To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on plans to deregulate broadcasting.

We intend to introduce legislation which will authorise new television and radio services, set clear limits on broadcasting ownership, encourage competition and efficiency, and safeguard diversity and high quality in programming, to the benefit of viewers and listeners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average length of time it takes his Department to process an application for (a) registration and (b) naturalisation.

The average time taken to complete applications for registrations and naturalisations in September 1989 was 20 and 24 months respectively. We anticipate that there will be a substantial improvement during 1990–91 when the backlog of 1987 registrations has been cleared.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the current backlog of unopened mail at the immigration and nationality department as at 17 October.

On 17 October there were 7,201 items of mail unopened. The average delay in opening correspondence, in order to deal with it. is about two weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the cost of running statutory police consultation committees for London boroughs in the past years (a) for Ealing borough and (b) for all those boroughs with a statutory police committee; and if he will make a statement.

The cost of running the Ealing community and police consultative group in the 1988–89 financial year was £30,500.Each group operates independently and levels of expenditure are affected by the amount of each group's activity, the nature and location of the borough and the degree of council support. In the case of Ealing, the majority party borough council has refused to take up its place on the group or provide any administrative support. The cost to the Metropolitan police fund has therefore to cover the cost of independent administrative support to the group.The refusal of Ealing borough council—together with four other local authorities in London—to take part in the

statutory process of police-community consultation is misconceived and irresponsible. I urge them to support arrangements which are playing an increasingly important role elsewhere in London and throughout England and Wales in involving local people in policing issues that concern them. Figures for the other consultative groups which come within the Metropolitan police district are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what moves he intends taking with EEC Governments to ensure that those British subjects who are victims of crime within the EEC are able to claim compensation equivalent to the criminal injuries compensation paid to EEC nationals who are victims of crime in the United Kingdom.

When we ratify the Council of Europe convention on the compensation of victims of violent crime, British citizens who suffer criminal injuries (or their dependants if they are killed) in countries party to the convention will be able to obtain compensation in those countries. We have to examine some of the detailed requirements of the convention before we ratify it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve fire safety in (a) offices and (b) schools.

Offices where more than 20 persons are at work at any one time or more than 10 persons are at work elsewhere than on the ground floor, are already required to have a fire certificate unless they have been exempted by the fire authority from this requirement. Fire authorities have powers to enforce the requirements of fire certificates which require offices to be provided with adequate means of escape and means for fighting fire and to provide training for employees in action to be taken in the event of fire.In offices which do not require a fire certificate, the occupier must by law provide such means of escape in case of fire and such means for fighting fire as may reasonably be required.Guidance for occupiers in the form of a code of practice for fire precautions in factories, offices, shops and railway premises not required to have a fire certificate was issued in April. It is available to the public from HMSO outlets.The Home Office will be publishing next month a basic guide to fire safety at work which will also be available from HMSO outlets. It is aimed not only at occupiers, but at all those with management responsibility.Fire safety in schools is primarily a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will authorise the payment of interim compensation to the four persons whose convictions for the Guildford and Woolwich pub bombings were recently quashed.

It is my normal practice to make interim compensation payments where these are requested. The amount will be decided by the independent assessor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider appointing lay assessors to Sir John May's inquiry into the Guildford and Woolwich bombings convictions; and if the evidence to the inquiry will be published.

I would be prepared to consider the appointment of lay assessors if Sir John May feels this is necessary for the conduct of his inquiry.Anybody giving evidence to the inquiry may, if they wish, publish it, and there will be hearings in public. The question of publishing evidence not given in public will be considered when the inquiry is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, with a view to improving Anglo-Irish relations, he will reconsider the request of Irish Republican category 'A' prisoners held in English prisons to be transferred to Northern Ireland to alleviate the suffering and hardship caused to their families; and whether there are any plans to close a high security prison in Northern Ireland due to the dwindling prison population in the Province.

Requests by prisoners for permanent transfer to Northern Ireland are considered in the light of the criteria set out in the reply by my right hon. Friend to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, North (Mr. Burt) on Friday 23 June 1989 at column 263. These criteria, which do not distinguish between category A and other inmates, deal not only with the circumstances of the inmate in question but also with any family circumstances which may be put forward in support of a transfer request. It is open to any inmate whose transer request is refused to make a fresh application which would be considered in the light of the criteria and the circumstances applying at the time of the fresh request.Prisons in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from whom I understand that there are currently no plans to close any prison establishment in the Province.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what nationalities has the chief constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Mr. Hugh Annesley.

[holding answer 23 October 1989]: The nationality status of individuals is a private matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to overcome the shortage of speech therapists in Wales.

Speech therapy requirements have been examined in the context of the annual manpower resource planning exercise undertaken by the Health Service in Wales in 1988 and 1989. The purpose of the exercise, initiated by the manpower steering group established by the Department in 1986, is to identify future manpower requirements and enable action to be taken to meet these requirements at the all-Wales level.The report of the 1988 manpower resource planning exercise recommended an increase in speech therapy provision within Wales. This is being considered within the context of the provision of education and training within the NHS in Wales generally and taking into account the results of the 1989 manpower resource plans (a report of which will be available early next year), the implications of the proposals contained in the White Paper "Working for Patients" and the recommendations contained in the report of a review of the role of the combined training institute at Cardiff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of measures taken following the drought which affected Welsh water supplies in 1976, especially in the light of the shortage of supplies in the reservoirs this summer.

A number of improvements have been made to the water supply distribution system since 1976. Of particular note is the River Wye transfer scheme and the establishment of a mini-grid system in south-east Wales. Whilst this summer was the driest since 1910 in that area, the improvements have enabled Dŵr Cymru Cyf to maintain supplies despite the low level of water in local reservoirs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to ensure that water supplies in Wales are dependable even in future periods of drought.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of primary schools closed by each Welsh local education authority in each year since 1974 in each of the following categories, (a) fewer than 10 pupils, (b) fewer than 20 pupils, (c) fewer than 30 pupils, (d) fewer than 40 pupils, (e) fewer than 50 pupils, (f) fewer than 60 pupils, (g) between 60 and 100 pupils, (h) between 100 and 150 pupils and (i) between 150 and 200 pupils.

Information requested, in the form requested is not available. I will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the purpose of the office and management support system for tax compliance based at Basingstoke, Telford and Worthing; and what measures have been taken to ensure the system will comply fully with the provisions of the Data Protection Act.

The Inland Revenue has introduced a new office and management support system in its specialist investigation offices. The main purpose of this relatively small computer system is to collate factual information and avoid duplicate research by the Revenue's investigators in those offices. The system will also monitor progress on investigations and includes a full range of automated office functions such as diaries, electronic mail and computational facilities. The system became

It is the responsibility of Dŵr Cymru to ensure that water supplies within its area can be maintained at times of below-average rainfall. The company, in liaison with the NRA who have overall responsibility for water resource management, will keep the position under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each Welsh local education authority the number of primary schools with (a) fewer than 10 pupils, (b) fewer than 20 pupils, (c) fewer than 30 pupils, (d) fewer than 40 pupils, (e) fewer than 50 pupils, (f) fewer than 60 pupils, (g) between 60 and 100 pupils, (h) between 100 and 150 pupils and (i) between 150 and 200 pupils.

The information requested, based on the position at January 1989, is shown in the table:operational in September and is distinct from the large COP/CODA computer project which has been operational for sometime, and provides support for local tax districts.The Data Protection Act has been fully complied with and the system has been registered with the Data Protection Register.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the revised system of testing taxpayers' cases for Inland Revenue apeal hearings before the general commissioners; and if he will take steps to ensure that the new computerised system meets the reasonable needs of accountants and others representing the appellants.

Representations have been received from accountants and clerks to general commissioners on the new computerised procedures used by the Inland Revenue in listing cases for general commissioners hearings and printing the clerk's notices. An evaluation exercise will shortly be undertaken which will take full account of representations received.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing (a) the estimated total cost of mortgage tax relief in 1989–90, (b) the average value of relief per mortgagor and (c) the numbers receiving mortgage relief broken down in the income ranges (i) under £4,000, (ii) £4,000 to £5,000, (iii) £5,000, (iv) £5,000 to £6,000 (v) £6,000 to £7,000, (vi) £7,000 to £8,000, (vii) £8,000 to £9,000, (viii) £9,000 to £10,000, (ix) £10,000 to £12,000, (x) £12,000 to £15,000, (xi) £15,000 to £20,000, (xii) £20,000 to £25,000, (xiii) £25,000 to £30,000 and (xiv) over £30,000.

Information on the distribution of mortgage interest relief by range of total income is available from projections of the data from the 1986–87

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what income tax receipts were received on fees paid to rugby union players in the last financial year.

[holding answer 23 October 1989]: I regret that it is not possible to identify from the information available about income tax receipts the amount paid by rugby union players.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make an announcement about the appointment of a chairman of the Financial Reporting Council.

In the light of my Department's consultations with interested parties about the implementation of the structural proposals in the Dearing report on the making of accounting standards, I have asked Sir Ronald Dearing, and he has agreed, to become chairman designate of the Financial Reporting Council. His task will be to negotiate terms with all concerned so that the new arrangements for making and enforcing accounting standards are in place next summer.When the Financial Reporting Council is established, it is the intention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, acting jointly with the Governor of the Bank of England, formally to appoint Sir Ronald as chairman of the council.Clear unambiguous accounting standards which are effectively enforced are essential to the good working of a market economy. The report of the committee chairman by Sir Ronald has been widely welcomed as identifying the way to enhance the authority and general acceptance of accounting standards. I can think of nobody who is better survey of personal incomes and the 1986 family expenditure survey. However, all estimates are provisional.Latest estimates for 1989–90 are given in the table and include mortgages formerly under the option mortgage scheme which are now subsumed within MIRAS. The estimates take account of the recently announced increases in mortgage interest rates.qualified to carry through the important task of setting up the new arrangements, and I am delighted that Sir Ronald has agreed to undertake this role.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the action he is taking concerning the proposed takeover bid for DRG by Pembridge Investments.

