To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he is now able to announce the result of the review of tourism policy in Northern Ireland which was commissioned in October.

Following the recent review, a statement of the Government's proposals for tourism is being published today, and copies of the document "Tourism in Northern Ireland—A View to the Future" are available in the House of Commons Library.The review concludes that tourism in Northern Ireland has not prospered in line with its opportunities. One feature of difficulty in the promotion of tourism in Northern Ireland is its image, but that does not reflect the full picture, and should not prevent the implementation of change in the marketing of the product.The Government intend to create a body which will have responsibility for both marketing and product development, bringing together the present promotional role of the Northern Ireland tourist board, and the grant-aiding functions of the Department of Economic Development.Implementation of the proposed changes will require legislation in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils passed (a) O-level and (b) A-level Irish language in the years 1985 to 1988.

The information is as follows:-

Passes in Irish language
	O-level	A-level
1985	1,221	230
1986	1,208	209
1987	1,072	223
1988	1,046	203

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the principal differences in the granting of post-graduate awards between Northern Ireland and Great Britain; and how many such awards have been granted in Northern Ireland during the past five years.

The principal differences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain in the granting of post-graduate awards are (a) in Northern Ireland the Department of Education is responsible for making awards to Northern Ireland students for those areas of study which in Great Britain are the responsibility of the science and engineering, the natural environment, and the economic and social research councils, the British Academy, the Department of Education and Science and the Scottish Education Department;(b) the Department of Education offers up to 20 postgraduate distinction awards each year to enable graduates from anywhere in the United Kingdom who have gained first-class degrees to undertake research at the two Northern Ireland universities.New awards made in each of the last five years are as follows:-

	Studentships	Bursaries
1984–85	311	131
1985–86	307	131
1986–87	311	134
1987–88	311	133
1988–89	1337	133
1 Includes 20 Distinction Awards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for copies of the first annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland to be laid in the House.

I have arranged to do so today. This is the first report of the commission which I set up in February last year and, therefore, relates to a settling-in period. However the report clearly demonstrates that the commission has established a very firm foundation for the thorough and impartial consideration of complaints against members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary As the new commission develops its role I have every confidence that it will make a material contribution to strengthening good relations between the RUC and the whole community in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received the 14th report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

The report has been published today, and copies have been laid before Parliament. It covers the period 1 November 1987 to 31 March 1989.The report covers a wide range of matters which the commission has considered during the period under review. These include fair employment, the Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order 1988, electoral law, broadcasting restrictions, emergency legislation, the draft Police and Criminal Evidence (Northern Ireland) Order and education.Copies of my response to the commission's report and of the report itself have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Minister for the Arts, what is the estimated cost of necessary repairs and fabric at the national gallery, the national portrait gallery, the Victoria and Albert museum, the Tate gallery and the natural history museum; and what is the estimated cost of modernising the plumbing at each of the above-named institutions.

The maintenance and repair of these historic buildings is a continuous process which will always require a rolling programme of expenditure. Major maintenance projects are in hand at all of these institutions, but I accept that further investment is necessary. I have allocated £72 million in the current three-year funding period for the building and maintenance programmes at these institutions and hope to announce further allocations later in the year.

To ask the Minister for the Arts when he will appoint a shadow board of trustees for the Horniman museum and library; and when he will announce what resources there are available for the institution.

I hope that some members of the 'shadow' board of trustees for the Horniman museum and library will be appointed this autumn. I will announce in due course the financial provision which will be made for the museum from the arts programme.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the revenue from value added tax on child car seat restraints for the current year; and if he will make a statement.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has taken legal advice to test whether the community charge registration form produced by Trafford council is ultra vires; and whether he will make a statement.

It is not for the Department to test whether the registration forms issued by community charge registration officers (CCROs) are intra vires. We have issued detailed guidance on community charge registration and a model registration form. If CCROs use the model form and follow the guidance, I am confident that they will be acting intra vires.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the effects of his policy on community charge exemptions on the future of care in the community.

The Government have provided a number of exemptions from the community charge including those for certain residential care workers and those for severely mentally impaired people. These, combined with rebate arrangements and uprated income support, ensure that our policy on community care is unaffected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what ministerial permission has (a) been requested and (b) been granted, for relaxation of sewage treatment works discharge consents for Yorkshire water authority; and what period of time they cover.

