To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that Britain will be able to compete fully in the European market when the freight links between the Channel tunnel and the manufacturing and exporting base in the north pass through already overcrowded rail routes in London.

British Rail's routes in the London area have considerable spare capacity outside the commuter peaks. The board considers it will have ample capacity to handle Channel tunnel freight traffic in the short and medium term and in the longer term if its proposed new passenger rail link is built.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the implications for elderly people with (a) arthritis, (b) Parkinson's disease and (c) heart complaints of his Department's proposals to reform the orange badge scheme.

We propose to tighten the eligibility criteria so that, in accordance with the original aims of the scheme, orange badges are issued to people with severe mobility problems, irrespective of the medical cause.We shall be consulting interested parties, including organisations representing disabled and elderly people, on detailed proposals for bringing the criteria into line with this objective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to increase the use of the River Thames to reduce vehicular traffic in and around London.

The Government recognise that transport of passengers and freight by river can contribute to the relief of road congestion in London. This was reflected in an agreement concluded on 22 March under which the Government are making a grant of up to £500,000 to promote and improve the regular passenger services provided by the Riverbus partnership. The Port of London authority is particularly promoting the river carriage of bulk materials including materials for major construction projects in docklands, and refuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects improvements to be carried out to the A1 between Bellshill and Mousen, Northumberland.

At present it seems unlikely that work on any improvement of this section of the A1 will start before 1992–93. The flow is low and the cost is high.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, further to his answer of 28 February, Official Report, column 115, what was the basis of his calculation that the total cost of installing automatic ticket barriers at London Underground stations will be £22·2 million; whether it included electronics, computers and other associated costs of their installation; and if he will make a statement.

The estimated final cost at current prices was provided by LRT. I understand it covered the cost of gate equipment, cabling, data circuits and installation. The cost of computers was not included as they serve all the new ticketing system, not just the gates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the credit, debit and balance of payments on shipping services in each year since 1974–75.

I refer the hon. Member to table 3.3 in "United Kingdom Balance of Payments, 1988 Edition—CSO Pink Book" published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office for the Government statistical service, a copy of which is in the Library.Figures for the years 1974 to 1976, which are not included in the 1988 edition, are as follows:

£ million
	Credits	Debits	Balance
1974	2,665	2,776	-111
1975	2,651	2,562	89
1976	3,233	3,155	78

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from Sellindge parish council, Kent, to move the proposed high speed Channel rail route south of their village.

The Department can trace no record of having received any representations from Sellindge parish council since British Rail announced its preferred route for the proposed rail link to the Channel tunnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for further provision of emergency telephones on all-purpose trunk roads.

Over 5,000 calls have been made from emergency telephones on the A180 trunk road between Brigg and Grimsby since they were installed in March 1988. The heavy use demonstrates their value.The Department is now to embark on an initial programme of further provision of over 140 emergency telephones at priority sites on selected lengths of the A1, A2, A45, A46, A303 and A604 trunk roads.This programme will help all motorists, particularly vulnerable drivers, including those travelling alone or at night. The Department also works closely with disability and motoring organisations to promote better emergency and breakdown provision for those unable to leave their cars to use the telephone.Further schemes will be added to the programme as the opportunity arises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given and what policy decisions he has made concerning charging tolls for road vehicles crossing the proposed east London river crossing bridge between Newham and Thamesmead.

I have no proposals to levy tolls on the east London river crossing scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what costs were identified by British Rail in the last financial year in respect of (a) funding local planning inquiries, (b) meeting specific planning requirements made by local authorities, (c) maintenance of listed buildings and other structures, (d) measures to lessen the impact of noise, (e) measures to lessen the impact of visual intrusion and (f) total expenditure on infrastructure (i) investment and (ii) maintenance.

The Department does not collect detailed management information on items (a) to (e), from British Rail. British Rail will provide information on infrastructure expenditure in its annual report and accounts for 1988–89, due to be published in July.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much co-responsibility levies will increase when the Green pound is devalued as a result of the 1989 price negotiation.

