To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low flying exercises have been carried out by the Royal Air Force and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation over the Hexham constituency for each of the last five years for which figures are available.

I regret that the information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate cost and effort.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received from the United States Government a copy of the latest nuclear weapons surety report to the United States President which deals with security of United States nuclear warheads and weapons deployed in the United Kingdom and Europe; and whether his Department received earlier copies of this report.

No. We do, however, work closely with the Americans on a range of nuclear safety and security matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount of compensation paid for (a) deaths and (b) injuries inflicted by (i) rubber bullets and (ii) plastic bullets fired by the Army in Northern Ireland from 1969 to the present.

The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, our records show that of the claims received since 1 April 1987, we have paid out to date a total of £8,250 in compensation awards for injuries caused by rubber or plastic bullets in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the considerations which influenced him to order the relocation of HMS Tamar from Hong Kong to Stonecutters island.

The defence estate in Hong Kong is the property of the Hong Kong Government. Under long-standing arrangements, whenever defence land is required for redevelopment, for economic or social purposes, the Hong Kong Government reprovide defence facilities, as required, at other suitable locations. The naval basin and related facilities at HMS Tamar lie in an area required by the Hong Kong Government for a major new development. No decision has been taken on the future of the Prince of Wales building (headquarters British forces Hong Kong), which is unaffected by the reprovision of the Royal Navy's facilities at Stonecutter's island.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been carried out into the power-to-weight ratio of the Vanguard class submarine; and if he will make a statement.

The power-to-weight ratio for the Vanguard class was calculated in the course of deciding on the submarine's design. Adequate power will be generated to satisfy the operation requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects that the joint tactical information distribution system will be fitted to aircraft of the Royal Air Force, and to which aircraft.

The AEW Sentry E3D will enter RAF service in the early 1990s fitted with JTIDS class 2. On current plans the Tornado ADV will have JTIDS fitted shortly after. Consideration is also being given to fitting JTIDS to tanker aircraft in the mid-1990s. A reduced size version of JTIDS is specified for the European lighter aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to order the evaluation on behalf of his Department of the 155 mm ultra lightweight field howitzer.

I will write to the hon. and learned Gentleman.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training and material resources have been provided to Cambodian resistance groups; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing to add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) on 30 October 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's plans to coordinate the development of the next generation of tanks.

NATO nations generally consider opportunities for collaboration in the development of equipment, and are doing so in relation to elements of armoured fighting vehicle technology. There is at present no project aimed at the development of a complete tank.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representation there was from his Department at the seminar on the education and training policy of the European Commission held at the university of Manchester and Wales on 14 October.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will initiate a national child abuse education campaign to explain the problem of child abuse.

The Department last year issued a circular entitled "Working Together for The Protection of Children From Abuse: Procedures Within The Education Service", which was designed to help local education authorities and others to increase the effectiveness of their efforts to prevent and deal with child abuse.The circular discussed the potential contribution of the curriculum in this matter and invited local education authorities and schools to consider carefully the extent to which teaching should be directly concerned with warning children of the risks of child abuse. The circular also invited local education authorities to consider the extent to which, within their responsibilities for adult, further and higher education, there was scope for personal and social education about the prevention of child abuse.The Department has recently asked local education authorities to report on the action they have taken to give effect to the recommendations of the circular.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set up a programme to train teachers to recognise the signs of child abuse.

The Department is currently providing grant of some £70,000 towards the costs of a programme to help local education authorities to train teachers in the protection of children from abuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the preparedness of United Kingdom emergency services to deal with major civil catastrophes.

As my right hon. Friend the then Home Secretary said on 15 June at columns 514–15, the emergency services provide an excellent response to such incidents, and recent events have confirmed that.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contribution was made by Ministers or officials of his Department to the conference on risk held at the university of Bradford on 12 September.

The conference was attended by two officials from the emergency planning division and the principal of the Emergency Planning College. A presentation was given on the outcome of the Home Office review of peacetime emergency arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he hopes to respond to the recent Apex Trust report, "Making Rehabilitation Work:" and if he will make a statement regarding implementation of its proposals in future legislation.

We wrote to the Apex Trust on 22 August. I will put a copy of the letter in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the latest available figures from the staff-inmate ratios in dispersal prisons during the time that inmates are unlocked.

The seven dispersal prisons vary considerably in size, design, function and population. Comparisons between staff/inmate ratios need therefore to be made with some care. As at 1 September 1989 the position was as follows:

Prison	Prisoners	Officers in post	Prisoners per officer	Typical number of prisoners per officer at time of unlocking
Albany	375	317	1·2	3·0
Frankland	388	396	1·0	2·4
Full Sutton	386	381	1·0	2·5
Gartree	316	290	1·1	2·7
Long Lartin	425	337	1·3	3·1
Parkhurst	224	338	0·7	1·7
Wakefield	689	429	1·6	4·0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation for a franchise section to provide for children's programmes;(2) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation for the protection of hours during which children's programmes traditionally are shown;(3) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation for children's television programmes to continue being provided as a public service, and not subject to subscription;(4) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation for the setting up of an independent panel to ensure quality children's programmes;(5) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation for the distribution of money through a public service broadcasting council, to the BBC and earmarked for children's programmes;(6) if he will make provision in the broadcasting legislation to permit the Independent Television Commission to arrange a minimum level of funding for children's programmes on channels 3 and 5.

There is no express requirement in current broadcasting legislation to show children's programmes. Under our proposals for new legislation Channel 3 and Channel 5 will be required, among other things, to cater for a wide range of tastes and interests, and Channel 4 will be required to include programmes appealing to tastes and interests not generally catered for by Channel 3. As new television channels proliferate it becomes generally less desirable for legislation to impose detailed requirements for particular programme types to be included in schedules at particular times or made subject to special funding or licensing mechanisms. But our proposals will suffice to ensure that children's programmes continue to be shown on both the BBC and on independent terrestrial television; and that the possible outlets for children's programmes will increase.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many persons from Liverpool have accepted voluntary repatriation at the latest available date;(2) how many persons have accepted voluntary repatriation at the latest date; and what was the total cost;(3) if he will list the number of deportations from Liverpool for each of the last three years to the latest available date;

Information on persons removed from the United Kingdom under the deportation process in the years 1986 to 1988, including those who accepted supervised departure, and those on whom a deportation order was enforced, is published in table 14 of Home Office statistical bulletin issue 31/89 "Control of Immigration: Statistics—Second Quarter 1989", a copy of which is in the Library. Separate information on the removal of persons from Liverpool, and on the total cost of supervised departures, is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names, dates and amounts paid to persons who have been wrongfully imprisoned and the method of calculating compensation for each year since 1970.

It is not our practice to publish details of individual payments to applicants for compensation. The assessment of the amount paid is based in the main on written submissions setting out the relevant facts. In making his assessment, the independent assessor will apply principles analogous to those governing the assessment of damages for civil wrongs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what applications for compensation in respect of unlawful conviction of Paul Hill, Carole Richardson, Gerard Conlon and Patrick Armstrong he has received; how they will be assessed; and if he will make a statement.

Applications for compensation have been received in respect of Paul Hill, Carole Richardson, Gerard Conlon and Patrick Armstrong. As I informed the hon. Gentleman in my written reply on Monday 30 October, on the advice of the independent assessor my right hon. and learned Friend has agreed that interim awards of compensation should be made to all four pending a final settlement of their claims, for which purpose further information has been sought. Arrangements are in hand for the early payment of the interim awards, and my right hon. and learned Friend will accept the assessor's recommendation as to the final amount to be paid in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive a report on investigations into the west midlands serious crime squad currently being conducted by Mr. Donald Shaw.

Under the terms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, the reports on these investigations will be made to the Police Complaints Authority and the chief constable of the West Midlands police. I understand that reports on individual cases will be submitted as they are completed and it will be some time before all cases have been examined.The chief constable of the West Midlands police has been asked to inform my right hon. and learned Friend if anything emerges which casts doubt on the safety of any conviction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings he has had with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police since 1 January; and on how many occasions the convictions for the Guildford and Woolwich public house bombings were discussed.

I understand that my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) had three meetings with the commissioner this year. The subject of the convictions for the Guildford and Woolwich public house bombings arose at one of those meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the UNHCR concerning the right of appeal for asylum seekers under United Kingdom law; and if he will make a statement.

In a variety of contacts over a number of years UNHCR officers have made clear their preference for an in-country right of appeal for all asylum applicants. The Government have responded by explaining the risk that we see of encouraging abusive asylum applications from passengers who have been refused leave to enter for other purposes in order to benefit from the delays inherent in an extended appeal system. The experience of those countries that operate such appeal systems is that the delays in deciding cases typically run into several years. Despite this difference of view, both sides have worked together in establishing and operating the UKIAS referral arrangements, which successfully provide an independent input to the consideration of port cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority members of the public are prevented from walking along Downing street.

Access to Downing street is controlled under the police's common law powers which allow them to take reasonable steps to preserve the peace and prevent threats to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to amend section 42 of the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 to allow bingo organisers to advertise specific games of bingo at pre-arranged times and places; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 27 October 1989]: The advertising of licensed bingo clubs is controlled by section 42 of the Gaming Act 1968. We have no current plan for Government legislation to amend the section, but we are considering arguments put forward by the Bingo Association of Great Britain for supporting a private Member's Bill entirely to remove bingo clubs from these advertising controls. Bingo clubs can, and do, advertise freely as social clubs; specific games of bingo, and certain prizes in them, can already be advertised on the front of licensed bingo club premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to increase staffing levels at Wormwood Scrubs unit for sex offenders, and to improve training for staff.

[holding answer 27 October 1989]: Wormwood Scrubs therapeutic unit for addicts and sex offenders is carrying vacancies at senior and principal hospital officer level; action is being taken in connection with current promotion boards to fill them. In-house training is provided by the establishment's medical staff, who are considering what further steps can be taken, and by visiting consultants; a senior hospital officer was released last month for a one year course in group psychotherapy and the possibility of further external training will be reviewed as vacancies are filled.

To ask the Attorney-General if the Lord Chancellor has yet received the draft Bill to reform the leasehold system of ownership of flats, which he indicated on 13 June that he was expecting; and if he will make a statement.

Work is continuing at the Law Commission with the preparation of draft legislation to give effect to the recommendations made in the report of the working group on commonhold. The Lord Chancellor hopes to announce a decision about the matter in the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what projects his Department is presently sponsoring to use British forestry expertise in pursuit of conserving the rain forests.

Under our bilateral country programmes we are currently supporting 64 forestry projects in 27 countries; in addition we are funding 23 forestry research projects. We are also co-financing 38 projects under our joint funding scheme with British NGOs. I am sending a list of these projects to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to contribute to International Literacy Year; and whether additional public funds will be available to assist projects undertaken by non-government organisations in support of International Literacy Year.

Our contribution to International Literacy Year will be as part of our on-going programme of literacy activities within wider programmes of help for people and their communities. Examples are support for the Gujarat integrated family welfare project, the Hyderabad slum improvement project and the Ghana programme of action to mitigate the social costs of adjustment. We shall also consider carefully any further projects in the literacy field overseas which non government organisations might wish to send us under the joint funding programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the £3,000 savings limit which debars pensioners from having the costs of their long-term nursing home care met by his Department.

Pensioners with savings of over £3,000 can receive income support and, therefore, help with nursing home fees. However, an income of £1 a week is assumed for every £250, or part of £250, of any savings between £3,000 and £6,000. No income support is payable to people with more than £6,000. There are no plans, at present, to raise these capital limits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security by what date he expects the Department of Social Security offices in Archway tower to close; how many staff will be transferred; and what will be the location, staffing levels and opening date of the new offices for Finsbury Park and Highgate.

The restructuring of social security services in the Department's offices in Archway tower is due to start in August 1990 and should be completed by March 1991. During this period there will be a phased transfer of backroom work to the social security centre in Glasgow and of administrative and specialised services to the district office to be located in Euston. Branch offices providing the full range of social security services to public callers will be established within Archway tower. At present we have no firm dates for the movement of these offices.A study is currently under way to find a better location for each branch office in order that it can meet our objective of placing service where our customers need it. Accommodation will then be sought within the required areas and plans developed to vacate the premises in Archway tower. In the meanwhile both offices will continue to provide a full personal service from their existing location.Staffing levels in the existing offices in Archway tower will start to reduce from August 1990 when the first tranche of back room and specialised work is transferred to the Glasgow social security centre and Euston district office. Rundown of surplus staff will be achieved by a combination of natural wastage and transfers to nearby offices or other Government Departments. Precise details of the numbers to be transferred will not become clear until nearer the date for relocation of the work.The number of staff required to support the remaining business at each branch office is estimated to be between 12 and 15 per office. These figures will, however, be subject to continuing review and adjustment in the light of departmental experience of existing offices whose backroom work has earlier been relocated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further plans he has to study ways of encouraging single mothers to return to work rather than depend on income support and other benefits; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to help and encourage lone parents who want to become more independent through work.