Lists of sewage treatment works for which applications have been made by water authorities for time-limited relaxations to discharge consents have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. Details of the applications, including the period for which the temporary variation has been requested, may be obtained from the public register maintained by Yorkshire water authority. The duration of any time-limited relaxation granted will, within the constraints set out in my announcement of 7 December 1988, Official Report column 199 reflect the expected time scale of the capital improvements to be carried out. None of the applications from the authority has yet been granted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will respond to those parts of the report "Sport and Young People, Partnership and Action" produced by the school sport forum in July 1988 which relate to his departmental responsibilities.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Education and Science will issue their joint response to the report "Sport and Young People, Partnership and Action" shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire, 17 January Official Report, column 149, if he is now in a position to publish his proposals for dealing with the compensation code for domestic property which, under current legislation, is based either upon gross, net annual or rateable values for implementation on 1 April 1990, under the Local Government Finance Act 1988.

Paragraphs 7 and 8 of the Department's consultation paper on land compensation and compulsory purchase legislation issued on 7 March, include proposals for amendments to the method of calculating home loss payments when domestic rateable values are abolished on 1 April 1990. I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of the consultation paper to which we have received many interesting responses which we are now considering.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the selected valuation and community change tribunal offices where he proposes to use his Department's valuation office staff for user computer support; and if he will make a statement.

The valuation and community charge tribunal offices proposed as regional centres for computer user support are:

• Cleveland and Durham
• Essex North and South
• Greater London (South Eastern)
• Greater Manchester North
• Greater Manchester South
• Hereford and Worcester
• and Kent

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the valuation and community charge tribunal offices that received in January an interim pay award to its staff of (a) three increments and (b) one increment; and if he will make a statement as to why there was a differential pay award.

Staff in 16 offices set out in list (a) received an interim pay award equivalent to three increments while the staff of the remaining 26 offices in list (b) received one increment. The award to offices in list (a) reflected local market factors affecting recruitment retention of staff. Since January 1989 a further seven offices indicated by an asterisk in list (b) have been added to list (a) in the light of evidence of similar market factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why his Department proposes to use valuation office staff for user computer support and place them in selected valuation and community charge tribunal offices; and if he will make a statement.

Computer systems in 42 valuation and community charge tribunal offices become operational in September this year. By then a fully effective support system must be in place to help the offices overcome any problems. We propose to achieve this by seconding experienced computer staff from the Inland Revenue to selected tribunal offices within easy reach of other offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any further information in relation to impounded water stocks following his answer to the hon. Member for Kingswood, 8 June, Official Report, column 87.

There are some impounded stocks below normal in the Southern and South West water authorities areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by reference to site location, the occasions since 1 December 1981 when the European Commission has initiated inquiries with his Department concerning development proposals or other activities which may have an adverse impact on areas qualifying for special protection under article 4 of EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds.

Such inquiries are confidential between the European Commission and Her Majesty's Government, and details are not normally made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 6 June, Official Report, column 89, what additional legal protection to that given under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is given to areas which meet the criteria for designation under article 4 of EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds or wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention.

I refer my hon. Friend to the last paragraph of my reply to him on 6 June at column 89 in respect of SPAs. Ramsar sites are a further subset of SSSIs. The fact of designation in accordance with this international convention would influence decisions on development proposals affecting these areas; the factors to be taken into account when considering development proposals are set out in detail in DOE circular 27/87—"Nature Conservation".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next intends to announce the designation of an area either as a site under the Ramsar convention on the conservation of wetlands of international importance or as a special protection area under EC directive 79/409 on the conservation of wild birds, or both.

A number of proposals are currently being considered by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland. The next classification of a site will be announced as soon as the necessary consultations have been satisfactorily completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give details of any organisation or individuals to which his decision about some or all of the applications for out-of-town shopping developments have been communicated.

It is my right hon. Friend's invariable practice to notify applicants and others concerned of his decisions on planning appeals and called-in applications when they are finalised, and not before. Decisions on the group of appeals and called-in planning applications for major retail developments in Greater Manchester and north-east Cheshire have not yet been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the cost of advertising by North West Water in the current year and each of the previous four years.

This is a matter for the authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many appeals he has received during the last 12 months against the refusal to grant an import licence under CITES; how many of these appeals he granted; and whether any were in respect of ivory earrings or other ivory jewellery.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 June 1989 at column 540.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list how many members of each national park planning board live within the area of that park as a percentage of the total numbers on each board.

