To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the speed limits on the Western avenue between the White City and the Hoover building were last assessed; and whether he intends any changes in the near future.

The current speed limits along this stretch of the A40 have applied for a number of years. There are no immediate plans to make any changes to the existing limits on this stretch of the A40, but the situation will be reviewed as and when circumstances change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the weight restriction signs which were removed during the gales earlier this year on the one-way flyover at the Hogarth roundabout, at the junction of the A4 and A316, will be replaced.

Yes. The damaged sign gantry will be replaced during night time hours in the week commencing 21 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list in the Official Report the requirements and regulations covering folding crew seats and jump seats used by bus passengers.

The requirements for crew seats in buses are contained in the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981, (SI 1981/257) as amended by SI 1982/1058. The relevant regulations are Nos. 3, 6, 25, 26, 28, 28A and 45A.The requirements for seat belts for bus crew seats are contained in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, SI 1986/1078, as amended by SI 1987/1133. The relevant regulations are Nos. 46 and 47.The Conditions of Fitness Regulations do not permit the use of crew seats by bus passengers. Neither do they refer to "jump seats". However, any seat used by a passenger must comply with regulation 28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to increase the amount of funds available for the construction of the channel tunnel rail link.

We are currently considering proposals submitted by BR and its private sector partner, Eurorail, for a high-speed link between London and the channel tunnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the health and safety at work working group has made in the establishment of compatible accident reporting systems and procedures for the exchange of information on accidents during work on the channel tunnel.

Accidents are reported to the national authorities in the United Kingdom and France under existing regulations and procedures. I understand that information about accidents is exchanged through the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and its health and safety working group, and a standard reporting form has been developed to ensure the compatibility of information about individual accidents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on what dates the health and safety at work working group of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority met; and what was discussed;(2) if he will give details of the discussions that have taken place within the health and safety at work working group of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on particular health and safety problems associated with the construction of the channel tunnel.

I understand that the health and safety at work working group of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority meets on average once a month to discuss various topics to do with health and safety in the channel tunnel. The group has principally been concerned over the last year with issues relating to the safety of workers on both the British and French sides during the construction phase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions have taken place within the health and safety working group of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority over the need to harmonise working standards and practices when the tunnels meet; and whether there will be a harmonisation of relevant national legislation.

I understand that a series of discussions has been held in the health and safety working group of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority on the health and safety arrangements which will need to be put in a place to ensure an optimum safety regime when the tunnels meet. When the safety authority reaches conclusions, the intergovernmental commission will consider how best to make arrangements within the provisions of the treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) on what date the safety report referred to on page 4 of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority annual report 1988–89 was received; and what actions stemmed therefrom;(2) on what date the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority received an adequate preliminary risk analysis of risks and hazards from Eurotunnel.

I understand that at an early stage in the design of the project Eurotunnel submitted a preliminary risk analysis for the terminals and tunnels. Since then, certain Eurotunnel submissions on individual aspects of the design and operation of the system have been accompanied by safety reports which provide elements of a safety analysis. However, as the chairman of the safety authority said in his letter of November 1989 submitting the annual report, the authority sees a need for a full hazard analysis to be commissioned by the concessionaires and audited by the maitre d'oeuvre. The safety authority will be closely involved in designing and monitoring the study and assessing the significance of the results.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority's annual report 1989–90 will be published.

I understand that the report is under preparation by the safety authority and should be published in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his reply to the right hon. Member for Worthing of 21 February, Official Report, column 818, if, he will intervene to ensure that the traffic lights at the junction of St. George's road and Garden way, London, are not operated in future.

The London borough of Southwark is the responsible highway authority for St. George's road and Garden Row. Representations about the future of the traffic lights at the junction of these two roads should be directed to that council. I understand, however, that the early indications are that the pedestrian accident rate has in fact improved since the lights were installed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable was set for the installation of additional traffic signals at the junction of Newham way, A 13 and Tollgate road, Beckton; when he now expects them to be operational; and if he will state the reasons for any delay.

I regret the delay in installing the new traffic signals which was originally planned for last summer. This was due to several factors including difficulties over design and contract procedures. Tendering is in hand with a view to work starting in July for completion in October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what he estimates would be the approximate annual yield of a road tax of £50 per car, and £100 per coach or lorry, with 100 per cent. supplements for foreign-registered vehicles entering an exclusion zone drawn on a radius of eight miles from the Aldwych in London.

I do not have annual figures for vehicles entering such an exclusion zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what year he expects the proposed widening of the M40 between junctions 1 and 3 to be completed; and what traffic flows, by volume, density and mix, he anticipates at Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield at this time and in the following 10 years.

Consultants are to be appointed later this year to investigate options for carrying out the work—the preferred scheme is expected to be announced in 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, following the meeting he had with the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive and others on 26 April, the authority has been asked to supply further information regarding electrification schemes between Bradford and Leeds; and if he will make a statement.

The West Yorkshire passenger transport executive was asked to supply further information on 1 May. We will consider its application for credit approvals for the scheme in the light of that information and the resources available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to ensure that mudflaps and other equipment on heavy goods vehicles are so designed as to reduce the lateral spray which can obscure the vision of other drivers, particularly when overtaking or being overtaken.

Regulations requiring heavy goods vehicles and trailers to be fitted with spray reducing devices have been in existence since November 1984. The European Commission has put forward proposals for a directive on spray broadly in line with our regulations. The fitment of spray suppression devices is also a requirement of the heavy goods vehicle test.Difficulties can still, however, arise with spray from vehicles in adverse conditions. Research into this problem is now taking place. Any additional requirements resulting from this research would need agreement withinthe European Community.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each of the last three years those sites of special scientific interest in Staffordshire which have been damaged by operations which were granted planning permission.

I am advised by the Nature Conservancy Council that between 1 April 1987 and 31 March 1990 there was no reported case of damage by activities given planning permission in Staffordshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many successful prosecutions have been completed under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960; which organisations were found guilty; and on what dates.

Since the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 came into force in 1963 there have been some 13 successful prosecutions in England for breaches of the Act. Because of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 it is inappropriate to give details of individual convictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Devizes (Sir C. Morrison) of 23 April, Official Report, column 2, if he will give further details of the research being carried out into toxic and problem waste management and chemical, thermal and biological detoxification.

The following two broad headings which were used in my previous answer include the listed detailed objectives:

Toxic and Problem Waste Management

• To determine a variety of ways in which asbestos waste of various types may be reliably and economically destroyed.
• To determine operational quality control procedures for the assessment of cement-based solidified wastes under field conditions.
• To determine the extent of any potential hazard arising from disposing of mercury containing batteries with household waste.

Waste Management

• To determine the general operating conditions under which PCBs can be destroyed by high temperature hydrogen reduction.
• To determine whether waste acids or other suitable chemicals may be utilised to degrade persistent pesticide wastes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, how many representations he has received from (a) local authorities and (b) members of the public concerning the extra funding necessary to implement provisions in the Environmental Protection Bill; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has received a number of comments from both local authorities and members of the public about the Environmental Protection Bill. The vast majority have been supportive of the new provisions. Some representations have been made about funding to implement relevant parts of the Bill, but I have been able to give the assurance that the new charging systems provided for in parts I and II of the Bill will provide local authorities with an entirely new source of finance from which to fund their new duties. Savings as a result of streamlined procedures for dealing with statutory nuisance under part III will also release resources. We are currently seeking local authorities' views on the cost of implementing the draft code of practice on litter and refuse in part IV of the Bill, and additionally we have commissioned consultants to undertake a survey of 20 local authorities to determine whether extra resources will be required.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the latest currently available cost to him of his proposals to split nature conservancy representatives between England, Scotland and Wales.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 17 January, Official Report, column 252.

(Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what specific financial, efficiency and quality of service targets he has approved for the Building Research Establishment for the current year and for the longer term.

My right hon. Friend's statement on 28 March, Official Report, column 238 indicated the heads under which performance targets had been set for the Building Research Establishment for 1990–91. I can give the following figures:

	Targets
net vote cost	£1,764,000
untilisation rate for chargeable staff	1 per cent, improvement on previous financial year
non-Exchequer income as a percentage of total income	8·4 per cent.

Figures for other targets are commercially sensitive for the agency and will be treated in confidence. Performance targets for the longer term are currently being developed as part of the agency's corporate planning process.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to introduce legislation about the administering of common land and the rights of ordinary people on land designated as common.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) on 11 May 1990, Official Report, column 244.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek to amend the Environmental Protection Bill to take account of the concerns expressed by Dudley council concerning radioactive substances.

No. The regulation of radioactive substances is a Government responsibility. The Radioactive Substances Act 1960 already requires local authorities to be consulted in respect of proposals to dispose of radioactive waste from nuclear licensed sites or where a local authority would be required to take special precautions. The Environmental Protection Bill further provides that local authorities will receive copies of every application for authorisation to dispose of radioactive waste from organisations in their area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are made for the recycling of waste paper removed from the Palace of Westminster in bins now labelled "For Recycling Only"; how that paper is sorted; and what is the percentage efficiency and the cost over the past year of recycling waste paper from the Palace of Westminster.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: Waste paper set aside for recycling is roughly sorted on site before being removed, free of charge, by the contractor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to lay the relevant parliamentary orders specifying the budget reductions required of those authorities designated for charge capping in 1990–91.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: While there are related matters before the courts it would not be appropriate for me to comment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amount of deprivation Oxford, Cambridge, Kent, Dorset, Hampshire, Bedfordshire, the Isle of Wight and Rotherham were assumed to suffer under the determination of the standard spending assessment for 1990–91.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: Standard spending assessment make no explicit assumptions about levels of deprivation. A number of the individual service elements of standard spending assessments take account of social factors. A full description of the methodology used for calculating standard spending assessments is given in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England) which was approved by the House of Commons on 18 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer in the Official Report, 3 May, columns 617–18, to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East, if he will list the local government areas in England for which equivalent figures are available.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: Equivalent figures are available for the following areas:

