To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken in response to the Women's National Commission report on women in prison; and if he will make a statement.

We have already announced changes in certain areas covered by the report. For example, the number of statutory visits to which sentenced inmates are entitled was increased to two each month on 17 June, and we have also announced our intention to make cardphones available in prisons holding unconvicted prisoners. We shall be responding shortly to the Women's National Commission on other issues covered by the report, and will arrange for a copy of our reply to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the offence a person has been convicted of is taken into account when a decision is taken to transfer or not to transfer a prisoner between England and Northern Ireland.

Yes. The criteria governing such transfers, announced by the then Home Secretary my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr. Hurd) on 23 June 1989 at column 263, include a proviso that a request may be refused if it is considered that the prisoner's crimes were so serious as to render him or her undeserving of any degree of public sympathy or to make it inappropriate that the prisoner should benefit from a substantial reduction in time left to serve, if that would be a consequence of transfer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contingency measures have been discussed or taken by him and his European colleagues with regard to possible substantial economic migration from the Soviet Union, the Balkans and Maghreb into the European Community.

My right hon. Friend regularly discusses immigration matters with his European Community colleagues and reports regularly to the House. Trends in migration are closely monitored and there are arrangements for rapid consultation should the need arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete a review of the circumstances regarding the conviction and execution of Derek Bentley; and if he will make a statement.

The case is still tinder consideration. The review will be completed as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish the names of the managing body of the UKIAS.

UKIAS is a registered charity, controlled by a general council of representatives nominated by its member organisations. These member organisations consist of representative ethnic minority groups and other voluntary and statutory bodies. Responsibility for running the service is delegated to an executive committee elected by the general council. Full lists of member organisations and of the names of members of the general council and the executive committee are published each year in the organisation's annual report, the latest of which relates to 1989–90 and is available from the UKIAS head office, 190 Great Dover street, London SE1 4YB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many places planned specifically For adults with learning difficulties were available in each of the last five years; and how many are available in the present year.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will detail the main measures for assisting small companies which have been announced in the last 12 months.

The main measures have included a number of VAT easements such as increasing the registration threshold to £35,000; increasing the corporation tax threshold by 25 per cent. to £250,000; sponsoring a one-day enterprise workshop for all training and enterprise councils; giving training and enterprise councils a wide measure of flexibility on how they administer the enterprise allowance scheme; extending the enterprise initiative for a further three years and introducing three specific programmes to help small firms innovate, solve technical problems and introduce modern manufacturing systems.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many reported cases of BSE there have been in each of the past six months; how many cattle have been killed; and from what number of farms in England and Wales.

The information for England and Wales is as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the number of imported wild-caught birds which were dead on arrival and which were subsequently submitted to the veterinary investigations centre for analysis to ascertain the cause of death from fowl pest, salmonella or psittacosis for each year since 1987.

Data on the number of carcases of imported captive birds submitted to veterinary investigation centres for examination are set out in my reply of 26 June to the hon. Member for Glandford and Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley), Official Report, column 497. Such data do not, however, distinguish between wild-caught and captive-bred birds, nor do they differentiate between birds dying in transit or in quarantine.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the number of different species of imported wild-caught birds which were confirmed as having died from fowl pest, salmonella or psittacosis in 1989.

Information about the numbers of species of imported captive birds dying of specific causes is not collected in the precise form requested. Available data indicate that in 1989 at least 47 different species of imported birds were associated with salmonella infection, 11 species with Chlamydia psittaci infection, and at least 18 species died or were slaughtered as a result of fowl pest. It is not possible to differentiate between wild-caught and captive-bred birds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the number of new claimants of income support in residential and nursing homes each year since 1985;(2) if he will estimate the number of residents in residential and nursing homes who have ceased to claim income support each year since 1985.

Information is held on the total number of income support recipients in residential care and nursing homes. It is not possible to distinguish between new and existing claimants, but the following table shows how total numbers have increased in each year since 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will estimate the number of residents in residential and nursing homes who will be in receipt of income support on 1 April 1993;(2) on what basis he is estimating the cost of payments of income support to residents in residential and nursing homes from 1 April 1993.

Information about expected numbers of income support claimants as well as expenditure is published in the Public Expenditure White Paper (Cm 1014). It has never been the practice to make separate forecasts about any individual group within the planning totals.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a further statement on the Government's policy towards issuing national identity cards to (a) immigrants and (b) all citizens.

As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary informed the House on 10 February 1989, the Government are not persuaded that a compulsory national identity card scheme should be introduced.In the Government's view the disadvantages of a policy of issuing national identity cards, notably the high financial cost, the risk of harming the relationship between police and public, and civil liberty objections, would outweigh its benefits.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will arrange for the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to use the post code information held by the Benefits Agency to analyse child benefit to obtain and publish up-to-date information on the numbers of children in lone and two-parent households by area.

This information cannot be obtained using child benefit records, as post codes necessary to allocate claims to local authority areas are not available for some 2 million, out of 6·7 million, payees. The objective could be achieved by other means only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Prime Minister whether the initiative taken by the three EC Foreign Ministers who visited Yugoslavia on peace-keeping missions was undertaken at the request of the Heads of Government meeting; whether the decision to send them was unanimous; what were their terms of reference; to whom they were to report back; and whether the agreed policy precluded individual Heads of Government from expressing separate national views.

I and my EC colleagues decided at the European Council in Luxembourg on 28 June to send the troika of EC Foreign Ministers to Belgrade and Zagreb to try to negotiate an agreement on the terms of a ceasefire which would allow negotiations between all the parties involved in the crisis in Yugoslavia. They reported back to us on the results of their mission on 29 June. The decision to send the troika was taken by consensus, as are all decisions in the field of foreign policy co-operation among the member states of the Community. The speed and unity of the Twelve's response reflected a convergence of national views on this subject. We shall, of course, continue to express our views bilaterally to the various Yugoslav parties.

To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy on allowing police officers from other EC countries to enter the United Kingdom in hot pursuit of suspects.

There is currently no provision for police officers from other EC countries to enter the United Kingdom in pursuit of suspects.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on current United Kingdom relations with the United States of America in regard to (a) the future role of NATO, (b) the development of free trade and the GATT negotiations, (c) the strategic defence initiative, (d) the halting of nuclear weapons testing and (e) the future of Antarctica and the Antarctic treaty.

The United Kingdom and the United States are in full agreement with each other, and with the rest of the alliance, on NATO's future role as the cornerstone of European security. We are both committed to securing an open world trading system. We and the European Community are working closely with the United States in the GATT negotiations, which we all hope to conclude successfully by the end of the year.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make arrangements for the Department of the Environment to arrange with the Benefits Agency the means of obtaining up-to-date information on the numbers of children in lone-parent households by local authority area for the purpose of assessing standard spending.

The standard spending assessments include indicators based on the most up-to-date information which is reliable at a local authority level on numbers of children and numbers of persons living in lone parent households. It is not possible to obtain more recent information by using child benefit records because the necessary post codes are not available for some 2 million out of 6·7 million, payees. An analysis of child benefit payments will not, in any case, indentify all lone parent households since some parents in receipt of income support do not claim one parent benefit as there is no financial incentive to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he will place in the Library the papers on immigration and frontier controls used during the Luxembourg summit and by his press officer subsequently to brief journalists.

I refer the honourable Gentleman to the statement I made in the House on 1 July, and the conclusions of the European Council which have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister what research has been undertaken into the incidence among the immigrant population, relative to the non-immigrant population, of criminal activity, in particular (i) drug trafficking and (ii) terrorism, and of contribution to racial tension.

I am not aware of any research of these specific matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hazel Grove of 27 June, if he will indicate from which budgets or vote subheads the funds made available for the International concert hall, Manchester, have come; and what plans he has for further funding.

The funding so far approved for the concert hall, for feasibility studies, is from class VIII, vote 3, subhead D8 (Central Manchester Development Corporation). The Department will consider further funding on receipt of a full project submission from the development corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to compel the water companies to add fragrances to sewage sludge disposed of on land.

