To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had about standards of accommodation for civil servants working in central London.

Guidance on standards of accommodation for civil servants in London and elsewhere is contained in the office accommodation standards code which is maintained by my Department. I have not been involved in any recent discussions on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will arrange for the monitoring results of all designated beaches in the European Community sampled in the summer of 1989 to be placed in the Library;(2) which designated bathing waters beaches in Europe under the 1976 EC directive, had a higher level of total coliforms and faecal coliforms for the 1989 season than Seaton Carew centre.

This information is collated and published by the Commission of the European Communities, in accordance with article 13 of directive 76/160/EEC. Information in respect of United Kingdom bathing waters for the 1989 bathing season was sent to the Commission on 8 February 1990. The information is held in the House of Commons Library. The latest report published by the Commission relates to the 1987 bathing season.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether community charge regulations enable poll tax arrears and payments to be deducted at source from the payments made to (a) non-employed trainees and (b) employed trainees; and if he will make a statement.

Where a charging authority has obtained a liability order—that is, an order under regulation 29 of the Community Charges (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1989—in respect of arrears of community charge, it may make an attachment of earnings order under regulation 32 of those regulations. Such an order requires the employer to make deductions from the debtor's earnings. For these purposes "earnings" has the meaning given in section 24 of the Attachment of Earnings Act 1971. Since an attachment of earnings order can operate only where there is an employer-employee relationship, payments made to non-employed trainees cannot be the subject of such an order. To the extent that the pay of employed trainees falls within the definition of "earnings" in the 1971 Act, it is attachable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he holds on current local authority charges in England and Wales concerning the collective community charge; and what was the equivalent level of rates for 1989–90.

Contributors to the collective community charge are liable to pay the same amount (on a daily basis) as the amount set for the personal community charge in that area. The amounts reported to the Department for each authority's average charge for 1990–91 were placed in the Library of the House on 18 April 1990, together with a comparison with the average rate bill in 1989–90. Local authorities estimated that as at 1 December 1989 the number of people liable to contribute to the collective community charge over a full year reduced by 5 per cent. to cover the cost of collection to which the landlords are entitled was 30,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to review the community charge in the light of experience and representation in respect of (a) joint and several liability and (b) second home charge where it is a second home only because it is for sale.

We continue to keep all aspects of local government finance policy under review. On second homes, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Couchman) on 21 March, Official Report, column 658. In particular, we have prescribed that local authorities may not levy a standard charge for at least three months where a property is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished. This is similar to the arrangements under domestic rates.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his most up-to-date assessment of the numbers of local authorities in England which are charging standard community charge on empty properties at (a) the single rate, (b) the double rate, (c) zero rate, (d) 0·5 rate and (e) 1·5 rate.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Mr. French) on 20 April, Official Report, column 1033.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect of the current levels of standard community charge levied on empty properties on (a) inter-regional labour mobility, (b) regional economic development and (c) the housing market.

We have given charging authorities the discretion to set standard charge multipliers for properties in their area at 0, 0·5, 1, 1·5 or 2 times the personal community charge. We have prescribed nine categories of property in respect of which no standard charge is payable and two where the multiplier may not exceed unity. As with domestic rates, we have prescribed that no standard charge is payable in respect of unoccupied, unfurnished properties until three months after they become unoccupied. Authorities have wide discretion to specify additional classes of property which enables them to respond to local factors. This discretion contrasts with the lack of such discretion that existed under domestic rates.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give such information as he has available on (a) the sums which will be received from standard community charge in each local authority in England during 1990–91 and (b) which authorities are not charging at the level of twice the personal community charge.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department has obtained a copy for its library of the article, "The Bulb Trade—A Threat to Wild Plant Populations", in volume 23 of the FFPS journal, "Oryx"; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. Endangered species of bulbs are already afforded strict protection under the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES). The United Kingdom plays a full and active part in the CITES plants committee and in discussions with our EC partners concerning the trade controls on bulbs. At the seventh CITES conference in 1989, we supported the addition to the appendices of the genus Galanthus (snowdrop) and were successful in proposing the addition of the genus Sternbergia (autumn daffodil), thereby ensuring the regulation of trade in these species.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department was represented at the seminar on the environmental impact of Sellafield, held at Chilton, sponsored by the National Radiological Protection Board, on 23 March.

