To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to meet the requirements of the European Commissioner to allow additional spending with regard to RECHAR; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry, for Northern Ireland, for Wales and for Scotland, and other Ministers, met Mr. Bruce Millan, European Commissioner with responsibility for regional policies, on 25 April to discuss issues relating to the Community's structural funds.The proposed RECHAR programmes of grants for United Kingdom coalfield areas were one of the subjects discussed. The meeting helped reduce the misunderstanding there has been about the additionality of Community grants. We remain in touch with the Commission and hope that agreement will now soon he reached to enable these useful programmes to proceed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce legislation to ensure that deposits paid by consumers for goods or services are held in trust so that in the event of a company going into receivership, liquidation or bankruptcy. the deposit will be refunded to the consumer.

We have no plans to introduce such legislation. The Government accepted the view of the Insolvency Law Review Committee that compulsory trust accounts would add to the costs and prices of businesses and would be detrimental to the interests of ordinary creditors. The Director General of Fair Trading is, however, continuing to keep this area under review, and we shall give careful consideration to any recommendations he may make.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make an application against Mike and Mark Sweeney, formerly directors of Stormseal and now directors of Sure Style, under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986, having particular regard to any responsibility they may have had for the Stormseal company becoming insolvent.

Stormseal UPVC Window Co. Ltd. was one of a group of six companies that went into administrative receivership on 4 January 1991 and were controlled by brothers Mark and Michael Sweeney. Subsequently on 27 March 1991 winding-up orders were made against Stormseal arid one other company Stirfront Ltd. and the official receiver at Manchester is dealing with their affairs. Both the administrative receiver and the official receiver have a responsibility under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 to consider the conduct of the directors and report any matters to the Secretary of State which they consider makes them unfit to be concerned in the management of a company.An initial report is required to be submitted within six months of the appointment of the administrative receiver, but it is understood that the complexity of the affairs of the Stormseal group makes it unlikely that a full report will be able to be prepared by June 1991. On receipt of the full reports from the administrative receiver and the official receiver, the Secretary of State will consider whether it is appropriate to apply for disqualification of the said directors or any other persons involved in the affairs of the group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to take a decision on the film industry's proposal for a national film commission.

I am happy to announce that the Government have decided to invite Sydney Samuelson to establish a United Kingdom film commission to promote the United Kingdom as a place to make films and that the commission will receive grants from the DTI totalling £3·5 million over the next four years. The Department will discuss with the commission detailed terms and conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the discussions which took place in the EC Industry Council on 29 April.

[holding answer 7 May 1991]: The Industry Council meeting on 29 April, which Lord Hesketh attended for the United Kingdom, discussed Commission communications on the European electronics and information technology industry, the biotechnology industry and the future of the European Coal and Steel Community treaty. The Council also discussed Community policy on small and medium-sized enterprises and adopted a resolution reaffirming the Council's commitment to promoting the creation and development of small firms throughout the European Community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what proposals he has to privatise Post Office Counters Ltd;(2) what preparations Post Office Counters Ltd. is making for privatisation;(3) what representations he has received concerning the re-establishment of a sub-post office at Newhill, near Rotherham; and if he will make a statement;(4) what is his policy on the provision of sub-post offices.

[holding answer 8 May 1991]: The Government have made it clear on a number of occasions that we remain fully committed to the maintenance of a network of post offices adequate to enable the Post Office to fulfil its statutory duty to have regard to economy and efficiency, and to the social, commercial and industrial needs of the United Kingdom. I am satisfied that in managing its network of post offices the Post Office is fully meeting these obligations.We have at present no plans for the privatisation of the Post Office. Girobank has been successfully transferred to the private sector, but no other decisions have been taken.It has been the policy of successive Governments since the establishment of the Post Office as a public corporation in 1969 that decisions concerning aspects of the day-to-day running of the postal business, such as those relating to the level of service provision available in particular areas, are the operational responsibility of the Post Office Board. The Government's role in Post Office matters is confined to broad issues of general policy and to matters of overall control.I understand that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received no representations concerning the re-establishment of a sub-post office at Newhill, Rotherham.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when grants were first made to the Zoological Society of London in connection with scientific research; what has been the total grant paid to date; and what is the proposed grant for the current financial year.

The Department of the Environment first provided funds specifically for the society's Institute of Zoology of £.1·3 million in 1988–89. Responsibility for public funding of the institute was transferred to my Department through the Universities Funding Council and the university of London in April 1989. The transfer was accompanied by an increase in public funding through the UFC in respect of the university of London of £1·3 million in the 1989–90 financial year and £1·4 million in the subsequent two financial years. The actual level of funding for the institute is strictly a matter for the university of London. In addition, the institute received grants from the research councils and the Royal Society of £0·5 million in 1989–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the recent change in the arrangements for the administration of the postgraduate state studentship scheme in the humanities.

Since 1984 the British Academy has administered the national scheme for postgraduate studentships in the humanities on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education and Science. Full responsibility for the scheme was transferred to the academy which, with effect from the beginning of this financial year, administers it in its own right. It continues to receive funds for this purpose from my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement following his discussion with the Commissioner for regional policy of the European Community held on 15 April.

Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and other ministerial colleagues, I met European Commissioner Millan on 25 April.We discussed a wide range of European structural fund matters. Commissioner Millan assured me that a decision on the Dyfed-Gwynedd-Powys integrated development operation programme would be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.

The readily available information about the appointments for which I am responsible, a number of which will fall to be made in 1991 and 1992, is in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments: A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to institute a review of Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools in Wales.

Given the proposed changes in the education service, I think that this is an opportune moment to conduct an in-depth review of the role and structure of Her Majesty's inspectorate in Wales. I am putting in hand arrangements for such a review.

To ask the Minister for the Arts what plans he has to fund a heritage centre to show the history of and to promote the sale of articles in the paisley pattern; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to fund such a heritage centre. My funding responsibility does not extend to museums in Scotland, where I assume that such a centre would be based.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will be in a position to reply to the correspondence of the right hon. and learned Member for Aberavon requesting a passport for Mrs. Williams of Blaengwynfi, Port Talbot.

I wrote to the right hon. and learned Gentleman about this matter on 22 January. Unfortunately, he does not appear to have received the letter. My office has now forwarded a further copy which I trust he has received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the ratio of prison staff to inmates at Gloucester prison for each of the last three years; and what was the comparable figure in the five prisons nearest to it in size.

Officers per inmate
	1 April 1988	1 April 1989	1 April 1990	1 April 1991
Gloucester	0·45	0·45	0·44	0·48
Bedford	0·50	0·54	0·56	0·68
Shrewsbury	0·33	0·44	0·42	0·53
Leicester1	0·49	0·54	0·63	0·70
Reading	0·40	0·51	0·56	0·55
Swansea	0·39	0·51	0·57	0·53
1 Including special unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he considers to be appropriate profit levels in privately run penal establishments.

My right hon. Friend will take a view on what profit levels are appropriate when considering bids for the operation of Wolds remand prison. The profit level in any agreed contract would, however, be regarded as commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to provide for the proper training of managers, social workers and guards in privately run penal establishments; and if he will make a statement.

The director and other custodial staff of any contracted-out prison would require training to a level specifically approved by my right hon. Friend. The training requirement for Wolds remand prison is set out in schedule 3(b ) of the tender documents and is available in the Library. Any social workers engaged by contractors would require the qualifications of their profession.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners he expects to be situated in privately run penal establishments by 31 December 1994; and if he will make a statement.

On present plans the management of Wolds remand prison, which will hold some 300 prisoners, would be contracted out in 1992. No decisions have yet been taken about any extension of contracting out. Any such proposals would be subject to parliamentary approval in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Justice Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received any proposals for bye-laws to be confirmed relating to the launching of boats in the River Tweed in the borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

On 1 April 1991, the ratio of prison officers to inmates in local prisons, including principal and senior officers but excluding female establishments, ranged from 0·34 to 0·71 officers per inmate. This variation reflects differences in workload, scale and the particular facilities contained in establishments.Over the past three years, the ratios at Her Majesty's Prison Gloucester and at the five local prisons nearest to it in size, by number of inmates, were as follows:

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he has withdrawn the Home Office grant for the Haslar project concerned with refugees.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 3 May at column 340.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will meet the Merseyside immigration unit to discuss the number of Somalis who are seeking to join their family in Liverpool.

My right hon. Friend and I do not consider that a meeting at this time would be productive. If there are any particular problems of concern to the Merseyside immigration and advice unit, we should be happy to consider any written representation it wishes to make.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Somali citizens are seeking settlement in (a) Liverpool and (b) Merseyside at the latest date.

The available information is of the number of Somali nationals granted settlement in the United Kingdom, figures for which are published in table 15 of the Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1989"—Cmnd. 1124—a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average waiting time for Somali refugees to join their relatives in Liverpool at the most recent date.

The average time between receipt of an application in the asylum division and a decision is 16 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to improve replies from Lunar house to solicitors and community bodies concerning Somalis seeking settlement in the United Kingdom.

Because of very large-scale increases in the number of asylum applications from Somalis and other nationalities and the concession operated by the Government for Somalis seeking to join their families in this country, a large amount of work continues to be generated in the asylum division of the immigration and nationality department. On 26 April my right hon. Friend announced a nearly fivefold increase in staff resources for this division. It will take time to recruit and train such a large number of additional staff, but I would expect that in due course decisions will be able to be taken more quickly than at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions, advice or other forms of commercial or contractual restrictions have been issued by his Department to the manufacturers or distributors of breathalysers in the United Kingdom on the retail supply of such devices to the public; and if he will list the respective authorities on which they are based.

No such instructions have been issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (I) if he will list by nationality the numbers of nationals seeking asylum in the United Kingdom whose applications have been outstanding for (a) one month, (b) six months, (c) 12 months, (d) 18 months and (e) 24 months; and, of these, how many are in detention;(2) if he will list the number of asylum seekers by nationality detained at

[holding answer 1 May 1991]: A breakdown by nationality of the number of asylum applications which have currently been awaiting a decision for less than 12 months is not readily available because of delays in recording. Approximate estimates of applications awaiting a decision for between 12 and 24 months are given in table A. Reliable information on cases outstanding for more than 24 months is not available.Available information on asylum applicants detained is given in table B. No applicants currently detained have been in detention for more than 18 months.

Table A
Approximate estimates1 2 of asylum applicants awaiting a decision in the United Kingdom for between 12 and 24 months, by nationality and length of time outstanding
Number of persons
	Outstanding for between 12 and 18 months3	Outstanding for between 18 and 24 months3
Angolan	160	110
Bangladeshi	10	*
Colombian	20	5
Czechoslovakian	*	15
Ethiopian	220	155
Ghanaian	320	150
Indian	555	280
Iranian	65	95
Iraqi	50	35
Lebanese	10	5
Libyan	*	10
Pakistani	280	40
Polish	5	10
Seychellois	10	10
Somalian	125	150
South African	10	5
Sri Lankan	1,415	650
Sudanese	95	60
Turkish	210	345
Ugandan	465	250
Zairois	750	270
Other and unknown nationality	210	170
GRAND TOTAL	4,990	2,810
1 As at 26 April 1991. Figures rounded to the nearest 5, with '*' = less than 3.
2 Including associated dependants.
3 Figures for African countries may understate because of delays in recording applications: those for other countries may overstate, because of under-recording of decisions made earlier.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many administrative staff are currently in post at the Football Licensing Authority; how many more administrative staff it is planned to appoint; and what will be the time scale of such appointments.

[holding answer 8 May 1991]: The number of staff employed by the Football Licensing Authority is a matter entirely within the authority's own discretion. I understand, however, that seven administrative staff are currently in post, and that, while there are no current plans to increase that number, the position will be kept under review.

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed as representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been paid to headhunters Saxton Bampfylde for the process of selecting a Director of Works for the Palace of Westminster.

£20,871·86.

To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to make an official visit to the Paisley, South constituency; and if he will make a statement.

I have no immediate plans to do so. I am visiting Scotland today to attend the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association conference.

To ask the Prime Minister if he has any plans to meet representatives of the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to do so. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Worthing (Mr. Higgins) on 18 April 1991 at columns 568–69.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the criteria used to govern the activities of his press office; and if he will make a statement.

My press office operates under the same rules as govern the activities of other civil servants—namely, the civil service pay and conditions of service code and the December 1987 Armstrong note on the duties and responsibilities of civil servants in relation to Ministers. Information officers are involved, as a proper part of their duties, in the processes of presentation of Government policies and decisions.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) which Minister is responsible for keeping under review the relevance of the boundaries of the economic regions; and what is the procedure for altering those boundaries;(2) whether he will publish a table showing which departments

In considering any proposal to alter the boundaries of the 11 standard regions of the United Kingdom, the Secretary of State for the Environment would take the lead in consultation with colleagues.A large number of Departments collect or publish statistics based on standard regions. "Regional Trends 25" (HMSO) brings together a very wide range of such statistics and attributes them to the appropriate departmental sources. It is available in the House of Commons Library.Grants are not allocated, wholly or in part, on the basis of standard regions in England.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the recent Antarctic meeting in Madrid.

The Government warmly welcome the outcome of the Madrid meeting and hope that the draft protocol tabled there will provide the basis for the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment which has always been the Government's objective.Of particular importance are the provisions for a ban on mineral activity for 50 years, and mechanisms for a review of the ban after 50 years, or before if everyone agrees. The results of these provisions would be that there can never be mining in Antarctica unless all the present consultative parties agree.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show the number of persons employed by the Northern Ireland Office in Northern Ireland and the areas of Northern Ireland from which they are drawn, the number of Roman Catholics, the number of Protestants and the number of others and the religious composition of the population of the areas from which the persons are drawn between the ages of 18 and 64 years.

A significant proportion of the home civil service staff employed in the Northern Ireland Office in Northern Ireland are from Great Britain. They were educated outside Northern Ireland and their community background has not been determined. It would not be appropriate to provide the information sought.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show the number of persons employed by the civil service in Northern Ireland, the areas of Northern Ireland from which they are drawn, the number of Roman Catholics, the number of Protestants and the number of others, the religious composition of the areas from which they are drawn in the age group 18 to 64 years and the religious composition of the Northern Ireland population in the same age group.

The numbers and composition in terms of the community background of Northern Ireland civil servants are given in a regular series of reports issued by the Northern Ireland civil service's equal opportunities unit, the most recent of which was published during October 1989. Copies of this and the two previous reports are in the Library.The third report, besides giving information about the numbers and community background of Northern Ireland civil servants, also gave an estimate as to labour availability. For this it drew on the continuous household survey for the years 1985 to 1987 regarding economically active persons aged 16 and over. Details for the age group 18 to 64 are not readily available. The table gives the relevant information.

	Percentage Protestant	Percentage Roman Catholic	Percentage Others
Northern Ireland Civil Service	55·3	34·5	10·2
Economically active population estimate	60·9	35·5	3·6

In the main, the Northern Ireland civil service recruits on a Northern Ireland basis. The community background of successful candidates plays no part in determining where such candidates are posted. For this reason, it has not been considered appropriate to monitor applications and/or appointments other than on a Northern Ireland basis. Information regarding the community background of staff based on the areas of Northern Ireland from which they are drawn is not therefore available. Such analyses could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on additions to the permanent five peace plan for Cambodia, proposed recently by Japan.

We welcome Japan's active involvement in the peace process. We are carefully considering the Japanese proposals concerning the ceasefire arrangements and measures to prevent the recurrence of genocide, although both the state of Cambodia and China have expressed reservations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will now take steps to permit and encourage the advertising and retail sale of self-testing breathalyser devices and procedures.

Those wishing to advertise and sell self-testing breathalyser devices are free to do so. As in any commercial endeavour, the demands of the marketplace are likely to provide the most effective form of encouragement.

To ask the Attorney-General how many complaints have been received about the legal profession from judges, lawyers, members of the public and the lay observer during the past 12 months; and what assessments he has made of the efficiency of the Solicitors Complaints Bureau.

This information is not available in the form requested. The responsibility for any assessment of the efficiency of the Solicitors Complaints Bureau lies with the Law Society.The Government responded to disquiet about the handling of complaints about the legal profession by establishing under the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 the office of Legal Services Ombudsman, to be independent of government and the profession, and to have a wider range of powers than the lay observer whom he replaced. The Legal Services Ombudsman will present an annual report to the Lord Chancellor which will be laid before Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued on the uses to which money awarded under the Department's efficiency exercise incentive scheme can be put; and how the expenditure of such moneys is monitored.

Guidance was issued to management areas about the way money awarded under the Department's trial efficiency incentive scheme was to be used. The guidelines stated that the scheme was intended to provide as much flexibility as possible on the type of project on which a management area chose to spend its reward, provided that the project did not breach Treasury guidelines and complied with departmental instructions on propriety and value for money; and that the project should benefit the defence community as a whole and/or contribute to its future efficiency. Proposals for projects on which management areas wished to spend their rewards were required to be approved by the relevant service executive committee member, commander-in-chief or the chief of defence procurement, and also by the relevant senior finance officer. Details were reported to a central point where the expenditure could be monitored against the sums awarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how and when he expects to make known to the House the results of NATO's review of its role, force levels and the deployment of allied forces in Europe, following the end of the cold war and east-west agreement on conventional forces.

Work on NATO's strategy review is continuing. We will keep the House informed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.

I refer the hon. Member to "Public Bodies 1990" issued by the office of the Minister for the Civil Service in December 1990; pages 12 to 14 list Ministry of Defence appointments. Relevant information is also in "Public Appointments: a Handbook for Women's Organisations", pages 31 to 37, published by the Women's National Commission. Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, on completion of his assessment of the performance of RAF equipment in Operation Desert Storm, he will make a statement on the operational benefits, including target identification and accuracy, of Buccaneer and Tornado aircraft working together.

The performance of all aircraft and equipment used in the Gulf is still being evaluated. We have not yet decided how the results of this work might he made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to order Sea King helicopters to replace or supplement older helicopters in the search and rescue role; and when he will announce his decision on replacement search and rescue aircraft.

Although the Wessex continues to make a valuable contribution to the search and rescue service, we are examining the case for its replacement as part of the MOD's normal equipment planning process. An announcement will be made once a decision is taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the current incidence of cryptosporidiosis in the Battersea area.

An increased number of cases of cryptosporidiosis has been reported from the Wandsworth area. A detailed investigation into the cause of the increase is being conducted by the local consultant in communicable disease control with the support of the Public Health Laboratory Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with representatives from disability organisations on the need to secure future local authority payments to severely disabled people to enable them to make their own personal assistance arrangements.

I have had several such discussions, most recently at a meeting with the Spinal Injuries Association in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is still his policy to retain the legal prohibition on local authorities from making payments to severely disabled people to employ their own personal care assistants; and if he will make a statement.

During the passage of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, the Government gave careful consideration to an amendment to allow local authorities to make payments direct to those in need of services, but decided not to do so because of the difficulties in determining which clients would be eligible for direct payments and in controlling costs. However, our guidance stresses the need for disabled people to be fully involved in decisions about the care which they need and points out that there is no reason why a disabled person who wants to have day-to-day management of his or her carers should not do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of hospital episodes for hip fractures distinguishing between men and women, and women aged over 75 years nationally and in each health authority region, in each year since 1980; and what is his estimate of the total annual national cost of these procedures.

[holding answer 30 April 1991]: Information is given in the table about the estimated numbers of discharges and deaths from 1980 to 1985 and finished consultant episodes between 1987–88 and 1989–90 for hip fractures. Information is not available centrally on the total annual national cost of these procedures.

Estimated numbers of discharges and deaths (1980 to 1985) and finished consultant episodes (1987–88 to 1989–90)
where principal diagnosis was ICD 820: Fracture of neck or femur by RHA of residence
1980
	Male	Female
	All ages	Over 75	All ages
England	8,750	21,874	30,511
Northern	698	1,212	1,797
Yorkshire	637	1,766	2,362
Trent	965	2,352	2,968
East Anglia	370	791	1,130
North West Thames	513	1,119	1,736
North East Thames	709	1,715	2,270
South East Thames	750	2,136	2,845
South West Thames	606	1,766	2,331
Wessex	462	1,469	1,920
Oxford	308	637	1,027
South Western	606	2,105	2,896
West Midlands	924	2,300	3,420
Mersey	257	791	1,253
North Western	945	1,715	2,557

1981
	Male	Female
	All ages	Over 75	All ages
England	8,904	22,409	30,670
Northern	541	1,234	1,846
Yorkshire	663	1,897	2,499
Trent	918	2,601	3,346
East Anglia	275	949	1,224

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the current figures in (a) numbers and (b) time involved in waiting for claims to be dealt with; and what were the figures 12 months ago.

	Month ending 31 March 1991		Month ending 31 March 1990
Benefit	Number received	Average clearance (days)1	Number received	Average clearance (days)1
Income support	352,299	5	298,705	5
Sickness/Invalidity	88,867	8	90,391	9
Retirement pension	47,128	19	46,407	21
Family credit	81,696	73 per cent, within 20 days	77,694	—
Invalid care allowance	5,683	35	5,342	40
Severe disablement allowance	764	32	707	32
War disablement pension	3,277	37 per cent, within 125 days	3,573	36 per cent, within 125 days
War widows pension	508	63 per cent. within 50 days	401	64 per cent, within 50 days
Attendance allowance	39,264	42	39,208	42
Mobility allowance	21,079	50	23,916	35
Child benefit straightforward claims	37,431	96 per cent, within 5 days	42,879	100 per cent, within 5 days
non-straightforward claims	27,152	82 per cent, within 16 days	30,495	95 per cent, within 16 days
One parent benefit	15,650	85 per cent, within 12 days	17,438	93 per cent. within 12 days
1 Rounded.

	Quarter ending 31 March 1991		Quarter ending 31 March 1990
Benefit	Number received	Average clearance (days)1	Number received	Average clearance (days)1
Widows benefit	14,994	15	15,984	15
Maternity allowance	27,611	10	31,377	12
1 Rounded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the individual appointments excluding casual vacancies he is scheduled to make to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations in (a) 1991 and (b) 1992 indicating in each case the title of the post, the salary if any and the duration of the appointment.

The readily available information about the appointments for which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is responsible, a number of which fall to be made in 1991 and 1992, is given in "Public Bodies" and "Public Appointments: A Handbook for Women's Organisations", copies of which are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will indicate how many mortgages supported by DSS interest payments total (i) over £700,000, (ii) £600,000 to £700,000, (iii) £500,000 to £600,000,

The total number of claims received and the average clearance time for the month or quarter ending 31 March, and the comparable figures for March 1990 are in the table.(iv) £400,000 to £500,000, (v) £300,000 to £400,000, (vi) £200,000 to £300,000, (vii) £100,000 to £200,000, (viii) £50,000 to £100,000 and (ix) under £50,000; what is the average weekly interest paid by the DSS in each band; and what is the total DSS payment of interest for each band.

This information is not collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information about the amount of weekly loan interest included in the assessment of income support is collected and is published in the income support annual statistical enquiry. A copy of the 1989 enquiry is in the Library; the 1990 enquiry will be available shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the level of funding provided by way of the residential care allowance.