To ask the Attorney-General whether his guidelines as to the disclosure of unused material or potential witnesses apply in summary cases and those indictable offences that are to be tried summarily.

No; the guidelines apply only to cases to be tried on indictment.However, in any case, whether tried on indictment or summarily, if the prosecution have taken a statement from a person whom they know can give material evidence but decide not to call him as a witness, they are under a duty to make that person available to the defence and should supply the defence with the witness's name and address.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics regarding the persecution and abuses of human rights suffered by members of the Ukrainian Christian Democratic Front; and if he will make a statement.

We continue to take every opportunity to underline to the Soviet authorities the need to implement early and effective legislative reform which will guarantee the rights of all Soviet citizens. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will stress this point when he meets Mr. Shevardnadze in London on 19 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the British Broadcasting Corporation world service to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

We understand that, under procedures agreed by the Services Committee, arrangements have been made with the authorities of the House for this exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall for a week from 2 April 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions were taken by Her Majesty's Embassy in San Salvador to alleviate suffering during the recent heavy fighting.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: Our chargé has emphasised to the Salvadorean authorities the importance of proper respect for human rights in all circumstances and the need to facilitate relief work. He is making every effort to ensure that British relief workers can pursue their work in safety. On 20 November we gave £100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross for emergency relief work in E1 Salvador.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the European Commissioners for Energy and Competition; and what matters were discussed.

I and my colleagues have contact with these and other Commissioners from time to time and discuss a range of issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the accountancy firms advising the Government on the sale of British Coal have at any time since June 1979 been (a) criticised by Department of Trade and Industry inspectors or (b) criticised by any disciplinary committee of the accountancy profession for lacking in professional conduct, efficiency or competence.

No accountancy firms have so far been appointed to advise the Government on the sale of British Coal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many departmental press releases have been issued in the past year; how many have dealt with (a) nuclear energy, (b) coal, (c) oil, (d) gas and (e) renewable energy technologies; and which academic institutions routinely receive these press releases.

From 1 December 1988 to 12 December 1989 my Department issued 218 press releases, of which nine dealt with nuclear energy; nine with coal; 79 with oil; 13 with gas; and 12 with renewables.The following academic institutions routinely receive press releases:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will arrange a meeting with the new National Energy Foundation, based in Milton Keynes; and if he has made any assessment of the benefits to his energy conservation policy that may arise from the work on energy audits in housing being developed by the National Energy Foundation.

I shall be meeting trustees and the director of the National Energy Foundation on 20 December. I look forward to discussing at that meeting their progress on developing a scheme for the energy labelling of houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress has been made in implementing the European Commission directive on the introduction of energy surveys on the United Kingdom housing stock.

The Government do not consider that the draft directive proposed in 1987 is appropriate. The Energy Efficiency Office supports the development of voluntary energy labels for housing and I consider this to be the best way forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many projects of the building research energy conservation support unit are (a) completed and (b) under way.

The building research energy conservation support unit manages projects for the Energy Efficiency Office under the energy efficiency demonstration and R and D schemes started in 1979, and the best practice programme which replaced them in 1989. On 15 December 1989 the figures were:

	Number
(a) Projects completed	82
(b) Projects under way	60

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the Central Electricity Generating Board has yet submitted for his approval under section 63 of the Electricity Act a transfer scheme for the allocation of assets to the nuclear companies; whether the term nuclear companies includes for this purpose, the new publicly owned Nuclear company; and whether the Central Electricity Generating Board has discretion as to whether to transfer unused sites to the nuclear company or to another successor company.

The CEGB is required, under section 66 of the Electricity Act 1989, to make a scheme for the division of all its property, rights and liabilities to its successor companies. The new publicly owned nuclear company will be regarded as a successor company. The scheme, presently being prepared by the CEGB, will include unused sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give a breakdown between oil and gas exports both (a) in terms and (b) in value at constant prices on the same basis as that provided in his answer of 9 November, Official Report, columns 767–68; and if he will provide equivalent figures for 1989 up to the most recent date for which figures are available.

The breakdown between oil and gas exports on the basis requested is:—

Exports (f.o.b.)
	Quantity (thousand tonnes)		Value (£ million at 1985 prices1
	Oil	Gas (coal equivalent)	Oil	Gas
1988	89·037	82	15·018	8
1989 (10 months to October)	53·809	7	9·304	2
Source: Customs and Excise. Overseas Trade Statistics (including subsequent revisions to oil exports figures).
1 Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by applying the unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant volumes in 1988 and 1989. The figures for gas are estimated.

The standard international trade classification in use for years up to and including 1987 does not enable the breakdown between exports of petroleum gases and natural gas, and therefore between oil and gas, to be made for those years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will list the countries from which Britain imported natural gas in 1988 together with the tonnages for each such country;(2) what was the tonnage of natural gas brought ashore from the United Kingdom continental shelf in 1988; and how much came from

The main countries from which Britain imported natural gas in 1988 were Norway (15·4 million tonnes of coal equivalent) and Algeria (0·1 million tonnes of coal equivalent).The tonnage of natural gas brought ashore from the United Kingdom continental shelf in 1988 was 45·9 million tonnes of coal equivalent from gas fields and 14·2 million tonnes of coal equivalent from oil fields.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his Department's estimate of the likely exports and imports of natural gas in each year till 1995.

The United Kingdom imports approximately 20 per cent. of its gas from Norway and small amounts of liquefied gas from Algeria and elsewhere. This proportion is expected to decline over the next three or four years as imports are replaced by indigenous supplies. Gas exports are at present small and their future size will depend on market opportunity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will provide equivalent figures about fuel exports and imports to those given in the tables in his answer of 9 November, Official Report, columns 767–68, for 1989 up to the most recent date for which figures are available.

The equivalent information for fuel exports and imports for the 10 months to October 1989 following my previous answer on 9 November is as follows:

Table 1
Thousand tonnes
	Exports (fob)		Imports (cif)
1989	Coal	Oil	Coal	Gas (coal equivalent)	Oil
January to October	1,672	53,8131	9,594	12,410	48,969

Table 2
£ million at 1985 prices2
	Exports (fob)		Imports (cif)
1989	Coal	Oil	Coal	Gas	Oil
January to October	64	9,3061	510	933	7,851
1 Contains a small amount of natural gas exports.
2 Figures at 1985 constant prices have been derived by applying the unit value for exports in 1985 to the relevant volumes in 1988 and 1989. The figures for gas are estimated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to amend the Nurseries and Childminders Regulation Act 1948 as amended by section 60 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1960 to incorporate stricter criteria regarding the standards, training and qualifications of registered child carers.

The Nurseries and Childminders Regulation Act 1948, as amended by section 60 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968, does not extend to Northern Ireland. However, similar provisions are contained in the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968. The Great Britain legislation has recently been modified and updated in the Children Act 1989. Consideration is being given to the relevance for Northern Ireland of various provisions in the Children Act 1989, including those relating to the registration of childminders, and revised provisions will be included in a proposal for a draft Order in Council which will replace the Children and Young Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1968.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to encourage both private and public sector employers to provide more good quality day care facilities for children under five years old.

The ministerial group on women's issues, on which my noble Friend represents Northern Ireland interests, has been looking at child care needs and how best to ensure a growth in the provision of high quality day care facilities so that parents are enabled to balance their family responsibilities with employment opportunities. Consideration is given to the relevance to Northern Ireland of any initiatives endorsed by the group —for example, further encouragement to employers to use the tax reliefs available to provide child care facilities.The Government encourage the growth of child care provision in Northern Ireland by funding women to set up childminding businesses under the enterprise allowance scheme and, under the job training programme, assist females to retrain for work by providing a weekly allowance of up to £50 to meet child care costs. They would also welcome any proposal to extend certain private sector initiatives such as the child care voucher schemes to Northern Ireland.In the public sector, day care facilities for staff already exist in some health and social services and educational facilities. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is considering with the trade unions whether day care facilities for under-fives can be provided for its staff.Consideration is being given to the need to improve the registration and enforcement arrangements for child-minders, playgroups and day nurseries in Northern Ireland legislation, in the light of new provisions introduced for England and Wales in the Children Act 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the planning procedures which have been followed in respect of the planning application for a fire brigade training school or depot at Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.

On receipt of the planning application on 25 May 1988, it was advertised and neighbour notification letters were issued. The usual consultations, including several with Newtownabbey borough council, were carried out before the issue of refusal of planning permission on 6 April 1989. An appeal was lodged against the Department of the Environment's refusal. The appeal hearing was held on 19 October 1989, and a final decision is awaited from the independent planning appeals commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of deaths where hypothermia was mentioned as a cause; and what is his estimate of the total number of deaths where hypothermia was the underlying cause of death in Northern Ireland in each year from 1978 to 1988.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: The information is as follows:

	Any mention	Underlying cause
1978	15	5
1979	113	13
1980	118	18
1981	110	10
1982	117	17
1983	110	10
1984	111	11
1985	28	16
1986	32	14
1987	21	7
1988	18	7
1 Prior to 1985 hypothermia was not coded as an associated cause of death.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans for the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute to become an executive agency under the Next Steps programme.

I have decided that it would be right for the Overseas Development Natural Resources Institute to become an executive agency. I believe that the freedoms and disciplines which agency status will bring will further enhance the institute's contribution to the British aid programme and development of the poorer countries, and will reinforce its position as an international centre of scientific excellence. We are planning for ODNRI to become an agency on 1 April 1990. Mr. Anthony Beattie, the present director of the institute, will be appointed as the agency's first chief executive.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any plans to meet the president of the Methodist Conference.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on her recent meeting with NATO Heads of Government.

The NATO Heads of Government meeting on 4 December, at which President Bush gave an account of his talks with President Gorbachev, was a very successful meeting. We reaffirmed the importance of NATO for our security, for arms control, and for stability in Europe, and welcomed President Bush's statement that United States forces and nuclear weapons will remain in Europe as long as the Allies want or need them. At the same time, there was universal support for the momentous changes taking place in eastern Europe.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on the ambulance staff dispute.

NHS management has made a final offer to the ambulance unions. Nobody will receive a basic pay increase of less than 9 per cent., and some will get over 16 per cent. As a result qualified ambulance men and women are already eligible for back pay ranging from over £600 to £850. Leading ambulance men and women in London trained in paramedical skills are eligible for back pay of up to £1,290. For the first time, staff with extended training and using paramedical skills will receive extra pay of £500 a year. There will also be a review of the 1986 salaries structure which could mean additional payments.The demands of the trade union side of the Ambulance Council are unreasonable and I am very disappointed that it continues to take action against patients and has rejected the NHS chief executive's very reasonable suggestion of a truce over Christmas and the new year. Over 96 per cent. of NHS staff have settled their pay without recourse to industrial action. The unions should accept the very fair offer on pay and resume normal working.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make a further statement on European economic and monetary union in the light of the Strasbourg summit.

I refer my hon. Friend to the statement that I made in this House on 12 December at column 857–59.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will visit the Crisis at Christmas centre in London during Christmas.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the recent decision of the Agricultural Council to disregard the stabiliser regime for cereals; and if she will make a statement.

I do not accept that the stabiliser regime for cereals is being disregarded. Recent decisions by the Agriculture Council will in fact tighten up its operation and should therefore secure further savings.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has any plans to make an official visit to Church Lawford.

I have at present no plans to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her reply to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North of Wednesday 13 December, which Minister would be responsible for putting proposals on a constitutional separation of powers to Parliament in respect of (a) a democratically elected second Chamber, (b) an Executive elected separately from Parliament, (c) a written constitution and (d) judicial review of the constitution.

The Government have no such proposals.

To ask the Prime Minister if she has written to Mr. V. P. Singh, the new Indian leader; and if she will make a statement on relations between the new Indian Government and the United Kingdom.

Yes. In my message to the new Indian Prime Minister I said that our two countries had an excellent relationship.We look forward to working closely with the new Indian Government to strengthen our close links.

To ask the Prime Minister why she has refused to discuss the Government's National Health Service plans with the medical royal colleges, the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing, the joint consultants committee and the Royal College of Midwives; and if she will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health has said on many occasions that he welcomes constructive views on how to implement our proposals for the Health Service. He remains willing to engage in constructive dialogue with the leaders of the health professional bodies. That is why he, his fellow Ministers and senior officials in the Department of Health have met the leaders of the medical profession to talk about the proposed reforms on over 100 occasions since the White Paper was published. We are convinced—as are many people working in the NHS—that change is essential if the service is to prosper. I see little purpose in having a separate meeting.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will make a statement on the chairmanship of the review body on doctors' and dentists' remuneration.

Sir Graham Wilkins' period as chairman comes to an end at the end of the current review. I have appointed Sir Trevor Holdsworth to succeed him. The Government are very grateful to Sir Graham for his long and valuable work, first as a member of the review body since 1979 and latterly as chairman.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 December.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 December.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with Mr. Shevardnadze, the Soviet Foreign Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implementation of cleaning contracts in schools.

Under the Local Government Act 1988, local education authorities are required to invite competitive tenders for school cleaning when they wish to carry out this work using their own employees. The successful tenderer is required to perform the contract to the specification set by the authority and for the price quoted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what percentage of total water shares has gone to (a) small investors, (b) United Kingdom institutions, (c) foreign investors and (d) others;(2) what provision was considered to ensure that small shareholders were allocated more than half the total water shares available.

Under the offer arrangements for the water offers, 26·55 per cent. of the available shares were initially allocated to the United Kingdom retail public offers (including shares reserved for employees and bonus shares), 54·95 per cent. of the available shares were allocated to the institutions; and 18·5 per cent. were allocated to overseas offers in Japan, continental Europe, Canada and the USA.In view of the heavy demand in the retail public offers, various clawback arrangements were triggered to increase the size of the retail public offers. As a result the final allocations were 46·875 per cent. to the retail public offers; 39·25 per cent. to the institutions and 13·875 per cent. to the overseas offers.The retail public offers were significantly oversubscribed in each of the 10 offers and applications had to be scaled down. In deciding a basis for scaling down, preference was given first to employees, pensioners and customers of each company, with 2·4 per cent. of the retail public offers being allocated to employees and pensioners and 57·5 per cent. to customers. Preference was also given to small applications over large. For example, applicants in the retail offers at the minimum application band all received a 100 per cent. allocation. Applicants applying for 10,000 or more shares, in contrast, received from 6·4 per cent. to 40 per cent. of the shares they applied for and, in the case of one company, no allocation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on toxic algal blooms; and what steps he is taking to reduce this problem.

Algal blooms are a common occurrence in many waters during the summer although sampling results this year showed that toxic forms of algal blooms were present in a number of reservoirs, lakes and similar waters in England and Wales. The NRA, which is now responsible for monitoring such waters, informed site owners and appropriate environmental health officers. The problems have subsided with the onset of colder weather. The NRA is conducting investigations into the cause of the problems this year, and will be considering the need for measures to reduce the risk of their recurrence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that the proposed European Commission habitats directive will be effectively applied in England, Scotland and Wales following the proposed fragmentation of the Nature Conservancy Council.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the statement made in this House by the Secretary of State for the Environment on 23 November—Official Report columns 17–18—which set out the arrangements that will apply after the reorganisation of the NCC for a statutory joint committee dealing inter alia with issues that have an international dimension. I am confident that any future European Commission directive on habitats—if agreed by the Council of Ministers—could be applied effectively within this framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 7 December, Official Report, column 323, why there has been no lighting on the stairs leading from the Committee Corridor for the last 14 days.

From the limited description it is not possible to identify which of the five stairs to the Committee Corridor the hon. Member has in mind. A check on 13 December identified only two bulbs, each on separate stairs, which needed replacing, plus three emergency lights. But I hope the hon. Member understands that it is not necessary to use the formalities of a parliamentary question in order to have a light bulb replaced.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has on the future policy on effective control of hazardous toxic and dangerous wastes and their disposal; what provisions are currently in force; what are the penalties for illegal dumping of such wastes; and if he will make a statement.

The Environmental Protection Bill contains measures to reform the whole of waste management legislation. The new duty of care on waste producers and the stronger powers for licensing authorities will apply to all wastes but will be especially relevant to those wastes which are dangerous or difficult to dispose of—known as special waste. Current provisions for licensing of disposal facilities will be greatly enhanced. The maximum penalty available on indictment for illegal deposit of special waste is five years imprisonment and an unlimited fine. The Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980 SI 1709, which control the movement of special waste from producer to disposer are under review and a consultation paper will be issued shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those local authorities which have entered into swap and swap option contracts; and if he will provide an estimate of the notional value of each local authority's involvement at the end of the financial year 1988–89.

The information requested is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve staffing and resources of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 December by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for which matters concerning the policy and operations of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution he is responsible to Parliament.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is part of the Department of the Environment and reports jointly to the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many posts remain vacant in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; what are the reasons for the shortfall; what steps he is taking to fill the vacancies; and how many and which of the vacancies are in the senior management level of the inspectorate.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution staff complement was increased from 219 to 240 from 2 October 1989. Vacant posts at 1 November 1989 numbered 41, most of which were professional posts. It is difficult to establish precisely the reasons for the shortfall. It reflects, inter alia, the limited pool of necessary specialist skills and experience available, and market rates of pay. To fill the vacant posts Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is undertaking a recruitment campaign offering exceptional salary increases of 28·5 per cent. over those offered in the last recruitment round. There is one vacancy currently at senior management level in the inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken to ensure that Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has sufficient personnel fully to implement its responsibilities for the radiation monitoring network.

As a result of an open competition the Department hopes to fill the final remaining post on the radiation monitoring network team.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those local authorities which in 1987–88 were responsible for more than £35 million of expenditure.

The information is as follows. Total expenditure is defined as rate fund revenue account expenditure on services plus debt charges and net contributions to other accounts (such as the housing revenue account), less interest receipts and specific and supplementary grants.

Local Authorities whose total expenditure in 1987–88 exceeded £35 million
	£ million
Avon	392·6
Bedfordshire	234·0
Berkshire	283·4

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the most specific detail available those people who are mentally or physically disabled who will be exempt from the community charge; and if he will make a statement.

Any physically disabled person who has his sole or main residence in an NHS hospital or a residential care home, a nursing home, a mental nursing home, a private hospital or a hostel and is receiving treatment there, will be exempt from the personal charge. So far as mental disability is concerned, any person who is in receipt of an invalidity pension, severe disablement allowance, unemployability supplement, an unemployability allowance, an attendance allowance or a constant attendance allowance, and who has a certificate from a registered medical practitioner stating that his or her intelligence and social functioning is severely impaired will be exempt from the personal community charge. It is not possible to be specific about the particular disorders which may lead to such conditions being fulfilled.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make regulations on the final form of the community charge bill.

The Department has sent out today a letter to all charging authorities which encloses draft regulations which would provide for the final form of the bill and the explanatory notes which will accompany the bill. The purpose of sending this material out now is to enable authorities to arrange for the printing of these documents forthwith, if they wish. A copy of the letter and enclosures have been placed in the Library. I expect to lay the regulations in January.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he intends to give to those people, nominated as responsible individuals, who are in receipt of community charge changes of circumstances forms; and if he will make a statement.

Changes of circumstances forms are a convenient way of helping people to comply with their statutory duty to inform the community charges registration officer of any change in circumstances which affects their register entry. The responsibility for ensuring that they comply with the appropriate regulations lies with registration officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to monitor the issuing of changes of circumstances forms by community charge registration officers; and if he will make a statement.

Every individual has a duty to inform the community charges registration officer of any change of circumstances which affects his or her register entry. There is, however, no duty to volunteer such information about any other person. A responsible individual has a duty to provide information about people other than him or herself only in response to a specific request from the registration officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the percentage of income represented by rate support grant for (a) the City of Durham and (b) Basildon for (i) 1978–79 and (ii) 1988–89.

The percentages for each authority are not comparable between years because of changes to the rate support grant system in 1981–82. Nevertheless, the information is as as follows:

Rate support grant as percentage of rate fund revenue account income
	Per cent. 1978–79	Per cent. 1988–89
City of Durham	64	29
Basildon	52	16

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the division of responsibility for controlling water pollution between Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the National Rivers Authority.

Currently the National Rivers Authority has responsibility for controlling water pollution under powers in the Water Act 1989, although additional controls are exercised by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, advised by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, to limit inputs of certain dangerous substances to sewers.Under our proposals for integrated pollution control wastes released to all environmental media from certain industrial processes would be controlled by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. The National Rivers Authority would, however, have powers to ensure that these controls were exercised so as to protect the aquatic environment. The authority would continue to have primary responsibility for discharges to water from all other sources.These arrangements were announced by my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley) on 28 February following extensive consultation. They will be introduced through the Environmental Protection Bill which we shall shortly be introducing. They will entail close co-operation between the two regulatory bodies, and a memorandum of understanding will be drawn up to cover the detailed interface of their respective responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has received any representations from the National Association of Waste Disposal Contractors on environmental pollution matters; and if he will make a statement;(2) when he last met the waste disposal organisation NAWDC; and what was discussed.

We have regular contact with NAWDC at all levels on environmental matters concerning waste management. My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside last met it on 25 September to discuss, in particular, legislative proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department has made to the world conservation monitoring centre at Cambridge.

The world conservation monitoring centre is funded jointly by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the World Wide Fund for Nature, and the United Nations Environment Programme from their respective subscription incomes, including those from the United Kingdom Government and private sources. The centre also earns income from providing services to customers in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. My Department does not at present directly fund any work at the centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment upon what dates since April 1988 inspectors from the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission visited Stocken hall, Rutland, to inspect the condition of the buildings; what similar visits have been paid by officials of his Department since January; and what action has subsequently been taken.

An inspector from the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission last visited Stocken hall in April 1988. Officials from my Department carried out a brief external inspection in April 1989. On learning in October that a proposed sale of the hall had fallen through, my Department asked the commission to inquire into its condition.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment upon what date the planning appeal by Endersby Developments Ltd. regarding Stocken hall, Rutland, was withdrawn; and whether his Department has received details of any subsequent planning applications relating to this building.

The appeal was withdrawn on 21 August 1989. There have been no subsequent planning applications and we understand that sale to a new purchaser is imminent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken since 12 April to bring about the immediate protection of Stocken hall, Rutland; whether he has yet authorised the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission to serve a notice under section 101 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971; and whether he will make a statement.

The owners have done some urgent repairs to weatherproof the hall. My Department has therefore not yet authorised the commission to serve a notice under section 101, but has asked it to monitor the situation closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give for each year since 1978 the total spending on the homes insulation scheme.

Information on the total spending on the homes insulation scheme in 1986, 1987, 1988 and the first half of 1989 appears in table 2.21 of "Housing and Construction Statistics part 2", No. 38. Figures for earlier years appear in table 7.7 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988". Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether inclusion of the homes insulation scheme within the home improvement grant scheme will make it more or less difficult to retain the same priority for loft insulation work.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: The new system of renovation grants to be introduced under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 will enable local authorities to assist householders to carry out a wide range of measures to improve the energy efficiency of their properties. It will be a matter for individual authorities to decide on the particular priority for loft insulation work within these measures. Additionally, the Secretary of State for Energy proposes to introduce a scheme of grants for basic insulation measures through community insulation services for low-income householders in the forthcoming Social Security Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the details of the means-testing for the new improvement grants payable from 1 April 1990.

Details of the test of resources will be included in regulations which are currently being prepared and will be laid before the House in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why he decided not to exercise his powers with regard to the demolition order on the grade II listed building the Theatre Royal, Chatham, for which a privately developed complex of uses is being planned locally.

An application for listed building consent to demolish the Theatre Royal, Chatham was referred to my right hon. Friend by Rochester upon Medway city council to give him the opportunity of calling in the application for his own decision. Having obtained expert advice from the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England (English Heritage) my right hon. Friend decided that, in view of the poor condition of the building and the fact that the site was included in proposed shopping redevelopment for the improvement of Chatham town centre, he would not be justified in taking the matter out of the hands of the local planning authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he still proposes to take legislative action to amend the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to enable the correction of errors on definitive maps.

The judgment in the Court of Appeal on 23 November in the case of R v Secretary of State for the Environment ex parte Simms and Burrows, has confirmed that the Act already includes the power to make orders to correct errors or mistakes, as Parliament intended. There is therefore no need for amending legislation; we will be issuing further advice to surveying authorities as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the contribution made by the federal and state governments in Germany to the building of new publicly owned housing in the latest year for which figures are available; and what is the net contribution made by central Government in the United Kingdom.

[holding answer 30 November 1989]: A full comparison on an objective basis between the United Kingdom and Germany is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how his Department monitors the operation of rules laid down in respect of the assigning of contracts, the sale of assets, or the partnership arrangements for implementing development plans, by urban development corporations; if he has any plans to improve these arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 12 December 1989]: Urban development corporations are subject to annual audit by external auditors appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Auditors are required, inter alia, to report on whether corporations have complied with normal public sector procedures for letting contracts, disposing of assets and partnership arrangements. The Department liaises closely with UDCs on their progress; this includes appropriate guidance, monitoring, and approval of projects under financial delegation arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to ensure that drinking water meets the standards laid down in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989.

[holding answer 14 December 1989]: In addition to the continuing role of local authorities in checking the quality of water supplies in their areas, the new drinking water inspectorate, shortly to be established by my right hon. Friend, will seek to ensure that drinking water standards are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will issue guidance that the practice of back-washing blue-green algae, filtered from reservoirs, into streams, be discontinued and safer methods of disposal be introduced;(2) if he will list the reports he has received of poisoning of people, domestic and farm animals that have been linked with the contamination of reservoirs and streams with toxins produced by blue-green algae;(3) what changes he proposes in farming practices to reduce the growth of blue-green algae in lakes and reservoirs;(4) what proposals he has to discourage the formation and to reduce the growth of blue-green algae in lakes and reservoirs.

[holding answer 15 December 1989]: These are primarily matters for the NRA which is responsible for monitoring the quality of inland waters in England and Wales. Sampling of waters this year established that toxic forms of blue green algae were present in a number of reservoirs, lakes and similar waters. With the onset of colder weather, the problems have subsided. The NRA is conducting investigations into the cause of this year's problems with a view to establishing the need for possible preventive measures to be taken in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain a copy of the Friends of the Earth publication, "Getting Out of the Greenhouse," for his departmental library.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: Friends of the Earth have already been kind enough to send a copy of this publication to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) families and (b) individuals he estimates will spend the 1989 Christmas holiday period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales other than as tourists.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: The latest estimate of households accepted as homeless under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act and living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England is 11,880 at end September 1989. No estimate is available either of the number of individuals this represents or the number in bed-and-breakfast accommodation at later dates.For Welsh figures I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many (a) families and (b) people he estimates spent the Christmas holiday in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1988, inclusive, other than as tourists.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: Estimates for England of the number of households accepted as homeless under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the 1985 Housing Act and living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation at 31 December in each of the years 1983 to 1988 inclusive are as follows:

Year	Number of households
1983	2,700
1984	3,670
1985	5,360
1986	8,990
1987	10,370
1988	10,970

No estimates are made of the number of people this represented.For Welsh figures I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many children he estimates spent the Christmas holiday period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales other than as tourists during each of the years 1983 to 1988.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: The number of children among the homeless households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England are not reported by local authorities and my Department has no estimates.For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for each year since 1978 (a) the spending by local authorities under the energy conservation programme and (b) the number of dwellings thereby receiving energy efficiency improvements.

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: Information on activity under the energy conservation programme in 1986, 1987, 1988 and the first quarter of 1989 appears in table 2.21 of "Housing and Construction Statistics", No. 38. Figures for earlier years appear in table 7.7 of "Housing and Construction Statistics 1978–1988". Copies of these publications are available in the Library.The table relates to activity where the only work carried out to the dwelling is under the energy conservation programme. Local authority dwellings may also be insulated when other general renovation work is carried out, but these cases cannot be separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the chair of Ferranti; and what subjects were discussed.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 November 1989 at column 237.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the European fighter aircraft project development.

The main development contracts for the European fighter aircraft were signed in November 1988. Since then work on the first prototype has progressed satisfactorily; and the first full-scale development engine is expected to be run next year. The selection of equipment for EFA is also proceeding; and to date only the choice of radar has presented significant difficulties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence upon what subjects he has recently received representations from British Aerospace.

My right hon. Friend and I, and Ministry of Defence officials, maintain contact with the senior management of all major defence contractors, including British Aerospace. The details of our discussions are always confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the present status of the EH101 helicopter programme; and who is now personally supervising the contract.

The RN anti-submarine warfare variant of the EH101 helicopter is in the sixth year of full development, whilst the RAF utility variant is in the project definition phase. Following normal practice the programmes are managed by a project director with the Ministry's Procurement Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he expects to take delivery of the TOGS system; and what is the present delay time of the contract with United Scientific;(2) whether he intends to involve any penalty clauses on the TOGS system contract with United Scientific.

Deliveries of these equipments are continuing behind schedule and we are seeking redress under the terms of the contract with Avimo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to proceed with the purchase of a new main battle tank in the time scale originally envisaged and in the same number.

As I told the hon. Member for Tyne Bridge (Mr. Clelland) on 14 December, Official Report, columns 822–23, it is our intention to reach a decision on a tank to replace Chieftain by the end of 1990. The precise number of tanks to be ordered has yet to be be decided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what criteria the selection of a Chieftain replacement will be made; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the former Secretary of State, on 20 December 1988, Official Reportcolumns 259–60.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the extent of land held in Scotland by his Department in (a) September 1988 and (b) September 1989; and if he will break this down by region and island authorities.

Landholdings statistics relate to 1 April each year. The table shows the position at 1 April 1988 and 1 April 1989, indicating land and foreshore holdings:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has received representations from Clydesdale district council complaining about the transport of nuclear weapons through the Clydesdale constituency; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of one letter from Clydesdale district council which was concerned in part, though not exclusively, with nuclear weapon movements, and was sent to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in May this year. A copy was passed to the Ministry of Defence and a reply was sent at official level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's relationship with and contribution to the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers.

The Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) is the NATO reserve forces organisation which represents the reserve officers of member states.The Ministry of Defence provides some financial assistance towards office expenses, administration and subscription fees for United Kingdom participation in CIOR through the Reserve Forces Association, which has filled the role of the official United Kingdom representative since 1972.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent consideration has been given by his Department to the introduction of short-term military service for young people.

There are no plans to introduce any further short-term forms of military service.