To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to change the number of weeks children spend in school.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans to alter existing arrangements which provide that schools—nursery classes and schools excepted—must meet for 380 half-day sessions in each school year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will arrange for the examining boards to reschedule examinations so that children spend more of the summer term in school.

The GCSE and GCE examination timetables are a matter for the examining bodies concerned. However, my right hon. and learned Friend has recently discussed the matter of the GCSE examination timetable with representatives of the joint council for the GCSE, and we understand that the timetable is likely to start a week later in 1992 than it did this year.

To ask the Secretary of Slate for Education and Science how much of the school term remains unexpired after GCSE and A-level examinations have been completed: and what plans he has to ensure that the time is fully utilised.

The dates of school terms are determined locally, while the dates of GCSE and GCE examinations vary according to both the examination boards' timetables and to the subjects taken by individual pupils.If pupils attending school after taking external examinations are not involved in courses required under the national curriculum, this time could with advantage be used constructively, for instance to secure careeers guidance or to gain work experience.As announced in the White Paper "Training and Education for the 21st Century"—Cmnd. 1536—the Government intend to legislate to abolish the present Easter and May school-leaving dates in favour of a single date at the end of the summer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science What independent facilities exist to monitor examination standards since the inception of each current examination.

The School Examinations and Assessment Council is responsible for approving all GCSE and GCE syllabuses and examinations as suitable to be offered in schools. In addition to the examining bodies' own extensive scrutiny arrangements, both SEAC and Her Majesty's inspectorate scrutinise the conduct of these examinations to ensure that standards remain appropriate and consistent between subjects and examining bodies and from year to year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the provision of each London borough for nursery education for each year since 1979 giving (a) the number of nursery schools and (b) the number of nursery classes with pupil numbers and participation rates.

Tables detailing nursery provision in the maintained sector in each London borough for the period 1980 to 1990, the latest date for which information is available, are being placed in the Library. Information for 1979 and separate participation rates for nursery schools and nursery classes are not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of children aged 16 to 18 years in Tower Hamlets remained in full-time education for each year since 1979.

The proportion of young people in Tower Hamlets aged 16 and 17 at the start of the academic year who were in full-time education—excluding those attending independent and special schools—was 44 per cent. in 1989–90. Data are not available for earlier years, because Tower Hamlets is part of the Inner London education authority and data were collected only for ILEA in total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number and percentages of full-time students in Tower Hamlets by (a) primary school, (b) secondary school, (c) sixth-form centre, (d) sixth-form college, (e) colleges and polytechnics, (f) universities and (g) other educational establishments for each year since 1979.

The numbers and percentages of pupils and students domiciled in Tower Hamlets who were in full-time education in the maintained sector in England in 1989–90 are given in the table. Information on people from Tower Hamlets attending independent schools and colleges or universities is not available. Figures for earlier years were collected from the Inner London education authority and cannot be disaggregated to borough level.

Establishment	Full-time pupils and students	Percentage
(a) Primary schools	17,254	57
(b) Secondary schools	10,486	35
(c) Sixth-form centres	—	—
(d) Sixth-form colleges	—	—
(e) Colleges and polytechnics	1,752	6
(g) Other educational establishments	895	3
Total	30,387	100

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his most recent assessment of teacher vacancies in London listed by education authorities for (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools.

The most recent figures available relate to January 1990, details of which are being placed in the Library. Vacancy figures for individual authorities for January 1991 have not yet been finalised and will be placed in the Library when confirmed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the extent of his powers vis-à-vis examining boards.

The GCSE examining groups and GCE examining boards are independent bodies, but all courses of study leading to qualifications for pupils of compulsory school age are subject to the Secretary of State's approval, and their associated syllabuses are subject to the approval of his nominated body, the School Examinations and Assessment Council. As announced in the White Paper "Education and Training for the 21st Century" the Government intend to use their reserve powers to extend these controls on standards to courses for 16 to 18-year-olds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications for early retirement with enhancement have been approved and the costs met in part or in full by the teachers' superannuation fund in the last year for which figures are available.

