To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the consultants' reports on the proposal to add an extra lane in each direction to the M1 immediately north of its junction with the M6.

The study I announced last December was of existing conditions and the feasibility, in general terms, of a range of widening options.The next step will be the appointment of consultants to prepare and design a scheme for particular lengths of the motorways to be widened.Bids have been invited for a design commission covering the section referred to by my hon. Friend. I hope that that will enable us to publish firm proposals during the summer of 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been published in each year since 1980 by his Department identifying means of (a) transport for passengers and (b) manufactured goods from Britain to Europe by the least environmentally damaging means; and what specific criteria have been used in order to make such assessment.

We have not published any specific studies on the movement of people or goods from Britain to Europe by the least environmentally damaging means. However, a number of Government publications include information on the environmental aspects of different modes of travel.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the present annual cost to public funds of subsidies to bus companies.

In 1988–89 fuel duty rebate of £157 million was paid to operators of local bus services, and rural bus grant of £13 million to operators of rural services (this grant has now been phased out). In addition, support for London bus services and local authority support of individual local services outside London came to £345 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is able to make any assessment of the fire risk in automobiles and as to whether lead-free petrol is safer or less safe in the event of such incidents.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The difference in fire risk between leaded and unleaded petrol is negligible. The performance of certain fire-fighting foams can be affected by the amount of alcohol used in either type of fuel. Petrol blended in the United Kingdom does not contain any added alcohols. Small quantities of imported petrol may contain alcohol up to the levels permitted in British standards. They pose no problems for the current generation of fire-fighting foams.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the road research laboratory has undertaken research into the possible relationship between different forms of fuel, including lead-free petrol, and post-accident fires; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The transport and road research laboratory's work on car fires has concentrated on their immediate causes, such as electrical systems. There is no evidence to suggest that the severity of these fires is dependent on whether the fuel is leaded or unleaded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will take steps to ensure that British Rail assess all new investment schemes for external benefits which would attract funding by Government grant;(2) whether any of the approved investment by British Rail will be met by Government grant in recognition of benefits to the users of improved services.

InterCity no longer receives subsidy from the taxpayer. Its investment programme and that for channel tunnel services will be determined by normal commercial criteria.As far as provincial and Network SouthEast are concerned, there is no case for subsidy for investment for which passengers are willing to pay and which meets the normal financial criteria. However, the new objectives for British Rail set out in my right hon. Friend's letter of 19 December to the chairman make it clear that where investment to increase the capacity of the system cannot meet the normal financial criteria, a cost-benefit analysis should be carried out so that a decision can be taken on whether capital grants would be justified on wider social and economic grounds, such as relief of road congestion. The majority of the provincial sector's investment is like for like renewal which is not required to earn any return and is effectively met from revenue grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he will take to ensure that. in the period after the channel tunnel is opened and before a high speed rail link is constructed, there is no reduction of local rail services in south London owing to inadequate track capacity.

This is an operational matter for British Rail. British Rail gave an undertaking to Parliament during the passage of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987 that existing domestic rail services would not be curtailed in consequence of the need to find capacity for through channel tunnel services. I understand that British Rail stands by its undertaking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether, in the construction of the road links to the channel tunnel, an assessment has been included for the cost of increased congestion and accidents resulting from greater volumes of traffic on other roads.

The assessment of all trunk road schemes includes an appraisal which takes account of costs associated with delays—that is congestion, accidents and changes in vehicle operating costs, for the road in question and the surrounding network.Assessments have been made of the extra traffic expected to arise from the opening of the channel tunnel. This extra traffic is expected to be quite small when compared with the forecast growth of traffic generally. For appropriate schemes, such as those on the M20, relevant channel-related traffic has been added to predictions of general traffic growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will discuss with British Rail the provision of station access for disabled people.

The provision of facilities for disabled people at stations is the responsibility of British Rail. They pursue an active policy of making rail travel as accessible as possible to all who wish to use it. I shall be meeting the board's adviser on disability on 26 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has reached any decisions regarding the future of the Traffic Area organisation; and if he will make a statement.

Extensive consultations have been held with interested parties about the future number and pattern of Traffic Area offices and Traffic Area boundaries.In view of the reducing workload for the organisation, I have decided that the Traffic Area offices in London, Nottingham and Newcastle should be closed, and that the following changes should be made to the present Traffic Area boundaries:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he now expects that each stage of the A1/M1 road in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire will be opened;(2) when he expects to let the contract for each of the remaining stages of the A1/M1 road in Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.

The following is the information requested. Start of work on contracts 2, 3, 5(N), 8 and 9 is dependent upon the outcome of outstanding statutory procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much expenditure was envisaged under the Government's expenditure plans in each of the years from 1988–89 to 1992–93 on housing action trusts; how much expenditure has been incurred to date; and what are the latest estimates of likely expenditure over the current and next two financial years on housing action trusts.

