To ask the Attorney-General why it is proposed that Westminster county court should be closed in the context of proposed transfer of jurisdiction from the High Court to the county court; and what representations he has received against closure.

It has been proposed that Westminster county court be closed on the expiry of the lease on the present premises as no suitable alternative accommodation can be found.It is intended that the court will be merged with the existing Bloomsbury county court and located at new premises to be known as Bloomsbury and Westminster county court.The premises presently occupied by Bloomsbury county court will be converted into a trial centre for the London county courts in order to hear the additional heavier cases which will be dealt with by the county courts following the new arrangements for the allocation of business.Some concern was expressed at the initial proposals by various parties, however, following consultation with the judiciary and members of the local court user committee, no written representations against closure have been received.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will give details of the county court trial centres which are to be established following the passage of the Courts and Legal Services Act.

A total of 74 county court trial centres have already been established in England and Wales, which between them provide continuous trial facilities for over 250 county courts. A further six trial centres are planned. A full list of existing trial centres and those planned will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Attorney-General if county court trial facilities will now be made available at the Royal Courts of Justice.

There are no existing plans to use the Royal Courts of Justice for county court trials. Additional facilities for county court trials were established in the court complex at Wood Green in May this year.

To ask the Attorney-General what steps are being taken to approximate the rules of the county court and the High Court.

A Policy of convergence towards common remedies and procedures has been adopted. This is being given effect through the programme of rule changes which implement the recommendations of the civil justice review.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish a timetable for the transfer of jurisdiction from the High Court to the county court.

New arrangements for the allocation of business between the High Court and county courts are to be set out in an order made under section 1 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990. Consultation on the content of the order has only recently closed. A formal announcement on the date for implementation will be made once consideration has been given to the various responses.

To ask the Attorney-General what is the current cost of the new High Court building in Bradford; what was the brief given to the architect; and if he will make a statement.

The cost at current prices of the new Crown and county court building at Bradford is approximately £20 million. The architect's brief was to provide eight Crown courtrooms and two county courtrooms with supporting facilities. It is expected that the building will be ready for use in the summer of 1992.

To ask the Attorney-General what is the total amount spent on constructing new courts for each of the last 10 years; and if he will give the number of courts and their location for each year.

The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for Crown, county, combined and High Court centres in England and Wales. Magistrates' courts are the responsibility of the Home Office. Details of new Crown, county, combined and High Court centres completed over the past 10 years and their total costs are given in the table. The schemes listed have produced some 250 courtrooms at an average cost of £1·1 million per courtroom.

Court	Type	£million1
1981
Snaresbrook	Crown
Burnley	Crown
Kings Lynn	Crown
	Total cost	5·395
1982
Bolton	Combined
Porsmouth	Combined
Chelmsford	Crown
Leeds	Combined
	Total cost	26·282
1983
Southwark	Crown
Maidstone	Combined
	Total cost	22·880
1984
Liverpool	Combined
	Total cost	45·176

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 7 December, Official Report, column 211, concerning the investigation by the Gloucestershire constabulary into comments made by Mr. Bill Galbraith, if he will make a further statement on the results of that investigation and any report that has been submitted to him.

The Gloucestershire constabulary has not yet supplied the Crown Prosecution Service with a report concerning its investigation, and so I am not in a position to make a further statement.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will seek injuctions in the High Court to restrain unlawful Sunday trading during the Christmas and new year period.

Parliament has made it the duty of local authorities to enforce the legislation relating to Sunday trading, and I do not at present intend to apply for injunctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the dates, locations, aircraft involved, altitudes and circumstances of each of the category A airmisses between civil and military aircraft over the United Kingdom in 1988.

There are the following category A airmisses between civil and military aircraft over the United Kingdom in 1988:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are any plans to use data from the AN/FPS-117 radars at Bolafjall and Gunnolfsvikurfjall in Iceland as real-time input data to the United Kingdom air defence ground environment.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leyton on 30 November., Official Report, column 536, what information he has received from the United States authorities about why the proposed construction for water storage at Menwith Hill was excluded from the information provided to him for his answer to the hon. Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) on 6 February, Official Report, column 603.

My hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Armed Forces will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the implications of a comprehensive test ban treaty for his Department.

I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 127 of the statement on the Defence Estimates 1990.

'To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who is being sent out to the Gulf to entertain the troops.

