gateshead, (e) in Newcastle, (f) in Sunderland and (g) in North Tyneside, respectively.

Details of the Department's local offices both nationally and in the north-eastern region are given in this information held in the Library. Details of the offices in the North Tyneside and South Tyneside areas were given in my reply to the hon. Member on 23 March at column 787.Changes to the social fund on 11 April 1988 introduced community care grants, budgeting loans and crisis loans. Information on the numbers of applications processed for social fund loans and grants, listed by local office, is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the average time taken by social fund officers to reach a decision on crisis or budgeting loans or community care grants (a) nationally, (b) in the Northern region, (c) in South Tyneside, (d) in Gateshead, (e) in Newcastle, (f) in Sunderland and (g) in North Tyneside, respectively, for each month from April 1988.

The average for budgeting loans clearance times includes the time taken by the applicant to accept or refuse the loan offer. This time may vary from as little as a few minutes up to 14 calendar days.The information available is shown in the table:

Average clearance time (in whole working days)
	Crisis loans	Budgeting loans	Community care grants
April 1988
National	0·5	17·1	8·7
North Eastern Region	1·0	17·1	9·0
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	24·0	11·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	7·0	9·0
Newcastle East	1·0	16·0	1·0
Newcastle West	1·0	16·0	14·0
Wallsend	1·0	24·0	5·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	6·0	27·0	1·0
Jarrow	3·0	14·0	5·0
North Shields	1·0	8·0	1·0
South Shields	3·0	40·0	13·0
Sunderland North	2·0	22·0	21·0
Sunderland South	2·0	19·0	1·0
May 1988
National	0·5	11·5	4·5
North Eastern Region	0·9	11·6	4·1
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	20·0	3·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	12·0	1·0
Newcastle East	1·0	12·0	1·0
Newcastle West	1·0	4·0	2·0
Wallsend	1·0	23·0	2·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	3·0	4·0	1·0
Jarrow	2·0	6·0	1·0
North Shields	1·0	25·0	1·0
South Shields	6·0	30·0	18·0
Sunderland North	2·0	19·0	6·0
Sunderland South	1·0	16·0	1·0
June 1988
National	0·6	11·2	4·3
North Eastern Region	0·8	11·2	4·3
North Tyneside
Gateshead	2·0	11·0	1·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	8·0	7·0
Newcastle East	1·0	9·0	2·0
Newcastle West	1·0	4·0	3·0
Wallsend	1·0	6·0	3·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	3·0	1·0
Jarrow	1·0	5·0	1·0
North Shields	1·0	17·0	1·0
South Shields	7·0	15·0	6·0
Sunderland North	1·0	19·0	15·0
Sunderland South	1·0	26·0	5·0

	Crisis loans	Budgeting loans	Community care grants
July 1988
National	1·0	13·9	9·7
North Eastern Region	1·1	12·5	8·7
North Tyneside
Gateshead	2·0	6·0	1·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	6·0	4·0
Newcastle East	1·0	5·0	7·0
Newcastle West	2·0	7·0	4·0
Wallsend	1·0	6·0	5·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	6·0	1·0
Jarrow	1·0	23·0	20·0
North Shields	1·0	22·0	2·0
South Shields	5·0	19·0	11·0
Sunderland North	1·0	14·0	20·0
Sunderland South	1·0	26·0	9·0
August 1988
National	1·0	12·8	9·1
North Eastern Region	1·1	12·1	8·5
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	14·0	2·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	8·0	5·0
Newcastle East	3·0	4·0	1·0
Newcastle West	1·0	5·0	3·0
Wallsend	1·0	9·0	10·0
Soulh Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	8·0	5·0
Jarrow	1·0	17·0	16·0
North Shields	1·0	20·0	3·0
South Shields	4·0	30·0	19·0
Sunderland North	2·0	7·0	7·0
Sunderland South	2·0	9·0	11·0
September 1988
National	1·2	16·3	10·1
North Eastern Region	1·3	16·0	9·8
Norlh Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	11·0	3·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	12·0	7·0
Newcastle East	2·0	11·0	3·0
Newcastle West	1·0	16·0	5·0
Wallsend	2·0	13·0	6·0
Soulh Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	9·0	4·0
Jarrow	1·0	9·0	5·0
North Shields	1·0	27·0	8·0
South Shields	7·0	14·0	12·0
Sunderland North	1·0	18·0	13·0
Sunderland South	2·0	15·0	13·0
October 1988
National	1·3	13·8	9·0
North Eastern Region	1·3	12·5	8·1
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	10·0	5·0
Newcastle St. James	1·0	8·0	2·0
Newcastle East	1·0	10·0	4·0
Newcastle West	1·0	17·0	5·0
Wallsend	2·0	12·0	5·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	10·0	4·0
Jarrow	1·0	11·0	4·0
North Shields	1·0	25·0	8·0
South Shields	6·0	19·0	17·0
Sunderland North	1·0	17·0	11·0
Sunderland South	2·0	13·0	13·0