[holding answer 23 October 1989]: The number of lone parent families dependent on supplementary benefit income support has grown from 318,000 in 1979 to 722,000 in 1988¹ and approximately two-thirds of all lone parent families are dependent on income support.Legislation places a duty on absent husbands and fathers to meet their responsibilities wherever they can afford to. However, for over three quarters of the lone parent families receiving income support the absent parent pays no maintenance at all. We shall continue to look for ways to make our efforts to obtain a contribution even more effective. Regular payments of maintenance can provide a useful basis of non-benefit income for lone parents who wish to work.Lone parents are able to receive income support without having to be available for work, and it is right that they should be able to decide for themselves what is best for them and their children. However, where the lone parent does wish to work the family credit and housing benefit schemes give special help which recognises that lone parents can face extra expenses in working.In addition, as announced in my right hon. Friend's statement about the uprating of Social Security Benefits, on 25 October, lone parents in work will receive extra help from next year. In housing benefit, the lone parent premium will increase from £8·60 a week to £9·70 from April 1990 and the earnings disregard will increase from £15 to £25 a week from October 1990.In addition, lone parent families in work will benefit like other families on low incomes from increases my right hon. Friend has announced of £1 a week in the family credit adult credit and 50 pence a week housing benefit family premium which are in addition to the normal uprating of these benefits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his national policy for the future management, operation and ownership of the non-emergency ambulance services.

Health authorities will remain responsible for the operational management of ambulance services and they are currently considering how best to provide non-emergency ambulance services in the light of the review proposals and local circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will alter the composition of North-East Thames regional health authority to give due representation to Waltham Forest.

No; RHA members are appointed for their personal qualities and experience, and not to represent any particular or geographical interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the representation of residents of each district health authority area on the North-East Thames regional health authority, showing political affiliation where known.

RHA members are appointed for their personal qualities and experience and not to represent the residents of a particular geographical area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct Waltham Forest district health authority to increase the provision of essential life-saving emergency equipment at Whipps Cross hospital; if he will provide additional funding to the hospital for this purpose; and if he will make a statement.

The level of provision of health care services within a particular area is a matter for the health authority concerned, who are best able to judge the priorities for provision of services and equipment in the light of local needs and circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths have been reported of young diabetics who have switched from animal to human insulin; and what study the Committee on Safety of Medicines has made of the effects of treatment by synthetic human insulin for diabetics.

The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) has received three reports of deaths of young diabetics who have switched from animal to human insulin. Such reports do not establish a relationship between cause of death and change of insulin type. The CSM considered a range of studies in relation to human insulin before product licences were granted and since this time has monitored published studies worldwide. Currently the CSM is working closely with the British Diabetic Association and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the United Kingdom and epidemiological centres in the USA to monitor the possible effects of changing from animal to human insulin and of improving diabetic control in patients under treatment with all types of insulin.The CSM has advised all diabetics not to make any change in the type of insulin they use, or the dose they take, without consulting their doctor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if there is an adequate supply of animal insulin for the treatment of diabetics.

There are four suppliers of animal insulin for the treatment of diabetes in the United Kingdom. Each has given an assurance that there are adequate supplies available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the guidance and criteria for support grant for social services for people with AIDS and related expenditure will be forthcoming; and if he will make a statement.

Abortions to non-British Isles residents by country of origin and gestation period for 1988
	Gestation weeks
Country	Total1	Under 9	9–12	13–17	18+	unknown
Other European	7,357	1,084	1,366	2,263	2,644	—
Austria	54	4	1	13	36	—
Belgium and Luxembourg	33	3	5	1	24	—
France	3,047	45	126	1,335	1,541	—
Gibraltar	32	14	12	4	2	—
Italy	631	26	32	257	316	—
Malta	45	19	20	2	4	—
Portugal	51	17	8	12	14	—
Spain	3,188	900	1,107	601	580	—
Switzerland	68	9	11	14	34	—
German Federal Republic	140	24	31	14	71	—
Rest of world	1,011	371	342	172	126	—
Algeria	78	11	5	22	40	—
Australia	40	16	17	7	—	—
Republic of South Africa	400	112	156	90	42	—
United States of America	66	33	24	4	5	—
Zimbabwe	49	14	21	8	6	—
1 Only countries where the number of terminations exceeds 24 are included.

The upper limits and circumstances in which abortions may lawfully take place vary widely from country to country but do not affect the availability in individual cases of abortions in this country to foreign women.Information about the sums paid to private clinics by non resident women is not collected centrally.

We will outline the criteria following consultation with the local authority associations later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children up to 18 years of age are (a) mentally handicapped, (b) physically handicapped and (c) both, by health region and by severity of disability.

The information requested is not available centrally. The third report from the OPCS on disability in Great Britain, "The Prevalence of Disability Among Children" contains estimates of the number of mentally and/or physically handicapped children under 16 years of age in each local government region of England, but these regions are not regional health authority areas. A copy of this report is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abortions were carried out on overseas women in the last 12 months; at how many weeks gestation they were undertaken; if he will list their countries of origin; what information he has on the allowable upper time limit for abortions in their countries of origin; how much was paid to private clinics in fees to carry out these abortions; how many were after 18 weeks gestation; and whether his Department requires an anaesthetic or pain killer to be administered to the unborn child before a late abortion takes place.

The information regarding the numbers of abortions performed in England and Wales to overseas women, with a breakdown by gestation, is shown in the table.Decisions as to the drugs and anaesthesia to be given to a woman undergoing an abortion are entirely a matter for the clinical judgement of the doctor responsible for her care.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what further consideration he has given to the settlement of compensation claims by haemophiliacs infected by the HIV virus through National Health Service blood transfusions: and what plans he has for an early out-of-court settlement with these victims;(2) what further representations he has received regarding financial compensation for haemophiliacs infected by the HIV virus through National Health Service blood transfusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what study he has undertaken of compensation arrangements made by other Governments for people with haemophilia who, in the course of medical treatment, have been infected with HIV virus; and if he will now facilitate an out-of-court settlement of the claims of the British victims; and if he will make a statement.

We have received 30 further representations from members about compensation for people with haemophilia and HIV infection since my hon. and learned Friend replied to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 23 October at column 318. We understand that a variety of schemes have been adopted in other countries, although some have made no special arrangements.I am advised that the current legal action relating to haemophiliacs is sub-judice and it would therefore not be appropriate for me to comment further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government will respond to the sixth report, 1988–89, of the Social Services Committee on food poisoning, listeria and listeriosis.

The Government have today published their response to this report. Copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total expenditure incurred by London Regional Transport and London Underground Limited arising from the King's Cross Underground fire.

London Regional Transport estimated last year that £266 million needed to be spent between 1989–90 and 1991–92 on proposals to enhance underground safety following the King's Cross fire. It is expected that about £80 million of this will be incurred in 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether at the Council of European Transport Ministers on 16 October in Luxembourg he introduced any policies to promote the reduction in road traffic use in the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

It is not the Government's policy to seek to influence overall levels of road traffic, but to secure efficient use of vehicles and highways. At the Council on 16 October my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State pressed for action to liberalise road haulage cabotage across the European Community. The effect of allowing non-resident companies to offer road haulage services within a member state would be to reduce the number of lorries which return home empty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions are made of the value of public open space needed for road schemes in cost-benefit analysis.

Public open space taken for road schemes, like all land acquired for road schemes, is valued in the cost-benefit analysis on the basis of market prices as assessed by the district valuer, who is independent of the Department. Cost-benefit analysis is only one part of the total appraisal procedure for road schemes. Decisions are taken in the light of a comprehensive assessment which includes environmental effects, such as the effect on amenity and nature and environmental conservation. Under the terms of the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 if open space or common land is taken for a road scheme, the Department provides equivalent land in exchange or the compulsory purchase order is subject to special parliamentary procedure. The current approach to the valuation of public open space, like all elements in the appraisal of roads, is kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions he has given to the consultants for the London assessment studies with regard to (a) scheme components to be dropped from the studies and (b) scheme components to be added to the studies in advance of the consultants finalising their reports.

It is for the study consultants to determine what components should or should not be included in their recommendations. I am still awaiting their reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what value was ascribed to that portion of Oxleas wood needed for the east London river crossing for the purposes of assessing the costs and benefits of the scheme.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mrs. Barnes) on 23 January 1989, at column 387.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what strategy the Government have for tackling air traffic congestion in Europe.

The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority have reviewed the provision of air traffic control in Europe. We consider that in addition to initiatives taken in the last year, western European states should now work urgently towards the integration of their air traffic control systems. In order to achieve this, states would need to enter into a specific commitment to integrate their system to an agreed timetable and to bring about the necessary changes to the institutional framework.We envisage that the integrated system would be operated from a series of area control centres which have compatible systems and equipment and would be connected by a common communications network. Some changes of air space boundaries might be agreed, but we would expect most control centres to continue to be operated by national authorities. The system would function irrespective of state boundaries, which would become transparent to airspace users. Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, would be given an enhanced role in developing a single integration plan and in helping national authorities to expedite its implementation.

£ thousand
			Increases
		Current	End year flexibility1			Revised
	Class and vote	cash limit	Capital	Running costs	Other	cash limit
	VIII, 1	1,282,912	22,832	—	265,000	1,370,744
	2	234,213	2,000	686	31,970	238,869
	4	128,883	1,913	602	—	131,398
	5	218,706	—	—	41	218,707
1 Take up in full of entitlements announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 20 July 1989 (Official Report, columns 258–62).
2 Increases of £25 million towards preparation and supervision of new construction as part of the expanded roads programme described in the Roads for Prosperity White Paper (Cm. 693) and £40 million to meet faster than expected progress in schemes in the current roads programme.
3 Additional running costs provision to cover work on the expanded roads programme.
4 Token. Increased payments and recoveries in respect of traffic control systems.

All these increases will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.The running costs limit of the Department of Transport has been increased by £3,258,000 from £284,873,000 to £288,131,000 as a consequence of the running costs increases referred to above.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money, and on what projects, has been spent by his Department on road schemes in Greater

Expenditure on major DTP schemes in London—construction costs only
£ million
		1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90
	A12 Gallows Corner/Brentwood	0·6	—	—	—
	A406 South Woodford/Barking Relief Road	32·8	21·8	5·4	0·6
	A20 Sidcup Bypass Improvement	14·2	9·2	3·8	1·1
	A2 Rochesterway Road Junction	7·3	13·0	2·7	2·3
	A406 Great Cambridge Relief Road	0·8	5·7	7·0	8·4
	A406 Hangar Lane/Harrow Road	—	0·2	1·6	18·8
	A406 Chingford Road/Hale End Road	—	3·9	1·5	25·2
	A40 Swakeleys Road Junction	—	—	4·7	6·7
	A23 Waddon Marsh Bridge	—	—	0·4	0·4
	A40 Long Lane Junction	—	—	—	0·7
	Hackney Wick/M11Link	—	—	—	1·9
	East London Traffic Control System	—	—	—	0·4
	Final Accounts for earlier schemes	0·6	0·6	0·1	0·5
	Total	56·3	54·4	27·2	67·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he proposes to make to the cash limits on his votes and to his Department's running costs limit.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limits for my votes are to be changed as follows:London for each year since 1975 to date; and what is proposed to be spent, and on what projects, for the remainder of this year and each year until 1995.

Details of construction costs for individual projects costing over £1 million each in progress in the period 1986–87 to 1989–90 are shown in table 1. All 1989–90 figures are estimates.Expenditure in future years will be determined by progress on preparation and construction of individual projects and the total funds available for road building.The information for earlier years could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the report from Ove-Arup partners on the east London assessment study.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 23 October to my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Sir B. Hayhoe), Official Report, column 373.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the powers to serve notice requiring the re-importation of meat unfit for human consumption under the Imported Food Regulations (NI) 1984 are to be retained after the implementation of the Single European Act in 1992; and if he will make a statement about controls against the importation of unsuitable meat into Northern Ireland.

Until the EC negotiations are finalised it is not certain what effect the single market proposals for 1992 will have on public health inspection of imported meat, but in those negotiations the United Kingdom are arguing strongly in favour of adequate safeguards on meat from member states. The existing controls under the Imported Food (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1984, require that imported meat shall be subject to inspection by authorised officers of district councils, to ensure compliance with the EC certification and health marking conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the operation of the ACE scheme and give the following information: how many people are currently employed on the ACE scheme, how many people currently employed on the ACE scheme are disabled and what this is as a percentage of the total number employed on ACE schemes, how many sponsor organisations within the ACE scheme employ 20 or more staff and which statutory provisions apply to these organisations, what information he has as to how many sponsor organisations within the ACE scheme fulfil their obligations under the 1945 and 1960 Acts to employ a minimum of 3 per cent. registered disabled people, what arrangements are made by the Department of Economic Development for Northern Ireland to monitor whether organisations in receipt of public money fulfil their legal obligations in respect of employing disabled people and what action is taken by the Department of Economic Development against organisations who are in breach of the provisions of the Disabled Persons (Employment) National Insurance Act 1945 and 1960; if he will list any prosecutions undertaken and the outcome in each case; what is his policy regarding promotion of equality of opportunity in obtaining employment under the ACE scheme for disabled people; and whether he has any plans to introduce further measures to ensure that disabled people have equality of opportunity to obtain employment under the ACE scheme.

The Action for Community Employment (ACE) scheme provides temporary employment for up to one year for the long-term unemployed in work of community benefit. A total of 10,561 people are currently employed on the ACE scheme and 182 or 1·7 per cent. of the total work force have declared themselves to be disabled; 147 sponsors employ 20 or more staff; ACE sponsors are subject to all statutory provisions affecting employers;Information about the number of ACE sponsors who meet their obligations under the 1945 and 1960 disabled person's legislation is not available.Organisations in receipt of public money, in common with all other employers, are required to obtain a permit from the Department of Economic Development if they do not meet the quota obligations imposed by statutory provision and wish to recruit non-disabled employees. Permits are issued only where the Department is satisfied the employer has made every effort to recruit registered disabled people and has been unsuccessful. Employers with 20 or more employees are required to make an annual return to the Department of Economic Development showing the number of disabled workers in their work force. Visits are paid by the Department's disablement resettlement officers to employers not fulfilling their quota obligations to check on their recruitment practices and to advise on the recruitment of registered disabled people. It has not previously been normal practice for DRO's to monitor recruitment of disabled people into ACE jobs, but this matter is now under review.Employers in breach of the statutory provisions are liable to prosecution, but it is generally considered more appropriate to advise employers about any departures from their statutory obligations and provide advice and assistance in helping them to meet their obligations; there have been no prosecutions.The Department's policy is that registered disabled people should be given every opportunity to compete on equal terms with their non-disabled colleagues for ACE jobs, and should benefit from the special measures in operation to assist with the employment of this group. Under existing recruitment rules disabled people get preferential treatment in that they need only to have been unemployed for eight out of the previous 15 months before being eligible for the scheme and can obtain a further ACE job 16 months after leaving the scheme, instead of the normal 24 months. In a recent series of conferences with ACE sponsors special attention was drawn to the employment needs of disabled people and sponsors were asked to develop positive policies towards the employment of these people. The Department of Economic Development is currently reviewing measures that may be taken to increase the number of registered disabled people employed in the ACE programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students from (a) the Republic of Ireland and (b) other European Community countries are in receipt of state-supported education in Northern Ireland; and what is the total cost in Northern Ireland of support.

The total numbers of students from the Republic of Ireland and other EC countries respectively attending Northern Ireland universities, teacher training colleges and further education college in 1988–89 were 1,783 and 110.It is not possible to disaggregate the overall cost of support. However, the cost of remitting the tuition fees of eligible students from the Republic of Ireland and other EC countries in 1988–89 (1,256 total student numbers of which four are from EC countries other than the Republic of Ireland) was £702,650 (£700,550 Republic of Ireland and £2,100 other EC countries).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated total value of grants paid to students in Northern Ireland in the academic year 1989–90.

A total of £53,949,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total cost of grants paid to Northern Ireland students in each of the last three years.

The information is as follows:

Financial year	£000s
1986–87	41,720
1987–88	44,912
1988–89	48,606

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give an approximate date for the publication of the Belfast urban area plan.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) on 17 October 1989 at column 69.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many secondary schools in Northern Ireland fall into a particular group category for promotional allowance values and are paid (a) at the lower allowance and (b) at the higher allowance.

One secondary school has a promotion allowance value which is lower than that appropriate to its group and six secondary schools have promotion allowance values which are higher than that appropriate to their groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those schools in Northern Ireland which fall into group 12 category for promotional allowance values for secondary schools and are treated accordingly.

Following is the information:

Ballyclare High School

Ballymena Academy

Coleraine Academical Institution

Grosvenor High School, Belfast

Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast

Sullivan Upper School, Holywood

St. Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School, Belfast

St. Patrick's College, Maghera

Thornhill College, Londonderry

Wallace High School, Lisburn

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those schools in Northern Ireland which fall into category group 12 for promotional allowance values for secondary schools and are paid group 11 allowances.

One group 12 school—Portadown college—has had a promotion allowance value appropriate to a group 11 school determined for it by the Department of Education for the 1989–90 school year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the projects in Northern Ireland which have benefited from his Department's support for the arts in the last three years for which figures are available, and the sums granted in each case.

Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many general practitioners were registered at 31 December 1987 and 1988 to provide a National Health Service family planning service to their patients in Northern Ireland.

[holding answer 30 October 1989]: The total numbers providing such services were 876 and 904 respectively.

To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the date of the expiry of the current contract to supply the House with stationery; when he intends to invite tenders for any subsequent contract; and whether it will be open to any company located in the United Kingdom to tender for that contract.

The HMSO is responsible for supplies of stationery to the House of Commons (Estimate Class XIX Vote 6). A contract for the supply of die-stamped stationery was awarded in May 1989 following competitive tendering. This is due to run for three years.Invitations to tender for a replacement contract will be issued in late 1991, following advertising in the Official Journal of the European Communities, to all suppliers on HMSO's tender list, together with any acceptable firms who may respond to the notice in the Official Journal. Interested suppliers may request inclusion on HMSO's tender list at any time.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how much paper used by the House of Commons is (a) recycled and (b) virgin; and what are the comparative costs.

I refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's reply to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) of 4 April 1989, column 69.

To ask the Lord President of the Council what is the policy of the Refreshment Department on the use of chlorofluorocarbons containing packaging material, non-bio-degradable wrapping and recycled paper.

The Refreshment Department's policy with regard to the use of environmentally friendly products and recycled paper is in line with that of the House. The Department is not responsible for the manufacture of the wrapping and packaging materials it receives but does have plans to use biodegradable carrier bags when current stocks are exhausted.

To ask the Prime Minister if, during her recent meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister, she raised the subject of the appropriate steps to resolve the issue of whisky look-alike products.

During my visit to Japan I told the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Kaifu, of the concern in the United Kingdom about the sale of whisky look-alikes in Japan. Mr. Kaifu responded helpfully, saying that action would be taken to ensure that such products were clearly perceived as being different from genuine whisky. I understand that the Japanese authorities have given guidance to the trade to this effect. Our embassy in Tokyo continues to monitor the market situation closely.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her advisers, their terms and length of appointment and salaries.

My current advisers, who are not career civil servants, are:

G. D. Bourne

Sir Percy Cradock

A. Dunlop

Professor B. Griffiths

G. Guise

H. Harris-Hughes

Mrs. A. Ponsonby

I. K. Whitehead

The conditions of service are broadly the same as those for established civil servants. The appointments may be terminated at the end of the current Administration; following a general election; or if the Minister who appointed them moves on. It is not our practice to reveal the salaries of advisers as they are individually negotiated in relation to previous outside earnings and are therefore confidential.

To ask the Prime Minister what are her plans regarding appointing a successor to Professor Walters as her economic adviser; and if she will make a statement.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister how many advisers who were not career civil servants, indicating whether part time or full time, she had in 1979–80; and how many in each year since.

I have had the following number of advisers in the policy unit since 1979:

Year	Full-time	Part-time
1979	2	—
1980	2	—
1981	2	—
1982	4	—
1983	11	—
1984	11	—
1985	8	—
1986	7	—
1987	4	—
1988	6	—
1989	6	—

In addition Sir Percy Cradock has been my foreign affairs adviser since 1984. Professor Alan Walters was my economic adviser from 1981 until 1983 on a full-time basis and this year on a part-time basis. I have also had a personal assistant full-time from 1979 until 1986 and part-time since then.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list all her current advisers who are not career civil servants, giving their date of appointment and fees.

My current advisers in the policy unit are:

	Appointed
Professor B. Griffiths	1985
G. Guise	1986
G. D. Bourne	1988
A. Dunlop	1988
I. K. Whitehead	1988
H. Harris-Hughes	1989

In addition Sir Percy Cradock has been my foreign affairs adviser since 1984. Mrs. A. Ponsonby has been my personal assistant since February.It is not the Government's practice to reveal the salaries of advisers as they are individually negotiated in relation to previous outside earnings and are therefore confidential.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of the Prime Minister's advisers who were not career civil servants in 1979–80 and each succeeding year.

The total expenditure on the salaries of my advisers since 1981 is as follows (the figures for earlier years are no longer available).

Year	£
1981	35,762·50
1982	75,569·25
1983	1167,126·97
1984	145,022·52
1985	188,654·82
1986	210,746·87
1987	239,459·46
1988	215,379·85
21989	141,142·00

To ask the Prime Minister how many Ministers and Government officials, respectively, accompanied her at the Commonwealth conference in Malaysia.

I was accompanied at the Commonwealth conference in Malaysia by the Foreign Secretary and his party, three officials from my office and 24 support staff (including secretaries, a duty clerk and security personnel).

To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of her visit to Malaysia for the Commonwealth conference.

Information on the cost of this visit is not yet available.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total cost of the Prime Minister's Office in 1988–89; and what is the estimated cost for 1989.

The total cost of my Office in 1988–89 was £6,553,712 (1). The latest estimate of the total cost for 1989–90 is £7,003,500 (1).

Note: (1) Salaries and wages, notional pension liability, administration costs and the grant-in-aid to the Chequers trust are included. My salary as a Cabinet Minister is excluded, as are my pay and allowances as a member of this House.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total number of staff in the Prime Minister's Office in 1988–89; and what is the estimated total for 1989.

The total number of staff in 10 Downing street during 1988–89 was 67. At present the number of staff is 68.

To ask the Prime Minister whether any Conservative party official accompanied her on her recent trip to Japan.

Four Conservative officials accompanied me to Japan for the International Democratic Union conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much per copy it cost to produce the report of the British Council for the reporting years 1986–87, 1987–88 and 1988–89.

The British Council annual report and accounts for 1986–87 cost £1·96 per copy and the report had 64 pages. In 1987–88 the cost per copy was £2·23 and there were 36 pages. In 1988–89 the cost per copy was £3·41 and there were 72 pages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to send observers to the forthcoming elections in Chile.

We have no plans to send any official British Government observers to the forthcoming elections in Chile.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps were taken at the Antarctic meeting in Paris to protect the Antarctic environment; what was the outcome of debate on the Franco-Australian proposals; what steps were taken by the British delegation to protect the Antarctic environment; and whether he will make a statement.

In line with our view that all possible concrete and practical steps should be taken to protect the Antarctic environment, building on the measures already adopted under the Antarctic treaty, including the Antarctic minerals convention, the meeting adopted an unprecedented number and range of environmental recommendations. These dealt with waste disposal; the prevention and control of, and response to marine pollution; environmental monitoring; improved descriptions and management plans for specially protected areas (SPAs); the amendment of article VIII of the agreed measures for the conservation of Antarctic fauna and flora to provide for management plans for SPAs; new sites of special scientific interest, the establishment of specially reserved areas, the establishment of multiple-use planning areas. The concentration of the siting of stations, the use of Antarctic ice, the role of Antarctica in understanding and monitoring global change, including the ozone layer, the charting of Antarctic waters, and co-operation to improve scientific productivity in Antarctica. Of the 14 recommendations covered in this list, 12 resulted from the initiatives of, and close collaboration between, the United States and the United Kingdom delegations.The meeting also considered the Franco-Australian proposals, as well as other proposals submitted by the Chilean, New Zealand, Swedish, United Kingdom and United States delegations, relating to comprehensive measures for the protection of the Antarctic environment. While none of those proposals was endorsed by the meeting, it was agreed that meetings should be held next year:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions he will now take to comply with the Antarctic treaty convention in respect of (a) the removal of rubbish and sewage from British bases, (b) the preservation of fish stocks and (c) the proposed environmental convention due to be held in Santiago in 1990; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 31 October 1989]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson) today about the XVth Antarctic treaty consultative meeting held earlier this month in Paris, which covers part (c) of his question. In answer to parts (a) and (b):

(a) the British Antarctic survey is taking steps to ensure that it will be able to comply with the mandatory code for waste disposal in the Antarctic, adopted at Paris, when it enters into force; and

(b) the preservation of fish stocks is a matter for the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources meeting in Hobart from 6–17 November, and was not dealt with at Paris.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community Council of Ministers.

The Foreign Affairs Council meets on 6 November and again on 27–28 November. At the earlier meeting the Council will discuss progress in the Lomé renegotiation in the light of the outcome of the ACP/EC ministerial negotiating meeting in Luxembourg on 27–29 October. There will be a further ACP/EC ministerial negotiating meeting on the Lomé renegotiation towards the end of November in Brussels but dates have yet to be confirmed. A meeting of the EC/Egypt Co-operation Council will be held on 6 November in the margins of the FAC. Also on 6 November the FAC will consider proposals for further assistance to Poland and Hungary. The Council will discuss follow up to the Audio-Visual Conference which took place in Paris from 30 September to 2 October. The Council will consider the adoption of the Commission's proposals to renew generalised tariff preferences in 1990, to include Poland and Hungary in decisions for 1990 GSP schemes, subject to the Ministers' agreement to their inclusion in the GSP. The Council is also expected to discuss economic and monetary co-operation, and free movement of people. The FAC may also take stock of recent developments in its trade relations with third countries.A further meeting of the FAC will be held on 27–28 November, when it will discuss preparations for the Strasbourg European Council and the future of the Communities relations with eastern Europe; a meeting of the EC/Yugoslavia Co-operation Council will take place in the margins of FAC. The Council may also discuss the Commission's draft negotiation mandate for second stage EC/GCC agreement. The Council is expected to discuss preparation for the 19 December EC/EFTA ministerial meeting. The ministerial meeting will review progress in recent discussions between the Commission and EFTA on closer economic co-operation. The Council will discuss the present state of play and prospects for the current round of multilateral trade negotiations taking place in Geneva under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Japanese cars and EC/US relations may also be considered.The Telecommunications Council meets on 7 November when the Presidency is hoping to reach a common position on the ONP directive, the pan-European paging directive and recommendation and high definition television. Discussion is likely on liberalisation of telecom services, ONP directive and recommendation on pan-European radio paging, common action on HDTV in CCIR, external aspects of telecoms policy, use of ECU in European telecoms accounting, new R & D in broad band telecoms and postal Europe.The Consumers Council on 9 November is expected to consider some key questions arising from the draft directive. The Presidency will seek member states' views in an orientation debate on the future of this proposal. Proposals for future representation of consumers at Community level (an oral communication from the Commission) will be presented orally. This may take the form of an informal lunch meeting. A draft Council resolution outlining future priorities will be considered and the Commission may also give an oral presentation of its three year future programme. The European home and leisure accident surveillance system (EH LASS) is also likely to be discussed at the Consumer Council on 9 November.The Economic and Finance Council will meet on 13 November to discuss stage 1 of Economic and Monetary Union including the revised decisions on economic convergence and co-operation between the central banks of the member states. There will also be a discussion on the longer term, which will consider the report of the high level group and the Chancellor's paper on an alternative approach to that in the Delors report. The discussion of taxation of savings will focus on measures to combat tax evasion. ECOFIN is expected to discuss a further report on indirect taxation on rates and technical systems for both VAT and excise duties and on budgetary consequences. There will also be a discussion on, and the probable adoption of a draft directive co-ordinating regulations on insider dealing across the Community, thereby establishing standards and providing for collaboration in the exchange of relevant information.The Health Council is scheduled to meet on 13 November. The agenda will include the tobacco labelling directive, which requires member states to introduce legislation to ensure that standardised health warnings are printed on packets of tobacco products: the tobacco tar yields directive, which sets a maximum limit of 15 mg of tar per cigarette by 1992 and 12 mg tar/cigarette by 1995; tobacco advertising directive, which concerns advertising of tobacco products in the press and by means of bills and posters. The directive places restrictions on the content of advertisements, and requires them to include health warnings. Also to be considered are the 2nd action against cancer programme 1990 to 1994. This continues and expands work carried out under the first cancer programme with the aim of reducing projected cancer mortality by 15 per cent. by the year 2000 through prevention campaigns, information, training and research. A solemn declaration on AIDS policy and conclusions on measures for the prevention of addiction and the care of drug addicts are expected. The Health Council will discuss a Presidency note urging meetings on a regular basis to discuss the problem of the movement of health professionals around the Community in view of the overall surplus of trained doctors and the shortage of nurses, and oral conclusions urging acceleration of work on European self-sufficiency in blood and blood products. The mutual recognition of pharmaceutical products will be discussed, in particular a note from the Presidency and possibly written conclusions on the current situation and problems and conclusions asking the Commission to report on developments so far and to make recommendations for future action to encourage the use of the European emergency health card. The question of a standard European number for calling emergency services will also be discussed.The Industry Council meets on 14 November. The textiles sub-group will be looking at the effects of the Uruguay round, the setting up of a monitoring body or observatory to improve statistics on the sector and possibly an exercise to improve the transparency of state aids to this sector. The Council will discuss how the Community should respond to United States proposals to eliminate all state aid to shipbuilding by the end of 1991. Cars and HDTV are also likely to be discussed.The Budget Council will meet on 14 November to consider the second reading of the 1990 draft budget and the amending letters.The Agriculture Council will meet on 20 and 21 November to discuss the reform of the agricultural structures regulations and the cereals co-responsibility levy. It may also discuss milk quotas, veterinary checks, bovine somatotropin, and pigmeat.The Development Council will meet on 21 November. The Council will adopt conclusions arising from an evaluation of Community aid to Asia and Latin America, the period 1976 to 1988, and will consider annual guidelines for the Community's aid programme to Asia and Latin America for 1990. The Council is expected to adopt a resolution on priorities and the future direction of the Community's food aid programme, and will adopt conclusions based on a Commission paper on the implementation of the Community's aid control programme. The Council will adopt conclusions on desertification based on a Commission paper on action taken in this field since 1986, and will have a free-ranging discussion on other environmental issues, specifically the management and conservation of tropical forests. The council will also review progress on the current renegotiation of the Lomé convention.The Internal Market Council on 23 November will discuss a number of measures relevant to the completion of the single market.The Fisheries Council will meet on 27 November to discuss prices, inspection and surveillance, processing and marketing of fisheries products and possibly EC/ Greenland and EC/USSR relations and 1990 TACS and quotas.The Environment Council is scheduled to meet on 28 November. The Presidency is hoping for a political agreement on the terms of reference for a European environment agency to co-ordinate and analyse environmental information from existing national and regional networks for Commission and member states' use. There is likely to be a detailed discussion of the proposal concerning the protection of habitats and of wild fauna and flora and an attempt to resolve some of the outstanding difficulties. Early exchanges of views are expected on the proposal to protect waters from nitrate pollution and on the proposal to guarantee the public freedom of access to data on the environment.The Social Affairs Council is due to meet on 30 November, when Ministers will discuss health and safety directives on work place requirements, work equipment and personal protective equipment. In the field of vocational training the Council will also discuss Eurotech II, and the medium term guidelines for education and training the Community. The establishment of a employment observatory may also be discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many disabled people are currently in local authority, health authority, voluntary and private sector homes in Wales.

The number of disabled people in local authority, voluntary and private sector homes in Wales is shown in the table:

as at 32 March 1988
Category of resident1	Residents in local authority homes	Residents in private and voluntary homes	Total residents
Elderly	7,067	6,497	13,564
Younger
physically handicapped	99	198	297
Blind	—	101	101
Mentally ill	288	258	546
Mentally handicapped	676	699	1,375
Alcohol dependence	—	48	48
Total	8,130	7,801	15,931
1 These categories are as defined under Sections 21 and 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948 and under section 1 of the Registered Homes Act 1984.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will conduct a detailed HMI survey on further education provision to assess the demand for and availability of provision for students with learning difficulties.

Her Majesty's inspectors are currently undertaking a survey of the provision for students with special educational needs in the Welsh further education colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has received a copy of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation's report on common land; and if he will make a statement on his policy towards commons.

I have received a copy of the report "Wildlife importance of common land" prepared by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC) under contract to the Nature Conservancy Council. I understand that there is another report, "A Future for Wildlife on our Commons" published by the RSNC itself, which I have not been sent. The Government are considering our future policy on common land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report (a) the number of people in Wales who receive water from supplies granted relaxations to the aluminium standard under section 20(5)(b) of the Water Act 1989, (b) the location of each supply, by county and (c) the number of people served by each of those supplies.

Under section 20(5)(b) of the Water Act 1989, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has accepted undertakings from Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig relating to the aluminium parameter in respect of the water treatment works shown in the following table:

Location and water treatment works	Estimated population served
Clwyd
Bylchau	2,350
Cynwyd	3,230
Glascoed	30,270
Meifof	1,470
Trecastell	9,700
Alwen	108,750
Bretton	12,640
Cilcain	9,640
Dyfed
Bontgoch	22,050
Strata Florida	21,750
Bolton Hill	53,780
Hotwells	590
Preseli	41,450
Valley Court	10,870
Capel Dewi	21,150
Bryncoch	15,870
Dyfed and West Glamorgan
Bryngwyn	87,580
Felindre	311,500
Powys
Llanwrtyd Wells	1,470
Llandeilo Graban	5,880
Portis HL	3,820
Hereford and Worcester
Byton	2,645
Broomy Hill	99,330
Gwent
Cwmtillery	36,150
Nantybwych	10,580
Georgetown	10,000
Craig Dhu	7,940
Rhymney Bridge	18,220

Location and water treatment works	Estimated population served
Gwent and Mid Glamorgan
Pontsticill	164,300
South Glamorgan and Mid Glamorgan
Cantref	133,700
Llwynon	22,600
Mid Glamorgan
Hendre Bailey1	3,530
Penderyn BH	2,940
Maerdy HL and LL	37,030
Gwynedd
Abergynolwen	290
Total Population	1,325,065
1 Currently not in supply.

Note.—Population figures have been derived by Dwr Cymru Cyfyngedig from the average daily output of the works when in use, and therefore represent the potential number of customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the ports in Wales currently registered for the import of toxic waste and the amount of such waste imported through each of those ports for the last 10 available years; and if he will make a statement.

The available information on imports of special/hazardous waste through Welsh ports, based on returns made by waste disposal authorities, is shown in the table:

Tonnes
Port of entry	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89
Briton Ferry (Neath)	2,300	15,000·0	12,360
Fishguard	50	0	0
Holyhead	124	383·5	221
Newport	3,082	448·0	0

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the information technology requirements under the proposals of the National Health Service White Paper for (a) acute hospitals, (b) general practitioner practices that opt. to control their own budgets and (c) general practitioner indicative prescribing budgets; and for each, what assessment he has made of (i) capital equipments costs and (ii) manpower costs.

The Information and IT implications of the White Paper for all levels of the NHS have been subject to a detailed and widespread consultation and review. The results will be published shortly in the form of a Strategy of Wales which will include recommended core strategic systems for each tier. The implementation costs are currently under examination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive a case from the Clwyd health authority containing a justification for a renal unit in Wrexham.

I understand that the authority will be presenting its case in response to consultation which is presently taking place on the report of the evaluation of renal services in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when, as a result of a request from the Clwyd health authority, he decided to decline funding to the authority for a renal unit in Wrexham; and when, subsequently, he invited the authority to present to him a case containing a clear justification.

Funding by the Welsh Office was considered inappropriate and the authority was invited to present a detailed case for the regional designation of the unit on 24 January 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to make any changes to the cash limits for class XVII and to his Department's provision for running costs in the current financial year.

Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the following changes will be made.The cash limit on class XVII vote 2 is to be reduced by £1,499,000 from £90,947,000 to £89,448,000 reflecting (i) a decrease of £1,500,000 in the public dividend capital provision for the Welsh Development Agency and (ii) a token £1,000 Supplementary to open a new subhead to make a special contribution to the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society. The reduction in the provision for public dividend capital will enable a corresponding increase to be made in the agency's non-voted borrowing facility with the National Loans Fund and assist in meeting the higher demand for capital investment loans from small businesses in Wales.The cash limit for class XVII, vote 5 is to be increased by £2,260,000 from £266,711,000 to £268,971,000. The increase covers the transfer of responsibility for payment of grants in respect of hostel deficits from the Secretary of State for Social Security (£20,000), an increase to the grant-in-aid for the Wales Tourist Board to be met from existing but unallocated public expenditure provision (£100,000) and an increase for the carry forward of 1988–89 capital underspends under the end year flexibility scheme (£2,140,000).The cash limit for class XVII, vote 8 is to be increased by £5,000,000 from £830,510,000 to £835,510,000. The additional provision is required to help meet the cost of implementing the National Health Service Review proposals contained in the White Paper "Working for Patients".The cash limit for class XVII, vote 9 is to be increased by £1,786,000 from £46,271,000 to £48,057,000. This increase covers the take up of 1988–89 capital and running costs underspends under the end year flexibility scheme (£317,000 and £205,000 respectively) and makes provision for the running cost implications of the National Health Service review (£1,000,000), for the statutory audit of National Health Service activities in Wales (£200,000) and for the administrative cost of introducing two new grant regimes (£64,000). The Department's running costs limit is to be increased by £1,469,000 from £44,688,000 to £46,157,000.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the factors he took into account when announcing on 27 July Official Report, column 950, his decision to maintain the rates of payment for set-aside unchanged.

I see no reason to alter rates of payment which have attracted a good level of uptake in two successive years.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what action he has taken concerning imports of contaminated eggs from other European Community countries; and what evidence he has that other national governments are taking any steps to prevent such exports or to apply standards similar to those which have been imposed in the United Kingdom;(2) what proportion of eggs imported into the United Kingdom are tested for salmonella and other forms of contamination; how many incidents of such contamination have been verified during the last 12 months; and how many consignments found to contain such contaminated eggs have been disposed of.

Arrangements have been made for port health authorities and the public health laboratory service to monitor imported eggs for salmonella. This is done by taking a sample of 60 eggs from each consignment, for testing. Since April when these arrangements commenced, six isolations of invasive salmonella have been made from imported eggs. We have, as a matter of the utmost seriousness, taken these up straightaway with the member states concerned.The aim of the monitoring is to determine the risk of infection that imports pose over a period of time. No consignments of imported eggs have been destroyed.No other member state is taking such comprehensive action as we are to deal with salmonella contamination in eggs although I am aware that the Dutch Government have introduced measures in respect of the presence of Salmonella enteritidis in breeding flocks. For the future, effective safeguards depend on taking action on an EC-wide basis and we are pressing for the introduction of effective EC measures on specified zoonoses as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information his Department has on the length of time taken to respond to letters from hon. Members.

I refer my hon. Friend to my written answer to him of 31 October 1989.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions are taking place between his Department and the European Commission about proposals to restrict the current European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund contributions to hill livestock compensatory allowances; what response has been made by Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cornwall South-East (Mr. Hicks) on 30 October 1989.