Sir Harry Secombe has recently visited the Gulf and Paul Daniels will visit before Christmas. In addition, Combined Services Entertainment arranged a very successful light entertainment show early this month, and further similar shows are planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to deploy Gurkhas in the Gulf.

A few individual Gurkhas are currently serving in the Gulf. In addition, a Gurkha transport squadron will deploy to the Gulf as part of the reinforcements announced by my right hon. Friend on 22 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to place no money restrictions upon the movement or operation of military forces in the Gulf which might in any way jeopardise the safety of personnel.

The Government are committed to ending Iraq's aggression, and will make whatever contribution is appropriate to secure freedom and justice for Kuwait. We shall ensure that the armed forces deployed to the Gulf are provided with the means necessary to do the job that we ask of them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to ensure that departmental properties and establishments reap the maximum financial and environmental benefits from combined heat and power schemes.

The Ministry of Defence is investigating the viability of operating combined heat and power schemes on a number of specific sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's policy on promoting the use of recycled materials and renewable energies where relevant to his Department's activities.

The Government's policy on the use of recycled materials and renewable energy is set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200). The MOD is about to bring into use a further range of recycled stationery. We aim to send for recycling non-hazardous waste which can be beneficially recycled without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has recently received from The Sunday Times concerning the status of the Iraqi nuclear programme; when the information was passed to his Department; and what steps he has taken to evaluate the information received.

We were aware of information contained in The Sunday Times article before it was published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he possesses concerning the capacity of the A1-Qaim uranium processing factory in Iraq.

A1-Qaim is a plant to manufacture fertilisers from phosphates mined in the vicinity. It is possible to extract minute quantities of uranium ore which is present in the phosphates as impurities, but we have no knowledge of quantities obtained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he possesses concerning the activities of scientists from the Qaqaa explosives factory in Iraq in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states of the NATO alliance.

We have no specific information on the activities of Iraqi scientists from the Qaqaa explosives factory in the United Kingdom or other NATO countries. Scientists from all over the world are free to attend courses and conferences in this and other countries, and many do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he possesses concerning the role of factory 10 near Samarra in Iraq in nuclear materials processing.

We have no significant information on the role of Factory 10 near Samarra.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there is any military use in terms of equipment monitoring and testing for permeameters.

Permeameters have numerous uses, both civil and military.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has changed his plans to site naval radar/radio masts on His Majesty's land on the Sennybridge range in Brecon and Radnor.

A requirement for new defence communication facilities is under consideration, but no decisions on locations have yet been taken. We expect to make a decision in the coming year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects a decision to be announced on the siting of naval radar/radio masts for submarine communications on the Sennybridge ranges in Brecon and Radnor.

A requirement for new defence communication facilities is under consideration, but no decisions on locations have yet been taken. We expect to make a decision in the coming year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated budget for each of the training enterprise and councils in Wales for (a) 1990–91 and (b) 1991–92; how many people in each training and enterprise council are likely to be trained under (i) youth training and (ii) employment training in 1990–91; what are the comparable figures for the last full year; and what assumptions are made about the number of places to be provided in 1991–92.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was (i) the gross domestic product in Wales and (ii) the income per head in Wales, as percentages of the United Kingdom average in the latest available year.

In 1988, the total gross domestic product per head for Wales was estimated to be 84·0 per cent. of the United Kingdom average (excluding the continental shelf region). These 1988 figures are provisional and revised set, together with provisional figures for 1989, will be published in the November 1990 issue of Economic Trends (No. 445) on 28 December 1990, a copy of which will be placed in the Library.Wales' total personal income per head in 1988 was provisionally estimated to be 83·9 per cent. of the United Kingdom average while household income per head in that year was provisionally estimated to be 84·6 per cent. of the national figure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has now achieved his waiting list objectives specified in pages 160 and 161 of the Welsh Office Public Expenditure Commentary for orthopaedics at the Prince of Wales hospital, Rhydlafar, ophthalmics at Ysbyty Gwynedd and Bangor, and hernias and varicose veins at Bridgend general hospital.

Figures for waiting lists for hernia and varicose vein treatment at Bridgend general hospital are not separately available. At the other hospitals for which information is requested only the waiting times target relating to the out-patient list for trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the Prince of Wales hospital, Rhydlafar has thus far been achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many of the major road schemes specified to start in 1990–91 in table 35 of the Welsh Office commentary on public expenditure in Wales 1990–91 to 1992–93 have now commenced.

Work on A55 Rhuallt Hill scheme started in May. The contract for A4060 Pentrebach-Dowlais (Phase 2) was let on the 19 December and work will start in January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list inward investment projects during 1990, specifying the capital investment involved and the number of new jobs created directly.

Between 1 January 1990 arid 30 November 1990, Wales secured 129 inward investment projects involving £484 million of capital investment, promising 7,800 new jobs and safeguarding 7,300 existing jobs. A list of the companies concerned has been placed in the Library of the House though for reasons of commercial confidentiality individual details of investment and jobs are not disclosed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the additional funding his Department has made to each of the regionally funded renal units in Wales during the current financial year, for the prescribing costs for the drug Erythropoietin; and if he will separately distinguish the number of patients currently receiving such treatment at each unit together with the number of patients refused such treatment because of budgetary constraints on the prescribing consultant.

Information on the number of patients receiving Erythropoietin is not held centrally. During the current financial year additional funds of £75,000 were made available to each of West Glamorgan and Clwyd health authorities to assist with the prescribing of Erythropoietin at the main renal units within those authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the estimated number of patients who would benefit from erythropoietin.

The use of EPO for individual patients is a matter of clinical judgment at the time. No specific representations have been received about the aggregate number of patients who might benefit from its use. Managing health authorities of main renal dialysis units receive central revenue support which includes the cost of drugs at estimated levels of need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has received, and intends to acquire, information from district health authorities on the extent to which the funding provided for the 1991–92 financial year will meet the needs of all patients who fulfil the criteria for benefiting from erythropoietin.

Following the dedesignation of regional services from 1991–92 it will be for district health authorities to determine the resources which should be made available for the prescription of drugs, including erythropoietin.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his forecast of spend on local authority new build for 1989–90 was achieved.

In 1989–90 local authorities spent £24·031 million on new build schemes. In addition, they chose to transfer capital resources of over £17 million to housing associations, for projects which will provide additional housing units.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the benefits to patients that could be achieved if the money budgeted for the treatment centres initiative in Wales were to be redirected to increase the rate of treatment of patients in the same specialties at appropriate hospitals throughout Wales, using existing facilities.

Within the United Kingdom, treatment centres are unique to Wales. The purpose of this initiative is to offer to those throughout Wales who have been waiting four months or more the choice of earlier treatment for key disabling conditions. The centre at Rhydlafar has been operating for year. It is too early to establish firm referral patterns.Once all the centres have completed their first year's operations, it is intended to undertake a wider evaluation of the treatment centre initiative. Initial indications are that the centres are proving to be an effective alternative method of delivering speedier health care for Welsh patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what programmes have been developed by the Health Promotion Authority for Wales as that authority's contribution to tackling the problem of alcohol misuse in Wales.

The Health Promotion Authority for Wales's national "substance misuse" programme includes action targeted at alcohol misuse in the Principality, in partnership with voluntary and local agencies, eg. health education publications, components of the authority's mobile life education centre units, and support for Drinkwise Day.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his replies of 4 December, Official Report, column 74, in regard to alcohol misuse, if he will make it his policy to concentrate the available finances on the provision of local services.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has met the chairman of chief executive of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales to discuss the work undertaken in the past, and to be undertaken in the future, by that authority in respect of developing positive approaches to alcohol and discouraging people from misuse of alcohol; and if he will make a statement.

Although my right hon. Friend has met both the chairman and chief executive of the authority, he did not discuss programme planning on that occasion. However, his predecessor had several meetings with the authority leading up to the launch of their "Health for All" in Wales strategy document in January 1990. That strategy includes the goal of reducing substantially the misuse of alcohol in the Principality and a series of detailed targets for specific improvements for various age ranges of the population. Action to achieve the strategy's goals and targets will be taken by the authority and a range of other organisations in partnership. The authority will publish a firm three-year action programme in the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the funds available to the Health Promotion Authority for Wales have been allocated (a) directly or (b) indirectly to work relating to alcohol misuse in each year since the establishment of that authority; and what proportion he intends should be devoted to such purposes in 1991–92.

The following proportions of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales' exchequer budget have been directly allocated to alcohol misuse work:

• 1987–88—not available.
• 1988–89—4·per cent.
• 1989–90—6·5 per cent.
• 1990–91—1·3 per cent.

Figures are not available for work indirectly relating to alcohol misuse—for example, elements of the heartbeat Wales and cancer programmes. My right hon. Friend had not yet decided the detail of the authority's budget for 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales wht level of service, according to what criteria he intends shall be achieved in each county of Wales as a result of the finances his Department is to make available in respect of alcohol abuse.

It is for local and health authorities to determine the level of service necessary to combat alcohol misuse in their areas. Central funding will be used to support such local strategies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what resources he has made available to local authorities in Wales to enable them to tackle breaches of the law by large commercial organisations;(2) whether he will make it his policy to offer additional resources to local authorities in Wales to enable them to tackle breaches of the legislation regarding Sunday trading by major retail organisations;(3) what guidance he or his Department has offered to local authorities in Wales on their responsibilities in regard to the enforcement of the legislation which regulates Sunday trading;(4) what assessment he has made of the impact in Wales of large stores and multiple-outlet retail firms opening on Sunday in contravention of the law during December.

Enforcement of the law is a matter for local authorities. It is for them to decide how to discharge their duties under the Shops Act 1950.The provisional local authority revenue settlement for 1991–92 allows for total standard spending of £2,433 million—some 8 per cent. above authorities' 1990–91 budgets. I would expect authorities to be able to meet any additional costs arising from Sundary trading enforcement from within that total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what new and additional finance he is making available to help (a) local authorities and (b) voluntary organisations to tackle the problem of homelessness in Wales generally and in Cardiff in particular;(2) what new initiatives he is taking to tackle the problem of homelessness in Wales in general and Cardiff in particular.

Local authorities will soon be invited to bid against a capital reserve amounting to around £2·9 million for 1991–92. Cardiff will certainly wish to respond. The reserve is designed to complement authorities' own efforts in dealing with cases of homelessness, within the context of the approach to partnership with the housing association sector which is developing strongly in Wales. This is underpinned by our plans to increase the total housing association stock by over a third by 1993–94. The Department's close working contract with voluntary bodies concerned with homelessness will continue. Revenue funding for them has been increased by over 16 per cent. to £460,000 for 1991–2. For districts experiencing particular pressure this year, we intend to make available a further £2 million at least, in support of operationally effective scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of fishermen to discuss their current fishing activities and prospects.

I met a delegation representing Milford Haven fishing interests on 20 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to assess the extent and seriousness of exploitation of child labour in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

None. Any allegations that children are working illegally should be drawn to the attention of the authorities who have responsibility for enforcing the law (including the provisions of local byelaws).

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what fresh initiatives he intends to take to prevent the exploitation of child labour in Wales.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) whether he intends to meet the Director of Water Services to discuss the rise in prices planned by Welsh Water plc;(2) whether he intends to meet the Director of Water Services to discuss the requirements being placed on Welsh Water plc in respect of the investment needed in Wales on water supply, sewerage and water quality in rivers and on beaches;

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be meeting the Director General of Water Services in the new year to discuss a number of matters relevant to their responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he has taken to publicise the European Community Sprint programme along small and medium-sized businesses in Wales.

The European Community's Sprint programme is featured in a leaflet included in a Welsh Office business service information pack. These are widely distributed to small and medium-sized businesses throughout Wales through various awareness events and also by my officials in their day to day contact with industry.Through its involvement with Sprint, the Welsh Development Agency has also promoted the programme to industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what decision he has made on the future of the Llyn Mawr site in Swansea.

My right hon. Friend has already written to the right hon. Gentleman to say that he has deferred implementing the direction to West Glamorgan county council to sell the site at Llwynmawr road, Swansea by up to 36 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many direct representations he has received in connection with the application by Coal Products Ltd. to build a mild heat treatment works at Abercumboi; and if he will list them.

It is not possible to obtain the information in the time available, but I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will announce his initial housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1991–92.

The housing revenue account subsidy determinations for 1991–92 for Wales have been made today. They cover the assumptions that the Government will make about rents and management and maintenance and other rules governing the calculation of each authority's subsidy entitlement. I am placing copies of the determinations in the Library.For rent guidelines, the proposals for an average increase of 2 per cent. above the allowance for inflation are confirmed. This means an average increase of £1·88 and a range of increases from £1·41 to £2·50 per week for individual authorities over the guideline rents which applied this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for, or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985, giving the date and purpose of each survey.

[holding answer 17 December 1990]: The information is given in the table.

Title	Year
Survey associated with the Community Nursing
Review	1985
Aids knowledge and attitudes survey	1986
Survey by Grigmore into market research in mature entrants to nursing	1987
Welsh Youth Survey —A series of surveys concerned with attitudes on diet, alcohol use, smoking, physical activities, dental health and health beliefs.	1986,88 & 90
Evaluation of campaigns and training events:
Combating sex stereotyping in school girls career choice	1987
Drinkwise campaign (Attenders and Organisers)	1989
Quit and Win	1990
Health Lifestyle club	1990
Wales Tourist Board Marketing (Advertisers)	1990
Tourist Brochure Conversion Study	1990
Tourism, Impact Study, Llandrindod Wells Festival (Visitors and Local Residents)	1989
Monitoring of Community Charge Public Information Programme	1989
Review of Development Board for Rural Wales' Business Support Services	1990
Surveys by and on behalf of Cadw—Welsh Historic Monuments:
Joint Cadw/WTB study of visitor attitudes involving 7 Cadw sites	1985–86
Postal survey of attitudes to 'Heritage in Wales' Membership	1985–86
Easter 1986 visitor study of 10 Cadw sites	1986–87
Survey of Cadw sites on attitudes to interpretative and display facilities	1986–87
Pricing policy and visitor satisfaction survey at 6 Cadw sites	1986–87
Comprehensive General Survey of 8 Cadw sites	1986–87
Survey of visitors to Events at Cadw sites	1987–88
WTB/Cadw survey of Domestic Holiday and Day Visitors to Wales in 1987	1987–88
WTB/Cadw survey of Overseas Holiday and Day Visitors to Wales in 1987	1987–88
Survey of visitors to 'Gerald of Wales' Exhibition in Cardiff	1988–89
Survey of visitors to 'Gerald of Wales' Exhibition at Criccieth	1988–89
Survey of school visits to 'Gerald of Wales' Exhibition in Cardiff	1988–89
Postal survey of school visits to Cadw sites	1988–89

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the success or failure of the treatment centres initiative in Wales to date.

[holding answer 19 December 1990]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give for 1990–91 and 1991–92 the share in percentage terms of income represented by (i) revenue support grant, (ii) the poll tax and (iii) the business rate for (a) the country as a whole and (b) Stoke on Trent.

The information requested for 1990–91 is as follows:

Percentage of income received from	England	Area of receiving authority of Stoke-on-Trent
	per cent.	per cent.
Revenue support grant	29·1	20·6
Receipts from non·domestic rate pool	32·1	36·9
Special grants/safety net adjustment to revenue support grant	0·6	4·1
Budgeted income from community charges (post capping)	38·3	38·4
Of which:
Community charge benefit	6·0	4·7
Transitional relief grant	1·0	0·8

The percentages for 1991–92 will not be known until all authorities have set their community charges for that year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will accept the invitation of the leader of Stoke-on-Trent city council to discuss the current lack of any inner-city status for Stoke-on-Trent.

We will be responding to councilor Smith'sinvitation shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will list the numbers of housing associations, voluntary organisations and other projects which exist to provide accommodation for (a) the single homeless, (b) the mentally ill and (c) those leaving penal institutions or ex-offenders;(2) if he will give details of the additional funding he has secured to further develop voluntary after-care accommodation provided by housing associations;(3) what topping-up funding is available to voluntary organisations and housing associations providing special needs accommodation in 1991–92 to the homeless.

Accommodation for people with special needs is to be provided under a number of Government initiatives in 1991–92 including:

3,000 bedspaces funded through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme.

60 short-term bedspaces in the Department of Health's homeless mentally ill programme.

An allocation by the Home Office of £9,179,000 to the voluntary after-care grant scheme.

Further funding by the Department of Social Security of the Resettlement Agency's scheme for replacing resettlement units and the funding of a number of short-term direct access hostels in London for people sleeping rough.

Topping up is provided from a variety of sources, particularly local authorities and health and social services authorities. In addition, the Department of Health will be funding the running costs of the 60 bedspaces referred to above and the Home Office will be providing topping up funds direct to about 130 organisations.We do not hold an up-to-date or comprehensive list of projects providing accommodation for people with special needs. But I have arranged for the Housing Corporation to write to the hon. Member to see if they can assist her from the information they hold on schemes run by registered housing associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the expenditure by his Department on energy efficiency measures since 1983.

Information on the expenditure of my Department on energy efficiency measures prior to 1989–90 is not available. Expenditure on energy efficiency measures for 1989–90 is estimated to have totalled £120,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what incentives he will give local authorities to bring empty council stock back into use and to work in partnership with housing associations and voluntary organisations seeking to provide accommodation for the homeless.

We have made a special allocation of £300 million over this year and next to local authorities and housing associations in London and the south-east to provide housing for homeless families, in addition to the resources available under the housing investment programme system. A substantial proportion of the special allocation will be used to bring empty property in both sectors back into use. In addition, a further £96 million will be spent over this year and the next two years; mainly through local authorities, in providing hostel and long-term accommodation for single homeless people in central London; I very much hope that all London boroughs will co-operate positively in making these schemes work, as some have already done.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report, for each local authority area in England (a) the number of individuals who are liable to pay the personal community charge, (b) the number of people who are paying the personal community charge and (c) the number of people who are exempt from paying the personal community charge, separately distinguishing the numbers of exemption category.

I am arranging for the available information, supplied by local authorities, to be placed in the Library of the House.The figures given for the total number of exemptions from the personal community charge include

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amounts have been budgeted by the London Docklands development corporation for meeting the terms of the memorandum of agreement with the London borough of Newham in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

I will write to the Hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many units of housing association new build are (a) mobility standard and (b) wheelchair standard for the each year for the last five years; and of those how many units are for sheltered housing for elderly people for both (1) mobility and (2) wheelchair standard;(2) if he will list, for each year for the last five years, how many units of wheelchair housing of housing association new build have

The available information on completions of newly built specialised dwellings for 1985 to 1989 is published in table 6·7 "Housing and Construction Statistics 1979–1989: Great Britain" and, for the first half of 1990, in table 1·5 of the June quarter 1990 (Part I) edition of the same title. Wheelchair and mobility standard dwellings for the elderly are not separately identified, nor does the Department collect information about the number of specialised dwellings by number of bedrooms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many housing association schemes have been audited since the new requirement to build to mobility standard was introduced; and of these how many met the requirement to be of mobility standard;(2) how many housing association schemes, which were package deal schemes, have been audited since the new requirement to build to mobility standard was introduced; and of these how many met the requirement to be of mobility standard.

This is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have therefore asked the corporation to respond to my hon. Friend direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy on promoting the use of recycled materials and renewable energies where relevant to his Department's activities.

The Government's policies for the use of recycled materials and renewable energies are set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm. 1200).In order to ensure that these policies are put into practice in Government, my Department's property holdings organisation is preparing an environmental action guide, which will include advice on the use of recycled material and on energy efficiency.My Department's policy is to use recycled materials where practicable and reasonably economic to do so.For instance, my Department uses recycled paper for all of its ministerial correspondence. Other products made from recycled material that are in general use within my Department include manilla paper and file covers, brown paper bags, paper towels, buff envelopes and toilet tissue. We are also conducting trials in the use of recycled paper for high speed photocopying and we are considering a trial of recycled paper for use with computer printers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of housing association new build came from package deal programmes in each year for the last five years.

This is a matter for the Housing Corporation. I have therefore asked the corporation to respond to my hon. Friend direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the contractor for the new parliamentary building phase I will achieve completion by 22 December 1990; and when he expects hon. Members will be able to occupy the new offices.

Although the contractor has made considerable progress over the past months, he has not been able to complete the contract and hand over the building to Property Holdings. It seems likely that handover will now be achieved in late February or early March. A programme is being developed to fit out the building and to arrange for a phased programme of moves for Members, their staff and the Departments of the House. It is still expected that full occupation will be achieved at the end of the summer adjournment 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses are exempt from the provisions of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1967 which permit leaseholders to purchase the freehold of the property.

The Leasehold Reform Act 1967 gives leaseholders of most houses, but not leaseholders of flats, the right to purchase their freeholds. The number of dwellings exempt is not known. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 enables a court to order the compulsory acquisition by the leaseholders of flats of the landlord's interest in certain circumstances where he has been failing in his duties. Again, the number of exempt dwellings is not known. It is open to any leaseholder or group of leaseholders to seek to purchase the freehold of their dwelling by negotiation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he will be putting forward at the next European ministerial Environment Council on 20 and 21 December on (a) the management of hazardous waste, (b) the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances and (c) developing fiscal instruments to attain environmental protection and improvement objectives.

The first two subjects are on the agenda for discussion at the Council on the basis of proposals submitted by the European Commission. I shall be pressing for agreement to these directives. The question of economic and fiscal mechanisms to achieve environmental objectives may also be discussed. I shall report to Parliament on the outcome of the Council in the usual way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions he has had with the Audit Commission regarding local authorities which are more than 12 months in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit; and if he will make a statement.

The Audit Commission publishes each year a list of authorities which are in breach of their statutory duty to produce accounts for audit. It lists those which have not produced accounts by 31 December i.e. within nine months. That number fell from 80 for 1986–87 to 32 for 1987–88 and 29 for 1988–89. Our officials and the Commission's officers have discussed this position amongst other matters during their regular contacts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities in England and Wales have not published their statements of account for the financial years (a) 1987–88, (b) 1986–87, (c) 1985–86 and (d) any earlier year.

I regret that the Department does not have this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment against how many local authorities in breach by more than 12 months of their statutory duty to publish their accounts or produce them for audit proceedings have been instituted.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is treated as a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account more than 12 months after being required by statute so to do.

It would be for the court to decide in the circumstances of a particular case whether there was a reasonable excuse for a local authority to have failed to publish its statement of account by the statutory time limit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the studies and research into the effects of bathing or water sports in sea water contaminated by sewage; whether resources have been made available for the early completion of such studies and research on a comprehensive and scientifically validated basis indicated by the methodology proposed by the Langland bay study; and when the results will be made available.

The Government supported further research last summer. A beach survey was undertaken at Ramsgate Sands with 2,000 beachgoers and a cohort study was conducted at Moreton (Wirral) using 310 volunteers. These further studies provided the opportunity to confirm the validity of the methodologies developed in the Langland Bay study. I expect to receive a report on these surveys next March and copies will be made available to the House.The Government are anxious to establish as soon as possible the health risks, if any, of bathing in sewage contaminated sea water and is commissioning further research, jointly funded with the National Rivers Authority, using the methodologies developed over the last two years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the numbers of people registered, or registerable, under the National Assistance Act 1948, are used in the formulation of the standard spending assessments for the poll tax.

No, not as such, though such individuals will often be included on other grounds within the indicators used in the calculation of the personal social services SSA element.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the local government information unit concerning non-payment of the national business rate; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will continue with the consultancy process that was extablished for the implementation of the EC directive on atmospheric pollution; and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend may have in mind the Large Combustion Plants Directive (88/609/EC). If so, I would refer him to the answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Environment and Countryside.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will be happy to continue to discuss the detailed implementation of the directive with those affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to deliver to the European Commission the United Kingdom's national programme for emission reductions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants.

The United Kingdom is sending to the European Commission this week its programme for achieving the cuts in emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and oxides of nitrogen (NO_x) required by the large combustion plants directive. The planned reductions in each target year are greater than those required by the directive.For SO

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce his decision with regard to the Local Government Boundaries Commission proposals for the city of Salford.

Shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the non-payment of business rates for the years 1989–90 and 1990–91.

I have made no such estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has on the degree to which small waste oil burning appliances, used as a source of heat in garages and workshops, are contributors to airborne pollution.

There is only limited evidence of the scale of the problem, but appliances of this type are known to be sources of a variety of atmospheric pollutants, including lead and other heavy metals, hydrogen, chloride, NO_x, and SO₂.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he now expects to respond to the recommendations of the Joint Nautical Archaeology Policy Committee's report, "Heritage at Sea".

We have responded today, and I am placing copies in the Library of the House.In response to the report, we have already announced two main changes. These were set out in the White Paper, "This Common Inheritance". The first is the transfer of responsibility for the protection of historic wrecks in English waters from the Department of Transport to the Department of the Environment. This will bring together control of archaeology on land with that under water. Similar transfers will take place in relation to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The second is the preparation of a central record of historic wrecks by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. The commission in Scotland will be asked to take on a similar responsibility. In Wales, the Welsh Office will be reviewing the new work with the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments in Wales.In the fuller response made today, we say that we are ready to develop, in discussion with the organisations concerned, a code of practice for sea-bed operators whose activities could affect wreck sites. We are also willing to exercise Government powers of ownership, where these can be established, in favour of conserving wreck sites and the artefacts recovered from them. We will consider sympathetically applications for special grant for the development of diver training in the skills required for underwater archaeology. We also make a commitment to make the best of existing salvage reporting arrangements to encourage important finds to be properly conserved and displayed.The Government do not accept that there is a need for a new agency or legislation, but we intend to make the best use of the powers and resources available in the interests of conservation, and to review these matters once the new allocation of responsibilities has had time to take effect.The Government are grateful to the joint committee for its work and hopes to have the benefit of its expertise and advice again on these matters in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he now proposes to relax planning controls over sites for travelling showpeople.

I have considered carefully, in the light of the responses to my Department's consultation paper "Sites for Travelling Showpeople", whether to introduce permitted development rights for the stationing of up to five caravans, inhabited by travelling showpeople and their families, and for the storage and maintenance of their fairground equipment.I do not underestimate the difficulties which some showpeople have experienced in obtaining sites with planning permission from which to base their activities. However, the consultation exercise has highlighted the difficulty of reconciling any relaxation of planning control with safeguarding local amenity and the environment. Accordingly, I have decided not to introduce permitted development rights to establish sites for travelling showpeople.My Department will, however, issue fresh guidance to local planning authorities which will emphasise that, both in formulating local and unitary development plan policies and in development control decisions, authorities should take full account of travelling showpeople's requirements for secure, long-term sites. My officials will work closely with the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain in preparing the guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list any opinion surveys conducted by, for or on behalf of his Department since 1 January 1985 giving the date and purpose of each survey.

[holding answer 17 December 1990]: Since 1 January 1985 the Department of the Environment has commissioned numerous surveys, including many small surveys, to local authorities, businesses and the general public. Some of these contained questions about opinions but a list of such surveys is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he received the Anglian coastal study; and if he will now place a copy in the Library.

I have been asked to reply.The initial phases of this study are complete and resulting data has been made available to interested parties. The remaining phase which should be completed next summer concentrates on field measurement which will provide valuable data for the detailed design of coastal defence. This information which will be the main output of the third phase will be stored in detabases managed by the Anglian region of the National Rivers Authority. The information will be made available to coastal defence authorities in the region and to this Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the extra amount of money available to each school in Cumbria if 85 per cent. of the potential schools budget for the current year had been distributed under the conditions of his announcement of 11 December, Official Report, column 324.

In the current year, Cumbria is delegating 82·53 per cent. of its potential schools budget. If that was increased to 85 per cent., on average that would release £7,440 to each school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give for each category A dental school (a) the number of unfilled technical jobs in biochemistry departments and (b) when he expects them to be filled.

Information is not collected centrally about such local management matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice he gives to local education authorities concerning the funding of places in charitable and private institutions assisting cerebral palsy sufferers; and if he will make a statement.

Advice to local education authorities concerning the placement of children with statements in independent schools and non-maintained special schools is contained in circular 22/89, "Assessments and Statements of Special Educational Needs: Procedures within the Education, Health and Social Services".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning the funding of the Hornsey centre for children learning; and if he will make a statement on its future.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received a number of representations expressing concern about the future of the Hornsey centre for children learning. As we have made clear in replying to such letters, while we are sympathetic to these difficulties and acknowledge the work of the Hornsey centre, there is no prospect of the Department's being able to provide financial assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total spending for the Inner London education authority for each year since 1980 and what proportion of its income was from central government sources; and if he will also list the spending figures for 1990–91 for each of the successor education authorities and the proportion of their income that is drawn from central Government sources.

The net expenditure of the Inner London authority as recorded on the revenue outturn returns made to the Department of the Environment is shown in the table for all years from 1980–81 to 1988–89. Figures for the outturn expenditure in 1989–90 are not yet available. Grants received by the ILEA are shown for the same years. No rate support grant was received by the authority during this period because of its very high rateable resources. Consistent education budget figures for all the inner London boroughs for 1990–91 are not yet available.

Net spending of the Inner London education authority 1980–81 to 1989–90
Year	Net expenditure £ million1	Specific grant income £ million2	Specific grants as percentage of net expenditure
1980–81	674·5	12·7	1·9
1981–82	743·8	14·5	1·9
1982–83	803·3	15·4	1·9
1983–84	870·9	15·1	1·7
1985–86	956·1	20·3	2·1
1984–85	924·4	17·2	1·9
1986–87	1,033·0	24·9	2·4
1987–88	1,097·2	31·1	2·9
1988–89	1,074·8	41·3	3·8
1 Net expenditure as reported on the Form RO1.
2 The figures for grant exclude specific grant aid in support of mandatory awards, which has also been excluded from the expenditure column.