To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals have been received from the EC concerning the assay of gold and silver in the United Kingdom; and what steps he is taking to preserve the standards and stamping system that prevails in the United Kingdom.

The EC Commission has indicated that it does not intend to propose legislation to harmonise the various systems of testing and marking precious metals in the member states and to make assaying compulsory.It will nonetheless be necessary at some stage to establish a common regime for precious metals in the European Community and I believe that it is essential for the effective functioning of the single market and for consumer protection purposes that some form of compulsory marking of precious metals is retained. It will be our objective to ensure this in any future consideration of this matter within the European Community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a list of the figures for inward investment projects involving (a) United Kingdom firms from outside the region and (b) international firms, for each region in each year from 1976 to 1990, inclusive.

I regret that much of the information the hon. Gentleman has requested is only available at disproportionate cost. However, figures detailing the number of inward investment projects from overseas are available although only from 1979 to 1989. The table sets out the number of investment decisions known to the Invest in Britain Bureau for the calendar years 1979 to 1989 and the associated jobs for the United Kingdom by region.The decisions recorded include the establishment of new business, expansion or acquisition of an existing business and involvement in joint venture. The figures are based on information provided by the companies themselves at the time of the investment and take no account of subsequent developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the figures for injuries caused by fireworks for each year from 1986 to 1990 in the same form as the answer given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Industry and Consumer Affairs to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 21 March 1990, Official Report, columns 641–46; and if he will estimate the value of damage caused to domestic and commercial property by fireworks in each of those years.

It is my intention to publish the figures for injuries caused by fireworks for each year from 1986 to 1990 in a similar form to that given last year. My Department does not keep statistics on the value of damage caused to property by fireworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade a copy of the transcript and video of the Thames Television programme "This Week" broadcast on 1 February concerning the alleged evasion of customs and export controls by parts of a supergun built for Iraq.

I do not propose to obtain a copy of the transcript and video of the Thames Television "This Week" programme for the departmental library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the Government's proposals for subordinate legislation in connection with the provisions under the Courts and Legal Services Act on the tying-in of services to residential property loans.

I am today issuing a consultative document setting out the Government's proposals for the subordinate legislation required to bring into force the provisions in the courts and Legal Services Act on the tying-in of services to residential property loans. However, as the document explains and as was made clear during the passage of the Act, if the industry had a simpler way of avoiding tying-in by lenders which it could police adequately and which would provide for at least as much disclosure as the Act's provisions, the Government could be open to persuasion that bringing the relevant provisions into force would not be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make a statement on the division of responsibility between the financial reporting review panel and his Department with regard to applications to the court for the revision of defective company accounts following the authorisation of the review panel for the purposes of section 245B of the Companies Act 1985.

It has been agreed with the financial reporting review panel that normally the panel will deal with the accounts of large public and private companies. The companies concerned are defined as public limited companies (PLCs) (except plcs which are subsidiaries in a small or medium-sized group), companies within a group headed by a PLC, and any company not qualifying as small or medium-sized as defined by section 247 of the Companies Act 1985 or of any company within a group which does not qualify as small or medium-sized as defined by section 249 of the Act. My Department will handle all other cases.The review panel will examine departures from the accounting provisions of the Companies Act 1985 whether or not they involve departures from accounting standards. The Department will remain responsible for all complaints relating to the directors' report and summary financial statements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the latest position in the Council of Ministers with regard to the European Community's product safety directive.

[holding answer 25 February 1991]: The Council of Ministers considered the proposed EC directive on general product safety at its meeting on 22 October 1990. Progress was made on some key issues but it was also clear that a number of significant problems still remained. The directive was therefore referred back to the council working group for further discussion. The Luxembourg Presidency is now considering how best to handle the continuing negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the other countries in the EC which are seeking to have food removed from the scope of the European Community's product safety directive.

[holding answer 25 February 1991]: A number of member states have difficulties in accepting that food should be included in the proposed general product safety directive, at least as it is currently drafted. These include the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands and Ireland. However, discussions are continuing to see if the safety of food can be adequately dealt with in a general safety directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's reasons for seeking to have food removed from the provisions of the European Community's product safety directive.

[holding answer 25 February 1991]: In the negotiations on the proposed EC general product safety directive, the United Kingdom has taken the view that, as drafted, there are particular features of food safety that are not adequately dealt with in a general duty affecting consumer products. There are already many directives which already apply to different aspects of food safety and more are under discussion. There is also concern that by applying a further layer of legislation to an already heavily regulated sector, there would be uncertainty and confusion without necessarily adding significantly to the protection afforded to consumers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what protection there is for consumers who receive defective products from manufacturers; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 26 February 1991]: The law provides a range of measures to protect consumers from defective or unsafe products. In some cases the action will be directed towards the original manufacturer, in others towards the distributor or retailer.Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979 for traders who sell goods in the course of a business (usually the retailer) there is an implied condition that the goods must be of merchantable quality and fit for the purpose for which they are sold. Traders cannot avoid these obligations in their contracts with consumers. If goods are not of merchantable quality the buyer is entitled, if he acts in a reasonable time, to reject the goods and obtain a refund.Even if the buyer has accepted the goods, and no longer has a right to a refund, the buyer would still be entitled to claim damages for defects. The consumer may also be able to claim damages for any other loss resulting from the breach of contract, such as compensation for any injury caused by the defective product.People who are injured or have their personal property damaged by defective products may also be able to claim damages under the product liability provisions of part I of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. In addition, as this Act did not replace the rights of individuals to use the tort of negligence to obtain damages from manufacturer, this option remains available to the consumer.Consumers are also protected from defective products that are unsafe by the consumer safety legislation in part II of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. This establishes a strong legal framework to deal with unsafe consumer products and is enforced primarily by the trading standards department of local authorities. Anyone with a complaint about an unsafe product should contact their local office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate for each health authority in Wales the percentage of patients currently being treated in national health service hospitals for conditions that they contracted when they were previously in-patients at those hospitals through cross-infection.

The information requested is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many continuing care beds have been available in Wales in each year from 1976.

The information given in the following table relates to hospital beds in Wales designated for continuing care. However, some beds may have been used for continuing care but not designated as such.From 1 April 1989 continuing care beds cannot be identified separately centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total catch for sea trout in Wales in each year between 1985 and 1990; and how many were caught by (a) nets and (b) rod.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received from local authorities concerning housing provision in rural Wales; and how many meetings he has had with representatives of elected councils to discuss this situation.

Every local authority has opportunities throughout each year to inform me about housing provision in their area. Furthermore I hope soon to chair a meeting of the Welsh Housing Consultative Committee soon at which further representations about rural housing matters could be tabled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the dates of official visits that the Secretary of State, the Minister of State and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State made to constituencies in Wales during the past 12 months; and for

Reported catches of sea trout in the Welsh Region of the National Rivers Authority since 1985 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members there are on the management boards of each national park in Wales; and of these members how many are (a) local farmers, (b) members or representatives of public or state bodies who are contributing to the upkeep of the parks, (c) from the commercial or service industry sector in the immediate area and (d) residents from the immediate area.

There are 27 members each on the national park committees (NPC) of Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia national parks and 18 members on the NPC of Pembrokeshire Coast national park. A third of the members are appointed by the Secretary of State and the other two thirds are elected members mainly of the relevant county councils with some district council representation. The information sought is held centrally only in relation to members nominated by the Secretary of State and is as follows:each visit those instances in which hon. and right hon. Members were not informed in writing, in advance, of such visits.

It is standard practice for my Private Office to notify hon. and right hon. Members, in writing and in advance, of official visits to their constituencies by me or my ministerial colleagues.Welsh Office Ministers have made a very large number of visits to all constituencies in Wales over the past 12 months and the detailed information requested by the hon. Gentleman could only be provided at disproportionate use of my Private Office's time.If however, the hon. Gentleman wishes to pursue the circumstances of any particular instance, perhaps he would write to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to send out the basic hill livestock compensatory allowance claim forms so that herd and flock details can be completed and submitted at the earliest possible date.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave him on 25 February 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much accommodation has been specifically provided by each district council in Wales for (a) young single people under the age of 25 years and (b) young couples under the age of 25 years, in each year from 1977 onwards.

The information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to amend the policy planning guidelines on the countryside and the rural economy to allow for limited and tasteful tourist developments on farms in Wales.

I am reviewing planning policy guidance note No. 7 which describes the contribution that the planning system can make to the rural environment by balancing the requirements of development—including fostering the diversification of the rural economy—and the continuing need to protect the countryside.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received requesting the Wales Tourist Board to be allowed to market itself directly overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Thirteen since taking office on 4 May 1990.The Wales Tourist Board has commissioned a study intended to identify ways and means of improving the effectiveness of the overseas marketing of Wales, within the existing legal framework. Ministers will consider its findings very carefully.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met representatives of the Wales Association of Community and Town Councils to discuss the planning applications appeal structure.

My right hon. Friend has not met representatives of the Wales Association of Community and Town Councils to discuss this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to introduce a further right of appeal for town and community councils against Welsh Office decisions on planning applications when it is clear that the majority of citizens in a given town or community council area are opposed to the original planning applications; and if he will make a statement.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimate of the number of properties which are empty in (a) local authority housing, (b) housing association housing and (c) Government Department housing; and what is the estimate of the percentage this represents of the total number of properties in each such group.

The information requested is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the total number of state secondary schools in Wales; how many of them provide GCSE and A-level course, respectively, in (a) German, (b) Latin or (c) Spanish; and if he will make a statement;(2) if it is possible to study

There are 232 maintained secondary schools in Wales. Subject to the requirements of the Education Reform Act responsibility for the provision of subjects of study leading to GCSE or GCE advanced certification rests with individual secondary schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales (a) sat and (b) passed GSCE and A-level (i) German, (ii) Italian, (iii) Japanese, (iv) Latin or (v) Spanish, respectively, in each year since 1987; and if he will make a statement.

The numbers of candidates in Wales who sat and passed GCSE and A-level examinations conducted by the Welsh Joint Education Committee in German, Italian, Japanese, Latin and Spanish in each year since 1987, are given in the following tables: