To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, under what terms the Commissioners hold 8 Barton street, London house; who else has a legal interest in the property; and if he will make a statement.

The Commissioners own the freehold of London house, 8 Barton street, and there are no other legal interests in the property.

To ask the Attorney-General whether the report of the efficiency scrutiny of the Public Record Office has been completed and when it is expected to be published.

The Lord Chancellor has received the report of the efficiency scrutiny of the Public Record Office. The report is being published today and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses.The scrutiny was set up in August 1990 to look at the functions, management and organisation of the Public Record Office, to examine the services it provides and to make proposals on its future status. The Lord Chancellor is most concerned to ensure that the priceless national asset of the records held by the Public Record Office is maintained efficiently and that the best possible quality of service is provided to those who wish to use them.The scrutiny team has produced a wide-ranging report and the Lord Chancellor will be considering the detailed recommendations that it contains. He accepts the broad thrust of the report and agrees with the scrutiny team's conclusion that the Public Record Office should become an executive agency under the Government's "next steps" programme. Officials of the Public Record Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department will be drawing up an action plan for the transition to agency status and associated management changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what records are kept by his Department of the number of shipping accidents there have been in the coastal waters of the United Kingdom, involving (a) collisions, (b) groundings and (c) sinkings; how far the records go back; and what is the date of the latest records available.

The records kept show the numbers of collisions and groundings for each year for United Kingdom merchant vessels over 100 gross tons and United Kingdom fishing vessels, on a worldwide basis, back to 1972. They also show individual merchant and fishing vessels lost from any cause in each year.The information for the years 1972–88 is available in the Department's publication "Casualties to Vessels and Accidents to Men". This publication was discontinued with the setting up of the marine accident investigation branch (MAIB) in July 1989. For 1989—the latest year for which figures are currently available—the information is contained in the MAIB publication "Review for 1989"The figures for the past 10 years are as follows:

Year	Collisions and contacts	Strandings and Groundings	Losses (all causes)
Merchant vessels
1980	153	49	8
1981	125	45	11
1982	154	44	4
1983	107	25	5
1984	91	35	5
1985	69	28	6
1986	55	21	4
1987	46	16	5
1988	56	22	6
1989	62	28	3
Fishing vessels
1980	23	26	39
1981	20	25	52
1982	38	29	50
1983	26	33	42
1984	15	36	41
1985	22	32	40
1986	21	33	19
1987	13	40	14
1988	19	55	22
1989	46	51	22

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding the environmental risks associated with oil tankers using the route through the Minches, as opposed to the recommended deep water route west of the Western Isles; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Pollok (Mr. Dunnachie) on 14 November, columns 139–40.Since the deep water route was implemented in October 1987 I have received a number of representations from hon. Members, environmental organisations and members of the public, all expressing concern about the use of the Minches by oil tankers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the annual figures for the number of laden oil tankers which sailed through the deep water route west of the Western Isles in a southerly direction for each of the past 10 years and the amount of oil carried;(2) what are the annual figures for the number of laden oil tankers which sailed through the Minches in a southerly direction for each of the past 10 years and the amount of oil carried.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he intends that cost-benefit analysis should be used in considering any proposals from ScotRail to electrify the Edinburgh-Glasgow, via Falkirk, and the Edinburgh-Dunblane-Glasgow railway lines; and if he will make a statement.(2) what assurances have been given that the social benefits of electrification will be taken into account in considering proposals to electrify the Edinburgh-Glasgow, via Falkirk, and Edinburgh-Dunblane-Glasgow railway lines;(3) what criteria will be used to assess any proposals to electrify the railway line between Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

My right hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Parkinson), the then Secretary of State, set out the criteria for rail investment in his letter of 19 December 1989 to the then chairman of the British Railways Board, which set the board's objectives for the period 1990–91 to 1992–93. I am sending a copy to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total value of moneys paid out under section 8 of the Transport Act 1974 to assist in the provision of Speedlink rail freight services.

Since 1975 grants of £69 million (cash) have been awarded under section 8 of the Railways Act 1974. Around £10 million assisted the provision of rail facilities serviced by the Speedlink network representing less than 10 per cent. of the total grant-aided traffic. These figures include a number of schemes no longer subject to the conditions of grant which normally apply for 10 years and others which have ceased operation at some time during the period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what specific measures his Department has taken to promote energy efficiency; what further measures his Department intends to take to promote energy efficiency; and by what amount and what percentage of its total energy bill his Department's energy bill has been reduced over the past year.

The Department of Transport monitors energy consumption and undertakes detailed energy efficiency surveys in its major buildings. These activities have, for example, produced improvements in air conditioning plant and have led to the introduction of new building management systems and to the installation of new lighting systems. New opportunities continue to be sought and implemented.In 1989–90, the last full year for which data are available, the energy bill of the Department was reduced by about £120,000, 5 per cent. compared with the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 606, if he will outline the programme of monitoring for the pilot red route scheme being undertaken by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the effects so far of the routes' introduction.

Monitoring will cover safety, public transport performance, vehicle flow counts, parking surveys, shopping activity, pedestrian movement, journey times, enforcement data, loading activity and the use of rat runs.Present indications are that traffic, including buses, is flowing more freely and that there is less illegal parking, but it is too soon to reach firm conclusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure has been incurred by his Department in ensuring slaughterhouses in Wales meet EC standards.

No special financial assistance is provided by my Department to ensure slaughterhouses in Wales meet EC standards. The Department's veterinary staff are available to provide advice on these standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to the establishment of green belts in Wales and in Cardiff, North in particular.

This matter is being considered as part of the current exercise to review the Department's existing strategic planning guidance. The Assembly of Welsh Counties has accepted the invitation to take forward that review in consultation with the Council of Welsh Districts and other interested bodies. To launch the debate on green belts, my right hon. Friend has convened and will address a conference at the Welsh Office on 28 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he has given to the report of the Council for the Protection of Rural Wales entitled "How Green Was My Valley"; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has read the report with interest. Some of its central concerns will be considered at the green belts conference in the Welsh Office, on 28 January 1991, when the CPRW will present a paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many job vacancies there are for (a) machine operators, (b) catering staff, (c) sales distribution staff, (d) cleaning staff and (e) clerical employees in Wales.

The information requested is shown in the table.

Total vacancies unfilled—October 1990 (latest)
Vacancy	Number
Machine Operator (Engineering)—skilled	60
Machine Operator (Engineering)—unskilled	6
Catering	1,907
Selling—Distribution	1,312
Cleaning and Personal Services	1,944
Clerical and Machine Operators	1,367

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones), on 14 January, Official Report, column 433, if he will now set out his proposed timetable for (a) the submission of the application for Pembrokeshire district health authority to become a trust, (b) the consultation process on the application and (c) his decision on the application.

Total visitors admitted to, and total passengers refused leave to enter and removed from, the United Kingdom for selected nationalities, 1990
Nationality	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October
Jamaica
Total visitors admitted1	600	800	1,000	1,200	1,500	2,300	3,100	2,300	1,600	1,400
Total passengers refused leave to enter and removed	50	52	58	42	48	50	52	36	47	60
Barbados
Total visitors admitted1	100	100	200	300	400	800	1,000	900	600	300
Total passengers refused leave to enter and removed	2	1	3	3	4	3	2	3	3	5
Trinidad and Tobago
Total visitors admitted1	300	300	500	600	700	1,300	1,700	1,200	1,000	800
Total passengers refused leave to enter and removed	11	11	10	9	11	11	10	10	17	13
Guyana
Total visitors admitted1	100	200	200	200	200	400	700	500	400	200
Total passengers refused leave to enter and removed	6	3	6	3	4	4	5	1	2	10
1 Provisional figures for ordinary and business visitors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether for the 1987 general election any chief executive of a local authority (a) refused appointment as an acting returning officer or (b) took unpaid leave from their authority in order to carry out the function of an acting returning officer.

Chief executives of local authorities in England and Wales who are acting retuning officers are not directly appointed to that office: they have a statutory responsibility to carry out the duties of acting returning officers by virtue of the fact that they are electoral registration officers appointed by a district or London borough council. We are not aware of any chief executive who took unpaid leave in order to carry out the duties of acting returning officer at the last general election.

If Pembrokeshire district health authority decides to submit a formal application it will be subject to a statutory consultation period of three months after which I would hope to issue an early decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the amount of money spent in Wales during 1990 on the set-aside scheme.

A total of £231,137 was paid out in Wales during 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the number of people admitted as visitors and the number of people refused entry and returned abroad by the immigration authorities at United Kingdom ports of entry for each month in 1990 who were nationals of (a) Jamaica, (b) Barbados, (c) Trinidad and Tobago and (d) Guyana.

The available information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are limited to closed visits.

The information is not recorded centrally and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any provision within the prison system for unsupervised visits to take place.

Under standing order 5, a copy of which is in the Library, there is no provision within the prison system for any visits to take place out of the sight of prison staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) at which prison department establishments visits are normally restricted to 30 minutes' duration;

Convicted prisoners are normally able to receive at least two visits every four weeks, and sometimes more, at all establishments except Brixton, Durham, Liverpool, Manchester, Preston, Shrewsbury and Swansea.Visits normally last at least one hour, and frequently longer, at all establishments except Durham, Leeds, Liverpool and Wandsworth.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the annual expenditure on assisted visits each year since 1986–87; and what is the estimated annual expenditure in 1990–91.

The annual expenditure on the payment of claims made under the assisted prison visits scheme in the past four years has been as follows:

	£
1986–87	905,628
1987–88	793,407
1988–89	1,332,598
1989–90	1,491,204

The scheme is not cash limited and all valid claims are met in full. It is therefore possible to estimate only annual expenditure in 1990–91. It appears likely that end-of-year expenditure will be around £1,650,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what special circumstances can prisoners be denied open visits.

Standing order 5, a copy of which is in the Library, stipulates that visits to prisoners should take place in open visiting rooms unless security or control considerations require that a special or closed visiting room or a closed visiting box should be used. This may be considered necessary in individual cases in order to prevent, for example, the smuggling of drugs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the amount of money spent on A wing of Wormwood Scrubs prison, London, over the last five years.

A total of £811,000 has been spent on building work in A hall at Wormwood Scrubs prison over the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to stop the censorship of prisoners' letters in prisons in England and Wales, except where prisoner security is necessary; and if he will make a statement.

In 1986, routine censorship of prisoners' correspondence in category D prison establishments was abolished. Since 1988 only a random 5 per cent. sample of incoming and outgoing letters are routinely read in category C and equivalent female and young offender establishments. During 1990, a trial took place to test the reduction of censorship to a 5 per cent. sample in selected category B—non-dispersal—establishments. We are currently studying the results of that trial.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to meet the chief constable of Warwickshire to discuss the standard spending assessment for the police service in Warwickshire.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were in categories A, B, C and D, respectively, on the most recent available date.

The latest information readily available centrally is given in the table.

Population1of adult male sentenced prisoners in local and training prisons in England and Wales on 30 September 1990: by security category of prisoner
	Number
A2	431
B	5,240
C	13,866
D	5,135
Not recorded	3,064
Total population	27,736
1 The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate: detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.
2 Including prisoners provisionally placed in Category A.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the chief fire officer of Warwickshire to discuss the standard spending assessment for the county's fire service.

Representatives of Warwickshire county council have had a number of opportunities to discuss their standard spending assessments with Ministers at the Department of the Environment. We will consider carefully any request from the Warwickshire fire authority for a meeting to discuss standards of fire cover. The chief fire officer met Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services on 17 December to discuss those standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for the South Yorkshire police force area how many (a) children and (b) adults are known to have gone missing for each of the last five years he has records; and how many were subsequently traced.

The following annual figures are given in relation to the total number of missing persons reports received in the South Yorkshire police force area for the years 1986–1990. Children and adults are not categorised separately, nor do the figures take account of those individuals who regularly leave their homes and may be reported missing several times a year. Separate records are maintained of children and adults who are still missing at the end of each year.

Year	Total number of missing persons reports	Outstanding at end of year
		Children	Adults
1986	3,990	16	4
1987	3,908	32	5
1988	3,420	13	4
1989	4,281	14	3
1990	4,740	27	7

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many elderly people have so far benefited from the provision of home security and alarm systems under the safer cities and other projects (a) in London and (b) in the London borough of Wandsworth.

Four safer cities projects are based in London: at Islington, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Wandsworth. Twenty-two safer cities grants, worth £209,000, have been approved for agencies and organisations in those areas so that they can provide better home security or alarm systems to elderly people. The estimated number of beneficiaries is 3,500 elderly people, including 400 in the London borough of Wandsworth.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders are in force against Iraqi nationals; and how many are held in custody at present.

Since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on 2 August, notices of intention to make deportation orders have been served on 128 Iraqi nationals. Deportation orders have been made against three of these Iraqi nationals. As of 22 January 1991, a total of 61 Iraqi nationals are detained pending their appearance before the advisory panel established under paragraph 157 of the immigration rules—HC 251—or consideration of other representations. Two further Iraqi nationals, who are military officers, are being detained as prisoners of war.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Iraqi nationals are currently in the United Kingdom by virtue of (a) permanent residence, (b) student, (c) exceptional leave to remain and (d) asylum application.

The revised estimate from the latest labour force surveys and immigration control data is that some 7,000 Iraqis are usually resident in the United Kingdom, including students. In addition, some 1,300 Iraqis have been granted exceptional leave to remain and around 1,600 have applications outstanding for asylum.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of children admitted into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, for the purpose of adoption, without the necessary entry clearance; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is not available. Statistics collected on passenger admissions do not separately identify children who come to the United Kingdom for adoption.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the level of subsidies to council housing as a percentage of gross domestic product in each of the last 10 years.

Housing and rent rebate subsidies from Government and rate fund contributions from local authorities to council housing in Great Britain between 1990–91 and 1989–90 are:

Year	£ billion	GDP Per cent·
1980–81	2·5	1·0
1981–82	2·1	0·8
1982–83	2·1	0·7
1983–84	2·8	0·9
1984–85	3·1	0·9
1985–86	3·2	0·9
1986–87	3·4	0·9
1987–88	3·5	0·8
1988–89	3·4	0·7
1989–90	3·8	0·7

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by local authority the percentage of uncollected (a) community charge and (b) uniform business rates outstanding for the latest date for which he has figures.

I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 7 December 1990, Official Report, column 220, if he will publish in the Official Report his letter of 19 December 1990 to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside.

The information contained in my letter of 19 December 1990 is now out of date. The latest position with regulations on local government finance still to be made is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the programme he intends to follow in providing additional finances to (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations and (c) voluntary bodies, in each of the four district areas in south Yorkshire, in (i) the present financial year, (ii) the 1991–92 financial year and (iii) subsequent financial years in order to ensure adequate availability of appropriate housing to match the requirements of his Department's programme for the implementation of care in the community.

We hope to make an announcement shortly about the regional distribution of the Housing Corporation's 1991–92 approved development programme. The distribution of resources within its regions is a matter for the corporation.Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield all receive allocations of urban programme resources before the start of each financial year for expenditure on projects targeting deprived inner-city areas and disadvantaged minorities in them. Mainstream housing provision is not an appropriate objective of the urban programme, although expenditure on support for housing workers in the voluntary sector and hostel bed spaces may be.Any additional burden on services which are supported through revenue support grant will be reflected in future standard spending assessments. This support is unlikely to be hypothecated.Any additional demands for housing resulting from the implementation of care in the community will be taken into account in future public expenditure surveys and in the distribution of resources for housing capital expenditure to individual local authorities. No account has been taken for 1990–91 or 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what calculations underlay his assessment that Warwickshire county council would earn interest of £6·7 million, as set out in the standard spending assessment calculation for 1991.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key), to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether persons refused severance allowances by the Property Services Agency in accordance with circular SWOP3/91 will still have the same conditions of service entitlement should they later be made redundant by the successor employer, a Government-owned company.

The Government are committed to ensuring that any staff who are transferred out of the civil service either into a Government-owned company—GOCO—or into a privately owned company will enjoy as far as possible redundancy compensation provisions identical to those they have at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether persons refused severance payment by the Property Services Agency under the terms of circular SW0P3/91 will be given an explanation for such refusals.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, for each of the last 10 years, in London (a) the number of local authority dwellings built, (b) the number sold, (c) the number built by housing associations, (d) the number of homeless persons arid (e) his estimate of the number sleeping on the streets.

The latest available information about the numbers of dwellings built by London boroughs and by housing associations in London can be found in tables 1·1 to 1·10 inclusive of "Housebuilding in England by Local Authority Areas 1980–1989", a copy of which is in the Library.Tables of council house sales showing year-by-year sales for each local authority are regularly placed in the Library. A table showing sales to September 1990 will be placed in the Library shortly.Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure accommodation for households who have been found to be homeless, or threatened with homelessness, under part III of the Housing Act 1985. The numbers of households accepted and found accommodation are reported quarterly to the Department. Estimates for London for the years 1980–1989 are set out in the table.

Year	Number of households accepted and found accommodation
1980	17,480
1981	18,470
1982	21,110
1983	24,050
1984	25,180
1985	27,390
1986	29,740
1987	29,710
1988	29,320
1989	33,160

Having consulted front-line voluntary organisations, my Department estimates that some 2,000 or 3,000 people sleep on the streets in London. A count of persons sleeping rough is to be carried out as part of the 1991 population census.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether a report has been sent to the Commission as required under article 16 of Council directive 78/659/EEC on the quality of fresh waters needing protection or improvement in order to support fish life.

A report covering monitoring in 1989 has been submitted to the Commission recently and copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for regulations in respect of private water supplies.

We have issued today a consultation paper seeking views on proposals for regulations dealing with the duties and functions of local authorities in respect of private water supplies. This has been published jointly by my Department, the Scottish Office Environment Department and the Welsh Office. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.The consultation paper proposes that regulations should specify the information that local authorities are able to obtain in respect of private supplies in their areas and should require local authorities to prepare and maintain a register of such supplies. Proposals are made about the different classes into which private supplies should be allocated, the parameters for which each class of supply should be monitored, and the frequencies at which local authorities should carry out sampling and analysis in order to determine whether supplies comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 and the parallel Scottish regulations. The paper puts forward proposals for maximum charges that local authorities would be able to make for carrying out sampling and analysis. It is intended that regulations should come into effect on 1 July 1991 and that local authorities should begin to monitor private supplies from 1 October 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take to protect the pensions of local government employees who are called up for service as reservists during the present crisis.

The Department has today gone out to consultation on amendments to the local government superannuation scheme designed to preserve full superannuation rights for any local government employee serving as a reservist. They would apply retrospectively with effect from 17 December 1990, the date of the order authorising the call-out of reserves.If, in any case, an authority declines to make good any shortfall between service and civilian salary, the regulations will provide for the cost of both the employee's and the employer's contribution to be met by the authority. I understand, however, that authorities are in the main indicating their readiness to make good any shortfall in salary and I hope that all will conclude that they should do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the level of Government grant to the British Waterways Board for each year since 1979 at current prices; and what is the planned level of grant for future years.

[holding answer 21 January 1991]: The table shows in current prices the Government's grant 1:0 the BWB in the years 1978–79 to 1990–91, together with the board's external financing limit—EFL—which covers grant and borrowing from the national loans fund, for the same period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to go to full public consultation on the review of the Minerals Act 1981; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 21 January 1991]: The review of the Minerals Act 1981, announced in "Our Common Inheritance", is already under way. The issues are complex and require careful consideration. The review is expected to take up to 18 months. Any proposals for change arising from the review will be the subject of full public consultation thereafter, in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a table showing the expenditure on each inner city task force and city action team in 1989–90, including both the cost of running the unit concerned and the funds disbursed by the unit and including separately the cost of central support to task forces and city action teams.

[holding answer 22 January 1991]: The task forces are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Responsibility for the Government's city action teams transferred to the Department of the Environment in December 1989. Task force and city action team expenditure in 1989–90 was as follows:

Task forces	Running costs £'000 estimated	Funds disbursed £'000
East Birmingham	129	959
Handsworth		312
Wolverhampton		1,270
Leeds	112	1,212
Middlesbrough	78	980
Coventry	71	879
Doncaster	126	1,619
Hartlepool	104	941
Nottingham	162	998
Leicester		982
Bradford	49	130

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he intends to extend the life of his Department's REPLAN programme of education for the adult unemployed for at least a further year beyond October 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will now make an announcement on the future of REPLAN.

The REPLAN programme in England and Wales has been evaluated by the National Foundation for Educational Research, and I have today placed a copy of its report in the Library. Among its main findings were that REPLAN had been successful in raising the awareness of local education authorities and education providers to the needs of the adult unemployed and that as a result provision had improved and participation increased.It is now for the adult education providers and the LEAs to continue to develop provision for the adult unemployed, drawing on the lessons learnt under the REPLAN programme. We look to them to work particularly closely with the training and enterprise councils which are responsible for delivering the major training programmes for the adult unemployed.The REPLAN programme will have largely fulfilled the purpose for which it was established when its current term is completed next October, and it is not the intention therefore of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales to extend it for a further term. Neither do we believe that there is a need for a successor programme of general promotion and support to the providers of education and training for the adult unemployed.We will however take specific action to address specific problems and my right hon. and learned Friends the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Employment and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales are today launching a new initiative to improve and increase the provision of adult literacy and basic skills training.This new initiative will be targeted at unemployed people and at those in work who cannot progress without improved basic skills. It will be overseen by the adult literacy and basic skills unit and will encourage LEAs and TECs to work together to improve basic skills provision in their areas.The three Departments are making available nearly £3 million over the three years 1991–92 to 1993–94. We expect to fund a pilot programme of some 30 local development initiatives worked up by LEAs and TECs.The initiatives will be based on an examination of needs and of existing provision in the area. It will be for LEAs and TECs to decide what to propose, but we would expect to see such developments as "compacts" which would prepare people for specific employment; basic skills training in the workplace; and supported self-study and open learning. The lessons learnt from the pilot will be disseminated nationally to assist the development of similar activity in other areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent per pupil at primary and secondary schools in Lancashire in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure in 1978–79, at constant prices.

Lancashire spent £320 per nursery and primary pupil in 1978–79 and £985 in 1988–89, the latest year for which figures are available. It spent £495 per secondary pupil in 1978–79 and £1,620 in 1988–89. At 1988–89 prices those figures are £700 and £985 respectively for nursery and primary schools, and £1,085 and £1,620 respectively for secondary schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what criteria he used to determine to grant (a) the London borough of Greenwich and (b) all neighbouring boroughs loan sanction for education capital projects; and what the level is in (i) Greenwich and (ii) each neighbouring borough.

The criteria for all LEAs in England were set out in the reply my right hon. and learned Friend gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) on 17 December 1990, Official Report, columns 41–50.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to abolish the five in-service training days for teachers which were added to the second year in 1987.

The Government have no plans to change the provisions in the school teachers' pay and conditions document with regard to non-contact days for in-service training and other activities. These require teachers to be available for work for 195 days in any year, of which 190 days shall be days on which they may be required to teach pupils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many teachers in (a) England and (b) Wales have taken early retirement in each of the years since 1979 on grounds of (i) redundancy/interests of efficiency and (ii) health.

Separate figures in respect of ill-health retirements from (a) England and (b) Wales are riot readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information relating to premature retirement figures, together with the total number of ill-health retirements, is as follows:

Financial year	Interests of efficiency	Redundancy	Total
England
1979–80	2,106	1,106	3,122
1980–81	4,092	1,753	5,845
1981–82	5,391	2,796	8,187
1982–83	6,165	2,492	8,657
1983–84	5,839	2,769	8,608
1984–85	6,682	3,129	9,811
1985–86	6,776	2,700	9,476
1986–87	6,547	1,860	8,407
1987–88	5,591	1,460	7,051
1988–89	8,357	3,222	11,579
1989–90	8,947	2,595	11,542
Wales
1979–80	336	20	356
1980–81	456	40	496
1981–82	754	62	816
1982–83	698	94	792
1983–84	610	34	644
1984–85	830	34	864
1985–86	677	83	760
1986–87	593	98	691
1987–88	455	47	5–2
1988–89	614	167	781
1989–90	686	80	766

Ill-health retirements
England and Wales
Financial year	Number
1979–80	1,617
1980–81	1,449
1981–82	1,582
1982–83	1,910
1983–84	2,170
1984–85	2,447
1985–86	2,698
1986–87	2,736
1987–88	2,551
1988–89	3,412
1989–90	4,123

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackburn, Official Report, 16 January 1991, column 506, if he will place in the Library the report, "International Comparisons and Higher Education."

A copy of the report "International Comparisons of Higher Education" has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish a table in the Official Report listing the capital allocations for each grant-maintained

School	Former maintaining LEA	Pupil number January 1990	Named capital allocations
			For projects beginning in 1990–91 (£ thousands)1	For projects beginning in 1991–92 (£ thousands)2
Adams' Grammar School	Shropshire	445	—	21
Audenshaw High School	Tameside	714	575	225
Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School	Lancashire	717	713	—
Bankfield High School	Cheshire	428	480	—
Baverstock GM School	Birmingham	1,037	275	—
Beechen Cliff School	Avon	774	480	320
Bishopshalt School	Hillingdon	917	—	206
Bournemouth Grammar School	Dorset	869	—	300
Bridgewater Hall School	Buckinghamshire	1,155	—	65
Bullers Wood School for Girls	Bromley	942	—	228
Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School	Kensington	614	219	—
Carre's Grammar School	Lincolnshire	380	—	630
Castle Hall GM School	Kirklees	394	11	105
Claremont High School	Brent	881	328	120
Colyton	Devon	421	950	—
Ecclesbourne School	Derbyshire	1,223	—	400
Francis Bacon School	Hertfordshire	466	—	105
Handsworth Grammar School for Boys	Birmingham	777	—	953
Heckmondwike Grammar School	Kirklees	584	198	252
Hendon School	Barnet	805	180	200
Lancaster Royal Grammar School	Lancashire	886	155
London Nautical School	Southwark	398	100	50
London Oratory School	Hammersmith	1,184	151	216
Long Field High School	Leicestershire	352		236
Netherthorpe School	Derbyshire	571	65
Old Swinford Hospital	Dudley	525	35	500
Pate's Grammar School	Gloucestershire	1,010		1,500
Queen Elizabeth's GM School for Boys	Barnet	1,036	90
Queen Elizabeth's GM Grammar School	Lincolnshire	329	100	503
Queensbury School	Bedfordshire	641	57
Ribston Hall High School	Gloucestershire	417	295
St. Francis Xavier's College	Liverpool	1,012	32	200
Skegness Grammar School	Lincolnshire	539	92	63
Small Heath School	Birmingham	780	50	105
Southfield School for Girls	Northamptonshire	579		650
Southlands School	Berkshire	529	46	113
St. James' CE School	Bolton	655	650
The Grammar School for Girls, Wilmington	Kent	415	44	45
The Kings School	Lincolnshire	762	128
Watford Boys Grammar School	Hertfordshire	1,028		80
Wilson's School	Sutton	753	200
Totals		28,944	6,699	8,391
1 Financial Year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the changes in financial arrangements when a school obtains grant-maintained status.

The principal changes when a school becomes grant-maintained are:

The table lists the total value of the allocations for named capital projects in grant-maintained schools to begin in the two years. Each grant-maintained school is eligible to claim an amount of capital grant calculated according to a formula which takes account of the number of pupils on roll. Schools becoming grant-maintained during the course of the financial year are also eligible to claim grant for the part year. The grant is to be used for small capital works and purchase of items of equipment. For 1990–91 the formula was £13,000 plus £6 per pupil on roll. For 1991–92 the formula will be £19,000 plus £9 per pupil on roll.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are the plans for capital grant expenditure on grant-maintained schools for the financial year 1991–92.

The planned level of capital expenditure on grant-maintained schools in 1991–92 is £10·5 million. Grant-maintained schools are receiving allocations for named capital projects with a total value of £8·4 million to begin in 1991–92. It is assumed that about £4·5 million of this sum will be spent in 1991–92.When schools become grant maintained we want to ensure they are set up on a sound basis. This has led, on average, to higher capital allocations for the GM sector in 1991–92 than for LEA-maintained schools.Of the 56 eligible schools, 28 have received an allocation for a named capital project; two have a project on a design list which will enable the school to proceed with the planning stages of the project; and nine schools which were approved for grant-maintained status towards the end of 1990 will have their capital bids considered in the next few weeks. An announcement will be made in due course.Priority in the allocations has been given to schools' most pressing needs, including projects related to the health and safety of pupils, and to projects concerned with the introduction of the national curriculum, especially in science and technology. Each grant-maintained school is eligible to receive a formula-based allocation to be used for small capital works and items of capital equipment. The average allocation is £25,000, which is 50 per cent. higher on average than the allocations in 1990–91. The total cost in 1991–92 for the grant-maintained schools already approved for grant-maintained status is about £1·5 million.The remaining £4·5 million of expenditure in 1991–92 is available to allow for expenditure arising from projects begun in 1990–91, the prospect of allocations to some of the nine schools whose bids were not requested until the latter part of January, part-year formula allocations for schools becoming grant-maintained during the 1991–92 financial year, and a contingency margin.The following is a list of the named capital allocations.

Capital allocations for grant-maintained schools in 1991–92
Named Project Allocations
All figures are in £000s
School	Project	Total named project allocation
Adams Grammar School, Newport	Health and Safety Removal of asbestos	21
Audenshaw High School	Conversion into Design and Tech room and rewiring	225
Beechen Cliff School, Bath	Technology Block	320
Bishopshalt School, Hillingdon	Science Block extension	206
Bournemouth Grammar School	Repairs (inc. roof repairs and rewiring)	300
Bridgewater Hall School, Milton Keynes	Boiler replacement	65
Bullers Wood School, Chislehurst	Refurbishment and extension of 3 labs	228
Carre's Grammar School, Sleaford	Technology and Labs extension	630
Castle Hall Grant-	Roof renewal	65
Maintained School, Mirfield	Concrete frame repairs	40
		105

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers attained (a) university minimum entrance qualifications and (b) no qualifications in England and Wales in 1988–89.

In the academic year 1988–89, the percentage of school leavers in question in England was as shown.

School Leavers—England
	Per cent.
2+ A-levels	17·4
No qualifications	7·9
Total leavers (000s)	617·71

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of school leavers left at ages (a) 16 years, (b) 17 years and (c) 18 years or later in England and Wales in 1988–89.

In the academic year 1988–89, the percentage of school leavers in England, who left at the ages in question, was as shown.

School Leavers—England
	Per cent.
Aged 16	65·2
Aged 17	11·5
Aged 18 or over	23·3
Total leavers (000s)	617·71

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total amount of aid given in each year since 1980 for forestry conservation projects.

1. The Overseas Development Administration's statistics do not show separate figures for aid expenditure on forestry conservation. Figures for bilateral aid expenditure on all types of forestry in the years 1980 to 1986, including research, training, other technical co-operation and Commonwealth Development Corporation projects, were provided in the written answer of the then Minister for Overseas Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Mr. Patten), to the question of the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 9 May 1988, at column 9. Figures showing Overseas Development Administration is-à-vis Commonwealth Development Corporation expenditure for the years 1983 to 1987 were provided in my right hon. Friend's written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. McCrindle) on 15 May 1989, at column 21.2. Estimated bilateral aid expenditure on all types of forestry, except training, for the calendar years 1988 and 1989 was:

	Expenditure by
	Overseas Development Administration £'000	Commonwealth Development Corporation £'000	Total £'000
1988	7,768	3,391	11,159
1989	8,903	2,820	11,724

Details of expenditure on training could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The expenditure on agreed commitments in these years is subject to the time lag effect and will show mainly in 1991 and beyond.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) whether participants in job interview guarantee work trials will be subject to benefit penalties if (a) they refuse to participate in a work trial employment placement, (b) they leave a work trial placement early, (c) they reject the job at the end of the work trial period, or (d) they are dismissed for whatever reason by the work trial employer; and if he will make a statement;(2) how many employers have participated in job interview guarantee work trials in each of the 20 pilot areas; how many claimants have participated in these work trials; how many claimants are currently participating in work trials; and how many participants have got full-time employment with their work trial employer;(3) whether participants in job interview guarantee job preparation courses will be entitled to the same conditions and terms as those claimants attending conventional restart courses; and if he will make a statement;(4) how many agreements have been made with employers to operate the job interview guarantee scheme in each of the 20 pilot areas; how many unemployed people have taken part in the scheme in each area; and how many participants have secured full-time employment with their sponsoring employer.

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred these questions for reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what specific measures his Department has taken to promote energy efficiency; what further measures his Department intends to take to promote energy efficiency; and by what amount and what percentage of its total energy bill his Department's energy bill has been reduced over the past year.

My Department has introduced a range of measures to promote energy efficiency, including:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each region and for Great Britain as a whole the number and proportion of employment training leavers who obtained a vocational qualification.

The following table gives the proportion of trainees leaving employment training between July 1989 and June 1990, the latest date for which information is available, who obtained a qualification or credit or who were awaiting results. Numbers of trainees achieving qualifications or credits towards qualifications are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people attended a Restart interview in the last six months available for each region and for Great Britain as a whole; and what were the results of those interviews broken down in the manner of the answer to the hon. Member for Pendle (Mr. Lee) of 18 December, Official Report, column 148.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what numbers of unemployed people (i) attended and (ii) refused to attend Restart training courses (a) nationally and (b) in Bolton in the last year for which figures are available.

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred these questions for reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the current average tariff for bed-and-breakfast accommodation in three-star hotels in central London.

My Department does not have this information in respect of the star schemes operated by the AA and the RAC. However, for the English tourist board's "crown" classification and grading scheme, figures from the London tourist board indicate that the current average bed-and-breakfast tariff in central London for three-crown accommodation is £70·00 per night for two people occupying a double room with en-suite facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the occasions on which factory inspectors visited Vernon Mill and Taymar Gas in Stockport during the last 10 years.

The following table shows the dates on which factory inspectors have visited Vernon Mill and Taymar Gas in Stockport during the past 10 years:

VERNON MILL
14 January 1982	23 November 1984
21 January 1982	16 October 1985
28 January 1982	29 October 1985
26 March 1982	11 November 1985
5 May 1982	5 November 1986
3 August 1983	11 January 1988
7 September 1983	12 October 1988
8 February 1984	13 June 1989
16 February 1984	4 July 1989
12 March 1984	14 September 1989
31 May 1984	4 October 1989
12 July 1984	12 October 1989

Full time employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence
April 1990
	Percentage with weekly earnings, excluding overtime, less than:
	£100	£110	£120	£130	£140	£150	£160	£170	£180	£190	£200
(a) Women
(i) Manual
West Yorkshire	17·8	28·3	42·8	54·9	63·5	71·1	78·2	85·3	88·5	90·6	91·9
South Yorkshire	18·3	29·1	42·9	53·1	61·7	70·9	76·0	83·4	88·6	93·7	97·1
North Yorkshire	19·4	30·1	43·7	54·4	62·1	70·9	81·6	90·3	93·2	96·1	96·1
Humberside	15·7	26·9	40·3	53·0	66·4	70·1	81·3	86·6	91·0	94·0	95·5
(ii) Non-manual
West Yorkshire	3·0	6·8	14·4	20·5	28·0	34·7	42·5	49·4	53·9	58·0	62·8
South Yorkshire	4·0	8·9	16·0	22·8	29·2	36·2	44·1	51·9	57·7	62·4	66·9
North Yorkshire	5·7	9·8	16·8	24·9	31·2	37·9	45·3	52·6	58·3	62·9	66·4
Humberside	6·9	13·3	19·7	26·4	33·3	38·9	48·3	53·6	58·7	63·5	67·5
(iii) All
West Yorkshire	6·5	11·9	21·1	28·6	36·4	43·3	51·0	57·9	62·1	65·7	69·7
South Yorkshire	7·2	13·4	21 9	29·5	36·4	43·8	51·1	58·8	64·5	69·9	73·6
North Yorkshire	8·7	14·2	22·7	31·4	37·9	45·1	53·2	60·8	65·9	70·1	72·9
Humberside	9·2	16·9	25·1	33·4	42·0	47·2	57·0	62·3	67·2	71·5	74·9
(b) Men
(i) Manual
West Yorkshire	2·1	4·6	8·3	14·1	19·5	25·9	33·8	41·6	50·3	58·7	65·5
South Yorkshire	1·6	3·7	6·9	11·0	15·8	21·5	27·4	32·9	39·8	47·7	53·9
North Yorkshire	3·1	4·9	10·0	17·8	25·6	34·8	41·0	51·4	57·5	65·5	70·4
Humberside	2·2	4·9	9·5	14·1	22·0	28·6	34·3	42·0	48·2	53·3	57·0
(iii) Non-manual
West Yorkshire	1·3	1·9	3·0	4·5	5·5	7·4	10·2	12·6	15·1	17·7	20·7
South Yorkshire	0·8	1·4	2·3	3·7	5·5	7·3	9·1	11·3	13·0	16·7	20·1
North Yorkshire	1·4	2·8	4·7	7·2	9·4	11·0	14·9	17·1	19·3	22·4	26·2
Humberside	2·3	2·9	3·7	5·5	7·6	11·1	14·3	17·2	19·7	21·1	24·8