The Government have no plans to do so. A code of practice for agricultural use of sewage sludge was published in 1989 which contains guidance on effective odour control. Generally adequate treatment of the sludge or incorporation into the soil reduces any odour problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he gives to the Local Government Boundary Commission in respect of the release of advance copies of its reports on local government structure and boundaries (a) to the press and (b) local Members of Parliament in the areas covered by the review.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to incorporate assumptions about increases in the cost of mining activities to reflect the increased value placed on countryside preservation in the preparation of future forecasts of national demand for primary aggregates.

Before new guidelines for primary aggregate provision are published the environmental costs will be carefully considered. A number of studies are in progress which will assist this task.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment further to his answer of 19 June, Official Report, column 183, how many jobs have been created by the Sheffield development corporation since its inception, excluding jobs at the Meadowhall development; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to my written answer of 4 June, column 166. I also wrote to the hon. Member on 17 June on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the numbers of staff and annual costs of the Local Government Boundary Commission; the number of reports it issues each year; and the numbers and names of the reviews currently in progress.

The commission has a staff of 36 and an annual running cost of approximately £770,000. In 1990–91 it issued 24 reports.The commission is currently carrying out statutory reviews of the 36 metropolitan districts, the 32 London boroughs, the City of London and the Inner and Middle Temples. In addition, it is completing the statutory reviews of the non-metropolitan counties with a review of the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire boundary and a second review of part of the North Yorkshire/Cleveland boundary. It also considers reviews of parishes carried out by district councils as and when these are submitted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the material studies and conclusions from the Local Government Boundary Commission's final recommendation for the county of Humberside will be referred to the new review of the structure of local government.

Decisions on the steps to be taken following the commission's report will be made after the statutory period for public comment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the exact time and date when the Local Government Boundary Commission report was released (a) to the media, (b) to hon. Members and (c) to local authorities; and what advice he has given to the commission on releasing information to hon. Members to enable them to answer media questions.

The timing of the release of its reports is a matter for the commission. I have given no advice to it on the subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the total cost of the Local Government Boundary Commission's review of Humberside and the separate costs of each stage of the review.

It is not possible to separate the costs of an individual review from the total costs of the Local Government Boundary Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new instructions he gave to the Local Government Boundary Commission following his statement of 23 April, Official Report, column 901, concerning his preference for unitary authorities in respect of the review of the county of Humberside.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the sites of undisturbed raised peat bog in England, (b) the total hectarage of such sites, (c) the proportion designated sites of special scientific interest and (d) the proportion of those designated sites in the ownership of peat digging companies.

The information requested is to be included in the national peatlands resource inventory currently being researched by the Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland. Further detailed research is to take place over the coming months. I will arrange for a copy of the report to be placed in the Library when it is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements are being made under part II of the Environmental Protection Act for waste disposal authorities to divest themselves of their waste disposal operations; whether he foresees an increasing role for the private sector in waste disposal; and if he will make a statement.

Waste disposal authorities are currently developing plans under the Environmental Protection Act to divest themselves of their disposal operations.At the time when public resources are under renewed pressure, it is vital that the private sector plays its full part. I shall now be making WDAs take action by issuing to them, where necessary, notices and directions to set up local authority waste disposal companies. LAWDCs are not the only way WDAs may divest themselves of their operations, but, if they wish to set them up, they must be viable. If not, WDAs will need to arrange for a joint venture or privatise their operations.Moreover, I intend to seek information from WDAs about the capital investment requirements for the new waste disposal operations in their areas from 1992–93 onwards, and how much of these requirements could be financed outside public expenditure. Higher standards in waste disposal are likely to require higher levels of capital investment over the next few years. But the amounts available for public sector expenditure in this field are inevitably limited. This will mean that LAWDCs will normally have to have private sector involvement if they wish to carry out appropriate capital investment. I shall be consulting the local authority associations about the details. I shall also be looking at further measures in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provisions govern the consultations which local education authorities are obliged to undertake with governing bodies of schools over (a) use by outside organisations of unused portions of buildings which are otherwise in use as schools and (b) shared use of school facilities by outside organisations.