The information for the seven English national parks is as follows:

Park	Members	Number living within Park	Percentage of total number Per cent.
Dartmoor	21	7	33
Exmoor	21	4	19
Lake District1	30	10	34
Northumberland	27	2	7
North York Moors	27	4	15
Peak District	34	10	29
Yorkshire Dales	24	11	46
1 29 members are in place and there is currently one vacancy on the Lake District Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make available the model contract which a tenants' choice applicant landlord must use when employing an independent teller to conduct the ballot of tenants' views.

A model contract setting out detailed obligations on applicant landlords and independent tellers when consulting tenants in a tenants' choice ballot was issued by the Department and the Housing Corporation today. It has been drawn up in consultation with the Electoral Reform Society.The applicant landlord is required to use this contract as a condition of his approval to apply to acquire the property. The contract is a rigorous document designed to ensure as far as possible that every tenant eligible to do so is able to return a fully informed vote within the consultation period.Copies of the contract have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are available from the Housing Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list all discharges into the River Wear which are controlled by the sewage treatment effluent consent standards by maximum admissible concentrations, the number of occasions when these standards have been breached and action taken to enforce compliance;(2) if he will list the number of occasions the Northumbria water authority has been found to be in breach of the Control of Pollution Act 1974

[holding answer 21 June 1989]: Details of the consents to discharge into the River Wear, including those for sewage effluent, and information about breaches of these consents are held on registers maintained by the Northumbrian water authority and are available for public inspection, free of charge, at all reasonable hours. This information is not held centrally.In considering what action to take to enforce compliance, Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution pay particular attention to the following factors: whether the sewage treatment works is persistently or grossly non-compliant; whether the breach has had a detrimental effect on the receiving water quality; and whether there are plans for improvement either through capital investment, by better maintenance or by improved operational control.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make an allocation to each local authority to enable a survey to be carried out to assess the need for the repair and replacement of street lighting; and if he will make available to local authorities adequate funding to finance a rolling programme to improve street lighting.

I have been asked to reply.No. The repair and renewal of street lighting on local roads is a local highway authority responsibility. Local authorities finance them from within their general resources for roads expenditure. If individual authorities have special needs they may wish to highlight them in their transport policies and programme submissions to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Israel about the closure of schools in the West Bank.

We have repeatedly made clear our view that the closure of schools is not justified by Israel's security concerns, and called on the Israeli authorities to allow the schools to reopen—most recently in the European Council declaration on the middle east of 27 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East can expect a substantive reply to his letter of 27 January to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, concerning the case of Mohammed Nazak and Jurida Begum and the appeal lodged in Abu Dhabi on 1 May 1988; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 20 February 1989 in reply to his letter of 27 January. I will be sending the hon. Member another copy.

To ask the Attorney-General on what date the chief constable of the Sussex police consulted the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning correspondence between the hon. Member for Brent, East and the chief constable of the Sussex police regarding the circumstances surrounding Mr. Colin Wallace's conviction for manslaughter.

I take the hon. Member's question to refer to his letter to the chief constable of the Sussex police dated 24 February 1989. It was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions by letter dated 7 March 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what monitoring systems are installed at No. 2 pile at Windscale to safeguard against a release of Wigner energy; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether any attempt was made to anneal or remove the stored Wigner energy in the No. 2 pile at Windscale; and if he will make a statement.

Controlled releases of Wigner energy were made at intervals while Windscale No. 2 pile was in operation, but none has been attempted since 1957 when it was closed down and defuelled. This energy could be released in significant quantity only by substantial heating of the pile; there are no credible circumstances in which such heat could be generated inadvertently. Nevertheless, temperatures are monitored continuously using instruments positioned in the outlet ducts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to collect statistics on the numbers of domestic credit customers disconnected in each region of British Gas during (i) 1979 and (ii) the most recent full year for which figures are available.

It is for the Gas Consumers Council to monitor disconnections figures and take up any issues arising from them. The GCC published a report on disconnections in February of last year when disconnections were still rising. Subsequently British Gas modified its procedures on debt and disconnections, in agreement with the Office of Gas Supply, and in the latest 12-month period for which figures are available the number of disconnections has fallen by 35 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what measures have been taken to protect the Cumbrian population during the dismantling of the two radioactive chimneys associated with the 1957 fire at Windscale (Sellafield); and what plans are under way for the examination of children and pregnant women during this period.

