To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to change the current arrangements for encouraging the location of industry across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Where industry locates in the United Kingdom is a matter for commercial decision. Regional industrial policy provides incentives to encourage industry to invest in the assisted areas of the country. There are at present no plans to change this policy.I am however considering the possibilities for realising the property assets of the English Industrial Estates Corporation. Jointly with the board of the corporation, I have commissioned a study to advise on this and also to report on the most effective mechanisms for promoting private sector investment in speculative industrial and commercial space in the assisted areas. This is consistent with our policy that English Estates' first priority is to encourage and facilitate greater private sector activity while focusing its own direct provision in areas where, for the time being, that cannot be achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on payments made to those affected by the collapse of Barlow Clowes; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to my letters of 16 August and 30 October to all Members, copies of which are placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what volumes of (a) chloroethanol, (b) dimethylamine, (c) potassium fluoride and (d) dymethylamine hydrochloride have been exported, and to which respective countries, since May 1979; when exports of each respective chemical were halted; and for what reasons.

Statistics on the export of these chemicals are not available.A licence has been required to export chloroethanol, dimethylamine and potassium fluoride to Iran and Iraq since 12 April 1984 when these items became subject to control under the Export of Goods (Control) Order. The Export of Goods (Control) (Amendment No. 4) Order 1989 which came into force on 31 July 1989 extended the control on exports of these chemicals to Libya and Syria. It also brought the export of dimethylamine hydrochloride under control to Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which EEC countries charge a fee for a VHF marine licence for private pleasure craft.

Details of EEC countries' radio licence fees are not collected centrally. Inquiries made to a number of administrations indicate that fees are charged for the use of maritime radio by private pleasure craft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that other EEC countries are complying with the Euro-norm agreement on measurement accreditation.

The United Kingdom's national measurement accreditation service (NAMAS) is co-operating with other Community member states to ensure the implementation of the European standards, the EN 45000 series, which define the criteria for laboratories, the accreditation of laboratories and for the accreditation bodies. These standards are expected to be increasingly used by the Commission in new approach directives and each member state will be responsible to ensure that the requirements of the directives are fully met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which EEC countries have a national measurement accreditation service to the same standard as the United Kingdom.

The EEC Commission has placed a contract with the French Reseau National d'Essais (RNE) to carry out a study of accreditation systems operated by member states with the aim of establishing their compliances with international codes of practice and in particular the European standards for accreditation based on the EN 45000 series standards. It is expected that this report will be available in December 1989 and the national measurement accreditation service (NAMAS) will examine the report in detail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which EEC countries have sought the advice of his Department on measurement accreditation.

Many of the EEC countries have discussed with the Department's national measurement accreditation service (NAMAS) the development of their own accreditation systems. Additionally representatives of seven member states have attended the NAMAS assessor training course to gain experience of assessment techniques and to assist in setting up their own training courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the principal categories of consumer goods imported into the United Kingdom, by value, for the years 1986, 1987, 1988 and the first half of 1989.

United Kingdom Imports (£ million)
January—June
SITC Description	1986	1987	1988	1989
122 Tobacco, Manufactured	120	115	109	50
553 Perfumes, Cosmetics and Toiletries	233	258	282	145
554 Soap, Detergents and Polishes	143	181	210	98
642 Paper and Board Products	449	519	590	341
658 Made-up Textiles	196	211	238	132
659 Floorcoverings	337	393	432	222
665 Glassware	185	173	206	101
666 Pottery	96	105	117	63
696 Cutlery	61	76	83	43
697 Household Equipment of Metal	196	189	201	106
76 TV, Radio, Hi-Fi and Telecom Equipment	2,402	2,801	3,177	1,680
775 Domestic Appliances	905	917	989	430
781 Motor Cars	4,809	5,024	6,752	3,871
785 Motorcycles and cycles	150	181	226	133
82 Furniture and Bedding	776	878	989	577
83 Travel Goods, Handbags	200	231	251	135
84 Clothing	2,386	2,778	3,108	1,643
85 Footwear	734	799	908	489
885 Watches and Clocks	268	286	340	155
892 Printed Matter	585	659	795	400
894 Toys, Games and Sporting Goods	536	662	686	359
897 Jewellery	414	421	506	279
898 Musical Instruments	625	729	823	434

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedure is followed by the Office of Fair Trading in its examination of takeover bids.

The procedures are conveniently set out in a booklet produced by the Office of Fair Trading entitled "MERGERS—a guide to the procedures under the Fair Trading Act 1973". I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what decisions he has reached in the light of representations on the draft orders on the supply of beer.

I have received representations from a wide range of parties including large and small brewers, tenants' associations, and wholesale and consumer organisations. All representations have been given careful consideration.I have now reached final decisions on the orders. The main changes I have decided to make are as follows. First, I have decided that national brewers who are required to free a proportion of their properties from product ties should be able to sell such properties without disadvantage provided they are sold free of ties. This amendment will encourage a more diverse pattern of ownership. I have also decided that in view of the substantial changes brewers will be required to make to a large number of tenancy agreements to free part of their estates the period for such adjustment will run to November 1992.

The figures are as follows:Secondly, many representations have emphasised the importance of ensuring that tenants of the national brewers should not be subject to pressures to discourage them from exercising their freedom to choose to supply a guest beer. Accordingly, I have amended the guest beer provisions to block a number of possible loopholes that brewers might have used to deter tenants from exercising their choice, and to make it clearer that tenants should be entirely free to choose their supplier.Thirdly, the position in respect of those companies, mainly small brewers, who are not subsidiaries but nevertheless fell to be regarded as parts of large brewery groups by virtue of minority shareholdings in them is amended. It will now be provided that no obligations will fall on a company solely because a member of a large brewery group has a minority interest in it. The tied estates of such companies will, however, still count towards the brewery group's limit on tied houses if more than 15 per cent. of the voting rights of the company are held, though account is now due to be taken of the extent to which control of shares is diluted through intermediary companies, if the group owns less than 50 per cent. of the voting rights. The 15 per cent. rule remains, as I believe that a group can exercise a substantial influence at this level of shareholding. The rule will act as some deterrent to further concentration in the industry.Finally, the definition of licensed premises has been changed so that the limits on the numbers of tied houses held by national brewers will no longer bite on premises with restricted licences, such as restaurants, where the supply of beer is not a significant part of the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on proposals by certain breweries to permit tenants to sell a guest beer but to replace any sales lost to the landlord brewery by higher rent.

I have received representations from the National Licensed Victuallers Association and others that this might occur. It is being made clear in a separate statement made today that the brewer cannot discriminate against a tenant exercising this right.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has had since the publication of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission Report on the supply of beer specifically supporting the introduction of a sliding scale of duty; whether he now favours such a proposal; and if he will make a statement.

Well over 2,000 written representations have been received. An analysis of each one to determine whether a particular point had been made would be possible only at disproportionate cost. Officials of Customs and Excise are in the process of informally consulting with the trade on the possibility of changing to a method of charging duty based on the beer that is actually produced. The final decision is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many representations he has had since the publication of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of beer which regret the absence from its report of recommendations to reduce regional and subregional monopolies; whether he will extend the guest ale provision to public houses owned by regional brewers; and if he will make a statement.

Well over 2,000 written representations have been received. An analysis of each one to determine whether a particular point had been made would be possible only at disproportionate cost. It has been made clear that the requirement to allow tied tenants to choose a guest beer will apply only to the national brewers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the serious fraud squad has completed its inquiries into the issues raised in the report of inspectors into the acquisition of House of Fraser; and when he now expects to publish the report.

[holding answer 30 October 1989]: I cannot comment on the state of the inquiries to which my hon. Friend refers. Questions relating to the operation of the serious fraud office are for my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General. It remains the intention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to publish the report at the earliest possible moment consistent with the even-handed administration of justice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what facilities exist for the recycling of chlorofluorocarbons from the foam in refrigerators; what percentage is currently recycled; and what steps he is taking to increase this percentage.

[holding answer 30 October 1989]: Recovery of chlorofluorocarbons from the insulating foam in refrigerators is technically very difficult, and I know of no facilities operating successfully at the moment in the United Kingdom. My right hon. Friend has commissioned a wide-ranging study into the recovery, recycling and destruction of CFCs; the Government will take its finding into account when considering if any action is called for on this issue. The results of the study are expected early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on Jaguar plc.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement that I made in the House earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the report of the studies on professional liability; and if he will make a statement.

The report of the three study teams on professional liability under the overall chairmanship of Professor Andrew Likierman is published today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has considered establishing a separate forestry body for Wales, in line with his proposals to create a unified Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

I have seen no need to consider such a change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will commission a study on the effects on tourism in Swansea bay and the Gower peninsula of plans to create a reserve Z berth for nuclear-powered submarines at Swansea downs; and what communications he has received from Swansea leisure centre over the Z berth plans.

The Department has no plans to commission such a study and I have received no communication from Swansea leisure centre about the proposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue a detailed consultation paper setting out the structure of the proposed merged body of the Nature Conservancy Council and Countryside Commission for Wales.

The Department has no plans to do so. Full consultation is already taking place between Government Departments and the statutory agencies on this and other pertinent issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many requests for exemptions from the requirement to teach Welsh as part of the core curriculum have been received from schools in (a) Wales, (b) each local education authority and (c) Pembrokeshire.

I have received requests for exemption from teaching Welsh in the national curriculum from 11 schools in Wales. These include four in Gwent; three in Clwyd; two each in West Glamorgan and Dyfed, both in Pembrokeshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date the current maintenance backlog on National Health Service properties will be cleared on current and planned capital spending for the National Health Service in Wales.

Backlog maintenance is a term generally used to describe the work necessary to bring National Health Service property up to a standard of full life expectancy where no expenditure except for routine maintenance is required. District health authorities' programmes to achieve this include investment in the maintenance of buildings which are to be retained, the rationalisation of services to release accommodation which is no longer practicably suitable and the construction of new facilities. They are encouraged to give a high priority to these activities and their performance is monitored by the Department as part of its annual review process. However, in view of progressive improvements in the standards of accommodation required, the continuing need for maintenance investment and the long-term nature of some of the measures to improve the conditions of the estate, it is not possible to estimate when the current maintenance backlog will be substantially eliminated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money he has currently allocated for the implementation of the White Paper; what proportion of the sums allocated will be used to fund (a) information technology, (b) medical audit, (c) the Welsh Office value for money unit, (d) training, (e) family practitioner committees, (f) health authority costs, and (g) treatment centres; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has provided an additional £5 million toward the cost of implementing the White Paper proposals in the current financial year. This has been allocated as follows:

	£ million
(a) information technology (including the resource management initiative)	2·34
(b) medical audit	0·11
(c) Value for Money Unit	0·18
(d) training	0·14
(e) family practitioner committees	0·11
(f) health authorities's discretionary use	1·62
(g) treatment centres	0·50
	5·00

The provision of these additional resources reflect the importance that the Government give to the major programme of improvement now being undertaken within the NHS and their recognition of the need for adequate investment. Provision for 1990–91 and subsequent years is currently under consideration as part of the annual review of public expenditure and will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of (a) the total cost of implementation of the proposals contained within the National Health Service White Paper in Wales, (b) the manpower implications for nurse staffing and (c) the manpower implications for financial, management, administrative and clerical staffs; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's broad estimates of the financial and manpower implications of implementing the White Paper will be given in the financial and explanatory memorandum of the NHS reform Bill. These estimates will relate to the NHS generally and will apply equally to Wales as to other parts of the United Kingdom. The more detailed manpower implications of the proposals are being addressed as part of the ongoing manpower planning activities being undertaken within the NHS in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the extent of local education authority schools using (a) changes to school timetables to cover vacancies and (b) non-specialists to teach subjects for which they have minimal qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

Information concerning the extent to which changes to school timetables are made to cover staff vacancies or other unforeseen circumstances is not held by the Department. The results of the secondary school staffing survey undertaken this year will provide information on the teaching staff employed, their qualifications and the teaching they undertook. The results will be available towards the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what studies he has undertaken on the size and characteristics of the pool of inactive teachers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

There have been no recent surveys on out-of-service teachers in England and Wales although we are currently considering whether a survey would be beneficial and how best it should be undertaken. In the meantime the education support grant programme for 1990–91 provides funding for LEA pilot projects designed to encourage LEAs to maintain contact with teachers who leave the service and to attract back into the service people in their areas who left the profession some years ago.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the number of Welsh-medium teachers needed to staff the national curriculum; what is the current number of Welsh language teachers employed by local education authorities in Wales; and what is the number of students currently training as Welsh-medium teachers.

The national curriculum is not expected to create a need for more Welsh-medium teachers overall in the short term. However its introduction will increase the number of secondary Welsh-medium teachers required for some subjects while decreasing the number required for others. Some retraining of secondary teachers may therefore be necessary to provide for the change in subject mix.The numbers of teachers required to teach Welsh as a language will increase as a result of the introduction of the national curriculum. The future numbers are currently being discussed with LEAs. The results of these discussions will enable us to judge the scale and shape of the retraining and recruitment programmes for the years ahead.Welsh language specialists tend to be concentrated in the secondary sector. Current information on the number of Welsh language teachers employed by LEAs in Wales will not be available until the results of the 1989 secondary school staffing survey are to hand later this year. There are 358 students currently training as Welsh-medium teachers at initial teacher training institutions in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of students who have received bursaries for initial teacher training in Wales; what is the total value of those bursaries; and what is the numbers of students by teaching speciality.

Between 1986–87 and 1988–89 a total of 379 students have received £526,000 from the bursary scheme as shown in the following table:

Subject	Total students
Mathematics	153
Physics	119
CDT1	107
	379
1 An additional equipment allowance of £200 is paid to CDT students.

	1974	1979	1st quarter 1989	Per cent change per annum
Average daily available beds:				1974–79	1979–89
Acute1	12,190·8	11,302·7	10,350·4	-1·5	-0·9
Long stay	12,516·7	12,153·4	9,938·0	-0·6	2·0
Percentage Occupancy:
Acute	68·4	68·3	70·4
Long stay	89·9	86·7	84·2
1 Excludes geriatrics, younger disabled, mental illness and mental handicap.

My hon. Friend will wish to note that the rate of change of bed numbers in the long-stay sector has increased since 1979 in line with the policy of caring for such patients in the community where possible. Over the same period the increase in percentage occupancy of acute beds had been accompanied by an increase in the number of acute in-patients treated of 85,193 or 26·9 per cent., which represents an increase of 2·6 per cent. a year. The equivalent figures for 1974 to 1979 were an increase of 14,458, representing 4·8 per cent. or 0·9 per cent. a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what level of failure to complete the GCSE examination is expected now that GCSE has been introduced; and if he will make a statement.

The most recent figures show that of the 5·23 million entries for the 1988 summer GCSE examinations, 4·6 per cent. were recorded as absent. A further 3·4 per cent. were ungraded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what guidance has been issued on the national curriculum in relation to special schools for children with learning difficulties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what will be the capital expenditure at each National Health Service treatment centre site, on (a) new buildings and (b) alterations to existing buildings; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether he intends to make any financial provision for the travel costs of patients using the new National Health Service treatment centres; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on Monday 30 October 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the number of beds in Welsh hospitals in (a) 1974, (b) 1979 and (c) the current year with the annual rate of decline in the periods 1974 to 1979 and 1979 to 1989;(2) what was the average bed occupancy in National Health Service hospitals in Wales in

[holding answer 24 October 1989]: The information requested is shown in the following table:

The National Curriculum Council has recently published a booklet entitled "A Curriculum For All" which gives guidance on ensuring access to the national curriculum for all pupils with special educational needs, whether in maintained special schools or mainstream schools. I have placed a copy in the Library. The Department has also recently issued a joint circular with the Department of Health on assessments and statements of special educational needs which also includes guidance on the national curriculum. Departmental circulars on various other aspects of the national curriculum also include guidance on their application to pupils with special educational needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement of the finance available from public funds for Leicester polytechnic; and what special provision will be made (a) to re-open a building which has had to be closed on grounds of safety; (b) to prevent further closures on such grounds; to bring the general stock of buildings into a reasonable state of repair.

The allocation of public funds to Leicester polytechnic is the responsibility of the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council (PCFC). I understand that the Cumberland street annexe building, which was closed on safety grounds in June 1989, has been replaced by accommodation in a larger and more suitable building with the aid of a specific allocation of £700,000 from the PCFC's contingency fund. The safety and state of repair of the buildings is essentially the responsibility of the polytechnic itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will express the additional sum of £600 million for teachers' pay 1990–91, stated in his remit to the interim advisory committee, in terms of percentage increases in the inter-quartile range of private sector pay settlements for the latest available 12-month period; and if he will make a statement.

The interim advisory committee's remit represents an increase of some 7·6 per cent. on the 1990–91 teachers' pay bill. the inter-quartile range of private sector non-manual basic pay movements for the 12 months ending in June 1989 was 6·3 per cent. to 8·5 per cent, with a median of 7·3 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish a table showing, for local education authorities in England in each of the last three years for which records exist (a) how many children and what proportion of children of school age have been statemented as having special educational needs and (b) what extra resources in terms of teacher-hours per statemented pupil per year have been made available by each local education authority in England, respectively.

Information on teacher resources in special education is not available centrally. Information on numbers of pupils with statements will be provided as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he intends to take steps to bring remand limits in line with the Scottish limit of 110 days.

No. Custody time limits are now in force in England and Wales, except in London and the south-east, where we plan to introduce them in 1990. The limits in England and Wales are 56 days to summary trial or 70 days to committal in magistrates' courts; and 112 days from committal to arraignment in the Crown court. In Scotland, the limits are 40 days to trial for summary offences and 110 days from commitment to trial for indictment cases. The different limits in England and Wales reflect the diferences in pre-trial procedures and the amount of business.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he intends to take to bring the United Kingdom in line with the prompt trial requirement of the European convention on human rights; and if he will make a statement.

The United Kingdom complies with the European convention on human rights requirements for trial for any criminal charge against a person within a reasonable time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to setting up a national criminal intelligence unit along the lines of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States and as to what purposes it would have which are not adequately covered by existing policing; and if he will make a statement.

The developing challenge of serious criminal activity across local, regional and national borders requires effective enforcement counter-measures, based on the best intelligence. As my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) said in his speech to the Police Superintendents Association annual conference on 26 September, we need to make sure that these new needs are met. We have therefore initiated consultations with the Association of Chief Police Officers who have accordingly set up a working party on our criminal intelligence arrangements to assess the case for a national criminal intelligence unit, as part of the strengthening of police co-operation at home and internationally to deal with serious cross-border crime.Any such unit will be necessarily different from that of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States of America, and will need to take account both of existing national intelligence arrangements for specific kinds of crime, notably drugs, and our system of locally based police forces and regional crime squads.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on the scale of the abuse of immigration laws by people obtaining false birth certificates; and what action he proposes to take.

Detailed information is not available, but there is some evidence of abuse in individual cases, which are under consideration. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health published a Green Paper entitled "Registration: a modern service" (Cm. 531) in December 1988. The Green Paper contained proposals to limit the issue of certificates from the more recent records of the registration of births, marriages and deaths to those who have a legitimate interest in them. My right hon. Friend is considering possible restrictions on the issue of certificates in the light of responses received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to restrict the right of an accused person to opt for trial by jury.