During the year ending 31 March 1991, a total of 781 teachers aged 50 to 64 were awarded benefits under the teachers' superannuation regulations following premature retirement from educational establishments in Wales.Enhancement is a matter for employers, who are asked but not obliged to report details to the Department. Enhancement was reported in 560 cases, no enhancement was reported in 157 cases, and 64 cases were not reported.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has taken any action based on proposals made in the report of the business meeting on environmental education to which he referred in his answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West, Official Report, 27 June, column 533.

The report in question makes no specific proposals for action by the Department. It will, however, be brought to the attention of the committee which is being established to advise on the future development of environmental education within further and higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what consideration is being given to resolving the regulatory problems faced by on-site generators; and if he will make a statement.

Regulatory issues are a matter for the Director General of Electricity Supply. I have however agreed to meet some members of the Combined Heat and Power Association to hear of their problems and ideas at first hand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, (1) what was the average wage from each area of the United Kingdom coal industry for (a) coalface-trained miners, (b) miners employed elsewhere underground and (c) surface workers in 1990–91;(2) what was the average incentive and bonus pay in 1990–91 in each United Kingdom colliery;(3) what was the average earnings for the year 1990–91 in each area of the United Kingdom coalfield.

Detailed information on average earnings, incentives and bonus pay is not kept by my Department. However, the two-year pay and benefits agreement introduced by British Coal in January this year puts mineworkers near the top of the industrial earnings league.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, whether, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith), Official Report, 27 June, column 516, any nuclear material originally created in unsafeguarded reactors has been notified to the safeguards authorities as open to safeguards under INFCIRC-263.

There have been occasions when material originating from non-safeguarded reactors have been brought into safeguards. Such material has been notified to the safeguards authorities under INFCIRC 263.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Newport, West, Official Report, 27 June, column 517, there have been any exports of plutonium to the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic in quantities of less than a few grammes in the past two years.

I cannot for reasons of commercial confidentiality disclose the precise amounts of plutonium exported to individual countries. However, total exports of plutonium to the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and its predecessors over the last two years have not exceeded 1 gramme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment has been made of the increased demands on the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards budget of the decision by the Republic of South Africa to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

This question will be considered as part of the agency's budgetary process.

To ask the Prime Minister why he decided to require local authorities when setting their poll tax levels to cover the cost of unpaid poll tax bills; and if he has any plans to change this requirement.

As part of its budgetary process and in line with proper accounting practice, every local authority has to estimate the level of non-recoverable charges for the forthcoming year and then set a community charge which takes this into account. In this respect, the community charge is no different from the old domestic rating system.

To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy on recouping losses arising from the non-payment of Government bills from the subsequent payers of such bills.

Departments are advised in "Government Accounting", the Treasury's guide on accounting and financial procedures for Government Departments, that all reasonable action should be taken to effect recovery of losses.

To ask the Prime Minister what legal costs have been contributed by Her Majesty's Government either directly or indirectly towards the legal costs of either party in the case of Regina v. Elmridge Borough Council, ex parte Health Care Corporation Ltd. and another.

In civil cases the costs are a matter for the parties involved. There has been no Government involvement in this case.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 17 June, Official Report, column 9, if he will make public those parts of the agreement between the United Kingdom and United States Governments to establish the United States Navy base at Holy Loch in 1960 which pertain to (a) civilian safety in the area; (b) the local community and (c) the local economy; and if he will make a statement.

I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 17 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (I) whether residents of formal local authority part III homes, which are transferred to the private or voluntary sector between 25 June and when amending regulations regarding entitlement to income support take effect, will be eligible for higher levels of income support;(2) whether residents of former local authority part III homes which were transferred to the private or voluntary sector before 25 June are eligible for higher levels of income support;(3) whether residents of former local authority part III homes which are closed down are eligible for higher levels of income support.

Eligibility for income support is defined by regulations. Decisions regarding claims to benefit are made at a local level by independent adjudication officers who are provided with guidance on the interpretation of the regulations by the chief adjudication officer in the published adjudication officers' guide, a copy of which is in the Library.The chief adjudication officer has recently issued advice to adjudication officers to help them decide claims from residents of homes which are transferred from local authority ownership to the private or voluntary sector pending the amendment of the regulations.Where a local authority has accommodated a person under part III of the National Assistance Act 1948, responsibility for that person continues unless he no longer requires that accommodation. If a local authority home is closed the local authority would be under an obligation to find and pay for alternative accommodation for the residents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policies on child benefit.

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has confirmed on a number of occasions recently, child benefit is and will remain a strong element in the Government's policies for family support. Child benefit rose by £1 a week for the eldest eligible child in each family in April, and will rise by a further £1 a week for the eldest eligible child in each family in October, with an extra 25p a week for other children. As my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Budget statement, the Government are committed to increasing the new rates of child benefit in line with the movement in the retail prices index each year, starting in April 1992. We will announce in the uprating statement the allocation of the individual amounts between the eldest eligible child and other children.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates were valid in the Metropolitan police area for (a) firearms and (b) shotguns by division for each year since 1979.

The information is not available by division, but for the whole of the Metropolitan police area it is as follows:

Certificates on issue at 31 December each year
	Firearms	Shotguns
1979	9,504	1—
1980	9,374	28,990
1981	8,981	29,528
1982	8,856	28,504
1983	8,741	29,747
1984	8,878	30,293
1985	8,957	237,147
1986	9,084	41,814
1987	9,036	44,299
1988	8,877	45,835
1989	8,615	43,436
1990	29,929	42,362
Notes
1 Figures for shotgun certificates on issue on 31 December 1979 are not available.
2 Computerisation of records of shotgun certificates in 1985 and firearm certificates in 1990 brought to light previous under-recording.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer of 22 January, Official Report, column 168, if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of guidance to local authorities on emergency planning procedures.

Mr. David Brook, the civil emergencies adviser, is preparing guidance on preparing for and responding to peacetime disasters. This guidance will be based on the lessons learnt from recent disasters and the experiences of those involved. It will complement the emergency procedures manuals prepared by the emergency services. The guidance will not be issued until all those agencies upon whose responsibilities it touches, including local authorities, have been consulted about its contents. This process is currently under way.Home Office guidance aimed solely at local authorities, currently contained in the "Emergency Planning Guide to Local Authorities", will be revised in the light of the outcome of the review of emergency planning announced on 16 October at column

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has plans to bring forward proposals for reform of the jury system.

We do not rule out further reform of the jury system, but there are no present plans for legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bar telephones in his Department from connection to premium rate services.

All office telephones in the headquarters buildings of the Department have a bar to restrict access to premium rate services. The same bar is being progressively introduced to the provincial offices and into prison establishments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his replies to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms. Gordon), Official Report, 24 June, column 355, on terrorism in Northern Ireland, if he will set out the reasons why the information requested is not available; and if he will make it his policy to ensure such information is made available in future.

The information is not available because police forces do not in general make information from custody records available to anyone but the suspect or his or her legal representative. However, a forthcoming study by the Home Office research and planning unit is likely to show that out of the 214 suspects who were detained in England and Wales between 22 March 1989 and 11 November 1990 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with Northern Ireland terrorism, 95—45 per cent.—requested notification under section 56 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, and notification was delayed for over 36 hours in six cases; and that 103 —48 per cent.—requested access to legal advice under section 58 of the Act, which advice was delayed for over 36 hours in eight cases. Legal advice was delayed for the full 48 hours permitted by the Act in only one case. There were no cases in which notification under section 56 was delayed for 48 hours.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to answer the letters of 23 February, 28 April and 17 May from the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, regarding Mr. King Obe Quoi and his family; what are the reasons for the delay in providing a reply; what is the usual time taken by his Department to reply to a Member about an urgent constituency case; what action he is taking to deal with such cases with greater expedition; and if he will make a statement.

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 4 July. The delay in replying is a direct result of the tenfold increase in the number of applications for asylum being received by the asylum division since 1988 and the heavy workload of subsequent inquiries from applicants and hon. Members which has been generated. The Home Office would normally expect to provide hon. Members with a reply within 16 days. However, exceptional difficulties prevail in the asylum division. On 26 April my right hon. Friend announced our intention to increase the number of staff in the asylum division from about 120 to more than 500. This process has begun and should in due course improve the division's ability to respond more quickly to hon. Members' inquiries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each of the last 25 years, or for as many years as he has information, (a) emigrated from Britain and (b) immigrated to Britain; and for each year what was the net position.

The available data on migration to and from the United Kingdom are the estimates produced by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys from the international passenger survey. This defines a migrant as a person leaving one country where he/she has been resident for more than a year with the intention of residing in a new country for a year or more. These data include British citizens and are on a different basis from the figures of people subject to immigration control accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom. Data for 1964—89 are given in table 2.1 of the 1974, 1979 and 1989 issues of the OPCS publication "International Migration", copies of which are in the Library. Corresponding data for the 12 months ending 30 September 1990 are given in the table.

Migration to and from the United Kingdom in the 12 months ending SO September 1990
Number of persons, in thousands1
	Inflow	Outflow	Net inflow
All citizenships	257	219	37
British citizens	107	132	-25
Non-British citizens	150	88	62
1 Figures are provisional estimates, and have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has for the use of the underground facility at Drakelow in Wyre Forest; and what is the annual cost of maintaining this facility.

The facility has been developed as an administrative centre for use in a possible emergency. Running costs for 1990–91 were £122,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to have completed the process of the computerisation of the national collection of criminal records; and whether from that time it will be possible centrally to vet applications from individuals seeking to become licensed taxi drivers.

The police national computer holds information on the convictions of those whose first reportable offence occurred after 31 December 1980. This information is available on-line to police forces. Plans to computerise earlier records which are held on microfiche at the national identification bureau, New Scotland Yard, have not yet been finalised. Records of convictions for other offences are held by police forces.Criminal records have recently been the subject of a scrutiny which examined arrangements for, and the scope of, a fully computerised national criminal records system and the use of such a system for the purposes of vetting. The scrutiny recommendations are currently being considered and no decisions have been made on a national criminal record system or the purposes for which it may be used.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 215, to the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan), if he will make a further statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the Schengen agreement.

I have nothing to add to the earlier answer to which the hon. Member refers in the question.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain for his departmental library a copy of the "Inventory of radioactive material entering the marine environment: Sea disposal of radioactive waste", document IAEA-TECDOC-588, published by the International Atomic Energy Agency in March.

We already have one.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the total number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy by county or region, in England, Scotland and Wales for the period 1 January to 30 June.

The information, calculated by date of confirmation of disease, for the period I January to 30 June 1991, is as follows:

Country, region and county	Confirmed number of cases
England
Cleveland	9
Cumbria	212
Durham	29
Humberside	37
Northumberland	40
Tyne and Wear	2
Yorkshire North	358
Yorkshire South	28
Yorkshire West	40
Total: Northern region	755
Cheshire	318
Derbyshire	156
Hereford and Worcester	155
Lancashire	242
Leicestershire	205
Manchester	17
Merseyside	3
Nottinghamshire	51
Salop	200
Staffordshire	147
West Midlands	4
Warwickshire	87
Total: Midlands and Western region	1,585

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the total numbers of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (a) in England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales up to 30 June.

The information up to 30 June 1991 is as follows:

	Number
England	28,024
Scotland	976
Wales	2,401

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the pesticide active ingredients for which the agro-chemical companies are not submitting data for review, giving the year of their initial approval; and if he will make a statement.

Agro-chemical companies have, so far, taken commercial decisions not to submit data for review in respect of 20 pesticide active ingredients:

Active ingredient	Date of first approval
Aluminium Silicate	1969
Anthraquinone	1962
Barban	1980
Benzethonium Chloride	Pre 1986
Carbophenothion	1966
Chlorthiamid	1962
2, 4-DES	1968
Di-allate	1978
Ditalimfos	1974
Fenchlorphos	1975
Fenoprop	1965
Flamprop-methyl	1980
Fluoroacetamide	1980
Mevinphos	1980
Oxine Copper	1961
Quinonamid	Pre 1979
2, 4, 5-T	1962
Tar acids	1970
Thionazin	1981
Thiourea	1983

Approval for the advertisement, sale, supply, storage and use by the approval holders—and their agents—of pesticides based on these active ingredients was revoked on 1 March 1991. Since no safety concerns relating to approved uses of these pesticides have been identified, approval for up to two years has been given to allow stocks already on the market to be used or disposed of safely.Where necessary, action will be taken to revoke approvals for any products where reasonable steps are not taken to support continuing use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now make a further statement in respect of his assessment of the current nuclear weapons potential of Iraq.