Section 16 of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986 provides for the conduct of county, voluntary and maintained special schools to be under the direction of the governing body. Outside school hours, section 42 of the Act provides, in the case of county and maintained special schools, for the use of school premises to be under the control of the governing body, subject to any direction given by the local education authority. A similar provision for voluntary schools is contained in section 22 of the Education Act 1944.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what alternative provision will be made to replace postgraduate access to the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury for degree purposes.

Postgraduate students will have access to the nuclear structure facility until its closure in 1992–93. The Science and Engineering Research Council is currently reviewing how research and training in nuclear structurer physics should be pursued beyond this period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what will be the anticipated cost of redundancy as a result of the closure of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury;(2) what are the total estimated costs of the closure of the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

The SERC's current estimate of the cost of decommissioning and dismantling the nuclear structure facility is £2 million. In addition, there will be the costs of some redundancies which will not be known until nearer the anticipated date of closure in 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the cost of the manpower involved in constructing the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

The element of manpower in the construction costs is not separately available and could be obtained by the Science and Engineering Research Council only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science between what dates the LINAC facility is planned to be used within the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury.

No dates have been set by the Science and Engineering Research Council for the operation of the LINAC at its nuclear structure facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total cost at current prices of constructing the nuclear structure facility and its subsequent enhancements.

I refer my hon. Friend to the replies that I gave him on 25 June 1991, Official Report, columns 39–40.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what are SERC's plans for the linear accelerator at the nuclear structure facility at Daresbury laboratory in the light of the proposed closure of the laboratory.

I understand that no final decision has yet been taken by the SERC on the future of the LINAC accelerator.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will put a copy of the "Language in the National Curriculum" report, the LINC report, in the Library;(2) if he will give a breakdown of the cost of producing the LINC report.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave on 21 June 1991, Official Report, column 320, to the hon. Member for Durham, North-West (Ms. Armstrong). The precise cost of producing the LINC in-service training package is not separable from the Department's grant to be co-ordinator of the LINC programme. That is expected to be about £120,000, but it also covers costs involved in the central co-ordination of the training programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what visits or other official engagements were undertaken by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science during his visit to the East Birmingham task force area on 1 May.

The programme included a meeting with the task force team and visits to Just for Starters Ltd., Jona Soya Seba Committee, the Parkview access centre, St. Matthews school and Nechells and Duddeston youth centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of local government electors for Tower Hamlets for each year since 1979.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of (a) men aged 65 years and over and (b) women aged 60 years and over for each year since 1979 in Tower Hamlets.

The estimates of resident population requested for Tower Hamlets are given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what guidance he has issued to health authority trust funds about inappropriate investment;(2) what information he has on the incidence of health authority trust funds investing in tobacco companies; and if he will make a statement.

The Trustee Investment Act 1961 gives the basic powers for investing in particular securities. We have not issued any specific guidance. Information about investment by health authority trust funds in any particular security is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals have been closed in each year since 1974.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what trials the drug RU486 has undergone; and for how long a period.

Mifepristone (RU486) has been used by over 100,000 women worldwide and by more than 80,000 women in France.Permission to perform clinical trials in the United Kingdom under the Medicines (Exemption from Licences) (Clinical Trials) Order 1981, S.I. No. 164, was granted in December 1986. These trials have been carried out in 15 centres, with approximately 1,500 women taking part.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on the role of health visitors in health promotion and health education in the community and their role in providing advice to people in their own homes and in the context of their own lifestyles and family circumstances;(2) what appropriate qualifications he supports for nurses undertaking health advice and health promotion work in the community.

[holding answer 2 July 1991]: All health professionals have a responsibility to promote positive health in their work with patients and clients and their families and carers.Health visitors are uniquely placed as a profession to make a significant contribution in health promotion and education and disease prevention. The Government's new strategy for health puts an even stronger emphasis on improving health. Health visitors provide advice systematically and opportunistically to people in their own homes as well as other places.Nurses in possession of a health visitor or district nurse qualification are especially equipped with skills in health promotion and disease prevention. Other nurses who have been suitably educated and trained for their roles in the community are also able to fulfil these functions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sponsored places for health visiting students there have been in each of the past 10 years; and what steps he is taking to ensure that health visiting training is adequately funded and that there is sufficient sponsorship of students.

[holding answer 2 July 1991]: The number of sponsored places is not collected centrally. Details of the number of student health visitors and those entering training can however be found in "The NHS Workforce in England 1991", a copy of which is in the Library. It is for health authorities to determine their own manpower plans, including training needs. Regional health authorities have, however, been advised that post-registration professional training, including health visitor training, should, for the time being, be funded from a separate and protected regional budget, and they have been asked to identify current investment in such training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his policy towards the recommendations of the "Disability Manifesto: An Agenda for the 1990s", a copy of which has been sent to him, which relate to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 3 July 1991]; In his reply to a similar question from the right hon. Member, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out on 4 July at column 184 the aim underlying the policies of the Government towards people with disabilities.In order to achieve the aim of enabling people with disabilities to take a full part in the life of the community, we are continuously reviewing and improving the provision of a broad spectrum of services for disabled people.We agree with the authors of the manifesto that access to information is essential to enable people with disabilities to make reasoned choices.In March I announced the establishment of the national disability information project, which has a budget of £3 million over three years, to fund pilot projects to identify good practice in the collection and dissemination of information at a local level to disabled people and their carers.Guidance on the implementation of the community care reforms and the Children Act 1989, which will be implemented in October, draws attention to the need for service providers to produce information in formats which are appropriate for people with a sensory disability.The Department grant-aids the production of Braille and has provided financial support for a variety of initiatives concerned with the development of sign languages and other communication techniques, including the production of information about the NHS reforms in Braille and sign language formats.We agree that the prevention of disability and improved rehabilitation services are important goals. An advisory group on rehabilitation was set up earlier this year to advise on developments in NHS rehabilitation which would improve the range of services available to people with disabilities, and help them to lead as full a life as possible.In May we announced a central initiative to improve rehabilitation services for people with brain injury. We will be supporting the development of a number of centres around the country which can act as models to the rest of the NHS, and carrying out an evaluation of the services they provide.Between 1987–89, the Department contributed £800,000 towards a new rehabilitation centre for people who are deaf and blind with additional handicaps. In April 1990, the Department introduced new procedure for certifying people as blind or partially sighted.In 1990, the Department launched two new initiatives under which it will make available nearly £3 million to the NHS for a cochlear implant programme and 12 pilot projects aimed at improving hearing aid services.We will shortly publish the results of a review of continence services, including the recommendations for action to promote a good quality service throughout the country.In June, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State made a statement at Mencap's annual conference on the future developments of services for people with learning disabilities. We have recently issued for consultation a draft local authority circular on social care for people with learning disabilities, and a parallel draft health circular on the role of the NHS in providing health care for this client group.Considerable additional resources have already been committed to personal social services, including services for people with disabilities, where spending has increased by 53 per cent. in real terms since 1978–79.When the new arrangements for community care are fully implemented in April 1993 local authorities will be required to assess the needs of people with disabilities and to provide the appropriate services that will best meet those needs. We make it clear in our guidance that users of the service and their carers should be involved as closely as possible in decisions about what services should be provided to them individually and that voluntary organisations representing users and carers be consulted in the preparation of community care plans.One of the key objectives of the Government's proposals is to ensure that service providers make practical support for carers a high priority. The introduction of a complaints procedure open to all service users and their carers is a major step forward. It is part of the progress being made towards making services responsive to users' needs and it will encourage the drive for better quality services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the budget of each urban development corporation to cover the provision for training in each of the years 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Cardiff Bay development corporation's expenditure on the provision of training was £17,300 in 1989–90 and £124,500 in 1990–91. The budget for training and social grants in 1991–92 is £399,000, of which it is estimated that £120,000 will be spent on training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give details of the capital provided in the budget for all the urban development corporations for the provision of housing for the years 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

Cardiff Bay development corporation does not have a budget for the provision of housing. The value of land given to housing associations within the urban development area in 1989–90 and 1990–91 was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of houses provided by each of the urban development corporations for each year of operation to 31 March.

Cardiff Bay development corporation does not directly provide housing. The number of housing units built within the urban development area was:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people have been diagnosed as HIV positive in each health authority in Wales for each of the past 36 months.

For reasons of confidentiality and in line with the AIDS (Control) Act, numbers between one and nine inclusive are given as "less than 10". The figures requested are all less than 10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to require an environmental assessment regarding the transit itinerants site at Gresford.

Under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environment Effects) Regulations 1988 environmental assessment is not required for gipsy sites.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many places planned specifically for adults with learning difficulties were available in Wales in each of the last five years; and how many are available in the present year.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many hospitals have been closed in each year since 1974.

I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show for each year, or if more convenient financial year, since 1968 to the latest available date (a) the sums claimed for (i) criminal damage and (ii) criminal injury, resulting from terrorist activity in Londonderry city, and the sums paid in each such year, relating as far as possible the sums to the year in which the damage or injury was inflicted.

Such information as is available is contained in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on rural action programmes which contribute to overcoming isolation and poverty.

Given the rural nature of much of Northern Ireland most Departments and statutory agencies administer programmes which help to a greater or lesser degree in meeting social and economic need in rural areas.A particular example is the community regeneration and improvement special programme, jointly funded by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland and the International Fund for Ireland, which provides assistance to community groups and district councils undertaking projects to achieve local economic regeneration in villages and smaller towns in areas of particular disadvantage.In order to assist those local groups developing plans to tackle social and economic need in the most deprived rural areas of the Province, and to optimise the impact of the Government's social and economic programmes in the more remote areas, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State accepted recently the recommendations of the Interdepartmental Committee on Rural Development. He appointed me the Minister responsible and accordingly I am at present engaged in setting up a Rural Development Council outside Government to act as an advice and resource centre for rural community groups. An executive chairman has already been appointed. Within the Department of Agriculture a rural development division has been established which will support a small team of area co-ordinators to co-ordinate the local delivery of statutory programmes and services and to provide integrated statutory responses to local development plans.It is hoped that these structures will be fully in place by the autumn of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will give details of, and levels of, any potential catalytic metals in the structure or in the containment drums for waste incinerated at the proposed incinerator at Maydown, Londonderry.

Such details are not yet available. If the proposed incinerator comes into operation the types of waste are likely to be organic chemicals and non-metal bearing. The drums are likely to be of carbon steel which presents no environmental risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what studies are available to him of technologies for the disposal of the types of toxic waste it is proposed to incinerate at the Maydown, Londonderry site.

The assessment of any proposal to incinerate waste would include the study of comparative and alternative facilities. Officials in the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland are, of course, aware of such studies in other parts of the world.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the specifications of the type of incinerator which is being proposed of Maydown, Londonderry.

Such details will emerge only after the completion of the feasibilty study and could be made available only when a formal application is made by Du Pont (UK) Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Du Pont company on the possibility of shipping the toxic and hazardous wastes produced by the company in Northern Ireland to the Du Pont incinerator in the United States of America.

The United Kingdom Government are anxious to cease the export of waste out of their territory and there is a presumption in favour of national self-sufficiency in the provision of hazardous facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with any companies about the construction of chemical or other plants in Northern Ireland which would produce the type of material the proposed incinerator at Maydown, Londonderry could burn; and what assessment he has made of the expected amount of such materials to be produced in Northern Ireland in the next four years.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the document entitled "Further Education in Northern Ireland-The Road Ahead" launched on 25 June will be available in the Vote Office.

This document was not required to be laid and was not, therefore, placed in the Vote Office. However, it has been available in the Library since 26 June. In addition, copies were sent on the day of publication to Northern Ireland Members of Parliament at their home addresses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the maximum level of grant aid available to students at third level education, pursuing degree courses, and staying in lodgings;(2) what period of time is the student grant designed to cover.

The maximum maintenance grant for a student living away from home during term time is £2,265: for those living in London this rises to £2,845. These rates of grant cover the normal period of 213 days –178 days in the case of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge-during which a student is expected to be in attendance at a course, together with the Christmas and Easter vactions. Tuition fees are also paid: the current year amount is £1,675.A student who is required to attend a course for longer than the normal period is eligible for a supplementary maintenance grant for each week or part week of the further period. For a student residing in the London area the weekly rate is £63·15: elsewhere in the United Kingdom it is £47·30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the amount sought for the mental illness specific grant in 1991–92 by each regional and islands authority in Scotland and the amount actually paid out to date.

The amounts sought and grant offered are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to require the chairman of British Rail to publish the environmental impact study which was made on the line from Peckham via Brixton and Clapham to Waterloo.

No environmental statement was necessary for the works at Waterloo and at Stewart's lane, which were authorised by the Channel Tunnel Act 1987. British Rail agreed with nearby residents to undertake measures to mitigate noise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the level of capital expenditure on schools in (a) each regional authority in Scotland and (b) Scotland in total, in each year since 1978–79, in constant prices.

The information given in the following table has been compiled from local authority financial returns. The fall in expenditure in real terms during the period reflects a substantial and progressive decline in pupil numbers which has reduced the requirement for new school building.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many hospitals have been closed in each year since 1974.

This information is not held centrally for the period 1974–1979. However, from 1979 to June 1991 51 hospitals have been closed in Scotland. During the same period, 74 major new hospitals have been opened.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate when he expects to receive and publish the report by Sheriff Kearney into the social work department of Fife regional council.

As I said in my reply of 23 April to the hon. Member, the chairman of the inquiry into child care policies in Fife has finished hearing evidence from the parties concerned and my right hon. Friend hopes to receive the report in the near future. As soon as he has the report he shall make a decision about publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make a statement on the provision of housing assistance for fishermen through the crofting building grants and loans scheme.

The primary purpose of the crofting building grants and loans scheme (CBGLS) is to provide assistance to those who intend to live on and cultivate crofts, since crofting tenure does not allow the croft house to he used as security for a commercial loan. However, under the powers available through the Congested Districts (Scotland) Act 1897, the scheme has also been used to provide assistance to tenants of fishermen's holdings created in Lewis following the first world war and to fishermen feuars in the former crofting counties who have been able to demonstrate a secure title to a house site. In practice, however, only a relatively small proportion of loans and grants under the scheme have been made to applicants in these categories.Over the years, the provision of special housing assistance to certain categories of fishermen through the scheme has become increasingly anomalous since the individuals do not face the same barriers as crofters in obtaining other forms of housing finance. In the light of these considerations and the announcement in April 1990 about the criteria for assistance under the scheme, I have decided that in future housing assistance will not be available to fishermen who do not otherwise qualify as crofters or to the occupants of the Lewis fishermen's holdings. However, to avoid any undue hardship those fishermen who at the date of this announcement have title to a house site and are currently eligible to apply will have a period of three years from the date of this announcement to bring forward an application for assistance.All applications received during this period will be considered on their merits in the light of the existing eligibility criteria for the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the convictions under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

To date, there has been one conviction under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. The defendant was convicted of two offences under section 2 of the Act at Bow street magistrates court, London, and was sentenced to pay a fine of £450 for each offence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to make an announcement on United Kingdom attendance at the forthcoming CSCE conference on the human dimension in Moscow; and if he will make a statement.

We plan to send a delegation to the Moscow CSCE conference on the human dimension, subject to developments in the Soviet Union between now and September. Participation in the conference would enable us to press for further improvements over those human rights issues which cause us concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will raise with the Government of Syria the alleged involvement of Syrian terrorists, before their arrest, in the Lockerbie plane bombing; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he has sought to raise with the Government of Libya the alleged involvement of Libyan nationals or residents in the Lockerbie bombing.

The investigation into the Lockerbie disaster is being pursued by the Dumfries and Galloway constabulary, under the direction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office stands ready to assist the constabulary in any way it requires in pursuit of international aspects of the investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) who authorised the senior official of his office to make statements about the Lockerbie bomb link reported in The Sunday Times of 30 June;(2) who authorised the spokesman from his office to make the statements on Libya attributed to that official on BBC radio and BBC television news on 28 June; and if he will make a statement.

The line taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesmen in response to media inquiries has consistently been that they cannot comment on a continuing police investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which members of the Government met the United Nations Secretary-General on his visit to the United Kingdom on 30 June; and what was discussed.

I called on the Secretary-General on 29 June and discussed subjects of current international interest including the situation in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer on 28 June, Official Report, column 568, if he will make it his policy to include in the overall exhibition theme at the British pavilion at Expo 92 in Seville the appropriate use of Gibraltarian expertise and appropriate exhibits from Gibraltar.

As I have made clear in previous answers our policy is to select exhibits for the British pavilion at Expo 92 on the basis of their relevance to the theme "Original Britain" rather than their place of origin.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many witnesses were called by the board of inquiry investigating the Grenadier accident at Batus, Canada on 7 July 1989, to give evidence as to the proper execution of safety procedures and of safety briefings to Grenadier Guardsmen Adrian Hicks, John Ray and Sean Povey.

None. The board of inquiry was able to reach conclusions based on written evidence without conducting interviews.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, at the proposed meeting between his Department and the legal representatives of the injured guardsmen, he will make it his policy to disclose the full content of the board of inquiry report and to accede to a request to reopen the board of inquiry.

It is not the practice to release the proceedings of boards of inquiry to outside parties, but officials will, of course, make every effort to answer any questions about the circumstances of the accident at Batus that the solicitors representing the three Guardsmen may put. If a request is made at the meeting to re-open the board of inquiry we shall consider this on its merits and in the light of other means of obtaining any necessary information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a further statement on his plans to deploy additional infantry battalions to Northern Ireland;(2) what restraint is placed by current Army manning levels on his ability to provide extra infantry battalions for deployment in Northern Ireland.

The Army's commitments in Northern Ireland are accorded the highest priority. Force levels in Northern Ireland are kept under constant review and will continue to be adjusted as and when it is judged necessary to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what approximate proportion of Tornado strikes against enemy airfields in the Gulf war were made by GR1 aircraft linked to Buccaneers equipped to Pavespike laser designators; what proportion were made after thermal imaging airborne laser designator equipment became available; and which of these two systems achieved the best overall results in the targeting of Paveway II bombs.

About 40 per cent. of Tornado GR1 and Buccaneer attacks against Iraqi airfields used the Pavespike designation system to target laser-guided bombs, and nearly 30 per cent. used TIALD. The performance of the two targeting systems is still being evaluated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use was made in the Gulf by RAF Tornados of the air-launched anti-radar missile and thermal imaging airborne laser designator pods; and if he has completed his evaluation of their effectiveness.

Some RAF Tornado GR1s were equipped with ALARM missiles which had been brought into service several months early. Two TIALD pods were diverted from the current development programme to be used in the Gulf. We are continuing to study all aspects of the Gulf campaign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has for constructing new regional office premises for sections of his Department in the Bristol area; over what period construction will take place; at what estimated cost; and if he will make a statement on the reason for this development.

MOD's only current proposal for new office development in the Bristol area is that for procurement executive staff, announced on 27 March 1990. In view of the local planning difficulties that have arisen over our proposals for Keynsham, which have delayed the project by a year, we have recently completed a review of possible alternative locations in the Bristol area and elsewhere; the results are now being assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to take out insurance cover by his Department against the risk of injury while on service duties.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply to the hon. Member for Motherwell, North (Dr. Reid) on 27 June at column 550 of the Official Report. The extent to which current arrangements are satisfactory is under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the regiments whose potential recruiting was reduced by his policy of recruitment capping in 1988–89, 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Recruiting was not capped in 1988–89 or in 1989–90. In 1990–91, the recruit intake was limited to 16,000. In consequence, recruit allocations to all arms and services throughout the Army were reduced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the criteria for designating a Z-berth; what provisions for civilian safety and evacuation exist at Z-berth sites; and if he will make a statement.

Individual Z-berths are designated on the basis of operational and safety considerations. Safety arrangements include a public safety scheme, prepared after discussion with the local authorities and civil emergency services, which sets out detailed arrangements for the site in question.