	Crisis loans	Budgeting loans	Communiiy care grants
November 1988
National	1·4	13·3	8·7
North Eastern Region	1·4	12·3	7·7
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	8·0	4·0
Newcastle St. James	3·0	9·0	2·0
Newcastle East	1·0	10·0	6·0
Newcastle West	1·0	5·0	3·0
Wallsend	2·0	13·0	4·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	8·0	4·0
Jarrow	1·0	14·0	12·0
North Shields	1·0	11·0	2·0
South Sheilds	5·0	17·0	11·0
Sunderland North	2·0	16·0	12·0
Sunderland South	2·0	17·0	16·0
December 1988
National	1·4	8·6	7·1
North Eastern Region	1·4	7·5	5·8
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	7·0	2·0
Newcastle St. James	3·0	5·0	5·0
Newcastle East	1·0	4·0	7·0
Newcastle West	1·0	5·0	2·0
Wallsend	1·0	4·0	4·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	3·0	1·0
Jarrow	1·0	10·0	8·0
North Shields	1·0	14·0	4·0
South Shields	5·0	8·0	6·0
Sunderland North	1·0	9·0	6·0
Sunderland South	2·0	14·0	11·0
January 1989
National	1·0	10·6	6·5
North Eastern Region	1·1	9·9	6·0
North Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	10·0	4·0
Newcastle St. James	2·0	9·0	4·0
Newcastle East	1·0	7·0	6·0
Newcastle West	1·0	5·0	2·0
Wallsend	1·0	7·0	6·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	2·0	9·0	7·0
Jarrow	1·0	8·0	5·0
North Shields	2·0	21·0	2·0
South Shields	3·0	14·0	13·0
Sunderland North	1·0	9·0	6·0
Sunderland South	2·0	17·0	11·0
February 1989
National	1·0	9·3	6·2
North Eastern Region	1·1	8·9	5·6
Norlh Tyneside
Gateshead	1·0	9·0	3·0
Newcastle St. James	3·0	6·0	5·0
Newcastle East	1·0	8·0	14·0
Newcastle West	1·0	9·0	3·0
Wallsend	1·0	9·0	6·0
South Tyneside
Houghton le Spring	1·0	10·0	5·0
Jarrow	1·0	15·0	11·0
North Shields	2·0	23·0	1·0
South Shields	3·0	11·0	6·0
Sunderland North	1·0	9·0	7·0
Sunderland South	1·0	14·0	9·0

All figures are provisional and subject to amendment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will publish a breakdown of the money spent from the latest social fund figures for community care grants, in percentage terms;(2) what are the latest social fund figures for the community care grants with regard to

(a) the allocated budget, (b) the amount spent from the budget and (c) the proportion of successful claims in percentage terms.

Total expenditure on community care grants to the end of February 1989, was £34–1 million, and represented 56–8 per cent. of the budget, arising from 127,121 successful awards. Expenditure in February was over £6 million, representing 110 per cent. of anticipated monthly expenditure.Approximately 50 per cent. of all applications received to the end of February were successful. The average success rate has gradually improved from the early months of the scheme and in February was 56 per cent. The largest identifiable reason for refusal is that the applicant is not in receipt of income support.

Incomes

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table, based on the 1979 and most recently available family expenditure surveys, showing the average weekly net incomes, that is, gross income including non-means-tested state benefits less income tax and national insurance contribution, of each of the following family types (a) one adult, non-retired, (b) one man, one woman, non-retired, single wage, (c) one man, one woman, non-retired, two-wage, (d) lone parents, (e) one man, one woman, one child, single-wage, (f) one man, one woman, one child, two-wage, (g) one man, one woman, two children, single-wage and (h) one man, one woman, two children, two-wage.