BNFL is currently decommissioning one of the two original Windscale pile chimneys. All necessary safety precautions will be taken during the decommissioning and this will ensure that no member of the public will be at risk from exposure to radioactive contamination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the cumulative total of benefit to the Exchequer from North sea oil and gas since May 1979 to date in respect of (a) licence fees and other revenues, and (b) taxation.

The cumulative total of licence fees attributable to United Kingdom oil and gas production over the fiscal years 1979–80 to 1988–89 is £545 million. Receipts from the gas levy over the same period were £3·8 billion. Total royalty revenues over the period are estimated at £;13·6 billion, and total tax revenues at £51·6 billion. Further details are contained in the Report of the Secretary of State for Energy to Parliament of April 1989 (the "Brown Book").

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is ready to announce the results of the 11th offshore petroleum licensing round.

I am pleased to be able to tell the House that I am today making conditional offers of 105 licence awards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the operators of private coal mines currently licensed by British Coal.

This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation and I have asked the chairman to write to my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what principles he expects to be reflected in British Coal's statement of its licensing policy and practice in relation to the private mining sector referred to in his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing on 3 November, Official Report, column 708;(2) when British Coal's statement on its licensing policy and practice in relation to the private mining sector referred to in his reply to the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Mailing on 3 November,

British Coal's statement of licensing policy and practice has now been finalised, and I am today arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.The statement represents the furthest that the corporation considers it can go towards greater flexibility and transparency towards the licensed sector within the constraints imposed by the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946. It describes the criteria the corporation will use for assessing licence applications, and sets the target of processing applications within three months and of indicating objections at an earlier stage if possible. In addition, although a system of external appeal against licence rejection would not be consistent with the 1946 statute, British Coal is instituting internal arrangements along the same lines.British Coal has reaffirmed its undertaking to set royalties at levels that will permit efficiently managed operations to develop their business profitably, and to reduce royalties for new licences in any case where accounting evidence is provided which demonstrates that profit expectations would otherwise be cut to unreasonably low levels. The corporation has also offered to discuss an increase in the licence period, which may facilitate licensees' mine planning and financial arrangements.The statement confirms that it is not British Coal's policy to refuse a licence solely on the ground that it is already adequately supplied. It recognises the importance to licensed mines of reasonably assured markets for their coal, and supports the endeavours of licensed operators supplying on a continuing basis to obtain terms which properly reflect this.British Coal has agreed to prepare annual reviews of developments in the licensed sector, together with brief summaries each six months. I will ensure that copies of these reviews will he placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what financial targets and external finance limits have been set for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for 1989–90.

I have set a financial target of 4 per cent. return on capital employed defined as current cost profits before long-term interest and extraordinary items on the current cost value of the authority's assets. The external finance limit is £1·2 million, as published in the public expenditure White Paper (Cm. 606).

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he will take to encourage the provision of low-cost starter homes; and if he will make a statement.

We have made record provision for housing associations in Wales, not least because they are in a good position to provide starter homes. The Housing for Wales programme for 1989–90 itself allows for significant investment in new low-cost home ownership schemes. I shall be in touch with local authorities and other interests very soon as regards planning considerations for houses in rural areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he will take to provide low-cost rented accommodation in conjunction with (i) housing associations, (ii) local authorities and (iii) the private sector; and if he will make a statement.

We welcome the hon. Gentleman's interest in mixed funding. We have encouraged housing associations and local authorities to work together to provide homes for rent as well as for shared ownership. Some £15 million of private investment in social housing is expected to be attracted to Wales in 1989–90 on top of the publicly funded programme of over £70 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from general practitioners and others on the effects of the proposals outlined in the National Health Service White Paper, "Working For Patients", on practices in (a) the south Wales valleys and (b) rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Information is not available in the form requested and could he provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take measures to increase the number of social workers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

It is for individual local authorities to determine the appropriate number of social workers required to meet their statutory obligations and provide an adequate range and depth of services. Rate support grant provision to local authorities for 1989–90 was 14·5 per cent. higher than that for 1988–89. My right hon. Friend will be announcing the rate support grant for 1990–91 in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of social workers employed by each of the county authorities of Wales; what is his estimate of the number of fully qualified social workers; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is given in the table. Details of qualifications are available centrally only for full-time staff.

Local Authority	Number of full-time social workers at 30 September 1988
	Total1	Qualified2
Clwyd	168	144
Dyfed	148	117
Gwent	208	175
Gwynedd	111	71
Mid Glamorgan	245	204
Powys	41	27
South Glamorgan	188	170
West Glamorgan	167	106
Notes:
1 Senior social workers, social workers and community workers.
2 Holding the certificate of qualification in social work of the CCETSW or equivalent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a list indicating the position of all sewage outfalls, whether into rivers or the sea, and the daily average volume of effluent released by each outfall.

