To ask t IT Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy in respect of crash barriers on the central reservations of trunk roads.

It is the Department's policy to provide central reserve safety fencing in England on all motorways and, where justified by the traffic level, on non-motorway dual carriageway trunk roads. The fencing provided is essentially designed to contain an errant vehicle weighing up to 1·5 tonnes travelling at 70 mph and impacting the fence at an angle of up to 20 deg.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will state his reasons for not including the text of the letter he sent to the chairman of London Regional Transport in his press notice 132 of 19 April, announcing the fact that he had sent the letter and commenting on its contents.

A desire to save paper. The press notice made it clear that copies of the letter were available on request, and it was reproduced in the Official Report on 19 April 1990 at columns 993–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes he envisages to the planning system to speed up the road projects for which he has responsibility.

We are speeding up road schemes by a range of measures. These include more effective procedures and organisation in the Department, more staff and greater use of the private sector. We do not propose to change statutory procedures at present or to reduce the opportunities of those affected by proposals for a full and fair hearing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Harborough of 18 April, Official Report, columns 913–14, about sub-standard shipping, whether foreign ships in his reply includes all ships belonging to member nations of the EEC.

Yes. Merchant ships belonging to other members of the European Community are regarded as foreign ships and therefore subject to port state control inspection when they enter a United Kingdom port.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Harborough of 18 April about sub-standard shipping, how often in the past 12 months his Department's marine surveyors have used their powers relating to deficiencies on visiting ships (a) to prevent their entry to British ports and (b) to retain vessels; and in how many cases the vessel's owner or master was prosecuted.

There has been no case in the last 12 months of Department of Transport marine surveyors using their powers to prevent the entry of visiting ships into United Kingdom ports. During that period, 60 ships were detained and seven prosecutions were initiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he first requested that Stockport metropolitan borough council convey to his Department the land at Travis Brow, Stockport, near to the M63, referred to in a letter from the Minister for Roads and Traffic to the hon. Member for Stockport dated 22 June 1989; and when he expects the transaction to be completed.

August 1988. Conveyance of the council's title to the land has proved to be a complex matter. While we are pressing to complete as soon as possible, there are a number of outstanding items still to be resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department has laid down in the interest of safety about the number of passengers not segregated from their vehicles who are allowed to travel in a single carriage through the channel tunnel.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 April 1990, Official Report, column 43. The number of passengers allowed in a single carriage is a matter for decision when Eurotunnel submits its proposed operating rules for approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a response to the report by the British Ports Federation recommending the charging of light dues on seagoing pleasure craft.

Not before I have given careful consideration to the responses from the interested bodies which have been consulted on the federation's report. These bodies have been asked to send their comments to the Department by the end of July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) crashes and (b) reported near misses have occurred for each year since 1960 in which aircraft carrying radioactive material have been involved; and if he will make a statement.

Available information commences in 1964. There have been three crashes involving consignments of radioactive materials from the United Kingdom, none of which was caused by the nature of the radioactive cargo:

(i) In 1965 a Boeing 707 crashed and burned at Heathrow. The package remained intact and there was no release of radioactivity.

(ii) In 1979 an aircraft crashed and burned at Athens airport. There was a partial release of package contents. Radiological implications were minimal and confined to the area around the aircraft.

(iii) In 1987 a Piper Navajo crashed in a field near Teesside after engine failure. There was no reported fire and the packages remained intact.

My Department does not collect data on near misses. I understand from the Civil Aviation Authority that data on near misses do not include detailed information on the type of cargo carried.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how may aeroplane flights occurred in 1989 in United Kingdom airspace in which radioactive material was carried; and if he will make a statement.

The Department does not collect data of the kind requested; however, I understand from recent research that there are around 8,000 such flights per year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent meeting of European Transport Ministers in Paris.

I attended the second meeting of the European civil aviation conference of Transport Ministers which was held in Paris on 24 April.In response to a United Kingdom initiative, the meeting took a major step towards reducing air traffic congestion and flight delays. Ministers unanimously agreed an action programme to increase capacity in Europe, by integrating air traffic control systems and optimising the air traffic route network.The programme commits the ECAC states to intensify work on measures to handle safely the forecast growth in traffic to the end of the century. The Civil Aviation Authority already has an investment programme of about £100 million a year. Our European partners are also investing substantial amounts on updating their air traffic control equipment. The ECAC programme will build on and give emphasis to this work.Ministers agreed to harmonise air traffic control systems in high-density traffic areas by 1995, and elsewhere not later than 1998; optimise air traffic services route network and airspace structure by 1995; achieve comprehensive radar coverage throughout the continental ECAC area by 1995; reduce safe minimum separation distances between aircraft to 5 nautical miles in high-density areas, and to 10 nautical miles elsewhere; complete automatic data links between air traffic control centres and aircraft from 1998 onwards.The programme will be managed by Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control body centred in Brussels. It will be overseen by a group of senior officials from participating states, reporting to their respective Governments.At the meeting, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden indicated that they would apply to join the existing 11 members of Eurocontrol soon. Four more states have also recently been accepted for membership. Ministers reaffirmed that they hoped the remaining ECAC states would join Eurocontrol.Ministers agreed that they would meet again in the second half of 1991 to review progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what mechanisms his Department has on services and policies on child care and family services.

National responsibility for policies in these areas rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Health.Obtaining suitable premises is a major difficulty for those organising child care schemes and this is where the education service can offer substantial help, through making available school premises for this purpose out of normal school hours. As part of an initiative to enhance child care provision launched last year by the ministerial group on women's issues, of which I am deputy chairman, the Department issued a letter last October to all local education authorities and the chairmen of governors of all maintained schools, asking them to respond sympathetically to requests for such use of their school premises. It is, of course, for individual schools to decide on whether to help, but there are encouraging first signs of a positive response to our approach.Within the Department, consideration is being given to the provision of creche facilities and a holiday play scheme at the Darlington office. In London the Department is participating in an interdepartmental study of the scope for providing creches centrally and in commuting areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received regarding expenditure on education in Calderdale; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received no recent representations specifically about education expenditure in Calderdale.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science who appoints the trustees of the Corby city technology college trust; if he will list the names and designations of trustees, the total amount of private sector funds received by the trust to date, the names of persons or companies who, to date, have contributed and the amount each has contributed; and if he will make a statement.

The members of the Corby City Technology Trust are appointed by the principal sponsor or the Secretary of State for Education and Science. The initial members are the lead sponsor Mr. Hugh de Capell Brooke who is the chairman. Other members are Mr. John Nelson-Jones, Sir Cyril Taylor and Sir Monty Finniston. A total of £1·6 million of private sector sponsorship has been received to date; £1·1 million of this is in the form of a donation of land from the lead sponsor. The balance comes from other private sector sponsors who will decide when to make their involvement public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment has been made of the environmental protection education needs at colleges and universities in the 1990s; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for individual institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to announce his proposals for new permanent teachers' pay negotiating machinery; and if he will make a statement.

I am writing today to the local authority employers and the teacher unions setting out my proposals for new permanent machinery, as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on progress towards the establishment of a city technology college at Woodingdean, Brighton.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 April 1990, c. 146]: I have been reviewing the progress of the proposal by the Michael Faraday Trust to establish a city technology college in Brighton. My period of review ended on 23 April and I have decided that I must withdraw my financial support because of the trust's failure to raise adequate private sector sponsorship. I have so informed the chairman of the Michael Faraday Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the average cost, per student across all subjects, of education (a) in United Kingdom universities as a whole, (b) in United Kingdom polytechnics as a whole, (c) in Scottish universities, (d) in English universities, (e) in Welsh universities, (f) in English polytechnics and (g) in the Polytechnic of Wales.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 April 1990, c. 145]: It is not possible to determine the teaching cost per student in universities. The available information, published in the universities' statistical record—for example, "University Statistics, Volume 3" for the academic year 1987–88—relates to aggregate income and expenditure without differentiation between teaching and research. Recurrent expenditure, excluding specific expenditure, by universities on teaching and research per full-time equivalent United Kingdom university student was £6,385 in the academic year 1987–88.The lower research load of polytechnics means that their unit cost is a closer reflection of the unit cost of teaching. For the financial year 1987–88, this was £3,356 for English polytechnics, calculated by reference to net recurrent institutional expenditure per full-time equivalent student.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether his Department's current industrial sector studies into the capacities of and demands on British industry in crisis and war have been or will be discussed by NATO's industrial planning committee or its sub-committees or working groups; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will list the industries which have supplied or will supply members to the sectoral groups currently involved in studying the capabilities of and demands on British industry in crisis and war.

My Department is consulting as necessary representatives of sectors of UK industry relevant to its study of the possible role of UK industry in crisis and war. NATO's industrial planning committee has been kept informed about this work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list by year and for the last 10 years, and by port, the amount in tonnes of steel imported from South Africa.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how big the regional fund would need to be if the European Community had a regional policy for the whole of the European Community on the same cost per head as the payments to Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom.

In 1990 European regional development fund commitments to Northern Ireland are expected to be around 70 mecu (approximately £50 million), or about 45 ecu (£32) per head. If all regions of the European Community eligible for the fund had commitments per head at this level, total commitments in 1990 would be about 6,300 mecu. If the whole of the Community had commitments per head at this level, total commitments would be about 14,500 mecu. The 1990 budget commitments appropriation for the fund is 5,408 mecu.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if he will list the British companies currently working within Libya;(2) what are the main activities of the British contractors and companies working in Libya;(3) how many British companies are currently working on projects within the People's Republic of Libya.

We have no record of the number of British firms working in Libya, but we understand that their main areas of activity include oil and gas, consultancy and services, and construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which companies import krytrons into the United Kingdom from the United States of America.

There is no requirement for a licence to import krytrons, and my Department has no record of which companies do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he takes to promote the recovery of used oil; and if he will make a statement.

A workshop on used oil recovery was held by my Department in September 1988 at which representatives from the motor and oil industries and central and local government agreed to work more closely in publicising schemes for recovering and correctly disposing of oil. Since then the number of local authorities and garage chains providing facilities for recovering used oil have increased. We will keep progress under careful review as part of our overall drive to raise the levels of recycling generally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the future role of English Estates.

In autumn 1989, the Department and the board of English Estates jointly commissioned consultants to advise on certain aspects of the corporation's activities. I have considered the consultants' report with the board and have now determined the future strategy for the corporation.The Government policy is to ensure that suitable premises and sites are available to meet the needs of new and growing businesses in the assisted areas. Wherever possible this should be done through private sector provision. English Estates will continue to make an important contribution to regional policy, but I now want it to move away from direct provision wherever possible, and in many areas to operate primarily as a facilitator, using a range of mechanisms to draw in private sector developers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he expects the allocation of grants available to Tyne and Wear under the European Economic Community RENAVAL programme to be fully utilised;

[holding answer 25 April 1990]: In consultation with Sunderland metropolitan borough council, North Tyneside metropolitan borough council, South Tyneside metropolitan borough council, Gateshead metropolitan borough council and Newcastle metropolitan borough council, and the Wearside opportunity (TWO), my Department is preparing a programme of measures for which the European Commission's approval will be sought. Specific applications for grant can be made only when the programme is approved and in operation. I hope this will be before the end of 1990. Since the programme will last four years, I expect the grants to be fully utilised in 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report for each year since 1975 a list of all those offshore oil spill incidents that have occurred around the British coast, identifying the operator responsible, the date of the incident, and the sum of money paid for remedial measures under the offshore pollution liability agreement.

Since 1976 a total of 1,442 oil spills from offshore installations have been reported to my Department. The details are:

	Total number of spills	Number of spills in excess of 25 tonnes
1976	9	—
1977	14	2
1978	27	—
1979	27	—
1980	86	1
1981	71	—
1982	42	2
1983	62	2
1984	47	1
1985	87	4
1986	166	7
1987	254	3
1988	259	3
1989	291	2

This information is compiled from details of oil spill incidents reported by operators as a requirement of their production licences which is summarised in the Department's reports on the development of oil and gas resources of the United Kingdom 1977–89. The information given for 1989 will be included in the report for 1990. Information for 1975 is not readily available.More specific information can be provided only under the terms of the various licences with the consent of the licensees and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Operators who are party to the offshore pollution liability agreement accept claims on a strict liability basis. Claims for payment for remedial measures following oil spills from offshore installations have been settled directly by the operators concerned. I have no information on the amounts involved.The rise in the number of reported spills between 1985 and 1986 can he attributed to increased pressure on operators to report even the smallest spills. Also, in 1986, random aerial surveillance flights over offshore installations commenced.Although the number of reported incidents increased, the number of spills greater than 25 tonnes have remained low.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will seek powers to require electricity companies to publish cash flow statements as part of their annual corporate reports.

Electricity companies will be required to publish statements of source and application funds under statement of standard accounting practice 10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information the electricity privatisation prospectus will contain about whether investors will be entitled to receive a set of accounts automatically.

Under section 238 of the Companies Act 1985 all public limited companies must provide members with a set of accounts. The prospectuses of the electricity industry companies therefore will not need to refer to this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to require clear labelling of appliances to show energy consumption; and if he will make a statement.

Nearly all manufacturers in western Europe already provide energy consumption information in their brochures and in the users' instructions for new appliances. We are considering the report of the study of the energy efficiency of appliances which we have recently received and will be considering the way ahead in the light of its findings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was his Department's expenditure on nuclear energy programmes in 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90, broken down into fast reactor, fusion, thermal reactor and other; if he will list the categories included in other; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for the increases in this expenditure.

My Department's expenditure on nuclear energy programmes was as follows:

	1987–881	1988–891	1989–902
Fast Reactor3	82·33	104·21	98·58
Fusion3	21·89	26·21	26·60
Thermal Reactor	20·05	19·53	17·27
Other	49·02	117·95	73·27
Total	173·29	267·89	215·72

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether a uniform tariff policy will he maintained after electricity privatisation.