The figures requested are as follows:

Average net income
£ per week
	1979	1986
(a) One adult, non-retired	48	89
(b) One man, one woman, non-retired, single wage	84	176
(c) One man, one woman, non-retired, two wages	121	251
(d) Lone parents	53	106
(e) One man, one woman, one child, single wage	94	175
(f) One man, one woman, one child, two wages	113	248
(g) One man, one woman, two children, single wage	100	197
(h) One man, one woman, two children, two wages	121	255

Notes:

1. Net income is defined as gross income from all sources less income tax and national insurance.

2. "Wage" has been defined as any earnings from employment and self-employment.

3. Categories (a) and (d) differ from the other categories in that they include all people in these family types; both earners and non-earners.

4. Figures are given in cash terms rounded to the nearest pound.

5. Figures are derived from the FES which is a sample survey and are subject to sampling error.

Statutory Sick Pay

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give an estimate of the average number of people receiving statutory sick pay at any one date in the year, for each financial year from the introduction of the scheme in 1983–84 to the most recently available year.

Information to enable such an estimate to be made is not collected. However, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) on 23 March at columns 790–91, which gives the recorded payments of statutory sick pay in each year since its introduction. The average length of a statutory sick pay spell is about three weeks.

International Peto Foundation

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals exist to provide finance for an international Peto foundation in Hungary for the purposes of rehabilitation of the brain-injured; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Newbury (Sir McNair-Wilson) on 17 March at column 394.

National Insurance

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing his estimates of the number of male and female employees expected to pay national insurance contributions (a) in a full year under the April 1989 regime, and (b) in a full year under the proposed October 1989 regime, together with the forecast number of employees and the amount of their contributions at each rate; and if he will divide the figures between those contracted-in and those contracted-out.

[holding answer 7 April 1989]: The information is as follows:

Average number of Class 1 contributors for thefull year 1989–90 under both April 1989 and October 1989 regimes (millions)
Rate per cent.	Male	Female	Total
STANDARD RATE
Contracted-in
5	0·3	1·4	1·7
7	0·5	1·3	1·8
9	3·8	1·7	5·5
Total	4·6	4·4	9·0
Contracted-out
5	—	0·1	0·1
7	0·1	0·2	0·3
9	6·8	2·8	9·6
Total	6·9	3·1	10·0
Total standard rate	11·5	7·5	19·0
REDUCED RATE (MARRIED WOMEN)
Contracted-in
3·85	—	0·5	0·5
Contracted-out
3·85	—	0·3	0·3
Total reduced rate	—	0·8	0·8

Rate per cent.	Male	Female	Total
Total Class 1 contributors	11·5	8·3	19·8

Estimated Full-year yield under the April 1989 regime (£ billions)
Rate per cent.	Male	Female	Total
STANDARD RATE
Contracted-in
5	—	0·2	0·2
7	0·2	0·4	0·6
9	3·9	1·3	5·2
Total	4·1	1·9	6·0
Contracted-out
5	—	—	—
7	—	0·1	0·1
9	6·5	2·2	8·7
Total	6·5	2·3	8·8
Total standard rate	10·6	4·2	14·8
REDUCED RATE (MARRIED WOMEN)
Contracted-in
3·85	—	0·1	0·1
Contracted-out
3·85	—	0·1	0·1
Total reduced rate	—	0·2	0·2
Total Class 1 contributions	10·6	4·4	15·0

Contracted-out yields are net of the 2 per cent. incentive payments which are payable under the 1986 Social Security Act.

Estimated Full-year yield under the October 1989 regime (£ billions)
	Male	Female	Total
STANDARD RATE¹
Contracted-in	3·4	1·5	4·9
Contracted-out²	5·5	1·9	7·4
Total standard rate	8·9	3·4	12·3
REDUCED RATE
Contracted-in	—	0·1	0·1
Contracted-out	—	0·1	0·1
Total reduced rate	—	0·2	0·2
Total Class 1 contributors	8·9	3·6	12·5
¹ All Class 1 contributors paying NIC at the standard rate will pay 2 per cent. of the lower earnings limit and 9 per cent. of earnings in excess of the lower earnings limit (or 7 per cent. if contracted-out) up to the upper earnings limit.
² Contracted-out yields are net of the 2 per cent. incentive payments which are payable under the 1986 Social Security Act.

Defence

Navy Retention Rates

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve retention rates in the Royal Navy.

37.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve retention rates in the Royal Navy.

47.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve retention rates in the Royal Navy.

50.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to improve retention rates in the Royal Navy.

