To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps have now been taken to prevent fraud in intervention stocks and export refunds following the latest Court of Auditors report.

As my hon. Friend knows, I have been taking the initiative in the Council of Ministers on many occasions to press for further action to deal with fraud in the common agricultural policy. I am glad to say that the Commission has undertaken to present to Council later this month a report on follow-up action to the recent Court of Auditors report. This will include a proposal to require member states to carry out an annual check on intervention stocks, to ensure that actual quantities present tally with storekeepers' accounts, and a revised proposal on monitoring export refunds, which would require member states to carry out a minimum level of controls. I will again be pressing Council to take speedy action on these proposals. The Commission has also this month introduced a simplification of the system for beef export refunds designed to reduce opportunities for fraud.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is yet in a position to make a statement on the future of the Potato Marketing Board.

I am still considering this.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to oppose any European Economic Community proposals to impose headage limitations on its contributions to hill livestock compensatory allowances; and if he will make a statement.

The European Commission has recently made proposals for amendments to the EC legislation governing hill livestock compensatory allowances, as part of a package relating to reform of the structural funds. The proposals are currently being studied. I can assure my hon. Friend that we shall be seeking to preserve the United Kingdom interests in the forthcoming negotiations. In particular, I remain firmly opposed to the principle of ceilings based on farm size and other measures which would discriminate against the United Kingdom.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what have been for each of the last five years, the administration costs of maintaining a register of confusion marks for the purposes of the sheep variable premium scheme; and how many animals were so registered in each of these years.

[holding reply 13 June 1989]: The cost of administering the confusion mark procedures are not separately recorded. Nor are the number of animals registered under the system noted centrally. Those figures could be extracted only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many meetings he has had so far in the current year with representatives of the fishing industry in the United Kingdom; and what has been discussed.

[holding reply 12 June 1989]: I am regularly in touch with the fishing industry. This year I met industry representatives when I visited Hastings and Newhaven on 1 February, the Fish Council in Brussels on 23 February, Billingsgate on 21 March, the Fishing '89 exhibition in Glasgow on 14 April and at the National Federation of Fisheries Organisations' annual general meeting on 10 June. I have discussed a wide range of issues, of both local and national interest, including total allowable catches, vessel licensing, enforcement, management of the Channel cod fishery, quota hopping, beam trawl restrictions, decommissioning, SFIA grants, structure of the fleet and light dues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newham, South, on 23 March, Official Report, columns 708–9, on the studies of bridge design for the proposed east London river crossing, he will state the date when the consultant's report was, or is expected to be received; and if he will make a statement covering its conclusion.

I have nothing to add to my reply of 23 March to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire, on 12 May, Official Report, column 548, he can indicate when he will announce his decision following the public inquiry held in May 1988 on his Department's proposals for the Birmingham northern relief road.

My right hon. Friend announced on 22 May his intention to arrange a competition relating to the design, financing and construction of a new highway which would serve broadly the same purpose as the proposed Birmingham northern relief road. A decision on the Department's proposals for BNRR will be made when the outcome of the competition is known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to commence on the Davenham bypass.

This is a Cheshire county council proposal. I understand that it hopes to start work in 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about his new draft order for the M66 line order at the M66/A664 interchange; and if he will make a statement.

We expect to publish a connecting roads order for the M66/A664 junction next year. A period will be allowed for objection and comment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department has on the availability of explosive testing kits capable of detecting Semtex; and what steps he has taken to acquire these kits for United Kingdom airports or to recommend them to their operators.

The Department has a programme for testing—and, where appropriate, assisting with the development of—equipment designed to detect explosives hidden in items carried on aircraft. Several techniques and individual items of equipment have shown promising results in the laboratory, but we have not yet found any system which will perform satisfactorily under operational conditions at airports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will indicate his estimates of repairs and maintenance for each of the M11 and M25 for each of the next five years.

The need for repairs and maintenance of motorways is reviewed each year in the light of condition surveys. Major maintenance work for the M11 and M25 has been planned for 1989–90, as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his route signing in London proposals for change will fully allow for a London-made heavy lorry ban to be enforced; and if he will make a statement.

The review of signing in London relates to directional signs on the primary route network. Drivers need simple and logical direction signing if they are to reach unfamiliar destinations safely and quickly. It would not be appropriate to include detailed information on lorry restrictions on such signs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if full compensation will be paid to local authorities for strengthening of bridges and roads in their areas should 40-tonne lorries be allowed on British roads.

It is for highway authorities to maintain to the appropriate standards the bridges for which they are responsible. The provision of resources for this is considered in the annual public expenditure round. We shall shortly be discussing with local authority associations the implications of the recent decision that the United Kingdom's derogation from the EC lorry weights will end on 31 December 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been made by his Department into the introduction of tow-away zones in selected areas in London; and if he will make a statement.

The Metropolitan police have powers throughout London to remove any illegally parked vehicle. It is for them to decide how these powers are exercised. The Department has commissioned studies of the effects of vehicle removal in parts of central London as one method of parking enforcement. The studies are not yet complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths and injuries there have been at level crossings, by type of crossing in Great Britain in each of the last five years; whether there are any limits on the speed of trains at each such type of level crossing; and how many of the incidents in each year resulting in death and injury involved collision with road vehicles.

Table A shows the number of deaths and injuries from accidents at level crossings, by type of crossing, in Great Britain during the period 1984–88. Table B shows the number of incidents involving death and/or injury during those years which resulted from collision between rail and road vehicles. The Department's published requirements for level crossings prescribe limits for train speeds at open, automatic open and automatic half-barrier crossings. The criteria for automatic open crossings have been revised following a review of safety at these crossings by Professor P. F. Stott after the accident at Lockington level crossing on 26 July 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will specify the proposed route of the new motorway from the M25 to Chelmsford as announced in the White paper "Roads for Prosperity."

The first step is for the Department to appoint design agents to investigate possible schemes. Only then shall we have an indication of practicable routes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what timetable he envisages for the building of the new motorway from the M25 to Chelmsford as announced in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity";(2) what timetable he envisages for the widening of the Chelmsford A 12 by-pass following publication of the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity."

We shall seek to complete work on these schemes as quickly as possible. Details about timetable will be contained in a roads report to be issued later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Transport Policy Division of the Welsh Office received letters from county councillor Iwan Edgar, of Pwllheli, dated 21 November 1988, 2 February 1989, and 10 April 1989, and on what dates each of these letters was answered.

I regret that due to an error a reply to the first letter was not sent. The subsequent letters were repeats of the first letter. A reply has now been sent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of which of the standards set in the European Community drinking water directive are regularly exceeded by each of the water supplies in Wales which have been granted derogations.

The information is as follows.The Welsh water authority has been granted derogations under the terms of article 9 of the EC drinking water directive (80/778/EEC) as listed in the following table. Information regarding the monitoring of those supplies is not held by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last discussed with a member of the European Commission the question of British compliance with European Community directives on water purity.

Last month my noble Friend, the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside satisfactorily concluded discussions with the Commission on the enforcement provisions in the Water Bill. A copy of a letter from Commissioner Ripa confirming this was placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has responded to the reasoned opinion of 14 April about the failure of the United Kingdom to transpose and its failure to apply correctly Council directive 80/778/EC on the quality of drinking water.

A response will be made to the Commission this week.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of planning appeals in the Royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead he has approved in each of the last five years.

The information requested is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make it his policy to take into account the results of the investment being made before considering a relaxation of consent levels at the Wargrave sewage works;(2) what the discharge levels will be from the Wargrave sewage works when the current round of investment is completed in November;(3) what were the consent levels for discharges from the Wargrave sewage works in

The consent levels for the works for 1980 and from 1983 up to the present time are set out in milligrammes per litre.

improvements as part of its major programme for upgrading sewage treatment works. In connection with this, the authority has submitted an application for a time-limited consent in accordance with the arrangements set out in my announcement on 7 December 1988 at column

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the Cemetery Clauses Act 1847 to require local authorities to give details of the number of burial spaces available in each grave sold by the authority.

None, as the Cemetery Clauses Act 1847 no longer applies to local authority cemeteries. A complete code of administration for local authority cemeteries is now provided by the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977 (SI 1977 No. 204) as amended.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Copeland of 11 May, Official Report, column 520, if he will place in the Library an analysis of those sewage treatment works in respect of which applications have been made for revised sewage discharge consents, showing for each works (a) its eight-figure national grid reference, (b) the parliamentary constituency in which it is situated, and (c) the local authority area in which it is situated.

The question can be answered only at disproportionate cost. The grid reference for each sewage treatment works is included on the application form submitted to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. These forms are available for public inspection at each water authority. The applications themselves, including grid references, have been advertised locally in the press. The other information would have to be specifically compiled and is not relevant to the consideration of the application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 6 June, if he will collate the list of consented discharges into the Bristol channel held by Wessex Water, Welsh Water and South West Water; and if he will publish these.

Information on discharge consents is not held by the Department in a form which would allow the identification of discharges in any particular area. Details of consents granted are, however, on the public registers maintained by the water authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will arrange for the new town development corporations to make details of their land disposals available to hon. Members by placing them in the Library on a six-monthly basis.

New town development corporations and the Commission for the New Towns published annual reports which contain summary information about their progress in disposing of assets. These reports are laid before the House under the New Towns Act 1981. Discussion of details of land transactions can often involve considerations of commercial confidentiality.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he will introduce procedures to monitor the disposals of land by the new town development corporations.

The Department already monitors new town development corporation land disposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases of housing harassment have been reported in each of the London boroughs in each of the last three years.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his assessment of how long the tenants on the Angell Town estate will need to consider the consultants' reports on housing action trust areas; what steps he will be taking to ensure that tenants have access to the reports; and what resources will be made available to the tenants for these purposes.

As my right hon. Friend announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on 16 March, all residents in the proposed trust area in Lambeth have been sent copies of leaflets explaining the consultants' ideas and translations have been made available on request. We have also sent copies of the consultants' reports to tenants' associations, local libraries and advice centres, Lambeth council and to individuals on request. We hope that tenants will play a full part in discussions led by independent consultants about the proposals in the reports and that they will put forward their own ideas. How long these consultations take will depend on how the discussions develop.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of properties owned by his Department in Manchester, Westminster, Suffolk Coastal and the Isles of Scilly are vacant.

[holding answer 6 June 1989]: As at 31 May 1989, the total number of all properties (that is, residential, office, storage and specialised) owned by the Department of the Environment in each of the four areas was:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of properties owned by local authorities in Manchester, Westminster, Suffolk Coastal and the Isles of Scilly are vacant.

[holding answer 6 June 1989]: Based on the information provided by the authorities in their last housing investment programme returns for April 1988, the number of dwellings owned by each of the four authorities was:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to encourage the use of standard specification returnable bottles; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: I have been asked to reply.The Government have no such plans. We know of no evidence that the introduction of legislation or regulation of this nature would have significant benefit to the consumer, to trade and commerce or to the environment. However, the European Commission, in its draft amendment to the EC beverage containers directive (EC/85/339), has proposed that packagers should be required to label their beverage containers with common recyclable or refillable symbols. Discussions are continuing but, if implemented, this amendment would encourage consumers to return a greater number of bottles for refilling or recycling than happens at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what basis the personal allowance element of the pensions paid to residents (a) in local authority care or in long-term hospital beds and (b) in the private or voluntary sector is assessed; and if he will make a statement.

The personal allowance for hospital in-patients has been increased over the years in line with the increases in benefit rates and is now £8·70, expressed in the relevant regulations as equivalent to 20 per cent. of the basic retirement pension rate. The allowance for those in local authority accommodation is fixed at the same rate as that for hospital in-patients. In respect of residents of independent residential care and nursing homes the addition for personal expenses is £10·05. This is uprated to reflect changes in prices in the same way as other income support applicable amounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidelines he follows in determining which journalists are invited to press briefings by his Department.

Journalists are invited to briefings on the basis of the subject to be discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for his Department's local offices in Doncaster and Mexborough, what statistical information he has as to the different reasons given to applicants by social fund officers for nil awards in respect of application for community care grants.

The latest available information is given in my reply to the hon. Member on 26 April 1989 at column 543–45.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the number of limited appointments for each year since 1979 for each office of his Department in South Yorkshire.

The table gives the number of limited period staff appointments in social security offices in South Yorkshire from May 1987 to March 1989. This is the only period during which such appointments have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training is given to the staff in South Yorkshire following the introduction of new legislation by his Department.

When new legislation is introduced full consideration is given in advance to the training

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the number of visiting officers employed in each office of his Department in South Yorkshire from 1979 to date.

We do not collect centrally information on the number of visiting officers employed on visiting work in individual offices. Staffing resources allocated for visiting in the Department's north-eastern region are estimated from available data for the following years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the turnover of staff in each year since 1979 for each office of his Department in South Yorkshire.

The table lists the turnover of staff in social security offices in South Yorkshire. Turnover includes resignations, retirements, dismissals, deaths and transfers to other offices. It also includes promotions within an office. The information is expressed as a percentage of the staffing complement as at 1 April in each year. Figures are not available for periods prior to April 1984.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the result of the appeal by Therese Devine, of Hargrave Green, Bury St. Edmunds, against his decision in 1986 that she was not entitled to supplementary benefit; and what steps he has taken to make the appropriate payments to her in the light of the tribunal's judgment.

The local social security office have no record of an appeal being received from Therese Devine in 1986 nor was a decision issued at that time refusing her supplementary benefit. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply to his letter of 1 March and the subsequent reply from my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment, dated 12 April in which these matters are fully explained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about the future of Ilford Park Polish home.

Ilford Park Polish home, located near Newton Abbot, Devon, is the last remaining resettlement camp operated by the Department under the Polish Resettlement Act 1947. Polish people who satisfy the criteria laid down in the Act can be considered for admission. The current residents occupy accommodation which mostly predates the opening of the original camp in 1948. The buildings are situated in the central part of a 42-acre site owned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.In view of the declining resident population and the age of the accommodation the Department has for some time now been considering the future of the home. The average age of the residents is increasing and some of them are becoming frail. The present home has more the characteristics of a residential care home for elderly people rather than its original function as a resettlement camp. The present accommodation, age apart, is unsuitable and does not meet the standards required today for residential care homes.We have therefore concluded that Ilford Park Polish home should be rebuilt at its present site. The aim is to provide accommodation and facilities that meet the standards required of registered residential care homes and nursing homes. On provisional plans the work will be complete by 1992. There will be full consultation with residents and staff, as the details of the scheme are worked out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report each parliamentary constituency, together with the proportion, in which the proportion of children born outside marriage in the latest year for which figures are available exceeds 20 per cent.

This statistic is routinely available for local authority districts and for health districts and is published in the annual volume "Key Population and Vital Statistics" for local and health authority areas, which is in the Library. I regret that the statistic is not normally tabulated by parliamentary constituency and so could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases were seen at genito-urinary medicine clinics in England in each year from 1980 to the latest available year.

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what indication he has on those district health authorities which are setting as a local priority the provision of a genito-urinary clinic.

In a letter sent to health authorities in February the Department advised them that, as part of the reports required under the AIDS (Control) Act 1987, details should be given of all completed and planned developments in genito-urinary medicine services. District health authorities are due to publish their reports by the end of June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each of the members of the Health Service management board his or her experience (a) in Health Service affairs and (b) in the supply of personal services to members of the public for which there is no fee or charge.

The members of the NHS policy board were chosen for their capacity to give high calibre independent advice about the strategic direction of the NHS. A significant proportion have had distinguished careers in the Health Service. Others bring a variety of experience from the business world, and an outstanding record of achievement in giving direction to very large organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish a list showing for each family practitioner

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy on the use of patients in the United Kingdom for experimental test purposes for an American drug company provided that the company holds a valid clinical test certificate or clinical trial exemption certificate issued by the United Kingdom licensing authority; what arrangements there are for the patients to be informed that they are to be used for experimental test purposes; and if he will make a statement.

Within the National Health Service all research proposals on human subjects, including drug trials, should be approved by a local research ethics committee before they commence. The committee will want to look at all aspects of the research proposal, including any certificates issued by the United Kingdom Licensing Authority and what arrangements have been made for the information of patients involved, before giving or withholding their approval.

The information is contained in the table. We hope to announce names for the two remaining vacancies shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the level of pay for medical physicists in the National Health Service; and if he has any plans to change the level of retention and recruitment of staff.

The pay of medical physicists is a matter for negotiation between the management side of the scientific and professional staffs council and the staff side representing scientists employed in the NHS. Negotiations are continuing on the staff side pay cliam for 1989/90. I understand that the management side has set up a working party which has been investigating the position with regard to recruitment and retention of scientists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he is making in negotiations to resolve the Whitley council PTAA staff pay claim for 1989, covering health care professionals, including clinical psychologists, biochemists, microbiologists and other scientists, including those at the public health laboratory service, Porton Down; and if he will make a statement.

The pay of clinical psychologists, biochemists, microbiologists and other scientists, including those employed at Porton Down, is a matter for negotiation between the management side of the scientific and professional staffs council and the staff side representing scientists employed in the NHS. Negotiations are continuing on the staff side pay claim for 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the current remit of the Health Education Authority.

The remit of the Health Education Authority is set out in its establishment and constitution order. The authority's main tasks are to advise my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health on health education matters and to undertake programmes of health education in England, except for AIDS public education, which is on a United Kingdom-wide basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance has been given by his Department to the Health Education Authority on strategic and operational planning for health education programmes for elderly people;(2) what particular responsibility the Health Education Authority has for the promotion and support of health education programmes for elderly people.

The Health Education Authority has no responsibility to provide health education for any specific age group. The planning guidelines issued by the Department of Health to the Health Education Authority ask that the Health education needs of elderly people be taken into account in the authority's forward plans which are currently being developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those hospitals which opened in each district health authority in 1988, together with the number of beds.

I regret that this information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those recommendations

The then Secretary of State announced acceptance in principle of the nine recommendations made by the Select Committee and all of them were subsequently implemented in part or in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in the Official Report those recommendations contained in the First and Second Reports of the Select Committee on Abortion 1976 which have not been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

The first report of the Select Committee recommended that the Government should introduce legislation to amend the Abortion Act 1967 in a number of ways. This would, however, have involved departure from the longstanding practice of leaving legislation on abortion to Bills brought forward by private Members as successive Governments have been neutral on abortion legislation. The second report concentrated on research, conscientious objection, disparity in the provision of NHS services, and the cost of abortion in the NHS, and made four recommendations which were not taken forward in the terms in which they were expressed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in each year since 1968;(2) what was the total number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, II, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years since 1968.

1 regret that the information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of abortions performed on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years according to the grounds of termination in 1987 and 1988 for 18 weeks and each week thereafter to 28 weeks.

The exact information requested cannot be released for reasons of maintaining confidentiality. The table shows the data which can be released within these constraints for 1987; data for 1988 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of abortions at 21 weeks, 23 weeks and 24 weeks gestation were performed during 1987 and 1988 on girls aged 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 years to save the life of the pregnant woman.

There were three abortions performed in England and Wales in 1987 with mention of ground 5 of the 1967 Abortion Act (which allows abortions to be performed in order to save the life of the pregnant woman). Further details relating to age or gestation cannot be given for reasons of maintaining confidentiality.Data for 1988 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how far the recently agreed programme of breast screening for women aged over 50 years has been implemented; and whether he has any plans to widen the service.

The table lists those breast screening centres in England which are now operational.Under the programme, all women aged between 50 and 64 years will be invited to be screened by mammography every three years; older women will be screened on request. The purpose of screening is to detect changes in breast tissue which might be cancerous at an early stage when treatment can be simple and most likely to be effective.Plans for extending the breast screening programme to cover all district health authorities in England are well advanced; a full nationwide service comprising about 80 centres (including mobile units) is expected to be operational in 1990.The breast screening programmes in the other parts of the United Kingdom are the responsibilities of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Northern Ireland and of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.SCREENING CENTRES OPERATIONAL AS AT JUNE 1989

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he now expects to respond to the Social Services Committee regarding midwives' regrading; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Wallsend (Mr. Garrett) and my hon. Friend the Member for Batley and Spen (Mrs. Peacock) on 10 May 1989, at columns 450–51.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many of the units expressing interest in self-governing status have complied with paragraph 5.3 of the self-governing hospitals working paper No. 1; and if he will take steps to require the remainder to do so;(2) if he will list those units contained in his list of medical units expressing interest in becoming self-governing who have consulted staff and patient representatives and have met with their approval;(3) when considering applications for self-governing status from ambulance services, whether he intends consulting other emergency services; and if he will make a statement;(4) whether he intends to consult medical staff and patient representatives when making a decision to approve or disapprove applications for self-governing status in light of his commitment to judge whether the changes would be in the interests of the National Health Service, hospitals and patients.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: Expressions of interest are no more than that. We are aware that in many cases informal consultation has taken place but it would be unrealistic to engage in formal consultation at this stage, because people may not have enough information to give an informed opinion. All the main interests—including staff and the local community—will have an opportunity to express their views when detailed proposals have been worked up. We will take all responses into account when deciding whether to approve an application.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those units that are entire hospitals with 250 beds or over contained in his list of units expressing interest in becoming self-governing.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The information is not available in the form requested. The table lists those units which include entire hospitals with 250 beds or over:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide references for the passages in the White Paper, "Working for Patients" and associated documents, in which the implications of and safeguards required for primary care or ambulance services if they become self-governing are discussed.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: The White Paper discusses self-governing trusts in terms of hospitals or other units providing care or services for patients. But self-governing status could be practical for a wide range of NHS services, and we are considering the implications for particular services in the light of any expressions of interest received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) under what conditions he will approve applications from ambulance services to become self-governing; and if he will make a statement;(2) under what conditions he will approve applications from primary care services to become self-governing; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: We would propose to consider each application on its merits, provided it meets the general criteria outlined in the White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is his timetable for approving or disapproving applications for medical units to become self-governing;(2) whether units other than 250 bed hospitals will have their applications to become self-governing approved in time to begin in April 1991.