Tariffs are a matter for the industry subject to its statutory and other obligations. However, I refer the hon. Member to the statement given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office on 26 January 1989 during the Committe stage of the Electricity Bill that the area board chairmen in England and Wales, and the chairman of the South of Scotland electricity board have given an assurance that they expect to maintain common tariffs for domestic consumers for five years from privatisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to publish the prospectus for the sale of electricity distribution companies.

The prospectus for the sale of the electricity distribution companies will be published on impact day. It is too early to say when this will be.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to float the electricity distribution companies.

Subject to the market conditions at the time, it is planned to float the electricity distribution companies in November 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his current estimate of the value of the electricity distribution companies.

The market value of the electricity distribution companies will depend on a wide range of factors including the profitability of the companies, their capital structures, their future prospects and the state of the market. It is, therefore, too early to estimate the likely proceeds for the sale of the companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the latest estimate of the cost of Sizewell B and the likely dates of completion and fuel loading.

The latest estimate of the capital cost of Sizewell B is £1·87 billion at 1987 prices, derived from evidence given by the CEGB to the Hinkley Point C inquiry in September 1989. This represented an increase of about 10 per cent. over the previous estimate of £1·69 billion as sanctioned by the CEGB in April 1987, which was consistent in 1982 prices in real terms with the estimate of £1·17 billion given to the Sizewell inquiry.The timetable for the completion of the station is a matter for Nuclear Electric plc. The CEGB indicated in its last report and accounts that it aimed to achieve full commercial load in May 1994, six months after the start of fuel loading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any proposals for a further round of offshore licensing for the established petroleum areas of the United Kingdom continental shelf.

I am today making available a list of the blocks which will be available for licensing in the 12th offshore round.I am making the list available at this stage to give applicant companies an opportunity to carry out preliminary seismic work, which will assist them in choosing the blocks to apply for, during the limited fair weather season in our offshore waters.There will be 120 blocks and groups of blocks on offer distributed across the most prospective areas of the United Kingdom continental shelf. The number of blocks (including grouped and part blocks) in each area is as follows:

	Number of Blocks
Northern North Sea	17
Central North Sea	34
Southern North Sea	41
Moray Firth	21
East Shetland Platform	1
Irish Sea/Manx Basin	3
English Channel	2
Caernarvon Basin	1

I shall place in the Libraries of both Houses a full list of the blocks which are available for licensing in the round.The exploration which will follow from a round containing this number and range of blocks will help to ensure that the UKCS remains a major oil province well into the next century, and that the nation will continue to benefit from the efficient and safe exploitation of a valuable national resource.As in previous rounds, it will be necessary in the case of many blocks to specify additional conditions which the operator will be required to observe when undertaking activity under the licence. These will be designed to take into account the concerns of defence, fishing, environmental, navigational and other interests.As soon as possible after the necessary statutory instrument is in place, I will publish in the

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the expenditure and receipts of the International Fund for Ireland are subject to examination by (a) the local government auditor and (b) the Comptroller and Auditor-General.

The responsibility for auditing the accounts of the international fund lies with the independent auditors appointed by the board as provided for under article 11 of the agreement establishing the fund. A number of the fund's main programmes of work are administered on behalf of the fund by Government Departments and agencies. In such cases where a Government Department or agency makes payments on behalf of the fund such payments are subject to scrutiny by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he proposes to take to ensure that the religious composition of the work force in firms and other organisations grant-aided by the International Fund for Ireland in the border counties is a fair reflection of the composition in the local travel-to-work area.

The Fair Employment (NI) Act 1989 places the primary responsibility for ensuring fair participation by members of both communities in a work force on the employer concerned. This duty is, however, backed up by strong enforcement measures which can be taken by the Fair Employment Commission as necessary. Additionally, I understand that each recipient of assistance from the International Fund for Ireland is required to confirm acceptance of the principle of equality of opportunity and non-discrimination in employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make representations to the board of the International Fund for Ireland to call for it to require recipients of its funds to carry out the Government's recommendations on fair employment.

The conditions attaching to the receipt of assistance from the International Fund for Ireland are a matter for the independent board appointed to administer the fund. I understand, however, that each offer of assistance from the fund requires the recipient to confirm acceptance of the principle of equality of opportunity and non-discrimination in employment. In addition, of course, each recipient is subject to the statutory obligations placed upon employers by the Fair Employment (NI) Acts.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will publish the reply she gave to the letter from George Medley, director of the United Kingdom World Wide Fund for Nature, of 18 January regarding Hong Kong's exemption from the ivory trade ban.

It is not my normal practice to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister what was discussed during her meeting with President Venkataraman of India in April in London.

President Venkataraman and I had wide-ranging discussions about events in India and around the world, and about the close relationship between India and Britain.

To ask the Prime Minister what matters she or her officials raised with Secretary-General de Cuellar of the United Nations, or his accompanying officials, during Senor de Cuellar's visit to London on 10 April.

I thanked Senor Perez de Cuellar for the United Nations' part in holding the highly satisfactory world ministerial conference on drugs. We reviewed a wide range of regional issues in which Britain plays a. constructive role as a permanent member of the Security Council.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to her oral reply to the hon. Member for Leicestershire, North-West (Mr. Ashby), Official Report, 29 March, column 667, if she will state how many (a) signatory states to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and (b) member states of the missile technology control regime, Her Majesty's Government have contacted over Iraq; and what responses have been received from each state, respectively.

The Government have contacted the group of western states that are parties to the NPT and the other depositary powers of the treaty. The Government have had separate discussions with our European Community partners, and we have contacted all partners of the missile technology control regime. Without exception, our partners share our concern to ensure that barriers against proliferation are strengthened, and that export controls are adequate.

To ask the Prime Minister what co-ordination there is between officials at 10 Downing street, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Bank of England for the starting date of United Kingdom entry into the European exchange rate mechanism.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the right hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Ashdown) on 3 April at column 1029.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will reconsider the conditions for entry to the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system set out at the Madrid summit in July 1989 with a view to adding the successful union of the deutschmark and the ostmark as a necessary precondition for British entry.

The Government stand by the Madrid conditions. When those conditions are fulfilled, we shall join the exchange rate mechanism.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 April.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 April.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 April.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Thursday 26 April.

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 have further meetings later today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many senior staff in each of the district health authorities in Wales have received performance-related pay bonuses during the past 12 months, on top of their salaries; and what was the total payment made in Wales last year by way of such bonuses.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 5 April 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of the past three years those sites where he has provided financial assistance to local authorities for purposes connected with the revocation or discontinuance of planning permission.

No financial assistance has been made available to Welsh local authorities during the past three years in connection with the revocation or modification of planning permission or with orders requiring the discontinuance of use or alteration or removal of buildings or works.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, in respect of each of those local education authority maintained single-sex secondary schools in Wales which have been closed since 1985, he will list (i) the maintaining local authority, (ii) the gender of pupils, (iii) the physical capacity and (iv) the number of pupils on roll at the most recent convenient date before closure.

There have been no closures since 1985 of local education authority maintained single-sex secondary schools in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provisions exist to enable the periodic review of planning permission for mineral extraction or otherwise granted on an area prior to such an area being notified as a site of special scientific interest.

Mineral planning authorities have a general duty to undertake at such intervals as they consider fit reviews of mineral working sites in their area and to consider whether it is necessary to revoke or modify planning permissions, or to make discontinuance, prohibition or supervision orders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many households in Wales were beneficiaries in reduced rates under the Rating (Disabled Persons) Act 1978.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what steps he has taken to seek the views of community health councils in Wales on the place of voluntary fund-raising in the financial structure of the National Health Service in their areas; and what views have been expressed to him;(2) what research he has commissioned on the views of

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave him on 23 April 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the total expenditure on (a) office chairs and (b) other office furniture in his Department in each of the four quarters of the financial year 1989–90;(2) what was the total expenditure on office furniture in his Department in the fiscal years

The expenditure figures are given in the following tables. Much of the furniture in the Department's 56 offices has aged and merits replacement in the interests of staff well-being and health and safety considerations. A decision was therefore taken in 1987 to increase the annual furniture budget in 1988–89 and subsequent years in order to undertake a furniture modernisation and replacement programme. The 1989–90 figure was further increased by the need to furnish a new office at Llanishen for the Welsh Office education department and HMI, for which the cost of the necessary office furniture was £132,000.

Financial Year	Expenditure in cash terms £000s
1985–86	204
1986–87	117
1987–88	131
1988–89	363
1989–90	1461
1 Provisional.

Financial Year 1989–90
	1st Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter1
	£000s	£000s	£000s	£000s
(a) Office Chairs	5	14	9	71
(b) Other Office Furniture	42	71	34	215
1 Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has appointed the members of the advisory committee for Wales on National Rivers Authority matters.

I have made the following appointments:

• Professor Ron Edwards (Chairman)
• Professor Michael Bruton
• The Lord Moran KCMG
• Dr. Hugh Tebbutt
• Councillor John Thompson JP
• Dr. Stephanie Tyler
• Mr. Murray McLaggan JP
• Mr. Bryan Riddleston

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid has so far been given to Poland; what form it took; and what plans exist for it to be increased.

In 1989–90, bilateral aid for Poland was £64 million. This consisted of the United Kingdom contribution of $100 million (£61·7 million) to the international stabilisation fund for Poland; and disbursements of £2·3 million from the know-how fund. Expenditure under the balance of the £50 million know-how fund, and the separate £15 million agricultural project will be spread over a number of years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken to encourage British industry to invest in Poland.

Under the know-how fund for Poland, support is available for up to 50 per cent. of the costs of feasibility studies which British companies may need to undertake before investing in eastern Europe. Specific training can also be provided for potential local joint venture partners. Additionally, an investment protection and promotion agreement exists for Poland, and the full range of ECGD's investment insurance cover is available to equity investors. The Department of Trade and Industry provides British companies with information and advice on the latest legislation and other matters relating to joint ventures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Her Majesty's Government will respond to Mozambique's 1990 emergency appeal.

The Government will pledge 10,000 tonnes of food aid and £3·5 million in emergency relief for Mozambique at the international donors conference on emergency assistance to Mozambique which is being held in New York today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the £500,000 of aid for Romania, announced on 5 April, is to be paid from the overseas aid programme; whether it is to be administered by the Overseas Development Administration or the joint Overseas Development Administration-Foreign and Commonwealth Office east European unit; and if he will make a statement.

Our contribution to the World Health Organisation's programme of assistance for the Romanian health service is an exceptional one-off payment from the know-how fund for eastern Europe, in response to Romania's particularly acute humanitarian needs. Expenditure from the fund is met from a separate section of the aid vote, but is additional to and separate from the agreed PES provision for overseas aid to developing countries. The contribution is being administered by the eastern European department of the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his reply of 26 March, if he will set out the policy considerations involved in his decision not to make retrospective ex-gratia payments to those pensioners with savings up to £16,000.

The changes in the capital rules for the income-related benefits formed part of a package of measures, designed to help savers, which were announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement. The changes took effect from the benefit uprating dates in April. It is well-established policy that such changes are not applied retrospectively, with the recalculation of benefit entitlement this would require, and to do so in this case would be neither appropriate nor practical.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether employment training trainees who were formerly in receipt of income support can apply for a loan or a grant from the social fund; what account is taken of the £10 training premium; and if he will make a statement.

A claimant receiving income support when starting employment training would normally continue to do so, and would be eligible for help from the social fund in the normal way. When a crisis loan is being considered, all resources available to the claimant are taken into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he has any plans to integrate the pension age for men and women.

I refer the right hon. Member to paragraph 18 of the Government's response to the 10th report from the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Session 1988–89, on equal treatment for men and women in pensions and other benefits—Cmnd. 1038.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what response he has received to "The Way Ahead: Benefits for Disabled People" from Age Concern England; and if he will make a statement.

Age Concern England has sent me a written response and was represented at a meeting I held on 5 April with the Disability Benefits Consortium to discuss "The Way Ahead". We shall give careful consideration to all their comments in carrying forward the detailed work on our proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the state retirement pension for a single pensioner and a pensioner couple in each year from 1987 to 1989.

The information requested is set out in the table.

Standard Rate basic Retirement Pension—1987–89
	Man or Woman1	Man plus Wife 2
1987	38·70	61·95
1987 (wef 6 April 1987)	39·50	63·25
1988 (wef 11 April 1988)	41·15	69·50
1989 (wef 10 April 1989)	43·60	69·80

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what advice he has given to local offices of his Department concerning the payment of invalidity benefit to claimants who are local authority councillors and who may be in receipt of councillors' allowances; and if he will make a statement.

Since 11 May 1987, local authority councillors have been able to receive invalidity benefit in full where their entitlement to local government attendance allowance does not exceed the therapeutic earnings limit (currently £35 a week) for invalidity benefit; and, where the limit is exceeded, invalidity benefit is abated only by the amount of the excess. These arrangements, which were introduced in 1987 on an ex-gratia basis, were formalised in schedule 8 to the Social Security Act 1989. Instructions were issued to offices putting these arrangements into effect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what income it is assumed that a person will draw from savings of (a) £6,000, (b) £10,000, (c) £13,000 and (d) £16,000 when determining eligibility for reduced levels of community charge; and what marginal rate of return is assumed for each £1,000 savings over £3,000.

The information requested is shown in the table.

Tariff income assumed at various levels of capital
Capital	Tariff income
	(£ per week)
6,000	12
10,000	28
13,000	40
16,000	52

No tariff income from the first £3,000 of savings is assumed when assessing income-related benefits: the actual income received from the savings is disregarded.When account is taken of the first £3,000 of savings, and of the application of the 15 per cent. benefit taper, the annual average interest rate implied by the tariff income rules varies from 0·2 per cent. (on capital of £3,250) to 2·6 per cent. (on capital of £15,750·01).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to prevent material in police archives relating to the Birmingham pub bombings case from being destroyed or tampered with.

I understand that the West Midlands police and the Devon and Cornwall constabulary have made arrangements to ensure that all material in their possession relating to the Birmingham pub bombings case is stored in secure conditions pending the outcome of further inquiries into the safety of the convictions of the Birmingham Six.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has held on changes in the probation service.

In February we published the White Paper, "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cm. 965), which set out our proposals for change in the way the courts in England and Wales deal with offenders. Since then, we have published two consultative documents about changes to the probation service, both related to the White Paper.The Green Paper "Supervision and Punishment in the Community" (Cm. 966) sets out options for reorganising the probation service, to enable it to meet the demands of the White Paper. We have invited comments on the Green Paper by the end of June. We published a further consultative paper on 17 April, "Partnership in Dealing with Offenders in the Community". This sets out various ways in which voluntary organisations and profit-making bodies could collaborate more closely with the probation service in work with offenders in the community. Comments have been invited by the end of September.Draft national standards for the supervision of offenders before and after release from custody were published today. Again, comments have been invited by the end of September.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet representatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Drugs Investigation Unit and the Metropolitan police to discuss police investigation methods into the drug crack.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to meet representatives from these organisations specifically to discuss police investigations into crack. The Home Office is in regular contact with the organisations mentioned on a wide variety of policing matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has yet completed his review of the workings of the Immigration (Carriers' Liabilities) Act 1987; and if he will make a statement.

A review of the workings of the carriers' liabilities Act has not been undertaken, nor is one planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost to his Department of telephone tapping services provided by British Telecom in 1989.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to give information about the costs relating to interception authorised under the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will be proposing legislation to amend section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act, in respect of the interests of justice category; and if he will make a statement.

Section 10 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 provides that no court may require a person to disclose, nor will he be guilty of contempt for refusing to disclose, the source of his information in a publication for which he is responsible, unless it is established to the court's satisfaction that disclosure is necessary in the interests of justice or national security or for the prevention of disorder or crime. We believe that these are and remain proper grounds on which to allow a court to insist on disclosure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are employed by the Commission for Racial Equality; and how many of these are of (a) Afro-Caribbean, (b) Indian, (c) Pakistani and (d) Bangladeshi origin.

At 30 March 1990, the Commission for Racial Equality employed 193·35 staff of which 87 were of black Caribbean, black African or other black origin; 17 were of Indian origin; six of Pakistani origin and three of Bangladeshi origin.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of the prison service grant of £1,564,000 for assisted visits to prison inmates giving the number of visits this figure represents and the total number of individuals who have received visits under this scheme.

Under the assisted prison visits scheme the cost of visits to inmates by close relatives who are on low incomes may be met from public funds. The scheme is not cash limited and the costs of all valid claims by eligible people are met in full. The Budget estimate for the scheme in England and Wales for the year ending 31 March 1990 was £1,564,000. The actual cost of the scheme in the year was £1,489,941, of which just over 70 per cent. was taken up by travelling costs, and the remainder by subsistence and other expenses. This represents the payment of 60,807 claims divided between 15,680 claimants.Figures for the number of individual inmates who have received assisted visits are not readily available and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional places have been provided by extending existing prisons since 1984 and how many more will be provided when current plans are completed.

During the period 1 January 1984 to 11 February this year, the latest date for which figures are available, 2,446 additional places were provided at existing prison establishments in England and Wales.The following net increases in places at existing establishments are currently planned for the period up to 1993–94:

	Increases
1990–91	1,171
1991–92	573
1992–93	1,059
1993–94	315

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost per place of the prisons currently under construction.

The average cost per place of the 14 prisons currently under construction, or where construction is due to start shortly, is about £117,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated total capital cost at current prices of the 24 new prisons in the prison building programme.

The total capital cost of the design and construction of the 24 prisons in the prison building programme is estimated at £1,355 million. This total represents the sum of the various costs incurred, or likely to be incurred, at each prison at outturn prices. It is not possible in the time available to provide a total at current prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in the new purpose-built prisons have been provided since 1984 and how many more will be provided at the end of the current prison building programme.

Since 1984, a total of 3,512 places have been provided in new prison establishments in England and Wales. A further 8,397 places are due to be provided by 1994 in new prison establishments which are either under construction or are due to be started shortly. The current programme also envisages the construction of a further 3,600 places, but the locations and time scales of these places have yet to be determined and they will have to be assessed in the light of the prison service's needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which new prisons have opened in premises converted from other uses since 1984; and how many places they contain.

The following prison establishments currently in use have been converted from other uses since 1984:

Name	Type	Places (certified normal accommodation)
Lindholme, near Doncaster (former RAF station)	Adult male category C training	1,001
Downview, Banstead (former mental hospital and nurses home)	Adult male category C training	332

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which new prisons have been opened since 1984.

The following prison establishments have been opened since 1984 in England and Wales:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the increases or otherwise in real terms of the pay of police constables, at various levels of seniority, for the periods (a) 1973 to 1978, (b) 1978 to 1983 and (c) 1983 to 1988; and if he will list other significant changes in the terms and conditions of service of police officers and the dates at which they became effective.

Increases in real terms in the basic pay of police constables for the periods in question are set out in the table. Since 1973 other significant changes in the terms and conditions of service of police officers have included changes in pension arrangements in 1975 (counting of war service) and 1982 (increase in contributions) and increases in annual leave (1979, 1983 and 1987). Allowances payable in addition to basic pay have been uprated on a regular basis.

Increases in pay of Police Constables (real terms)
1. 1973–19781
Rank and Service	Percentage increase (real terms)2
Constable	Per cent.
Under 1 year	20
After 1 year	19
After 2 years	18
After 3 years	18
After 4 years	11
After 5 years	11
After 6 years	5
After 7 years	5
After 8 years	9
After 13 years	3
After 17 years	2
1 1 April 1973—1 April 1978
2 To the nearest whole number

2. 1978–19831
Rank and service	2 Percentage increase (real terms)
Constable
Under 1 year	38
After 1 year	41
After 2 years	44
After 3 years	41
After 4 years	40
After 5 years	44
After 6 years	49
After 7 years	54
After 8 years	52
After 12 years	55
After 15 years	56

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will provide additional funding to local authorities in south-west Scotland to ensure that fire-fighting teams in that area are adequately trained and equipped to be able to deal with an outbreak of fire on cross-channel ferries at sea between Northern Ireland and Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The fire services, like other local services, are supported by central Government through the revenue support grant. Within Scotland, it is for the eight fire authorities, including Dumfries and Galloway regional council, to determine the level of fire expenditure and the priorities for their area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the accountancy firms which he is using for the privatisation of electricity.

The information requested is as follows:

Name of firm	Function
1. Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte (formerly Coopers and Lybrand)	Advisers on regulation, contracts, accounting and tax
2. Ernst and Young	Advisers on nuclear matters
3. KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock1	Reporting accountants to Scottish Hydro-Electric plc (formerly North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board)
4. Coopers and Lybrand Deloitte2 (formerly Deloitte, Haskins and Sells)	Reporting accountants to Scottish Power plc (formerly South of Scotland Electricity Board)
1 Appointed jointly with Scottish Hydro-Electric plc.
2 Appointed jointly with Scottish Power plc.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the scheme to give £1,500 on top of their normal grants to graduates prepared to train as foreign language teachers, announced on 13 March, applies also in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The scheme applies only in England and Wales. The teacher supply position does not at present justify such a scheme in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of staff of the accountant in bankruptcy for each year since 1984–85; whether the number of staff is to be increased; and what were for each year since 1984–85 the total costs of the accountant in bankruptcy's office.

[holding answer 25 April 1990]: Following the coming into effect on 1 April 1986 of the provisions of the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 the resources made available to the office of the accountant in bankruptcy have been and are being kept under review to match staffing levels to the additional workload resulting from the new provisions. The number of staff in post, at 1 April in each year, was as follows:

Year	Number
1984	2·5
1985	2·5
1986	5·5
1987	5·5

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the total sums paid out in each of the last five years from (a) the legal advice and assistance scheme and (b) the civil legal aid scheme to solicitors representing bankrupt persons, persons contesting bankruptcy petitions and otherwise in connection with matters pertaining to bankruptcy.

[holding answer 25 April 1990]: The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to respond to the Audit Commission report on the work of local authority environmental health departments.

The Audit Commission has not yet produced a report. We will be responding when we have considered the commission's recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much land has been sold by Norwich health authority in each year since 1979; and if he will give details of the price realised in each case.

Information, which has for brevity been restricted to sales of over £50,000, is as follows:

Year and property	Acreage	Price £
1979–80 to 1984–85
Nil
1985–86
Blofield Hall Hospital, Norwich	16·0	250,000
Longacre Maternity Home, West Runton	1·4	129,500
Home Place Convalescent Home, Holt	16·0	207,000
Hampshire House Nurses Home, Cromer	1·1	75,000
1986–87
Vale Hospital (part) Norwich	7·4	240,000
1987–88
Land adjacent to North Walsham Hospital	3·0	402,000

Number of pupils examined (000s): Number of pupils found to be infected (000s): Number infected as percentage of maintained school population
England
	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987–881
Individual Examinations	11,682·00	9,401·90	7,288·20	6,089·60	4,546·30
Individual pupils found to be infected	172·60	132·10	105·50	94·60	91·40
Infected pupils as percentage of maintained school population	2·23	1·74	1·42	1·29	1·27
1 In 1987–88, figures were collected for the financial year, rather than as previously for the calendar year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had on the regulation of care homes with fewer than four residents.

Informal consultation has taken place with representatives of local authority associations, directors of social services and the independent sector.