Details of planned expenditure were given in the 1988 public expenditure White Paper (Cm 288–11). These were revised in the 1990 public expenditure White Paper (Cm 1008) in the light of the Housing Act 1988 requirement for tenants to be balloted. No expenditure has been incurred so far.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from Greenpeace concerning radioactivity around the United Kingdom coast.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has received no such representations from Greenpeace this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make an order under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 confirming the charge caps on those local authorities which neither accepted the caps he proposed nor put forward alternative amounts within the statutory period of 28 days of their being designated for capping.

I cannot make an order under section 106 of the 1988 Act unless a draft of it has been laid before and approved by resolution of the House of Commons. I have today laid before the House a draft section 106 order confirming the caps of the three authorities which did not respond to the caps which I proposed. As required by the

Region	Property type
	Shops	Factories	Hotels and boarding houses	Offices	Mines
Northern	8·89	5·31	12·75	6·69	11·16
Yorkshire and Humberside	9·95	6·54	13·18	7·41	22·28
East Midlands	8·73	5·78	14·38	6·89	15·65
East Anglia	10·46	6·94	12·89	8·53	—
Inner London	9·62	7·17	12·95	6·96	—
Outer London	9·41	6·32	11·99	7·24	—
Rest of South East	10·64	7·09	14·44	10·23	10·89
South West	11·10	7·18	10·90	9·80	5·96
West Midlands	7·22	4·53	12·91	6·47	18·22
North West	8·36	5·17	12·31	6·61	14·59
England	9·52	6·10	12·85	7·47	16·81

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the overall increase or decrease in the total rates paid by non-domestic rate payers in each local authority in England, by authority, between 1989–90 statute, the amount of the cap is the same as that which I proposed for each of the authorities concerned. The authorities and the caps are as follows:

		Implied reduction in budget
	£	£ million	£ per adult
Basildon	23,700,000	4·2	35
Bristol	56,600,000	7·6	26
Doncaster	178,500,000	11·6	53

This will be welcomed by the charge payers concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from local authorities and other interested bodies regarding (a) the new requirement for debt payments from capital receipts and (b) advanced leasing arrangements.

Since publication in July 1988 of the Government's proposals for a new system of local authority capital finance my Department has received numerous representations from local authorities and other interested bodies on many aspects of the new system. No detailed analysis is available of all the points raised.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by local authority, the cost of collecting the community charge per individual.

I have today arranged for the available information on budgeted costs for 1990–91, as shown on returns made by local authorities, to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the overall increase in rateable values in the 1990 rating valuation list as compared with the rateable values previously in use for the categories of (a) shops, (b) factories, (c) hotels and boarding houses, (d) offices and (e) mines and (i) in total for England and (ii) by economic regions.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: Revaluation factors indicating the increase in rateable values shown in the lists deposited with local authorities on 20 December 1989 for the property types requested are given in the table.and 1990–91

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: Estimates of the information requested by my hon. Friend, based on the rateable values shown in the lists deposited with local authorities on 20 December, have been placed in the Library today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the relationship of community charge to rates in both gross

Ranges of 1989–90 equivalent net household income (£ per week)
	Under 75	75–100	100–150	150–200	200–250	250–300	300–350	350–400	400–500	500+	All Households
Domestic Rates
Gross	7·45	7·96	8·16	9·07	9·71	10·40	10·67	11·57	12·13	14·13	9·47
Net	2·46	3·01	5·59	8·67	9·56	10·34	10·67	11·54	12·12	14·13	7·99
As a percentage of net income in each range
Gross per cent.	9·8	9·3	6·8	4·3	3·6	3·2	2·9	2·8	2·7	2·0	4·0
Net per cent.	3·2	3·5	4·7	4·1	3·6	3·2	2·9	2·8	2·7	2·0	3·3
Community Charge
Gross	8·83	8·15	8·46	10·31	10·81	11·04	10·62	10·40	10·01	9·98	9·67
Net	2·34	2·76	5·58	9·15	10·08	10·46	10·18	10·06	9·76	9·72	7·71
As a percentage of net income in each range
Gross per cent.	10·9	8·9	6·5	4·5	3·7	3·1	2·7	2·3	2·0	1·3	3·7
Net per cent.	2·9	3·0	4·3	4·0	3·4	3·0	2·6	2·3	2·0	1·3	3·0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received concerning proposals to make double-glazing a requirement in the planning of all new houses; and if he will make a statement.

Double-glazing is one of the thermal insulation measures which can be used to satisfy the requirements relating to the conservation of fuel and power in the amended Building Regulations which came into force on 1 April 1990. My Department receives many representations concerning the conservation of energy in new houses and some of these call for the installation of double glazing to be made a mandatory requirement under the Building Regulations. But we consider that the designer and builder should be given the flexibility to choose the most appropriate insulation to suit the particular circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any proposals to review the right-to-buy provisions of the Housing Act 1980; and if he will make a statement.

The right-to-buy legislation is kept under constant review; there have been a number of changes to it since its introduction in 1980.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out in 1990 prices the level of funding for the Leeds Development Corporation for 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

[holding answer 12 June 1990]: The table provides the information requested on the same basis as the figures placed in the Library on 15 February 1990. Equivalent income has been calculated using the McClements scale factors.

The actual amount of grant in aid provided to Leeds development corporation was £2·743 million in 1988–89 and £8·75 million in 1989–90. £14 million is available in 1990–91.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make available the results of the epidemiological study carried out in 1989 at Langland bay; and if he will make a statement.

Today I have placed in the Library copies of a comprehensive report prepared by the Water Research Centre on the findings of studies to test methodologies for assessing the risks of contracting illnesses from sea bathing. The report is based on research carried out at Langland bay last summer with the assistance of Swansea district council.Two types of study were carried out. The first study involved interviewing bathers who were on the beach of their own volition, and obtaining information of any perceived symptoms by means of a questionnaire and, subsequently, by telephone.The second study used two groups of healthy volunteers. One group was asked to swim in water meeting EC standards while the other group did not swim. The volunteers were examined medically both before and after the day at the beach. Ethical clearance was obtained for this work which is the first of its kind to examine participants medically so as to provide an objective assessment of symptoms.Water quality during the studies was good and well within European standards. As found in previous surveys higher proportions of bathers reported ear and throat symptoms than non-bathers but unexpectedly fewer bathers reported gastro-enteritis than non-bathers. No significant association was found between reported symptoms and clinical diagnosis.The studies demonstrate that both approaches with minor modification appear capable of yielding statistically reliable conclusions if carried out at a larger scale.The contract with the Water Research Centre will be extended to provide for further studies in the coming summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of (a) dwellings completed under the energy conservation programme and (b) grants paid under the homes insulation scheme in (i) the London borough of Camden and (ii) the London borough of Islington for each year from 1979, including the current year so far.

[holding answer 12 June 1990]: Figures for the number of grants paid under the homes insulation scheme and the number of local authority dwellings benefitting from works under the energy conservation programme are published in "Local Housing Statistics" (Nos. 66, 70, 74, 78, 82, 87 and 90) for the years 1979 to 1988. In 1989 the London borough of Camden reported two grants paid and Islington reported nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the current rate of growth of homelessness in the United Kingdom per annum; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 15 June 1990]: Between 1988 and 1989 the estimated number of households accepted by housing authorities under homelessness legislation increased by about 8 per cent. It should be stressed that there are people for whom accommodation has been found.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total allocation for the current financial year of money for city grants; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The total resources available for city grant in 1990–91 are £49 million, including expenditure on previously approved urban development grant and urban regeneration grant schemes. Payments made in any year relate mainly to projects approved in previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses, and of what type and anticipated rents, he has requested to be incorporated into the West End Development scheme application for city grant; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: It is not our practice, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to reveal details of developers' proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what stage has been reached in the consideration of the application for city grant by 3Ds Ltd; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: 3Ds Ltd has submitted details of its proposals for the West End development scheme and discussions continue with the Department on what further information may be needed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the largest grant so far made of city grant; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The largest city grant approved so far is £6·3 million for a project at St. Helens to reclaim a derelict and contaminated 50 acre site.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the proposed widening of the M2 motorway in Rochester, Kent; and what was his response.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has received the inspector's report on the planning inquiry on British Coal's Hawkshurst moor proposal for a new coal mine in Berkswell near Coventry.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: Yes. The report has recently been received and I shall announce a decision in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make an announcement on the future of the County hall, London SE1.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 21 May Official Report, Volume 173, column 28.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the 92 Football League clubs together with the total season's attendance for football league matches, total number of arrests made at such matches and the number of arrests as a percentage of the total attendance, for the seasons 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90;(2) if he will publish a table showing the total attendance at Football League matches in England and Wales, the total number of arrests at such matches, and the number of arrests as a percentage of the total attendance, accurate to four decimal places, for the seasons 1987–88, 1988–89 and 1989–90.

I have been asked to reply and will do so shortly, when figures for the 1989–90 season become available from the Association of Chief Police Officers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the number of value added tax refund claims under Customs and Excise notice No. 719, "Refund of VAT to Self Builders", processed during the fiscal year 1989–90.

The total number of claims processed under this relief during the fiscal year 1989–90 was 9,817.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new businesses registered for value added tax in the latest year for which figures are available.

Table: Number of EIB loans, per year since 1985, to companies and other bodies, with breakdown by Her Majesty's Government or other guarantee.
	Number of loans
	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Companies
with Her Majesty's Government guarantee	3	5	3	3	0
with other form of guarantee	10	16	6	23	47
Sub-total	13	21	9	26	47
Other bodies
with Her Majesty's Government guarantee	8	16	16	1	0
with other form of guarantee	27	25	34	1	0
Sub-total	35	41	50	2	0
Total number of loans	48	62	59	28	47

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will discuss with the Governments of France and West Germany the means of continuing taxonomic support for teams working in Malaysia and Cameroon in the light of staff reductions at the natural history museum;(2) what assessment he has made of the implications of reductions in the Heteroptera section of the natural history museum for work sponsored by his Department

I am investigating the possible implications for our programmes of the planned staff reductions at the natural history museum and will give a full reply as soon as I have the information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what decommissioning cost the Government have approved for British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.'s present plant;

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: On the basis of Customs and Excise data on registrations, the number of businesses registered for value added tax in the 12 months ended 31 March 1990 was 266,084.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his reply of 11 June, Official Report, column 21, if he will publish a table showing the number of loans made by the European investment bank to companies and to other bodies, respectively, in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years; and if he will further indicate how many of these loans, in each year, were guaranteed by Her Majesty's Government and by other bodies, respectively.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: A table listing this information follows:and if he will give a breakdown of this expenditure as between the plants at Sellafield, Springfields and Capenhurst.

Estimates of the cost of decommissioning British Nuclear Fuels plc's plant are matters for the company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.'s investment in the next 10 years is planned to be financed by debt; and whether this debt will be guaranteed by the Government.

I understand from British Nuclear Fuels plc that it is envisaged that between 5 per cent. and 10 per cent. of the company's currently projected capital investment programme over the next 10 years will be financed by additional borrowing. The majority of these loans are likely to be supported by Government guarantee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the latest expected cost of the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield in 1989–90 prices; and whether this capital sum is inclusive of the costs of waste effluent discharge plant, and any other ancillary constructions that arise as a consequence of building the THORP plant;

The expected capital cost of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield is some £1·8 billion making due allowance for future inflation. This capital cost includes the receipt and storage facility and an appropriate share of the facilities for converting highly active wastes into vitrified form. The other facilities used in association with THORP include storage ponds that have already been constructed, and facilities for the treatment of less active wastes and effluents. The capital costs of these supporting facilities are estimated at some £0·9 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy during his visit to North America this month, what proportion of his time he intends to devote to the promotion of the nuclear and oil industries, and what proportion of time to the energy conservation and renewable fuels industries.

I visited Canada and the United States from 5 June to 13 June. My visit to Canada was mainly to support the United Kingdom offshore oil and gas industry in its attempts to win business in Atlantic Canada, particularly offshore Newfoundland. I met senior members of the provincial government and oil industry representatives. In Washington, my talks were concerned primarily with energy policy in the context of climate change; that concerns all our energy-related industries. I signed a memorandum of understanding on collaboration in energy research and development, covering non-nuclear energy R and D, with Admiral Watkins, United States Secretary for Energy. While in Washington I opened the offices of BNFL Inc.—the United States subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels plc.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the increase in the price of electricity supplied to domestic householders by the South Western electricity board in each of the last five years.

This is a matter for South Western Electricity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what research his Department has undertaken into the importance of diatoms in maintaining the world's atmosphere, through their production of oxygen.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the effect of the reductions made in the diatom and palaeo-botany sections of the natural history museum on the international deep sea drilling project and research into petroleum and other fossil fuels.

My Department no longer maintains an interest in the international deep sea drilling project. I do not believe that our interest in the other matters will be affected by the reductions at the natural history museum referred to.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to pay an official visit to the United Nations.

I have at present no plans to do so. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will visit the United Nations for the general assembly in September.

To ask the Prime Minister when she next intends to visit the European Parliament.

During the British presidency of the Community in the second half of 1992.

To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government have any proposals to provide compensation for commercial fishermen when they are prevented from landing and selling their catches because of health requirements initiated by local authorities or Her Majesty's Government; and if she will make a statement.

No. The recent warnings against the consumption of shellfish from the north-east coast of Britain were in response to the threat to public health posed by the natural and temporary phenomenon of algae blooms. Such blooms have been known to occur periodically along this stretch of the coast for many years.It is in the interests of fishermen that the public is properly protected. Their present and future receipts depend upon public confidence in the quality of British fish products.

To ask the Prime Minister how many letters she has received in the past four weeks on the dangers of global warming, ozone depletion and associated matters; and if she will make a statement on any further initiative the Government is considering taking with regard to these issues.

I have received numerous letters on both these and other environmental issues in the last four weeks. I announced on 25 May 1990 the part that the United Kingdom is ready to play in international action to tackle global warming. At the meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol in London next week we will urge all countries to join the protocol and press for strengthening of its terms. We will be publishing a White Paper this autumn on the whole range of environmental issues.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussion she has had with President Gorbachev on article VI of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty during her visit to the Soviet Union.

The question of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty did not arise during my talks with Mr. Gorbachev, but our discussions included a number of arms control issues such as the talks on conventional forces in Europe (CFE) and the conference on security and co-operation in Europe (CSCE).

To ask the Prime Minister what actions have so far been taken by the United Kingdom to develop a programme to end sewage sludge dumping, promised at the North Sea Conference at the Hague on 7 to 8 March 1990.

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked the water companies concerned to submit to him by the end of the year their detailed plans and programmes of work for phasing out disposal of sludge to sea.

To ask the Prime Minister what proposals she has for the British film industry; and if she will make a statement on her proposals to meet leaders of the film industry.

I met leading figures from the film production industry on Friday 15 June to discuss their proposals for taking advantage of the opportunities now facing the industry. The Government agreed to provide £5 million over the next three years to provide pump-priming finance to support European co-production; the Department of Trade and Industry would set up a working party to examine the structure of the industry and how to attract greater private sector finance into film production, and to report back in the autumn; the industry would explore what changes it suggests to the tax regime for film production and report to Treasury Ministers over the next few months; we would continue discussions in Europe on how best to support the film production industry, notably through the media programme; we would study proposals from the industry for a films commission to improve the promotion of British films in the United Kingdom and overseas.

To ask the Prime Minister what is the involvement of Vallin Pollen International in the arrangements for her official visit to Islington.

None for which the Government have responsibility.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the procedures for incorporating a united Germany within the EEC; and if she will make a statement.

I expect this subject to be discussed at the European Council in Dublin on 25 to 26 June.

To ask the Prime Minister what proposals she has to promote (a) indentification programmes for scientific and popular use, (b) the development and management of the European plant data base and (c) the British plant data base and other research based at the natural history museum of relevance to the study of climatic change.

These activities flow from the priorities and objectives set out in the natural history museum's corporate plan 1990–95, which was unanimously approved by the museum's trustees in April. The Government increased the museum's grant-in-aid by 16·5 per cent. this year to over £25 million.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 June.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, including the Director General of the International Atomic Agency and the Foreign Ministers of Angola, Bangladesh and Somali. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today, including one with Mr. Attali, president-elect of the new European Bank for Reconstruction and Development who has his headquarters in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government will provide initial financial support as seed money to enterprises to simulate the growth of transnational film production, training and distribution within Europe.

We announced on Friday 15 June that the Government would provide £5 million over three years to provide pump-priming finance to help support European co-productions. We also announced that we would pursue discussions in Europe on how best to support the film production industry, notably through the MEDIA programme. The Economic Community's proposals for this programme include assistance for trans-national training and distribution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies in Lancashire have been helped by the enterprise scheme; and if he will provide a statistical breakdown on the types of help provided.

Assistance to companies in Lancashire under the enterprise initiative since its inception in January 1988 comprises:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the short title of each of the 86 legislative Acts for which European Community member states must take national implementing measures by 31 December 1989; and what action each state has taken by 1 June in relation to each.

The short titles of the 86 legislative acts for which European Community member states must take national implementing measures by 31 December 1989 are set out in the answer to your question of 9 January 1990, Official Report columns 600–8. Information on the action taken by each member state by the end of June is not available. However, the latest report on the implementation of single market measures is to be found in the European Commission's fifth progress report on completion of the internal market. This lists the measures due for implementation by end February 1990, and sets out the action taken by each member state. I am glad to say that the report shows that the United Kingdom has the best record on implementation, with only nine measures out of 90 remaining unimplemented. I have arranged for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Monopolies and Mergers Commission to complete its report on instant coffee prices.

The Commission has been asked by the Director General of Fair Trading to report on the supply of soluble coffee in the United Kingdom by 8 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions a request for registration as a company with limited liability status was rejected in each of the last three years.

The number of applications which were rejected in 1987, 1988 and 1989 were respectively 11,300 (estimated), 9,846 and 7,953.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the amount of regional assistance in 1989 per head for (a) Scotland, (b) north-east England,(c) north-west England, (d) the west midlands, (e) east midlands, (f) south-west England and (g) south-east England.

The amount of regional preferential assistance per head in the most recent year for which figures are available is as follows:

Expenditure per head of civilian working population, 1988–89
	£
(a) Scotland	61·4
England—Regions
(b) Northern	92·3
(c) North West	27·7
(d) West Midlands	9·6
(e) East Midlands	4·5
(f) South West	7·0
(g) South East	nil

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning his Department's adoption of the portfolio management system in assessing the Export Credits Guarantee Department cover.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: My right hon. Friend has received many representations from both Parliament and the exporting community about ECGD's portfolio management system. We will be giving these representations careful consideration before the portfolio management system is introduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the current premiums charged by the export credit agencies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, including the premiums levied by the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: The export credit agencies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members do not as a rule publish the premiums which they charge. Premium rates are determined on a case-by-case basis by most agencies. Although the agencies periodically exchange details of their premium rates for individual countries, this is clone on a strictly confidential basis. It is not practicable to try to list all the premium rates of all the OECD countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since 1980 expenditure has been incurred under section 3(2)(a) of the Industry Act 1980 to acquire securities of a company; and if he will give, for the last five occasions, the name of the company concerned, the sum of money involved, the date of the payment and the nature of the security acquired.

[holding answer 15 June 1990]: Since 1980 section 3(2)(a) of the Industry Act 1980 has been used to purchase securities on 13 occasions. The last five occasions were:

Company	Sum £ million	Date of payment	Nature of Securities
BL plc	80	17 December 1982	Ordinary shares of 50p each
BL plc	110	28 March 1983	Ordinary shares of 50p each
BL plc	90	1 November 1983	Ordinary shares of 50p each
Rover Group plc	680	30 March 1987	Ordinary shares of 50p each
Rover Group plc	547	12 August 1988	Special security ("the Instrument")

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a list showing those members of the Financial Reporting Council who have any connections with the accountancy firms or their successors sued by the Government for negligence.

[holding answer 18 June 1990]: So far as I am aware, none of the members of the Financial Reporting Council has any such connection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many children in each local education authority in Wales were placed in a non-residential special school following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983; and what this is expressed as a percentage of (a) the total number of children with statements in the local education authority and (b) the total number of statements made by the local education authority in that year;(2) how many children in each local education authority in Wales were placed in a special unit following the completion of a statement of educational needs for each year since April 1983; and what this is expressed as a percentage of

No information is held centrally on the number of children who are newly statemented each year by type of placement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he intends to undertake to help dyslexic children in the schools of Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The benefits of the national curriculum, which has now been introduced into schools, will apply to all children, including, as far as is practicable, those with dyslexia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many dyslexic children are educated in each of the counties of Wales; and if he will make a statement;

This information is not available centrally. The Education Act 1981 abolished the categorisation of children by particular disability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many children aged under 16 years received free eye tests in each county in Wales (a) in each quarter in 1988–89 and (b) in each quarter in 1989–90;(2) how many people on family credit or income support received free eye tests in each district health authority area in Wales in each quarter of 1988–89 and in each quarter of 1989–90;(3) what percentage of children aged under 16 years received free eye tests in each county in Wales

Estimates of numbers of sight tests for different types of patient are based on a 2 per cent. sample. This sample is not sufficient to make robust estimates by patient types within county or district health authority areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he intends to take with respect to the problem of housing in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has announced a number of initiatives directed to the problems of housing in Wales. In particular, last autumn we announced for the current year a 40 per cent. increase in the provision for Housing for Wales, a 15 per cent., increase in the gross local authority provision for housing and generous provision to support home renovation grants. Details of current policies and plans for housing programmes are given in chapter 4 of "Public Expenditure in Wales: 1990–91 to 1992–93 A Commentary by the Welsh Office."

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 13 June, on bathing beaches, if he will extend the testing of water quality to all bathing beaches in Wales by including those which are not currently subject to European Community designation.

This is a matter for the National Rivers Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners or general practitioner practices have expressed an interest in becoming practice budget holders within each authority in Wales.

The information requested is shown in the following table:

Health authority	Number of general practitioners	Number of GP practices
Clwyd	34	6
East Dyfed	15	4
Gwent	12	3
Gwynedd	6	2
Mid Glamorgan	59	10
Pembrokeshire	11	2
Powys	14	3
South Glamorgan	26	5
West Glamorgan	47	9

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish the names of the general practitioners or practices which have expressed an interest in becoming practice budget holders in Wales.

It would not be right to reveal the names of individual general practitioners or practices which have expressed an interest in practice fund holding. There is in any event no commitment on either side at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioners and general practitioner practices will be eligible to become practice budget holders within each health authority in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner practices are now eligible to become budget holders; how many have expressed an interest in budget holding; if he will name those practices.

It is not possible to place a figure on the number of practices meeting the eligibility criteria for fund-holding status. While each practice fund will require a minimum of 9,000 patients, smaller practices are enabled to group together to attain this number. In addition to its patient list size, each practice will need to demonstrate its ability to manage a practice fund.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will introduce legislation to provide for indexing of maintenance payments in divorce proceedings to the retail price index.

[pursuant to the Attorney-General's answer, 2 February 1990, c. 400]: Our review of the wider arrangements for assessing collecting and enforcing maintenance payments is still in progress. It is, however, clear that measures to improve the ability of the courts to ensure that payments ordered are received, are practicable and desirable. We accordingly intend to bring forward legislative proposals when an opportunity permits which would give the courts in England and Wales power to prescribe the method by which maintenance payments are made and to order the attachment of earnings without having to await evidence of arrears or default.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Turkish Government on behalf of prisoners of conscience on hunger strike in Turkish prisons; and if he will make a statement.

We understand that the hunger strike referred to by the hon. Member ended earlier this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations through the European Community for the repeal of articles 141 and 142 of the Turkish penal code; and if he will make a statement.

The Turkish Government are aware that we expect them to adhere to the human rights conventions to which they are a party. They are now actively reviewing the future of articles 141 and 142.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been done to examine the potential of the Western European Union as a vehicle for assessing possible threats to member countries and for research into the prospects of an all-European security area in respect of (a) defining a sufficiency threshold in defence matters, (b) analysing the concept of shared security and (c) developing means of arbitration, confidence-building measures and disarmament.

We believe that NATO remains the right place in which to assess threats to WEU member states. The question of future security arrangements in Europe, together with arms control and confidence-building issues, have been extensively discussed within the WEU. The need for sufficiency rule is part of the western position in the CFE negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government will be making to the Western European Union Assembly's proposals that the Western European Union Council should (a) use the modified Brussels treaty as a juridical basis for the presence of forces of member states on the territory of other member states and (b) convene regular meetings of chiefs of staff of member countries to examine European armaments requirements.

Formal responses to recommendations in reports of the Western European Union assembly are the responsibility of the WEU permanent council. We have no plans to make a separate response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the date on which a member country can use the right fixed by article XII of the Western European Union treaty to give notice to the depository government of its desire to cease being a party thereto.

After 25 August 1998—that is, 50 years after the date on which the Brussels treaty entered into force—each of the high contracting parties has the right, under article XII of the modified treaty, to cease to be a party thereto, provided that it has previously given one year's notice of denunciation to the Belgian Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to use the Western European Union to guarantee the permanency of member countries' frontiers and to ensure respect for the commitments entered into by its members in the context of agreements limiting forces or armaments or the non-production of certain weapons.

The inviolability of the frontiers of WEU member countries among others is affirmed by the Helsinki final act, of which all WEU member countries are signatories. We are confident that all WEU member countries respect, and will continue to respect, their international commitments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the consequences of a devolution of the Federal Republic of Germany's commitments to a unified Germany for the application of the Western European Union treaty with regard to (a) co-operation between the Western European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation under article IV, (b) military assistance under article V, specified in paragraph III.4 of the Hague platform, (c) article VII and (d) implementation of article VIII, paragraphs 2 and 4 and protocols Nos. II, III and IV.

We remain in close touch with the Federal German Government and other allies on these and other aspects of future European security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on how many telephones were disconnected for non-payment in each of the last five years on the Falkland Islands.

I am told that records go back only as far as October 1989 when the new telephone network came into operation. Thirty telephones were cut off in that month. The number fell sharply in ensuing months and in May only two were cut off.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been done to ensure that countries participating in the conference on the external aspects of German reunification are fully informed of the guarantees offered by the modified Brussels treaty for the security of both Germany and its neighbouring countries and for the establishment of a new peaceful and secure order in Europe; and what has been the response of the Soviet Union.

The modified Brussels treaty is a public document. We are not aware of any recent Soviet statements relating to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is Her Majesty's Government's policy that the commitments entered into by the Federal Republic of Germany under the modified Brussels treaty shall also be valid for a unified Germany.

We support the principle, mentioned in the Helsinki final act, that participating states have a right to be or not to be parties to treaties of alliance. We welcome the FRG's intention to go on playing a full part in western security arrangements. We support the expressed view of both German Governments that a unified Germany should be a member of NATO. The two German Governments have yet to express their views on WEU membership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the status determination procedures used to decide whether or not Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong shall be returned to Vietnam; and how many and what percentage of people submitted to such procedures have been (a) screened in as refugees and permitted to stay and (b) screened out, so that they must return to Vietnam.

Hong Kong's status determination procedures were designed, in conjunction with UNHCR, to apply the criteria of the 1951 convention and the 1967 protocol relating to the status of refugees as follows:

(a) all new arrivals are briefed on the screening process on arrival in Hong Kong;

(b) under the Statement of Understanding between the UNHCR and the Hong Kong Government, the UNHCR accepts responsibility for providing legal advice and assistance to asylum seekers at all stages of the screening and review procedure. UNHCR has unrestricted access to the asylum seekers for this purpose;

(c) asylum seekers are interviewed by immigration department staff to record their personal data and their claim to refugee status. The interviews follow a questionaire designed in agreement with UNHCR. Interpreters are provided by the Hong Kong Government. Legal counsellors of the UNHCR have unrestricted access to all screening interviews;

(d) the first instance decision on the claim to refugee status is notified to all persons after screening. If refugee status is granted, the person concerned is moved immediately to a refugee camp to await resettlement. If refugee status is not granted, the person concerned is advised that he or she has a right to seek review of the decision;

(e) at the same time as the asylum seeker is notified of the first instance decision, a copy of the immigration department file, including a record of the interview and the reasons for the decision, is given to the UNHCR, with a separate copy to the legal consultants who on behalf of the UNHCR will assist asylum seekers in applying for a review of the decision. An asylum seeker must apply for review to the refugee status review board within 28 days of being notified of the first instance decision;

(f) the refugee status review board is headed by a former judge, and comprises four panels of two members each, drawn from both the civil service and the community at large. Their task is to review the facts of the case and the immigration department's decision, in the light of the asylum seeker's claim as recorded at the original interview, and any further representations made to the review board. The board may, where it considers it necessary, interview either the asylum seeker or the immigration officer conducting the interview;

(g) the decision of the review board on the application for review is notified to the asylum seeker as soon as possible after it is made.

As at 11 June 1990, the director of immigration had completed screening for 13,647 people, of whom 1,460 were screened in (10·7 per cent.) and 12,187 screened out (89·3 per cent.). The RSRB has considered 9,872 cases. The director of immigration's decision was upheld in 9,026 cases and overturned in 846. This gives an overall post-appeal total of 2,306 screened in (16·9 per cent.).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received concerning further enlargement of the European Community.

We have received no formal representations concerning further enlargement of the EC in recent months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will seek compensation from the Government of the Republic of Ireland for the damage caused to the economy of the United Kingdom as a result of the 48-hour restriction on shoppers visiting the United Kingdom.

No. But we are at present considering the implications of the European Court of Justice judgment in the 48-hour rule case and whether other action may be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Kingdom is a signatory to the treaty setting out Poland's present frontiers; and whether Poland's western frontier will be discussed within the four plus two talks on German unification.

The Potsdam protocol contains provisions relating to Poland's borders, but the United Kingdom is not a party to any of Poland's treaties with its neighbours concerning borders. The Polish Foreign Minister has been invited to attend the two plus four ministerial meeting in Paris on 17 July, when borders will be discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which Council of Europe states identity cards are (a) compulsory and (b) voluntary.

Identity cards are compulsory in Belgium, Cyprus, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Spain and Turkey; and voluntary in Austria, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Portugal and Switzerland.There is no system of identity cards in Denmark, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden or the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which European Community states identity cards are machine readable; and how much information can be contained on the cards of the states which use machine-readable cards.

I understand that the identity cards issued in the Federal Republic of Germany are machine readable. They contain details of the bearer's name, birth, description, address and nationality, together with the date and place of issue of the card, its number and its expiry date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries have acceded to the Council of Europe convention on data protection.

Austria, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police force areas in rank order according to the number of notifiable offences of violence against the person per 100,000 population in the last year for which figures are available.

The information requested is given in the following table:

Notifiable offences of violence against the person recorded by the police per 100,000 population
England and Wales 1989
Police force area	Number of offences per 100,000 population
Lancashire	206
Dorset	214
Hertfordshire	224
Thames Valley	228
Sussex	233
Warwickshire	236
Surrey	237
Gloucestershire	245
Hampshire	245
Norfolk	245
Kent	247
North Yorkshire	253
Devon and Cornwall	259
Essex	263
Cheshire	269
Suffolk	271
West Mercia	296
Dyfed-Powys	312
Lincolnshire	317
Leicestershire	318
Cambridgeshire	328
South Wales	348
North Wales	350
Avon and Somerset	352
Derbyshire	355
Merseyside	355
Wiltshire	357
Cumbria	362
West Midlands	364
Greater Manchester	371
Northamptonshire	371
South Yorkshire	375
Northumbria	380
Bedfordshire	401
Durham	405
West Yorkshire	435
Gwent	444
Cleveland	445
Metropolitan Police District and City of London	451
Staffordshire	501

Police force area	Number of offences per 100,000 population
Humberside	678
Nottinghamshire	716
England and Wales	351

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police force areas in rank order according to the number of notifiable offences per 100,000 population in the last year for which figures are available.