[holding answer 24 July 1989]: The proposed acquisition by Pembridge Investments of DRG is currently being considered by the Director General of Fair Trading who will advise my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the normal way on the question of reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to arrange for the EEC Commission to renegotiate agreements with China concerning textile imports from China within the EEC; what representations he has received about increased Chinese textile quotas to the United Kingdom; what action he is taking to reduce Chinese textile imports into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 24 July 1989]: No. The bilateral textiles agreement negotiated between the European Community and China under the multi-fibre arrangement at the end of the last year lasts for four years. I understand the concern that has been expressed in a number of representations to me and to my Department about the increased levels of access for Chinese textile and clothing products under this agreement. However we were satisfied that the new agreement was the best that the Commission could achieve.We continue to watch developments closely and if unrestrained imports from China cause or threaten to cause disruption to the United Kingdom market, Ministers would be willing to consider whether it would be in the United Kingdom interest to put a case to the EC Commission for restraint action under the provisions of this agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many meetings he has had with the Confederation of British Industry in the past 12 months.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 18 October to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Mr. Favell).

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the total figures and percentage rates of unemployed people in each individual Glasgow constituency; and what were the comparable figures in 1979, 1983 and 1987.

The information is not available in the precise form requested. The table below gives the number unemployed in each Glasgow parliamentary constituency in August 1989, the latest date for which information is available, together with comparable figures for 1983 and 1987. There are no unemployment estimates for parliamentary constituencies prior to June 1983. Percentage rates for unemployment are not calculated for parliamentary constituencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from the Confederation of British Industry about the effect of high interest rates on the Scottish economy.

I am aware of recent statements by the Confederation of British Industry on the interest rate rise announced on 5 October. The Government continue to believe that interest rates are the most effective weapon to counter the risks of inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many forensic scientists were employed by his office in (a) Scotland, (b) the Strathclyde region and (c) Greater Glasgow for each year since 1979.

In Scotland, forensic scientists working in police laboratories are employed by the police authority concerned. Figures of the numbers so employed are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is now in a position to announce the membership of the board of Caledonian MacBrayne.

I am at present considering possible membership of the board and will make an announcement as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of letters from hon. Members to his Department received a reply (a) in under four weeks, (b) within four to six weeks, (c) within six to eight weeks and (d) over eight weeks, in each of the last three years.

Disproportionate costs would be incurred in the preparation of an answer in the form requested. An ad hoc survey conducted within my Department during a representative period in 1988 showed an average response time of 23 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many mentally ill and handicapped people live in residential homes and hostels in Scotland.

As at 31 March 1988, the latest date for which information is available centrally, 226 mentally ill persons and 1,713 persons with mental handicap were resident in local authority homes and homes registered by them. Comprehensive information on unregistered accommodation is not available but 304 mentally ill and 464 mentally handicapped persons were recorded as resident in other establishments of which local authority social work departments were aware. Also at the same date 770 persons resident in homes for the elderly were described as mentally ill and some 620 as mentally handicapped.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many physically handicapped aged under 65 years live in residential homes in Scotland.

As at 31 March 1988, the latest date for which information is available, there were 749 persons under 65 reported as physically handicapped in local authority homes and homes registered by them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of one-parent families recorded in Scotland.

From the latest available information it is estimated that there were some 100,000 one-parent families in Scotland in 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of persons aged over 75 years live in institutions in Scotland.

The latest information available is from the 1981 census of population which recorded 9·1 per cent. of residents of Scotland aged 75 years and over as residing in establishments other than private households.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the total housing stock is comprised of sheltered housing; and what proportion is provided by local authorities, housing associations and the private sector in Scotland.

Reliable information is available centrally only for public housing authorities and for housing associations. As at 31 March 1989, the latest date for which information is available, these agencies provided some 26,555 sheltered houses representing approximately 2·6 per cent. of the total stock of these agencies (1,016,000).This total is broken down as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consideration of the application by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels plc for permission to construct a demonstration fast reactor fuel reprocessing plant at Dounreay.

I am announcing today my decision to approve this application, subject to conditions, and I have placed a copy of the decision letter in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) how many voluntary youth and community workers have received grant support for training in the youth service under the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 since the scheme came into operation;(2) how many youth and community workers not employed by local education authorities are likely to receive grant-supported training in the current financial year.

It is estimated that some 105,000 youth and community workers in England will have received training by the end of this financial year, with support through the local education authority training grants scheme. This includes more than 33,000 workers in 1989–90. Separate figures for voluntary workers are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he intends to take in the light of the London borough of Greenwich's decision to change its secondary schools' admission policy contrary to the undertakings given in its education development plan as published in February 1989, thus excluding children living in the London borough of Lewisham from local schools; and if he will make a statement.

Inner London borough development plans were published under section 165 of the Education Reform Act 1988 as a basis for local consultation designed to inform councils' formal policy decisions. In relation to school admissions, the relevent formal decisions are those subsequently reflected in admission arrangements published, by Greenwich as by other inner London boroughs, under section 8 of the Education Act 1980. Under section 6 of that Act, parents may express a preference for any school, regardless of its location; LEAs and governors are required to comply with that expression of parental preference, subject to strictly defined reliefs as set out in sections 6(3) and (6). LEAs and governors may not as part of their admission policy refuse to admit out-of-borough pupils. Where schools are oversubscribed, admission authorities may, however, give priority to in-borough children in the allocation of places, provided they make their policy clear in the information published under section 8.

To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received about the refusal rate to applications for legal aid from applications in Bradford; how many legal aid applications have been made by people living in Bradford in each of the last five years; and in each year to date how many applicants have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

The Lord Chancellor has received no representations about the refusal rate to applications for legal aid from applicants in Bradford. Information is not collected for civil legal aid or legal aid in the Crown Court in the form requested by the hon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of the agreement reached on nuclear co-operation between the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany; what levels of spent nuclear fuel and waste will be imported into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Copies of the full text of the joint declaration on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, which was signed by the Governments of the United Kingdom ad the Federal Republic of Germany on 25 July 1989, have been placed in the Library of the House. No specific contracts for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel have yet been agreed as a result of the declaration. In line with Government policy, the contracts, when concluded, will provide for the return of wastes to the Federal Republic of Germany.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the renovations and redecorations to the Prime Minister's personal apartment at Downing street; whether a designer or architect has been appointed; and what will be the overall cost of the work.

[holding answer 23 October]: Apart from fitting cupboards, there has been no fundamental work on refurbishment or modernisation of the personal apartment at Downing street. Any redecoration or modernisation work has been undertaken by the Property Services Agency.

To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have invited designers or architects to submit plans for the erection of gates at the Whitehall entrance to Downing street.

[holding answer 23 October]: There has been a barrier at the Whitehall entrance to Downing street since 1973 and the present gates and railings were installed in 1982. It is intended to replace these with new gates and railings.Plans for new demountable railings and gates have been prepared by the Property Services Agency in consultation with English Heritage and the Royal Fine Arts Commission. These have been agreed by Westminster city council.

To ask the Prime Minister whether Her Majesty's Government have prepared a budget for the erection of gates at the Whitehall entrance to Downing street.

[holding answer 23 October]: All expenditure relating to Downing street is budgeted.

To ask the Prime Minister whether it is Her Majesty's Government's intention to erect gates at the Whitehall entrance to Downing street.

[holding answer 23 October]: There has been a barrier at the Whitehall entrance to Downing street since 1973 and the present gates and railings were installed in 1982. It is intended to replace these with new gates and railings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has made any assessment of the claimed benefits of the greenhouse effect, made by the Soviet climatologist, Mikhail Budyko, in a paper to the United Nations environment programme in August;if his Department has made any assessment of the recent analysis by Dr. John Woods of the Marine and Atmospheric Sciences Division for the Natural Environment Research Council suggesting that the onset timescale for the greenhouse effect has been significantly underestimated;(3) what study has been made by his Department, or under consultancy to his Department, of the plankton multiplier effect on the level that global warming may reach following the greenhouse effect.

Each of these matters is for consideration in the international review of climate change science being carried out by working group I of the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). This work is being led by the United Kingdom under the chairmanship of Dr. John Houghton, director general of the Meteorological Office and supported by funds totalling over £600,000 from the Departments of the Environment and Energy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what initiatives he introduced to the Council of European Environmental Ministers to combat the greenhouse effect, at its meeting on 19 September.

At the Council meeting on 19 September, my right hon. Friend continued to take the lead in initiatives for the conservation of tropical forests. In particular, he supported the redeployment of resources within the European Commission towards forestry, advocated the need for close collaboration with developing countries in taking forward projects for the sustainable management of forest resources, and expressed the hope that other EC countries would support the United Kingdom initiative at the Council of the International Tropical Timber Organisation for a feasibility study on an EC-wide labelling scheme for tropical timber imports.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any information from the United States of America Government or Her Majesty's ambassador in Washington DC in regard to the implications for joint environmental protection research between the United States of America and the United Kingdom, of the proposed increases in the United States budget for environmental research in 1990.

Joint environmental protection research between the United States of America and the United Kingdom is undertaken through a variety of arrangements, including a memorandum of understanding agreed in 1987. Collaborative work also takes place through the auspices of other bodies such as the United Nations environment programme, Economic Commission for Europe, and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission.It is not possible at this stage to assess the implications for research collaboration of proposed increases in the United States budget for 1990 for environmental protection research.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received any information on the scientific assessment by Dr. Eric Banks of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology of the potential harmful effects of chlorofluorocarbon ozone-friendly replacements, details of which were presented to the ninth European symposium on fluorine chemistry in September.

No. I am arranging to obtain papers from Dr. Banks for assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the accident involving radioactivity at Sellafield on 5 September; when his Department was informed; and what were the causes and consequences of the accident.

My Department and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (the authorising Departments) were informed on the afternoon of that day of an event that had led to a slight over-emptying of a discharge tank. Checks by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food confirmed the view of British Nuclear Fuels that the event had not led to any breach of discharge limits or radiological consequences. A press release was issued by British Nuclear Fuels later that afternoon, and full details were also included in the site's regular newsletter, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department was represented at the conference on the role of clean technologies in integrated pollution control, held at the University of Sheffield on 19 October.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department was represented at, and presented any papers to, the conference on the future of waste management, held at the Botanical Gardens, Birmingham on 23 October.

A paper on the Department's proposals for waste regulation was presented at this conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what departmental papers were presented, and what departmental representation there was at (a) the PAGIS/Commission of the European Communities conference on nuclear waste in Madrid in June and (b) the Commission of the European Communities/International Atomic Energy Agency/ OECD Nuclear Energy Agency sponsored conference on the safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories, in Paris, 9–13 October;(2) what departmental representation was made, and what papers presented at the forum on radioactive waste repositories held in Paris between 9–13 October, organised by the Commission of the European Communities, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Two DOE officials attended the CEC PAGIS information day held in Madrid on 30 June 1989. No Departmental papers were presented.Two DOE officials attended the CEC/IAEA/OECD (NEA) symposium on the safety assessment of radioactive waste repositories held in Paris from 9 to 13 October 1989. The following four papers co-authored by DOE officials were presented:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what meetings he has had since July with representatives of national, international and regional environmental pressure groups and non-governmental organisations; when they were held; what issues were raised; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards communications and co-operation with such organisations in policy development.

Since July, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has met representatives of Friends of the Earth for a general discussion of environmental issues, and representatives of the Council for the Protection of Rural England to discuss countryside matters.In addition, my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside and I have had meetings on a range of environmental matters with a number of other bodies, including CLEAR, the British Conservation Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Tidy Britain Group and UK 2000.We welcome a dialogue with constructive and well-meaning environmental groups in order to strengthen mutual understanding of the issues that we face and the policy options that are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number and location of designated gipsy sites in Warwickshire.

There are at present three local authority gipsy sites in Warwickshire. These are at Alvecote, near Tamworth, which has 17 pitches, at Gruff, Nuneaton, 21 pitches, and at Pathlow, near Stratford-on-Avon, 29 pitches. There are, in addition, 54 caravan spaces for gipsies on eight authorised private sites elsewhere in the county.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give illustrative figures for the level of community charge (a) under the previously proposed system and (b) following the latest changes, for 1990–91, in pounds per adult for (i) Elmbridge, (ii) Surrey Heath, (iii) Waverley, (iv) Woking, (v) Hertsmere, (vi) North Hertfordshire, (vii) Three Rivers, (viii) Bradford, (ix) Calderdale, (x) Kirklees, (xi) Leeds and (xii) Wakefield, respectively.

The latest illustrative figures are those published on 19 July. The changes to the safety net and the scheme of transitional relief announced on 11 October will not affect community charges for 1990–91, except those for individuals entitled to the relief.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he proposes to introduce regulations which ensure that a carer who resides part-time in his own home and the remainder of the time in the home of a person being cared for will only pay one poll tax liability; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave him on 27 July 1989 Official Report, column 931.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table indicating which local authorities gain and which authorities lose as a result of the Government's latest decisions on safety nets and the community charge, in terms of pounds sterling per adult.

For 1990–91 there is no change from the proposal for the safety net announced on 19 July. The proposal to abolish the safety net after 1990–91 will benefit chargepayers in those areas which would otherwise have had to contribute directly to the safety net. The position of areas benefiting from the safety net will be unchanged.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his Department's estimate of how many households in Leeds will receive safety net payments on the community charge, according to the number of people in the household.

The information requested is not available. If the effect of the safety net is to reduce community charges in Leeds then the same reduced community charge will apply to each liable adult in every household.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his Department's illustrative figures on the impact of the community charge on households in Leeds as a result of the recent decision, assuming that the local authority spends at its grant-related expenditure allocation level.

I have no information on the impact of the community charge on different types of households in individual local authority areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to which members of a four-person household which qualifies for safety-net payments under community charge transitional payment the reduction will be applied.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Mr. Conway) on 20 October, Official Report, column 262. Copies of the Department's further proposals document, which sets out the basis on which transitional relief should be given for larger households with three or more adults, are in the Libraries of the Houses of Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what inflation assumptions for local authority expenditure are made in his Department's indicative figures for the impact of the community charge.

I have published no indicative figures showing my estimate of future community charge levels. Illustrative figures were provided on 19 July based on local authority spending levels in 1989–90, which required no inflation assumption.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how long it takes the National Radiological Protection Board to assess an individual's home monitoring unit for radon contamination, once it has been returned after the three-month survey period; and if the results are always notified to the occupier.

The National Radiological Protection Board usually completes assessments funded by the Department within 10 weeks of the end of the survey period. It always notifies the results to the occupier.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records are kept of old disused limestone mine workings in South Yorkshire; and where they are stored.

Since 1872, on the abandonment of mine workings plans have been required by statute to be deposited with the Secretary of State for Employment. Those for minerals other than coal are lodged with the Health and Safety Executive (Mining Records Office), and those for coal mines are lodged with the British Coal Corporation. Pre-1872 records are not kept centrally. However, mine records are held by Barnsley metropolitan borough council (as successor to South Yorkshire county council) to provide a mining advisory service to Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham metropolitan borough councils, and by Sheffield city council. It is not known whether any of these records would include old limestone mine workings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how far the negotiations of transferring Brodsworth hall, near Doncaster into the hands of the nation have progressed; and how much money the Government have put into the scheme to date.

This is a matter for English Heritage and the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The Government have put no funds expressly into the acquisition of Brodsworth hall and its contents for the nation. If the negotiations with the owners prove successful it will be for English Heritage and the National Heritage Memorial Fund to find the necessary resources from their existing grant in aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the current rate of depletion of the number of elephants inhabiting the African continent; and whether any improvement on the rate of depletion over the past 10 years is expected.

Accurate information about the rate of decline is difficult to obtain, but it is generally accepted that in the last 10 years the population has declined by about 45 per cent. In the light of this, the recent CITES conference agreed the inclusion of the African elephant in appendix I of the convention. We hope that the stricter controls which will now apply to this species will halt its decline and that numbers will increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence is available on the effectiveness of the British Government's contribution to international efforts to save the African elephant from extinction.

The Government have played their full part in international efforts to save the African elephant from extinction and were instrumental in the setting up of the CITES ivory trade monitoring unit. We were, however, dissatisfied with the effectiveness for conservation of the controls on ivory trade and in June we called on our European partners to introduce a ban on the import of African ivory and to support appendix I listing for the African elephant. I am delighted that the appendix I listing was approved at the recent CITES conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what fresh initiatives he proposes to take to help secure the future of the African elephant (a) through specifically British initiatives and (b) through joint action with European and other nations on a worldwide basis.

At the recent CITES conference, the United Kingdom strongly suported the proposal to include the African elephant in appendix I of the convention. Furthermore, we were successful in obtaining approval for our resolution urging all party states to implement appendix I controls with immediate effect. It is for the African Governments concerned to work out a long-term conservation strategy to ensure the survival of this species, but we are always ready to consider any proposal from African countries for assistance with measures to conserve their populations of elephants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names and numbers of local authorities which he considers operate satisfactory collection and recycling arrangements as far as domestic waste is concerned; and if he will list the names and numbers where such arrangements are either non-existent or inadequate.

This information is not currently held on a systematic basis for all domestic waste streams. My Department, with the Department of Trade and Industry and the assistance of local authorities, are reviewing in each local authority area arrangements to encourage recycling in order to identify best practice and raise the level of recycling facilities generally. We will also be carefully evaluating the results of the major experiment in recycling—Recycling City—in Sheffield, which is supported by the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the total housing stock is comprised of sheltered housing; and what proportion is provided by local authorities, housing associations and the private sector in England and Wales.

Estimates derived from local authorities' annual housing investment programme returns for April 1988 indicate that, of a total housing stock of some 19,142,000, 2·3 per cent. were sheltered dwellings, of which 68 per cent. were owned by local authorities, 25 per cent. by housing associations and 6 per cent. were privately owned.For corresponding information about Welsh local authorities, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will approve an application by Aylesbury Vale district council to operate a cash incentive scheme under section 129 of the Housing Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

Approval has today been given for Aylesbury Vale district council to incur expenditure of £100,000 in 1989–90 on cash incentive grants to help the council's tenants to buy homes of their own.Many councils are coming to realise that cash incentives offer a cost-effective means of releasing council homes for reletting to homeless families and others in acute housing need. Since section 129 of the Housing Act 1988 came into effect on 1 April this year, 38 cash incentive schemes have been approved which will enable the councils concerned to spend up to £12 million on grants to secure 1,100 vacancies for reletting. Further schemes are under consideration. This is an encouraging start. Other councils should consider putting schemes forward for approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to require the positioning of telephone boxes and postal collection boxes to have planning permission.

The General Development Order 1988 enables the Post Office, British Telecom and other licensed telecommunications operators to undertake operations without applying for specific planning permission. In some special areas the operator must give notice to the local planning authority, which has a general power to withdraw permitted development rights where there is a real and specific threat to amenity. These arrangements are designed to help the operators to fulfil their respective obligations efficiently; they have generally worked satisfactorily for many years, and my right hon. Friend sees no reason to change them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement in respect of the radioactive uranium deposit found in a warehouse belonging to the Richmond Metal Company, in an industrial estate at Feltham, Middlesex on 13 October.

During sorting of metal scrap at Richmond Metals on 13 October 1989, a small bar of unusually heavy metal was found which was suspected to be uranium. Checks with a radiation detector showed that the radioactive content was small and there was no hazard. Subsequent checks have confirmed that the bar is uranium.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating how the uranium came to be on the premises of the Richmond Metal Company.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses were made to his Department's consultation paper entitled, "Proposals for Additional Legislation on the International Release of Genetically Manipulated Organisms", and if he will make them available for public inspection.

A total of 61 responses were received, of which 42 have been placed in the Department's library, where they are available for public inspection. Those which have not been deposited were from organisations or individuals who did not indicate their agreement to making their comments publicly available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names, occupations and salaries of the board members of the 10 water holding companies.

[holding answer 19 October 1989]: The information requested is set out below for the 9 water plcs in England. Appointments to Welsh Water plc are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ensure that right hon. and hon. Members are informed by the appropriate public bodies or agencies when it is known that toxic waste is unlawfully or improperly imported into their constituencies.

[holding answer 24 October 1989]: The Government are committed to the principle that the public should have right of access to information held by pollution control authorities. Our proposals for forthcoming legislation include enhanced duties on waste regulation authorities to make information available. It is for the authorities to assess for themselves what information to publish in respect of alleged improprieties in the import of toxic waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether a young person under the age of 18 years who applies to his Department for income support on the grounds that a suitable YTS place was not available, and this situation is verified by the careers service, and the young person expresses willingness to enter a suitable place, will be granted income support either during or after he has exhausted any entitlement to bridging allowance; and if he will make a statement.

The Training Agency is committed and able to provide suitable places for all young people genuinely interested in participating in YTS. There is generally no question of income support being paid on the ground of non-availability of YTS places.If the careers service finds that a particular young person cannot be offered a suitable YTS place it will contact the local Training Agency office. Training agents have the authority and resources to seek additional places, and to make these available as a matter of urgency.If, exceptionally, any young person is registered for a YTS place but is not able to start immediately, he or she may claim income support and be considered under the normal provisions including, if appropriate, the discretionary power to direct payment of benefit if that is the only means of preventing severe hardship. If a young person is entitled to income support he or she may receive it in addition to any YTS bridging allowance payable. If bridging allowance is exhausted, or not in payment for some other reason, income support may be paid alone. Young people with housing costs can also receive housing benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total number, and percentage of (a) budgeting loans and (b) community care grants awarded to the 15 client groups defined by his Department for each of his Department's local offices in Doncaster and Wath-on-Dearne, for the financial year 1988–89.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 15 June 1989 at columns 529–30. These have now been confirmed as final figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether claimants in receipt of unemployment benefit are entitled to undertake training or courses of education as long at they are available for work; and if he will make a statement.

Claimants in receipt of unemployment benefit are required to be both available for work and actively seeking employment. This need not prevent them from undertaking training or courses of education. Regard is had to time spent in participating in any course of vocational training or study in deciding whether a claimant has shown that he is actively seeking employment. This arrangement recognises the worthwhile efforts of many claimants to make good use of their time whilst unemployed. Nonetheless, any claimant pursuing such an activity must organise his affairs in such a way that he can make adequate efforts to seek paid employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department has figures of the number of crisis loans refused on the basis of inability to repay the loan.

There were provisionally 1,600 refusals in the period April 1989 to September 1989 representing 0·65 per cent. of all decisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give for each of the years 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1987–88 the figures for the overspend which occurred on war pensions.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give for the latest year for which records exist and for each of the preceding three years the number of war widows who have died in that year.

The numbers are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will give, for the latest full year for which records exist, and for 1973, the number of those (a) under 65 years, (b) between 65 and 69 years, (c) between 70 and 79 years and (d) 80 years and over designated as war widows.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will request the Attendance Allowance Board to reply without further delay to the hon. Member for Caerphilly's correspondence to them of 15 May, concerning Mrs. C. Halvey of 29 Heolddu Grove, Barfold.

[holding answer 19 October]: I understand that the board's reply was sent to the hon. Member on 20 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in what circumstances blood donor sessions may be conducted by nurse managers rather than by doctors; and whether his Department has issued any guidance to regional health authorities on the subject;(2) whether he will issue guidance to all regional health authorities that blood donor sessions should take place only when an appropriately qualified doctor is in attendance;(3) which regional health authorities have replaced medical officers managing blood donor sessions by specially trained nurses; and what representations he has received about possible risks associated with this change.

At present North East Thames is the only regional health authority in which specially trained nurse managers are in charge of blood donor sessions. In this region there is no doctor present at a session, but there is immediate access to medical advice. This method of work began as a detailed pilot trial in April 1985. At that time the Department's advisory committee on the national blood transfusion service (ACNBTS) studied the detailed protocol for the scheme and the results of the trial, and its representatives, along ith 20 independent assessors, looked at the procedure in practice. The ACNBTS decided that the new procedure presented no risks to donors, and Ministers have received no representations to the contrary since the end of the trial. Any decision to implement the procedure in another regional transfusion centre would be for the region to make, in consultation with the national director of the national blood transfusion service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the Association for Spinal Injury Research Rehabilitation and Reintegration with regard to financial support for the Mike Heaffey Centre for people with disabilities; whether his Department is now willing to give financial support for this project; and if he will make a statement.