No. This information is already available on public registers maintained by water authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he intends to make for postgraduate medical and dental education in Wales following the abolition of the Council for Postgraduate Medical Education in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Following extensive consultation by officials of my Department, I have concluded that a separate Welsh Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education would be appropriate and will be established with effect from 1 July 1989, with the following terms of reference:

To advise the Secretary of State for Wales and make provision on his behalf for the delivery of postgraduate and continuing medical and dental education in Wales, taking into account both the standards promulgated by professional bodies and the potential difficulties of reconciling service and training needs; to identify particular problems and to develop realistic solutions to these in consultation with relevant interests; and to report regularly.

The chairman of the council will be Mr. E. M. W. Griffith CBE, chairman of Clwyd health authority. Members have been selected so as to cover the widest range of educational, professional and service interests. The setting up of this new body, after extensive consultation with professional and educational interests in Wales, reflects the Government's commitment to maintaining and enhancing the standards of medical and dental education in Wales.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to this reply to the hon. Member for Cambridgeshire, South-West (Sir A. Grant) on 8 June, Official Report, column 229, he will make a statement on his proposals to amend the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 in so far as it affects the security of tenure of tenants of licensed premises.

The Government will bring forward legislation to amend the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 in relation to the security of tenure of licensed premises as soon as parliamentary time permits.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in which petty sessional divisions Wolverhampton and Dudley Brewery has over 33 per cent. of the public house licences.

In 1986, which is the most recent year for which detailed figures are available, Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries owned 33 per cent. or more of the full on-licensed premises in the following petty sessional divisions: Dudley, Kidderminster, Stourbridge, Bewdley Borough.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will consider introducing into United Kingdom law, laws similar to the United States Lemon laws giving a right to consumers to reject faulty cars.

The Sale of Goods Act 1979 provides for the consumer, if he acts within a reasonable time, to reject goods which are not of merchantable quality. Subject to minor clarifying amendments, the Government intend to implement the Law Commissions' recommendations (Cm. 137) for changes which would strengthen and clarify consumers' rights, in particular by replacing the old requirement of "merchantable" quality with a more up-to-date definition. However there are no plans to introduce legislation similar to United States Lemon laws.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what British trade missions have visited Iraq in the past year; and if he will ensure that any future missions are briefed by the Government on the Iraq Government's war against its Kurdish minority.

[holding answer 26 June 1989]: In the 12 months ended 31 May 1989 the DTI sponsored four trade missions to Iraq led by:

• British Water Industries Group
• Engineering Industries Association
• Association of British Healthcare Industries
• British Electro-technical and Allied Manufacturers Association

The addition my Department is aware of three missions led by:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what advice has been given by the British Government to the European Communities regarding the Commission of the Communities proposal for a programme in human genome analysis.

[holding answer 26 June 1989]: The European Commission's proposal for a new research programme in predictive medicine is concerned with human genome analysis. An explanatory memorandum on this programme was submitted to the Committees of the House concerned with European legislation by the Department of Health on 28 September 1988. Discussion on the programme is still taking place in a working group of the European Council in which the British Government participated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to add the nephrops fisheries in areas IV and VI to the current United Kingdom pressure stock licensing scheme; and if he will make a statement.

In view of the fact that nephrops in area IV are not subject to a quota, and that catches of nephrops in areas Vb and VI have been on average only 70 to 80 per cent. of the United Kingdom's total allowable catch in recent years, I do not consider that the designation of these stocks as pressure stocks would be justified. However, fisheries departments continue to monitor these stocks closely and have the ability to restrict their uptake if necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the total amount of expenditure in regional development grant between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989 and for each of the region and island authorities;(2) if he will give the total amount of expenditure on enterprise grants between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989 and for each of the region and island authorities;(3) if he will give the total amount of expenditure on regional selective assistance between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989 and for each of the region and island authorities.

Comprehensive figures in the form requested are not available for expenditure under the old regional development grant scheme. Expenditures on each of the revised regional development grant (RDG2) scheme, regional enterprise grants (REG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 are given in the table.