[holding answer 12 June 1989]: We would aim to establish the first NHS hospital trust as soon as possible after the necessary legislation receives Royal Assent, so that they can complete their preparations before April 1991, the earliest sensible time to establish the first self-governing hospitals. We would be prepared to consider a wide variety of units among the first self-governing units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his latest assessment of the possible spread of the HIV infection within prisons and after the prisoner is released; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.An informed assessment is not possible on the basis of HIV screening and practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, at the most recently available date, and for the same months in 1986,1987 and 1988 how many people of YTS eligible age, registered with jobcentres or the careers service were awaiting an offer of a YTS place; and how many unfilled places on the scheme were available at those dates, broken down for each training agency region and for Great Britain as a whole.

The Government guarantee the offer of a suitable YTS place to all under-18-year-olds who want one.As at 31 May 1989, there were some 141,144 unfilled vacancies on YTS in Great Britain. The numbers for each of the Training Agency regions are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much the change in the expenditure plans for his Department for 1989–90 from the 1988–89 estimated outturn will be (a) in percentage terms and (b) after adjustment for the gross domestic product deflator.

The 1988–89 estimated outturn for my Department is 2·8 per cent. lower than the 1987–88 outturn. After adjustment for the gross domestic product deflator, the 1988–89 estimated outturn is £289 million (8.5 per cent.) lower than the 1987–88 outturn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the total numbers of people who completed courses at employment rehabilitation centres in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what percentage in each year subsequently (a) obtained employment or (b) entered a course of training.

The total number of people who completed courses with the employment rehabilitation service in each of the last five years was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the average length of attendance at employment rehabilitation centres in each of the last five years; and what was the average per capita cost to his Department.

The average length of attendance on courses run by the employment rehabilitation service in each of the last five years and the average per capita cost to the Department was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total expenditure on employment rehabilitation centres in each of the last.five years for which figures are available; and what percentage in each year was received in grants from the European social fund.

As far as expenditure figures for the employment rehabilitation service are concerned I refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on Wednesday 24 May 1989 at column 576.European social fund claims made in report of the employment rehabilitation service resulted in the following grants to HM Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what outcome measures of rehabilitation are used by his Department to assess the effectiveness of the employment services for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

The outcome measures used to assess the effectiveness of the employment rehabilitation service are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many job vacancies in information technology industries were registered in the Bristol travel-to-work area at the latest available date, and two years earlier.

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have been disentitled from receiving unemployment benefit where they have been deemed to be unemployed without just cause since October 1988 (a) in England and Wales, and (b) in unemployment benefit offices in Hackney; and, in each case, if he will state the percentage of cases of which decisions were taken by adjudicating officers to suspend benefit for less than the maximum 26 weeks.

Information is not available in the precise form requested.Figures on the number of persons disqualified for leaving their employment voluntarily without just cause in the unemployment benefit offices in Hackney are not collected separately, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Information requested on the percentage of claimants disqualified for less than the statutory period of 26 weeks is not collected. However, the Department of Social Security has undertaken a survey to establish the proportion of claims which are disqualified for the maximum period. The results are at present being analysed and will be published shortly.The number of claimants disqualified from receiving unemployment benefit because they left employment voluntarily without just cause for the period 1 July 1988 to 31 March 1989 in England and Wales was 156,683.