At the 1989 price fixing, agreement was reached on significant reductions in the levels of milk co-responsibility levy, including its removal in less-favoured areas. It was agreed that this was the first step towards total elimination of the levy, for which the United Kingdom has consistently argued. These changes, together with the 3·2 point green pound devaluation, mean that the rates of levy paid by producers in 1988–89 and that to be paid in 1989–90 compare as follows:

	1988–89 £ per tonne	1989–90 £ per tonne
(i) Producers in LFAs:
First 60,000 kg	2·861	Nil
Remainder	3·814	Nil
(ii) Producers elsewhere:
Producers of up to 60,000 kg	3·814	1·968
Producers of more than 60,000 kg	3·814	2·951

The cereals co-responsibility levy has two elements. First, there is a fixed basic levy of 3 per cent. of the intervention price. Secondly, there is an additional levy which, at the beginning of the marketing year, is set at 3 per cent. of the intervention price and is subsequently adjusted under the stabiliser arrangements if the EC cereals harvest exceeds the maximum guaranteed quantity of 160 million tonnes by less than 3 per cent. The total levy—basic plus additonal—deducted from first sales of cereals at the beginning of the 1988 marketing year was £7·;06 per tonne. This was subsequently adjusted to £5·57, which was the rate applicable at the time of this year's price fixing. Following the 3·9 point green pound devaluation agreed at this year's price fixing, and taking account of the operation of the cereals stabiliser mechanism on the intervention price, the rate of levy to be deducted from the start of the 1989–90 marketing year, 1 July 1989, will be £7·32 per tonne. Any adjustment which may need to be made will depend upon the size of the 1989 EC cereals harvest.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has received any representations from the National Farmers Union concerning British summer time.

The National Farmers Union responded to my Department's request for comments on a consultation document on the arrangements for summer time to apply from 1990 which was issued on 29 April 1988. Details of the outcome of the consultations will be issued shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish a table in the Official Report setting out the surplus or deficit in the manufacturing trade between the United Kingdom and the EEC in each of the past 20 years; and if he will publish a separate table showing the balances with the rest of the world, all on an OTC basis.

The information is in the following table. Figures prior to 1970 on an OTS basis are not readily available.

United Kingdom Trade Balance in Manufactures (SITC 5–8)
£ million
Year	EC	Rest of the world
1970	567	1,687
1971	416	2,383
1972	118	2,016
1973	-329	1,704
1974	-596	2,216
1975	-542	4,009
1976	-509	4,637
1977	-685	5,802
1978	-1,988	5,639
1979	-3,154	4,327
1980	-1,751	5,385
1981	-3,183	5,820
1982	-5,029	5,226
1983	-8,076	3,222
1984	-8,847	2,533
1985	-9,522	3,710
1986	-10,848	2,602
1987	-11,085	1,139
1988	-13,417	-3,912

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the four member states of Airbus Industrie have yet completed their studies on a new organisational structure; and if he will make a statement.

A new management structure for Airbus Industrie, broadly based on the recommendations contained in the 1988 report of the Airbus "Wise Men", was introduced with effect from 1 April 1989. The new structure is intended to strengthen the strategic control of Airbus projects by the four partners in the consortium while, at the same time, placing the senior managers of Airbus Industrie at the centre of all day-to-day operations of particular Airbus programmes. The supervisory board has been streamlined and now consists of five members, the four chairmen of the partner companies and Dr. Friderichs, the chairman of Airbus Industrie. A new seven-man executive board has been constituted for the

Inward Investment into Great Britain 1979–88
	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	Total
Scotland	28	31	28	28	49	74	57	36	31	58	420
Wales	18	16	20	17	31	42	45	49	58	55	351
Northern Ireland	18	20	15	6	11	27	22	18	17	22	176
North East	21	19	14	15	20	29	26	30	31	22	227
North West	9	15	12	14	22	40	28	34	27	24	225
Yorkshire and Humberside	27	17	6	7	10	7	16	11	23	14	138
West Midlands	11	3	7	1	13	14	63	74	59	66	311
East Midlands	15	5	8	13	12	11	19	15	11	16	125
South East	23	23	15	25	59	70	84	60	55	45	459
South West	13	6	8	7	9	14	15	12	11	5	100
United Kingdom1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	3	4
Total	183	155	133	133	236	328	375	339	324	330	—
1 Investment into more than one region.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether, in view of recent survey evidence of overcharging of customers using stamped brim glasses, he will bring into force section 43 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985.

Last year the Department introduced revised regulations for the construction of beer measures; and coincidently the Brewers Society published guidelines on the proper use of these measures by bar staff when dispensing beer.These initiatives, which seek to accommodate local preferences for the way in which beer is served, are designed to encourage licensees to use the glass most appropriate for the type of beer they are serving.I therefore have no plans at present to implement section 43 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in the light of recent evidence of disregard by many establishments of the agreed code of practice on selling wine by the glass, he will now introduce legislation to enforce the code.