We have no present plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a review of the law with a view to extending the criminal law to cover trespass on land in cases involving the activities of hunt saboteurs; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to undertake such a review. Trespass on land is in general a matter for the civil law. There are powers to deal with those who commit criminal acts such as criminal damage, assault or causing harassment, alarm or distress while trespassing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to write to Patrick Armstrong, Gerard Conlon, Carole Richardson and Paul Hill expressing apologies on behalf of Her Majesty's Government for the injustice they suffered; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) expressed regret at this serious miscarriage of justice in his statement to the House on 19 October at columns 271–73.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to analyse the arrests made at Football League matches in London (a) outside the ground, (b) inside the ground and (c) by the nature of the alleged offence in each case.

During the 1988–89 season at Football League matches in London there were 649 arrests inside grounds and 724 outside directly related to the matches. Figures showing the nature of the alleged offences or the outcome of these arrests are not collated centrally by the Metropolitan police or the Association of Chief Police Officers, and we have no plans to ask that this work should be undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet able to announce the level of the television licence fees to take effect from 1 April 1990; and if he will make a statement.

On 27 October 1987, at column 204, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) announced that the licence fees for the three years starting from 1 April 1988 would be calculated in accordance with changes in the retail prices index, which determines the rate of increase of pensions and other state benefits. The RPI figure for September published on 13 October showed a year-on-year increase of 7·6 per cent. I have accordingly decided that from 1 April 1990 the colour licence fee should be £71 and the monochrome fee £24. The necessary regulations will be laid before the House in due course.As was made clear in last year's White Paper on "Broadcasting in the '90s" (Cm 517), fee increases from 1 April 1991 onwards may be set at less than RPI in a way which takes account of the BBC's capacity to generate income from subscription.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet received the report of the working group on the management of vulnerable prisoners; and if he will make a statement.

I have received this helpful and thorough report, copies of which are being placed in the Library. The study focused particularly on the arrangements concerning prisoners segregated for their own protection. The main improvements recommended, all of which I have accepted, with a procedural modification in respect of one, are:

(a) Rule 43 of the prison rules to be amended (i) to allow authoritative directions on its interpretation to be given by the Secretary of State; (ii) to allow governors to authorise segregation for up to three days; and (iii) to remove an anomaly affecting young persons under 21 held in prisons and remand centres Young offender institution rule 46 also to be amended as at (i) and (ii). The aim of (i) is to be achieved by administrative guidance rather than by amendment of the rules;

(b) a board of visitors, on a proposal of the governor, to be able to decide, in the light of facilities available, to dispense with rule 43 controls for a particular group of vulnerable prisoners;

(c) present guidance on the personal legal liability of individual officers to be revised in supportive terms;

(d) certain training prisons to be re-organised to take rule 43—own protection—prisoners, so that they can be allocated from local prisons in the normal way;

(e) creation of a further vulnerable prisoner unit for about 100 category B prisoners;

(f) improvements in regimes and implementation of proposed guidelines on best practice to be carried forward through governors' annual contracts for 1990–91 (earlier wherever possible), under the functional responsibility of a senior member of the management.

While certain recommendations requiring resources may take some time to implement fully, most of the 35 recommendations are resource-neutral and work on bringing them into effect has been put in hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has regarding the number of occasions in the past 12 months when the Metropolitan police have invited representatives of the media to accompany police officers on major operations; at what command level decisions are taken to invite a media presence; and what criteria are used in such cases.

[holding answer 18 October 1989]: I understand from the Commissioner that the position is as follows. Media representatives accompany police officers on a wide variety of operations about which it is not possible to generalise. Arrangements are made centrally or locally by invitation from the police or on request from the media. Figures are not collated centrally, but the number of such arrangements exceeds 750 a year.Decisions to invite media representatives to witness raids are made by officers of chief superintendent rank or above, in consultation with the Metropolitan police directorate of public affairs.Invitations to the media are an important part of the Commissioner's policy of encouraging greater public understanding of police operations; are part of his policy of openness; and are an example of the accountability of the police to the public, on whose behalf they operate. The resulting news coverage may act as a deterrent to criminals, and provides independent reporting of events which might, otherwise, attract false and malicious allegations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many marketing consultancy grants have been made by the Rural Development Commission in the past year.

The Rural Development Commission made 71 marketing consultancy grants in the year ended 31 March 1989, the latest period for which figures are readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the housing capital expenditure which Lambeth council is permitted to undertake from capital receipts in addition to the approved housing investment programme of £30·6 million.

No such estimate has been made. It would be possible to construct a theoretical estimate based on information reported by Lambeth council, but as authorities are free to vire receipts and borrowing between services in 1988–89, and to use receipts for non-prescribed capital expenditure, such a theoretical estimate would be of limited value.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the Nature Conservancy Council takes non-scientific criteria into account when declaring, confirming or revoking sites of special scientific interest under the terms of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The Nature Conservancy Council's "Guidelines for Selection of Biological SSSIs" gives details of the scientific guidelines currently in use. The NCC proposes also to publish guidelines in respect of geological and physiographical SSSIs in the context of its geological conservation review. In the exercise of its duty, under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the council has a duty under section 37 of the Countryside Act 1968 to have regard to the needs of agriculture, forestry and the economic and social interests of rural areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on initiatives he plans to promote in response to the conclusions of the Commonwealth expert group on climate change and sea level rise, in respect of Her Majesty's Government's policies on mitigation of the greenhouse effect;(2) if he, or any other Minister or official of his Department, was present at, or presented a paper to, the seminar on the greenhouse effect at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers on 29 September;(3) what departmental representation there was, and what departmental papers were presented, at the global conference on the greenhouse effect, co-sponsored by the United Nations environment programme, held in Japan in September.

We welcome the contribution that the report of the Commonwealth expert group makes to the debate on climate change, and we recognise the particular concern of some Commonwealth countries about a potential rise in sea-levels. The Langkawi declaration on the environment which followed the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting supported the work of the intergovernmental panel on climate change and endorsed the United Kingdom's call for an international convention on climate change. We are fully committed to the work of the IPCC, in which the United Kingdom is playing a leading role, and we will continue to press the case for a framework convention on climate change.There was no ministerial representation at the IME seminar on 29 September. An official from the Building Research Establishment presented a paper entitled "Energy Efficiency in Buildings and the Greenhouse Effect."There was no departmental representation at the conference on the global environment and human response held in Tokyo on 11 to 13 September 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department differentiates between global warming caused by (a) natural and (b) man-made changes; what information he has on the reasons for global temperature rises before chlorofluorocarbons; and if his Department has made an appraisal of the thesis on global warming of Doctor Bruce Denness of the Bureau of Applied Sciences.

