To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Stockton, North, Official Report, 9 May, column 159, on the disposal of toxic wastes at Atomic Energy Association technology sites, he will make a statement on the specific material provisions for the management and disposal of toxic wastes; and what financial resources have been committed to the development and execution of the programme.

It is the UKAEA policy to minimise toxic waste arising so far as is reasonably practicable and to dispose of any arisings in accordance with legal authorisations. Costs incurred by the UKAEA are part of the normal operating costs of each site.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the net incremental cost of exempting from the community charge (a) all persons over the age of 70 years and (b) all persons above the age of 75 years, taking into account the number of such persons already receiving rebate, transitional relief or exemption from the charge by reason of residence in registered residential or nursing homes or others.

I estimate the additional cost of exempting persons over the age of 70 from the community charge would be about £950 million whilst exempting persons over 75 would be about £600 million. Both figures are in addition to reductions already received in respect of transitional relief and community charge benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will produce in tabular form for each district council in England and Wales the percentage figure of non-payment of the community charge.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his oral reply of 23 May to the hon. Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn) Official Report, column 280, when he expects to be in a position to reply to the letters of the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills of 19 March and 10 May concerning proposals by Walsall councillors to direct resources and services away from wards on the basis of how they vote.

I have now written to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average value of a Basildon new town corporation three-bedroomed house;.

The information is not collected in the form requested. The Commission for the New Towns in Basildon estimates the open market value of a typical three-bedroomed house to be £57,000, and the average length of tenancy to be 18 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the Northumberland wildlife trust and others regarding sand extraction at Druridge bay; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no representations from the Northumberland wildlife trust. Representations have been received from the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) and Councillor K. L. P. Flaherty of Northumberland county council that the Secretary of State use his powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 to revoke the planning permissions for sand extraction. However, the county council has the necessary powers themselves under the 1971 Act to review mineral working sites in their area and to revoke or modify planning permissions as they consider necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom his Department has let the contract for monitoring the implementation of the environmental assessment directive; and if he will make a statement.

The contract for the research project on "Monitoring Environmental Assessment and Planning" was let to the EIA centre of the university of Manchester's department of planning and landscape on 3 May 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain a copy of "Economics of the Environment: the Conservationists' Response to the Pearce Report", produced by the British Association of Nature Conservationists for his departmental library.

My Department already has a copy of this publication and I understand that a second is on order.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what plans he has to reduce the imput of dichloros into the marine environment, in accordance with its red list status;.(2) what records he has of the inputs of dichloros into the marine environment for each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

It is estimated that around 15 tonnes of dichloros were input to United Kingdom coastal waters in 1989; figures are not available for earlier years. At the recent North sea conference, Ministers agreed that inputs of dichloros into the North sea should be reduced by the order of 50 per cent. by 1995. The Government intend that such a reduction should be achieved for inputs to all seas around the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment to whom his Department has let the contract for the removal, sorting and recycling of waste paper and other waste from. the Palace of Westminster; how long they have had the contract; and what guarantees have been written into the contract to ensure that no paper set aside for recycling ends up in landfill.

Following competitive tendering a contract for the disposal of waste from the Palace of Westminster was let to the city of Westminster cleansing department on 1 November 1988 for three years. The paper is collected free of charge as salvage so it is in the contractor's own interest to ensure that it is used to the greatest economic advantage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the service of the Commission for Local Administration in England costs; and what steps have been taken in recent years to measure the efficiency of the service.

The grant to the Commission for Local Administration in England for 1990–91 will be £3,834,119. Management consultants carried out a study of the working of the commission in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is considering calling in planning application No. BRW/772/89 Wash road, new industrial area, Brentwood.

Brentwood district council has been directed not to grant permission for this application without the consent of the Secretary of State. As the application affects land in the green belt, the district council have decided to advertise and consider the application formally when they publish their draft district-wide local plan for public consultation. At that stage, we will consider whether or not the application should be called in.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take steps to require the water companies to clean up the beaches which do not meet the safety standards set by the European Community within a stated time limit.

My right hon. Friend announced on 5 March at column 452 that in general all municipal sewage should receive secondary treatment, but that primary treatment would be more appropriate for discharges to sea where it can be shown that this does not adversely affect the environment. The estimated cost of this new programme is around £1·5 billion. It will be fully integrated with the £1·4 billion programme announced last year to improve bathing water quality and it will be completed as soon as practicable. Discussions with the National Rivers Authority, the Office of Water Services and the sewage undertakers are taking place to work out the arrangements for implementing this policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research he has commissioned following human poisoning and pollution by blue-green algae of reservoirs; and what action he proposes to take to prevent a similar occurence this summer.

My Department has not commissioned any research following the occurrence of toxic algae in reservoirs and lakes. However, the National Rivers Authority has just announced a monitoring campaign to detect the occurence of potentially toxic blue-green algae at some 500 sites concentrating on those which are used regularly for water sports and to which the public has ready access. The NRA has at the same time issued a leaflet which incorporates advice from the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about the effect of toxic algae on humans and health. There is no evidence that treated water supplied from reservoirs with algal blooms is detrimental to public health.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the future environmental conferences, seminars and meetings which Ministers or officials in his Department will be attending in the next four months and the date of each.

Over the next four months Ministers are to attend the following environmental conferences, seminars and meetings:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the hon. Member for Rugby and Kenilworth will be sent a reply to his letter of 26 March concerning Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Morgan of Kenilworth.

I replied to my hon. Friend's letter on 7 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the policy planning guidance note on structure plans and regional planning guidance.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 15, entitled "Regional Planning Guidance, Structure Plans and the Content of Development Plans", was published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office on 25 May. I shall send my hon. Friend a copy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any oil pollution still remains on the south Devon coastline following the holing of the supertanker Rosebay.

I understand from reports received from the South Hams district council, which, as the affected local authority in Devon, has the responsibility for dealing with oil pollution once it is washed ashore, that all holiday beaches in their area are clear.The local authority is continuing to monitor beaches but there are no reports of further oil landing apart from a small quantity sighted at Hope Cove and Thurleston over the weekend of 2–3 June. There is still some oily scum around the more isolated rocky coves and some remaining bagged oily waste will be cleared from Gull and Causewell coves this week.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to find suitable sites for the long-term storage and ultimate dumping of polluted sand and seaweed scraped off the beaches of the south Devon coastline; and if he will make a statement as to progress to date and the proposed timetable.

The responsibility for identifying sites for the storage and disposal of polluted sand and seaweed lies with Devon county council as the relevant waste disposal authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the company Hunterprint had, or has outstanding, any printing contracts for work associated with the privatisation of the water industry.

Hunterprint was employed last year as sub-contractors to Burrups for the printing of water privatisation documents. There are no outstanding contracts with the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department is to propose any controls on HFCs for non-essential usage.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy on phasing out the use of methyl chloroform; and if he will make a statement.

It is the Government's aim ultimately to phase out all ozone depleting substances. In response to a United Kingdom initiative, the EC Environment Council have agreed to press for a 50 per cent. cut in methyl chloroform production and consumption by the year 2000 in the renegotiation of the Montreal Protocol.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what support Her Majesty's Government are giving to the European Community proposals on the protection of people living in big European cities against health and environmental hazards produced by bad urban organisation.

[holding answer 8 June 1990]: I have not seen the proposals described although I understand that the European Commission is publishing a Green Paper on the urban environment. The Green Paper will be the subject of consultation with member states and we will give it careful consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list his responsibilities in relation to Her Majesty's Government's responsibilities and policies on the worldwide protection of wildlife.

Formal responsibility for the conclusion of all international agreements and conventions rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Within the context of collective Government responsibility, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment implements our obligations under the Washington convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES), the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance, the Bonn convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals and the convention for the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage. He also has responsibility for formulating the United Kingdom's contribution to the world-wide development of those conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the annual load factor achieved by (a) the Central Electricity Generating Board nuclear power stations and (b) the South of Scotland electricity board nuclear power stations for each month within the last financial year; and if he will make a statement.

This is an operational matter for Nuclear Electric plc and Scottish Nuclear Limited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has received for the private generation of electrictity by gas turbines by DREH Resources of Milton Keynes in Clwyd and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

On 24 May 1990 Deeside Power Development Company Ltd., in which I understand that DREH resources is a partner, notified my Department, pursuant to regulation 6(1) of the Electricity and Pipe-line Works (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1990, of its intention to make an application for the Secretary of State's consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct a 450 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station at Shotton in Clwyd and to submit an environmental statement with its application.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the impact upon the Merseyside and North-Western electricity board of proposals to construct a gas turbine electricity station in Clwyd; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for MANWEB plc.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the future of Connah's Quay power station; and what is the estimated value of Connah's Quay power station and its surrounding land.

Decisions on the future of power station sites are a matter for the day-to-day management of the generating company concerned. The estimated value of a power station is a commercially confidential matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any plans to establish a scheme to assist redundant or former nuclear scientists of the Atomic Energy Authority and Nuclear Electric to provide technical assistance to foreign nuclear generators in radiation and nuclear waste management under article IV of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

No, though the United Kingdom makes every effort to meet its obligations under the terms of article IV of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many permanent withdrawals from safeguards of plutonium under article 14 of the 1978 tripartite safeguards agreement between the United Kingdom, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency, have been made; what were the quantities involved; and what were their isotopic compositions.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) on 21 May 1990 at column 12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what safeguards measures exist in the United Kingdom to ensure detection of the diversion of tritium from peaceful to non-peaceful applications.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Worcestershire, South (Mr. Spicer) to the hon. Member for Meirionydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas),Official Report, 30 November 1989, columns 400–1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the company Hunterprint had any printing contracts for work associated with the privatisation of the gas industry or has any outstanding printing contracts for work associated with the privatisation of the electricity industry.

Hunterprint were involved in printing material used in the flotation of British Gas plc. The question of their participation in the forthcoming privatisation of the electricity industry is a matter subject to commercial negotiation.

To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to make additional powers available to the May inquiry.

No. Sir John May has made no suggestion to me or to the Home Secretary that the effectiveness of his inquiry is being impaired by its non-statutory basis.

To ask the Prime Minister which Minister is responsible for matters relating to the Isle of Rockall.

In terms of the Island of Rockall Act 1972 as read with the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Rockall is part of the Western Isles Islands area. It forms part of the Crown Estates. The responsibilities of my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State extend to Rockall as to the rest of Scotland.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list all studies being carried out with money from the United Kingdom Government or European Economic Community funds to provide new crossings, barrages or major environmental schemes in United Kingdom rivers, estuaries or bays, and indicate when each report is expected to be completed.

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will make it her policy not to extend the reservation enabling Hong Kong ivory traders to dispose of their stocks when it expires; and if she will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs stated in his reply of 11 May to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks), the six-month reservation will be withdrawn on 18 July 1990. It will not be extended.

To ask the Prime Minister whether she has any proposals to extend the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration to include the administration of local enterprise companies.

I have no plans to do so. Local enterprise companies will be private companies formed under the Companies Acts, and as such are outwith the jurisdiction of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, which encompasses Government Departments, public corporations and public bodies whose functions are exercised on behalf of the Crown.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the number of leaks from Departments of State since June 1983 and give details of the steps which have been taken to trace such happenings and the numbers of individuals who have been held accountable.

No.

To ask the Prime Minister if it is the intention of the Government to commemorate in some form those who devoted their activities to trying to bring about in the United Kingdom a redistribution of wealth from richer to poorer citizens.

No.

To ask the Prime Minister if it remains the Government's policy that Mr. Rushdie will receive the full protection of the authorities, regardless of any financial and manpower cost, so long as there remains a threat to his life.

Mr. Rushdie's protection is a matter for the police, who will take any action that they consider necessary in the circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his policy in respect of the trend towards increasing foreign control of United Kingdom manufacturing industry.

[holding answer 7 June 1990]: The Government's general policy is set out in the blue paper on mergers policy, published in 1988.Our policy towards inward investment by foreigners in the United Kingdom is to welcome it and, broadly speaking, this applies to inward investment by way of acquisition of existing companies as much as to direct inward investment. United Kingdom companies engage in a considerable quantity of overseas investment, including acquisitions of foreign companies, and it is in the interests of the United Kingdom economy that there should be as little official interference as possible in this two-way flow.For this reason, it is also our policy to try to reduce the barriers to takeover that exist in the European Community. The European Commission brought forward a set of proposals in May to reduce and eliminate barriers within the Community.Nevertheless, there are instances in which foreign ownership of a United Kingdom company may raise particular concerns, and in such cases the power to make a reference to the MMC is available for use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, as a result of the Bergen conference, he has any plans to provide new funding to assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions of global warming gases.

The issues covered by the Bergen ministerial declaration include assistance to developing countries in the context of global environmental problems. The Government expect that the international community will take this into account in developing a global response to possible climate change. The Government are planning to allocate additional resources to helping developing countries to deal with sources of greenhouse gas emissions such as deforestation and the inefficient use of energy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans Her Majesty's Government have to help developing countries with their environmental programmes.

Our policies are set out in a new booklet, "The Environment and the British Aid Programme", a copy of which has been placed in the Library.I have arranged for a copy to be sent to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an application has been received from Kent county police to enable further police officers to be recruited to police the channel tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received an application for 52 posts in 1991–92 for policing the channel tunnel. This will be considered in the coming months with advice from Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary. Seventy police posts have already been approved in connection with the tunnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if any discussions have taken place between the developers of the channel tunnel and his Department over the level of police manpower required to police the tunnel; and if he will make a statement.

No. Under section 14 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 the policing of the tunnel system is a matter for the chief constable of the police force for the county of Kent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Yorkshire as to whether DCI Matthews was interviewed in connection with the inquiry into the west midlands serious crime squad during his recent visit to this country.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the impact of the dispute at Swansea prison on detention conditions for persons detained by the police in south Wales.

I very much regret that the dispute at Her Majesty's prison Swansea has led to a number of prisoners having to be held in police cells in the area.The responsibility for the care and conditions of prisoners in police custody rests with the chief officer of police concerned. We recognise that police cells are not designed for long-term detention and that therefore their use for people who ought to be in prison leaves a lot to be desired. I am sure that the police are doing the best that they can in the difficult circumstances under which they are operating.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to try to resolve the current dispute at Swansea prison; and if he will make a statement.

A meeting between representatives of local and regional management, and local and national Prison Officers Association was held on Tuesday 5 June. Whilst the actual dispute was not resolved, sufficient good will now exists between the two parties which should enable police cells to be cleared of prisoners by Wednesday 13 June.It was agreed that local management and POA should meet locally in an attempt to resolve the current difficulties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of (a) police officers and (b) other staff employed by each police force in England and Wales in (i) 1974, (ii) 1979 and (iii) the latest year for which figures are available.

The information requested for 1974 and 1979 can be found at appendix 1 of the annual report of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary for 1974 and at Appendix 7 of the annual report for 1979, copies of which can be found in the Library.The comparable position at the end of 1989 is set out in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will call for a report from the chief constable of Kent on the circumstances of the burglary of rifles and ammunition from a cadet force armory at Longfield upper school, Dartford, Kent.

No. The burglary of rifles and ammunition at Longfield upper school is an operational matter for the Kent police and is already under investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken to improve the clear-up rates of police forces in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Decisions about the priorities and methods for the investigation of crime are a matter for chief officers in the light of local circumstances. They already seek to target their resources on those crimes which are of most concern to the public. Clear-up rates for the most serious offences, including violence against the person and sexual offences, remain high at 75 per cent. or more. Most crime is against property, where there is a range of practical preventive measures which we can all take to help the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps are being taken to ensure that the police and security protection given to Mr. Rushdie is adequate, in view of the further threats to his life.

It would not be sensible to give details of the protection afforded to Mr. Rushdie, but the police will take whatever steps they judge necessary in the light of the threat and any other relevant circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage increase in the budget of each police force in England and Wales in each year since 1974 in (a) money and (b) real terms; and if he will make a statement on efforts being made by his Department to improve value for money in the police service.

The information relating to police force budgets is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.The Home Office is strongly committed to encouraging better value for money in the police service, in partnership with chief officers and police authorities. The main elements in Home Office activity are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he takes to ensure that no overseas elector has his name included on an electoral register in circumstances where his name was not previously included on the register for the same electoral division.

In order to ascertain the eligibility of applicants, electoral registration officers will as a matter of course check old registers, to ensure that potential overseas electors (or, in appropriate cases, a parent or guardian) were included on the register for the constituency within the previous 20 years. Guidance recently issued to registration officers by the Home Office explains which registers should be checked in particular circumstances, and how old registers can be checked when copies are not available locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what shortages of kit at Birmingham prison were discovered as a result of the special stock-taking early in the curent year.

A full check in March showed significant shortages of shirts, pants, socks, shoes and towels against the scales laid down to ensure adequate stocks in use, being laundered and in store. Stocks have since been replenished.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are adequate stocks of underwear at Birmingham prison to enable each inmate to be given a weekly change of underwear.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when, further to the letter of 8 May from Mr. A. H. Chapman of C3 division to the Rev. J. Gilmore, the document publicised by Granada Television was made public and by whom.

The letter to the Rev. Gilmore contained a typographical error. The document to which it referred was a police report and not, as wrongly stated, a public report. A letter correcting the inaccuracy has been sent to the Rev. Gilmore.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has anything further to add to his Department's statement on the Birmingham pub bombings, dated 29 March, that the document publicised by Granada Television was written before the original trial.

I understand that the document in question was in fact written in 1975 after the trial of the six men for the Birmingham pub bombings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison spaces in the south-western region need to be replaced or refurbished as a result of recent riots.

A total of 407 cells at Bristol, Dartmoor and Pucklechurch were damaged to such a degree that major refurbishment work will need to be undertaken before they can be brought back into use.Cells damaged at other establishments where disturbances took place have already been repaired.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the latest representations made to him by the chief constable of West Mercia in the case of Hilda Murrell.

My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any recent representations from the chief constable of West Mercia police on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average length of sentence for young offenders in (a) Wales, (b) England and (c) England and Wales.

Information for 1988 is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until autumn 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Chinese citizens in the United Kingdom seeking temporary asylum.

All applications for asylum in this country are considered in accordance with our obligations under the United Nations convention relating to the status of refugees.While the situation in China remains uncertain we are continuing to allow Chinese nationals who were in the United Kingdom on 4 June 1989 to remain here on an exceptional basis. Applications from other Chinese nationals are considered on their individual merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received on the plan to make his Department's laboratories self-financing from April 1991.

The plans to introduce direct charging for forensic science services from 1 April 1991 are being developed in consultation with representatives of police authorities and their chief officers and their views are being fully taken into account. No other representations on this matter have been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place between his Department and the Association of Chief Police Officers about trade union membership of police civilian staff; and if he will make a statement.

There have been discussions between the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the local authority associations on a range of issues affecting police civilian staff including training, gradings, career development and representation.The ACPO has suggested that civilian staff should be represented by a single union. Any such development would be a matter for the staff themselves and their local authority employers. My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to require police civilians to belong to a single union or to restrict their trade union or bargaining rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has undertaken any study to ascertain whether early release from prison for prisoners serving short terms could be allowed under executive release powers with minimal consequence to the community in order to bring occupancy of prisons nearer to their design capacity; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has seen no need for such a study.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each fire station in the London fire brigade that does not have any accommodation or facilities for female firefighters; and if he will call for a report from the London fire and civil defence authority explaining what proposals it has in the case of each fire station in this category.

With the exception of Leyton fire station, all fire stations within the area of the London fire brigade have facilities for female firefighters. The existing fire station at Leyton cannot be adapted because of its size and design, but the London fire and civil defence authority is currently constructing a replacement fire station which, when completed, will provide separate facilities for female firefighters. On present plans the new station will open during 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in England and Wales where slopping out still takes place.

The majority of prison places have access to night sanitation and we are looking at ways of providing access for three quarters of all places within the next few years. A list of the prisons in England and Wales at which some or all of the places did not have access to night sanitation as at April 1990 has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's proposals for fire prevention campaign activity nationally for the next two years.

We propose to build on the success of our smoke alarm television campaign with particular emphasis on increasing ownership amongst the elderly and lower socio-economic groups. The campaign will also seek to emphasise the need for maintenance of smoke alarms.We intended to produce an educational and publicity package for five to eight-year-olds. We also hope to produce an integrated educational package to cover the range of school age groups.We shall be promoting national fire safety week in October in conjunction with the insurance industry and the fire liaison panel network. We shall be continuing to work closely with fire brigades and we propose to hold a series of national and regional conferences for senior fire prevention officers in order to encourage and foster greater awareness on publicity and education and to establish a co-ordinated approach to local and national publicity.It is our aim to help minimise the risk from fire breaking out and thereby reduce casualties and deaths. In addition to the above, there are a number of continuing educational and publicity initiatives concentrating on the main risk areas activated throughout the year with the valued assistance of local fire brigades.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to meet the chief constable of Merseyside to discuss capital budgets for the Merseyside police authority.

My right hon. and noble Friend discussed these and other issues with the chief constable and members of the police authority during a recent visit to Merseyside.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed in the United Kingdom in 1989; in connection with how many of these arrests have been made or convictions secured; and if he will give the comparable figures for 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1980.

The data for homicides in England and Wales is given below. Equivalent figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are published by the Scottish Home and Health Department and by the Northern Ireland Office.In the absence of a court decision it is not always possible to distinguish between offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide; they are known collectively as homicide.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for possession of (a) heroin, (b) cannabis and (c) amphetamines in each year since 1986 on Ynys Môn.

Separate statistics are not available centrally for Ynys Môn. In the North Wales police force area the number of persons dealt with by the courts for possession of the specified drugs, which may exclude a small number of persons arrested and dealt with in other ways, was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences have been granted parole or released on licence during the past 20 years in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Life sentence prisoners are not eligible for parole but are released on licence. Statistics are not available centrally of the areas to which prisoners are released. Information on releases before 1972 is not readily available. The numbers released in each of the years 1978–88 were published in table 8.5 of Prison statistics England and Wales 1988 (Cm 825), a copy of which is in the Library. The table gives figures for those released in the years 1972 to 1977, and 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Metropolitan police officers are currently under investigation following complaints against them.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis that complaints are being investigated in relation to 4,708 police officers in the force. The number of complaints in progress at any one time is a function of the time taken by each investigation, as well as of the number of complaints made. Complaints against officers of the Metropolitan police have been on the decline for some years. In the early 1980's they averaged over 8,500 a year: since 1985 they have generally been fewer than 5,500 a year. In 1989, 5,350 complaints were made against members of the force.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions the ministerial group on women's issues has had about mechanisms for providing child care; and what conclusions were reached.

The ministerial group on women's issues has discussed child care at three meetings (April 1989, October 1989 and February 1990).The group has concluded that choice and quality are paramount considerations. A range of measures has been agreed, therefore, designed to maintain and improve the standards of the wide range of those providing child care for parents who choose to use their services.Summaries of the initiatives on child care agreed by the group are contained in the press release issued after the group's meetings in April 1989 and February 1990, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the ministerial group on women's issues last met; and what subjects were discussed.

The ministerial group on women's issues last met on 26 February 1990 and discussed domestic violence and child care. The group also received a report of the United Kingdom's presentation in January to the United Nation's committee on the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.The group will next meet on 19 June.Between meetings of the group there are regular meetings between officials in the Departments concerned to ensure that action agreed by the group is taken forward.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes there have been in the tax treatment of actors.

From 6 April 1990 theatrical employers were required by the Inland Revenue to operate PAYE on the emoluments of actors engaged under standard contracts based on terms agreed between Equity and theatre managements. The Inland Revenue's view that these are contracts of employment is based on decisions in the Courts, and has been the subject of discussions with the theatre industry for a number of years. There are, however, transitional arrangements which allow established actors, with a history of payment tax under schedule D, to continue to pay their tax under that schedule, and to receive their earnings without deduction of tax under PAYE.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he has taken of the impact of the single market on customs-free travel in 1992 when considering the need for pre-boarding customs checks at the proposed international passenger terminal at Waterloo.

The Government have repeatedly stressed the need to retain essential customs checks on EC traffic after 1992 to guard against drugs smuggling and similar threats to society. Against this background, customs checks on channel tunnel travellers are being design to be as selective and unobtrusive as possible. Checks on departing passengers are expected to be minimal and only a very small percentage of passengers arriving at Waterloo will experience any delay as they pass through familiar airport-style checks.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evaluation his Department made of the feasibility of carrying out all customs procedures on board trains using the proposed international passenger terminal at Waterloo.

A joint working party of officials and British Rail carefully consider the options. Channel tunnel traffic arriving at Waterloo is expected to be heavy, with up to four trains an hour at peak times. The working party concluded that, in preference to checks on board trains, traditional airport-style customs checks at Waterloo would be more cost-effective. Under this system, more than 95 per cent. of passengers can expect to pass through customs without being stopped.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he was consulted in his capacity as director of the European investment bank over the recent decision to extend the loan to the channel tunnel company by a further £300,000,000; and which body or organisation provided a guarantee for this further loan.

Community Finance Ministers and the Chancellor of the Exchequer form the board of governors of the European investment bank. The board of directors is composed of senior officials and private sector representatives from the member states. In accordance with European investment bank procedure, the loan to Eurotunnel was approved by the board of directors.The loan is guaranteed on the same basis as the European investment bank's previous loan to Eurotunnel: that is, by means of letters of credit from a group of first-class commercial banks, and a pro rata share with the syndicate banks in the charge on the project revenues and assets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the normal practice of the European investment bank in seeking guarantees for loans; and if he will make a statement.

The statutes of the European investment bank state that:

"When granting a loan to an undertaking or to a body other than a Member State, the Bank shall make the loan conditional either on a guarantee from the Member State in whose territory the project will be carried out or on other adequate guarantees."

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact on the Scotch whisky industry resulting from the elimination of intra-European Community duty free trade; and if he will make a statement.

There are no formal proposals in this area but the Commission have made it clear that as a consequence of the completion of the single market, duty-free shopping for intra-community travel should cease.The Government understand the Commission's view that it makes no sense to grant a tax concession for crossing a frontier when fiscal frontiers have been abolished. Equally, the Government are aware of the economic significance of the United Kingdom duty-free trade.The Scotch whisky industry and others have made representations about the effects of abolishing duty-free shopping within the Community. The Government will examine all the arguments carefully before any decisions are reached within the Community.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Hunterprint company had, or has outstanding, contracts with Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

During 1990 HMSO has awarded eight printing contracts to Hunterprint plc. Six of these contracts have been completed, one remains due for completion by July and the other is on-going.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans or studies have been made by his Department to assess measures that would have to be taken in the event of contamination by airborne plutonium resulting from a nuclear weapons accident aboard a Royal Navy ship docked at Greenwich in relation to the impact on schoolchildren studying in the area.

Action in the event of a nuclear accident involving one of Her Majesty's ships is primarily the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he collects from institutions of higher education on provision to facilitate access on the part of students with disabilities.

This information is not routinely collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate current transitional expenditure on special facilities, residential accommodation and teaching aids for disabled students in higher education.

The responsibility for such expenditure lies with the institutions, which determine their own priorities within the total resources at their disposal. The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on current financial support available to disabled students; and what plans he has to uprate this support.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Epping Forest (Mr. Norris) on 19 March (Official Report, columns 417–18). Social security benefits for disabled students are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will estimate when the loan element will reach 50 per cent. of student maintenance assuming current inflation figures.

If inflation were to remain at 9·4 per cent. and the total student support from grant (including any parental contribution) and loan were to be increased in line with inflation while the cash value of the grant remained constant, the average maximum loan facility would equal the average maximum basic rate of grant in the academic year 1996–97. The Government's forecast of inflation for the last quarter of 1990 is 7·25 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will update his reply to the hon. Member for Oxford, East, of 18 December 1989,Official Report, columns 36–40, estimating the public sector borrowing requirement effect of the student loans scheme for each year for which figures are available assuming 80 per cent., 90 per cent. and 100 per cent. take-up.

Present estimates of the public sector borrowing requirement effect of the student loans scheme are as announced on 18 December 1989 (Official Report, columns 36–40). The estimates are being revised to take account of new data, including the latest estimates of student numbers, and will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he has issued regarding the holding of weaponry and live ammunition at schools maintained by local education authorities; if he will indicate his policy on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice his Department gives schools as to the storage of live ammunition on their premises.

None. Local education authorities are guided in these matters by guidelines issued by the Police Department on regulations issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what consideration is being given to locating new buildings for the proposed Haberdasher's Aske's city technology college other than those connected with physical education on the site of the current schools' playing fields at Nunhead;(2) when the feasibility study by his Department on the establishment of a Haberdasher's Aske's city technology college will be completed; and what arrangements will be made to consult the governors, head teachers and parents at the present schools on the building and curriculum plans resulting from this study.

The provision of accommodation and facilities for the Haberdasher's Aske's Hatcham city technology college has been the subject of feasibility studies. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of July. Further consultations on the details of the building programme and the curriculum of the CTC are a matter for the Haberdashers' Company, the governing body of the present schools and the Haberdasher's Aske's City Technology Trust, when established, to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what additional provision will be made in the funding agreement for the Haberdasher's Aske's city technology college to ensure that future revenue funding will be distributed between the boys' and girls' sections in direct proportion to the number of pupils of each sex attending the CTC.

The arrangements for recurrent funding of the city technology colleges (CTCs) and the city technology college for the technology of the arts (CCTA) are set out in the final funding agreement, a copy of which was placed in the House of Commons Library in July 1989. The Haberdasher's Aske's CTC will be funded as one CTC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what support is being made available through the Universities Funding Council in the form of block grants to universities for research into meningitis.

Block grant is not earmarked for particular purposes. It is for universities to decide their own priorities for research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools were closed in each of the past five years in the Gloucestershire education authority.

The number of schools which were closed in each of the past five years in the Gloucestershire education authority area is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations, prior to the 1 July deadline, to the European Community concerning regulation 2772/75 relating to the marketing of eggs, in order to safeguard the interests of small farmers in this matter.

No. The proposed Council regulation is only framework legislation. The detail will be included in a Commission regulation which will be adopted under management committee procedure. We shall, of course, bear in mind the interests of all egg producers when the details are discussed and voted on in the management committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many menopause clinics are available in Welsh hospitals.

Consultants in a wide range of medical specialties in Wales may hold clinics for menopausal women. However, central records identify out-patient clinics by medical specialty only and menopause clinics are not separately identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the role of Cartrefi Cymru in the all-Wales mental handicap strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Cartrefi Cymru offers to county joint planning teams a range of services concerned with identifying the housing needs of people with a mental handicap, establishing their requirements for support, seeking suitable accommodation from housing providers and appointing, training and managing staff.It works on the basis of contracts with social service departments and health authorities, and has officers based in counties to develop and manage accommodation. There is a central administrative base in Cardiff to co-ordinate and administer the services provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to eliminate traffic jams on the M4.

My plans for major improvements to the M4 are set out in "Roads in Wales Progress and Plans for the 1990s". Traffic management measures are implemented as necessary at particular congestion points and during periods of new construction, improvement and maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the Assembly of Welsh Counties.

I met the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance, which includes representatives of the Assembly of Welsh Counties, earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to encourage the award of grants for modernisation and improvement of housing in Wales which is provided to meet the specific needs of ex-service men and women.

Ex-service men and women, in line with any other owner-occupier, landlord or tenant, can benefit from the revised renovation grant system to be introduced on 1 July.