To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each training agency area the employment training training agents and training managers who have since the start of the programme (a) gone into liquidation, (b) not had contracts with the training agency renewed and (c) ceased to provide employment training for any other reason.

Employment Training
Destination of trainees leaving in period August 1989 to July 1990 (estimated)
Region	Full-time job	Part-time job	Full-time Education/Training	Self-employed	Jobclub	Unemployed claiming benefit	Unemployed not claiming benefit	Other
	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.	per cent.
South East	27	12	2	6	3	33	8	8
London	22	6	4	7	5	41	7	5
South West	26	8	2	10	4	35	6	8
West Midlands	26	7	3	3	4	45	5	8
East Midlands and Eastern	25	8	2	5	5	41	5	8
Yorkshire and Humberside	27	7	2	6	4	43	4	6
North West	26	7	2	7	5	43	4	6
Northern	27	6	2	3	5	46	5	6
Wales	25	7	2	8	4	40	6	7
Scotland	25	5	3	4	5	47	4	7
Great Britain	25	7	2	5	5	43	5	7

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each region and for Great Britain as a whole for each quarter since employment training was introduced the number of participants who (a) fell within the guarantee group and (b) fell within the aim group; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of places available on the employment training scheme for each year of operation; and how many places were in urban programme and partnership areas.

The information is not available in the precise form requested. However, information is available on the estimated number of ET starts, as shown in the table:

	ET starts (GB)	Percentage in inner cities
September 1988-March 1989	238,600	42
April 1989-March 1990	430,600	39

The information is not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each region and for Great Britain as a whole, for the latest available period, the number and proportion of employment training trainees who three months after leaving were (a) in a full-time job, (b) in a part-time job, (c) in a full-time education or training course, (d) employed in their own business, (e) in a jobclub, (f) unemployed and claiming benefit and (g) unemployed and not claiming benefit.

The following table gives the proportions of trainees leaving employment training in the last 12-month period for which information is available arid their destinations. Detailed numbers as requested are unavailable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was Government spending on employment training at 1989 prices for each year of operation.

The table shows expenditure on employment training for each year of its operation to date at 1989–90 constant prices.

£ million
1988–89 (from 5 September 1988)	452
1989–90	1,097
1990–91 (to end December 1990)	675

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment who is now responsible for recovering any overpayments that are made to people in receipt of the enterprise allowance scheme in areas covered by training and enterprise councils; in what circumstances recovery of overpayments will be sought; and if he will make a statement.

Training and enterprise councils are responsible for recovering overpaid moneys to people who are in receipt of the enterprise allowance in the areas they cover. Each training and enterprise council assumes this responsibility from the date it becomes operational.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the proportion of female part-time workers in Great Britain in April 1990 whose hourly earnings exclusive of overtime fell below (a) £3·10, (b) £3·40, (c) £4·00, (d) £4·60 and (e) £4·75.

The estimated percentages of part-time adult female employees earning below specified amounts in the new earnings survey sample in April 1990 were:

Hourly earnings excluding overtime less than:	Percentage
£3·00	36
£3·20	44
£3·40	52
£4·00	69
£4·50	78
£5·00	83

Estimates of the percentage earning below £3·10, £4·60 and £4·75 are not available; the nearest available figures have been given. The figures relate to employees on adult rates whose earnings for the survey period were not affected by absence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of male part-time

Training Agency Programme Expenditure 1989–90
Expenditure (£ million)
Region	ET	Residual AT	YTS	BGT	SFS	EAS	BEP (Outside ET)	WRFE	TVEI	Total
South East	31·21	1·65	74·55	1·56	0·41	12·55	0·45	19·22	26·57	168·17
London	46·11	3·54	38·78	1·80	0·20	14·82	1·06	14·28	12·27	132·86
South West	25·60	1·42	59·39	0·87	0·27	12·32	0·34	9·66	8·19	118·06
West Midlands	43·23	1·86	87·65	1·32	0·25	12·52	0·35	11·49	13·06	171·73
East Midlands	33·08	1·66	91·14	0·98	0·36	12·81	0·33	12·40	12·17	164·93
Yorks and Humberside	50·97	2·20	87·11	1·03	0·29	12·69	0·34	9·68	9·99	174·30
North West	56·11	3·65	120·94	1·70	0·52	19·75	0·83	15·38	13·80	232·68
Northern	42·10	1·31	69·44	1·01	0·21	7·72	0·24	4·51	9·07	135·61
Wales	32·74	1·75	50·75	0·47	—	8·95	0·20	5·31	7·50	107·67
Scotland	60·70	3·24	102·69	0·91	—	10·97	0·33	—	11·54	190·38
TNPU	109·30	—	181·34	—	—	—	—	—	—	290·64
RTC	7·37	1·75	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	9·12
GB	538·52	24·03	963·78	11·65	2·51	125·10	4·47	101·93	124·16	1,896·15

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what account he has taken of the representations on youth training funding for special needs young people, made to him by the Arthur Rank centre in its letter of 19 December 1990, in determining levels of such funding; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 23 January 1991]:Decisions on the appropriate levels of funding for youth workers in Great Britain in April 1990; and what was the proportion of those workers falling below the hourly earnings threshold of (a) £3·40, (b) £4·60 and (c) £4·75.

There were an estimated 906,000 part-time male employees in employment in March 1990. The estimated percentages of part-time adult male employees earning below specified amounts in the new earnings survey sample in April 1990 were:

Hourly earnings1	Per cent.
£3·40	49
£4·60	72
£4·80	74
1 Including overtime.

Estimates of the percentage earning below £4·75 are not available; the nearest available figures have been given. The figures relate to employees on adult rates whose earnings for the survey period were not affected by absence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide a table of expenditure on the programmes run by the Training Agency in 1989–90, broken down by programme and cross-tabulated by standard regions, with Greater London shown as a separate region.

The information requested is shown in the table:training providers are for local negotiation between the providers themselves and their local training and enterprise council.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the public expenditure on housing as a percentage of gross domestic product in each of the last 10 years.

The figures given are for Great Britain. They are based on gross expenditure on housing including spending from receipts and expenditure on housing benefits:

Year	Gross domestic product per cent.
1980–81	2·7
1981–82	2·2
1982–83	2·3
1983–84	2·8
1984–85	2·8
1985–86	2·5
1986–87	2·4
1987–88	2·3
1988–89	2·1
1989–90	2·2

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what date the present method of dumping sewage into the sea will cease or be amended at Ilfracombe, Combe Martin and Lynmouth.

The target date for completing improvement schemes for sewage discharges at Ilfracombe, Combe Martin and Lynmouth is end 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish his timetable for his review of local government finance and structure.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is conducting a thorough and fundamental review of local government functions, structure and finance to identify a stable basis for the future development of local government. It is premature to say when it might be complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing for 1990–91 for each local authority (a) the total amount of national non-domestic rate income to be collected, (b) his best estimate of the amount collected thus far and (c) the amount of national non-domestic rate income being made available to each authority in 1990–91.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the personal community charge payable in 1991–92 by each couple eligible for the community charge reduction scheme where the personal charge for 1990–91 was £350, and that for 1991–92 was £390, and where the total domestic rates paid by the household in 1989–90 was (a) £225, (b) £325, (c) £375 and (d) £275.

In general, assuming that the couple did not benefit from or contribute to the safety net in 1990–91, the amount payable by each partner in 1991–92 would be as follows: (a) £204·50, (b) £254·50, (c) £279·50 arid (d) £229·50.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to use a de minimis rule on the operation of community charge capping in 1991–92.

My right hon. Friend will decide whether to adopt a de minimis proviso and the figure for any such proviso in making his designation decisions under section 100 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. As we have made clear local authorities should not assume that there will be such a proviso.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish his final criteria for the purposes of community charge-capping designation in 1991–92.

My right hon. Friend intends to take his designation decisions under section 100 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 as soon as reasonably practicable after authorities have set their budgets for 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the qualifying date relating to residence in a property for eligibility for the community charge reduction scheme in 1991–92.

Broadly, as with the current transitional relief scheme, a person may be eligible if he or she was subject to a personal community charge by virtue of residence in the relevant property on 31 March 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the maximum number of assumed poll tax charges that will be used per household for the purposes of calculating help under the community charge reduction scheme in 1991–92.

As with the current transitional relief scheme, two community charges will be used in the calculation of a reduction where there are two or more eligible charge payers in a property. However, special rules will apply to residents of sheltered housing schemes who will be able to qualify for a reduction in their own right.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assumption of population mobility for 1990–91 and 1991–92 he used for the purposes of calculating the numbers of poll tax payers likely to qualify for help under his proposed community charge reduction scheme.

A depletion rate of 10 per cent. per annum has been assumed in arriving at the estimates for the community charge reduction scheme, to allow for cessation of entitlement for charge payers who have moved or have died.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a table of expenditure on the urban programme 1989–90 showing expenditure broken down into economic, environmental and social categories and cross-tabulated by standards, region, with Greater London shown as a separate region.

[holding answer 22 January 1991]: Approved urban programme expenditure levels for 1989–90 for

Urban programme region (£ million)
	Economic	Environmental	Social
Northern	21·006	5·656	9·695
Northwest1	21·452	5·577	9·010
Merseyside1	14·163	7·698	6·466
West Midlands	19·828	5·665	10·925
East Midlands	4·994	2·157	3·405
Yorkshire and Humberside	13·521	4·917	4·671
Southwest	0·998	0·499	0·689
London	24·416	13·270	11·147
1 These two urban programme regions form one standard Northwest region. All other urban programme and standard regions are identical.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the cause and the content of the layers of brown, greasy material that coat areas of the sea bed off the coast of north Devon.

I have no information on any unnatural or unusual materials coating the sea bed off the coast of north Devon.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the current staff complement of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; and how many staff will be in post by the end of the current financial year;(2) how many inspectors and how many administrative staff are employed by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution; and what the numbers are expected to be for the next financial year;(3) how many staff will ultimately be required to enforce integrated pollution control.

There are currently 220 staff in post in Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution (HMIP)—115 professional and 105 administrative staff.The approved complement for the end of the current financial year has recently been increased from 223 to 248, and the approved complement for the end of 1991–92 to over 300. HMIP will therefore continue to recruit and expand during 1991–92.Thereafter, complement may need to be increased further as IPC is progressively implemented and HMIP's workload increases further. Provisional assessments suggest that HMIP may ultimately require a total staff of up to around 400 when IPC is in full operation, but these assessments are subject to practical experience of operating IPC and are being kept under review.When HMIP was formed in April 1987 from the merger of three previous inspectorates, there were 133 staff in post. The substantial increase in HMIP's strength demonstrates the Government's commitment to the highest standards of environmental protection.Recruitment of further pollution inspectors is now in progress. Salary scales have been increased by 18 per cent., and this has overcome the recruitment difficulties previously experienced. The competition currently in progress has attracted nearly 600 good-quality applicants, showing a very encouraging level of interest among scientists in joining the inspectorate and being involved in its work of protecting the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he is satisfied that the price being agreed for the sale of the Crown Suppliers transport section fully reflects alternative uses of all five sites which form part of the sale;(2) whether the sale of the five land sites belonging to the Crown Suppliers transport section provides for a valuation based on existing use value, planning hope value, or a valuation based on approved planning applications following the completion of any sale.

The Government are concerned to ensure that they obtain a fair price for the business, having regard, among other things, to the market value of the assets, including the land. To this end independent professional valuations of the freehold sites have been obtained.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make it his policy not to permit control of the transport section of the Crown Suppliers to be varied prior to the payment of moneys by the management buy-out for the transport section of the Crown Suppliers.

The Secretary of State will retain control of the transport business of the Crown Suppliers in the run-up to any sale.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date Mr. Bill Pinkney first approached the Crown Suppliers or his Department directly with an offer to purchase the Crown Suppliers transport section.

In April 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what moneys have been allocated, paid or contracted for payment to the management buy-out for the Crown Suppliers transport section connected to Mr. Bill Pinkney and Mr. Bramall of Dewsbury.

A total of £36,000 has been paid in support of professional fees incurred by a team lead by Mr. Pinkney. Provisional agreement has been reached to provide additional support of up to a further £111,000, subject to certain conditions being met. No commmitment to this further amount has so far been given. If Mr. Pinkney's team were successful in acquiring the business, the new company would have to repay all Government support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will make a statement as to the investigation carried out by the Property Services Agency audit section into the activities of Mr. Bill Pinkney;(2) whether he will list the actions taken by Mr. Bill Pinkney which led to an investigation being carried out by the Property Services Agency audit section.

An audit of travel and subsistence, and certain other expenditure in the Crown Suppliers, including the transport business in which Mr. Pinkney is employed, has been undertaken by the Property Services Agency internal audit. The Crown Suppliers management have considered and are following up the matters arising from that audit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the value of the orginal hid in cash terms submitted by the management buy-out led by Mr. Bill Pinkney for the transport section of the Crown Suppliers.

It would not be in the interests of a successful sale to reveal at this stage the details of any bids for the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he took to satisfy himself that the offer to purchase the Crown Suppliers transport section by a group of persons led by Mr. Bill Pinkney is a valid management buy-out initiative.

The members of the team, the sources of finance, control and structure of the proposed new company will be included in the factors to be taken into account in assessing their bid for the business.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what values have been placed on the five sites comprising the property portfolio which forms part of the assets of the Crown Suppliers transport section.

The market values of the three freehold sites in 1989 were as follows:

£ million
Nine Elms, London	1·5
Burnett, Bristol	0·7
Biggleswade	1·5
Total	3·7

The leasehold sites are not considered to have any realisable value.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any Minister in his Department or their officials have met Mr. Bramall of Dewsbury to discuss the privatisation of the Crown Suppliers transport section.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses in Hyndburn are classified as unfit.

The latest available information on unfit dwellings relates to 1 April 1990 and was provided by Hyndburn borough council in their April 1990 housing investment programme return (HIP 1 ), a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the amount of housing investment programme allocation made to Hyndburn borough council for each year from 1978–79 up to the present time.

Details of the allocations made to Hyndburn borough council since 1978–79 are listed in the table. Since 1981–82 authorities have been able to augment the borrowing power of their housing investment programme allocations by using the prescribed proportion of their capital receipts. For 1990–91 and 1991–92, under the new capital finance system, the housing investment programme allocation does not convey borrowing approval directly.

Housing investment programme allocations for Hyndburn borough council
	£ thousands
1978–79	2,210
1979–80	2,388
1980–81	2,358
1981–82	3,600
1982–83	4,350
1983–84	3,390
1984–85	3,675
1985–86	3,315
1986–87	3,375
1987–88	3,870
1988–89	3,599
1989–90	5,401
1990–91	14,386
1991–92	23,525
1 Provisional.
2 Initial allocation only.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review the housing investment programme for Hyndburn to take account of the number of unfit houses in Hyndburn.

No. Account was taken of all relevant factors, including the likely demand for renovation grants arising from unfit housing, in determining Hyndburn's housing investment programme allocation for 1991–92.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what delays there have been in the Property Services Agency paying sub-contractors for work carried out on the construction of Her Majesty's prison, Belmarsh; and if he will take steps to ensure that the outstanding sums are now paid.

Payments to sub-contractors who have worked on the construction of Her Majesty's prison, Belmarsh are the responsibility of the management contractor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each enterprise zone, the number of (a) new businesess created, (b) jobs created, (c) business bankruptcies and (d) jobs lost in each year since the creation of each enterprise zone.

The latest published information on new businesses and jobs is included in the Department's report "Enterprise Zone Information 1987–88", a copy of which is in the Library. Information for 1988–89 will be available shortly. Data on business bankruptcies and jobs lost in each year are not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the changes proposed in his Department's amendments to approved document B of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) will affect levels of life safety.

The consultation proposals for amendments to part B, "Safety in Fire" of the Building Regulations 1985 incorporate a number of provisions to improve levels of life safety. These include the new requirements relating to access and facilities for the fire service, the extension of the means of escape requirements and the proposals relating to smoke alarms in dwellings. A number of those who have commented have suggested that other proposals, such as those relating to the reduction of fire resistance periods, reduce levels of life safety, and these comments are being carefully examined by the fire advisory panel and the building regulations advisory committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment has been made of the effect that the larger compartment sizes proposed in his Department's amendments to approved document B of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) will have on means of escape planning and the evacuation of a building in the event of fire with particular regard to maximum travel distances.

The consultation proposals for amendments to part B, "Safety in Fire", of the Building Regulations 1985 incorporate detailed practical guidance relating to means of escape, including the provision and protection of escape routes, and maximum travel distances for escape purposes. This guidance is not affected by the proposals relating to compartmentation, as maximum travel distances are measured to a protected escape route or final exit, regardless of compartment size.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a statement on the new role of local authorities as housing enabling authorities under the Housing Act 1988;(2) how local authorities will fulfil their statutory responsibilities under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 in their enabling role under the Housing Act 1988.

Local authorities have been acting as enablers for many years-although often in a small way. The new emphasis on local authorities acting as enablers rather than direct providers of subsidised housing parallels the expansion of the housing association movement. Housing associations are becoming the principal providers of new subsidised housing. Local authorities can fulfil their duties under the homelessness legislation by placing those they accept as homeless in their own dwellings; by using nomination arrangements to place them in dwellings owned by housing associations; or through similar arrangements made with other providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest evidence he has on changes in the level of private rented accommodation arising from the implementation of the Housing Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

There is a significant anecdotal evidence of an increase in the amount of property available for new lettings in the private rented sector. We have a survey in hand which will provide firmer evidence, the results of which should be available within the next two to three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to issue his formal plan for reducing sulphur dioxide and NOx emissions from existing large combustion plants.

The United Kingdom's programme and national plan for reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants was published on 20 December. Notice of the making of the plan was given in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazette. Copies have been laid in the Libraries of both Houses and are also available from my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in respect of disposal of leachate from landfill sites through long sea outfalls; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the NRA to set conditions on discharges through long sea outfalls.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of all those Ministers who have been given a specific responsibility for environmental matters within their respective departmental portfolios.

I am responsible, supported by my ministerial colleagues, for all environmental matters within my Department's remit. The current list of Ministers nominated to be responsible for considering the environmental implications of all their Department's policies and spending programmes and for following up the relevant parts of the White Paper "This Common Inheritance" (Cm. 1200) is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide a list of statutory bodies set up to carry out successor functions of the Greater London council and metropolitan counties, showing the expenditure of each successor body in 1989–90 and the principal sources of income of each successor body.

[holding answer 22 January 1991]: I have today arranged for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will make a statement in the light of the House of Lords' judgment on local authority interest rate swaps.

The House of Lords' judgment concerns local authorities' powers to undertake interest rate swaps and similar business. The Government are considering the implications of the judgment.The statutory powers of local authorities to borrow money, and the protection provided by legislation to those who lend to local authorities, were not in issue in the Hammersmith and Fulham case. The legislation provides that a person lending money to a local authority does not have to ask whether the authority has power to borrow the money and the lender is entitled to repayment of the loan, together with any interest thereon, regardless of whether the borrowing was within the authority's power or not.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the occasions, within the last 12 months, when a London Underground station has been evacuated, or closed for a period exceeding 10 minutes, listing (a) the length of time the station was closed or evacuated, (b) the reason for the closure or evacuation and (c) whether the closure or evacuation took place during the peak period.

This information is not kept by my Department. It is an operational matter for London Underground Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all those bodies to which he makes appointments, giving the number of people whom he appoints to each body.

The majority of the appointments for which 1 am responsible are listed in either "Public Bodies 1990" published by HMSO or "Women into Public Appointments" produced by the Women's National Commission, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. The appointments which are not listed in either document are:

Acting conservator of the River Mersey;

Four delegates to the Central Rhine Commission;

Chairman and six members of the honorary medical advisory panel on driving and diabetes;

Chairman and five members of the honorary medical advisory panel on driving and disorders of the cardiovascular system; Chairman and eight members of the honorary medical advisory panel for driving and disorders of the nervous system and chairman and two members of the panel's sub-committee on mental health drug and alcohol misuse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy 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.

Since 1983, the Energy Efficiency Office (EEO) has promoted a range of programmes and other services to encourage the adoption of cost-effective energy efficiency measures in industry and the domestic sector. These initiatives have led to recurrent annual energy savings now worth over £500 million a year and currently include:

the ministerial group on energy efficiency which aims to promote awareness and raise the profile of energy efficiency; encourage an energy efficiency lifestyle at home, at work and in transport; and lead by example in the development of policy initiatives and by taking forward the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate and in other public sector bodies;

the best practice programme which provides independent and authoritative advice and information on energy use and efficiency in industry and commerce, and in the public sector and in housing; the programme will continue to promote combined heat and power;

regional energy efficiency officers who lead the drive to encourage energy efficiency by visiting main energy users to guide them in developing energy management programmes, promoting EEO programmes and energy efficiency seminars and exhibitions, and encouraging the energy efficiency industry;

in the domestic sector, the home energy efficiency scheme, which began on 1 January 1991, replacing the community insulation programme which has insulated some 850,000 homes; it will offer grants towards the cost of basic energy efficiency measures in low-income households; the EEO has also launched a new domestic advertising campaign to motivate those moving house or improving their homes to improve their energy efficiency; This campaign is supported by a new information pack —"Energy in Your Home"—which provides information and advice on a wide range of measures.

The EEO is also carrying forward a number of new initiatives which were announced in the White Paper on the Environment, "This Common Inheritance" (Cm 1200), and which include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he has received approaches seeking consent by National Power for the use of Orimulsion in any of their power stations:(2) if he has received approaches seeking the consent by Power Gen for the use of Orimulsion in any of their power stations.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration he has given to the postponement of the flotation of National Power and PowerGen until after the cessation of hostilities in the middle east.

Preparations for the flotation of National Power and PowerGen are proceeding to timetable. Subject to market conditions, I intend to float both companies next month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are the present plans and timetable for the installation of flue gas desulphurisation equipment at Ferrybridge and Ratcliffe power stations.

PowerGen has submitted applications for consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to install flue gas desulphurisation equipment at its Ratcliffe-on-Soar and Ferrybridge C power stations. These applications are under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales by what date Welsh Water will cease the dumping of sewage sludge into the Bristol channel; and what quantities were disposed of by this method in the latest two years for which figures are available.

The sea disposal of sewage sludge is to be terminated as soon as possible and by 31 December 1998 at the latest. Welsh Water is preparing plans to meet this requirement. The amount of sewage sludge deposited by Welsh Water in the last two years for which figures are available is as follows:

Thousand tonnes (wet weight)
1988	1989
55	62

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give his estimate of the community charge for 1991–92, including precepts for each of the district councils in Wales.

The level of community charges for 1991–92 will depend on the spending decisions of each local authority. If counties and districts spend in line with the realistic settlement that my right hon. Friend announced to the House on 17 January the average community charge component for each tier should be around £190 and £38 respectively, giving a combined community charge for standard spending of £228. The average community charge payable should not exceed £200 after allowing for the £62 million which the Government has provided for the community charge reduction scheme. This is £23 lower than the average actual charge for 1990–91 after relief, and is eminently achievable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to ensure the adequate protection of the public in respect of irradiated food in Wales since last year; and if he will make a statement.

Regulations permitting the irradiation of food came into operation on 1 January this year. The regulations incorporate a strict control framework both in respect of the licensing of food irradiation premises, and in respect of the categories of food which may be subjected to irradiation. Additionally, official recognition is needed for the use of the process in connection with imported foodstuffs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next expects to meet the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency to discuss Wales's share of inward investment projects going to United Kingdom assisted areas.

I have regular discussions with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency about a range of matters concerning the development of the Welsh economy, including inward investment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultations have taken place about the closure and subsequent disposal of Crawfordsburn hospital between the Eastern health and social services board and the Department of Health and Social Services.

The Eastern health and social services board first sought the approval of the Department of Health and Social Services to the closure of Crawfordsburn hospital in September 1987. A further submission was made to the Department in September 1990 and formal approval to the closure was conveyed to the board on 25 October. No consultations between the board and the Department about disposal of the property have so far taken place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the future of Crawfordsburn hospital was first discussed at a meeting of the Eastern health and social services board.

A proposal to close Crawfordsburn hospital was first discussed by the Eastern health and social services board at its meeting on 26 March 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will consider the conversion of Crawfordsburn hospital and its grounds into a retirement village for the elderly of North Down.

The future use of Crawfordsburn hospital is a matter for the Eastern health and social services board in the first instance. Decisions about the disposal of the hospital will be taken in the light of any proposals put forward by the Board for its future use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the future of Crawfordsburn hospital was discussed at a meeting of the North Down and Ards unit of management of the Eastern health and social services board.

The future of Crawfordsburn hospital was first discussed by the then North Down and Ards district executive team in August 1982.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the owners of the Bryansburn Inn in Bangor were first notified by the eastern health and social services board that Crawfordsburn hospital was to be closed.

A document containing proposals for the closure of Crawfordsburn hospital was issued for public consultation by the Eastern health and social services board in March 1987. I am not aware of any contact between the Eastern board and the owners of the Bryansburn Inn about the future of the hospital.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to reduce the concentration of hospital provision in west Belfast so as to achieve more equitable provision over the province as a whole.

Responsibility for the provision of hospital services in Northern Ireland lies in the first instance with the four health and social services boards acting within the regional strategic guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Social Services. I am aware that the Eastern board is at present developing a strategic approach to the delivery of acute hospital services to its population, but so far no firm proposals have been put to the Department for approval.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated amount of funding that goes directly to the Eastern health board area for the treatment of residents of other board areas.

Under the present arrangements, resources are allocated to health and social services boards on the basis of the levels of service provided by each board. Resources are not specifically earmarked or identified in the Eastern board's allocation for the provision of services to the residents of other board areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide an estimate for the total Government expenditure on the upkeep, care and protection of historic buildings and monuments in Northern Ireland in 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Estimated expenditure for 1990–91 is £4,664,000 and for 1991–92 is £5,028,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement as to the present duties and activities of the present Director and Co-ordinator of Intelligence for Northern Ireland.

It is not my practice, nor has it been that of successive Governments, to comment on such matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to apply the non-fossil fuel obligation to Northern Ireland; and what size tranche of renewable power he expects to grant.

The Electricity Act 1989, which contains the powers relating to the non-fossil fuel obligation, does not extend to Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the work force in Northern Ireland is registered disabled.

[holding answer 14 January 1991]: About 1 per cent.

	Thousands
	1978–79	1988–89	change	percentage
Public sector manpower: total	6,565	5,361	-1,204	-18·3
Civil Service manpower: total	734	572	-162	-22·1

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to locate additional permanent civil service posts in Renfrew district.

The Government's relocation policy is not centrally directed. But I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the then Paymaster General gave on 25 October 1990, columns 303–5, to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), which listed civil service posts located or relocated out of the south-east since 1979 together with the relocation plans announced by Departments but still to be implemented.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what poll tax figures he used for the purposes of calculating the retail prices index in 1990–91; and if he intends to make any change in 1991–92.

In 1990–91 the average community charge figures used in the retail prices index were:

	£
England	357
Wales	233
Scotland	306

The same principles will be followed for the purpose of calculating the RPI 1991–92 as were applied in 1990–91.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the transfer of employees of state enterprise which have been privatised, if he will list (a) those where there has not been any reduction in public service redundancy payments compared with those they would have received if they had remained in the public service and (b) those where there has been any such reduction.

Under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much manpower in the whole of the public sector has changed between 1978–79 and 1988–89; by how much civil service manpower has changed between those dates; what would have been the changes in manpower for the whole of the public sector if it had changed at the same rate as civil service manpower; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:1981, civil servants transferred to a new employer on privatisation are entitled to redundancy compensation, which is identical to that available under the principal civil service pension scheme. The question of reduction in redundancy compensation therefore does not arise.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the value of redundancy payments to (a) a civil service employee and (b) an employee of a normal commercial undertaking.

The Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 requires employers to make redundancy payments. The Act does not apply to the civil service. However, arrangements have been made to ensure that redundancy payments to civil servants are at least comparable with the requirements of the Act and, in common with other good employers, the civil service provides payments which are in almost all cases more favourable than those requirements. The compensation terms are set out in section 10 of the principal civil service pension scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of reference of the World bank environmental assessment of the area around the Rihand power station in India.

The environmental assessment of the Singrauli area, which includes the Rihand power station, is being conducted under terms of reference agreed between the World bank and the Government of India, which are not in the public domain. We are, however, satisfied from our discussions with both parties that the study will be wide-ranging and comprehensive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations he is making for the United Nations 1992 conference on environment and development; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 10 December 1990, c. 283.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science 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 has actively encouraged local education authorities to conserve energy in educational buildings. Savings have been achieved by supporting development projects, dissemination of guidance on good practice and commissioned research. LEAs are currently spending £43 million a year less in real terms on energy than they did in 1978–79.Current initiatives include supporting work being undertaken by the building research energy conservation support unit (BRECSU) in connection with its four-year £1 million programme to save energy in schools. DES publications offering advice on how to make energy savings are also in the course of preparation.Regarding DES buildings, a sum of £10,000 was spent on power factor correction equipment at its Darlington headquarters offices in the 1989–90 financial year. This built on a sum of £28,000 spent on electrical lighting control sensors at the same site in the previous financial year. Expenditure on energy-saving equipment at the Department's London HQ cannot be justified as insufficient time remains in which to recover capital outlay prior to a move to new premises. A building management system has been specified as an energy-saving measure for the Department's new building which is in the course of construction.Complete statistics are not available to enable us to say by what amount and by what percentage the Department's total energy bill has been reduced over the past year, but our target savings for the 1990–91 financial year are 3 per cent. compared with the previous financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report all methods of disposal used by the Medical Research Council for irradiated rodent carcases since such disposals have been required following research; and what current licensing arrangements exist for disposal.

The disposal routes for such carcases used by the Medical Research Council are:

1. Maceration followed by disposal to the sewer, or,

2. Incineration and landfill.

The disposal of irradiated rodent carcases is subject to authorisation by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. Authorisations are issued only after careful assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed disposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice is given to local education authorities and to governors of (a) local education authority maintained schools, (b) grant-maintained schools, (c) local education author:ity maintained colleges and (d) colleges of higher education and polytechnics about how the staff of these institutions should be involved with the police when searching for explosive material during a bomb scare.

No advice is given by the Department on how to deal with local emergencies. The police, who should be the first point of contact in the event of an emergency, will give all necessary advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what advice the Government have given to governors of grant-maintained schools regarding support for, and integration of, children with special educational needs.

Such advice is contained in "Guide to the Law for Grant-Maintained School Governors" issued in September 1989, in DES circular 10/88 "Education Reform Act 1988: Grant-Maintained Schools" and in DES circular 21/89 "Grant-Maintained Schools: Financial Arrangements". Governors of grant-maintained schools will also receive copies of other relevant guidance such as the recently issued DES circular 11/90—"Staffing for Pupils with Special Educational Needs".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report all national surveys of reading standards conducted in the last 10 years which his Department has available, with dates of survey and publication, and the sponsor and executor of the research in each case.

Much of the available information about reading standards in the 1980s derives from surveys conducted by individual local education authorities. However, the following national surveys are also available:

The results of the assessment of performance unit's annual surveys of reading at age 11 and 15 during the years 1979–1983, published in summary form in 1988 in "Language Performance in Schools—Review of APU monitoring 1979–1983". The APU was sponsored jointly by the DES, Welsh Office and Department of Education for Northern Ireland.

An HMI inspection report on "Reading Policy and Practice at ages 5–14" based on a survey of primary and secondary schools in 1989 and published the same year.

An HMI report on "The Teaching and Learning of Reading in Primary Schools" based on a survey of primary schools in autumn 1990 and other inspection evidence a nd published in 1991.

A report by the National Foundation for Educational Research entitled "An Enquiry into LEA Evidence on Standards of Reading of Seven Year Old Children" based on information about reading standards among seven-year-olds during the 1980s submitted to the NFER by local education authorities. The work was sponsored by the School Examinations and Assessment Council (SEAC) at the request of my predecessor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the principal differences between the recommendations of the National Curriculum Council relating to history and his proposals now the subject of consultation.

The principal differences between the draft order for history, published on 14 January, and the recommendations of the National Curriculum Council relating to history, are set out in the table. The programme of study for key stage 4 and certain of the non-statutory examples illustrating the attainment targets have been adjusted to focus on the first half of the 20th century, with references to events from the turn of the century to the 1960s. These changes reflect my view that the law should not require teaching about particular contemporary events and people as part of the national curriculum history syllabus because of the difficulty of treating such matters with an historical perspective.

Summary of main changes
Programme of study for key stage 4	Page number of (a) NCC report (b) draft order
The preamble to key stage 4 model 1 indicates a focus on events from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1960s	(a) 56
	(b)36
Sub-sections on "British Democracy" and "International Conflict and Co-operation" now specify study should be up to circa 1960	(a) 59
	(b)39
The supplementary study units in model 2 changed to set terms to the periods of study as follows:	(a) 63
	(b)42
—Russia and USSR 1905–1964
—The United States of America 1917–1963
—The Indian sub-continent 1914–1964
—Africa south of the Sahara 1900–1963
—The Middle East 1914–1967
—Latin America 1910–1962
—Japan 1904-mid 1960s
—China 1911–1966

In addition, the draft order includes a number of complementary changes to the non-statutory examples which will accompany the order but which do not form part of the national curriculum requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he proposes to lay orders relating to the national curriculum, history.

In March 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he received the latest report of the Interim Advisory Committee on School Teachers' Pay and Conditions; and when he expects to publish it.

I received the report on 18 January and will publish it shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes that the recommendations of the Interim Advisory Committee on School Teachers' Pay and Conditions should be fully funded.

Funding for teachers' salaries for 1991–92 was settled when the Government announced increased education standard spending for that year. The increase took full account of the remit given to the interim advisory committee and would fund recommendations within that remit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his answer of 21 January, Official Report, columns 25–26, what guidance he has given to local education authorities as to the maximum percentage of their budgets to be applied to the funding of city technology colleges.

My right hon. and learned Friend has given no such guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the distribution of the science budget for 1991–92.

I have considered the recommendations of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils on the distribution of the science budget, and have decided to accept the board's advice that the £920·8 million for 1991–92 should, subject to approval by Parliament of the estimates in due course, be allocated as follows:

Allocations for 1991–92	£ million
Agricultural and Food Research Council	93·47
Economic and Social Research Council	35·51
Medical Research Council	200·42
Natural Environment Research Council	122·56
Science and Engineering Research Council	451·30
The Royal Society	15·74
The Fellowship of Engineering	1·39
ABRC (Secretariat and Science Policy Studies)	0·36
Centre for Exploitation of Science and Technology	0·08
TOTAL	920·83

I have also accepted the board's recommendation that for planning purposes the following indicative allocations should be adopted for the years 1992–93 and 1993–94:

Planned figures for 1992–93 and 1993–94
£ million
	1992–93	1993–94
Agricultural and Food Research Council	90·53	91·58
Economic and Social Research Council	37·24	37·71
Medical Research Council	206·35	208·80
Natural Environment Research Council	119·99	121·28
Science and Engineering Research Council	462·96	469·16
The Royal Society	15·77	15·97
The Fellowship of Engineering	1·44	1·46
Unallocated1	88·94	160·40
1 Including £50 million (1992–93) and £100 million (1993–94) consequent on new arrangements for funding of scientific work in higher education institutions.

In making these allocations I have accepted the board's advice that additional provision of £4·1 million, £6 million and £6 million in each of the three years 1991–92 to 1993–94 should be made available to the Medical Research Council for the restructuring of clinical research through its clinical research initiative.The indicative planning figures above contain an unallocated £39 million in 1992–93 and £60 million in

1993–94 on which I expect to receive further advice from the ABRC in the spring. The allocations to funded bodies also exclude the increases in the science budget of £50 million in 1992–93 and £100 million in 1993–94 to take account of the new arrangements for funding scientific research in higher education announced on 8 November,

To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy towards the establishment of a seat on the United Nations Security Council for a representative from the European Community in place of the United Kingdom and French representatives.

According to the charter of the United Nations, only states may be members of the Security Council.

To ask the Prime Minister what proposals have been put to him relating to the relinquishing of the United Kingdom's seat in the Security Council.

No such proposals have been put to the British Government.

To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to put proposals on the subsidiarity of powers between the European Community and United Kingdom national and local government to Parliament.

We have already made clear in the political union intergovernmental conference that, provided that an acceptable definition can be agreed, we want to see the principle of subsidiarity recognised and observed by the European Community.

To ask the Prime Minister if Her Majesty's Government will take urgent action to avoid negative redistribution of wealth between rich and poor in Britain.

Real personal sector wealth has increased by some 60 per cent. since 1979, while there has been little change in its overall distribution. Government policies will continue to promote a dynamic, wealth-creating economy.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he will seek European Community and United Nations support for a homeland and state for the Kurdish people.

No. The United Kingdom is a signatory to the treaty of Lausanne of 1923 which established the present-day frontiers in the region bounded by Iran, Iraq and Turkey. There can be no question of our seeking support for the establishment of a separate Kurdish state within those boundaries.

To ask the Prime Minister when Her Majesty's Government last pressed the European Community for initiatives to enforce United Nations resolutions 242 of 1967 and 338 of 1973.

We are in regular contact with our EC partners about the peace process and the role of the Twelve in it. Community policy on the issue was set out in the European Council's Venice declaration of 1980. This made clear, as have subsequent Council statements, most recently on 15 December 1990, that Security Council resolutions 242 and 338 should be the basis of any settlement.

To ask the Prime Minister when he last discussed with Prime Minister Shamir the need to accept and abide by United Nations resolutions 242 and 338; and if he will make a statement on United Kingdom policy regarding the self-determination of the Palestinians and protection of the state of Israel.

I discussed the Arab-Israel peace process with Mr. Shamir during his visit to London last December. I reiterated the need for early progress towards a settlement based on Security Council resolutions 242 and 338. This will need to match the Palestinians' right to self-determination with Israel's right to security.

To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives of the British Muslim community.