There is a "natural" greenhouse effect caused by the earth's atmosphere without which the earth would not be habitable. Current concerns arise from the increase in the concentration of anthropogenic greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and the chlorofluorocarbons. The impact of those increases, and the effects which will flow from them, are the subject of intensive scientific review within the intergovernmental panel on climate change which is due to report next summer. I understand that report is unlikely to endorse the views of Dr. Denness.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Trades Union Congress over its charter for the environment, adopted in September.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not met representatives of the Trades Union Congress to discuss its charter, but he has recently accepted an invitation from the general secretary to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the report on pesticide use in the United Kingdom, sent to him on 7 August by the Green Alliance and the British Agrochemicals Association.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has replied to these organisations on behalf of all the Ministers responsible for the control of pesticides in a letter dated 26 September. A copy of the letter has been deposited today in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the performance assessment of geological isolation systems for radioactive waste programmes sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities; and what are the implications of the PAGIS programme for future nuclear waste disposal in the United Kingdom.

PAGIS (Performance Assessment of Geological Isolation Systems), a six-year multinational research project on the safety assessment of high-level waste (HLW) disposal, was launched in 1982 as part of the Community plan of action in the field of radioactive waste management. Reports of the PAGIS project have been published by the European Commission. PAGIS reinforces the Government view that all categories of radioactive waste can in principle be safely disposed of in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received a copy of the report from the European Commission on the evaluation of the third Community programme on radioactive waste management and storage, 1985–1989, published in July as document EUR 12264 EN; and what are the implications for the United Kingdom of this programme for the United Kingdom's radioactive waste inventory.

My Department received a copy of the executive summary of document EUR 12264 EN in July. The programme has no implications for the United Kingdom's radioactive waste inventory.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what support he has given to the Milton Keynes Year of the Environment project launched on 19 September; and when he plans to visit Milton Keynes to promote environmental initiatives in the city.

My hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley) sent a message of support to the organisers of the Milton Keynes Year of the Environment. I endorse that message, and will follow the year's progress with interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are to be taken to ensure that local authority environmental health departments have sufficient resources and information available to implement effectively the proposed changes to controls over air pollution from industrial sources.

A joint committee to provide a forum for discussion between Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and local authority environmental health departments was set up at the end of 1988. The secretariat is provided by HMIP's local authority unit which has already begun to consider draft guidance notes on some 20 of the processes to be scheduled for local authority air pollution control. Information exchange on such matters as training is also being developed in the same forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what agreements were made regarding the release of the ivory stockpile in Hong Kong with the European Environment Council during October; and if he will make a statement.

None; the last meeting of the European Environment Council was held on 19 September. The issue of the stockpile of ivory in Hong Kong was not discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will arrange a meeting with building societies to discuss additional measures to reduce homelessness.

Regular meetings are held with representatives of building societies. These cover a wide range of housing issues including homelessness.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentages of United Kingdom rivers are classed as being of good or fair quality by the European Community; and what is the European Community average.

There is no river quality classification scheme laid down by the European Community. Each member state uses different systems, criteria and class boundaries for categorising rivers which makes assessments at Community level difficult. However, a review of classification schemes across member states published in 1988 by the Water Research Centre showed that on the basis of comparisons with the river classification scheme used in this country, an average of 83 per cent. of EC rivers were of good or fair quality compared with 95 per cent. in the United Kingdom. No other member state had a higher proportion of good or fair quality rivers than the United Kingdom, although our position was equalled by the Netherlands.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is intended that the new ceiling in the Local Government Bill for involvement in political activity be index-linked.

The salary level of £19,500 specified in the Bill is not a "ceiling on political activity". It is simply a dividing line in the machinery for determining which posts in local government service should be politically restricted. Above that level posts are restricted unless specifically exempted. Below that level they are free unless they are specifically restricted.My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has indicated that the Government propose to use the regulation-making power in the Bill to replace the reference to £19,500 with a reference to point 44 on the national joint council's recommended pay scale, as it is for the time being. The specified salary will thus change in accordance with national pay agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to lay before Parliament the 1988–89 annual reports and accounts of the London and metropolitan residuary bodies; and if he will make a statement.

The 1988–89 annual reports and statements of accounts of the London and metropolitan residuary bodies were laid before Parliament today. A copy of the Secretary of State's direction under section 78(2) of the Local Government Act 1985 as to the content and structure of the accounts has been placed in the Library of the House.The residuary bodies' reports provide continuing evidence of the considerable progress which they have made in discharging the responsibilities they inherited from the Greater London council and the metropolitan county councils. Among other achievements in 1988–89, over £314 million in capital receipts were realised from sales of surplus property, the benefits of which are being distributed to the local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Greater Manchester residuary body will complete its work and be wound up; and if he will make a statement.

The Greater Manchester residuary body was formally dissolved today. During the three and a half years since abolition the record of the residuary body has been impressive. It has sold or transferred to the successor dstrict authorities 10,650 former county council property interests and distributed £12·25 million of capital receipts to the local authorities.There will be further amounts to come from sales which have not yet reached completion. This is in addition to the distribution of some £55 million in revenue balances.The Greater Manchester residuary body is the third of the seven residuary bodies to wind up. The RB inherited a very considerable number of property interests, rights and liabilities from the former Greater Manchester county council, not least those in respect of the Greater Manchester exhibition centre (GMEX). That these have been disposed of with the full co-operation of all the successor authorities is a credit to all concerned.The order under section 67 of the Local Government Act 1985 transferred the remainder of the residuary body's property functions, rights and liabilities to the city of Manchester and the metropolitan boroughs and districts of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan on 31 August 1989.The Greater Manchester residuary body inherited a particularly wide and complex range of tasks. I am grateful to the chairman, board and staff for discharging this task of winding up the affairs of the former Greater Manchester metropolitan county council with such efficiency and dispatch. Their final report is being laid before Parliament today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any special provisions are to he made to mitigate the impact of the unified business rate on small businesses initially.

Yes. There will be transitional protection for businesses facing large increases as a result of the combined effects of the 1990 revaluation and the introduction on 1 April 1990 of a uniform national business rate. There will be a ceiling of 20 per cent. on the amount by which any rate bill can rise in any one year in real terms for properties with a rateable value of £10,000 in the new rating list (£15,000 in London) or more. But for properties with a rateable value between £500 and £10,000 (£15,000 in London)—which will include 75 per cent. of all business premises—the annual ceiling will be 15 per cent. in real. terms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each year since 1981 (a) the applications received by his Department from the Nature Conservancy Council for orders under section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and (b) those applications which resulted in such an order being made.