Region	Regional development grants £ million	Regional enterprise assistance £ million	Regional selective assistance £ million
Borders	—	—	*
Central	*	*	2·0
Dumfries and Galloway	*	—	0·8
Fife	*	—	3·7
Grampian	—	—	*
Lothian	—	—	*
Highland	4·9	*	6·8
Strathclyde	41·6	0·2	22·4
Tayside	4·0	*	1·8
TOTAL	50·8	0·3	38·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give the total number of applications (a) received and (b) approved for regional development grants between 1 April 1988 and 31 March 1989 and for each of the region and island authorities;

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals for new bail hostels he has received from the Greater Manchester area; and what steps he is taking to encourage proposals.

Following a meeting between officials and representatives of the Greater Manchester probation service on 1 December 1988 capital provision of £550,000 was allocated to provide about 50 new bail hostel places in Manchester by April 1990. On 9 March 1989 officials visited the Greater Manchester probation service to discuss their proposals which will involve two new bail hostels and additional places at two existing hostels.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average time taken between an applicant to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board applying for an appeal hearing and the appeal taking place;(2) what is the average length of time taken between receipt of a claim and its single member adjudication by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

Information is not available in the form requested, but the percentage of cases resolved by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board within certain periods of registration, either by single member adjudication or hearings determination, is shown at paragraphs 6 and 11 of the board's latest annual report (Cm. 536), a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are awaiting single member adjudication; and, of those, how many have been awaiting adjudication for over one year, two years, three years, four years and five years, respectively;

Comprehensive figures in the form requested are not available for the old regional development grant scheme. The revised regional development grant (RDG2) scheme closed to new applications on 31 March 1998. Figures for RDG2 approvals and for applications and offers of regional enterprise grants (REG) and regional selective assistance (RSA) in the period 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1989 are given in the table:(2) what is the longest period that has been taken to reach single member adjudication in any claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board;(3) what plans there are to speed up the processing of claims to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board; and if he will make a statement.

The board does not keep detailed information about the length of time for which cases have awaited determination by a single member. On 1 June 1989, 69,480 applications were awaiting final determination by a single member. Interim assessments of compensation had been made in 2,828 of these cases.To speed up the processing of claims the board's complement has been increased from 220 in 1987 to 320 now and a new office has been opened in Glasgow where recruitment is expected to be easier and turnover lower than in London. The board's new chairman is reviewing administrative procedures with the aim of reducing the time taken to resolve claims.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many members of staff are employed by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board;(2) how many staff vacancies at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board are presently being advertised;(3) what is the present level of staff shortages as a percentage of the recommended full staff complement at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board.

On 23 June 1989 the board had the equivalent of 317 whole-time staff, 0·9 per cent. below its complement of 320, including 36 temporary staff engaged as part of the phased relocation of about 180 posts from London to Glasgow. The vacancies are being filled by interdepartmental trawl.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken between the receipt of an appraisal by single member adjudication and receipt of a formal Criminal Injuries Compensation Board decision and the notification of the outcome to the applicant.

Notification of a decision by a single member of the board is usually dispatched within two weeks of the date of the decision. Applicants whose claims are decided following a hearing are usually advised of the decision at the conclusion of the proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the number of (a) males and (b) females (i) charged and (ii) convicted of failure to wear a seat belt in 1987 and 1988;(2) if he will publish in the

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he plans to seek further powers to enable the police to deal with large-scale party-style events held on private property;(2) if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Thames Valley on the events at White Waltham industrial estate on Saturday 24 June, and on the outcome of police inquiries into these events.(3) if he will take steps to ensure that police and local authorities are aware in advance of the planned location of the large-scale party-style events planned for July.

I have just received from the Chief Constable of Thames Valley a report on the incident at White Waltham on 24 June and I will consider the need for any further action in the light of his assessment of events. The police have been aware of the growth of these parties and, insofar as there may be a breach of the law or a risk to public safety, have taken action to prevent them where possible. I understand that the Metropolitan Police have been able to prevent in advance or shut down some 75 such parties so far this year.In addition to continuing police action, those involved in these events should be aware that they may be in breach of existing public entertainment law. The controls exist to ensure that the local authority, police and fire services are given advance notice of events, that there are proper control and safety arrangements, and to minimise nuisance to the local community. It is already an offence to provide public entertainment involving music and dancing without a licence. The maximum penalty in Greater London is a fine of up to £2,000 plus imprisonment of up to three months. Outside Greater London, the fine is the same but imprisonment is not available.There are also controls over nuisance caused by noise, for which the maximum penalty is a fine of up to £2,000.We are satisfied that the existing law on the misuse of drugs is strong and adequate. At large gatherings of young

18, (ii) 19 to 21, (iii) 22 to 24, (iv) 25 to 30 and (v) 30 years and over who were

The latest available information is shown in the table. Information on the age of persons proceeded against for summary offences is not generally collected for those aged 21 and over. Since 1 October 1986, the police have been able to issue fixed penalty notices for seat belt offences as an alternative to prosecution. Further information is given in Home Office statistical bulletin issue 32/88, table 13 of which suggests that in 1987 there was a large rise in the enforcement of this legislation. Figures for 1988 will be published in the autumn.people there is always the risk of drugs being used or supplied. The police attach high priority to drugs enforcement and action will be taken where necessary.Those who hire out large premises would be well advised to exercise caution to establish the true purpose of the activity and inform the police if they are suspicious. Regular use of premises for purposes for which planning permission had not been obtained may result in enforcement action.There is in being a comprehensive set of controls, backed up by offences, and penalties for those who commit them, to keep events within proper grounds.I am considering whether there are any gaps in the law, but it is clear that the main need is for citizens who have advance knowledge of any party at which the law may be broken to give timely information to the police so that the law can be enforced.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners there were in Leicester prison as at (a) 26, (b) 23, (c) 16, (d) 9 and (e) 2 June, and (f) 26 (g) 19 and (h) 12 May 1989.

The information requested is as follows:

	Numbers
26 June 1989	362
23 June 1989	365
16 June 1989	369
9 June 1989	389
2 June 1989	374
26 May 1989	381
19 May 1989	388
12 May 1989	379

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a decision is to be taken on the application of Mr. G. M. Tinwala—reference: T204490—to settle in the United Kingdom.

The British deputy high commission in Bombay was notified on 27 June that entry clearance may be issued to Mr. Tinwala.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East can expect to hear from his Department on the case of Mohammed Nazak and Miss Jurida Begum, reference N. 158192, whose papers were forwarded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to his Department on 6 February; and if he will make a statement.

I have replied to the hon. Member's letter of 6 June today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions are given to chief constables in relation to the inspection of tachographs and their charts following road accidents involving vehicles which are required to carry them.

None. This is a matter for individual chief officers of police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has proposals to review the effectiveness of prison sentences in controlling crime; and if he will make a statement.

Our views were set out in the Green Paper "Punishment, Custody and the Community" (Cm. 424), published in July last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many men from the ethnic groups (a) Afro-Caribbean or African, (b) Asian and (c) white have been appointed in the principal, director and chief executive grades of the Commission for Racial Equality;(2) how many women from the ethnic groups

The information requested is as follows:

	Chief Executive	Director	Principal
Men
a. Afro-Caribbean and African	—	—	1
b. Asian	—	1	5
c. White	1	1	7
Women
a. Afro-Caribbean and African	—	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were on rule 43 in prisons in England and Wales on 1 June.

[holding answer 14 June 1989]: The latest readily available information is given in the table.

Prisoners held in prison service establishments in England anti Wales under prison rule 43 and young offender institution rule 46: by type of segregation, age group and sex, 30 April 1989
	Own protection	Good order or discipline
Aged under 21
Males	185	55
Females	17	3
Adults
Males	2,065	178
Females	35	9

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has taken account of the implications for the greenhouse effect of his Department's forecast increase in vehicle miles of 83–142 per cent. by the year 2025 in his recent White Paper, "Roads for Prosperity" (Cm. 693);(2) what account has been taken of environmental degradation including atmospheric pollution in his recent White Paper, "Roads for Prosperity" (Cm. 693).

Road congestion is bad for the environment. It increases atmospheric pollution whereas free-flowing traffic cuts down on emissions and saves fuel.The proposals in "Roads for Prosperity" will also have a major impact in improving the environment by taking traffic away from communities and off unsuitable roads. The emphasis in our programme on increasing the capacity of existing routes will help minimise its environmental impact. Protecting and enhancing the environment will continue to be a major feature of our road building plans.I have sent the hon. Member a copy of the press notice No. 291 (28 June) which illustrates how exhaust fumes at the 1979 levels would be possible if economic driving and efficient maintenance were widespread.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals his Department has put forward for reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and tropospheric ozone from road transport since the Prime Minister's seminar on the greenhouse effect on 26 April.