It is clear that, prior to the Gulf conflict, Iraq was trying to develop a nuclear weapons programme. United Nations Security Council resolution 687 required Iraq to submit to the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency details of its nuclear weapons usable material.Iraq made two initial declarations, which gave some of the information required, but were deficient in some respects. The IAEA, with the special commission set up in accordance with resolution 687, is working to verify these statements and to remove nuclear weapons usable material from Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the United Kingdom representative at the United Nations to ensure that compensation is paid to British civilians who were in Kuwait at the time of the Iraqi invasion; and when he expects the first payments to be made.

The United Kingdom representative at the United Nations is working actively with other members of the United Nations Security Council on arrangements for establishing a United Nations compensation commission and fund as envisaged in UNSCR 687 and UNSCR 692. The governing council of the commission is to be based in Geneva. It is not yet possible to indicate when the first payments will be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours), Official Report, 24 June, column 349, on allied forces in Iraq, if he will seek to obtain the information requested.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to supply a reason to Members on each occasion his Department is unable to provide a substantive answer to future questions.

It is already our policy to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote the implementation of United Nations resolution 425 concerning the withdrawal from southern Lebanon of the occupying Israeli army, following the recent activity of the Lebanese army in re-establishing government control in and around Sidon; and if he will make a statement.

We strongly support the efforts of the Lebanese army to impose their control. Their success further strengthens international calls, which we have consistently supported, for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in accordance with UNSCR 425. It is most important that neither the Israeli defence forces, nor their surrogates, do anything to impede the Lebanese army.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 24 June, Official Report, column 350, how he determines whether the market information inquiry service and the overseas status report service are being run at a profit or loss.

Provisional estimates of the cost of supplying the range of charged information services to exporters suggest that these services are heavily subsidised at present. Work is currently in hand to identify the costs involved in the Department of Trade and Industry in the United Kingdom and in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office overseas in providing individual services. Our aim, in the longer term, is for our pricing structure to evolve to a position where charges and costs are aligned as far as possible, consistent with continuing to provide a high quality service to serious United Kingdom exporters that they regard as good value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 23 May, Official Report, column 627, if he has any plans to propose legislation under which the bodies acting as recognised supervisory bodies will be required to publish the number of complaints which they receive against their members.

I have no plans for such legislation. Under the Companies Act 1989, a recognised supervisory body must have effective arrangements for the investigation of companies against persons who are eligible under the body's rules to be appointed company auditor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will propose legislation under which auditing firms could be required to explain audit failures to representatives of shareholders and creditors.

No. Shareholders can already seek explanations of audit work at AGMs, and if they are unhappy can change the auditor. A company already has means of legal redress against negligent auditors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the expected timetable for the completion of the EC negotiations with the European Free Trade Association.

The European Council on 29 June endorsed the Community's commitment to work wilth EFTA to try and complete the negotiations on the European economic area this month, with the objective of enabling the agreement to enter into force on 1 January 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will seek to pay an official visit to the ICI factories at Pontypool, Penrhyndeudraeth and Barry.

I have no present plans to visit these factories.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the hon. Member for Uxbridge concerning unfair competition in trade with Egypt resulting from subsidies provided by the United States of America via its bilateral aid programme; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has received representations about alleged unfair competition from the United States of America in connection with a business contract in Egypt. We are looking into these allegations as a matter of urgency and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Insolvency Service has now achieved a full realisation of the cash and estate accounting records up to 31 March.

[holding answer 4 July 1991]: No. The Insolvency Service now estimates that work on the cash and estate accounting records to 31 March 1991 will be completed by end of July 1991. However, flowing from the problems outlined by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in his report on the insolvency services account for 1989–90 relating to the old accounting systems and the transfer of estate records to the new system, a full reconciliation may not be achievable. I have asked the inspector general and chief executive of the Insolvency Service, who is the agency accounting officer for the account, to let the hon. Member have a further report at end-July. In the meantime, the inspector general is advising the Comptroller and Auditor-General of the position. The new system is succeeding in eliminating many of the problems apparent in the old.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what is the average penalty imposed in the cases taken by the Insolvency Service; and if he will make a statement;

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: The Department of Trade and Industry prosecutes a variety of offences following investigations by the Insolvency Service. Such prosecutions comprise offences for which, on conviction, both custodial and non-custodial sentences are imposed. It is therefore not possible to calculate an average penalty.Every decision to prosecute is taken with legal advice and the lawyer will have regard to the code for Crown prosecutors issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. That code, in addition to providing criteria as to the sufficiency of evidence, contains criteria concerning whether the public interest requires a prosecution. One of the criteria is the likely penalty, and it is stated that the prosecutor should carefully consider how best the public interest would be served where a nominal penalty is likely.