[holding answer 17 October 1989]: The number of orders made or rejected in England is as follows:

	Made	Rejected
1981	—	—
1982	2	—
1983	3	1
1984	4	1
1985	5	2
1986	1	—
1987	2	—
1988	—	—
1989	5	—

In addition it has been unnecessary for the Secretary of State to make an order on around six occasions because agreement was reached with the owner/occupier of the land concerned or the threat to the land did not materialise.The responsibility for making orders in Wales and Scotland rests with the respective Secretaries of State.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total number of photochemical smog events which have occurred during the last year in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 30 October 1989]: Photochemical smog, consisting of ozone and other ingredients, is a result of the reaction between oxides of nitrogen and gaseous hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight. In the United Kingdom a network of 17 sites monitors ozone levels. There is always some ozone in the lower atmosphere, and the definition of an "event" is inevitably arbitary. However, in August my Department announced that it would issue daily summaries of ozone concentrations for periods when several network sites recorded an hourly average of 60 parts per billion or more. Since then there have been three such periods. The record for the period before August shows a further five periods during the last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any comprehensive studies have been made to ensure the effectiveness of treatment methods for removing radionuclides typically released from accidents involving nuclear reactors into the water supply; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 30 October 1989]: A report that the Department commissioned last year concluded that most forms of water treatment would remove the major part of radioactivity from water supplies in the event of an accidental release of radioactivity. However, it is most unlikely that emergency reference levels would be reached in such circumstances even before water supplies are treated, except possibly in the immediate locality of a catastrophic release of radioactivity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how it is intended that the community charge will be collected from itinerants.

People with no fixed abode are exempt from the community charge, and the question of collection does not, therefore, arise. Travellers who are solely resident in caravans or boats will be liable to pay a personal charge in the area where they last become subject to a community charge on a particular day. It is for registration officers and charging authorities to make suitable arrangements for registration for, and collection of, the community charge in the light of local circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to prevent community charge registration officers disclosing anonymous personal information to credit companies, mail order companies or police forces.

No such legislation is necessary. Community charges registration oficers have no power to provide personal information to any of the bodies referred to by the hon. Gentleman. Recent changes to the Local Government Finance Act specifically preclude the provision of any information from which any individual can be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he proposes to provide further public information on the community charge.

In order to provide further information on individuals' rights and duties under the community charge, my right hon. Friend has decided to make additional resources available to ensure that those who are eligible for community charge rebates and transitional relief are aware of their entitlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he can give to AIDS sufferers and others on the use of dietary supplements containing germanium.

Dietary supplements containing germanium have been sold in health stores, pharmacies and by mail order. Product literature and articles sponsored by manufacturers claimed or implied potential health benefits, including an improved immune response. However, the Department of Health has no evidence that germanium is beneficial to health, and a report from Japan suggests that, taken as a dietary supplement, it may actually be harmful. The Department of Health has therefore advised that sales and consumption of dietary supplements containing germanium should cease.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the allocation of the 100 new consultant posts promised in the White Paper, "Working for Patients."

I have approved 35 new posts for the first year of the scheme in 1989–90. Officials have today written to health authorities advising them of successful bids for posts in their area. The new posts we have created are over and above existing plans for new consultants. They are targeted on districts and specialties where there are long waiting times for treatment. They will enable many extra cases to be treated from waiting lists and will make a significant impact on the increasing demand which leads to long waits.We will meet the full costs of the new posts up to a maximum of £500,000, which will cover the cost of the new consultants, plus additional staff and running costs, and essential equipment in support of the posts.The annual running cost of posts approved in the first year of the scheme averages £360,000 with an additional average cost of £40,000 to cover one-off capital expenditure. The new posts are in general surgery (10 posts); trauma and orthopaedics (7 posts); obstetrics and gynaecology (5); ophthalmology (5); urology (3); ear nose and throat surgery (2); and (one post each in) medicine, oral surgery and plastic surgery. These new posts will be supported by additional medical and non-medical staff. A total of 13·5 whole-time equivalent consultants in anaesthetics; a small number of extra consultant sessions in radiology, audiology and histopathology; 16 whole-time equivalent junior medical staff; 377 nurses; 68 professional and technical staff and 113 other non-medical staff will be provided as a result of the scheme in its first year. We are seeking further information from health authorities on a number of the other bids, and I expect to announce the allocation of the remaining 65 new posts early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has received from the Royal College of Psychiatrists on the National Health Service White Paper "Working for Patients"; and if he will make a statement.

The response we have received from the Royal College of Psychiatrists endorses the Government's aims for the Health Service. It raises a number of concerns regarding the implication of our proposed reforms for mental health services. Many of these concerns will be addressed in the White Paper on the future development of community care which we hope to publish very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) 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;(2) what information his Department has on the length of time taken to respond to letters from hon. Members.

Information is not available on the time taken to reply to correspondence before November 1988. Since then 51 per cent. of letters from hon. and right hon. Members have received a reply within four weeks. I regret that information on delays in replying beyond four weeks is not available in the detail requested. Following a very large increase in the amount of correspondence received earlier this year the Department has taken steps to improve the speed of reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all regional health authorities have submitted to his Department their detailed proposals for the integration of the wheelchair and artificial limb services in 1991; how far advanced the preparations for the integration are; and if he will make a statement.

Proposals for the integration of the Disablement Services Authority's services have now been received from all regional health authorities. We shall be assessing the progress made with preparations for integration at the Disablement Services Authority's annual review meeting on 9 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding free prescriptions and free dental treatment for all students; and if he will make a statement.

During the last 12 months we have received six letters from hon. Members and four letters from members of the public about free prescriptions for students. We have also had a small number of representations about free dental treatment for students.Students up to the age of 18 are entitled to free prescriptions and free dental treatment. Students aged 19 and over can apply for help under the NHS low income scheme. We believe it is right that students of that age who can afford to pay for their prescriptions and dental treatment should do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the present 10-year capital programme of Trent regional health authority for Central Nottingham district health authority.

Responsibility for capital programmes lies with regional health authorities which maintain records. I have asked the regional chairman to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many babies born in England and Wales, in 1987 and 1988 at 25, 26 or 27 weeks gestation who have been handicapped from oxygen starvation or other causes will need special care for the rest of their lives; and what is the estimated cost to the National Health Service of this special care over the estimated lifetime of these children;(2) how many babies were born in England and Wales, in 1987 and 1988 at 25, 26, and 27 weeks gestation and survived one year.

The information requested is not available; information on gestation is not collected at live birth registration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will respond to the statement made by the Pharmaceutical Society setting out its concerns about the quantity of tranquillisers still being prescribed.

I welcome the concern shown by the Royal Phamaceutical Society of Great Britain about the need to avoid incorrect prescribing of benzodiazepines. As its statement makes clear, the Committee on Safety of Medicines has already given guidelines on the use of benzodiazepines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many breaches of the voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising between his Department and the tobacco industry there have been in the past 12 months.

During the past 12 months, the committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship has recorded nine instances in which the voluntary agreements that it monitors were breached. The agreements monitored by the committee are the 1987 agreement on the sponsorship of sport, and the 1986 agreement on tobacco products advertising and promotion, and health warnings. On one of these occasions—a televised sporting event—a number of breaches of the same agreement occurred. In addition to this, the committee referred one complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority, which decided that it was in breach of the cigarette code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the members of the Department of Health and Tobacco Industry Committee monitoring the voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising and their occupations; and whether he has any plans to reconstitute the committee to include fewer representatives from the tobacco industry.

The committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship was set up as part of the 1986 voluntary agreement on tobacco products advertising and promotion, and health warnings, and the terms of that agreement stated that the Committee should have equal representation from interested Government departments and from the tobacco industry. The Government cannot decide unilaterally to reconstitute the committee; this would have to be discussed with and agreed by the tobacco industry. The independent chairman of the committee is Sir Peter Lazarus. The Government members are Mr. T. S. Heppell, Mr. N. M. Hale and Mr. W. Burroughs, all from the Department of Health, Mr. A. King, Scottish Office, Mr. D. MacDonald, Department of the Environment, Mr. D. Adams, Welsh Office and Mr. J. Scott, from the Department of Health and Social Security (Northern Ireland). The industry members are Mr. W. C. Owen and Mr. D. R. Hare from the Tobacco Advisory Council, Dr. R. R. Boxall, Gallaher Limited, Mr. Haynes, Imperial Tobacco Company, Mr. E. D. Oxberry, Rothmans (UK) Limited, and Mr. B. C. W. Heard from the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council. The seventh industry member has just resigned from the committee and has not yet been replaced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to make the voluntary agreement on tobacco advertising binding on the tobacco industry.

Percentage speech therapy staff by grade as at 30 September 1987
Regional Health Authority	Snr II	Snr I	Ch IV	Ch III	Dist II	Ch Dist I	Ch Dist Snr chief
Northern	39·43	40·89	3·99	6·33	8·73	0·00	0·63
Yorkshire	35·69	49·78	1·12	3·60	6·08	2·48	1·24
Trent	47·94	32·38	4·55	10·37	2·38	0·40	1·98
East Anglian	47·05	36·27	2·22	7·87	5·73	0·86	0·00
North West Thames	40·70	41·08	4·40	8·67	3·75	0·47	0·94
North East Thames	36·13	39·18	3·18	15·59	4·66	0·85	0·42
South East Thames	39·38	39·94	3·60	10·62	5·08	0·92	0·46
South West Thames	28·83	51·20	0·42	13·82	5·14	0·60	0·00
Wessex	46·47	27·99	4·90	13·21	4·45	2·97	0·00
Oxford	31·87	44·40	3·48	15·38	2·09	2·78	0·00
South Western	34·47	49·26	2·75	8·03	2·20	2·20	1·10
West Midlands	45·07	36·03	6·17	6·05	5·11	0·79	0·79
Mersey	41·53	34·48	0·88	13·58	6·88	2·65	0·00
North Western	44·98	37·75	4·05	6·76	5·60	0·43	0·43

Percentage speech therapy staff by grade as at 30 September 1988
Regional Health Authority	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Grade D	Grade E
Northern	13·37	47·96	25·13	11·17	2·38
Yorkshire	7·11	49·83	33·68	5·98	3·40
Trent	10·72	56·83	26·79	2·38	3·28
East Anglian	9·40	59·77	21·78	6·49	2·56
North West Thames1	10·93	63·80	16·37	5·32	3·58
North East Thames	12·55	32·01	36·06	14·67	4·72
South East Thames	15·03	52·02	22·14	8·43	2·38
South West Thames	10·28	54·30	27·56	5·24	2·62
Wessex	5·23	61·72	24·10	5·23	3·73
Oxford	6·85	53·45	28·51	7·19	3·99
South Western2	—	—	—	—	—
West Midlands	10·59	59·21	20·43	7·58	2·20
Mersey	13·30	48·23	29·79	6·03	2·66
North Western	14·81	39·98	36·60	4·30	4·30
1 North Western figures as at 31 March 1989.
2 South Western figures not available in comparable form.

The tobacco industry has undertaken to honour the current agreement and its operation is monitored by the independent committee for monitoring agreements on tobacco advertising and sponsorship (COMATAS). The chairman of COMATAS, Sir Peter Lazarus, concluded in the second annual report of the committee, published in April this year, that the industry tries hard to keep to the agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the grades of speech therapists in England, Wales and Scotland following the regrading under HSS(TC7)3188 broken down by area board, showing the percentage in each grade before regrading and the percentage after.

[Pursuant to the reply, 6 July 1989, cols. 238–40]: My hon. and learned Friend gave information for the "percentage of speech therapists in each grade in England at 30 September 1989". This was incorrect and should have read, "We do not have the information in the form requested, but the tables show the percentage of speech therapists in each grade in regional health authorities in England on the dates shown."

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's role in the radioactivity research and environmental monitoring committee since its inception.

The function of the radioactivity research and environmental monitoring committee (RADREM) is to review research and monitoring requirements and activities relating to radioactive waste management. In addition to contributing to the joint scientific secretariat for this committee, my Department has been represented on and played a full and active part in the work of the committee since its inception in 1986. Officials in my Department also chair two RADREM sub-committees, set up in 1988, dealing with research on radioactivity in the terrestrial environment and the aquatic environment respectively.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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.

The information is not readily available in the form requested. However, in the financial year 1988–89, a total of 88 per cent. of letters receiving a ministerial reply, including those from hon. Members, were answered within three weeks.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to seek information from the Ukrainian and Byelorussian agriculture departments on the emergence of unpredicted mutations in vegetations in pine, oak and acacia trees, and in rodents and waterfowl in areas contaminated by radioactive fallout from Chernobyl.

Scientists from my own and other Departments keep fully abreast of scientific developments through contact with their Soviet counterparts and others in various international fora. Migratory waterfowl that might have been in the vicinity of Chernobyl at the time of the accident were examined as part of my Department's extensive post-Chernobyl monitoring programme to ensure the safety of United Kingdom food supplies. The wider environmental implications of the accident are the concern of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government proposes to revise the set-aside scheme so as to accommodate fibre-producing animals such as cashmere and angora goats.

The Government have decided not to take up the option under the Community set-aside scheme to introduce grazed fallow because of problems of control and possible adverse effects upon existing livestock producers, particularly in the hills. The Community rules do not permit restriction of the option to particular types of animals such as fibre-producing goats.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he can make of the total cost of the inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster chaired by Ford Cullen; and what will be the costs met by the Scottish Office.