Present emphasis is on alleviating the effects of time spent at sea. We introduced last October a long service at sea bonus—now to become a monthly allowance—and are giving the seagoer financial help so that he can get home more often. Maximum notice of impending seagoing appointments and drafts is given, to help domestic and personal planning, and we prescribe minimum periods ashore between sea drafts.More generally, a tri-service review was recently conducted aimed at making allowances more relevant to current and prospective needs. The effect, over a period, should be beneficial to retention.

Gulf Operations

17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels are currently deployed in the Gulf; and what impact this has on their availability for other duties.

46.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy vessels are currently deployed in the Gulf; and what impact this has on their availability for other duties.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave earlier today to the hon. Members for Eccles (Miss Lestor) and for Wallsend (Mr. Garrett).

Nuclear Submarines

18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role of emergency planning units in relation to the operation of the British nuclear submarine fleet and Royal Navy procedures for dealing with a nuclear submarine accident in a near port.

The response to a serious accident involving the reactor of a Royal Navy submarine in or near port would be a joint one, including local authority emergency planning units, the Ministry of Defence nuclear accident response organisation, the civil emergency services, and other government departments. The procedures for dealing with accidents are discussed in local liaison committees by the various authorities involved, and are embodied in public and special safety schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear-powered submarines are currently held by Warsaw Pact and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation countries; at what rate these stocks are being increased; and if he will make a statement.

There are currently 210 nuclear-powered submarines in service with the Warsaw Pact and 165 with NATO. Since 1980, NATO and Warsaw Pact production rates for nuclear-powered submarines have been broadly similar, averaging five to six vessels per year.

Conventional Forces

19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the implications for United Kingdom forces levels in western Europe of progress being made at the conventional force limitation negotiations in Vienna.

The negotiations on conventional armed forces in Europe opened in Vienna on 6 March. It is therefore too early to say what will be the implications for our armed forces of any reductions which may be agreed.

42.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on conventional defences since 1978–79.

55.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on conventional forces since 1978–79.

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Boswell (Mr. Tredinnick).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he now intends responding to Mr. Gorbachev's announcement of a unilateral cut in conventional forces.

We welcome the announced reductions, responding to NATO's long-standing concerns. If implemented, they will be a major step towards removing conventional imbalances in Europe. However, significant imbalances will still remain, and we shall need to maintain our capability to deter aggression while pursuing our goal of conventional stability.

Exercise North Star

20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons have been learnt as a result of the recent North Star exercise.

58.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons have been learnt as a result of the recent North Star exercise.

62.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons have been learnt as a result of the recent North Star exercise.

Exercise North Star 89, a United States national maritime exercise with multinational participation, including the United Kingdom, took place from 6 to 15 March 1989. Detailed assessment and evaluation of the exercise is currently being undertaken by the United States authorities and the NATO countries which participated. From a United Kingdom viewpoint, early indications are that the exercise was a success.

Soviet Union (Nuclear Submarines)

21.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning Soviet submarine nuclear fleet modernisation.

The Soviet Union continues to modernise its nuclear submarine fleet. Five Typhoon and five Delta IV nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) have been completed and further units are expected. Typhoon, the world's largest SSBN, is armed with 20 8,000 km range, SS-N-20 submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBNs). The Delta IV is equipped with 16 SS-N-23 SLBNs. Five units of the Oscar class of cruise missile firing submarine (SSGN) have been completed so far, each equipped with 24 SS-N-19 anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 550 km. More advanced and quieter nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) are being produced, such as the Akula and Sierra classes. The Akula will probably carry the SS-N-21, 2,500 km range, sea-launched cruise missile.

33.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning Soviet short-range nuclear forces modernisation.

61.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made concerning Soviet short-range nuclear forces modernisation.

The Soviet Union has modernised some 95 per cent. of its SNF systems in the course of the last five years and it has begun the process of transferring these new systems to its Warsaw Pact allies. The extent of this modernisation and the large number of weapons which the Soviet Union has available in this category enable it to fill any gaps in its capabilities which will be created by the elimination of missile systems under the INF Treaty. In Europe at present the Warsaw Pact has some 1,450 SNF missile launchers and some 7,000 artillery systems which are capable of firing nuclear as well as conventional and chemical munitions, compared with 88 NATO SNF launchers and some 2,500 NATO artillery systems which are assigned to the nuclear role.

Defence Policy (Representations)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from Scotland on defence policy since 11 March; and if he will make a statement.

22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from Scotland on defence policy since 11 March; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter).

Raf Bruggen

23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit Royal Air Force Bruggen.

44.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit Royal Air Force Bruggen.

60.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit RAF Bruggen.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave today to the hon. Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley).

Royal Navy (Expenditure)

24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on the Royal Navy since 1978–78.

32.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on the Royal Navy since 1978–79.

Up to the end of 1987–88, £4·5 billion more had been spent on the Royal Navy, in real terms, than would have been spent if spending had remained at the 1978–79 level. This takes into account GDP inflation and excludes expenditure on both the Falklands garrison and nuclear strategic forces.

British Army Of The Rhine

25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit the British Army of the Rhine.

35.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit the British Army of the Rhine.

38.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit the British Army of the Rhine.

51.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to visit the British Army of the Rhine.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has plans to visit BAOR in the autumn; part of this visit will be in the company of his German colleague, Dr. Scholz.

Army (Expenditure)

26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on the Army since 1978–79.

48.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on the Army since 1978–79.

Up to the end of 1987–88, £5 billion more had been spent on the Army, in real terms, than would have been spent if spending had remained at the 1978–79 level. This takes into account GDP inflation and excludes expenditure on the Falklands garrison.

European Fighter Aircraft

27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his West German counterpart to discuss progress on the European fighter aircraft project; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Member on 7 February at column 657.

29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation European fighter aircraft management agency in the last three months.

59.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he has had with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation European fighter aircraft management agency in the last three months.

MOD officials have frequent meetings with representatives from NEFMA to discuss all aspects of the European fighter aircraft development programme.

Defence Export Services Organisation

28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the work of the Defence Export Services Organisation.

40.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the work of the Defence Export Services Organisation.

A considerable number of letters and representations are received from hon. Members and members of the public covering many different viewpoints including, of course, appreciation of the good work of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) in helping to secure significant defence exports.

Non-Provocative Defence

30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends adopting a strategy of non-provocative defence.

NATO's military strategy, to which the United Kingdom is committed, is entirely defensive.

Sea Harriers

31.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects work to commence on the conversion of the Royal Navy's fleet of Sea Harrier FRS 1 air defence fighters to FRS 2 standard.

Work to update the Sea Harrier began in 1983 at British Aerospace for the aircraft conversion and Ferranti for the Blue Vixen radar. The first FRS 1 aircraft will be delivered to British Aerospace for conversion to FRS 2 standard in 1990.

Defence Efforts (Western Europe)

34.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his west European counterparts on the need to improve upon existing levels of defence efforts.

My right hon. Friend has regular bilateral and multilateral discussions with his western European colleagues on NATO's defence plans and the contributions made by each ally. For example, the equitable sharing of roles, risks and responsibilities within the Alliance was dicussed at the meetings of the Eurogroup and defence planning committee between 30 November and 2 December 1988.

British Forces (Nato)

36.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of British forces are under North Atlantic Treaty Organisation command.

Most British forces are committed to NATO, but in peacetime they normally operate under national command. However, some RAF squadrons are under NATO command in peacetime and details of these are given in annex C of volume 1 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1988" (Cm. 344-I).

Aor Programme

39.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the auxiliary oiler replenishment programme.

I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 10 January at column 675.

Belgian Defence Minister

41.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to meet the Belgian Defence Minister; and what matters will be discussed.

43.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to meet the Belgian Defence Minister; and what matters will be discussed.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply that I gave the hon. Members for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) and for Birmingham, Ladywood (Ms. Short) earlier today.

Free Fall Nuclear Bomb

43.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on a replacement for the free fall nuclear bomb.

For credible deterrence, nuclear weapons must be kept effective and up to date. The United Kingdom's free-fall bombs are no exception, and we are continuing to study a number of options for their replacement around the turn of the century.

Nuclear Test Veterans

45.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects a decision to be reached regarding the claim for compensation from the nuclear test veterans.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 7 February at column 672.

Westland Plc

49.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the chairman of Westland plc; and what was discussed.

My right hon. Friend's last meeting with Sir Leslie Fletcher at the Ministry of Defence was on 22 February this year. Their discussions at this meeting are treated as confidential, as are all private discussions between the Secretary of State and senior representatives of our contractors.

Raf (Expenditure)

52.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much more in real terms his Department has spent on the Royal Air Force since 1978–79.

Up to the end of 1987–88, £9 billion more had been spent on the Royal Air Force, in real terms, than would have been spent if spending had remained at the 1978–79 level. This takes into account GDP inflation and excludes expenditure on the Falklands garrison.

Defence Expenditure

54.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to bring the United Kingdom defence expenditure in line with the NATO average.

Both in money terms and as a percentage of GDP, United Kingdom defence expenditure is substantially above the NATO median. The United Kingdom defence budget is planned to rise over the period to 1991–92; taking into account the latest reported budgetary plans of other members of the Alliance, the United Kingdom is likely to remain among the highest-spending nations.

Us Defence Secretary

56.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he intends to meet his new United States counterpart; and what issues he plans to discuss with him.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, West (Mr. Douglas) and my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Patnick) today.

Fishing Boats

57.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received concerning incidents involving fishing boats and submarines.

Letters continue to be received from fishermen's organisations and from other interested groups and individuals about a number of incidents in which submarines are alleged to have been involved.

Nuclear-Free Zones

63.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what weight he gives to declarations of local authorities that their areas are to be regarded as nuclear-free zones in deciding on disposition of naval vessels.

The disposition of naval vessels is a matter which affects national security, and as such it must remain the responsibility of central rather than local Government. A defence policy can be effective only if applied on a national basis.

Arms Control

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government on seeking arms control agreements in those areas where NATO has a technological lead over the Warsaw Pact.

The principal cause of instability in Europe is the imbalance between the conventional forces of NATO and the much larger conventional forces of the Warsaw Pact. Relative advantages in particular technologies are difficult to assess, subject to change, and do not themselves necessarily compensate for such numerical imbalances. NATO's objective is to eliminate imbalances in the most threatening systems in Europe, thus enhancing security at a lower level of forces.

Amazonia (Forest Fires)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet the Minister of Defence of Brazil, General Leonidas, to discuss the feasibility of British military aircraft and their pilots being loaned to Brazil for participation in forest fire fighting in Amazonia.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has no plans to seek a meeting with General Leonidas, who met Ministers for talks at the Ministry of Defence in the course of his visit to the United Kingdom in November 1987. The British armed forces have no aircraft suitable for fighting forest fires.

Royal Arsenal, Woolwich

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the sums spent on maintenance, repairs and improvements to his Department's land and buildings at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, during each of the past 10 years.

The sums spent on maintenance, repairs and improvements by my Department within the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich (the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance and MOD lodger units) during the last 10 years were as follows:

Year	Maintenance and Repair £000	Improvements £000
1979–80	1,125	188
1980–81	1,083	277
1981–82	1,212	300
1982–83	1,552	357
1983–84	1,802	471
1984–85	2,272	715
1985–86	1,785	1,593
1986–87	1,846	1,584
1987–88	1,749	2,427

The improvements from 1985–86 include expenditure needed to house DGDQA units moved from Harefield, Middlesex and Garland road, Plum stead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the total area of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, already declared surplus to requirements and the area of (a) the Royal Arsenal west and (b) the Royal Arsenal east to be released for redevelopment after the relocation of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance.

The total area of Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is approximately 94 acres; 12 acres in Royal Arsenal west have already been declared surplus to requirements. A further 67 acres in Royal Arsenal west and 15 acres in Royal Arsenal east would be released for redevelopment after the relocation of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's discussions with the London borough of Greenwich about the future redevelopment of that area of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, already declared to be surplus to requirements.

Preliminary discussions with the London borough of Greenwich have now been held on site and we plan to have a further meeting shortly where the discussion will widen to include possible uses of the entire area of potentially surplus land at Royal Arsenal west. This follows the decision announced on 9 March 1989 to move the Director General of Defence Quality Assurance from Woolwich to Teesside, a proposal at present the subject of consultation with the trade unions.I will keep the hon. Member informed of progress.

Directorate General Of Defence Quality Assurance

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the total estimated cost of transferring the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance from Woolwich Arsenal to Stockton on Tees and the individual costs of the major elements in the relocation package;(2) what was the total estimated cost of relocating the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance at Woolwich Arsenal.