My Department was represented at the seminar by the director of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he, or officials of his Department, have been invited to participate in, or been observers at, the sixth international standing conference on low level radiation and health, to be held at the University college of North Wales, Bangor, on 7 to 8 July.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will ban all use of peat by his Department; whether he will formulate a national peatlands conservation policy; and if he will make a statement.

We already use alternatives to peat whenever appropriate. We will carefully consider extending their use, but it is considered premature at this stage to ban the use of peat completely.The Government recognise the nature conservation importance of the peatlands and are aware of the concerns expressed about the effects of peat extraction on them. We believe the best way of resolving these complex issues is within the established planning and conservation framework. We shall of course take account of forthcoming advice from the Nature Conservancy Council, together with the views expressed by the voluntary conservation bodies in their "Peat Report", the horticultural industry and many others. In England and Wales, mineral planning authorities are undertaking reviews of mineral working sites and permissions under the Town and Country Planning (Minerals) Act 1981 and will be considering peat working in this context.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution inspectors he expects to retire in the next year and in each of the next five years, by divisions.

The number of inspectors reaching retirement age over the period is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions since 1981 mineral planning authorities have made orders modifying the planning permission for mineral and peat extraction or requiring the use of land to be discontinued or continued subject to conditions.

According to our records, since 1981 no orders have been made which relate to peat extraction. Six orders have been made relating to other minerals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those nature conservation orders which have been made since the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 came into force; and if he will list those applications which have been submitted by the Nature Conservancy Council to himself and been rejected.

The number of orders made or rejected in England is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by year for the last five years the number of buildings that have suffered damage problems from airborne emissions of (a) lead, (b) carbon monoxide and (c) particulates.

No case of damage to buildings from airborne emissions of lead or carbon monoxide have been reported. These substances would not be expected to damage buildings. Particulates from diesel-engined vehicles and some industrial processes can give rise to soiling of buildings especially in urban areas, but are not known to cause structural damage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in establishing Ordnance Survey as a next steps agency.

Ordnance Survey becomes an executive agency on I May and Mr. Peter McMaster, a barrister and professional surveyor who is the present director general, will be its first chief executive.Ordnance Survey will continue to be a separate Government department, but as an agency it will be able to develop and expand its business on increasingly commercial lines. It will be expected to achieve progressively more demanding targets and for 1990–91 we have brought forward by one year the agency's key financial target to recover not less than 55 per cent. of the total annual cost of core activities; this will rise to 65 per cent. by 1992–93. Other financial objectives are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the actual expenditure by his Department on the ballot arranged by the Electoral Reform Society in connection with the proposed housing action trust in Sunderland.

We expect the cost for conducting the ballot to be around £12,300.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of the consultation and consultants' reports to his Department in connection with the proposed housing action trust in Sunderland.

The initial consultants' report and subsequent tenant consultation exercise cost around £620,000 including VAT.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to permit the release of more house building land outside the restraints of existing plans; and if he will make a statement.

We announced last year that, in order to meet needs for low-cost housing in rural areas, planning authorities may exceptionally grant planning permission for the development of small unallocated sites which would not ordinarily be released for general housing development. We emphasised that such sites must be sensibly related to existing settlements, and that arrangements must be in place to reserve the housing in question for local needs. The full policy is set out in the draft revision of "Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (Housing)" issued last October.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

The target reduction for energy consumption in my Department's buildings is 15 per cent. over the five-year period ending in April 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

The latest estimate of energy consumption for buildings occupied by my Department for 1989–90 is:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will fix the standard community charge on empty farm cottages in England and Wales on the same basis as that in Scotland.

The Government have provided that local authorities may not levy a standard charge for at least three months where properties, including farm cottages, are empty and substantially unfurnished. Local authorities have discretion to increase this period if they wish; and to levy a standard charge of less than the maximum if they want to. This discretion has been given to authorities precisely so that they can reflect local circumstances. We will be monitoring the position closely over the next few months to see if changes are necessary for 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list in the Official Report the grants made by his Department under section 13 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 showing the value of the grant as a percentage of the whole project cost.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the approximate number of (a) barn owls and (b) tawny owls reported found dead whose death is ascribed to collisions with traffic in 1989.

The approximate numbers of barn owls and tawny owls reported as found dead from collisions with traffic in 1989 are 480 and 450 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the operation of section 7 of the Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 1989 (S.I., 1989, No. 1159).

Under regulation 7 of the Customer Service Standards Regulations domestic customers may in some circumstances be eligible to claim payments or credits against water charges of £5 per day, if their water supplies have been interrupted or cut off and not restored within specified time limits. Such payments or credits are initially a matter for the water companies. Disputes as to eligibility may be referred by either party to the Director General of Water Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the presence of carbon tetrachloride in public water supplies near the Harwell Atomic Energy Authority site.

Thames Water Utilities has kept the Department informed of the results of monitoring for carbon tetrachloride in the water taken from its Blewbury borehole and put into public supply. Since the beginning of April the water has contained between 0·7 and 1·6 micrograms per litre which is well below the prescribed concentration of 3 micrograms per litre in the Water Quality Regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the proposed White Paper on the environment; and when he expects to introduce legislation on this subject.

The White Paper on the environment will be published in the autumn and will include any proposals for further legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has concerning the leak of toxic chemical gases from the GEC-Marconi research centre at Great Baddow, Essex, on 13 April; and if he will instruct Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution to conduct an investigation into the incident.

I have been asked to reply.Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive have investigated the circumstances of the fire which occurred on 13 April 1990 at the GEC-Marconi research centre at Great Baddow, Essex. The exact composition of the fumes released during the fire is unknown, but I can assure the hon. Gentleman that despite media reports to the contrary no cyanide was involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those bodies responsible for each of the research projects currently undertaken by his Department into waste management, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Devizes (Sir C. Morrison), 23 April, Official Report, column 2.

[holding answer 27 April 1990]: I regret that for reasons of commercial confidence I cannot associate the names of contractors with the costs for each project already given.

To ask the Prime Minister what further steps she proposes to make additional financial provision for pensioners whose sole income is provided by their state pension.

Most such pensioners are already entitled to additional help through income support, housing benefit and community charge benefit. Pensioners have a higher entitlement to these benefits through the pensioner premiums, which were increased earlier this month and will continue to be reviewed annually. In addition, a special increase in the premiums made in October 1989 has given extra help totalling £200 million a year to over 2·5 million less well0-off disabled and older pensioners.

To ask the Prime Minister if the case of the Birmingham pub bombings was raised by either side during her recent meeting with the Irish Prime Minister.

The subject was not discussed.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office, for the latest year available.

The latest available breakdown (1988–89) of energy for accommodation occupied by the Cabinet Office is as follows:

To ask the Prime Minister if she will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office target will be to achieve savings rising over five years to 15 per cent. of the current annual costs.

To ask the Prime Minister what factors she took into account when selecting the official party 'to represent Britain on ANZAC Day in Turkey.

As Prime Minister of a nation which lost so many lives in the campaign, I decided that I should attend the Gallipoli ceremonies. My right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary also attended. No official invitations were issued.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the decision of the Irish Government to offer Irish citizenship to Martin Galvin, who has been banned from entering the United Kingdom on security grounds, and the consequent decision of the Home Office to raise the ban on Mr. Galvin's admission because of EEC rules; if she will invite the Council to consider the implications for the security of member states of decisions similar to that of the Irish Government; and if she will make a statement.

I understand that Mr. Galvin was registered as a citizen of the Republic of Ireland in 1986 in accordance with that country's law. This fact was one factor among others in the reconsideration of the 1984 decision to exclude him from the United Kingdom. Should circumstances change materially, it will remain open to my right hon. and learned Friend to reimpose a ban as necessary. It follows that there are no grounds for raising the matter in the European Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance he proposes to give to feature film production in the United Kingdom.

The Government provide support of £1·5 million a year through British Screen Finance Ltd. for feature film production, together with a further £500,000 a year for short films and script development. Our present five-year commitment to British Screen is due to expire at the end of this year, but we announced in July 1989 that funding will continue at the present level of £2 million a year for a further three years, until the end of 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to institute an award for quality similar to the Baldrige national quality award in the United States of America.

We have no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has any proposals to increase the numbers of national measurement accreditation service centres between now and the planned establishment of the large European market at the end of 1992.

Growth in the number of laboratories accredited by NAMAS, the national measurement accreditation service, is continuing. However, NAMAS is a voluntary accrediation service and growth between now and the end of 1992 will be determined by the rate at which laboratories apply for accreditation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply the numbers, by standard planning region, of national measurement accreditation centres.

The regional distribution of accreditations granted to laboratories by NAMAS is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply figures, by standard planning region, for the average waiting time between the application by companies for certification of products in accordance with European Community standards and the receipt of certificates.

I regret that this information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

My Department aims to achieve a 15 per cent. reduction in energy usage over the next five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department for the latest year available.

Energy consumption in buildings occupied by the Department of Trade and Industry in 1988–89, the latest full year for which figures are available, was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what exports have been refused a licence under the Export of Goods Control Order 1989, since it came into force; for what countries were the prohibited goods destined; and what goods and materials were involved in each case.

[holding answer 23 April 1990]: It is not the practice to publish such information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether officials of his Department made any statement or communication to the press prior to 18 April indicating that his Department did not think it likely that the pipes impounded on Teesside by Her Majesty's Customs were for military purposes;(2) what response his Department gave to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sir H. Miller) when he approached them about the Iraqi contract.

[holding answer 23 April 1990]: In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the specifications of the Iraqi export order were first available to his Department.

In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what was the day on which his Department was first made aware of the military implications of the Iraqi contract with Sheffield Forgemasters and Walter Somers;(2) what was the day on which it was made known to his Department that Dr. Gerald Bull had conceived plans involving piping for a gun or launcher;(3) what letters there are on the Iraqi contract now known to be for a gun between his Department and Sheffield Forgemasters; and if he will list the dates of them.

[holding answer 26 April 1990] In the light of charges laid against an individual on 25 April, and in the light of the continuing investigation by Customs and Excise, it would be inappropriate to give any further information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what financial support is given to research into Friedreich's Ataxia.

The Medical Research Council, which receives grant in aid from the Department of Education and Science, spent £197,000 in 1988–89, the last financial year for which figures are available, on research projects which were relevant to Friedreich's Ataxia. The council is always willing to consider soundly based proposals for research funding in competition with other publications. In addition to this, university departments and medical schools, with support from University Funding Council block grants and heath authorities, may be undertaking research into Friedreich's Ataxia, but information on this is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his latest estimate of the amount spent by the Medical Research Council in 1989–90.

I understand that the Medical Research Council's actual gross expenditure in the 1989–90 financial year was £191,143,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of schools and colleges have participated in the environmental enterprise award scheme for schools and colleges.

The environmental enterprise award scheme is operated on behalf of the Department by the World Wide Fund for Nature with financial support from the Laura Ashley Foundation. It offers prizes to pupils and students in the age range seven to 19 who submit environment-related practical projects.Following the launch of the scheme in September last year, 134 groups of pupils or students registered projects in 1989–90. Of the 18 registrations by pupils or students in the 16 to 19 age category, five were by students in colleges. The scheme is to continue in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many people were undertaking courses leading to qualifications in environmental protection for each of the last five years.

Readily available information is as follows for students in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will list the company or companies intending to invest in Brighton's city technology college at Woodingdean;(2) what sums of money the private sponsors investing in the new city technology college at Woodingdean, Brighton, will be putting into that project in the financial years 1990–91 and 1991–92;(3) when it is estimated that the Brighton city technology college will be open to receive pupils; and how many pupils will be received in the first year of operation;(4) what guarantees he has had from the Faraday Trust that adequate sponsorship for the Brighton city technology college project will be forthcoming; and what percentage of the total cost of the project will be provided by the private sector;(5) what references have been provided for the private sector supporters of the Brighton city technology college; and what measures have been taken to check on those references;(6) what discussions have recently taken place between Ministers and officials from his Department, local education authority representatives and representatives from the Faraday Trust; and what the contents of those discussions were;(7) what information he has on the curriculum and admissions policy to be followed by the Brighton city technology college.

I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) on Thursday 26 April 1990, Official Report, column 270.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) in respect of the Brighton city technology college what sums of public money have directly and indirectly been paid over to. or repaid by, Mr. Ivor Revere or to or by any company with which he has been associated; and if, in every case, he will give details of each transaction including date, amount, payee and drawer;(2) if he will list for each payment forming any part of the sums of £2·3 million and £2·5 million specified in those answers to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989,

In June 1989 a sum of £250,000 was paid from public funds as a deposit for the purchase of the site of the former Fitzherbert school in Brighton. The balance of the price, £2,250,000, was paid from public funds in September 1989. Those sums were paid to the CTC trust and thence to solicitors acting for the trust and by them to solicitors acting for the initial purchaser, Mr. Ivor Revere. In December 1989 the CTC trust discovered that the purchase price of £2·5 million included a commission of £200,000 charged by Mr. Revere. This was immediately recovered and returned to public funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what factors account for the difference between the figure given in his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn, Official Report, 24 April for the sum paid from public funds for the acquisition of the proposed city technology college site in Brighton, and that given in his answer to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) of 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264.

The figure of £2·5 million quoted in my hon. Friend's reply to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Grocott) on 20 October 1989, Official Report, column 264, included a commission charged by the then principal sponsor of the proposed Brighton CTC who purchased the site initially before its transfer to the CTC trust. The commission was repaid immediately once the CTC trust discovered that it had been charged. The net cost of the site to public funds is £2·3 million, excluding legal expenses, as I told the hon. Member on 24 April, Official Report, column 145.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 24 April, Official Report, column 146, what consultations he is undertaking as part of his review of the proposed Brighton city technology college, following the withdrawal of the principal sponsor; and what deadline he has set for the conclusion of these discussions.

I refer the hon. Member to the pursuant reply that I gave to him on Thursday 26 April 1990, Official Report column 270. Consultations were undertaken with the Michael Faraday Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on progress towards establishing a city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney;(2) how much ADT securities or companies and individuals associated with them have offered by way of financial support for the proposed city technology college on the site of the former Mayfield school, Putney; and how much has been paid over by them;

The Department is considering proposals to establish a city technical college on the site of the former Mayfield school. ADT plc has pledged £1 million sponsorship towards this project. No payments by the sponsor are required at this stage. Architectural feasibility studies are being undertaken in order to determine the capital costs of establishing the CTC. Until these are completed, no firm figure for capital costs can be given. If a decision is taken in favour of going ahead, I will contribute 80 per cent. of total capital expenditure on this project and the sponsors will contribute the remaining 20 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what response has been made by the Medical Research Council to the letter from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council recommending further research into bronchitis and emphysema following the council's 1988 report, Cm. 379.

The secretary of the Medical Research Council wrote to the Industrial Injuries Council (IIAC) on 3 June 1988 explaining that the council would review the possibilities for further research in this field. When it completes this review it will inform the IIAC of its conclusions. The Medical Research Council is always willing to consider soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much he has spent or allocated for research into bovine spongiform encephalopathy from 1985 to 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first diagnosed in November 1986. No funds were allocated specifically for research on it prior to that date. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy belongs to a family of diseases called the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies which include scrapie in sheep. The main United Kingdom centre of research on scrapie and related diseases is the neuropathogenesis unit in Edinburgh which is jointly run by the Agricultural and Food Research Council's institute for animal health and the Medical Research Council. The following table gives the science budget funding allocated by the Agricultural and Food Research Council to the institute for animal health for work on scrapie and related diseases since 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to review the extent of surplus land and buildings available to University of Wales college of Cardiff.

That is a matter for the institution itself in consultation as necessary with the Universities Funding Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to review or clarify the terms of the repayable grant of £4·4 million made to University of Wales college of Cardiff to assist the merger of University college, Cardiff and the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 20 March 1990, Official Report, column 520.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the target reductions for energy consumption in the buildings occupied by his Department.

The Department aims to reduce energy use by 15 per cent. (temperature corrected at constant prices) over the period 1990–91 to 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by his Department, for the latest year available.

The information requested by the hon. Member is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to (a) require parents wishing to change their child's school to state what the reason is for their request and (b) deny any request based on racial grounds; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities are required by the Education Act 1980 to enable parents to express a preference as to the school their child should attend, and to give reasons for their choice. Such reasons are, quite properly, only of relevance if the school in question is oversubscribed. They will then be tested against the published admission criteria, which cannot be racial ones. In other circumstances, parents' choices should be accepted without further ado.My right hon. Friend has said, in commending the code of practice recently produced by the Commission for Racial Equality, that racial discrimination has no place in the education service. The Department has also taken a variety of initiatives to improve the response of the education service to ethnic diversity, while the remits to the National Curriculum Council and the School Examinations and Assessment Council require them, in exercising their functions, to take account of the ethnic and cultural diversity of British society, and of the importance of promoting equal opportunities for all pupils, regardless of ethnic origin and gender.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will name all individuals and bodies which have offered themselves as sponsors of the proposed Medway city technology college;(2) if he will place in the Library copies of letters from him to officers of the Skinners Company covering the proposed Medway city technology college;(3) if he will make a statement on the sponsorship of the proposed Medway city technology college by

A consortium consisting of Cable and Wireless plc, the Skinners Livery Company, Robert McAlpine and Sons, and Evelyn Rothschild has expressed interest in supporting a city technology college in the Medway area. To date, no project for a city technology college in this area has been agreed, and the court of the Skinners Company has now decided that it will no longer sponsor a city technology college. It is not appropriate to make public details of private correspondence between me and sponsors, or potential sponsors, of city technology colleges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of applications for places in each university college in Wales were made by prospective students from Wales in each of the past 10 years.

[holding answer 25 April 1990]: Applications to United Kingdom universities for admissions to full-time undergraduate courses are dealt with by the Universities Central Council on Admissions.Information about the candidature at individual universities, or constituent colleges of individual universities, is not released by the Universities Central Council on Admissions without prior authorisation of the institution (or its constituent colleges).The table, prepared from data provided by the Universities Central Council on Admissions, shows the percentage of applications from United Kingdom candidates to the University of Wales as a whole made by individuals recorded as being of Welsh domicile.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the current prison population.

On Friday 27 April the total prison population was 45,948. This represents a reduction of some 3,513 since the same time last year. The initiatives taken by the Government to reduce the number of people held in custody are bearing fruit. The intention of our proposals in the White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" (Cmd. 965) is to reduce the prison population still further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what he is doing to speed up the completion of the Pentonville extension;(2) when the extension at Pentonville was originally expected to be completed; and what the completion date now is.

No plans exist for extending accommodation at Her Majesty's prison Pentonville but a phased programme of improvement work is under way. This includes the refurbishment of the four living blocks, including installation of integral sanitation, and improvements to ancillary facilities.Refurbishment of the first living block is virtually complete and, on current plans, the remaining blocks should be finished by 1994. Work is due to start in the coming year on a new reception area and improvements to the gate. Other work planned in the next few years includes a new kitchen which should be ready by 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which prisons in the north-west he has received reports from boards of prison visitors since January.

As at 23 April 1990, annual reports for 1989 had been received from boards of visitors for Her Majesty's prisons Haverigg, Kirkham, Liverpool, Manchester, Risley and Wymott.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent prison disturbances.

My hon. Friend will understand that following the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend in the House on 26 April at the conclusion of the disturbances at Manchester prison, it would now be appropriate to await the outcome of Lord Justice Woolf's inquiry into the disturbances before seeking to draw conclusions.In the meantime, however, as was explained to the House last week, my right hon. and learned Friend is taking urgent action in a number of areas to reduce the possibility of a repeat of the appalling events of the last few weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress on the Government's prison building programme.

The Government are engaged in the largest prison building programme this century. Eight new prisons, providing 3,500 places, are already open. A further 14 are at various stages of construction and design, and are planned to provide over 8,000 new places by 1994. In 1991, we shall be spending nearly £300 million on new prisons.Much is also being done to improve conditions at existing establishments. In 1990–91, we shall be spending over £120 million in all in improving the prison estate, and over £20 million on major maintenance. Similar sums will be spent in the following two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase grants for use by local authorities' civil defence and emergency planning departments to respond to peacetime natural disasters or industrial accidents.

Provision for civil defence grant payable to local authorities has increased from £21·867 million in 1989–90 to £23·372 million in 1990–91. Under the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act 1986, local authorities may use civil defence resources in connection with emergencies and disasters occurring in peacetime.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate an investigation into the possibility of Japanese war criminals who should face criminal proceedings living in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Any allegations that alleged Japanese war criminals may now be resident in the United Kingdom would of course be seriously considered. We are not aware that any such allegations have been made, however, and therefore see no reason to initiate any investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the level of morale in the Metropolitan police force.

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the morale of his force is excellent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisons are more than 100 years old.

Thirty-four per cent. of prison establishments (42) in England and Wales were in use as prisons before 1890. Many of these have, of course, been substantially altered or reconstructed since they first opened as prisons. In addition, 4 per cent. of establishments (five) are in premises which are partly or wholly over 100 years old but which have been converted to prison service use more recently.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many objections were received by his Department to the building of a new remand facility at Everthorpe.

Apart from representations made by my hon. Friend the Member for Boothferry (Mr. Davis), four letters and a petition signed by 65 residents were received objecting, in principle, to the building of the remand centre on the Home Office land at Everthorpe. Additionally, 19 representations were received in respect of the loss of woodland on the site chosen.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to his Department of keeping Lorrain Osman in prison on remand; and how long that period of remand has been.

Mr. Osman was remanded in custody on 7 December 1985 pending consideration of a request for his extradition.On 1 June 1987 he was committed to custody to await the Secretary of State's order for his surrender to the Hong Kong authorities. Mr. Osman has not yet been returned to Hong Kong because of the series of appeals initiated by him against extradition.On the basis of average operating costs for Pentonville prison, the total cost to date of detaining Mr. Osman is estimated at about £56,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the proposed expenditure in 1990–91 on advertising the rights of overseas voters under the Representation of the People Act 1989, for each overseas country;(2) what is the total sum to be spent in 1990–91 advertising the rights available under the Representation of the People Act 1990 to overseas voters.

The information requested is set out in the table.