To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the environmental assessment report on the proposed high-speed rail link; and if he will then publish it.

The environmental assessment which British Rail has been carrying out of the safeguarded section between Cheriton and Upper Hailing may need revision, depending on the choice of a preferred route for the whole rail link. However, before embarking on the formal approval process for the rail link, British Rail intends to prepare and publish a full environmental statement for the complete route between the channel tunnel and London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has paid Warwickshire county council as its agent for clearing litter from the M6 in Warwickshire each year for the last five years.

Separate figures for litter clearance on the M6 in Warwickshire are not available. The amounts paid by the Department to Warwickshire county council for sweeping and cleansing, including litter clearance, on those stretches of the M6 in Warwickshire and the west midlands for which it is the Department's agents were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements he has for ensuring value for money in payments made to his agents for clearing litter from motorways.

Agent authorities are required to expose litter clearing on motorways to competitive tendering in the same manner as their own highway work. Private sector agents let all this work by competiton.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who is responsible for monitoring the application of the code of practice on litter under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to motorways.

The application of the code to motorways is being monitored both by the Department of Transport and by its agents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Eurocae standard on passenger protective breathing equipment has now been published; and if he will make a statement.

The Eurocae minimum operational performance specification for passenger protective breathing equipment (PPBE), document Eurocae ED-65, was approved for publication by the Eurocae Council on 30 April 1991. I understand that publication is expected by mid-July 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will call for a report from the chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority on its policy on the use of smoke hoods by its staff when travelling by air.

I am advised that the Civil Aviation Authority does not issue smoke hoods to its staff and has no policy concerning the use of smoke hoods by its staff when travelling by air. It is open to all individuals, including CAA staff, to buy a smoke hood for themselves if they so choose; but I understand that the smoke hoods currently on the market do not meet the CAA's specification for aircraft smoke hoods, being primarily designed for escape from fires in buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce decisions on the extension of the runway at London City airport and the east London river crossing.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport expect to receive the inspector's report into the east London river crossing when he has completed it and to make decisions after they have considered it carefully. As regards London city airport, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson) yesterday at col. 393.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding London city airport planning application; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations pressing for a speedy decision on the London city airport planning application.This decision is for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment; I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson).

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he anticipates the production of a British or equivalent European performance specification for roadside crash cushions, following the recent submission of a draft specification to the CEN 226 committee.

[holding answer Monday 24 June 1991]: Harmonised European standards covering terminology, performance specification and impact testing procedures for vehicle safety restraint systems, including crash cushions, are now being prepared by working group 1 of CEN technical committee No. 226 ("Road Equipment").The current target date for the draft standards is December 1991 with the publication stage in late 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was discussed, and what agreements were reached, with other European Community ministers during his talks on 13 June with the ad hoc group on immigration; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend to a question from my hon. Friend the member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 20 June 1991 at columns 242–43.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on when the review of the case of Mr. Gordon Warren will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the review has been completed and the matter is now under consideration by the commissioner.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to increase fines on airlines carrying asylum seekers.

The level of the charge payable under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 in respect of inadequately documented passengers is under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions prison inmates have been offered ex gratia payments if they would cease making allegations of improper treatment in prison and would undertake not to seek further publicity.

Payments are sometimes made, on legal advice in the normal course of litigation, in settlement of claims by prison inmates. In a few cases, the agreement to settle has been subject to an undertaking that the prisoner would not take any further legal proceedings on the claim or seek publicity about the terms of the settlement. Records are not kept of the number of cases in which "no publicity clauses" have been used, but they are believed to be rare, and their use is being reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will cancel the deportation notice issued against Mr. Karamjit Singh Chahal, allow him to remain in the United Kingdom with his wife and family, and release him from prison immediately; and if he will make a statement.

The three advisers have now tendered their advice on Mr. Chahal's case. My right hon. Friend will give full and careful consideration to their recommendation and to all representations received on Mr. Chahal's behalf before deciding whether to make a deportation order. If it is decided to make a deportation order, Mr. Chahal will have a right of appeal against destination to the independent appellate authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many uniformed staff, other than night patrols and auxiliary officers, were in post at Castington youth custody centre when it commenced Fresh Start working in August 1987; and how many are currently in post.

