To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Official Report, 26 February, column 448, when he expects the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1991" to be published.

It is expected that the 1991 edition of the "Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics" will be published at the end of July, as in previous years. A copy will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he expects to bring forward proposals to implement the EC directive on the energy efficiency of gas-fired domestic boilers.

The form and content of this draft directive are still under discussion and it is too early to say when a draft will be ready to be considered for adoption by the Community. If it is adopted, subsequent implementation in this country will proceed within the timetable which will be set in the directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has any proposals to amend the Coal Industry Act to put an obligation on British Coal to protect existing coal reserves.

Under the Coal Industry Acts 1946 to 1990, the British Coal Corporation has a statutory duty to secure the efficient development of the coal industry. The Government have announced their intention to privatise the coal industry after the next election, which will involve a change to the existing legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how long the Rye House power station in Hertfordshire has been decommissioned.

The decommissioning of the old Rye House power station was completed by the end of 1982.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what progress he has made in implementing the recommendation of the Cullen report into the Piper Alpha disaster that responsibility for the regulation of offshore safety should be transferred to the Health and Safety Executive.

I announced on 12 November, Official Report, column 330, the Government's acceptance of all the recommendations for improving offshore safety made by Lord Cullen in his report on the Piper Alpha disaster. These included the establishment of a single regulatory body to deal with offshore safety which, on balance, he recommended should be part of the Health and Safety Executive. It follows that the Health and Safety Commission will be responsible for taking forward Lord Cullen's other recommendations. I also announced in November that ministerial responsibility for offshore safety matters in Great Britain would, with the approval of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, be transferred to my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment.I am pleased to announce that, following the completion of the necessary detailed preparatory work, and with the agreement of the Health and Safety Commission, the staff of the offshore safety division of the Department of Energy, together with certain staff from the Department of Transport, will, with effect from 1 April 1991, be transferred to the HSE. They will form the core of a new division, which will be considerably strengthened to enable it to continue to enforce the existing regime for the regulation of offshore safety and to carry forward the successful development and implementation of changes recommended by Lord Cullen.It is clear that a significant increase in the resources available to the HSE will be necessary to enable it to carry out its new responsibilities. Agreement has been reached on this with the HSC and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment, who will be assuming ministerial responsibility from the same date, will be seeking authority for the necessary additional resources by means of a supplementary estimate.

To ask the Attorney-General whether he will bring forward proposals for ensuring that community charge non-payers are not recorded on the general register of county court judgments on debts.

The regulations that govern the operation of the Register of County Court Judgments do not at present provide for information about community charge non-payers to be recorded, since community charge is enforced through magistrates courts.

To ask the Attorney-General on how many cases relating to female circumcision the Director of Public Prosecutions has received papers since 1985; and if he will make a statement.

No papers have been referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions in cases in which a prosecution under the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985 has been sought.Cases concerning female circumcision may also be prosecuted as offences of causing grievous bodily harm contrary to the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. Information on whether any papers have been referred seeking prosecutions under this Act in such circumstances is not, however, readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes have been made to the running costs limit for the Public Record Office.

The running cost limit for the Public Record Office will be decreased by £69,000 from £16,754,000 to £16,685,000 to compensate for a breach in the running cost limit in 1989–90. This follows the normal practice of reducing the limit for one financial year by the amount of any overspend in the previous year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the year-on percentage change in the retail prices index (a) excluding the community charge and mortgage interest payments for each month since April 1989, (b) excluding rates and mortgage interest payments for each month between June 1987 and April 1989 and (c) excluding mortgage interest payments for each month since June 1987.

The following table gives the information:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish tables for the financing of local authority expenditure in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom, in a form comparable to table 5.13 of Cm 1520, but analysing the financing of local authority expenditure as defined in table 5·6 rather than the financing of local authority expenditure on a national accounts basis.

The table shows the financing of local authority expenditure as defined in table 5.6 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement" —Cm 1520—for the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number of jobs (a) in total and (b) as full-time equivalent that have been subject to denationalisation since 1979–80.

At least 910,000 jobs in total—at least 885,000 full-time equivalent—have been transferred to the private sector due to privatisation since 1979–80.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the derivation of the financial year gross domestic product market price deflators now used in Cm 1520, together with a similar derivation for the financial year gross domestic product market price deflator without adjustment for the effect of the introduction of the community charge.

The GDP market price deflator for past years is calculated from the ratio of data on cash and constant price figures for GDP at market prices. Figures for the current year and future years are Treasury forecasts. Details of the method used to adjust the GDP deflator series to remove the discontinuity associated with the abolition of domestic rates, are given in paragraphs 7 to 12 of appendix A of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement"—Cm 1520. The unadjusted GDP deflator series consistent with the adjusted figures published in Cm 1520 is:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list in descending order of balance of payment performance (a) agriculture as a whole, (b) agriculture minus cereals, (c) the cereal sector, (d) coal, (e)steel, (f)electrical, (g)chemical and (h)invisibles.

The balance of payments surplus on invisibles for 1990 is currently estimated at £5·1 billion. Visible trade information is not available for specific commodities on a balance of payments basis: the following table shows 1990 crude trade balances (1) for the nearest classes of goods on an overseas trade statistics basis.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published.

The Finance Bill will be published on Wednesday 17 April.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the recommendation of the Treasury working party which has looked into the options for the future of the Civil Service Catering Organisation.

[holding answer 26 March 1991]: Following an assessment of prospects for the Civil Service Catering Organisation—CISCO—in a study announced on 4 April 1990, Official Report, columns 608–09, I have decided that CISCO should be reorganised with the aim of its transfer to the private sector.Reorganisation will include developing CISCO's operations on more commercial lines and concentrating them upon its business activities. It will be for individual Departments and agencies to decide what catering facilities will be made available to staff. In consequence, certain administration-related work which CISCO has undertaken hitherto will pass elsewhere within government, some to Departments generally and some to the Treasury. The changes will give CISCO the opportunity to improve the value for money which its services offer both to its Government Department clients and to the individual customers of the staff restaurants which it runs and manages. Competitive tendering of catering contracts will continue, and the free choices made by CISCO's clients and customers will eventually determine whether it will be viable for operation in the private sector or whether the needs of Departments and individual customers will best be met by other catering contractors. I expect the management of this process of change to finish by the end of March 1993.Consultations will take place with the Council of Civil Service Unions and the Joint Co-ordinating Committee for Government Industrial Establishments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, further to his answer to the right hon. Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins) of 15 February, Official Report, column 624, if he will estimate the increase in the standard rate of income tax which would be required to yield the same revenue as his revised estimate of the yield of the community charge in 1991–92, following his Budget announcement on measures to reduce the amounts raised in community charge.

[holding answer 25 March 1991]: Around 4p.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the fall in inflation between 1979 and 1990 (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the G7 as a whole, calculating United Kingdom inflation in terms of the underlying rate in each case.

[holding answer 25 March 1991]: There are a number of ways of estimating underlying inflation. As measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments and the community charge rates the 12-month rate fell from 12·5 per cent. in 1979 to 7·2 per cent. in 1990. Alternatively as measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments the rate fell from 12·5 per cent. in 1979 to 8·1 per cent. in 1990.The average 12-month increase in consumer prices for G7 countries in 1990 was 5 per cent. A comparable figure for 1979 is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the number of books included in the recommended reading lists for children in level 3 which are presently in print.

Of the 24 titles on the booklist for the level 3 reading test, 10 are currently in print, four more will be in print by the end of this week and the remaining 10 will be reprinted over the next few weeks. The titles were chosen on the assumption that every school would have at least one in stock. There is no need for schools to obtain a copy of every title on the list in order to carry out the reading tests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the cost of HM inspectors' inspection of the National Association of Boys' Clubs carried out between September 1988 and June 1989.

The approximate direct cost of the inspection was £15,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will take steps to promote the discussion of environmental problems, within the geography national curriculum.

My right hon. and learned Friend laid earlier this week the order that contains the attainment targets and programmes of study for geography in the national curriculum. This includes a whole attainment target dealing with environmental geography. Environmental education is also a cross-curricular theme within the national curriculum and other subjects, notably science, will have their part to play in delivering this aspect of education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to amend the Education (Mandatory Awards) Regulations 1990 for the current academic year.

My right hon. and learned Friend is laying before the House today the Education (Mandatory Awards) (Amendment) Regulations 1991. Subject to parliamentary approval, these will amend the regulations covering England and Wales for the current academic year in the following respects.First, they will give effect to the arrangements for architecture students announced by my right hon. and learned Friend on 6 February,

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the relative costs of procedures and operations at the children's ear, nose and throat hospital, Ely, Cardiff relative to the costs of other hospitals for similar (a) outpatient and (b) inpatient cases.

The information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of instances in Wales whereby landowners have been required to incur the costs of archaeological explorations and/or excavations; and if he will indicate the total cost of such work.

There is no specific statutory provision to require landowners to meet the costs of archaeological explorations and/or excavations. However, the treatment of archaeological remains can be a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and local planning authorities can impose appropriate conditions to protect monuments or ensure access for archaeologists. In addition voluntary agreements can also be made under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to provide for archaeological works. Such local arrangements are matters for the interested parties and are notified to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with Welsh farmers about the future of the sheep industry; and if he will make a statement.

The sheep industry is a regular subject of discussion in the frequent meetings I have with farmers and their representatives. The Government continue to support the industry and last year took full advantage of the European Commission's decision to bring forward the two advance payments of sheep annual premium. In 1991, sheep producers in the LFA will benefit from substantial increases in the rate of HLCA payments, and a supplement of 4 ecu to the sheep annual premium, which together will increase the support payments, to producers in Wales by some £18 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in Wales on the knacker industry; and what representations he has received.

I am aware of the concerns of the knacker industry. It is central to our waste disposal practice and for many years has provided a vital service. A Community directive agreed last November lays down harmonised rules about the disposal of animal waste. We have secured, against the opposition of other member states, provision for the knacker trade to continue in its present form at least until 1995 and then the possibility of continuation after that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he intends to publish concerning his proposals for unitary authorities; and if he will make a statement.

I have made no proposals for unitary authorities and the question of guidelines does not arise. I have received some representations that we should move towards such a system, but I do not intend to make any decisions until I have had the benefit of further discussions with the Welsh local authority associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the future of community and town councils.

Community and town councils play an important role in many parts of Wales. In considering the merits of any proposals put to me for reorganisation of Welsh local government, I intend to take careful account of their implications for the continued effective operation of these councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the performance targets he is setting for 1991–92 in relation to the establishment of CADW: the Welsh Historic Monuments executive agency.

CADW: Welsh Historic Monuments will formally become an executive agency under the "next steps" initiative on 1 April this year. It is responsible for the discharge of the Secretary of State's statutory functions relating to the preservation, protection andmaintenance of ancient monuments, historic buildings and conservation areas within Wales.The chief executive will be personally responsible for achieving improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and in customer services. To enable him to exercise that responsibility, my right hon. Friend has made delegationsof authority to him, which are set out in the agency's framework document, which defines the respective rolesand responsibilities of the agency chief executive, the Welsh Office and the Secretary of State for Wales. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library of the House.Each year we shall be setting demanding financial and service targets for CADW. The targets set for its first year of operation as an agency, financial year 1991–92, are as follows:A.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has any plans to establish a regional assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

The local authorities association and others have pressed upon me the case for such an assembly to perform executive functions in the Principality. I have not reached a final decision on this question, but I have to say that the suggestions that have been put to me pose very considerable problems, not least because of the uncertainties and ambiguities about the respective responsibilities of the Secretary of State and of the assembly and about the powers of the assembly. I am not at present persuaded that the creation of an assembly along these lines would be in the best interests of the people of Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in his review of the structure and function of local councils in Wales what consideration he has given to the likely cost of establishing a Welsh assembly.

[holding answer 26 March 1991]: The proposals for an assembly which have been put to me are not sufficiently precise to allow for an accurate costing, but the costs would certainly be considerable. Estimates made in the White Paper "Our Changing Democracy"—Cm 6348, 1975—increased to allow for inflation, suggest that the annual running costs of an assembly could be between £40 million and £50 million. The "Vote No" lobby issued a booklet in February 1979 which put the cumulative costs of an assembly over a 21-year period. That total, increased for inflation, would now be £1 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Ethiopian Government concerning the cutting off of the joint relief partnership supply route from Assab port to famine areas of northern Ethiopia since 17 March.

We made representations with the donor group in Addis Ababa on 22 March. On 25 March the Ethiopian Government announced that the southern line would reopen. We understand that convoys began moving again on 26 March, when 40 trucks left Dessie to travel north.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the total amount of United Kingdom aid for cross-border relief into Tigray and Eritrea given since September 1990 to date; and what plans he has to give further assistance for cross-border operations.

About £6·3 million. We shall continue to provide humanitarian relief aid to Eritrea and Tigray using the most effective means available, including cross-border where appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to reduce or cut off bilateral aid to Thailand following the recent military coup.

We are following political developments closely and will take them into account in reaching decisions on new aid activities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (i) areas of outstanding natural beauty and (ii) sites of special scientific interest which lie within the path of currently proposed routes for his Department's road building programme.

All trunk road schemes are designed to avoid unnecessary adverse impact on the environment and to maximise the environmental gains which result from new roads. Wherever possible roads are kept away from protected areas such as areas of outstanding natural beauty and sites of special scientific interest, and when there is a risk that a proposed scheme will affect such an area it is examined with particular care to establish that a new road is needed and that the route has been chosen to do as little damage to the environment as practicable. The Nature Conservancy Council and the Countryside Commission are consulted from the earliest stages of route proposals, and measures to mitigate impact or to recreate habitats are agreed with them.Areas of outstanding natural beauty now cover more than 13 per cent. of the land area of England and Wales and existing trunk roads already run through many of them. Improvements to those routes may affect 12 of the38 areas of outstanding natural beauty. They are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on requirements for major maintenance on motorways and other trunk roads.

The Department has made good progress towards eliminating by 1992–93 the backlog of maintenance identified in the early 1980s. In the current financial year, renewal achieved has exceeded our target by some 10 per cent. and I expect the target again to be exceeded in the forthcoming financial year.Traffic growth, particularly in recent years, has greatly exceeded that forecast when much of the present network was built. Over the last six years extensive data on network conditions have been collected and these have now been analysed to provide comprehensive information on future maintenance needs. Results indicate that an effective programme of maintenance will require a level of activity significantly above 1991–92 level.The information from this work will be updated annually so that progress can be monitored and requirements reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it will cost his Department to assess competing bids for transport supplementary grant for highway structural maintenance on the primary route network.

[holding answer 25 March 1991]: The assessment of competing bids for TSG will not necessitate any increase in departmental staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list by district council the leisure centres operated by each local government authority in Northern Ireland;(2) if he will list the community centres operated by district councils in Northern Ireland, stipulating the responsible council in each case.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will set up an inquiry into the price of tank and bottled gas in the Province.

The Director General of the Office of Fair Trading is already making inquiries into the operation of the liquefied petroleum gas market throughout the United Kingdom. I have alerted him to the impact recent price increases are having in Northern Ireland and the director general has undertaken to let me know the outcome of his inquiries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origins of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave him on 12 March 1991, Official Report, columns 466–67.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of officers in each of grades 1 to 7 and overall in his Department are (a) women and (b) from ethnic minorities, respectively.

I would refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave him on 12 March 1991, Official Report, column 467.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to improve the roadway, known as Dunover road, Ballywalter, between Broadway and The Manse beyond the 30mph sign; whether a footway will be provided along this stretch of road; what information he has on the number of schoolchildren walking along this roadway; and whether any work will commence at this location in the current year.

A scheme to realign a section of Dunover road between Broadway and the existing length of footway has started; it will include the provision of a footway. There are no proposals for improving the remainder of Dunover road at present.No information is available on the number of schoolchildren who walk along the road in question.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents there are in Boyd house at Ards hospital; whether new residents are still being accepted; and if he will make a statement about the future of Boyd house.

There are 43 residents in Boyd house, a 52-place unit for the elderly. There is no waiting list for admission and new residents are still being accepted. The organisation of services at local level is a matter for health and social services boards. I am not aware of any proposals by the Eastern board relating to the future of Boyd house.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will arrange for copies of the report of the triennial review by the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland to be laid before the House; and if he will make a statement.

The report has been laid today. It reviews the working of articles 4 to 16 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 during the period 1988 to 1991.This is the first such report from the commission, which was established in 1988. I am glad to note that in general terms it is satisfied with the statutory procedures in the order for the handling of complaints from the public against individual police officers. However, it has made nine recommendations which it considers will further enhance these procedures and, before reaching any decision on them, I intend consulting the various interested bodies. I shall report to the House further in due course.I am grateful to the commission for the considerable effort that has been put into the preparation of the report. It has now had three years' experience of the system for handling complaints and it is only right and proper that its views backed by operational experience should be the basis for a re-examination of the procedures. The commission, by its fair and thorough handling of individual complaints, has already done much to improve the relationship between the police and the public it serves. Its triennial review is further evidence that it is concerned to ensure that the complaints system operates efficiently, effectively and impartially for all the parties involved and, most importantly, that it is seen to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the Rate Collection Agency.

I am pleased to announce that the Rate Collection Agency will be established as an executive agency of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland with effect from 1 April 1991. It is responsible for the collection of rates and administration of the housing benefit scheme for owner-occupiers. I am confident that the new status as a "next steps" agency willlead to a significant and sustained improvement in the delivery of this important public service. I am delegating full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operations to the chief executive. The policy and resources framework for the agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which are being placed in the Library of the House. For 1991–92, the following targets have been set for the agency:

To ask the Prime Minister if he will announce the composition of the United Kingdom delegation for the 43rd session of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe.

The 43rd session of the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe will be opened in Strasbourg on 22 April 1991. The delegation from the United Kingdom for the session will consist of 11 Members of the Conservative party, six Members of the Labour party and one Member of the Liberal Democrat party. I have also appointed a number of substitute delegates.The appointments of representatives and substitutes have been made on the basis of nominations by the leaders of those parties concerned.The same delegation will be representing the United Kingdom Parliament at the assembly of the Western European Union, which next meets in Paris on 3 June.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to assist former Prime Ministers with their office and secretarial expenses.

I propose to establish, with effect from 1 April 1991, a financial allowance to help former Prime Ministers to meet the continuing additional office costs which they are liable to incur because of their special position in public life. The new allowance, which will be equivalent in amount to the parliamentary office costs allowance, will be payable in respect of office and secretarial expenses incurred in connection with their public duties. It will be paid from the Cabinet Office vote. The allowance will not be payable to a former Prime Minister occupying the position of Leader of the Opposition and therefore in receipt of "Short" money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made by Her Majesty's Government to the Yugoslav Government regarding recent violence against the Albanian minority in Kosova; and if he will make a statement.

We and our western partners are continuing to urge the Serbian authorities to ensure the human and political rights of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent proposals have been received by Her Majesty's Government from the Government of Albania regarding the restoration of full and formal diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.

British and Albanian officials met in November and December of last year to discuss outstanding bilateral issues, including the possible resumption of diplomatic relations. We have not since then received any further proposals from the Albanians.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response the United Kingdom delegates to the amendment conference for the partial nuclear test ban treaty in January made to the criticisms of United Kingdom policy of continued nuclear warhead testing put forward by the Mauritius, Brazilian and Pakistan delegations.

The head of the United Kingdom delegation to the conference made clear our position: because our security will depend for the foreseeable future on deterrence based in part on the possession of nuclear weapons, we have continuing need to test our nuclear weapons to ensure that they remain effective and up to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response was made by the United Kingdom delegation to the amendment conference for the partial nuclear test ban treaty held in January, to the proposals submitted in draft for a verification protocol II to the partial nuclear test ban treaty to assist in the completion of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

We made it clear at the conference that we do not believe that a comprehensive test ban could be properly verified. We believe that the conference on disarmament at Geneva provides the most appropriate forum for discussion of progress on nuclear testing issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Thai authorities to encourage a restoration of democracy and an end to repression.

We have made clear, both to the National Peace Keeping Committee and the interim civilian Government, our great regret at the removal of a democratically elected civilian Government and the imposition of martial law; and our hope for the swift restoration of democracy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences he has granted for the sale of conventional or non-conventional weapons to middle eastern states since the ending of the Gulf conflict.

In the period from 1 to 20 March 1991, 50 export licences have been granted for the supply of conventional weapons to the following middle eastern countries:UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen. There were no export licences for non-conventional weapons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to end the testing of cosmetic products on animals: and what assessment he has made of the effect which the completion of the single market will have on such experimentation in Britain.

No. The law requires cosmetic products to be safe for use by the public, and in some cases the only way of ensuring this is to test them on animals. We are, however, seeking to keep to the essential minimum the increased testing proposed by the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what grounds BAe was given an export licence to exhibit a jet trainer aircraft at the Baghdad arms exhibition in 1989.

It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on individual export licence cases.Applications for export licences are considered on their merits. Licences for international exhibitions normally require the goods to remain under the control of the exporter and to be returned to the United Kingdom within a specified period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will complete his review of the Trade Descriptions Act.

Consideration of the responses to the consultation document issued as part of the review is continuing and I shall announce my conclusions as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received during 1991 from companies selling and marketing timeshare properties.

I have received one such representation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has any plans to discuss in the European Council of Ministers the marketing of timeshare properties.

It is for the presidency to arrange the timing and agenda of meetings of the Council of Ministers. No meeting of the Consumer Council has yet been arranged by the current presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish a list of the figures for inward investment projects involving international firms for the London boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey, and for the constituencies of Tottenham, Hornsey and Wood Green, Edmonton, Enfield, North and Enfield, Southgate, for each year since 1979 in terms of the number of projects, new jobs and safeguarded jobs.

I regret that the information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will discuss with the chairman of British Telecom and the Director General of the Office of Telecommunications what evidence there is of telephone engineers tapping into private subscribers' lines to make 898 and other premium-rate or long-distance calls: and what steps are being taken to prevent this from occurring.

My right hon. Friend has no plans for such a discussion. This is a matter for the Director General of Telecommunications, Sir Bryan Carsberg. I understand that he has instructed his staff to conduct a thorough and wide-ranging review of all premium-rate disputes. The investigation of allegations that telephone engineers have been tapping into private subscribers' lines to make illicit calls will form part of that review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will report on how British companies have complied with the European Community code of conduct for companies with interests in South Africa during the 12-month period to 30 June 1990.

By 15 March 1991, 107 companies had submitted reports to the DTI under the code of conduct. Copies of the reports and of the Department's analysis and summary have, as in previous years, been placed in the Library of each House. These documents may also be inspected at the Department's export market information centre, at the British embassy in Pretoria, at the British consulate-general in Johannesburg, and at the British consulates in Cape Town and Durban.The analysis and summary is the fifth since the adoption of the revised code of conduct by EC Foreign Ministers in November 1985. Reports were received from all British companies, except one, whose interests are known or believed to warrant a full report under the code. The company which did not report was reminded of the existence of the code.The reporting period under review has seen a marginal increase in the number of black employees of British subsidiaries being paid below the code's recommended minimum level. This increase is due to one company having acquired two new subsidiaries during the reporting period. This particular company intends to raise the wage levels in these two subsidiaries to at least the code's minimum level.Companies' reports indicated that the level of their involvement with trade unions representing black workers increased, with the majority of companies reporting formal involvement with the trade unions. Many companies have taken steps to alleviate the particular hardships experienced by their migrant workers.The number of companies providing training schemes has continued to increase, and as in previous years, all companies provided "on-the-job" training. In addition, companies continued to report impressive levels of involvement in projects benefiting not only their employees and their families but the wider communities from which their work force were drawn. Companies also continued to encourage the growth of black business.The report reflects the increasing level of unemployment in South Africa, with a number of companies reporting a contraction of their black work force. This disturbing trend has continued since the period covered by the report: the South African Chamber of Business now estimates that over 40 per cent. of the economically active population are unemployed. This illustrates the pressing need to restore growth to the South African economy.The Government are once more grateful to companies for their continued co-operation in providing reports and urge them to maintain this performance and to comply fully with the code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will lay regulations to implement EC directive 89/48/EEC on the recognition of professional qualifications.

I have today laid in Parliament the European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 1991 under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972. These regulations would implement into United Kingdom law Council directive 89/48/EEC on a general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of a t least three years' duration.The directive represents a significant improvement in the opportunities that will be available to members of the professions throughout the Community. It will enable a professional to use his home state professional qualification to obtain access to the equivalent profession in other member states. He will not have to have to undergo the education and training required for the profession in the other member states. The directive will also benefit consumers who will gain from improved competition in professional services.The United Kingdom would be only the second member state, after Ireland, to have implemented the directive in full. I am anxious that consumers in the United Kingdom should enjoy the benefits of improved competition in the provision of professional services as soon as possible. This action maintains the excellent record of the United Kingdom on the implementation of Community directives.I will also be encouraging other member states to fulfil their Community obligations without delay so that United Kingdom professionals are able to take full advantage of the system of mutual recognition established by the directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has considered representations for a deferment of the date by which national brewers have to release pubs from ties.

Yes. I have considered carefully representations both for and against the deferment of the November 1992 date by which major brewers are required by the Beer Orders to release pubs from ties. I have concluded after weighing up all these representations that amending the orders in this way could not be justified. Brewers will have had three years in which to make their dispositions by November 1992. Deferring the date would be unfair to those national and regional brewers who have already taken steps to comply with or take advantage of the order and would prolong uncertainty for tenants.The Beer Orders require brewers owning more than 2,000 pubs to free up from tie half they own in excess of 2,000 by 1 November 1992. There are at least four ways in which a brewer can free up a pub from tie: the pub can be leased to the sitting tenant free of any ties; sold to the sitting tenant; sold with sitting tenant to a third party; and sold with vacant possession. Only the last of these four options would involve the eviction of the tenant.I am naturally concerned about statements by certain brewers that they will issue "notices to quit" to large numbers of their tenants, even though the number issued is likely to be much lower than the figures that have been mentioned in the press. I understand that most of these notices will be issued by two national brewers in order to renegotiate the terms of their tenancy agreements and will not ultimately lead to evictions. I have urged the brewers concerned to keep the number of notices they send out to an absolute minimum and to make their purpose clear to tenants.Deferring the November 1992 date in the Beer Orders would not affect the date by which the brewers would have to send out "notices to quit" since this is determined by the fact that all tenancy agreements will be protected by the Landlord and Tenant Act by July 1992. It has been put to me that there would be no need to issue "notices to quit" if the date in the Beer Orders was deferred since this would allow pubs to be sold as they become available through natural wastage. However, brewers will have had three years by November 1992 in which to take action to comply with the order. This already represents a year more than was originally recommended by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission in its report on the supply of beer. Four of the six major brewers have either already taken or announced steps to comply with the order by November 1992. It is not clear why these should be disadvantaged because the other two have been slower in taking action.Several national brewers who have already taken steps to comply with the orders have made it clear they do not wish to see any deferment of the November 1992 date. A large number of the regional brewers have expressed strong opposition to any change in the date as they are keen to strengthen their brewing base by acquiring further premises and selling to more "free outlets". They regard the present orders as a balance between the interests of brewers of different sizes which would be upset if there was a change in the date. A number have suggested that deferring the date in the order might lead to further regional brewers withdrawing altogether from brewing. Tenants' representatives have also generally made it clear that deferring the date would be unwelcome as it would prolong uncertainty for their members.I recognise that the changes taking place are unsettling for many in the industry. But they also offer opportunities —to tenants to manage their own businesses and to brewers to compete in a larger free trade market. I believe that it would be wrong to change the timing now, given the way many national and regional brewers have already responded to the orders and given the further uncertainty that would be created for pub tenants if the implementation date were delayed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the reasons for non-implementation of section 43 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 as it affects the head on a measure of beer.

[holding answer 25 March 1991]: I have no plans to implement section 43 of the Weights and Measures Act 1985 because there is little evidence that individual consumers are dissatisfied with how beer is served.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson), if he will give the full corporate headquarters address of NCM, list its shareholders and their percentage shareholding, and give a brief summary of its experience in the field of export credit guarantee, insurance and reinsurance in (a) the Netherlands, (b) Benelux, (c) other EC member states and (d) other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and what links it has or has had with any state-backed export credit guarantee schemes in the Netherlands.

[holding answer 8 March 1991]: The full name and address of NCM is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson), if he will give the full company headquarters address of Assicurazioni Generali and a summary of its experience in export credit insurance in (a) Italy, (b) other EC member states and (c) other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and if he will list its links with state-backed export credit insurance, guarantee or reinsurance schemes provided by the Italian Government.

[ holding answer 8 March 1991]: The full name and address of Assicurazioni Generali is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March, to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson), Official Report, columns 88–89, if he will provide the full address of the corporate headquarters of Cobac and a brief review of its experience in the field of export credit guarantee insurance or reinsurance in (a) Belgium, (b) Benelux, (c) other EC member states and (d)other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and what links it has had and now has with any state-backed export credit guarantee schemes in Belgium.

[holding answer 8 March 1991]:The full name and address of COBAC is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 5 March, to the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Dr. Hampson),Official Report, columns 88–89, if he will give the full corporate headquarters address of Gerling and its parent company, and a summary of its experience in the field of export credit insurance, reinsurance or guarantee in (a)Germany, (b)other EC countries and (c) other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries; and what links it has or has had with any state-backed export credit guarantee scheme in Germany.

[holding answer 8 March 1991]: The full name and address of Gerling is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications he has had from Ventron Technology Ltd. of Reddish, Stockport, about equipment to extinguish Kuwait well fires; and what steps his Department has taken to meet representatives of Ventron and to put forward their ideas for dealing with the problem to the Kuwait Government.

[holding answer 26 March 1991]: My Department received a fax message from Ventron Technology on 7 March. I received a letter on its behalf from my hon. Friend the Member for Macclesfield (Mr. Winterton) on 14 March.My officials have since spoken to Ventron Technology about its proposals, and the company has been recorded on my Department's database of companies interested in working in Kuwait.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Rochford (Dr. Clark), on 18 March, Official Report, column 20, if he will make a statement concerning the details of the settlement of the outstanding claim made by Trafalgar House against British Shipbuilders.

[holding answer 22 March 1991]: The settlement was in respect of an action brought by Trafalgar House for which British Shipbuilders have not admitted liability. The claim was for alleged losses of £191 million plus interest from 1984 due to alleged misrepresentations by British Shipbuilders following the privatisation of the Scott Lithgow yard.The legal costs for each side were likely to run into tens of millions of pounds had the action come to court.The £17 million cash settlement, plus the forgoing by British Shipbuilders of a counterclaim for £8 million from Trafalgar House, therefore represents a considerable potential saving for the public purse.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will provide a table of expenditure showing the cost of running each regional office of his Department in 1989–90, excluding the funding programmes operated by the offices.

[holding answer 25 March 1991]: The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what role his Department has taken in assisting British companies to secure contracts to rebuild Kuwait.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson), at column 157.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the impact of the poll tax on the demand for help and advice from citizens advice bureaux.

Citizens advice bureaux have had to deal with a number of inquiries arising from the introduction of the community charge, just as they used to on rates. The number of inquiries on the community charge, rose in 1989–90 compared to 1988–89, but there was no significant change in the total number of inquiries dealt with by bureaux in 1989–90 compared to 1988–89. Figures relating to the current financial year are not yet available.The Department of Environment has agreed to give the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux £36,000 this year to help with the costs of training bureaux workers to deal with these inquiries. The Scottish Office has also given Citizens Advice Scotland £36,000 over the last two years for the same purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on the duties placed on (a) fresh and (b) smoked salmon from (i) Norway and (ii) Canada, when imported into (1) EC countries and (2) the United States of America.

The duty payable under the common customs tariff—CTT—on imports into EC countries of fresh salmon from Norway and Canada is 2 per cent. The CTT duty rate on imports into EC countries of smoked salmon from Norway and Canada is 13 per cent.The duties payable on imports into the United States of America of smoked salmon from Norway and Canada are 5 and 2 per cent. respectively. All imports of fresh salmon into the United States of America are free of customs duty. However, as a result of a preliminary determination, fresh and chilled Atlantic salmon imported from Norway into the United States of America is currently subject to anti-dumping duties ranging from 15·65 to 31·81 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will initiate inquiries into the reason for the adverse trade balance with Germany.

I have no plans to initiate inquiries. Last year our exports to Germany increased by 18·5 per cent. in value over 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the commercial relationships between Mr. Marc Ellington and Mr. Richard Emerson of the Historic Buildings Council.

Mr. Marc Ellington is a member of the Historic Buildings Council for Scotland, a statutory advisory body appointed by my right hon. Friend. Mr. Richard Emerson is not a member of the council; he is a principal inspector of historic buildings in Historic Buildings and Monuments, Scotland, which is part of the Scottish Environment Department. Mr. Ellington and Mr. Emerson have had no commercial dealings in any official capacity.My right hon.Friend is aware that reference was made in a television programme broadcast on Channel 4 on 10 March to the purchase by Mr. Emerson from Mr. Ellington of a plot of land at Crovie in 1985. This was an entirely proper private transaction between two individuals. Their public duties did not overlap, and Mr. Emerson informed his senior officer of his intentions in 1985. Mr. Ellington and Mr. Emerson both retain the complete confidence of my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will obtain for his Department's library a copy of the "Scottish Eye" programme on Channel 4, broadcast on 10 March.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what steps his Department is taking to monitor and evaluate the continuing care of patients discharged from psychiatric hospital into the community, further to paragraph 1.29 of "Community Care into the Next Decade and Beyond";(2) what steps he is taking to monitor and evaluate the continuing care of mentally ill people resident in the community.

The National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 places a duty on local authorities and health boards jointly to prepare and publish, by 1 April 1992, in consultation with health boards, community care plans. We intend to monitor carefully the implementation of these plans, including the care of people with mental health problems discharged from psychiatric hospitals and resident in the community. The plans should define objectives and targets and include procedures for monitoring the achievement of effective community care.Health boards will shortly be consulted on draft guidance on the introduction of care programmes for people with a mental illness. The main purpose of care programmes is to ensure that no person who has been treated for long-term mental illness is discharged from hospital without proper arrangements being made for his or her continuing care in the community. It will be for health boards and local authorities to satisfy themselves that there are relevant community-based health and social work services to allow each discharged person to live satisfactorily in the community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each health board (a) the number of patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals and (b) the number of readmissions to psychiatric hospitals, for the last three years for which figures are available.

The information requested is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on his policy on educational visits for schoolchidren.

This is a matter for education authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number of (a) total crimes and (b) violent crimes in each police force area in Scotland in 1979 and 1990 or the most recently available date and the percentage increase, in each authority area.

The information requested is set out in the table.