To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the trends in crime in Greater London during 1987 and 1988.

Information is published in table 7 of Home Office statistical bulletin 7/89, a copy of which is in the Library. More detailed figures for each borough in the Metropolitan police district are also available in the Library. My right hon. Friend has also sent some further details of the figures for their local police force area to all right hon. and hon. Members for constituencies in England and Wales and placed copies of those further details in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further representations he has received regarding the use of DNA testing.

We continue to receive various representations from Members of Parliament and others concerning the use of DNA testing in immigration cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to strengthen international co-operation against drugs.

We are pursuing a wide range of initiatives to strengthen international co-operation. We are working to enable the United Kingdom to ratify the new United Nations Convention against the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. We are negotiating bilateral agreements on the confiscation of drug traffickers' assets. Five such agreements have now been concluded and more are in the pipeline. We are holding a ministerial conference of the Council of Europe's drug co-operation group (the Pompidou Group), under my right hon. Friend's chairmanship, in London on 18–19 May, to discuss the threat posed by cocaine and "crack", confiscation of proceeds derived from illicit trafficking and the problems of AIDS and drug misuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, concerning the police role in coping with traffic congestion in London.

My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the commissioner on this subject but he has drawn to the commissioner's attention a number of points raised with him by hon. Members representing constituencies in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Exeter prison was built; what was the originally intended maximum number of prisoners; what is the number on remand or serving custodial sentences there now; and for how many hours daily an inmate is confined to his cell.

Her Majesty's prison Exeter was opened in 1853 to accommodate about 280 inmates and the young offender remand centre there was added in 1964 to accommodate a further 53. At 28 April 1989 the numbers held compared with the certified normal accommodation were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the. Home Department what representations he has received concerning the laws governing housing in Jersey.

There have been three such cases during the last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about changes he proposes to the pay and conditions of firefighters.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 3 May to the similar question from my hon. Friend the Member of Stafford (Mr. Cash) at column 113.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the training of drivers of fast response cars; and if he will make a statement.

Police driver training has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that the working party's report will be published within the next few weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State expects to reply to the hon. Member for Stretford's letter of 7 February last regarding Mr. M. F. (Ref. EBO762).

I wrote to the hon. Member on 28 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for the introduction of a statutory obligation to provide adequate street lighting, as a measure to protect against mugging or rape, he is considering.

There is widespread concern, which we share, about the level of violent crime. Improved street lighting may have a part to play in tackling this and other problems, and many local authorities have undertaken improved lighting schemes, a significant number of which have been funded through the Department of the Environment estate action programme. I await with interest the results of the major research study being carried out in Wandsworth on our behalf by Southampton university, assessing the impact of street lighting on crime and the fear of crime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement spelling out the differences in summer time by comparison with last year in consequence of the Summer Time Order, 1989; if the order stems from a decision of the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

The Summer Time Order 1989 is necessary to set out the dates of the summer time period for the years 1990 to 1992 inclusive. It also gives effect to the Fifth Council Directive on summer time arrangements in the European Community which was formally adopted by the Council of Ministers in Brussels on 21 December 1988. The effect of the order is to continue the present summer time system for a further three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fatal accidents involving motor vehicles driven by police in the course of their duties have occurred from 1 January 1989.

Information about accidents involving police vehicles is collected and published annually by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Full information will, therefore, not be available until returns are submitted by individual forces to Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary after the end of the year. However, I am aware of nine specific accidents which have occurred since 1 March 1989 arising from police vehicle pursuits, or responses to emergency calls, which have resulted in a total of 12 fatalities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any intention of issuing new guidelines in respect of pursuit by police vehicles; and if he has any plans to meet chief constables to discuss the matter.

Police driver training, including police pursuit management, has recently been reviewed by a working party set up by the Association of Chief Police Officers. I understand that its report will be published within the next few weeks. We shall consider it carefully when it is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of the representations that he has received following his recent consultation about police powers to stop motorists and administer breath tests; and how many of those representations supported (a) consolidation of existing powers as no change, (b) unfettered discretion to administer breath tests and (c) spot checks by the police administered on a random basis.

Following the reply given by my right hon. Friend to my hon. Friend the Member for Derby, North (Mr. Knight) on 1 February, at column 252, we have received some 3,400 letters from individuals, letters from organisations and petitions on the subject of police powers to require roadside breath tests. Of these, approximately 3,000 express support for extended powers in the form of unfettered discretion, random breath testing or other forms. The remainder suggest that there should be no change to current powers. We shall consider these responses carefully, including whether they should be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading will include representatives of the National Chamber of Trade;(2) if he will make a statement outlining the constitution and purpose of his proposed new working party on small shops and Sunday trading.

No working party has been established but I propose to hold a meeting on 24 May with representatives of the Shopping Hours Reform Council at its request and of the Association of District Councils to seek a way forward on shopping hours reform. Representatives of the National Chamber of Trade will not be present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations his Department has received concerning proposals to build a national stadium to improve the safety of sports spectators in the light of events at Hillsborough on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has not received any representations about proposals to build a national studium. Responsibility for the safety and comfort of spectators rests with the individual sports ground operator or event organiser, who must comply with the terms and conditions of any safety certificate in force for the ground in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire outlining the interviewing criteria and procedures to be used by West Yorkshire police in response to telephone calls and their investigations following the Hillsborough disaster on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

The interviewing critera and procedures are a matter for the investigating officers in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor. I understand that anyone who telephoned the police on the special telephone lines and who has relevant information will be interviewed by the investigating team.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire, as to on what basis and by whom the decision was taken to allow only one week for members of the public to contact West Yorkshire police, by special 'phone lines, after the Hillsborough disaster; and if he will make a statement.

The officer in charge of the police investigation team, in consultation with Lord Justice Taylor, decided to open the special telephone lines for three days initially. Owing to the heavy response on the first three days the lines were kept open for a further three days. The number of calls had lessened considerably by the sixth day and it was not thought necessary to keep the lines open any longer. The fact that the lines would close on the sixth day was widely publicised.It remains open to anyone who believes that he or she has relevant information to contact the secretary to the inquiry at room 662, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire as to how many telephone calls have been received on the special telephone lines set up by West Yorkshire police, investigating events at Hillsborough on 15 April; and if he will make a statement.

A total of 2,666 calls were received on the special telephone lines during the six-day period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences there were in Leicestershire in 1987 and 1988; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Leicestershire, North-West (Mr. Ashby) on the 13 April at column 713.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of road traffic offences connected with the use of mobile car telephones.

The available information relates to proceedings at magistrates courts for all offences of careless driving and so on and is published annually in "Offences relating to motor vehicles, England and Wales, Supplementary tables" (table 5 of the issue for 1987, the latest available). Information is not collected centrally about the circumstances of these alleged offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley have ever been in-patients at a psychiatric hospital or clinic.

Of the population on 5 May (322 male and 114 female prisoners) 37 male and 33 female prisoners have been in-patients at a psychiatric hosptial or clinic.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people currently at Risley were unable to give a permanent address when the order for their remand was made.

Current information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A survey conducted in November 1988 indicated that 13 per cent. (40) of prisoners at Risley who had been remanded from Cheshire courts and 9 per cent. (46) of those from Lancashire courts had been remanded in custody because they had no permanent address or had an unsuitable address.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement concerning the level and source of funding of a new Gaelic-speaking broadcasting authority;(2) what agreement has been reached between his Department, S4C, Scottish television companies and other interested parties concerning the use of money currently paid by Scottish ITV companies to S4C, to fund Gaelic television programming.

[holding answer 5 May 1989]: Representations about the funding of Gaelic television programmes will be considered alongside the other comments which have been made in response to the Government's broadcasting White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of (a) the Soviet Union, (b) Hong Kong, (c) India, (d) Pakistan and (e) Bangladesh (i) the numbers of requests received annually since 1979 for political asylum from citizens of these countries and the number granted and (ii) the number of requests received annually since 1979 for residency from citizens of each of the countries and the number granted.

[holding answer 27 April 1989]: Information on applications for, and on grants of refugee status in the United Kingdom in the years since 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletins "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom" (tables 5A-5F of issue 12/86, table 6 of issue 13/87 and table 7 of issue 16/88), copies of which are in the Library. Information for 1988 will be published in the summer of 1989.Information on applications in the Indian subcontinent in 1979–87 for an entry clearance for settlement, and in 1985–87 for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, in the United Kingdom is given in tables 6, 9, 11 and 12 of "Control of Immigration Statistics, United Kingdom, 1987" (Cm. 415). The corresponding figures for the other years, and information on applications in Hong Kong in 1985–88 for an entry clearance for settlement, are given in the following tables 1 and 2. Information for earlier years for Hong Kong and similar information for the Soviet Union is not readily available.Information on the total number of persons granted settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1979 to 1987, by nationality, is published in table 22 of "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom 1987" (Cm. 415). The number of persons accepted in 1988 for the nationalities requested is given in the following table 3.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions he has issued to police authorities on the recording in local crime statistics of offences committed under section 39 of the Ciminal Justice Act 1988.

[holding answer 3 May 1989]: The compilation of local crime statistics is a matter for the chief constable. The information collected centrally relates to notifiable offences recorded by the police covering nearly all indictable offences and a few types of summary offence. (Full details are given in the appendices to "Criminal statistics, England and Wales", pp 180 and 184–8 of the issue for 1987, Cm. 498). The coverage of this series has not been changed since 1978, apart from its extension in 1983 to include offences of gross indecency with a child and offences of drug trafficking, currently together amounting to about 9,000 offences a year. The procedures for recording notifiable offences have also not been changed since 1980 when new counting rules were introduced to improve the consistency of recording multiple, continuous and repeated offences. Those offences made summary under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 continue to be covered, with the exception of offences of common assault made summary under section 39 of the Act. The police are being advised no longer to include offences of common assault in the count of notifiable offences reported to the Home Office, in order to avoid unduly complicating police recording practices for summary offences of assault. The average number of such offences recorded by the police in the whole of England and Wales over the last 10 years has been around 600 a year so the reduction in the coverage of the series for notifiable offences recorded will be negligible (about 0·02 per cent.).

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make it his policy to ask the chairman of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to evaluate the feasibility of low temperature nuclear fusion, as discovered by Professor Fleischman of Southampton university and Professor Pons of the university of Utah in a joint experiment, announced in March 1989;(2) what effort has been committed by officers in his Department to evaluate the claims by the British, American and Hungarian scientists in March and April 1989 to have produced energy from a cold fusion nuclear experiment.

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has already initiated experiments to reproduce and understand the effects which have been reported. It is too early to speculate on the outcome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, during his recent visit to the Soviet Union, he discussed with his Soviet counterpart (a) the possibility of the Soviet Union sending spent nuclear fuel to the United Kingdom for reprocessing at Sellafield, (b) the possibility of the United Kingdom exporting plutonium under safeguards to the Soviet Union for use in civil nuclear fuel rods, and (c) areas of mutual interest in the development of deep geological repositories for radioactive waste disposal.

None of the topics were discussed at the meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to the statement made by the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. Spicer) Official Report, 13 April, column 1135, whether the reports on plutonium production sent by reactor operators to safeguard authorities on the despatch of spent irradiated fuel to reprocessing plants, give details of plutonium content to gramme quantities.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his policy on the future of coal-fired power stations.

The future of coal-fired stations in the mix of generating capacity will be a commercial matter for the privatised electricity industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list all the European Community meetings on matters concerning his Department held in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Full Energy Councils were held in March, June and November of 1985 and 1986, and in June and November of 1987 and 1988. There were also three informal meetings of Community Energy Ministers during the period. Meetings of officials from member states have been held to prepare for the Councils. In addition, Councils of other Ministers have dealt with matters in which my Department has some concern and they also have been preceded by preparatory meetings of officials. The Commission has convened many meetings of Government experts on particular matters relevant to my Department's responsibilities and has also held relevant seminars, symposia etc. Finally, the European Parliament and its Committees and the Economic and Social Committee of the Community have considered relevant matters from time to time.Preparation of a list of all such meetings could be achieved only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details on the amount of moneys paid by British Coal into the Nottinghamshire and district mineworkers allocation fund for each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether members of staff in universities and other institutions of higher education working on research contracts or agreements currently funded by his Department are required to have security clearance.

It is a condition of contract that, before anyone is employed on an MOD contract which may give access to classified information, the prior agreement of MOD is sought.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department has funded any studies since 1979 in universities and polytechnics to determine the effects of electromagnetic radiation at extremely low frequencies on human or animal life.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rate of recruitment into the Territorial Army, showing which areas and which arms show the most and which the least progress in recruiting.