Surveys carried out by individual local authorities generally continue to indicate an increasing level of compliance with the voluntary code of practice for sales of still table wines by the glass, particularly in the quantities in which wine is sold.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many overseas companies have set up operations in the United Kingdom since 1979, giving a breakdown by standard region.

The following are the Invest in Britain Bureau figures for inward investments announced in each year since 1979 for the United Kingdom broken down by DTI regions. (These figures are not readily available on a United Kingdom standard region basis). The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves at the time of the investment and include the establishment of a new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture.I have no present plans to introduce legislation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many inquiries have been received by his Department from companies interested in taking over the former Bradbury-Wilkinson premises at Saltash; and if he will make a statement about the present position and his Department's intentions.

My Department has received no inquiries regarding this site, the future of which is a matter for its private sector owners.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the application of section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act to transactions during the course of takeovers and other dealings and practices on the financial markets.

Section 47(2) of the Financial Services Act is directed against deliberate manipulation of the market. Some concerns have been expressed that the provision may go wider than was intended. In the light of these concerns it may be helpful to set out my Department's views on some of the points which have been raised.It has been suggested, for example, that section 47(2) would prevent or inhibit certain actions which are at present common and which are consistent with the takeover code. My Department's view is that the balance of dealings between offeror and offeree company is unaffected by the new provision, and it is difficult to see how actions taken in compliance with the code and not otherwise unlawful could constitute the offence of market manipulation.In relation to takeover offers, it has been suggested that the act of buying shares of an offeree company might influence the price and lead in some way to a breach of section 47(2). If shares are bought by associates of the offeror or the offeree company, or by persons already holding 1 per cent. or more of the shares, these purchases must under the code be disclosed. My Department believes that in such circumstances it would not be possible to maintain that the purchase had created a false and misleading impression as to the value of or the market in the shares, since the market would be aware not only of the price and quantity of the purchase but also of the connection (if any) between the purchaser and the relevant parties to the take-over. Although the code does not provide for instantaneous disclosure, the requirements are well-established and recognised by the market as the means by which a false market is avoided.Of course, not all purchasers are required under the code to disclose their purchases. Some people in this class may wish the offer to fail because they believe it is in the long-term interests of the offeree company that it should fail. They may, in genuine support of this belief, buy shares at above the offer price. Such a purchase would be based on a commercial assessment of the prospects of the company concerned, and even if others in the market had different views as to the value of the shares in question the Department does not believe that such purchases would amount to market manipulation. Thus we do not take the view that the section outlaws activity of this kind by those who hope that an offer will not succeed.In such cases, there is of course a risk that anything said by or on behalf of the offeree company, for example about future prospects, may be inside information, or that any arrangements, however informal, would constitute a Companies Act concert party. Similarly, any financial arrangements raise questions as to whether unlawful assistance is being given. While actions in contravention of section 47(2) may themselves also contravene these provisions my Department does not believe that section 47(2) affects the application of such provisions. The scope for supportive action may therefore be extremely limited.In a different context, it has been suggested that a person—say, a fund manager—who needs to buy or sell a large number of shares, and who does so in small quantities so as not to move the price against himself, might be guilty of market manipulation. This view appears to depend on it being accepted that a misleading

£ million
	1985 Population Thousands	ERDF			European social fund2
		1986	1987	1988	1987	1988
West Midlands Region	5,183	40	67	25	9	17
Strathclyde Region	2,359	50	51	48	9	10
Greater Manchester	2,583	14	22	24	7	7
Merseyside County	1,481	33	6	8	8	7

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many companies were registerd at the latest available date; and how many qualified as (a) small and (b) medium-sized for the purposes of section 248 of the Companies Act 1985.

[holding answer 15 May 1989]: There were 1,141,000 companies registered in Great Britain at 8 May 1989. Not all of these are active, but at least 90 per cent. are estimated to be eligible to deliver modified accounts according to the criteria set out in section 248 of the Companies Act 1985. Of these 2 to 3 per cent. are estimated to qualify as medium-sized companies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what funds have been received from the EEC through social fund and European development fund by (a) the west midlands, (b) Strathclyde, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) Merseyside county.