The number of prison officers, including principal and senior officers and specialists, in post at Her Majesty's young offender institution Castington was 118 when it commenced "fresh start" working in August 1987. There are currently 136 officers in post.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional staff were due to be provided to Castington youth custody centre by April 1991 and April 1992, respectively; and what steps are being taken to meet their staffing requirements.

The target for the number of prison officers, including principal and senior officers and specialists, to be in post at Her Majesty's young offender institution Castington by 31 March 1991 was 136, an increase of three on the number of officers who were in post on 1 April 1990. This target was achieved. The current target staffing figure is 137 and during 1991–92 the area manager will be keeping this figure under review taking into account factors such as the work load of the establishment and the scope for achieving improvements in efficiency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people are now imprisoned in Cardiff and Swansea prisons because no other appropriate accommodation is available to them; and how many young people are in prisons elsewhere in England and Wales for the same reason.

On Friday 21 June, there were 61 males under the age of 21 at Swansea prison and 87 at Cardiff prison in remand centres which are separate from adult accommodation. Due to industrial action by prison officers at Cardiff, a further 45 young men were held in police cells in Gwent, South Wales and Avon and Somerset forces.On the same date, throughout England and Wales a total of 3,245 young men under the age of 21 who were remanded for further appearances or sentence by the courts were held in prison service establishments, of whom 1,188 were in local prisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what are the latest available figures for the total numbers of people employed in the prison service broken down by (a) occupation and grade, (b) gender and (c) ethnic background;(2) what has been the percentage increase of

[holding answer 18 June 1991]: The available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he proposes to extend his policies to help homeless people in London and the South East to the rest of the country; and if he has any plans to make available grants to match money raised by local voluntary organisations to establish hotels for the homeless; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is pursuing two initiatives to help homeless people in the particularly hard-pressed areas of London and the south-east: £96 million has been provided over three years to provide permanent and hostel accommodation and support for rough sleepers in central London; £300 million is available over two years to provide permanent housing for homeless families in London and the south-east. These special initiatives are additional to the Housing Corporations's special needs programme, which funds the provision of 3,000 places a year for homeless and other special needs. Under its hostels initiative the corporation has funded the provision of over 25,000 hostel places in the past 10 years. This year we have again doubled the amount available to voluntary organisations concerned with homelessness to over £4·5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration he has given in the negotiations on the European Environment directive to the designation of areas of the ancient Caledonian forest as world heritage sites.

Although the Secretary of State for the Environment takes the lead in matters concerning the world heritage convention, it is for the Secretary of State for Scotland to decide which Scottish sites should be nominated for inclusion on the world heritage list. The draft EC directive on flora and fauna habitats lists in annex 1 the Caledonian forests as a type of habitat of Community interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if there have been any shipments of hazardous waste to England for disposal that have not been reported under the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations.

My Department has no information on this. Responsibility for enforcing the Transfrontier Shipment of Hazardous Waste Regulations lies with disposal authorities. There is no requirement that they report any breaches of the regulations to my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the change in the numbers and proportions of households in shared occupation since 1981 in Greenwich, Wandsworth and Lewisham.

Up-to-date information on households in shared occupation in these areas will not be available until figures from the 1991 census of population are published next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the increase in the numbers of children in lone-parent households since 1981 in Greenwich, Wandsworth and Lewisham.

Up-to-date information on the number of children in lone-parent households in these areas will not be available until results from the 1991 census of population are published next year. However, the Department's estimate of the numbers of lone-parent households, which are based on mid-year population estimates by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, are given in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the reports of the inspectors considering the proposed extension of the runway at London City airport and the proposed east London river crossing; and when he expects to make decisions on these matters.

As regards London city airport, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on Monday 24 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Summerson), Official Report, column 393.As regards the east London river crossing, I and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Transport expect to receive the inspector's report when he has completed it, and to make decisions on it after we have considered all the relevant matters carefully.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is now ready to publish a timetable for legislation on waste disposal on land; and if he will make a statement.

I have today placed in the Library copies of our target timetable for implementation of legislation on waste disposal on land. This covers part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and now substantially completes our implementation plans for the Act as well as for the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989. It should allow the local authorities sufficient time to make the necessary arrangements; I shall consult the local authority associations as to whether there are any detailed problems.This legislation brings a complete overhaul of the regulation of waste management. It provides opportunities and responsibilities for all those concerned with waste management to contribute to a better environment for tomorrow.As I told the Select Committee on the Environment on 17 May, we are considering whether HMIP might be given responsibility for waste regulation as suggested in paragraph 18·17 of the Environment White Paper. Whatever the outcome, we need to make progress on the framework of the new regulatory system.The proposed timetable for implementing the new regulatory system is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will make a further statement on the compensation he is giving to local authorities who release service personnel serving in the Gulf from their poll tax registration;(2) if he will make a statement on refunds from the Ministry of Defence to his Department in relation to service men returning from the Gulf.

[holding answer 24 June 1991]: This Department issued further advice to local authorities on the community charge treatment of people serving in the Gulf and the reimbursement scheme on 16 May. A copy of this advice has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit the proposed itinerants' camp at the Gresford-Pulford bypass to meet residents to discuss plans to establish an itinerants' camp; and what representations he has received on this matter.

The proposal has been referred to my right hon. Friend for determination. It would not therefore be appropriate for him to visit the site or meet the local residents. They will however have the opportunity at the inspector's discretion, to express their views at the public local inquiry to be held on 16 July.My right hon. Friend has received 27 representations, one of which included a petition of 770 signatures and 22 letters, all opposed to the proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many teachers in full time employment with seven years experience are earning (a) £10,000 to £12,000, (b) £12,000 to £14,000, (c) £14,000 to £16,000, (d) £16,000 to £18,000, (e) £18,000 to £20,000, (f) £20,000 to £22,000, (g) £22,000 to £24,000 and (h) £24,000 to £26,000 per annum, or the nearest convenient salary breakpoints.

Information on the number of teachers in full-time employment in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in Wales with seven years' experience as at 31 March 1988 is given in the following table. Information for more recent years is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many existing sites there are; and in what locations there are itinerant camps in each of the counties of Wales.

The information requested, which has been provided by local planning authorities in Wales, is given in the following tables:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for each of the last 10 years, and for each local education authority area in Wales, the number of statements of special educational need issued, separately distinguishing between primary and secondary schools.

The number of children for whom statements of special educational need were made for the first time are given in the following table. Information on the number of new statements issued is not available by sector nor for years prior to 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many qualified teachers of Welsh at (i) primary and (ii) secondary level there were in (a) 1988 and (b) the latest date available; and if he will make a statement.

Information on the number of qualified Welsh teachers at primary and secondary schools is available from a range of tables presented in the 1987

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for the most recently available date and for each local education authority, the number of applications for statements of special educational need that are still pending; and if he will identify the mean, median and mode of waiting times for those applications.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much has been spent by each local education authority in Wales in each year since 1989 on teacher training courses for Welsh in the national curriculum

The total amount which local education authorities spend on training for Welsh language teaching is not collected centrally. However, we have approved the following levels of expenditure for specific grants in support of local education authority training of teachers in Welsh.primary school staffing survey and the 1989 secondary school staffing survey, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will carry out an epidemiological survey into the incidence of myalgic encephalomyelitis in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

No. Myalgic encephalomyelitis is not a clearly defined disease. Diagnosis rests upon identification of a cluster of symptoms for which there is no diagnostic test. The views of doctors vary widely about diagnosis and treatment, there could be no agreed case definition, and it would thus not be practicable to collect data for an epidemiological study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the time it will take before the radioactive products from the 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl will be reduced to a level to permit normal hill farming to resume.

It is not possible to estimate how long radioactivity from the Chernobyl nuclear accident will require those hill farms within the restricted area in Wales to remain subject to controls on the sale and movement of their sheep. Our "mark and release" arrangements and associated compensation payments are designed to ensure minimum disruption to normal farming practices.Following an intensive monitoring programme my right hon. Friend was able to announce in January this year the lifting of controls from an area near Harlech in Gwynedd. We are continuing with our monitoring and assessment programmes in the remaining restricted area with a view to lifting controls as soon as it is possible to do so without comprising food safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will estimate for 1991–92 (a) the level of median weekly earnings for all full-time adult employees and (b) median hourly earnings for part-time employees.

The results of the NES 1991 survey will begin to be published on 26 September 1991 and publication will be complete by the end of this year. The estimates called for in the question are, therefore, not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will introduce legislation to require all registered companies in Britain to meet their debts within six weeks of those debts being invoiced.

No. The existing legal framework already provides avenues to pursue commercial debt. Rather than add to the burden of legislation, much can be achieved to speed up payments by the education of both suppliers and providers. To this end, the Government will be launching, later this year, a revision of the booklet for suppliers, "Prompt Payment Please", and a new booklet aimed at larger purchasing organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to ensure that the United Kingdom Government only approves activities of the International Tropical Timber Organisation which incorporate strict environmental safeguards.

Following the International Tropical Timber Organisation's bi-annual meeting in Quito—28 May to 7 June 1991—independent consultants will be appointed to draft a manual on project preparation for the International Tropical Timber Organisation. The consultant's terms of reference will include making proposals to take full account of environmental impacts of projects. The British Government called for and fully support these and other reforms in the International Tropical Timber Organisation's project cycle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much the capital disregard for housing benefit would be if it had been uprated in real terms since 1988.

Based on a rise in the retail prices index of 25·8 per cent. between April 1988 and April 1991, the level at or below which capital is disregarded would now be £3,774.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of restoring to its real term 1988 value the £3,000 capital disregard for housing benefit.

The latest available estimates suggest that the cost in 1991–92 would be around £20 million.

Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1986, 1987 and 1988 Family Expenditure Surveys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of changing the rules on tariff income on capital disregards for housing benefit to assume £1 of income from every £500 above the lower limit; and if he has any plans to do so.

The latest available estimates suggest that the cost in 1991–92 would be around £60 million. We have no plans to change the rules in housing benefit or any of the other income-related benefits.

Source: Modelled using data drawn from the 1986, 1987 and 1988 Family Expenditure Surveys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the dates and areas in the United Kingdom in which the temperature averaged 0 deg C. or below for a period of seven days between 1 November 1990 and 30 April 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether residents of former local authority part III homes, which are transferred to the private or voluntary sectors, are eligible for the higher levels of income support; and if he will make a statement.

Local authorities in England and Wales have a duty under the National Assistance Act 1948 to arrange for the provision of residential accommodation for those in need. They can exercise this by providing accommodation in their own homes or by arranging accommodation in an independent home. In either case, the local authority meets the full cost of the accommodation and care. Similar arrangements apply in Scotland.My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health, for Scotland and for Wales, and I are fully committed to the principles of community care as outlined in the White Paper "Caring for People" (Cm. 849) and the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990. These include encouraging local authorities to act as enablers rather than providers and to promote and stimulate the development of the independent and voluntary sectors in the provision of care.

Information on weather station seven-day mean temperatures is held in the Library for the period 1 November 1990 to 11 April 1991. Information after 11 April is not available. Information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the lion. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey, Official Report, 1 May 1991, columns 249–50, if he will publish a similar table showing the net income at which community charge benefit runs out taking account of the community charge reduction scheme.

The information requested is in the table.We are aware, however, that some local authorities may have sought to dispose of some or all of their residential homes to the private or voluntary sector in order to enable the residents to qualify under present regulations for the higher level of income support and so to reduce financial support by the local authority. While the Government favour a mixed economy in the provision of care, the balance between voluntary, private and public ownership should be determined by the long-term needs of those needing care rather than by short-term financial considerations.We therefore intend to introduce as soon as possible amending regulations regarding entitlement to income support in such cases. They will make it clear that the benefit position for existing residents who continue to receive residential care under arrangements made by their local authority remains unchanged by a transfer of ownership.I understand that at the same time as these regulations come into force, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health, for Scotland and for Wales also intend to issue directions to local authorities to make clear the status of residents in a home which is transferred to private ownership by a local authority.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the goods and services which he assesses correspond with the European Community's social or cultural objectives so as to make them eligible for a reduced or zero rate of VAT should the Council of Ministers' proposals to approximate rates of VAT applied by members of the Community be adopted.

On Friday 21 June I placed in the Library my letter of 19 June to the honourable Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) to which was attached a note summarising the previous proposals for the approximation of indirect taxes and the compromise proposals to be presented by the Luxembourg Presidency to ECOFIN on 24 June and an annex giving full details of the Presidency proposals.These attachments include the list of essential products and goods and services "which correspond to social or cultural policy objectives" which was agreed as a basis for discussion at ECOFIN on 18 March.However, the list itself is to be defined more closely, and it is not therefore possible to give a list of the items which might fall under it.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has received from European Community Finance Ministers for the closer approximation of VAT rates and excise duties from January 1993; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 14 June 1991]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 24 June, at column 374.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the take-up of TESSAs so far.

TESSA has made a highly successful start. In its first three months, to 31 March this year, over 2 million people invested more than £5 billion in TESSAs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, with regard to the uniform business rate, for each local authority in England and Wales for the financial year 1990–91, (a) the number of appeals that were lodged against its level, (b) the number of appeals that have been heard, separately distinguishing the successful and unsuccessful, (c) the number of appeals that have not yet been heard, (d) the shortest time in days that elapsed between the lodging of an appeal and the decision, (e) the longest time in days that elapsed between the lodging of an appeal and the decision and (f) the longest time in days to date between the lodging of an appeal and the actual hearing which is yet to take place.

The information required could not be provided in the format requested without a disproportionate expenditure of time and resources.Nationally some 705,000 appeals had been received by 31 May 1991. About 45,000 of these have been settled—256 at hearings. The arrangements and timing of appeal hearings are the responsibility of the valuation and community tribunal, part of the Lord Chancellor's Department.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the value of takeovers by overseas companies in the United Kingdom for the latest convenient period: and what was the corresponding figure for overseas takeovers by United Kingdom companies.

The latest information was published in CSO Business Bulletin 23/91, "Cross-border Acquisitions and Mergers" (Fourth Quarter 1990). Information up to the first quarter 1991 will be published on 28 June.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to relax monetary policy; and what representations he has had to the effect that it is currently over-tight.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on monetary policy. Interest rates will continue to be set at the level needed to keep sterling within its ERM bands and to bear down on inflation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects that the results of the family expenditure survey for 1990 will be available.

It is expected that the report on the 1990 Family Expenditure Survey will be published in November 1991.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from the construction and building industry regarding the recession and high interest rates.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of such representations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the latest meeting of the European Community's Economic and Finance Council.

The Economic and Finance Council of the European Community met in Luxembourg on 24 June. I represented the United Kingdom.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list his Department's scale of charges to farmers seeking advice or assistance.

Advice to farmers and growers from the Department is provided principally by the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service. There is no generalised scale of charges. Contracts and services are largely tailored to the needs of individual clients and priced accordingly. A published price list would not be appropriate.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has completed his review of the set-aside scheme; and if he will make a statement on his proposals for one-year set-aside.

A review of the EC five-year set-aside scheme is due to be carried out by the Commission before 1993. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leicestershire, North-West (Mr. Ashby) for details of the one-year set-aside scheme—Official Report, 18 June 1991, c. 125.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the time period it will take before the radioactive products from ithe accident at Chernobyl will be reduced to a level to permit the return of normal hill farming in the areas affected.

We were able to reduce the size of the Cumbria post-Chernobyl restricted area at the beginning of this year. Monitoring and research continue with a view to making further reductions just as soon as it is possible to do so without compromising the safety of the food chain.It is not possible to say when the last of the restrictions will be lifted. However, the "mark and release" and associated compensation arrangements are designed to impose the minimum possible disruption of normal farming practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by regional health authority (a) the increase or (b) the decrease in hospital bed provision for old age psychiatry for the 12 months ended 31 March.

The information requested in respect of NHS hospitals is given in the table. Health authorities and other statutory agencies also support substantial numbers of elderly mentally ill people in private nursing and residential homes. Further details about NHS bed availability are contained in the Department's annual publication "Summary of Bed Availability", copies of which are available in the Library. March 1990 is the latest date for which this information is held centrally. Details of the number of patients in private nursing and residential homes who are receiving support from the public sector are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the current balance of moneys held by hospitals on behalf of long-stay patients; what advice he intends to give to health authorities to ensure that current practice in handling these moneys will be adopted by directly managed units and by national health service trusts; and if he will outline the reasons for the changes in accumulated balances over recent years.

The balance at 31 March 1991 was estimated at £63·4 million, this being the first significant decrease in balances which had previously risen from £66·1 million in 1988 to £67·8 million in 1990. The Department proposes to write to health authorities and NHS trusts to ensure that both directly managed units and NHS trusts observe good practice and take steps to secure further reduction in the level of the balances. The recent reduction in the level of accumulated balances is attributed to action taken by the NHS management executive in October 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will treat the provision of obstetric services and emergency casualty services as core services to be provided by NHS trust hospitals;(2) if he will list those core services to be provided by NHS trust hospitals.

It is not the Government's policy to designate such services centrally. District health authorities are responsible for assessing the health needs of their local population and contracting for health services. NHS trusts largely depend on these contracts for their income. Thus it is unlikely that an NHS trust would refuse to provide a service for which there was a local demand. If such a situation did arise, involving a service which needed to be provided locally, and which could not be provided elsewhere, that trust would be directed to provide the designated service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters and other representations he has received regarding direct payments by local authorities to severely disabled people to make their own personal assistance arrangements.

We have received a small number of representations regarding direct payments by local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is any evidence of connections between the disease polyscythaemia and the nuclear industry.

The Department is not aware of any epidemiological studies which suggest a link between Polycythaemia rubra vera and the nuclear industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children were in care in each Inner London borough in 1981 and at the latest date for which figures are available.

The table shows numbers of children in care in 1981 and in 1990, the latest date for which figures are generally available. Where figures are not available for these years, the most recent year's return has been quoted and the year of the return shown in brackets.Data for 1990 are provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will issue guidance on the membership and duties of research ethics committees.

We hope to issue this guidance shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the enumeration of the population of Great Britain in the 1991 census.

The Registrar General for England and Wales and the Registrar General for Scotland have reported to me and to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that, thanks to a good response from the public and good work by census field staff, the enumeration has gone well over the country as a whole. Initially, census staff were not able to contact around 410,000 households, mainly in city areas; but by the end of May many households had responded to a request to post in their forms to the local census manager and only some 160,000 cases remained unresolved, representing about 0·8 per cent. of all households. Action to reduce this number is continuing, including sending a further request to around 10,000 relevant households in those census districts with the highest proportions of households from whom a form has not yet been received.A preliminary count of the population present on census day, 21 April, in each local authority district will be published in July in preliminary reports for England and Wales and for Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he will make a statement about the appointment of regional health authority chairmen from 1 August.

The terms of office of two of the 14 regional health authority chairmen expire on 31 July 1991. I have made one new appointment and one reappointment. The new chairman of the South East Thames regional health authority is Mr. Peter Barker presently chairman of the Lewisham and North Southwark health authority. He has been appointed for three years and succeeds Sir Peter Baldwin who has served with distinction since 1983.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the local authorities' continuing responsibilities for residents of former local authority part III homes which are transferred to the private or voluntary sectors; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has announced today, the Government, while wishing to encourage a mixed economy in the provision of care, are taking steps to clarify the status of residents in homes transferred to the private or voluntary sector by local authorities. Residents in a home at the time of transfer will continue to be the responsibility of the local authority, as long as they remain in the home.After consulting local authority interests I intend to issue directions under section 21(1) of the National Assistance Act 1948 and under paragraph 2 of schedule 8 to the National Health Service Act 1977 to make it clear that the status of residents in a home which is transferred to private ownership by a local authority will remain unchanged by the transfer, in that the full cost of the accommodation and care will continue to be the responsibility of the local authority which placed them there subject to the relevant charging provisions. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland intend to issue similar directions.It is our intention that the directions will take effect at the same time as the regulations announced today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been spent by his Department in funding research on myalgic encephalomyelitis since 15 October 1990; and if he will make a statement.

The Department is not directly funding any research on myalgic encephalomyelitis at present, but the Medical Research Council is funding a study at the Institute of Psychiatry which is to investigate chronic fatigue, another term used for ME, in general practitioners' attenders. The MRC and the Department are always willing to consider sympathetically soundly based research proposals in competition with other applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis by way of special dietary supplement is available on the national health service; and if he will make a statement.