• Avon
• Buckinghamshire
• Derbyshire
• Dorset
• Durham
• Isle of Wight
• Kent
• Lincolnshire
• Northumberland
• Surrey
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands
• West Sussex
• Wiltshire

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received from the National Rivers Authority as to what investigations are taking place into the leakage of highly toxic chemicals into the River Bourne from a timber and building supplies site; what action the Government are taking to ensure that dangerous chemicals are contained in vandal-proof structures; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: My officials were kept informed on this incident by the National Rivers Authority when it occurred. Since then the authority has been carrying out a full investigation but its report is not yet complete.No decision has yet been made on whether regulations or guidelines on the storage of dangerous substances need to be strengthened.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give details of the new funding arrangements for the housing transfer in Rochester and Medway; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 May 1990]: Details of the funding arrangements are a matter for the financiers and the proposed purchaser of the housing. Any requests for such details should be made to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many professional vacancies remain unfilled at Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; what he proposes to do to remedy the situation; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 May 1990]: There are currently 25 professional vacancies in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, seven of which are reserved for successful candidates to date from the current recruitment competition. We are continuing to recruit actively to fill the remaining posts.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has also introduced an additional assistant pollution inspector recruitment grade, for candidates with full professional qualifications and at least two years industry experience, who will qualify as pollution inspectors through further training and experience in the inspectorate. This will widen the recruitment for future pollution inspectors, while fully maintaining the present professional standards. The first recruitment competition for APIs is now in progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make environmental impact assessment mandatory on all planning applications for the extraction of peat.

[holding answer 11 May 1990]: Environmental assessments cannot be made mandatory on all planning applications for peat extraction, as each case has to be considered on its merits. EAs will be required, however, where the proposed development is likely to have a significant environmental impact.

To ask the Attorney General if he will make a statement about the decision of the Lord Chancellor's department not to participate in the Government supply index.

The Lord Chancellor's Department has made no decision about participation in the Government supply index. It is being considered as a part of the overall strategy for the computerisation of purchasing information systems within the Department.

To ask the Attorney-General how many replies he has received to his consultation paper on bereavement damages in favour of (i) increasing the limit to (a) £5,000 and (b) £10,000 or (ii) leaving the limit unchanged.

A total of 265 replies to the consultation paper on bereavement damages issued by the Lord Chancellor have been received and these are currently being studied and evaluated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the extent to which race awareness training is part of the present syllabus in degree and other law courses in universities and polytechnics.

None. The curriculum of universities' and polytechnics' law courses is a matter for them and for the relevant professional bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of 16-year-olds stay on in full-time education either at (a) school or (b) further/higher education institutions in (i) Cornwall and (ii) England.

A total of 27 per cent. of 16-year-olds participated in full-time education in school in Cornwall in 1987–88 and 24 per cent. of them did so in further or higher education institutions. The corresponding figures for England were 27 and 20 per cent. respectively.

Notes: These figures are based on the definitive census counts: the form 7 exercise in schools and the further education statistical record. They differ from the figures used to answer a slightly different question on 8 May which necessitated using a sample survey: the school leavers survey. Age is taken as at 31 August 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what circumstances Her Majesty's inspectors inspect private colleges of higher education.

My right hon. Friend has a duty to cause inspections to be made of all further and higher education institutions within the PCFC funding sector and those which are maintained or assisted by local education authorities. He has no such duty in respect of independent institutions. However, he may at the request of the management of such institutions, cause an inspection to take place. In those circumstances Her Majesty's inspectorate may participate in a supporting assessorial role.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any new proposals to help British exporters.

The volume of United Kingdom exports has continued to grow, reflecting the strong position of United Kingdom industry. Excluding oil and erratic items, the volume of exports in the first quarter of 1990 was 8 per cent. higher than a year earlier. There is a wide range of advice and support available from my Department to assist United Kingdom exporters and of which many firms make use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the export performance of firms in the north-west.

Export data are collated on a national not regional basis and it is not possible to separately identify the export performance of firms in the north-west from official trade statistics.However, north-west chambers of commerce survey local industry and commerce quarterly. Their findings for the first quarter of 1990 indicate that generally, compared with the fourth quarter of 1989, exports continue to grow and that the north-west region is sharing in the growth of exports nationally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what status is held currently by Indonesia in relation to export credit guarantees; and whether this status is under review.

The ECGD is currently open for short, medium and long-term cover on Indonesia. It is reviewing its policy towards those markets on which, in portfolio terms, its exposure is heavily concentrated. Indonesia is one such market. The importance of Indonesia to United Kingdom exporters is well recognised and this will be taken fully into account in the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many trade delegations from Iraq have visited the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

We have readily available information only on officially supported inward missions of which there were one in each of the years 1988–89 and 1989–90. There was Iraqi participation in two multi-country inward missions in 1985–86 and 1987–88.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many British trade delegations have visited Iraq in each of the last five years with the support of the Department of Trade and Industry;2) how many trade delegations have visited Iraq in each of the last five years with the knowledge of his Department.

The number of trade delegations, including trade fair groups, missions and seminar participants, that have visited Iraq with Government support in each of the last five years is as follows:

	Number
1985–86	Three
1986–87	Four
1987–88	Four
1988–89	Three
1989–90	Six

Unsupported missions are a matter for the companies concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will supply the names of companies who have been on trade delegations to Iraq in each of the last five years.

It would not be appropriate to provide this information which is a matter between my Department and the companies concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has now set the allocation of his Department's expenditure on consultants for 1990–91.

An allocation of £3,080,000 has been made for consultants out of Department of Trade and Industry running costs for 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to make regulations under section 245(4) of the Companies Act 1985 as amended by section 12 of the Companies Act 1989.

My Department issued a consultative document yesterday on the issues to be covered by regulations under S245(4).A copy has been placed in the Library of the House. Further copies are available from my Department by telephoning 071–215 3093, or writing to DTI, Room G707, 10–18 Victoria street, London SW1H 0NN.The deadline for comments is 20 July 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the definition of capital in respect of the requirements for capital adequacy on the part of firms in the financial services sector; what is his definition of capital for this purpose; and if it is his intention to apply this definition to any representations he may be making to the European Commission in respect of the harmonisation of requirements for 1992.

[holding answer 14 May 1990]: The Government will continue to take account of the views of United Kingdom financial institutions during the negotiations on the proposed EC capital adequacy directive, including views on the definition of capital. We will be pressing for a definition which takes account of the structure of the United Kingdom financial services industry. In our negotiations on the CAD the United Kingdom is pressing for capital to be related to risk, and for levels of initial capital which do not act as barriers to entry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 April, Official Report, columns 805–6, (1) whether a person currently practising in the United Kingdom as either a qualified or unqualified Afro-Caribbean hairdresser will be allowed to practise as such in the other European Community countries after 1 January 1993; and whether he will make a statement;(2) whether a person qualified and practising as an Afro-Caribbean hairdresser will be allowed to continue as such after 1 January 1993;(3) whether a person not qualified in Afro-Caribbean hairdressing but practising as an Afro-Caribbean hairdresser will be allowed to continue as such after 1 January 1993.

:[holding answer 8 May 1990]: The profession of hairdresser is not regulated by law in the United Kingdom and the completion of the single European market will not alter this.The treaty of Rome already guarantees freedom for every EC citizen to work, to seek work or to set up business in any EC member state. However, member states are not at present obliged to recognise professional qualifications or professional experience gained in other member states, and often do not.Two main initiatives have been taken to remedy this. First, Council directive 82/489/EEC on hairdressing already makes it easier in certain circumstances for hairdressers who have practised in one member state to meet vocational training requirements in another.My Department is responsible for issuing the certificates specified in that directive. Second, the Commission has put forward a draft directive on a second general system for the recognition of professional education and training (COM(89) 372 of 8 August 1989) which is aimed at ensuring that all professional qualifications gained in one member state are recognised in another. The directive is currently under discussion in a Council working group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he received the report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on the Government's proposals to end the entitlement of students to housing benefit, unemployment benefit and other social security benefits; and if he will publish the report immediately.

The report of the Social Security Advisory Committee on the draft Social Security Benefits (Student Loan and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 1990 was received on 27 April. We are, at present, giving careful consideration to the report which will be published with our formal response in the normal way when the regulations are laid before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what progress his Department has made in establishing the social security Benefits Agency.

I announced earlier today the appointment of Michael Bichard as chief executive of the Benefits Agency following selection by open competition. This is a major step in setting up the agency which will come into being next April and which will be the largest executive agency in Government. Mr. Bichard is currently chief executive of Gloucestershire county council. He has wide experience of management and will, I am sure, make a first-rate leader of the new agency. He is being appointed for a five-year period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish in the Official Report the numbers and percentages of his staff in grades 1 to 7 who have (a) arts, (b) science and (c) technical degrees, (d) who are qualified accountants, (e) have postgraduate qualifications in management and (f) who were educated in (i) local authority and (ii) private schools.

[holding answer 2 May 1990]: The table relates to staff recorded on the Department's headquarters personnel computer system, including professional staff. Information about the remainder of the Department's staff is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

	Number	Per cent.
Total number of staff in grades 1 to 7	3422	100
Number with arts degrees	72	17
Number with science degrees1	198	47
Number with law degrees2	41	10
Number with post-graduate qualifications in management	—	—
Number with no degree	111	26
1 One hundred and sixty-four of whom have medical degrees.
2 There are no members of staff with other "technical" degrees.
3 Only one of the 422 staff in grades 1 to 7 is a qualified accountant, 0·2 per cent, of the total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has for restricting the role of community health councils in representing the public in future National Health Service contracts and fund-holding general practices.

The role of community health councils (CHCs) will remain fundamentally unchanged. District health authorities will be expected to take careful account of the views of their resident population on the overall pattern of service which they plan to secure through their contracts. CHCs will play an important role in this. Fund-holding general practititioners, being in direct touch with the patients they serve, will have less need of an intermediary in this respect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners offer alternative and complementary therapies to National Health Service patients.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms. Harman), 8 May, Official Report, column 84, in how many of the 22 abortions performed after 24 weeks gestation attempts were made to save the life of the child; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not collected centrally. Matters relating to the care of patients are confidential and are for the clinical judgment of the doctor concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted to establish the incidence of chronic exposure to low levels of pesticides; what training doctors within the National Health Service are given to enable them to recognise this; and if he will make a statement on the health implications for the general public of chronic exposure to low levels of pesticides.

[holding answer 23 April 1990]: We are not aware of any United Kingdom research into the incidence of chronic exposure to pesticides. Surveys of human milk and human fat carried out as part of the regular monitoring by the working party on pesticides residues in food have indicated very low residues of fat soluble pesticides and related chemicals. Residues of pesticides found in food are generally within recommended maximum residue levels and within the safety limits.Pesticides are approved for use by Ministers after receiving the advice of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides which considers all relevant toxicity data including that on consumer exposures. If significant adverse health effects are a possibility, approval is not recommended.All doctors receive training in the diagnosis of acute poisoning, including that from exposure to pesticides. In addition, all general practitioners and hospital accident and emergency departments have been issued with a copy of the book "Pesticide Poisoning", a copy of which is in the Library. This gives guidance on the diagnosis and treatment where acute poisoning from pesticides is suspected. Chronic exposure to the levels of pesticides found in the diet are not known to have any health effects, but, if a doctor was unable to attribute symptoms in a patient to other well-recognised causes, it would be open to the doctor to consider chronic exposure to pesticides as a possible cause of the illness. Working towards the diagnosis of obscure illness by eliminating more obvious causes is a normal part of medical training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he will introduce at the meeting of the European Council of Energy Ministers in Brussels on 21 May.

Only the European Commission has the right to initiate formal legislative proposals to the Council. My right hon. Friend will suggest whatever changes he considers necessary during discussions with the other Energy Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if details of the origins, sizes and dates of spent fuel imports for reprocessing are notified to his Department for the purposes of international nuclear safeguards.

My Department receives reports on all spent nuclear fuel imports, for the purposes of international nuclear safeguards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the claims made in the circular letter sent to all hon. Members by Friends of the Earth on 9 March concerning the tropical forest action plan.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) on 5 April, at column 733.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current level of bilateral aid and EC provisions for El Salvador and Nicaragua; what are the plans for the rest of the current financial year; and if he will make a statement.

We have a bilateral technical cooperation programme for El Salvador which will continue —£154,000 in 1988 including disaster relief. I recently announced that we were starting a modest technical cooperation programme for Nicaragua, which should get under way during the year. As regards EC provisions, EC commitments are made in respect of individual projects from within the total allocated annually for the Asia and Latin America programme. Figures for EC commitments in recent years are:

	1987	1988	11989
El Salvador	19·73 mecu	2·87 mecu	3·91 mecu
Nicaragua	21·42 mecu	43·23 mecu	16·49 mecu
1 Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about his Department's decision not to participate in the Government supply index.

No such decision has been taken. The Welsh Office is actively considering participation in the Government supply index.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his latest estimate of (a) the total number of personal poll tax payers in Wales and (b) the number in receipt of community charge benefit.

The information is as follows:

(a) 2,175,000 (including students).

(b) 550,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in how many of the district health authorities of Wales there are currently proposals being considered for a cut back in the service of family planning clinics within their area; and if he will identify those authorities considering such cutbacks.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of hospitals closed in Wales during each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

The number of hospitals which have closed, and are still closed, is given in the table. During the same period, seven hospitals, including four district general hospitals, have opened, and the NHS in Wales is treating a record number of patients.

Number of hospitals closed since I January 1980
Year	Number
1980	3
1981	1
1982	–
1983	1
1984	3
1985	6
1986	3
1987	2
1988	1
1989	–

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether budgets for 1990–91 for expenditure on management and computer consultancies have yet been finalised.

Yes. Most of the resources are found from within the central administration vote and in 1990–91 £230,000 has been earmarked for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics were recorded in each quarter of 1989 in each health authority area in Wales;(2) how many new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics were recorded in each quarter of 1988 in each health authority area in Wales;(3) how many new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics were recorded in each quarter of 1987 in each health authority area in Wales;(4) how many new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics were recorded in each quarter of 1986 in each health authority area in Wales;

Quarter ended	Clwyd	East Dyfed	Pembrokeshire	Dyfed1	Gwent	Gwynedd	Mid Glamorgan	Powys	South Glamorgan	West Glamorgan
1986
March	1,049	919	286	1,205	1,732	974	1,035	150	1,866	1,236
June	1,168	1,002	285	1,287	1,912	1,034	1,118	160	1,963	1,263
September	1,304	1,036	266	1,302	1,753	885	1,204	143	1,862	1,225
December	1,255	1,122	308	1,430	1,818	937	1,284	159	2,216	1,284
1987
March	1,178	1,018	329	1,347	1,747	854	1,121	153	2,041	1,175
June	1,225	985	334	1,319	1,543	894	1,190	146	2,078	1,430
September	1,169	893	232	1,125	1,481	968	1,151	126	2,298	1,213
December	1,269	1,053	386	1,439	1,773	1,012	1,388	177	2,076	1,129
1988
March	1,499	1,045	431	1,476	1,801	1,163	1,703	139	2,380	1,384
June	1,315	1,044	279	1,323	1,881	1,220	1,352	143	1,887	1,159
September	1,335	1,108	303	1,411	1,688	1,141	1,485	146	1,759	1,277
December	1,343	1,227	386	1,613	1,763	965	1,276	190	2,260	1,361
1989
March	1,369	1,245	320	1,565	2,190	1,040	1,347	170	2,221	1,694
June2	1,310	1,267	424	1,691	2,178	1,044	1,821	230	2,182	1,594
September2	1,445	972	296	1,268	2,023	986	1,981	152	1,956	1,459
December3
1 The county of Dyfed comprises the health authorities of East Dyfed and Pembrokeshire.
2 Provisional.
3 Not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new out-patient attendances at ophthalmic clinics were recorded (a) in South Glamorgan and (b) in Wales in the first quarter of 1990.

The information is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his answers of Tuesday 8 May on glaucoma, whether he will ask each health authority and family practitioner committee in Wales to notify him of the numbers of cases of glaucoma diagnosis that were recorded in (a) 1986, (b) 1987, (c) 1988, (d) 1989 and (e) the first quarter of 1990.

I shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet Bishop Alwyn Rice Jones to discuss the north Wales sea floods.

The table shows the number of new ophthalmology out-patients recorded in NHS hospitals in Wales, by county and district health authority:

I have received no request for a meeting from Bishop Rice Jones. If such a request is made it will be considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if any of the proposed site of the over-the-horizon radar installation on the site of the former St. David's airfield, Pembrokeshire, is designated a site of special scientific interest.

I understand that the proposed sites will be located entirely within the boundaries of the Ministry of Defence land at St. David's airfield and that no part of that land has been designated a site of special scientific interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing for each of the district health authorities in Wales, the financial sums borrowed by them on an interest-free basis from other authorities in Wales for each year from 1984–85 to 1989–90, and where appropriate, if he will indicate whether these loans were used for revenue or capital purposes.

The information requested is shown in the table:

Brokerage between district health authorities
	Revenue £ million	Capital £ million
1984–85
Gwent	—	-0·287
Mid Glamorgan	+1·287	—
South Glamorgan	-0·500	—
West Glamorgan	-0·500	—
1985–86
Clwyd	—	+0·500
West Glamorgan	-0·500	—
1986–87
Nil	—	—
1987–88
Mid Glamorgan	+0·750	—
West Glamorgan	-0·750	—
1988–89
Gwent	+1·000	—
Gwynedd	+0·780	—
Powys	—	-0·500
South Glamorgan	-0·780	—
West Glamorgan	-0·500	—
1989–90
Clwyd	—	-1·000
Gwent	+1·000	—
Gwynedd	+0·500	—
South Glamorgan	-0·500	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his reply of 9 May to questions concerning health care in Gwynedd, if he will publish a copy of his letter in answer in the Official Report.

No, a copy of the letters will be made available in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what specific financial, efficiency and quality of service targets he has approved for the Central Office of Information for the current year and for the longer term.

The targets that have been approved for the Central Office of Information are set out in annex A of its framework document as follows:

To ask the Minister for the Arts, pursuant to his answer of 1 May, Official Report, column 475, why details of energy consumption are not available for the buildings occupied by the offices for which he is responsible.

[holding answer 10 May 1990]: My office is located in two buildings, both shared with other Government Departments. They are not sub-metered to measure individual Departments' actual energy consumption. Charges are therefore made on the basis of the respective areas of floor space. I shall write to the hon. Member with further details.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list those aspects of the supplementary question of 26 April from the hon. Member for Linlithgow concerning contacts between Mr. Charles Powell and Mr. Conrad Black which she does not accept as having a basis in fact; and if she will make a statement on the aspects of the hon. Member's interpretation which she does not accept.

I have nothing further to add to my reply of 26 April.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 15 May.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today. This evening I shall attend a memorial service for the late Lord Rothschild.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she will list in the Official Report the subjects on which, as a result of the transfer of functions to executive agencies, Ministers will no longer answer questions.

Ministers remain fully accountable to Parliament for all the work of their Departments, including executive agencies. However, hon. Members may often wish in the first instance to deal directly with agency chief executives on those matters for which they have delegated authority under the agency's framework document and I would encourage them to do so. In such cases the chief executive will be best placed to give them a response promptly and effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he is giving to the recommendations contained in the report published by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust entitled "Working with the Sex Offender: Issues for Policy and Training, Prevention and Treatment" a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement.

I welcome the initiatives taken by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in focusing attention on the treatment and sentencing of sex offenders. We are considering the report's recommendations and its points for action and we shall take them into account in developing our own strategy for the treatment of sex offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on recent reductions in training facilities available for ex-offenders following the renegotiation of contract for voluntary sector providers.

Funding for employment training is a matter for the Department of Employment. I understand that recent reductions in funding are related to falling unemployment and a significant reduction in the numbers of young people entering the labour market. The Training Agency and the new training and enterprise councils seek to ensure that suitable training is provided for people with special needs, including ex-offenders. Officials of the Home Office and Training Agency are jointly examining the implications of the Government's recently published White Paper on dealing with offenders in the community in relation to training and enterprise programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used to determine whether a prisoner should be held on rule 43; and if he will make a statement.

Prison rule 43 provides that, where it appears desirable, for the maintenance of good order or discipline or in his own interests, that a prisoner should not associate with other prisoners, either generally or for particular purposes, the governor may arrange for the prisoner's removal from association accordingly. Segregation for more than three days requires authorisation by the board of visitors. Where a prisoner's segregation is requested or recommended for his own protection, the governor must satisfy himself that the prisoner is seriously at risk of assault by other prisoners and that his safety cannot be assured by other means. Where segregation for maintenance of good order or discipline is considered, the governor must be satisfied, in the light of information available, that the prisoner's continued association with other prisoners poses a threat to the efficient running and control of the prison. The governor may arrange at his discretion for a prisoner to resume association with other prisoners, and must do so if in any case the medical officer so advises on medical grounds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of births to women prisoners have been stillborn in each of the last 10 years.

There were eight deliveries within prison service establishments between 1 January 1979 and 31 March 1989 none of which were still births. Figures for still births in outside hospitals are not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of pregnancies of women prisoners have resulted in a miscarriage in each of the last 10 years.

This information is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Her Majesty's Government's policy is towards Somali refugees.

As with other nationalities, our policy is to grant asylum to Somali refugees for whom the United Kingdom is the most appropriate country of refuge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of foreign nationals who came to the United Kingdom to study English through language schools in (a) 1979, (b) 1984 and (c) 1989.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, the international passenger survey results for 1984 showed that there were an estimated 477,000 visits to the United Kingdom by foreign residents who attended an English language course. It is not known what proportion of these studied at language schools. Respondents holding passports from the main English-speaking countries were not asked about their attendance on English language courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prosecutions made under the Data Protection Act; and if he will give the outcome of the prosecutions.

We understand that 27 prosecutions by the Data Protection Registrar have been completed. Twenty-six of these resulted in fines, averaging £466·67; and one in a conditional discharge. Details are obtainable from the registrar. Some prosecutions have also been initiated by the Director of Public Prosecutions, but they are not separately listed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of children aged three and four years were in receipt of nursery education in each

Number of 3 and 4 year olds in education authority nursery schools
	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1987	1988	1989
Borders	299	313	301	363	387	394	359	390	438	447
Central	1,399	1,512	1,681	1,858	1,960	2,166	2,210	2,492	2,568	2,744
Dumfries and Galloway	253	257	266	247	271	287	316	428	550	625
Fife	3,192	3,235	3,280	3,142	3,439	3,805	3,993	4,193	4,402	4,329
Grampian	2,233	2,196	2,222	2,244	2,235	2,425	2,433	2,678	2,985	3,171
Highland	331	455	484	519	567	580	618	617	645	622
Lothian	6,718	6,529	6,795	6,799	7,045	7,477	7,966	7,965	8,064	7,969
Strathclyde	14,501	14,768	14,841	15,406	16,071	16,793	17,376	17,551	17,828	18,683
Tayside	1,841	1,933	2,007	2,014	2,097	2,112	2,136	2,344	2,516	2,975
Orkney	78	96	93	74	85	89	92	83	97	101
Shetland	32	86	99	91	85	82	102	110	111	119
Western Isles	160	151	162	156	169	146	0	0	0	0
Scotland total	31,037	31,531	32,231	32,913	34,411	36,356	37,601	38,851	40,204	41,785

Percentage of 3 and 4 year old children in population in receipt of nursery education
	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1987	1988	1989
Borders	12·2	12·8	13·7	17·1	17·5	16·6	15·2	16·6	18·7	19·1
Central	19·3	21·4	25·2	28·8	29·3	31·2	31·2	37·8	39·2	41·9
Dumfries and Galloway	7·0	7·4	8·4	8·0	8·1	7·9	8·7	12·7	15·8	17·9
Fife	35·4	36·3	38·3	39·3	40·8	42·2	42·8	48·5	50·4	49·6
Grampian	18·2	18·0	18·7	19·4	18·3	18·6	18·6	21·2	24·0	25·5
Highland	6·3	8·5	9·1	10·2	10·7	10·3	10·5	11·6	12·3	11·9
Lothian	36·0	36·6	40·4	43·0	43·3	43·8	45·3	47·8	47·9	47·3
Strathclyde	22·2	23·2	24·7	27·7	27·8	27·7	27·6	29·6	30·1	31·6
Tayside	18·5	20·4	22·1	23·2	23·5	23·0	22·6	25·1	26·5	31·3
Orkney	16·8	19·4	19·3	14·9	16·5	17·9	18·3	18·3	20·7	21·5
Shetland	4·5	11·7	13·2	12·1	12·1	11·1	13·6	17·7	18·1	19·4
Western Isles	19·2	16·8	18·4	19·3	19·7	16·2	0·0	0·0	0·0	0·0
Scotland total	22·9	23·8	25·6	27·8	27·9	28·0	28·2	30·8	31·9	33·1

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what will be the future role of the Strathclyde police in the protection of Royal Ordnance, Bishopton;(2) what would be the responsibility of the Strathclyde police for any serious incident taking place at Royal Ordnance, Bishopton.

The police are responsible for the containment and investigation of any serious incident wherever it may take place. The chief constable of Strathclyde has discussed the future security arrangements at ROF Bishopton with the Ministry of Defence; and the role he proposes for Strathclyde police is an operational matter for him.

The figures for local education authority nursery schools and departments at each September for which information is available are set out in the tables. Information for 1985 and 1986 is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning delays in the processing of visas at United Kingdom embassies and high commissions abroad.

We receive a number of representations, both from hon. Members and from the public, about entry clearance procedures and delays at our embassies and high commissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the evidence on which he based the statements on the second page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s" (a) that goods and services will become more freely available and (b) it will become easier to move bank accounts from the United Kingdom to other European countries.

The single market programme includes a large number of measures to improve the availability of goods and services in the EC: for example, the removal of internal customs barriers; liberalisation of transport; and setting of common standards. The capital liberalisation directive agreed in 1988 requires most member states to lift restrictions on capital movements by 1 July 1990, thus facilitating capital flows in the EC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) legislative and (b) other measures which have secured the policy objectives set out on the ninth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s".

Twelve White Paper measures have so far been agreed to open up the banking, insurance and stock market sectors; nine more are being discussed; and one is still to be brought forward. Closer co-ordination of member states' economic policies was agreed by the Council decision of 12 March 1990. And state subsidies to industry have been reduced by stringent application of articles 92 and 93 on state aids.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was (a) the total actual expenditure of the EEC and (b) the net United Kingdom contribution in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989; what is the estimate for 1990; and how these figures relate to the statements made in the first, second and third paragraphs on the eighth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s".

The table provides the relevant figures. Budgets since the 1988 Brussels European Council have stayed well within the GNP own resources ceiling established then. Community GNP has grown significantly.

	Total EC expenditure	United Kingdom net contribution
	£ million	£ million
1986	22,953	572
1987	24,894	1,721
1988	27,426	1,362
1989	30,123	2,315
11990	33,355	2,175
1 Estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give the figures on which he bases the statement on the eighth page of his Department's pamphlet entitled, "Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s", that beef stocks are down by 80 per cent. and cereals by 55 per cent.; and if he will list the specific measures of budgetary control which have brought about these reductions.

In February 1990, beef stocks were 125,000 tonnes (a reduction of 82·4 per cent. from their highest level, in September 1985, of 711,000 tonnes); and cereals stocks 8,121,000 tonnes (a reduction of 55·4 per cent. from their highest level, in October 1985, of 18,193,000 tonnes).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the evidence on which he based the statement on the fourth page of his Department's pamphlet, "Britain in the Community: Europe in the 1990s", that minimisation of immigration checks is a major objective of the Community; and if he will list the checks which it is proposed to remove.

The statement in the pamphlet "Britain in the Community" about ease of travel in the Community directly reflects articles 3(c) and 8(a) of the treaty of Rome, which specifically call for the abolition of obstacles to freedom of movement for persons, and provide that the internal market shall include such free movement of persons in accordance with the provisions of the treaty. My right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Home Department explained our position in full during the debate on intra-Community frontiers on 4 May 1989.