[holding answer 15 May 1989]: European regional development fund and European social fund commitments in recent years are shown in the table. Allocations to individual regions fluctuate considerably from year to year, according to decisions by the European Commission.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much advertising air time the Department of Trade and Industry purchased with each commercial television company in each of the last five years.

[holding answer 15 May 1989]: I am advised by the Central Office of Information, through which the Department buys such advertising, that the information is commercially confidential.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to visit Maidstone.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) of 24 April, Official Report, column 392, what steps are taken to monitor centrally the exercise of disciplinary powers by individual Government Departments; and where ministerial responsibility lies for ensuring consistency in the application of such powers.

The principles which govern the conduct of the Home Civil Service are my responsibility as Minister for the Civil Service, which includes laying down the general procedures to be followed to ensure fairness and consistency of practice. The Cabinet Office (Office of the Minister for the Civil Service) is available to provide advice and guidance on their application to particular cases. Disciplinary action against an individual is the responsibility of the Department concerned and is not monitored centrally.

To ask the Prime Minister what proposals Her Majesty's Government have to protect the feeding grounds of breeding seabirds in the United Kingdom's waters under EEC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds; and if she will make a statement.

The Government's scientific adviser, the Nature Conservancy Council, is in the process of identifying the most important seabird feeding and gathering grounds in United Kingdom waters. It will advise the Department of the Environment when the results have been obtained. The Department will then consider the most appropriate measures to safeguard these areas.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will co-ordinate the activities of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for the Home Department and the Attorney-General to ensure that the pay scales of both the Crown Prosecution Service and the magistrates' clerks are such that there is no shortage of staffs in either.

As my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General explained to the House on 8 May, there is an overall shortage of lawyers nationwide. This is of course taken into account in determining the pay of qualified lawyers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service and the magistrates courts.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the volume of legislation stemming from the European Economic Community and the democratic procedures for considering it; and if she will make a statement.

No. I recognise the concern at the number of proposals for EC legislation now corning forward and the need for effective scrutiny of them. My right hon. Friend the Lord President keeps our arrangements under close review and currently is holding discussions with the Procedure and European Legislation Committees to establish what improvements may be made.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the total amounts paid in grants by Government Departments to voluntary bodies during the financial year 1987–88; and if she will make a statement.

The figures are shown in the table. The total amount provided in 1987 represents a cash increase of 4·6 per cent. on the level of provision in 1986–87. In the period between 1979–80 and 1987–88 the level of Government support to voluntary bodies has risen by 237 per cent. (or in real terms 91·6 per cent.).

Grants by Government Departments in 1987–88
	£
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	187,765
Defence	5,297,319
Education and Science1	7,207,000
Employment	40,289,647
Energy	1,067,187
Environment:
direct grants	6,160,502
urban programme	66,644,000
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	1,202,750
Overseas Development Administration	42,475,571
Health and Social Security	36,571,661
Home Office	21,945,889
Lord Chancellor's Department	712,000
Northern Ireland Department	14,263,793
Scottish Office:
direct grants	9,790,137
urban programme	20,400,000
Trade and Industry	9,069,000
Transport	671,000
Welsh Office:
direct grants	5,530,466
urban programme	3,430,000
Total	292,915,687

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 16 May.

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. This evening I hope to have an audience of Her Majesty The Queen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each local education authority (a) the number of teachers in post, (b) the number of administrative and support staff and (c) the proportion that (b) is of (a) and (b).

The total full-time equivalent teaching staff in maintained schools and colleges in each local education authority area in January 1988 is shown in the table.The Department does not hold centrally information on administrative and support staff employed by local education authorities. However, figures from the Joint Manpower Watch indicate that for England as a whole non-teaching staff amount to 76 per cent. of teaching staff.The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy publication "Education Statistics 1988–89 Estimates", a copy of which is in the Library, shows breakdowns of teaching and non-teaching staff for each authority responding to its survey.

Full-time equivalent teaching staff in maintained schools and colleges. January 1988
LEA	Number
Barking	2,264·1
Barnet	3,046·9
Bexley	2,103·1
Brent	3,394·0
Bromley	2,418·7
Croydon	3,207·1
Ealing	3,187·8
Enneld	3,330·9
Haringey	2,423·1
Harrow	2,094·5
Havering	2,508·7
Hillingdon	2,083·3
Hounslow	2,556·3
Kingston	1,923·4
Merton	1,601·2
Newham	2,784·9
Redbridge	1,979·8
Richmond	1,393·0
Sutton	1,534·6
Waltham Forest	2,772·7
ILEA	32,000·8
Birmingham	12,282·9
Coventry	4,344·2
Dudley	3,420·5
Sandwell	3,630·7
Solihull	2,285·1
Walsall	3,611·4
Wolverhampton	3,879·9
Knowsley	1,972·6
Liverpool	6,784·7
St. Helens	2,285·2
Sefton	2,901·2
Wirral	3,681·2
Bolton	3,293·3
Bury	1,920·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out all the methods that have been adopted by the Medical Research Council for the disposal of irradiated rodent carcases following experiments.

The disposal of irradiated rodent carcases used in radiation experimental work is subject to authorisation under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The disposal routes for such carcases used by the Medical Research Council are:

1. Maceration followed by disposal to the sewer; or

2. Incineration and landfill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will undertake a sample survey of universities to ascertain information about the levels of non-pay earnings among academics;(2) if he will commission research into the levels of outside earnings of academics.

My right hon. Friend has no intention at present to undertake a survey himself, or commission research about, the non-pay earnings of academic staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply of 2 May, Official Report, Column 2, if he will list those recent departmental decisions which are based on anecdotal evidence.

Decisions reached by the Department are based on full consideration of those facts which are available and relevant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the practice of universities in the treatment of academic staff's outside earnings.

This is not a matter on which the Department collects information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the average working week of university academic staff on research and teaching duties.

This information is not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proposals he has to encourage universities to make contractual provision for time to make outside earnings for university academic staff.

That is a matter for university managements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the contribution made to environmental education and research by the Open university.

Courses about or related to the environment are available in the university's undergraduate and continuing education programmes. The university also supports research undertaken by the energy and environment research group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support Her Majesty's Government have given to research trials of cytokines, particularly interferon, in treatment of common cancers.

The Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from this Department, is the main agency through which the Government support medical research. The council has mounted three trials involving the use of cytokines in the treatment of cancer, all of which are currently recruiting patients. Details of the trials are as follows:1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate the 1989–90 cost of the recommended changes to school teachers pay, above the original £385 million limit proposed; what amount and proportion of this excess above the original limit will be offset by the net 0·4 per cent. reduction in employers contributions for superannuation identified in his reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey, of 4 May, Official Report, column 177, as being free from other assumed offset purposes; what amount and proportion will not be so offset; and if he will make a statement.

The salary bill for school teachers in England will rise by some £440 million in the financial year 1989–90. This is £80 million above the England element of the original limit proposed. The effect of the extra 0·4 per cent. reduction in the cost of employers' contributions to teachers superannuation will be to reduce the school teachers salary bill by about £25 million. The remaining £55 million to be borne by local education authorities represents less than 0·4 per cent. of local authority education provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about progress on LINK.

The Government attach great importance to LINK, which aims to increase the benefits to the United Kingdom economy from Government-funded research by encouraging collaboration between industry and the science base.I am pleased to announce today a major new LINK programme in structural composites. Collaborative research in this area is vital to ensure that United Kingdom industry is well placed to adopt these new materials in a cost effective way.This programme will develop both new and existing expertise, and will widen the use of such materials within United Kingdom industry. The use of advanced composites as structural components is likely to have a major impact in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will announce his proposals for the local education authorities training grants scheme in 1990–91.

Subject to consultation with local education authorities the main thrust of the scheme will continue to be the successful implementation of the Education Reform Act, in particular the national curriculum and associated assessment arrangements. My right hon. Friend also intends to include support for the introduction of teacher appraisal, eligible training for licensed teachers and pilot schemes for articled teachers, training in managing pupils' behaviour in response to the committee of inquiry into discipline in schools and training to develop teaching and assessment of competence-based qualifications in further education.£120·5 million is planned to be allocated for training on national priority areas—an increase of £36·3 million on 1989–90—which will qualify for 65 per cent. grant and £94·7 million on local priorities which will qualify for 50 per cent. grant.Copies of the consultation letter have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, for each year since 1979 (a) each hospital closed completely and (b) each hospital closed partially; and if he will break that list down by each health authority, and regional health authority.

A list of hospitals which closed, and remain closed, between 1 January 1979 and 31 December 1988 is given in the following table. These closures are the result of reorganisations and improvements of health care services in Wales since 1979, notably the provision of seven new hospitals, including five district general hospitals, at a cost of some 162·4 million at 1989–90 prices. Information on changes in bed complements for individual hospitals is published annually in "Bed Use Statistics", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

District health authority hospital	Year of closure
Clwyd
Prince Edward's War Memorial	1980
Llangwyfan	1981
Chatsworth House	1985
Colwyn Bay Maternity	1985
Wrexham War Memorial	1986
Chirk	1987
East Dyfed
Cilymaenllwyd	1984
Allt-y-Mynydd	1986
Gwent
Snatchwood	1980
Cefn Mably	1983
Gwynedd
Gors Maternity	1980
Caernarvonshire and Anglesey General	1984
Galltysil	1985
Mid Glamorgan
Glyncornel	1979
Blackmill	1985
Bridgend and District	1985
Cefn Hirgoed	1985
Powys
Adelina Patti	1986
West Glamorgan
Llwynderw	1979
Drymma Hall	1986
Cwmdonkin	1987
Neath Annexe	1988

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many deaths occurred on Welsh roads in each of the last three years;(2) how many people were injured on the roads of Wales in each of the last three years.

The information requested is shown in the following table.

Casualties	1986	1987	11988
Fatal2	235	220	226
Serious3	3,243	3,173	2,900
Slight4	10,967	10,890	12,024
1 Provisional.
2 When death occurs in less than 30 days as a result of the accident.
3 When a person sustains an injury for which he/she is detained in hospital as an "in-patient" or any of the following injuries whether or not he/she is detained in hospital; fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushings, severe cuts and lacerations, severe general shock requiring medical treatment, injuries causing death 30 or more days after the accident.
4 When a person sustains an injury of a minor character such as a sprain, bruise or cut not judged to be severe, or slight shock requiring roadside attention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people were taken to hospital with serious injuries after road accidents in Wales in each of the last three years.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the number of patients and day cases who died in hospitals in Wales or were discharged from them after road traffic accidents in the last three years for which data are available is as follows:

	Number
1985	3,332
1986	3,263
1987	2,978

This may understate the true position as not all hospitals provide full clinical details relating to discharges and deaths. The numbers with "serious" injuries cannot be separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to introduce a scheme to convert council house rents into mortgages, along the lines of that announced by the Scottish Office.

I am examining a scheme similar to that recently announced in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to examine the provision of education for the under-fives along the same lines as those recently announced by the Department of Education and Science in England; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science has established and will be chairing a committee of inquiry to consider the quality and content of the educational experience offered to under-five-year-olds, as one of the responses to the Education, Science and Arts Committee's report on educational provision for the under-fives in England. I shall be keeping in close touch with the work of this group, on which the Welsh Office has observer status.I shall be keeping under review the need for any action in Wales in the light of the deliberations and findings of the new committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's action to improve pay levels in Scotland.

The Government have sought to create the conditions in which sustained growth in output and real incomes can take place. Pay levels, in Scotland as elsewhere, are essentially for employers and employees to determine, but the Government have removed a number of statutory obstacles to sensible pay determination and have encouraged employers to link pay to the performance of their firm. In their dealings with its own employees the Government have introduced more flexibility by means of performance-related pay, and new, flexible, long-term pay agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total budget for 1988–89 which was allocated to the Scottish Development Department for road building and maintenance: and if he will show the projects completed and projects commenced during that financial year.

Gross provision for trunk road building and maintenance in Scotland in 1988–89 was £130 million. Schemes costing over £1 million completed and commenced during that financial year are shown in the following table:

1988–89
Schemes Costing Over £1 million
Completed
A75	Castle Douglas Bypass
A75	Ringford Bypass
M8	Starlaw Junction
A82	Auchendennan-Arden
A830	Mallaig-Kinsadel I
A830	Polnish-Lochailort
A9	Dornoch Bridge Northern Approach Roads
A9	Dornoch Bridge Southern Approach Roads
A9	Mound Bridges
A92	Murcar-Balmedie
A929	Kinsway-Powrie
A96	Bucksburn-Tyrebagger I
A96	Forres Bypass
Commenced
A7	North Middleton Bypass
A75	Dumfries Bypass
A77	Balsalloch-Balcreuchan
A835	Garve Railway Bridge
A9	Dunblane Bypass
A9	Dornoch Firth Bridge
A94	Parkford-Balnabreich1
A94	Upper Northwaterbridge-Oatyhill
A96	Inverurie Bypass1
1 Schemes commenced in that a contract was let during the year but actual construction did not start until a few weeks later.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the proposed roads budget allocated to the Scottish Development Department for the financial year 1989–90.

£162 million, net of receipts, has been allocated for motorway and trunk road expenditure in Scotland in 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to improve the effectiveness of health education in Scotland.

I have announced today the setting up of a major and wide-ranging review of health education in Scotland. This is one of the four central priority areas recommended in the SHARPEN report and which were accepted by the Government. It is a key aspect of health policy.The review will consider the purpose of health education programmes, identify the principal objectives of such programmes and the means by which the effectiveness of those objectives can be assessed.It will also consider and examine the way in which health education is undertaken at both national and local levels and the role of those involved, including the Scottish Health Education Group, health boards and voluntary bodies as well as the Scottish Home and Health Department and the Scottish Education Department.We hope to appoint management consultants to conduct the review. I expect them to talk to a large number of organisations and individuals in the course of the review and to complete their work towards the end of 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing for each local authority in Scotland (a) the community charge level for 1989–90, (b) the Government's previous estimate of the level of community charge and (c) the percentage difference between (a) and (b).

The information requested is set out in the table. The Government's estimates were of what each authority's community charge would be if the authority maintained the level of services provided in 1988–89 and therefore did not increase the volume of its spending. The figures for regional and islands councils include water charges.

	Actual Community Charge £	Government Estimate £	Percentage Difference per cent.
Borders	205	151	35·8
Central	213	167	27·8
Dumfries and Galloway	206·5	157	31·4
Fife	238	206	15·8
Grampian	219	150	46·2
Highland	200	165	21·2
Lothian	305	247	23·6
Strathclyde	219	221	-0·8
Tayside	241	193	24·7
Islands Councils
Orkney	148	84	77·1
Shetland	114·16	202	-43·5
Western Isles	171	126	36·2
District Council
Berwickshire	31	26	19·2
Ettrick and Lauderdale	42	29	44·8
Roxburgh	42	39	8·8
Tweeddale	43	23	84·5
Clackmannan	87	58	49·6
Falkirk	46	44	3·9
Stirling	97	83	17·6
Annandale and Eskdale	47	39	19·2
Nithsdale	39	35	10·6
Stewartry	37	39	-40
Wigtown	40	21	89·0
Dunfermline	55	43	26·6
Kirkcaldy	60	51	18·0
North East Fife	82	46	79·7
Aberdeen City	85	51	65·4
Banff and Buchan	56·7	35	60·2
Gordon	44	33	31·7
Kincardine and Deeside	32	18	76·4
Moray	42	26	59·6
Badenoch and Strathspey	35	21	69·1
Caithness	25	31	-18·5
Inverness	26	24	9·8
Lochaber	37	37	0·7
Nairn	28	16	76·9
Ross and Cromarty	39	25	56·4

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was (a) the number of aplications for regional selective assistance received between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989, (b) the number of applications that have been processed and (c) the total amount of money paid out in that period.

[holding answer 8 May 1989]: In the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, 255 applications for regional selective assistance were received in Scotland. Of these, 237 have been fully processed. The remaining 18 are being processed. Total payments of regional selective assistance in Scotland in the same period have amounted to £37·6 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was (a) the total number of applications for the investment grants from 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989, (b) the total number of applications approved, (c) the total amount of expenditure involved and (d) the total estimated expenditure planned for that period and the estimated expenditure for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92;(2) what was

[holding answer 8 May 1989]: The information requested is as follows for the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989.

Regional enterprise grants
	Innovation grants	Investment grants
Number of applications received	100	374
Number of applications approved	37	189
Value of applications approved	£851,000	£1,097,000

Total expenditure on regional enterprise grants for the period covered is £282,000 out of a provision for 1988–89 of £1·6 million. Planned provision for 1989–90 is published in the Supply Estimates. Planned net provision for regional selective assistance and related schemes (including regional enterprise grants), consistent with the figures published in "Public Expenditure to 1991–92, A Commentary on the Scotland Programme", for each of the years 1990–91 and 1991–92 is £80 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was (a) the number of applications for regional development grants outstanding on 31 March 1988, (b) the number of those outstanding applications that have subsequently been processed, (c) the number of applications that are still outstanding and (d) the total amount of money paid out on regional development grants since 31 March.

[holding answer 8 May 1989]: The figures requested for applications in Scotland under the revised regional development grant scheme are as follows:

	Number
Number of applications outstanding at 31 March 1988	5,117
Number of these fully processed by 3 May 1989:	4,932
Number under consideration but awaiting response from applicants:	185
Number of applications awaiting attention:	nil
Total payments made between 31 March 1988 and 31 March 1989:	£50·8 million

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total amount of European regional development fund money allocated to each of the regions in 1988.

[holding answer 8 May 1989]: The information requested is as follows:

	£ million (rounded)
Project awards1
Central	2
Dumfries and Galloway	1
Fife	2
Highland	9
Strathclyde	12
Shetland	2
Western Isles	11
Programme awards2
Strathclyde Integrated Development Operation3	34
Highlands and Islands4	11
Tayside5	4

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table showing the number of representations he has made in the last five years about the denial of human rights and use of torture in each of the nations in membership of the United Nations.

In the last five years we have made many representations to the Governments of many countries, both bilaterally and with our European Community partners.The precise information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Nasim Ahmed who was born on 2 July 1965, and whose reference is IMM/84536 and A.421238, first applied to the British post in Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; when Mr. Ahmed successfully appealed against refusal to grant him entry, and when the British port in Islamabad was instructed to issue Mr. Ahmed with a visa to enter the United Kingdom.

The information requested is not immediately available. A further reply will be sent to the hon. Member in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when Mrs. Musrat Begum, whose date of birth is 1 January 1958, applied to the post in Islamabad, to join her husband in the United Kingdom; and when a decision will be taken on her application;(2) when Mr. Mohd Arif, who was born on 1 September 1963, will he issued with a visa by the post in Islamabad following his successful appeal against refusal to grant him permission to enter the United Kingdom;(3) when Shamin Akhter, who was born on 12 November 1964, applied to the post in Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; when her application was refused; when the post despatched an explanatory statement setting out the reasons her application was refused; and if he will make a statement;(4) when Mr. Sodigar Hussain applied to the post in Islamabad to join his wife, Mrs. Zaidah Begum whose date of birth is 27 January 1967; and when a decision on his application will be taken.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 May 1989, c. 362]: In accordance with the recent guidelines on the handling of representations by Members of Parliament in immigration cases, issued to Members on 14 December 1988, I have referred the questions to the correspondence unit of migration and visa department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The hon. Member will receive a reply from the unit in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he will review the current arrangements for visits between married prisoners where both spouses are in custody serving prison sentences; and if he will make a statement.

The current arrangements for visits between imprisoned spouses and other close relatives are set out in "Prison Standing Order 5A 20", which is available in the Library. I see no need for a review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will examine the procedures and forms associated with postal voting in order to make them less complex.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Bowis) on 2 March 1989, at column 274.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will describe the system which grants Ministers immunity from prosecution for driving offences while on official business.

In general, road traffic law applies to vehicles and persons in the public service of the Crown as it applies to other motorists. Ministers have no immunity from prosecution for driving offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of those arrested for football-related incidents during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons were season ticket holders;(2) how many of those arrested for football-related incidents during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons were of pensioner age;(3) how many of those arrested for football-related incidents during the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons were women.

This information is not recorded centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Tamil asylum seekers have been returned to Sri Lanka after being refused asylum in the United Kingdom since February 1988; and what efforts he has made to monitor the situation of those returned from the United Kingdom.

No distinction is made in statistical records between Tamils and other Sri Lankans. Removals and deportations of failed asylum seekers are not normally recorded separately. However, it is known that 47 Sri Lankans who sought asylum at ports have been removed to Sri Lanka since 1 February 1988. Additionally, in the same period 28 Sri Lankans have been removed as illegal entrants and seven have been deported. Most of these applied for asylum and were refused after consideration of their application. Information on passengers refused entry and removed, as illegal entrants or as deportees, is published annually in "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom". The 1988 volume will be published in the summer.On monitoring, I refer the hon. Member to a reply I gave to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 15 March, at column

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a co-ordinator representing the interests of the United Kingdom has been appointed for the Trevi group.

A senior officer of the Home Office is co-ordinating issues concerning the free movement of persons, pursuant to the decision of the Rhodes council last December, and is attending regular meetings with his Community counterparts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police officers who presently receive a rent and rates allowance are to be given a poll tax allowance following the abolition of rates.