At the Council of Environment Ministers held in Luxembourg on 8 and 9 June my noble Friend the Minister for Housing, Environment and Countryside supported tighter new limits on gaseous emissions from small cars. These gases are the precursors of tropospheric ozone. He was also successful in pressing the Commission to report back to the Council on measures that can be taken to combat carbon dioxide emissions from cars.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he sought advice from organisations representing disabled people before deciding that eligibility for orange badges should not automatically be extended to those with upper limb disabilities.

The decision that badges should continue to be restricted to people with severe mobility problems was made in the light of representations from the statutory disabled persons transport advisory committee (DPTAC).The committee's constituent organisations include: the joint committee on mobility for the disabled, the Disabled Drivers Association, the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation and the Disabled Drivers Motor Club. The majority of DPTAC's members are people with disabilities. We have accepted DPTAC's advice. We are taking medical advice on the mobility problems specific to Thalidomide victims. We are also in touch with the Thalidomide Trust and the Thalidomide Society.Any individual who has a severe mobility problem may qualify for a badge, regardless of the medical cause of the problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of (a) the effects of private sector involvement in the building of the Channel tunnel rail link and (b) whether the private sector has a role in appraisal of the design; and what financial advisers are employed by his Department to advise on private sector investment in building the Channel tunnel rail link.

Our assessment will depend on the outcome of British Rail's current discussions with a number of private sector interests. The Department has not as yet appointed financial advisers on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will ask the Air Accident Investigation Branch for an urgent report on the near-miss over Heathrow airport at approximately 07.30 hours on Saturday 26 June involving an Air Canada flight from London to Nice and another aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

The Civil Aviation Authority which has statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of civil aviation within the United Kingdom, has no record of any near-miss incident occurring over Heathrow airport at the time specified on either Saturday 24 June or Monday 26 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make arrangements for an exhibition at Westminister similar to the one currently on display in venues in Gwent, together with a briefing by officials, in order for hon. Members on both sides of the Bristol channel to be fully informed of the proposals for the second Severn crossing.

The exhibition—which explains proposed changes to the route of the approach roads to the second Severn crossing—is already being held at venues on both sides of the Bristol channel—at Caldicot 26 to 28 June; at Rogiet 29 June to 1 July; at Pilning 3 to 5 July; and at Avonmouth 7 and 8 July. Officials will be on hand throughout to respond to queries.Hon. Members with a constituency interest were told in advance about the exhibition. Any hon. Member unable to attend should write to me; it may be possible to arrange a separate viewing for them of the display material at a later date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on whether car engines deteriorate more quickly when only lead-free petrol is used in them.

Most of the information available to the Department comes from the United States, where there is more than a decade of experience with running on unleaded petrol. It has been found that components of the drivetrain, such as spark plugs and exhaust systems may last longer with unleaded petrol. There is no indication of damage from unleaded petrol when engines are designed for its use.Using unleaded petrol in a vehicle for which it is not designed could result in serious damage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list (a) the number of reports he has received from the railways inspectorate, (b) the number recommending prosecutions, and (b) the number of prosecutions taken up and the outcome for each of the past 10 years;(2) if he will list

The number of deaths on British Rail premises during the period 1979–88 is in table A. Table B shows the number of prosecutions arising from incidents involving fatalities and the outcome. The decision to go ahead with prosecutions under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is a matter solely for the chief inspecting officer of railways. He does not consult my right hon. Friend before proceeding. Details of all prosecutions, and their outcome, during the period 1980–1988 were set out in my answer of 4 May 1989, at column 118 to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) There were no prosecutions in 1979.

Table A
Fatal Accidents on BR Premises 1979–1988
Year	Passengers	Staff	Other Persons	Total
1979	52	43	12	107
1980	26	32	11	69
1981	39	27	10	76

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money has been spent by each county council highways authority on street lighting in 1988–89 and 1989–90; and what percentage that money is of the total amount spent on roads, by each county.

Figures for local authority spending on street lighting are not yet available for the years in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the capital expenditure invested in (a) Rail Network SouthEast and (b) London Underground in 1988–89.

This information will be published in the 1989–90 annual report and accounts for British Rail and London Regional Transport. Both documents will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the state of the surface of the M3 between junctions 4 and 2, London-bound; and when repairs are scheduled to take place.

This length of motorway is in need of surface maintenance. The necessary work is planned for early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what allocation each county council highways authority has made in 1988–89 and 1989–90 for non-major schemes.

No figures are available yet for 1989–90. The counties' 1988–89 budgets for capital expenditure on schemes costing less than £1 million were as follows: