To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of his decision to curtail public subsidy to Network SouthEast services on the quality of service offered to passengers.

The latest objectives for British Rail are based on the board's forecasts in the 1989 corporate plan that the need for subsidy for Network SouthEast will be eliminated progressively over the next three years as a result of increased revenue and greater efficiency. The objectives also set tougher quality of service targets, which NSE will be expected to meet route by route. The investment programme of £1·2 billion over the next three years will make a major contribution to the achievement of these objectives, both through savings in energy and maintenance costs and through additional revenue from increases in capacity and improved service quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has made an assessment of the environmental implications of the proposed £13 billion road building programme.

Protecting and enhancing the environment is a major feature of the Government's road building plans.By reducing congestion, which wastes fuel, the trunk road programme will lead to lower exhaust emissions than would otherwise be the case if additional road capacity was not provided. The emphasis in the programme on increasing capacity on existing motorways and other strategic routes will help minimise the requirement for additional land and the overall impact on the countryside. Some one third of trunk road schemes are bypasses, which will considerably improve the environment of the communities concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many Ministry of Transport test centres have been suspended and subsequently permitted to continue for each year since 1983; and if he will make a statement;(2) what is the number of garages whose operation of Ministry of Transport testing has been terminated by his Department for each year since 1983; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

Year	Total MOT stations withdrawn	Permitted to continue after appeal	Appeals disallowed
1983	90	13	42
1984	107	35	43
1985	80	28	37
1986	73	17	38
1987	127	21	39
1988	103	22	45
1989	74	17	43

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the average time taken between suspension and the final decision on the resumption or termination of testing for Ministry of Transport test centres; and if he will make a statement.

Sixteen weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state the extent of the remit given to the railway inspectorate in respect of reliability of equipment and systems of automatic train control as distinct from the safety of its operations.

In his report on the Clapham junction accident investigation, Sir Anthony Hidden, QC, recommended that the railway inspectorate should monitor at six-monthly intervals British Rail's progress in implementing automatic train protection. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 7 November last that he accepted this recommendation. Safety and reliability are closely associated, and the inspectorate will take account of equipment and system reliability in Its continuing oversight.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the total fees paid out by his Department to management consultants in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his latest estimate for the current year and budget for 1990–91.

[holding answer 12 March 1990]: The latest figures for fees paid by the Department to management consultants are as follows:

£
1984–85	250,000
1985–86	272,000
1986–87	218,000
1987–88	371,000
1988–89	604,000
1989–90	1270,000
1990–91	2437,000
1 Latest estimate.
2 Budget.

This excludes fees on computing consultancies.Information for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects the permanent third anaesthetist post in the Downe group of hospitals, Downpatrick, will be filled.

Appointment to the post is a matter for the Eastern health and social services board. It is under active consideration by the board.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice is given by his Department to local authorities on how to handle redundant fridges and small quantities of solvents being disposed of by members of the public.

My Department and the Department of Trade and Industry are currently considering the final draft of a report by Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte entitled "CFC Market Study" which, among other things, considers the methodology and economics of CFC recovery and recycling. We hope to issue advice to local authorities in the light of the final report which is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish for consultation the draft code of practice relating to litter and part IV of the Environmental Protection Bill.

The Secretary of State, together with the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Transport, published for public consultation a draft code of practice on litter and refuse on 20 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount will be invested over the next 10 years to improve the quality of Britain's rivers, seas and drinking water.

In addition to the investment in new water treatment and disposal by industry and agriculture to meet effluent standards, the water industry in England and Wales will be carrying out the biggest programme of sustained investment in its history with total capital expenditure of over £27 billion planned over the next 10 years. This will enable the industry to renew and extend sewers and sewage treatment works, to improve our drinking water and to complete the clean-up of our coastal waters and beaches. The benefits of this investment will be seen in improved water quality, as well as in higher standards of service to the consumer.In Scotland, where the water industry remains in the public sector, capital expenditure provision is considered over a three-year period with annual reviews. Provision for the water and sewerage programme has been substantially increased to over £500 million for the period 1990–91 to 1992–93. This will enable authorities to make good progress with improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of measured or estimated total airborne pollution deposited on the North sea arises from discharges from factories, power stations and farms in the United Kingdom.

Emissions by source category of the major United Kingdom air pollutants will be published in the digest of environmental protection and water statistics, volume 12, at the end of March 1990, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House. Agricultural sources account for the majority of total reduced nitrogen emissions.Modelling studies commissioned by my Department for oxides of nitrogen suggest that around 30 per cent. of United Kingdom emissions are deposited on the North sea.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action he has taken on waste dumping in the North sea.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer of my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 5 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Trotter), Official Report, Vol. 168, column 489, and to my right hon. Friend's answer on 12 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on the outcome of the Hague conference on 7 to 8 March, Official Report, Vol. 169, column 106.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding talks at, and the outcome of, the North sea conference of Ministers held earlier this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the North sea conference held on 8 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent initiatives he has taken to reduce pollution in the North sea.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply given by my right hon. Friend on 12 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans) on the outcome of the Hague conference on 7 to 8 March, Official Report, Vol. 169, column 106.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the new infrastructure charges limits on water and sewerage, being introduced by each of the water services companies as from 1 April 1990, were arrived at.

The infrastructure charges limits were determined by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Wales following an assessment of each company's investment needs to meet the demands of new developments, so that estimated income from the new charges balances the investment required over the period from 1990–91 to 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce measures to protect the economic viability of recycling of waste paper from the effects of the current market price.

No. Direct Government intervention artifically to maintain the price of waste paper through subsidising collection costs or other means would be ineffective or damaging since paper is an internationally traded commodity and users could switch to imported supplies. Central interference in the market overseas has been shown to drive down the price of waste paper and hamper recycling. The priority must be to encourage the market for recycled paper and expand industrial capacity to process waste paper. My Department and the Department of Trade and Industry are specifically examining the waste paper market to assess the economic and environmental benefits of waste paper recycling, the means of collecting waste paper, what new uses for waste paper might be promoted and how demand for recycled paper might be stimulated. Government Departments are also considering their use of paper with a view to increasing the use of recycled products wherever feasible and economic.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to introduce regulations to implement the hazardous substance consent provisions contained in part IV of the Housing and Planning Act 1986.

Later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any intention of designating inland waters for the purpose of the EC bathing water directive (76/160/EEC).

I am not aware of any inland waters which meet the criteria for inclusion within the scope of directive 76/160/EEC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the latest position in relation to the privatisation of the Crown Suppliers and the Property Services Agency.

The Property Services Agency and Crown Suppliers Bill was given its Second Reading in another place on 5 March. The competition for the sale of the Crown Suppliers is proceeding.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has made an assessment of the role of market mechanisms in protecting the environment.

There will be such an assessment in the forthcoming White Paper on the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he offers to those industries seeking to dispose of sewage sludge.

Discussions are now being arranged with sewerage undertakers to consider the implications of the policy to end dumping of sewage sludge at sea by the end of 1998. We intend that wherever possible sludge should be used beneficially. We shall need to examine carefully with the sewerage undertakers the various options for disposal which vary according to the particular circumstances of each location. The main disposal options are to agricultural land, Iandfill, and incineration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department offers to those industries seeking to dispose of pharmaceutical wastes.

My Department has issued general guidance on the disposal of pharmaceutical waste in waste management paper No. 19—"Wastes from the Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals, Toiletries and Cosmetics." However, advice on the disposal of specific pharmaceutical wastes is best obtained from the appropriate waste disposal authority as the body statutorily responsible for regulating waste disposal in its area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) of 5 March, Official Report, column 452, (1) who will be responsible for showing that coastal discharges which receive only primary treatment will not adversely affect the environment; and how this obligation will work in practice;(2) what is his Department's definition of a substantial discharge of sewage;(3) what proportion of existing sewage discharge outlets will be affected by the requirement for (i) primary and (iii) secondary treatment;(4) how the investment programme of £1·5 billion for treating sewage discharges will be financed;(5) what is the timetable for implementation of his policy on waste water treatment.

My right hon. Friend's answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) on 5 March, Official Report, column 452, noted that the investment programme should be completed as soon as practicable and that discussions would be held with the National Rivers Authority, the Office of Water Services and the sewerage undertakers to work out the detailed arrangements for implementing this. Those discussions are now being held. The starting point for those discussions will be the CES report, copies of which have been placed in the Library. In this context substantial discharges are those from settlements of 10,000 or more to coastal waters. The number of sewage discharge outfalls covered by this definition is shown in tables 3·1 and 3·2 of the CES report. It will be for the water companies to determine how to finance their investment programmes, and for the director general to determine what adjustments to water charges will be needed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has circulated to community charge registration officers on the changes to the rules governing exemptions from the poll tax established by the Local Government and Housing Act; and if he will place copies of all relevant circulars in the Library.

[holding answer 9 March 1990] : The Department wrote to all community charge registration officers on 16 November 1989, outlining the changes to be made to schedule 1 (personal community charge: exemptions) to the Local Government Finance Act 1988 by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. I am arranging for a copy of the letter to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of pollution in the Irish sea is caused by sea dumping.

[holding answer 12 March 1990]: Licences for dumping are granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and in the Irish sea apply only to the disposal of dredged spoil and sewage sludge.Available data on inputs to the Irish sea are contained in the quality status report by scientists from the United Kingdom and Ireland published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, a copy of which is in the Library. As with other United Kingdom coastal waters, inputs of contaminants from dumping are generally less significant than those from rivers and estuaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent representations have been received about pollution in the Irish sea.

[holding answer 12 March 1990] : A number of representations have been received recently from organisations and individuals concerned with protection of the marine environment in the Irish sea. The United Kingdom Government are committed to applying their policy to protect the marine environment generally to all their coastal waters and the Irish sea will benefit from the package of measures which were agreed at the North sea conference in the Hague on 7 to 8 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report recalculations of the tables in annex J of Cmnd. 9714 "Paying for Local Government" on the basis of the poll tax levels set by local authorities for 1990–91.

I do not yet have full information on levels of community charge set by local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he took to inform right hon. And hon. Members of the availability of the Community Charge Transitional Relief Report (England) laid before the House on 15 February, and of the levels of the assumed community charges to be used in the transitional relief scheme in 1990–91 by the local authorities in their constituencies.

[holding answer 14 March 1990] : Illustrative figures of the assumed charge for the purposes of transitional relief were announced on 11 January by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his answer that day to my hon. Friend the Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire), Official Report, Vol. 164, columns 682–83. These were confirmed in the report laid before the House on 15 February to which reference was made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in his answer that day to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Central (Mr. Lord).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he is considering raising levels of the assumed community charges to be used in the transitional relief scheme in 1990–91 above those set out in the Community Charge Transitional Relief Report (England);(2) whether he will make the assumed community charge in 1990–91 for each charging authority to be used in the transitional relief scheme the same as the assumed average community charge of £278 per head rather than the assumed community charge set out in the Community Charge Transitional Relief Report (England) where the latter is lower.

[holding answer 14 March 1990] : I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 8 March, Official Report, Vol. 168, column 798.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will prosecute the Al Fayed brothers under section 5(c) of the Perjury Act 1911 in view of the conclusion of the Department of Trade and Industry inspectors appointed under section 432(2) of the Companies Act 1985 that they repeatedly lied to them; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Brandon-Bravo) on 1 March.

To ask the Attorney-General when the Government intend to bring into force section 1 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 and section 130 of the Companies Act 1989.

Section 1 of the Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1989 will be brought into force on 31 July 1990. Section 130 of the Companies Act 1989 will be brought into force in respect of England, Wales and Scotland on the same date.

To ask the Minister for the Arts if he is now in a position to announce decisions on the replacement for the indefinite stop and the recommendations of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art on collections.

I have today written to the chairman of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art conveying to him and his committee members the decisions which I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry have taken on the indefinite stop. I have also conveyed in that letter my decisions on the committee's recommendations on collections, which it made to me in its annual reports for 1987–88 and 1988–89. I have placed copies of the letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

Percentage of total energy R and D budgets committed to renewable energy R and D and to nuclear energy R and D and total Government energy R and D budgets in 1988
Country	Renewable R and D		Nuclear R and D		Total Government energy R and D
	Budget $US million	Percentage of total R and D budget	Budget $US million	Percentage of total R and D budget	Budget $US million
Austria	4·20	16·63	1·80	7·19	25·30
Belgium	3·10	4·09	62·90	83·98	74·92
Canada	13·90	4·23	129·90	39·56	328·22
Germany	101·40	17·61	343·00	57·86	575·65
Greece	5·00	61·46	1·10	14·06	8·18
Italy	52·50	6·51	422·40	52·35	806·86
Japan	128·50	5·95	1,485·70	68·82	2,158·83
Netherlands	21·70	13·39	31·70	19·53	162·13
Norway	2·90	6·95	3·20	7·61	41·94
Portugal	1·50	26·07	1·30	21·74	5·75
Spain	21·40	33·71	18·10	28·65	63·35
Sweden	18·10	21·06	14·90	17·31	85·98
Switzerland	14·40	14·19	45·80	45·27	101·16
United Kingdom	21·50	5·40	273·20	68·60	398·26
United States	124·30	6·08	1,013·00	49·57	2,043·40
Full details may be found in "Energy Policies and Programmes of IEA Countries—1988 Review", International Energy Agency, OECD, 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) of 26 February, Official Report, column 89, when he expects the first two units of the flue gas desulphurisation plant at Drax to become fully operational.

I am advised by the Central Electricity Generating Board that the first two 660 MW units at Drax power station are expected to be operational by the end of 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what contribution he estimates the flue gas desulphurisation programme at the Drax power station will make to

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Gordon in the Official Report, 21 February, column 772, he will indicate which of the countries listed include expenditure on nuclear research and development in their renewable energy budget, giving details of the relative proportions of nuclear research and development and renewable energies research and development in each of these cases, if known.

While some of the countries listed spend substantial sums on their nuclear R and D programmes within their total energy R and D budgets, these sums are not included within the renewables element. The effect of a nuclear energy research and development programme is generally to increase the total size of the energy research and development programme and thus reduce the proportion of the total energy research and development programme spent on renewable energy development. The table sets out the budgets of different IEA Governments in 1988 on renewables R and D, nuclear R and D and expresses these as a percentage of the total energy R and D budgets.the reduction in SO

I am advised by the Central Electricity Generating Board that, when fully operational, the flue gas desulphurisation installation at Drax is likely to reduce the station's emissions of sulphur dioxide by about 250,000 to 280,000 tonnes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what date he proposes to set for the making of the scheme for the division of property which the Central Electricity Generating Board must prepare under section 66 of the Electricity Act 1989.

The Central Electricity Generating Board submitted on 12 March a scheme for transferring all the board's property, rights and liabilities to successor companies which subject to my approval and any modifications will come into force on 31 March 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate has been made of the asset value of the Bankside power station site.

The estimate of the value placed on this site is commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the contribution of coal to the United Kingdom (a) primary and (b) final energy consumption in the years 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1989; and what is the projected contribution for 2005 and 2020 in the range of scenarios set out in the evaluation of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and measures to ameliorate them prepared for the intergovernmental panel on climate change.

The percentage contribution of coal to primary and final energy demands is shown in the table. Data for 1989 are provisional. Figures for 2005 and 2020 represent the range across all scenarios considered, on the basis of energy prices provided by the International Energy Agency.

Year	Primary Demand	Final Demand
1970	46·7	30·8
1975	36·4	18·1
1980	35·8	12·9
1985	31·8	13·1

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the contribution of nuclear power to United Kingdom primary and final energy consumption in the years 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1989; and what is the projected contribution in the range of scenarios outlined in the evaluation of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and measures to ameliorate them prepared for the intergovernmental panel on climate change.

The percentage contribution of United Kingdom-produced nuclear power to primary demand is shown in the table on a heat-supplied basis. Data for 1989 are provisional. Figures for 2005 and 2020 represent the range across all scenarios considered, on price assumptions provided by the International Energy Agency.

Percentage contribution of nuclear to Primary Energy Demand (Domestic Production Only).
Year	Primary Demand
1970	2·6
1975	3·1
1980	3·8
1985	6·3
1989	17·1
2005	6–8
2020	3–4
1 Provisional.
After the generation stage, in final energy consumption, it is not possible to separately identify the contribution of electricity from any particular source.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to set up the national curriculum working parties in (a) physical education, (b) music and (c) art.

My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he proposes to ensure rights of traveller children to education in those areas where authorities have not applied for grant under section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988.

Section 6(1) of the Education Act 1980 places a duty on local education authorities to make arrangements to enable the parents of children in their area, including those of traveller children, to express a preference as to the school they wish their child to attend and to give reasons for their preference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria have been established to determine allocation of grant under section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988; and what plans he has to alter the level of funding for traveller education in future years.

The draft circular issued in July 1989 indicated that in the case of satisfactory bids exceeding the total grant available priority would be given, as far as possible, to the maintenance of existing special provision. My right hon. Friend will review the level of funding for future years in the light of experience of the 1990–91 programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total amount of grant allocated for traveller education under section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988 for the financial year 1990–91.

Expenditure of £7·9 million on traveller education is due to be supported through grant in 1990–91. Grant will be paid at the rate of 75 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether grants for traveller education under section 210 of the Education Reform Act are affected by whether local authorities applying have been granted designation under the Caravan Act 1968.

Grants are not affected by designation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which local authorities have applied, under section 210 of the Education Reform Act 1988 for grant to (a) finance existing traveller education provision and (b) to finance new provision; how many of (a) and (b) have received grant; and what is the amount of grant allocated to each local education authority.

The following local authorities have applied for grant to:

(a)finance existing Traveller education provision:
Avon	Lambeth
Bedfordshire	Lancashire
Berkshire	Leeds
Bradford	Leicestershire
Brent	Lewisham
Bromley	Lincolnshire
Buckinghamshire	Liverpool
Bury	Manchester
Cambridgeshire	Newcastle
Cheshire	Newham
Cleveland	Norfolk
Croydon	North Yorkshire
Cumbria	Northamptonshire
Derbyshire	Northumbria
Devon	Nottinghamshire
Doncaster	Oxfordshire
Dorset	Richmond
Durham	Rochdale
Ealing	Rotherham
East Sussex	Sefton
Essex	Sheffield
Gateshead	Solihull
Gloucestershire	Somerset
Greenwich	Southwark
Hammersmith and Fulham	Suffolk
Haringey	Surrey
Harrow	Tower Hamlets
Havering	Trafford
Hertfordshire	Wakefield
Hillingdon	West Sussex
Hounslow	Wigan
Humberside	Wiltshire
Kensington and Chelsea	Wolverhampton
Kent
(b) finance new provision:
Barnsley	Hampshire
Bolton	Salford
Camden	Waltham Forest
Cornwall	Wandsworth
Hackney

In addition a number of authorities with existing provision applied for grant to expand that provision.Sixty-one authorities in group

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his best estimate of the cost to Devon county council of (a) circular 22/89, (b) introducing local management of schools and (c) introducing the national curriculum in the financial year 1990–91; and by what method each of the above was calculated.

On circular 22/89, I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave him on 14 March on the same subject. Estimates have not been made on an LEA by LEA basis of the additional costs of introducing LMS and the national curriculum in 1990–91. However, the additional pressures on spending nationally arising from the implementation of these reforms were among the factors taken into account in setting total standard spending for education for that year. Some of this spending is supported by specific grants (education support grants and local education authority training grants). Allocations of these grants to Devon LEA for 1990–91 will support spending of some £3·3 million on activities related to LMS and the national curriculum. These allocations are mainly determined by formulae relating to the number of pupils and schools in each authority

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Blackburn, Official Report, 7 March, columns 626–27, what assumption he made in calculating the cost of £620 million in 1990–91 of implementing the recommendations of the interim advisory committee on teachers' pay in the manner he has proposed of (a) the number of teachers who would be awarded pay supplements of £750 in the Inner London weighting area from 1 April, (b) the number of teachers awarded enhanced incremental points and (c) the number of teachers whose maximum was extended to £18,000.

I followed the IAC in assuming that 50 per cent. of eligible teachers would receive the new London pay supplement. The new main scale discretions, which will be introduced from 1 January 1991, are designed to give authorities a wider range of options on pay in the light of local circumstances: they will not necessarily lead to increases in costs overall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish the initial advice of the national curriculum working group for modern foreign languages; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are publishing today the initial advice of the national curriculum working group for modern foreign languages, together with our letter to the group's chairman, Professor Martin Harris. Copies of the initial advice including the letter have been placed in the Library.We welcome the progress which the group has made in developing the attainment targets and programmes of study for modern foreign languages in the national curriculum. The proposed structure covers the important aspects of learning a modern foreign language and it should provide a good basis for both developing and raising the linguistic competence of pupils of all abilities during compulsory secondary schooling.We also welcome the helpful advice which the group has offered on the issues in its terms of reference. We hope that all those concerned with modern foreign languages will now take the opportunity during the consultation period to comment on the group's proposals in order to guide it in its further work. We look forward to receiving the group's final report by the end of July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will provide estimates showing for each financial year from 1978–79 to 1989–90 the capital spending allocations for (a) local education authorities and (b) voluntary-aided and special schools.

[pursuant to his reply, 21 December 1989, column 351]: In my earlier reply, the figures for capital grants paid to voluntary-aided and special agreement schools were given, from 1982–83 to 1989–90, as gross amounts including the governing bodies' 15 per cent. contribution. The adjusted table shows the level of net DES capital grants to these schools:

£ million
1978–79	16·4
1979–80	20·3
1980–81	22·1

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many of his staff, full-time equivalent, were involved in the supervision of abattoirs in 1988–89 and 1989–90;(2) if he will list the number of man years of his staff involved in poultry meat inspection in 1988–89 and 1989–90.

Local authorities are responsible for the supervision of slaughterhouses and for meat inspection. Officers of my Department visit plants to advise on hygiene and welfare standards. The manpower involved for 1988–89 was approximately 41 man years and we expect that it will be of a similar order for 1989–90. Of this, we estimate that in 1988–89 and 1989–90 seven man years were spent on poultry meat premises.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what level of new costs he expects to fall upon Devon county council in implementing the provisions of the Food Safety Bill and making preparation therefor, in the financial years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93, respectively.

We have already announced that the Food Safety Bill is likely to create additional costs, for all the local authorities in Great Britain taken together, of the order of £30 million a year from 1991–92 onwards. This sum will be taken into account in the revenue support grant settlements, and will be reflected in the standard spending assessment for each authority. It is for individual authorities to plan their expenditure accordingly.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any plans to introduce further legal controls on butter substitutes; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 1 March 1990, at column 335.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to purchase at full value all offspring of cattle affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the risks arising from his decision to allow the export of calves born of mothers affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

The Southwood working party concluded that the risk to humans from BSE is remote and there is no evidence at present to show that the disease can be transmitted maternally from dam to offspring.From 1 March, EC measures have restricted United Kingdom cattle exports to animals less than six months old and which are not the progeny of BSE-affected dams. Exports of cattle to third countries must satisfy the health conditions imposed by those countries.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further measures he proposes to take to prevent the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy among cattle and to reduce further the possibility of transmission to humans.

The Government have introduced a comprehensive package of measures to tackle BSE in cattle and to eliminate the remote risk to public health.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the relationship between scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and if he will make a statement.

BSE was almost certainly caused by feeding scrapie-infected protein material to cattle. The feeding to ruminants of protein material derived from ruminants was prohibited in July 1988.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has had from the National Farmers Union in respect of the incidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

We have received a number of representations from the National Farmers Union about BSE.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Ministry will take to ensure that no threat is posed to humans by the sale of calves of six months or under, whose mothers are affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

If transmission from dam to offspring can take place (and there is no evidence to indicate that this occurs), research into scrapie suggests that the agent of the disease would not be detectable in such young animals.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies have been undertaken to establish whether bovine spongiform encephalopathy can transfer from cattle to sheep; and if he will make a statement.

Studies on the experimental transmission of BSE from cattle to sheep are being undertaken as part of the Ministry's programme of research announced on 9 January at column 572.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to eliminate so far as is practicable salmonella in poultry breeding flocks; and if he will make a statement.

Under the Poultry Breeding Flocks and Hatcheries (Registration and Testing) Order 1989, registered owners of breeding flocks are required to have their flocks tested for the presence of salmonella and to comply with specific hygiene standards. A programme of compulsory slaughter, with compensation, has been introduced for flocks infected with salmonella enteritidis or salmonella typhimurium.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies have been undertaken to establish whether scrapie can transfer from sheep to cattle; and if he will make a statement.

Epidemiological studies have shown that the most likely cause of BSE was feeding cattle with ruminant-based protein which included material from sheep infected with scrapie. Research investigating the experimental transmission of scrapie from sheep to cattle is not considered a priority.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether scrapie has been identified in muscle tissue in sheep; and if he will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the use of E127 on glacé cherries is permitted; and if he will make a statement.

The food colour erythrosine BS (E.127) is currently approved for use in both the United Kingdom and the European Community in a number of foodstuffs. The recent review of colouring matter in foodstuffs conducted by the Food Advisory Committee recommended in the light of fresh scientific evidence that the use of E.127 should be restricted to cocktail and glacé to a maximum level of 200 mg/kg. I have accepted that recommendation and will be taking steps to implement it in United Kingdom regulations in conjunction with European Community requirements as soon as possible.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will continue to seek to secure the release of Ian Richter from detention in Iraq.