We have been informed by the association of the financial circumstances of the Mike Heaffey centre. The question of making good the shortfall in construction costs of the centre is a matter for the association to negotiate with the bodies concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the progress in the establishment of local health pay arrangements to cover payment by student nurses of the poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

It is for nursing students themselves to make arrangements to pay the personal community charge for which they are liable. Project 2000 students will pay only 20 per cent. of the community charge, like other full-time students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will give the number of family practitioners within the Trent regional health authority who carry out minor operations performed within their practice and such other relevant information as is available.

No information is available about minor operations carried out by GPs in the Trent region. However, research studies suggest that about 27 per cent. of GPs in England and Wales provide this service from within their practice on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement in respect of (a) the pilot resource management initiative at the Pilgrim hospital, Boston, (b) the ICL's financial system case mix finance module installed in all departments at the hospital and (c) what results to date have been obtained at the five other pilot sites of the Government's resource management initiative scheme.

The RMI seeks improvements in patient care by involving clinicians and other health professionals more closely in the management of their hospitals and supporting this with accurate, timely and credible information from a computerised database which links activity and cost at patient level.The Pilgrim hospital, Boston, has been a pilot site for the resource management initiative (RMI) since April 1988. Good progress has been made. A number of experiments are under way to determine appropriate management structures for the hospital in line with the objectives of the RMI. Computer systems are being expanded and upgraded and new systems installed where a need can be shown for them.The ICL case-mix finance reporting module is not installed in the Pilgrim hospital.As a result of the work done at the pilot sites since the RMI was launched in 1986 we remain convinced that it holds the potential for significantly improving the quality and quantity of health care which the NHS provides.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will show, by regional health authority, the response received to date from general practitioners, by percentage, where health centres and clinics are proposed to be sold; and what terms and conditions will be implemented.

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what checks are carried out by inspectors on family practitioners who have dispensing facilities for drugs attached to their surgeries to ensure that abuses are not occurring, especially in respect of receptionists dispensing drugs on repeat prescriptions before they are signed and authorised by the family practitioner.

There are no formal inspection arrangements for family practitioners who have dispensing facilities attached to their surgeries, beyond those provided for under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in relation to controlled drugs. General medical practitioners are required by their terms of service to ensure that only properly signed and authorised prescriptions are dispensed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what feasibility studies have been set up, and what results obtained, in respect of managerial income generation, by regional health authority; and if he will make a statement.

Since the coming into effect of section 7 of the Health and Medicines Act 1988, all health authorities have the legal means, and have been encouraged to seek ways in which they may develop secondary sources of income to enhance and improve patient care, provided that any such scheme does not act to the detriment of patients themselves.Returns for the initial period of the income generation initiative reveal that during the tax year 1988–89, the net profit to English health authorities was close to £10 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the qualified staffing per resident population in the Doncaster area health authority; and what is the national figure.

At 30 September 1988 there were 9·4 qualified doctors and dentists and 51·9 qualified nursing and midwifery staff in the NHS in England per 10,000 resident population. The figures for Doncaster health authority were 4·1 and 55 respectively.The Doncaster figures for doctors and dentists are not directly comparable with the national figures, because they do not include consultants and senior registrars working in the district whose contracts are held by Trent regional health authority.Information on other professionally qualified staff could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many nurses employed by Liverpool area health authority have appealed against their regrading; and how many appeals are still outstanding;(2) how many nurses' regrading appeals have now been heard by health authorities in England; and if he will list the numbers still outstanding in each authority.

We do not collect centrally information on the number of appeals to district health authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new patients were treated by Broadgreen hospital's accident and emergency unit in the last year; and what consultation has taken place with consultants working in the unit about its future.

We do not hold information centrally about the number of new patients treated at the unit. The future of the unit, along with plans for the development of other health services locally, is a matter for the health authority concerned. The hon. Member may wish, therefore, to contact the chairman of the Liverpool health authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on future geriatric provision by Liverpool area health authority;(2) if he will make a statement on the future of Olive Mount hospital, Liverpool;(3) if he will make a statement on the future of the accident and emergency unit at Broadgreen hospital, Liverpool.

The planning and development of health services locally is a matter for the health authority concerned. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the Liverpool health authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will fund centrally Tranx (UK) Ltd, the national tranquilliser advice centre, to prevent its imminent closure due to funding problems.

Between 1983 and 1986 Tranx (Harrow) received grants of over £90,000 from the Department's central funding initiative. At the time, it was made clear that these grants were for a maximum of three years and that once central funding ended, organisations would need to look to their local statutory authorities for continued support. For the last three years Tranx (UK) has been funded by the North West Thames regional health authority and the London boroughs grants unit (LBGU). But earlier this year when Tranx (UK) was experiencing financial difficulities, the Department, exceptionally, made a further £10,000 available to clear the organisation's deficit in 1988–89.Discussions on future funding of Tranx (UK) are still in progress with a variety of potential funders. No decision has yet been reached, but we hope that Tranx (UK) will be able to continue its work with tranquilliser dependents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of posts for clinical psychologists in the National Health Service is currently unfilled.

We do not hold this information centrally.