To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his Department's role in proposals in the White Paper "Working for Patients" as they affect (a) teaching hospitals, (b) academic research, (c) student teaching and (d) academic departments of general practice.

Development of the proposals in the Cm 555 is for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health. However, the inter-relationship with education provision is recognised by close working between our two Departments, particularly through a steering group which also includes representatives of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and other bodies with an interest in medical and dental education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to make health promotion a mandatory part of the medical curriculum.

This topic is already covered by the recommendations on basic medical education made by the education committee of the General Medical Council in the light of which medical schools determine the content of their courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many bids for funding were received from voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

A total of 365 bids for major capital projects were received in respect of voluntary schools during the financial year 1988–89 for approval to start in 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many bids from voluntary schools were successful in the latest year for which figures are available.

A total of 53 projects were approved for a 1989–90 start.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of money allocated to voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

A total of £86·1 million for1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total amount of money bid for by the voluntary schools in the latest year for which figures are available.

The 365 bids for capital projects submitted in respect of voluntary schools in 1988–89 totalled £164,889,000, of which £85,841,000 was for expenditure in 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the organisations invited to submit evidence to the committee examining the curriculum for the under-fives.

When the committee inquiring into the content of the educational experience of under-fives was established, I issued a general invitation to any interested party to submit written evidence or opinion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place the submissions made to the committees considering the curriculum for under-fives in the Library.

Most organisations submitting evidence are making their submissions public. I shall ask the committee to consider whether any additional measures to keep the House informed would be desirable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the responsibilities of the East Sussex county council to provide speech therapy and physiotherapy for those children who need those services at Hazel Court school, Eastbourne.

Responsibility for the provision of speech therapy and physiotherapy services has rested with health authorities since the reorganisation of the National Health Service in 1974. Although an amendment to the Education Act 1981 contained in the Education Reform Act 1988 enables local education authorities, such as East Sussex, to provide non-educational provision, (which includes speech therapy and physiotherapy) for children with statements of special educational needs, this has not affected health authorities' general responsibilities.Local education authorities will be aware that the recent High Court case of R

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many students pursuing degree courses in nursing in the current academic year are in receipt of local education authority mandatory awards.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list those educational establishments offering degree courses in nursing, giving the number of such places offered by each for the current academic year.

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report the data used to construct chart 7 on page 11 of "Top-up Loans for Students" (Cm. 520).

The data underlying the chart were as follows:

Average gross annual earnings of working males aged 30–39
Year	Earnings of male graduates	Earnings of all working males
	£	£
1979	7,909	5,728
1980	9,119	6,931
1981	10,876	7,867
1982	11,822	8,264
1983	13,374	9,220
1984	14,589	9,814
1985	13,864	10,575

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what projections he has made for staffing levels in the Institute of Food Research.

None. This is a matter for the Agricultural and Food Research Council which has responsibility for the Institute of Food Research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to be able to announce his decision on the future of the Institute of Food Research laboratories at Bristol.

The management of the Institute of Food Research and the timing of any announcement is a matter for the Agricultural and Food Research Council.

To ask the Attorney-General what assessment he has made of the cost to the public purse of implementing the Green Papers on the legal profession.

The Green Papers set out proposals for the elimination of rules in the legal profession which may not be necessary in order to ensure standards of competence and conduct. The question, therefore, in relation to any particular rule is whether it is necessary for this purpose. If a rule is not necessary for this purpose its elimination is not likely to increase cost.

To ask the Attorney-General what response he is making to the Coopers and Lybrand report assessing the increase of the cost to the Exchequer of extending rights of audience in the high courts to solicitors in standard fee legal aid cases from £9·8 million to £17·7 million.

All the submissions made to the Lord Chancellor on the Green Papers are now being carefully considered, with a view to a response being made before the summer recess. The Lord Chancellor has, however, received a supplementary response from the Law Society which suggests that, contrary to the contentions in the Coopers and Lybrand report, for many straightforward Crown court cases it would be cheaper if a solicitor carried out the advocacy personally rather than employing a barrister.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he expects to receive the annual report of the Securities and Investments board for the year ended 31 March 1989; and if he will take steps to bring forward a motion for the House to take note of the report.

My right hon. and noble Friend received the Securities and Investments board's annual report for the year ended 31 March 1989 on 5 June and copies of it were laid before Parliament on 6 June. The question of a debate on a motion taking note of the report is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his policy towards the scheme approved by the European Parliament which would help nations producing tropical timber to move towards sustainable forest management within five years.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given by the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 8 June at column 368.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends publishing a list of medical units that have expressed an interest in becoming self-governing; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the chairmen of Welsh health authorities to inform me of discussions that they are having on this subject with the hospitals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals in Wales have so far expressed interest in self-governing status.

None so far, but I have asked the chairmen of Welsh health authorities to inform me of any discussions that they have with hospitals on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner practices in Wales have expressed interest to date in establishing their own practice budgets.

No practice has yet made a formal approach. This is what I would expect since I and Welsh Office officials have yet to complete our discussions with a range of interested parties in Wales, on the implementation of the proposals set out in the White Paper "Working for Patients".

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department will seek to obtain a video cassette and transcript of the BBC2 nature series special programme "Climate in Crisis" broadcast on 5 June.

My Department has a copy of the BBC2 programme "Climate in Crisis".

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority reactors Dido and Lido at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment were (a) nominated on the facilities list of nuclear plants open to safeguards and (b) first visited by safeguards inspectors; and if the reactors have ever been withdrawn from safeguards.

The DIDO reactor at AERE Harwell has never been nominated for the facilities list. The LIDO reactor was shut down in 1974 and therefore never included on the United Kingdom facilities list.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, in view of the lack of confidence expressed by the Central Electricity Generating Board in reprocessing spent fuel from advanced gas cooled reactors at Sellafield, and of the Central Electricity Generating Board's plans to build alternative dry storage facilities at Heysham, he will reconsider the Thorp project; and whether, if cancellation costs are not prohibitive, he will take a decision now to cancel Thorp.

The future of THORP is already assured. British Nuclear Fuels plc has contracts valued at some £4 billion and is negotiating with utilities in the Federal Republic of Germany for additional contracts, worth some £1–6 billion, which will help to guarantee the future of the plant well into the next century. The decision on whether to submit a planning application for a dry buffer store at Heysham is a matter for the CEGB.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the Agricultural Credit Corporation.

Decisions on the future of the Agricultural Credit Corporation, which is a private company limited by guarantee, are for the board of the corporation.Under the provisions of section 64 of the Agriculture Act 1967 Government support was provided in respect of guarantees given by the corporation on bank loans for agricultural and horticultural businesses. These powers expired on 31 March 1989.I have been reviewing the need for a continuation of such powers and have concluded that it is no longer appropriate for the Government to continue making special provision for this sector.The Government take the view that public funds for bank loan guarantees should be targeted at those who do not have the necessary security or track record to obtain bank loans through the commercial market and yet have the potential for increasing national prosperity and the generation of additional employment. The Government are, however, considering the feasibility of whether the loan guarantee scheme operated by the Department of Employment, which helps small firms which would otherwise not be able to obtain finance, can be extended to include small firms in agriculture and horticulture.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the procedure for slaughterhouses catering solely for the domestic meat market, to have a pre-veterinery inspection, as for export-licensed slaughterhouses; and if he will make a statement.

I have already announced my intention to introduce ante-mortem inspection in non-exporting abattoirs by 1 January 1991 to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark) on 13 March 1989 at column 84. I have also decided that we should move towards a single set of rules for all slaughterhouses producing meat for human consumption. Discussions with the Commission and other member states on the arrangements which are to operate in the single market after 1992 will have a bearing on the implementation of this decision and its timing. I shall be discussing the issues with those in this country who have an interest.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those food research projects which are financed by his Ministry.

Last year the Ministry funded 436 research projects on food. Details can be found in the draft "National Programme of Food R & D 1988/89", a copy of which I am placing in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had concerning the research priorities of the Agriculture and Food Research Council.

My Department is in regular contact with the Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) at all levels. Moreover, my chief scientific adviser and the Secretary of the AFRC are both members of the Priorities Board for Research and Development in Agriculture and Food which advises United Kingdom Agriculture Ministers and the chairman of the AFRC on priorities in research and development in agriculture and food.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he proposes to take any further action in the light of the Southwood report on bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

The Government have already taken wide-ranging action to deal with this new disease problem and has acted on all the recommendations made by the Southwood working party which was set up to look at all aspects of the disease, including any human health implications.Although the Southwood working party regarded the risk to humans as remote, the Government acted on its recommendation that, as a precautionary measure, all cattle suspected as having BSE should he slaughtered and destroyed to take them out of the food chain.As a matter of extreme prudence, the Southwood working party also suggested that certain offals should not be used in the manufacture of baby foods. We established in February that these offals are not in fact currently used by baby food manufacturers. In order to provide even more reassurance to the public, I indicated then that we would bring forward regulations to ensure that there is no possibility of their use in the future.In working out the details, I have concluded that a better way of dealing with this would be to ensure that the relevant types of bovine offals should be rejected at slaughterhouses for all cattle so that they cannot be used for human consumption in any way. These offals, which include brain, spinal cord, thymus, spleen and tonsils, will have to be stained in the slaughterhouse and disposed of under conditions similar to those applying to unfit meat. This approach also deals with a separate problem, namely, ensuring that if there is any risk that there are cattle incubating the disease but not showing clinical symptoms which are not being slaughtered and destroyed, their offals do not enter the food chain either.Detailed proposals for regulations under the Food Act implementing this change will be issued for consultation, as required by the Act, very shortly.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is now able to announce his decision on future sales of untreated milk.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and for Wales and I are grateful to the very large number of individuals and organisations—over 1,200 in all—who responded to our consultation paper on untreated milk.The proposal for a ban on sales of untreated milk was supported by the enforcement authorities and by a number of other organisations, mainly those concerned with public health. Organisations and individuals representing producer interests were opposed to a ban. But the main volume of correspondence came from organisations and individuals representing consumers, the overwhelming majority of whom were also opposed to a ban. Their arguments were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid is provided by the United Kingdom to Central America; and what form it takes, giving figures for each year since 1985 and drawing a distinction between aid provided for reconstruction following the recent hurricane, and other aid.

The latest figures for Central America are as follows. They include investment by the Commonwealth Development Corporation but do not take account of joint funding provided to non-govern-mental organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the amount of grant provided by Her Majesty's Government to Oxfam each year since 1985.

This information is maintained by financial year rather than calendar year. Our total financial support to Oxfam for the past four financial years, including disaster and refugee aid as well as long-term development projects, was:

	£
1985–86	6,642,014
1986–87	3,951,154
1987–88	5,741,378
1988–89	8,553,027

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the attitude of Her Majesty's Government to Cambodia and Nicaragua so far as Oxfam funding is concerned; and if pound for pound funding applies to these two countries.

We are prepared to consider, under the joint funding scheme, proposals from Oxfam and other agencies for co-funding specific development projects in Nicaragua and specific projects with humanitarian goals in Cambodia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have so far been made available under the European Community's regional or other initiatives to encourage the economic development of the Falkland Islands.

The Falkland Islands have been allocated project aid under the last three European development funds totalling 1·578 million ecu. They have also been allocated nearly 0·5 million ecu in the form of emergency aid, Stabex transfers and risk capital.

To ask the Prime Minister if, on a future Friday or Monday, she will accompany the Secretary of State for Transport and the hon. Member for Langbaurgh by normal family car on an official journey from London to Teesside.

I have no plans to do so, but I know that the proposals announced in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" will do much to improve such a journey.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the issue of the Commission submitting proposals which empower officers of the Commission to enter business premises to demand information and to impose fines; and if she will make a statement.

I am not aware of any such new proposals which are currently under consideration.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has received representations regarding the defence of the nation.

I have received a number of representations from individuals and organisations.

To ask the Prime Minister if she is prepared to include British land-based aircraft in the negotiations for conventional arms reductions in Europe.

Yes.

To ask the Prime Minister what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on a timetable for a conventional arms agreement.

I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 17 of the declaration of the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels, 29–30 May 1989, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister when she expects negotiations on reductions in short-range nuclear weapons in Europe to begin.

I refer the hon. Member to my statement to the House on Tuesday 6 June 1989 at column 20.

To ask the Prime Minister what contribution Her Majesty's Government are prepared to make to the achievement of common security and negotiated disarmament.

The two documents issued by last month's NATO summit meeting (the summit declaration and the comprehensive concept paper, both of which have been placed in the Library of the House) set out NATO's objectives for improving our security through arms control. As I made clear in my statement to the House on 6 June, we played a full part in drawing up these documents, and will continue to play a full part in pursuing the objectives set out in them.

To ask the Prime Minister where responsibility will lie for ensuring that the terms of the new guidance on conventions on Government publicity issued by the Cabinet Office will be fully observed; what disciplinary system has been put in place to ensure that any breaches of the guidance are effectively punished; and whether any grades of official or specific post-holders are exempt from the requirements of the new guidance.

Responsibility for ensuring that the conventions on Government publicity are fully observed rests with individual Ministers and their Departments. Ministers are answerable to the House for the actions of their Departments in relation to publicity as to other matters. Officials are subject to the general principles of conduct governing civil servants.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 13 June.

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 including one with former President Reagan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Brussels on 29 and 30 May.

I refer the hon. Members to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's statement to the House on 6 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library his recent correspondence with the hon. Member for Linlithgow about the Gibraltar shootings.

With his permission, I have today placed in the Library of the House a copy of my written reply of 25 May to the hon. Member for Linlithgow and also copies of other correspondence between us on the Gibraltar shootings. Hon. Members may wish to note that, in addition to these letters, the Library now has copies of the Spanish police officer's statement of 8 August 1988 on Spanish surveillance activities prior to the shootings on 6 March 1988; the attestation before a Malaga court on 9 August of the Spanish police officer's signature; and the attestation before a Malaga court on 22 August of the Gibraltar coroner's officer's signature on that statement. There is also a copy of the English translation of the Spanish police officer's statement prepared by the Gibraltar coroner's officer and a professional commentary on that translation prepared by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's own translators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is satisfied that all refugee camps in Cambodia are open to free inspection by the United Nations authorities.

The relevant United Nations agencies do not have proper access to camps administered by the Khmer Rouge. We have taken a leading role with the Thai Government and with the United Nations agencies in attempting to secure such access. The agencies have good access to other camps.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence exists to show a link between drug-growing and trafficking and the civil administration in Nicaragua.

The Nicaraguan Government have denied allegations of high level Government involvement in trafficking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the United Nations about the United Nations seat for Cambodia, currently occupied by a representative of the Pol Pot regime.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the implications for the Falkland Islands of the Single European Act and related European agreements.

The relationship between the Falkland Islands and the European Economic Community is governed by part four of the Treaty of Rome and Council decision 86/283/EEC on the association of overseas countries and territories with the EEC. These provisions are not affected by the Single European Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to visit the Falkland Islands.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no immediate plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had any meetings with representatives of the Falkland Islands administration concerning the impact upon the islands of the single European market in 1992.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what levels of grant-in-aid or research contract have been awarded in 1988–89 to (i) the Royal Institute of International Affairs, (ii) the Royal United Services Institute, (iii) the United Nation Association, (iv) Peace through NATO, (v) the Trilateral Commission, (vi) the British Atlantic Committee, (vii) the North Atlantic Assembly, (viii) the Arms Control Association, (ix) the Verification Technology Information Centre and (x) the European Proliferation Information Centre, from departmental funds.

In the 1988–89 financial year the Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave the following amounts in either grants-in-aid or research contracts to the organisations listed:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which non-governmental organisations have received grants-in-aid in regard to their work done to explain arms control and defence issues; how much funding each from his Department such nongovernmental organisation received in 1987–88 and 1988–89; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for allocating departmental funds to these organisations.

In 1987–88 and 1988–89 the following organisations received grants-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office specifically in regard to their work done to explain arms control and defence issues:

	1987–88	1988–89
	£	£
(i) British Atlantic Committee	57,500	59,000
(ii) Peace Through NATO	110,000	113,000
(iii) The Atlantic Treaty Association	Nil	2,000
(iv) North Atlantic Assembly	271,000	432,569

The grants are paid to the above organisations to assist their work of fostering a greater public understanding of defence and arms control issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has plans to develop a public information programme to highlight issues relevant to the 1990 fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, in the year leading up to the conference.

Issues relevant to the review conference are widely discussed in the media and we make our views known as appropriate. We are of course working for a successful outcome to the conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why it is not his Department's policy to subsidise the attendance of non-governmental organisations at the 1990 fourth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The amount of money available to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to assist non-governmental organisations is inevitably limited, and requests for funds exceed the total amount available. We therefore face difficult decisions on allocations every year. It has not been our policy in the past to finance the attendance of non-governmental organisations at NPT review conferences and, in the light of other commitments and our overall policy objectives, we are unable to make new funds available for this purpose in 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff are available at the British post in Dusseldorf to interview those applying for visas to visit the United Kingdom; and whether he proposes to increase staffing at the post to reduce current waiting times for interview.

The consulate-general at Dusseldorf normally has four entry clearance officers, of whom three are used to conduct interviews and one to deal with postal applications. In addition, two relief entry clearance officers have recently arrived to assist with the normal increase in applications during the summer months and the expected demand for visas from Turkish nationals resident in the Federal Republic. It is known that the posts are under considerable pressure and the question of deploying further entry clearance staff at Dusseldorf is being kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Mr. Mohammad Asif Gill, whose date of birth is 30 September 1964 and whose serial number is SN 65460, applied to the post in Islamabad to enter the United Kingdom; and when a decision on his application is to be taken.

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 question to the correspondence unit of the 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 Lord President of the Council how many reports have been published by departmental select committees since 1979; and how many have been debated on a substantive motion.

Since 1979, 504 reports and 193 special reports have been published by departmentally-related Select Committees. Seven have been debated in the House on substantive motions. Numerous other reports have been debated on other occasions, including debates on motions for the adjournment of the House, and on Estimates days.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the estimated payment in the area covered by Kirklees council for (a) a man on average male earnings and (b) a woman on average female earnings in 1990–91 under a system of local income tax.

The level of bills under a system of local income tax would depend primarily on the level of expenditure undertaken by Kirklees council and the amount of support available from Government grants and business rates. Such figures for 1990–91 are not known. However, figures were placed in the Library on 23 June 1988 showing the level of income tax needed to fund local authority expenditure in 1988–89. On this basis the figures sought by my hon. Friend are estimated as follows. a man on average male earnings would pay £775 and woman £445.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications for the operation of the right-to-buy provisions of the Housing Act of the purchase by Trent Valley Housing Company from elderly council tenants of their recently purchased council houses.

I understand that Trent Valley Housing is in certain cases willing to finance the exercise of the right to buy by tenants aged 55 or over on condition that the former tenant sells to the company after three years, retaining the right to remain in the home rent-free for life. The company recommends prospective clients to take independent legal advice. Tenants may finance a purchase under the right to buy from whatever source they choose and, once they have bought, may sell their home to whomever they choose, subject to the requirement to repay discount in the event of early disposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of local authority housing stock in (a) Corby and (b) East Northamptonshire as at 1 April 1979 and the latest convenient date.

The information for April 1979 and April 1988 was reported by local authorities in their annual housing investment programme returns (HIP1) and appears in column B11 of "HIP1 All Items Print (1979)" and column All of "HIP1 All Items Print (1988)".Copies of both documents are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why it has taken 11 weeks for him to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for South Hams of 22 March about the boundary fence around HMS Cambridge at Wembury, South Devon; what further information is he awaiting before he can give a substantive reply; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that I have not been able to send my hon. Friend a substantive reply to his letter of 22 March 1989. The PSA, which is acting as agent for the erection of the proposed fence, await instructions from the Ministry of Defence. I am told that these will be issued shortly; I will then write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has received any request from the Bristol urban development corporation for powers to take land at St. Anne's road, Brislington, Bristol, which is currently in the ownership of the Bristol city council, into the area of the urban development corporation: and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take steps to prevent land gifted to Bristol city council to be retained as a children's play area from being vested in the urban development corporation; and if he will make a statement;(3) on what date the meeting of the Bristol urban development corporation was held at which the decision was made to request that land at St. Anne's road, Brislington be included in the area of the urban development corporation;(4) what information he has received on the use the Bristol urban development corporation proposes for the land it wishes to have vested from the Bristol city council at St. Anne's road, Brislington; and if he will make a statement;(5) what procedure has been adopted by the Bristol urban development corporation to obtain land at St. Anne's road, Brislington, from the Bristol city council; if he has approved the procedure; and if he will make a statement.

The land in question is already within the Bristol urban development area as designated by The Bristol Development Corporation (Area and Constitution) Order 1988 dated 10 May 1988 and the amendment order dated 8 December 1988. The corporation decided at its first meeting on 2 February 1989 to ask my right hon. Friend to vest 0·63 Ha of open land at St. Anne's road, Bristol which they anticipate will be needed for a road junction improvement scheme. The timing of any scheme has yet to be determined. My right hon. Friend has decided not to include this site in the vesting orders he will shortly be laying before the House, but to allow an opportunity for further negotiation to see whether the land can be acquired by agreement from Bristol city council.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date the Bristol urban development corporation was formally established; when and where the first meeting was held; and if he will make a statement.

Bristol development corporation was established on 19 January 1989. The board held its first meeting on 2 February 1989 in Tollgate house, Bristol.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he can give to local authorities who have to pay large disposal costs on a tenants' choice transfer.

The Department has today issued a consultation paper to the local authority associations proposing ways in which these disposal costs might be phased in certain particular circumstances. Subject to the responses to that, we will come forward with the necessary amendment to the Local Government and Housing Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the outcome of the European Community Environmental Council in Luxembourg on 8–9 June.

My noble Friend the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside represented the United Kingdom at this meeting.I am delighted to report that, after exhaustive negotiations in which the United Kingdom played a leading role, the Council agreed a directive on the second stage of exhaust emission standards for small cars. This now produces clear guidelines for the motor industry to follow in planning its future car production.The agreement contains strict standards requiring under present technology three-way catalysts to be introduced on 1 July 1992 for new models and on 31 December 1992 for all new registrations. These are tough targets and the challenge they present to industry should not be underestimated. Nevertheless we believe them to be attainable. They are greatly to the advantage of the European environment, but do not control all the emissions from cars that cause concern. Thus, at United Kingdom insistence the Commission has undertaken to come forward with proposals to reduce these, not least of which is carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas. The present agreement does not limit the emission of this gas and if any will tend to increase it.The unity of the market will be protected by an article in the directive which circumscribes the fiscal incentives that can be introduced by member states and requires all proposed incentives to be notified to the Commission.As the House knows, the United Kingdom urged an indefinite ban on the import of harp and hooded seal pup skins and their products in 1985, when EC directive 23/129 was extended for four years. Now I am delighted to announce that the Council has unanimously agreed that the directive should be extended indefinitely. This is a significant step towards ensuring the conservation of these species.The Community will support the case for listing the African elephant on appendix I of the convention on trade in endangered species, but of course recognises the need to listen to the arguments from all sides on the best long-term measures to protect this species. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure I am also pleased to report that the Council strongly supported the United Kingdom proposal for an immediate ban on the import into the Community of raw and worked ivory. The Commission will now bring forward proposals to impose a ban throughout the Community. Member states were invited to take their own action in advance of these proposals, and we have immediately imposed a ban on imports of ivory into the United Kingdom.The Council adopted a resolution on the greenhouse effect which recognises the importance of the issue and the importance of the Community and all member states contributing fully to the wider international efforts to improve the understanding of climate change and develop policy responses to it.I am pleased to report that agreement was reached on a directive requiring the up-grading of existing municipal waste incinerators according to specific timetables. The Council also adopted a directive setting standards for new municipal waste incineration plants, following the agreement which was reached on 2 March.The Council agreed an amendment to directive 80/779 on air pollution from smoke and sulphur dioxide. The amendment concerns short-term methods of measurement which do not affect the United Kingdom. It also provides for a general review of the directive in which we shall be closely involved.Agreement was reached on a directive which establishes a regulatory structure for laboratory and industrial processes working with genetically modified micro-organisms within containment. The directive lays down certain procedures for the notification of work and standards to be followed to protect human and environmental safety, which procedures are broadly compatible with existing domestic safety arrangements. The Council voted unanimously to change the legal base from article 100A to article 130S, recognising that the predominant objective of the directive is one of environmental protection.The Council adopted a directive leading to the elimination of pollution caused by wastes from the titanium dioxide industry and agreed unanimously that the legal base should be article 130S.A proposal to introduce controls over discharges of four dangerous substances of water was also discussed.The Commission presented progress reports on a proposal concerning the protection of waters pollution by nitrates and on a proposal concerning the protection of natural and semi-natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes have taken place in the process of admission to Carrick House since it became the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; why such changes have taken place; and what have been the effects on the hostel of the changes.

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and I am advised by the chairman that the Executive has decided not to accept new admissions other than former residents who left the hostel within the last 12 months. This is because the Housing Executive in carrying out its responsibilities under the Housing Order (NI) 1988 considers that the hostel which had become, under previous management, a long-stay hostel for homeless men is unsuitable to meet the short-term requirements of the homeless. This policy which has been in operation since I April has had little effect on the hostel to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new jobs were created in tourism-related development projects in Northern Ireland in the years 1977, 1978, 1987 and 1988.

The information requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in the current year he has answered questions from the right hon. Member for Strangford relating to the future of Short Brothers plc.

Two written questions, including one that I answered yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those applications made to him in the current year by water authorities for the lowering of effluent standards.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The water service of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is the sole water authority in Northern Ireland. Another division of the Department—the Environmental Protection division (EPD)—is responsible for setting standards for discharges from water and sewage treatment works. In the current year EPD will be reviewing the discharge standards of 100 sewage treatment works in a continuing programme of review of all significant discharges from sewage works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland at what level within health and social services hoards responsibility for the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers lies.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The Professional and Technical Staffs joint council agreement, under which the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers is currently being reviewed, does not specify the management level at which the review should be conducted. This is a matter for each health and social services board to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will commission independent research to ascertain the extent to which income support levels are adequate to meet the needs of elderly people in residential and nursing homes in Northern Ireland and to gather information on the practices of using personal expenses allowances to augment income support and other state provision in meeting the costs of staying in such accommodation; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: No such research is proposed. As the hon. Member will know, income support levels in Northern Ireland are kept in line with those applying generally in Great Britain. The Government are currently considering the arrangements for assisting people in residential care in the light of the Griffiths report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects area health and social services hoards to begin work on grading review teams.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: All the health and social services boards are already working on the grading of medical laboratory scientific officers. It is up to each hoard to decide how it carries out the grading exercise and whether or not it sets up a specific grading review team.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will instruct area boards to adhere to the job descriptions outlined in paragraphs 3 and 4 of annex B of the national agreement on clinical regrading; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The paragraphs referred to by the hon. Member do not outline job descriptions. They refer to the use of job descriptions and set out the factors to be considered when grading a post. This guidance has already been issued to the health and social services boards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what possible measures have been considered to help reduce road traffic accidents involving children disembarking from school buses; whether a cost-benefit analysis was conducted of each possible measure; and what decisions have been made as a result of such appraisals.

[holding answer 16 May 1989]: The following measures have been considered and implemented to help reduce road traffic accidents involving children disembarking from school buses:

(a) Rule 24 of the current edition of the Northern Ireland Highway Code sets out the safety rules for getting on or off buses.

(b) Rule 53 of the Highway Code warns drivers to look out for children getting on or off buses.

(c) Every year since 1973 the Department of the Environment has provided a free copy of a road safety teaching calendar to every primary school teacher in Northern Ireland. This teaching aid always has at least one road safety lesson about getting on and off school buses safely.

(d) In conjunction with the Education and Library boards the Department's road safety education branch produced a leaflet for parents about safety of children on school buses which has been distributed with bus passes.

(e) In consultation with road safety education branch the transport officers of the Education and Library boards have issued a safety manual to all board drivers, which includes instructions about the safety of children entering and leaving school buses.

Suggestions about Education boards employing bus wardens and about traffic being required to stop in rural areas when the school bus stops and a flashing roof light is operating, have been examined but were considered to be impractical or unlikely to be effective.No cost benefit analyses have been conducted on any of these measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for passports at the Glasgow passport office are currently outstanding; and if he will make a statement.

There are about 80,000 applications for passport services at the various states of processing within the Glasgow passport office. Applications are being processed at a rate of around 8,500 a week, according to the applicant's travel requirements, with priority being given to urgent cases. My right hon. Friend announced on 6 June in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Mr. Young) at columns 47–48, a number of measures which are being taken to ease the present problem of delays at the passport offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report, for each passport office (a) the number of telephonists manning the switchboard, (b) the number of telephone calls handled per day and (c) the average waiting time for callers before the call is answered.

Details of the number of staff engaged on telephone answering duties at the six United Kingdom passport offices during May this year, together with the average number of calls dealt with daily, are shown in the table below.

	Daily average number of
Passport office	Staff on telephone answering duties	Calls dealt with personally	Calls dealt with by recorded message
London	5	465	2,913
Glasgow	5·5	567	1,895
Peterborough	8	817	2,068
Newport	6	311	3,148
Liverpool	110	449	4,172
Belfast	1	166	355
1 Since the start of industrial action at Liverpool on 30 May it has not been possible to staff all the telephone inquiry points.

Waiting times for responses to telephone calls are not recorded at all passport offices. The available information shows that at Peterborough and Belfast all connected calls were answered in under five minutes, while at London, on average, all but 10 connected calls a day were so answered.Improved telephone facilities to enable more calls to be handled are due to be installed at Newport later this month and at Liverpool during next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether local authorities who claim grant for education schemes under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 will be able to continue to do so under local management schemes without having to resubmit their schemes for further approval; and whether there are any plans to alter the mechanism which operates under section 11.

The introduction of local management schemes under the Education Reform Act 1988 will not require local authorities to resubmit posts already approved for grant under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 to the Home Office for reapproval unless the duties of the posts concerned change. The Government are at present considering the report of an efficiency scrutiny of the section 11 grant scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the responses to his consultation on possible changes to the breath testing legislation favoured (a) random breath testing or highly visible mass testing at a roadside checkpoint aimed principally at deterring excess alcohol offenders and (b) unfettered police powers; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 8 May 1989, at column 284.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to advise Chinese nationals resident in the United Kingdom that activity antagonistic to the Chinese Government within the United Kingdom will not enhance or effect their potential entitlement to refugee status.

No. Any applications for asylum will be considered in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 convention and 1967 protocol relating to the status of refugees; and all relevant circumstances will be taken into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any new appointment has been made to the Police Complaints Authority.

Mr. Gordon Marsh, who has recently retired from his post as Deputy Health Service Commissioner with the office and the Health Service Commissioner for England, has accepted my invitation to serve as a member of the authority. He will take up his post on 3 July. The appointment is being made in order to fill an existing vacancy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he envisages, under his broadcasting proposals, that applicants will be permitted to hid for more than one Channel 3 licence.

Under the ownership proposals which I announced on 19 May in answer to a written question from my hon. Friend at columns 317–19, an individual licensee will be able to own two Channel 3 licences provided they are not both large or contiguous. The definition of large will be given in subordinate legislation. Applicants for Channel 3 licences will be permitted to apply for any number of licences provided they make clear their order of preference. Those who are successful in the bidding for more than the two licences to which they are entitled will be awarded the relevant licence or licences on the basis of their declared preference.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently seeking asylum.

Information on the number of persons applying for refugee status and whose applications were awaiting a decision at the end of a year is published annually in Home Office statistical bulletin "Refugee Statistics United Kingdom". The latest, issue 16/88 relates to 1987, a copy of which is in the Library; that for 1988 will be published within the next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has considered the possibility of moving one of the May bank holidays to September or October.

I have been asked to reply.I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 May at columns

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many places in each prison in England and Wales (a) do and (b) do not have access to night sanitation;(2) how many places in each prison in England and Wales

The current position is set out in the table. Equivalent figures cannot be given for individual establishments in 1995 because specific building plans are not approved more than two years ahead and may be subject to change. The total number of places without access to night sanitation will, however, be substantially reduced by 1995 on the lines described by my right hon. Friend in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis) on 20 February 1989 at column 61.

Access to night sanitation
Establishment	A	B
	Number of places with access now	Number of places without access now
Acklington	448	0
Albany	0	389
Aldington	100	0
Ashford	0	348
Ashwell	404	0
Askham Grange	134	0
Aylesbury	0	286
Bedford	0	167
Birmingham	0	592
Blantyre House	87	0
Blundeston	192	214
Bristol	192	360
Brixton	0	729
Brockhill	14	144
Buckley Hall	100	0
Bullwood Hall	0	120
Camp Hill	24	437
Campsfield House	70	0
Canterbury	0	213
Cardiff	0	338
Castington	300	0
Channings Wood	538	0
Chelmsford	0	242
Coldingley	296	0
Cookham Wood	120	0
Dartmoor	8	643
Deerbolt	240	180
Dorchester	0	145
Dover	0	246
Drake Hall	288	0
Durham	0	715
East Sutton Park	84	0
Eastwood Park	146	0
Erlestoke	218	0
Everthorpe	6	294
Exeter	0	312