I assure my hon. Friend that our efforts to secure the release of Ian Richter on humanitarian grounds are continuing and will continue. Mr. Richter's case remains a cause of deep concern, as we have made clear to the Iraqis on many occasions.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions Her Majesty's Government have held with other European Community states concerning the protection of important marine archaeological sites; and if she will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the restraints placed on the import of cars by individual member states; and if she will make a statement.

The future treatment of car imports into the European Community from Japan was discussed at the Foreign Affairs Council on 5 March. The Commission is to open exploratory talks with Japan and the Government will consider any proposals resulting from these talks when they emerge.The Government have put the case forcefully that there must be no obstacle to free trade between member states in all cars produced within the Community.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the implications for the European Economic Community of the reunification of Germany; and if she will make a statement.

The EC implications of German unification will be considered at an informal meeting of Community Heads of State and Government in Dublin on 28 April.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations she has received concerning action to reduce marine pollution.

The Government have recently had representations from a wide range of interested organisations and individuals including industry, environmental groups and members of the public in the run-up to the third North sea conference which took place in The Hague last week on 7 and 8 March.The United Kingdom played a full and constructive part at the conference which, among other measures, agreed to

To ask the Prime Minister how many representations and from whom, she has received regarding opposition to her current policy in South Africa; and if she will make a statement.

I receive many representations from a wide range of people expressing both opposition and support for our policy towards South Africa.

To ask the Prime Minister what public expenditure will be incurred on publicising the lifting of limited sanctions with South Africa in order to encourage wider investment in that country; and if she will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in a written answer to a parliamentary question on 23 February 1990, Official Report, columns 934–35, announced the withdrawal of the advice on new investment in South Africa which was issued in 1986. This was a deserved response to the constructive steps taken by President de Klerk. However, it will, as before, be for companies and firms to make their own judgment about whether to invest in South Africa. The Government will neither encourage nor discourage them.The statement made by the Secretary of State announcing the lifting of the ban was released as a press notice. Copies of this notice were also sent to relevant associated bodies and United Kingdom companies with existing interests in South Africa.The Department of Trade and Industry incurred minor administrative costs in doing this.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 15 March.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has received a petition on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front about the rights of the people of Kashmir to obtain self-determination; and what response he proposes to make.

Yes. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is writing to the right hon. Member. Both the Indian and Pakistan Governments are aware of our concern about the situation in Kashmir, and also of our long-standing view that their dispute over its status can be settled only by agreement between them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Leith (Mr. Brown), Official Report, column 702, 7 March, what action is taken to protect the well-being of British citizens who visit North Korea.

Since we do not recognise North Korea as a state, and accordingly have no relations with any authorities in North Korea, we can offer no consular protection there. British travellers to North Korea who seek advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are warned of this difficulty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the Salvadorean authorities about the murder of Archbishop Romero on 24 March 1980 and efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current United Kingdom and NATO holdings of equipment covered by the Vienna negotiations on conventional forces in Europe.

Definitions of the treaty-limited items of equipment covered by CFE are not yet fixed. It is not therefore possible to be precise about the relevant holdings. But in general terms, on proposed western definitions the United Kingdom has some 1,250 battle tanks; 650 artillery pieces; 3,500 armoured combat vehicles; 1,000 combat aircraft; and 500 attack helicopters. Equivalent NATO figures are some 24,000 battle tanks; 18,000 artillery pieces; 30,000 armoured combat vehicles; 6,000 combat aircraft and 2,400 attack helicopters. The figures reflect the fact that for treaty purposes the definitions extend to equipment in storage and held in other non-operational forms, for example, in R and D and training establishments, rather than the more usual categorisation which reflects only equipment in active units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, at the next meeting of NATO Defence Ministers, he will raise the implications of the Soviet decision to move its nuclear warhead-testing site to the Novaya Zemlya Islands.

My right hon. Friend will discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest with other NATO Defence Ministers when they next meet at the nuclear planning group meeting early in May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Norway concerning the plan by the Soviet Union to move its nuclear warhead-testing site to the Novaya Zemlya Islands.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review water access arrangements to Ministry of Defence land with a view to facilitating greater access when this would not pose security or safety problems.

It is Ministry of Defence policy to allow access to our land and facilities for recreational, social or commercial purposes wherever this is consistent with operational, safety and security requirements and does not conflict with the interests of tenants or have a detrimental effect on local amenities and the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints about low flying were received in each month since November 1988 from addresses in (1) Scotland, (2) England, (3) Wales and (4) Northern Ireland.

The number of total monthly inquiries and complaints received over the period 1 November 1988 to 28 February 1990 relating to military low-flying training in England, Scotland and Wales is as follows:

Month	England	Scotland	Wales
1988
November	254	81	50
December	137	63	26
1989
January	428	78	106
February	297	90	82
March	278	75	36
April	301	55	86
May	478	132	100
June	662	167	118
July	822	186	196
August	802	143	154
September	584	179	70
October	437	165	91
November	250	160	32
December	117	61	39
1990
January	267	93	18
February	256	71	62

No fixed-wing low-flying training is carried out in Northern Ireland. However, helicopters undertake low-flying operations in Northern Ireland and although no central records are available of complaints received, headquarters Northern Ireland received 38 complaints in 1988 and 50 in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many low-flying sorties were carried out over the United Kingdom in each month from November 1988 to the latest available date.

The number of low-flying sorties flown in the United Kingdom in each month over the period of 1 November 1988 to 31 December 1989 is as follows:

Month	Sorties
1988
November	13,105
December	9,408
1989
January	13,168
February	11,702
March	11,816
April	12,398
May	14,299
June	15,641
July	14,282
August	11,279
September	9,376
October	12,682
November	11,462
December	6,218

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are scheduled to take part in Exercise Northaxe 2/90; and what overland flying activity is planned during the exercise;(2) what use is being made of

Some 74 aircraft took part in Northaxe 2/90. Overland flying during the exercise was limited to transiting to and from Stornoway airport (to collect mail, stores and passengers for ships at sea), navigation training over north-west Scotland and the use of the Cape Wrath range. Benbecula airport was used as a diversion airfield.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many surface vessels and submarines are scheduled to take part in Exercise Northaxe 2/90; and what warnings have been issued to mariners about activities connected with this exercise.

Eleven vessels were involved in the exercise. Warnings of activity in the area round the Cape Wrath range between 6 and 9 March were issued to fishermen. It is not our normal practice to issue notices to mariners for exercises of this sort.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions have been given to military aircrew concerning interceptions of civilian air traffic during Exercise Northaxe.

Military aircraft engaged on operational exercises have no instructions to intercept civilian aircraft and, in accordance with normal practice, aircrew have been instructed to avoid civilian aircraft during Exercise Northaxe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the purpose of Exercise Northaxe 2/90; which nations are participating in the exercise; whether it is part of a regular series of exercises; and what plans exist to hold future Northaxe exercises in the region of the Minch.

Northaxe 2/90 is a primarily naval exercise which enables participant forces, all British, to practise their various anti-submarine and air defence roles. Northaxe exercises generally take place annually and one is provisionally planned for 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals have received, in the last two decades, consecutive or separate annual radiation doses of more than 15 milliSieverts; and what is the total radiation dose, including doses of less than 15 milliSieverts, sustained by those workers.

[holding answer 5 March 1990] : Records for radiation workers at the atomic weapons establishments are held separately from those for other Ministry of Defence radiation workers.During the 17 years that AWE has been under the control of the Ministry of Defence, 91 individuals sustained attributable exposures to penetrating radiation determined to have been 15 mSv or more in each of one or more calendar years. The total attributable radiation exposure for all these individuals was approximately 15 person-sieverts.Figures for other MOD radiation workers are readily available only for the period 1 January 1979 to 31 December 1989, when 1,484 individuals sustained attributable exposures to penetrating radiation determined to have been 15 mSv or more in each of one or more calendar years. The total attributable radiation exposure for all these individuals, based on a sample of 100, was approximately 143 person-sieverts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many nuclear submariners have received radiation doses of more than 15 milliSieverts in two or more consecutive years, for the last two decades to the latest available date; if he will specify in ranges of 5 milliSieverts the doses into which those nuclear submarine personnel fall; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 5 March 1990]: In the period for which figures are readily available—1 January 1979 to 31 December 1989–60 naval personnel received radiation doses in excess of 15 milliSieverts per annum in two or more consecutive years. No naval personnel have received such consecutive doses for more than four years.The 5 mSv ranges of lifetime radiation dose into which these individuals fall are shown in the table:

Ranges	Dose
30–35	1
35–40	1
40–45	1
45–50	0
50–55	2
55–60	3
60–65	5
65–70	5
70–75	3
75–80	5
80–85	2
85–90	5
90–95	1
95–100	1
100–105	2
105–110	4