Overall recruitment continues to show a satisfactory improvement with intakes during January and February showing increases, respectively, of 500 and 300 over that of August 1988. We continue to monitor the position most closely and to take stringent measures to build on this impetus including, of course, the Volunteer Reserve Forces campaign. Although this campaign is aimed primarily at improving retention, we would expect to see some sort of spin-off in the area of recruitment. The generally improved position is largely reflected throughout all arms and all areas of the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the United Kingdom annual defence budget is spent in Wales; and what this is in cash terms in the last three years.

Defence expenditure is not accounted for on a regional basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the research projects undertaken for his Department by the Natural Environment Research Council during the past five years.

The Ministry of Defence has currently three research agreements and 11 research contracts placed with the Natural Environment Research Council. Comparable information for the past five years is not readily available. It is not our policy to give details of these arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 18 April to the hon. Member for Leyton, Official Report, columns 110–12, whether it was his Department's decision to change the flight path used by F-111s taking off from RAF Upper Heyford so that these aircraft fly directly over local villages.

I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate on 30 November 1988, Official Report columns 849–856.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will (a) list by standard region the research institutes operated for or on behalf of his Department and the total employment thereat, (b) list for each region the total number of such institutes and the employment therein and (c) express the regional totals as a percentage of the national totals.

[holding answer 4 May 1989]: As at 1 April 1989, the total number of staff employed at the Ministry of Defence's non-nuclear research establishments was 13,640. This was broken down as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any intention of establishing an interdisciplinary research centre in relation to ozone layer research at the Meteorological Office; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 2 May 1989]: No. Ozone layer research in the EC and EFTA countries is being co-ordinated from 1 April this year with the assistance of a special unit set up by the Department of the Environment and the European Commission. The Meteorological Office plays an important national and international advisory role through the expertise developed from work on atmospheric dynamics and chemistry. It has participated, with part funding from the Department of the Environment, in the large US-led 1987 Antarctic ozone experiment and in the similar 1989 experiment carried out in the Arctic; it is also collaborating with universities in this field.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what instructions claimant advisers are given to help them assess the availability for work of those unemployed claimants whom they interview; and whether these instructions will be made available in the Library.

There are no discrete instructions to claimant advisers to help them assess availability for work. Claimant advisers work within the same framework of instructions used by all employment service staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the current level of unemployment.

The information is available from the Library. In March 1989 unemployment, seasonally adjusted, in the United Kingdom was 1,918,100, the lowest for more than eight years on a consistent basis. Unemployment has fallen for 32 months running, giving the longest and largest continuous fall since the second world war.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he can give details of the number of people in employment in Scotland and the United Kingdom in 1978 and 1988.

The information is as follows. The figures are unadjusted for the effects of seasonal variation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in the south-east.

In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in the south-east region was 9,014,000. This represents an increase of 1,012,000 or 13 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the level of employment in London.

In December 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, the civilian work force in employment in Greater London was 4,053,000. This represents an increase of 261,000 or 7 per cent. since December 1983. The civilian work force in employment is the sum of employees in employment, the self-employed and participants in work-related Government training programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies are currently registered with jobcentres; and if he will make a statement.

In March 1989 the number of unfilled vacancies, seasonally adjusted, at jobcentres was 222,900. Vacancies at jobcentres do not represent the total number of vacancies in the economy. The latest research shows that only about a third of vacancies are notified to jobcentres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a further statement on the development of school compacts.

Most of the 30 applications for compact operational funding in England and Scotland have now been approved. I expect that all 30 will begin full operation this September. In addition, invitations have gone to the 24 urban programme areas in England that are not already covered by compacts to apply for funding for development work. I hope to be able to announce those areas awarded development funding during the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the growth of employment in the catering industry as a whole and the tourism sector in particular over the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that, between December 1983 and December 1988, the number of employees in employment in the hotel and catering industry in Great Britain increased by 233,000. Further information from the labour force survey indicates that there was an increase of about 41,000 self-employed workers in the industry between spring 1983 and spring 1988. The estimated growth between December 1983 and December 1988 in the number of employees in employment in the sector of the hotel and catering industry directly related to tourism was 210,000. It is not possible to identify separately the growth in the number of self-employed workers in this sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will order an immediate halt to any blasting operations at the Hendy and Miskin quarries in Taff Ely which are found to he endangering the health and property of local residents.

My right hon. Friend has no such intentions. Any decision to halt blasting at the Hendy and Miskin quarries would be the responsibility of the Health and Safety Executive's mines and quarries inspectorate which is keeping the situation under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what methods of assessment are being used by his Department to monitor the development of the technical and vocational education initiative in the 2,000 schools and colleges already involved; and if he will make a statement as to the progress and achievement which has been made by those who are proceeding beyond the pilot stage.

The technical and vocational education initiative has been extensively assessed both nationally and within each education authority. The national evaluation undertaken by a number of independent research institutions has included statistical databases and studies of management and education issues within the technical and vocational education initiative.Significant progress has already been made by authorities beyond the pilot stage in ensuring that the curriculum is broad, balanced and more relevant to working life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers of staff employed in employment benefit fraud investigations for each year from 1979 to the latest available year.

My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.The number of fraud investigators employed by my Department each year since 1984 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report the total number of prosecutions for employment benefit fraud for each of the years from 1979 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

My Department's fraud investigation work was reorganised in 1984 and comparable figures for earlier years are not available.The number of prosecutions for benefit fraud for each year since 1984 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report an estimate of the total amount of money lost through benefit fraud in 1988.

No reliable figure is available of the money lost through benefit fraud in 1988 because the full extent of the fraud that is occurring is not known.As a result of investigations during 1988, however, the estimated net savings to public funds were £65 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how the 1989 European social fund allocation was divided in (a) actual cash and (b) percentage terms between (i) central Government, (ii) local government, (iii) the voluntary sector and (iv) others; and what were the equivalent figures for 1987 and 1988.

[holding answer 28 April 1989]: Details of the 1987 and 1988 allocations are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector were given (a) full priority decisions, (b) part priority decisions, (c) no priority decisions and (d) not eligible decisions in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

[holding answer 28 April 1989]: The status given by the European Commission to projects submitted by the voluntary sector is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many European social fund projects designed to train people in the skills required to establish new trading enterprises (a) received full priority and (b) received part priority in 1987, 1988 and 1989; and how many of these projects were devoted to training people to establish co-operatives.

[holding answer 28 April 1989]: I regret that the information can be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what criteria for cost per trainee were used in judging European social fund projects submitted by the voluntary sector in 1989; whether these criteria were published before the closing date for applications; and whether the criteria were based on those set out in any European Commission decision on management of the European social fund.

[holding answer 28 April 1989]: The Commission publishes no criteria on the costs per trainee which it uses for any category of European social fund projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has as to the average wages of dockers in non-dock labour scheme ports.

[holding answer 3 May 1989]: Pay rates in ports outside the dock labour scheme are determined locally, as is the case for ports covered by the scheme. Average pay therefore varies between ports, both in and out of the scheme. Detailed average pay figures for the main ports outside the scheme could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the different welfare expenses of the National Dock Labour Board in 1987.

[holding answer 3 May 1989]: I refer my hon. Friend to page 17 of the board's annual report for 1987, which provides the following information on medical and welfare expenses over that year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science by what date he anticipates that all schools will be run on a local management basis; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend expects local management to be introduced progressively from April 1990. All secondary schools and all primary schools with 200 or more pupils in authorities outside inner London must receive delegated budgets by April 1993. For inner London boroughs, all qualifying schools must receive delegated budgets by April 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the circumstances under which the London borough of Bromley was retrospectively permitted to change its section 12 notice for the amalgamation of an infant and junior school at Poverest, Orpington; and whether he will reconsider the decision to permit the amalgamation.

My right hon. Friend approved, on 20 February 1989, section 12 proposals, published by the London borough of Bromley, to amalgamate Poverest infant and junior schools. Bromley subsequently wrote requesting a modification to the proposals relating to admissions. In accordance with section 12(9) of the Education Act 1980, my right hon. Friend approved the modification on 21 March 1989. While my right hon. Friend is empowered to modify the proposals at the request of the authority, he is not empowered to rescind his decision on the proposals. Bromley LEA is therefore under a duty to implement the proposals as approved with the modification.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to alter educational material distributed to schools concerning AIDS in the light of the evidence presented in the journal of the American Medical Association 1989, 261(2), pp. 244–5, that passionate kissing favours the transmission of HIV.

On the basis of advice from the Department of Health, my right hon. Friend has no plans to alter the guidance currently given to schools concerning the risks of HIV infection from kissing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing (a) the number of in-service training courses offered by his Department in design in each of the past five years, (b) the cost of each year's programme and (c) the number of teachers participating in such courses.

The details requested are given in the table. The courses range in length from one to six days arid involve not only school teachers but also lecturers arid advisers. The courses are organised and run by Her Majesty's inspectorate with contributions from others knowledgeable in the field, including industrialists. The costs stated include the charges made by the venues for facilities, the fees and subsistence of speakers and the cost of materials and all tuition.The courses are often heavily over-subscribed and attract applications from Europe as well as the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing the number of (a) teacher training colleges offering courses in design and (b) student teacher's training design courses in each of the past five years.

Twenty-five institutions in England and Wales offer secondary phase initial teacher training courses in craft, design and technology. Design may also form a significant part in the subject studies element in primary phase courses and secondary phase courses in art and in art and design. The table shows the number of students recruited to secondary phase courses in craft, design and technology in each of the last five years:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many local education authorities have advisers or inspectors who specialise in design.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March, Official Report, columns 221–22, if he will describe how, in 1987, his Department determined the numbers of rate B, rate D and rate E incentive allowances which would be awarded automatically as at 30 September 1987; whether the information used in making such determinations was up to date; what information subsequently became available to his Department regarding the actual numbers of teachers either on the basis of entitlement to such automatic awards or on the basis of payment of such awards; whether the numbers of actual payments exceeded the original expectations of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: Circular 8/87 assumed that 129,000 teachers in ordinary schools would be awarded an incentive allowance in October 1987, of whom 104,000 would receive a B, D or E allowance automatically as a result of being on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale on 30 September 1987. These numbers were based on the distribution of teachers across the pay scales at March 1985 as shown on the database of teacher records. Results from the DTR are currently emerging about two years in arrears because of delays in the supply of information to the Department. The Department projected these 1985 DTR data forward to September 1987 on the basis of assumptions about wastage, recruitment and the movement of teachers on the pay scales.DTR data for March 1987 will be available shortly. Early indications are that the numbers of teachers on scale 3, scale 4 or the senior teacher scale in March 1987 were slightly higher than had been projected at the time the system of incentive allowances was being introduced. Information about the numbers of teachers who actually received an incentive allowance in October 1987 will become available in due course from the 1988 DTR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford of 15 March, Official Report, columns 221–22, what was the total cost to employers of school teachers' incentive allowances in financial year 1987–88 (a) on the basis of his Department's plans before October 1987 and (b) on the basis of outturn figures; what amount and proportion, for each case (a) and (b) above, relates to allowances awarded automatically on 30 September 1987; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 24 April 1989]: The estimated cost of incentive allowances awarded to teachers in ordinary schools in the financial year 1987–88 was £113 million, of which approximately £106 million (94 per cent.) was in respect of allowances awarded automatically on 1 October 1987. Outturn figures for the cost of incentive allowances cannot be disaggregated from the total cost of teachers' pay.

To ask the Attorney-General what qualities and abilities are fundamental to the appointment of an individual as a Queen's counsel; and if he will make a statement.

The Lord Chancellor recommends the grant of silk only to barristers of sufficient standing who he is satisfied have reached an appropriate level of professional eminence and distinction.

To ask the Attorney-General what is his practice with respect to ordering the trials of category A prisoners to be held at the most cost-effective location; and under what powers he acts in such circumstances.

Should the prosecution or defence wish the place of trial to be other than that directed by the justices under section 7 of the Magistrates Courts Act 1980, application may be made to the Crown court under s.76 of the Supreme Court Act 1981, the application being heard by a judge of the High Court in open court, who may comply with or refuse the application, or give a direction not in compliance with it as the court thinks fit. Classification and allocation to judges of cases triable in the Crown court and place of trial generally are governed by a practice direction issued by the Lord Chief Justice with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor on 2 November 1987 pursuant to section 75 of the 1981 Act.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 21 April, Official Report, column 310, what aspect of the public interest persuaded him not to refer the House of Fraser inspector's report to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

My right hon. and noble Friend's decision was reached after taking into account all relevant considerations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made by the serious fraud squad in its inquiries with the House of Fraser report; when he expects it to complete its inquiries; and if he will make a statement.

I cannot say.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications were (a) received, and (b) approved for business development consultancy initiatives from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989; and what was the total amount of expenditure involved, for each of the regions of his Department, Scotland and Wales.

In the period from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, 19,691 applications were received for the business development consultancy initiatives. In the same period 14,221 applications were approved for assisted consultancy. The Department's contribution to the cost of completed consultancies totalled £14·3 million. It is estimated that those consultancies not completed by 31

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current import penetration of the market for household electrical goods.

Taking the coverage of "household electrical goods" to be the same as that of Business Monitor PQ 3460—"Domestic electrical appliances"—it is estimated that in 1988 the import penetration of the market for household electrical goods was 40 per cent.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a further statement on his Department's objectives for the completion of the single European market; and on what steps he is taking to ensure the attainment of those objectives.

[holding answer 5 May 1989]: We strongly support progress to complete the single European market. Areas to which we attach particular priority include the liberalisation of financial services: public purchasing, transport and telecommunications services, and the removal of technical barriers to trade. In the Council of Ministers, we will continue to press for these objectives to be achieved in ways which open markets without placing unnecessary burdens on business, and which ensure that the Community remains open to the outside world.The Government are also determined that United Kingdom industry should be as well placed as possible to meet the challenges the single market will bring. Our "Europe—Open for Business" campaign is designed to ensure that businesses are fully aware of the changes and to encourage them to take action to adapt their strategies accordingly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to increases in productivity in (a) the steel industry and (b) the coal industry since 1979.

[holding answer 5 May 1989]: The official data series on productivity was published by the Department of Employment in the Employment Gazette but these do not include separately identifiable figures For the steel industry and the coal industry. The following data from the annual census of production provide the required information for the iron and steel industry and for coal extraction and the manufacture of solid fuels for the period to 1987, the most recent year for which figures are available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has as to the numbers of cars manufactured per employee in the United Kingdom, other European countries and Japanese car plants in (a) 1979 and (b) 1989.

[holding answer 5 May 1989]: The information is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to name those high street stores which currently sell goods whose manufacturing process has involved the use of child labour in countries of the Third world; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 2 May 1989]: The issue of child labour is a distressing phenomenon of Third world commerce but one of long standing. The complexity of the problem makes indirect action of the kind the hon. Member suggests both impractical and quite possibly unjust.

To ask the Minister for the Arts how many representations have been received (a) by his Office and (b) by the Arts Council on the subject of the future of the Northern Ballet theatre.

I have received more than 100 letters from hon. and right hon. Members, and a similar number from members of the public. The Arts Council has received more than 12,000 letters and postcards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has ever sought permission from the appropriate authorities in (a) the Republic of South Africa and (b) Namibia, to change the safeguards and use of coding on uranium from those countries, from N to P.

I have been asked to reply. No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Chilean Government regarding their announced reduction in the number of representatives to be elected for the Chilean Parliament in the general elections in those constituencies with an opposition majority.

None. There have so far been no official proposals regarding the electoral law, or electoral boundaries and districts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the West German Foreign Minister; what subjects were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State last met Herr Genscher on 14 and 15 April at an informal weekend meeting of European Community Foreign Ministers in Granada, where a range of European Community and other international issues were discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what international measures are in force to interdict supplies of chemical materials necessary for the manufacture of narcotics; and if he will make a statement.

The United Nations convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances contains provisions designed to prevent diversion of substances for illicit drugs manufacture. A total of 64 countries, including the United Kingdom, have signed the convention. We intend to ratify it as soon as Parliament approves enabling legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of Austria, West Germany, Holland and Turkey regarding drug trafficking through those countries into western Europe.

Discussions on drugs with all four countries take place periodically within the Council of Europe Pompidou group. A ministerial meeting of this group will be held in London next week. In addition, we are discussing with the Federal Republic of Germany the possibility of a bilateral asset seizure agreement, and bilateral talks with the Dutch on a similar agreement are planned for later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications from Polish residents to visit relations in the United Kingdom remain outstanding at the latest available date.

It is not possible to determine how many of the 1,991 short-term visit applications currently—28 April —under consideration at the British embassy, Warsaw originate from Polish nationals seeking to visit relations in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy for granting visas to Argentine nationals; how long applications take to be considered; and how many applications have been turned down in each of the last three years.

Visas are normally granted to Argentine nationals, other than serving military officers, who can satisfy an entry clearance officer that they meet the requirements of the immigration rules. Straightforward applications lodged with the British interests section of the Swiss embassy in Buenos Aires are processed within three days. Figures for refusals are readily available only for visa applications lodged in Buenos Aires. These are:

• 1986 — five
• 1987 — three
• 1988 — two

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the cost to public funds of publishing the pamphlet "Britain's Voice in South Africa".

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) on 2 May.