The public inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster was established by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy, whose Department spent £1·05 million in 1988–89 on setting up and running the inquiry. In 1989–90 the best estimate of the costs of the inquiry is £2·7 million, although the precise figure will depend on how long it lasts. It is not yet possible to estimate any further costs which may be involved in the completion of the report.The only costs being met by my Department are those associated with providing legal advice and counsel to the Department of Energy. In 1988–89 these amounted to approximately £0·1 million and the best estimate for 1989–90 is £0·3 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from organisations supporting the expansion of Gaelic television services.

The Secretary of State has received a wide range of representations about the future of Gaelic broadcasting. All call for a substantial increase in Gaelic television programming, although many differ as to how this might be best achieved. The Government are currently considering the future of Gaelic broadcasting and an announcement of their conclusion will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his Department's role in the radioactivity research and environment monitoring committee since its inception.

The Scottish Office has been represented on the radioactivity research and environmental monitoring committee since it was established in 1986 and has taken a full part in the committee's work. This has included reviewing and collating the programmes of research and monitoring undertaken both by Government and industry. It has ensured that appropriate work is in hand to cover both the United Kingdom and Scottish interests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how a large mental health hospital will compete for patients if accorded self-governing status.

All self-governing NHS trusts will be required to enter into contracts with health boards and other purchasers of health services. Their ability to win contracts will depend on the quality of the services they are able to provide and the prices they wish to charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will accord self-governing status to hospitals or other medical units other than major acute hospitals as part of the two hospitals he envisages awarding such status.

My right hon. and learned Friend will give careful consideration to all applications for self-governing status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether separate legislation will be required to implement "Working for Patients" in Scotland.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to make any further changes to the cash limits for 1989–90 within his responsibility.

Yes. I intend to make changes to nine of the cash limits within my responsibility.As a result of reduced requirements the cash limit for class XVI, vote 3—regional and general industrial support—has been decreased by £4,000,000 from £148,249,000 to £144,249,000. This reduction will partially offset increases in other votes.Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 6—roads, transport and environmental services—will be increased by £1,881,000 from £211,061,000 to £212,942,000 reflecting the take-up of entitlement to carry forward underspends in 1988–89 under the end year flexibility arrangements as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 1989. The full entitlement of £1,673,000 on capital expenditure and £208,000 in respect of running costs for historic buildings and monuments are taken up.The cash limit on class XVI, vote 14—prisons, hospitals and community health services, etc.—is being reduced by £4,630,000 from £2,003,389,000 to £1,998,759,000. The supplementary estimate includes take-up of the entitlement to carry forward £388,000 under the end year flexibility scheme for running costs.There is a new cash-limited vote, class XVI, vote 27—hospital and community health services—covering from 1 January 1990 the hospital and community health services formerly carried on vote 14.The cash limit has been set at £8,697,000, reflecting gross expenditure of £542,199,000 and appropriations in aid of £533,502,000. This comprises transfers from vote 14 for the final quarter of the financial year, together with additional resources, originally agreed for vote 14, of £4,747,000 on capital expenditure for the take-up of the full entitlement to carry forward underspending in 1988–89 under the end year flexibility scheme and £3,950,000 for NHS review implementation costs, partly offset by savings of £200,000 on class XVI, vote 14.Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 15—education, arts, libraries and social work—will be increased by £162,000 from £215,649,000 to £215,811,000 to take account of the changes in payment of income support for hostel dwellers.Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 19—General Register Office for Scotland—will be increased by £50,000 from £5,318,000 to £5,368,000 reflecting the take-up of the full entitlement to carry forward underspends in 1988–89 under the end year flexibility scheme for running costs. In addition, the running costs limits for the General Register Office for Scotland will be increased by £50,000 from £5,815,000 to £5,865,000.Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 21—Scottish Office administration—will be increased by £1,014,000 from £120,358,000 to £121,372,000. The increase includes take-up under the end year flexibility scheme for running costs of £379,000 and legal expenses of other departments for which legal advice is provided. As a result of these changes and the full take-up of carry forward under the end year flexibility scheme by historic buildings and monuments within class XVI, vote 6 and by prisons within class XVI, vote 14, the running costs limit for the Scottish Office will be increased by £1,057,000 from £205,865,000 to £206,922,000.Cash block SO/LA1, which covers non-housing capital expenditure by local authorities, is to be increased by £12,000,000 from £501,035,000 to £513,035,000 reflecting the take-up of the full entitlement to carry forward underspending under the end year flexibility scheme for capital expenditure.Cash block SO/LA2, which covers housing capital expenditure by local authorities and capital expenditure by new towns, is to be increased by £18,524,000 from £326,900,000 to £345,424,000. Within this total, £24,900,000 reflects the take-up of the full entitlement to carry forward underspending under the end year flexibility scheme for capital expenditure.The net effect of these changes will be met from the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total of central Government grant in each of the past 10 financial years for the replacement of lead piping.

[holding answer 26 October 1989]: Information is not held centrally on the element of grants for house improvements relating to the replacement of lead piping. However about 58,000 grants which included lead plumbing replacement were made in the period 1982–88 inclusive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his reply of 18 October, Official Report, column 170, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan, if he will make it his policy to collect information about house repossessions in Scotland.

[holding answer 26 October 1989]: The possibility of obtaining such information is being pursued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what guidelines the Scottish Education Department has issued to local education authorities concerning the testing for dyslexia among young schoolchildren; and if he will make a statement;(2) what recent consultations have been conducted between officials of the Scottish Education Department and local education authorities concerning the detection of dyslexia among schoolchildren; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 23 October 1989]: Responsibility for identifying children who have difficulty with reading or writing rests with education authorities, whose teaching staff are becoming increasingly well-equipped, through improved training, to recognise and to help such children. While the Scottish Education Department has not issued guidance or held consultations with authorities, its inspectorate has, in approving teacher training courses, ensured that these now contain a special educational needs component. Special educational needs diploma courses include specific instruction in recognising dyslexia.

To ask the Attorney-General 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.

Letters from hon. Members are treated as a matter of priority within my Department, and are answered as soon as the necessary information is available. The legal secretariat does not have the facilities to produce the information requested at other than disproportionate cost. Nevertheless I can safely say that the vast majority of letters from hon. Members receive a substantive reply within two weeks.

To ask the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor will make it his policy to express apologies on behalf of the legal profession to Patrick Armstrong, Gerard Conlon, Carole Richardson, and Paul Hill for the miscarriage of justice they have suffered; and if he will make a statement.

No. The outcome of Sir John May's inquiry may be expected to provide a reliable foundation for any comment on these cases.