Competitive contracts will be let in connection with these proposals and therefore it would not be prudent to disclose departmental estimates of costs. Nevertheless a recent investment appraisal revealed that the net present values after 25 years and of the costs and benefits that vary with the three options studied were:

	£ million
Continuation on two sites at Woolwich and one at Bromley	212
Collocation at Royal Arsenal west, Woolwich	188
Collocation at Teesside	178

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimates he has made of the numbers of (a) mobile and (b) non-mobile staff likely to transfer from Woolwich to Stockton on Tees with the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance and the numbers he expects to recruit on Teesside.

All staff who wish to transfer with their work would be given the opportunity to do so. Our current impression is that up to about 600 staff, mainly mobile, might transfer from Woolwich and Bromley and other MOD sources and that 900 staff, mainly non-mobile and including 250 apprentices, would be recruited on Teesside.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the other departments currently located with the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance at Woolwich Arsenal, indicating the numbers currently employed at each.

The other departments currently located with the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance at Woolwich Arsenal and the numbers currently employed at each are as follows:

Department	Number of employees
Naval Publications Store	92
Air Publications and Forms Store	109
RAF Movements Unit (London)	33

Department	Number of employees
RAF Signals Unit	194
Ministry of Defence Police	50
British Library	25
Her Majesty's Customs and Excise	49
National Maritime Museum	4
Civil Service Catering Organisation	12
Property Services Agency	66

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on the design of a new headquarters building and on other preparations for the relocation of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance at Woolwich Arsenal.

As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Member on 20 April 1988 at columns 503–4, £300,000 was spent on sketch plans for a new headquarters building at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, for the Quality Assurance Directorate (Ordnance). The identified costs of doing studies on other buildings are £120,000. The departmental costs of the staff carrying out a feasibility study and an investment appraisal on the future location of the Directorate General of Defence Quality Assurance were incurred in the normal course of their work and have not been separately identified.

Bristol University (Research)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) past, (b) present and (c) future planned research projects at Bristol university funded wholly or in part by his Department.

It is not our policy to list details of these arrangements; it is for the universities themselves to give details of any involvement that they might have.

Military Vehicles (Explosives)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the location of, ammunition carried, injuries suffered, and damage to vehicles sustained in the collisions and breakdowns of military vehicles carrying explosives that occurred on 13 December 1982, 11 January 1983, 11 December 1983, 3 December 1984, 13 May 1985, 3 December 1986, 22 July 1986 and 27 April 1988, as listed in his answer of 10 May 1988, Official Report, columns 103–4.

None of the collisions or breakdowns listed resulted in injury. Minor damage was, however, sustained by vehicles involved in four of the incidents. Details of the locations are as follows:

Date	Route	Location
13 December 1982	A17	Lincolnshire
21 June 1983	A17	Lincolnshire¹
11 July 1983	M4	Near Junction 13¹
19 October 1984	Not known	Tidworth to Bulford¹ Range Road, Hampshire
13 May 1985	Not known	Not known
3 December 1985	Not known	Cardigan, Dyfed¹

Date	Route	Location
22 July 1986	A38	Haldon Hill, Devon
27 April 1988	A38	St. Budeaux, Devon
¹ The dates of these incidents were previously incorrectly recorded.

It is not our practice to provide details of ammunition carried. The remainder of the information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the locations, type of amunition carried and measures taken to extinguish the fires on lorries loaded wih ammunition listed in his answer of 10 May 1988, Official Report, column 104, that occurred on 24 October 1984, 1 May 1986 and 30 January 1988.

The incident listed on 24 October 1984 occurred near RAF Chilmark in Wiltshire and the incident listed on 1 May 1986 on the M25 20 miles west of Chelmsford. Details of the measures taken to extinguish the fires are not recorded.For the details of the incident on 30 January 1988, I refer the hon. Member to the answer on 27 April 1988 at column

204. It is not our practice to provide details of ammunition carried.

Raf Upper Heyford

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 1989, Official Report. column 515, he next expects to visit RAF Upper Heyford.

I intend to visit RAF Upper Heyford on 19 April to announce the results of the full study into the costs and implications of realigning the runway there.

Women

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to alter the rules which prevent women serving in the Army from doing so in combat zones.

It remains our policy that women should not be employed in direct combat roles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards women serving in Her Majesty's Forces who have had children; and if he will make a statement.

Women with children may apply to join the armed forces. They will be accepted provided that they can satisfy the normal recruitment criteria and show that adequate provision has been made for the care of their children while on duty.

Recruitment (Advertising)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give for the last five years for which information is available, the cost of advertising campaigns for recruitment into all three branches of the armed forces.

The information is as follows:

	£
1984–85	¹7,351,000
1985–86	8,202,000
1986–87	9,109,000
1987–88	9,402,400
1988–89	²14,854,200
¹The figures for 1984–85 includes not only expenditure on the services' recruitment advertising but also expenditure on some civilian recruiting, range firing notices and defence sales advertising. It is not possible, given the passage of time, to identify the service element alone.
²This figure is an estimate as final figures for 1988–89 have not yet been brought to account.

Note:

All figures are at outturn prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the estimates for the cost in the current year of the advertising campaigns for recruitment into all three branches of the armed services.

The figures for the current financial year (1989–90) have yet to be finalised. I shall write to the hon. and learned Member when they become available.

Privatisation

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to privatise his Department's research facilities at Aldermaston and Porton Down; and if he will make a statement.

No.

Next Steps Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any plans to turn any other of his Department's research establishments into executive agencies under the Government's next steps initiative.

I refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) on 16 March, column 274, which defined our current plans for executive agencies within the research establishments. In common with other Departments we shall be looking for further opportunities to gain increased efficiency and value for money under the Government's next steps initiative.

Safety Critical Systems

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's new standards for safety critical systems, DefStan 0055, will require mandatory adherence to formal methods for written software; and if he will make a statement.

The draft defence standard (DefStan 0055) covering the use of software in safety critical applications in defence equipment has yet to be issued for consultation. The extent to which formal methods will be mandatory will be resolved as part of the consultation process.

Safety-Related Software

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions are taking place between his Department and the Health and Safety Commission in relation to safety-related software; and if he will make a statement.

In formulating our approach to safety-related software, officials from the MOD have been—and are—involved in discussions with a wide range of agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive which is the operating arm of the Health and Safety Commission.

Live Submarine Projectiles

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the recent finding of a live submarine projectile on St. Bees beach; and what instructions are issued to submarine commanders in respect of practising with live projectiles.

I understand that the object found on St. Bees beach, Cumbria, was not a submarine projectile but a submarine smoke float. This is a small pyrotechnic device released by a submarine during an exercise which emits smoke upon reaching the surface, thereby indicating the position of the submarine.Live projectiles, such as missiles or torpedoes, are fired by submarines only on the high seas and a notice of intent is always issued beforehand. Such ammunition is never fired if any surface vessel or aircraft is in the area.

Irish Sea (Incidents)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents have been reported in the Irish sea involving submarines and fishing boats in each of the last five years.

The number of incidents involving Royal Navy submarines and fishing vessels in each of the last five years is as follows:

	Number
1984	1
1985	0
1986	0
1987	1
1988	¹4
¹ Includes 2 yachts.

There have been no incidents so far this year.

Volume 150: debated on Tuesday 11 April 1989

Written Answers To Questions

Home Department

Electoral Boundaries (Liverpool)

Members (Prison Visits)

Correspondence

Safer Cities Programme

Telephone Tapping

Basildon (Crime Statistics)

Arson

Prisons

Deportation

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Kircindeep Singh

Kampuchea

Human Rights

National Finance

714 Certificates

Whisky (Excise Duty)

Third World Debt

Balance Of Payments

St Anne's Primary School, Worksop

Education And Science

Capital Investment

Aided Schools

Under-Fives

Government Data Network

Academic Research Equipment

Bovine Immunodeficiency Disease

University Physics Department (Funding)

Pupil-Teacher Ratio

Research Vessels

In Vitro Fertilisation (Report)

Schools (Employment Statistics)

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Advisory Committee On Pesticides

Organic Farming

Intervention Stores

Sheep Dips

Veterinary Medicine

Sole

Pesticides

Foot And Mouth Disease

Badgers

Veterinary Medical Products

Alphachloralose

Milk (Testing)

Research (Funding)

Salmonella

Veterinary Surgeons

Prime Minister

Climatic Changes

Budget

Ec Fraud

British Intelligence (History)

Griffiths Report

Engagements

Trade And Industry

Employee Share Ownership

Regional Initiatives

Manufacturing Output

Import Substitution

Scotch Whisky

Distance Measures

Single Market

Attorney-General

Lynx

Transport

M1 (Traffic Flow)

Explosives (Carriage By Road)

Employee Share Ownership

Road Maintenance

Hgv Tests

Ferndown Relief Road

Ferries (Safety)

Toll Charges

Settle-Carlisle Railway

Energy

Opencast Operations