Composite rate tax on building society interest
All amounts in £ million
	Receipts in
	1980–81	1981–82	1982–83	1983–84	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90
IRS edition in:
1985	Not shown separately
1986	Not shown separately
1987	1,217	1,425	1,583	1,550	1,844	2,608	2,545	—	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last reviewed the code for Crown prosecutors regarding the Insolvency Service.

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: Any revision of the code for Crown prosecutors is a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions under section 10 of The Prosecution of Offences Act 1985.The Insolvency Service has guidelines which, when read with the code for Crown prosecutors, gives more detailed guidance regarding the investigation of possible offences in insolvencies. These guidelines were reviewed by Ministers in June 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the annual cost of the Insolvency Service in Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

Official receivers' offices located in Yorkshire are at Leeds and Sheffield. The running cost budgets for this financial year 1991–92 for those offices are £884,000 and £468,000 respectively.The official receiver, Hull, and the official receiver, Stockton, also have responsibility in parts of Yorkshire. The running cost budgets for 1991–92 for those offices are £454,000 and £312,000 respectively.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when it was decided to propose legislation to obtain additional tax from building societies for the financial year 1985–86; and when and how an estimate was published of the financial effect on total tax receipts and on the tax to be paid by societies;(2) what was the best estimate of the revenue effect at the time it was decided to propose legislation to obtain additional tax from building societies for the financial year 1985–86.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to him on 15 April, at columns 9–10, and 22 April, at columns 300–1. The 1986 legislation changing the way building societies account for tax on interest and dividends paid did not involve additional tax.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table of Inland Revenue statistics for each year since 1985, showing the schedule for composite rate tax on building society interest for each year since 1980–81.

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: The information requested is shown in the table:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish indices of Welsh, Scottish and United Kingdom planned total spending, excluding privatisation receipts and the reserve, since 1978–79, with 1978–79 = 100.

Indices for identifiable planning total expenditure—excluding privatisation proceeds—in Wales, Scotland and the United Kingdom for the years 1985–86 to 1989–90 are set out in the table. The figures for the United Kingdom are based on the part of the planning total—about three quarters—which could be allocated to individual territories. The data on which the indices are based reflect the planning total outturn at the time when the data were collected for the 1990 territorial analysis of expenditure. Corresponding data for 1984–85 on a consistent basis could he provided only at disproportionate cost. Data for other years are not available.

	Wales	Scotland	United Kingdom
1985–86	100·0	100·0	100·0
1986–87	109·7	106·4	107·4
1987–88	117·6	112·7	113·7
1988–89	126·0	118·3	118·9
1989–90	133·4	127·5	127·6

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to prevent British companies making large investments in horse racing and bloodstock from writing down this investment to zero in one year for tax purposes; and if he will make a statement.

It is not clear what sort of investment my hon. Friend has in mind. However, if he can provide further details I shall be glad to consider his question again.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the new forms of alternative working patterns introduced into Her Majesty's Customs and Excise since its reorganisation on next steps lines; and give a breakdown by grade of the number of staff taking up each new working pattern.

Customs and Excise have for some time used a variety of alternative working patterns, in particular part-time working, job sharing and fixed-term appointments, and will continue to do so following its reorganisation into executive units. I regret that detailed information on numbers and grades can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil service grade 6 officers there were in each year since 1979.

Figures for the number of civil servants by grade from 1984 to 1990 can be found in table 4 of "Civil Service Statistics". Copies of this publication are held in the Library. Figures for 1991 are not yet available.Unified grade 6 was created on 1 January 1984 as part of an expanded open structure by the assimilation of the senior principle grade and some equivalent grades. Published figures for the period prior to that date refer only to senior principal and since since 1984 further grades have been assimilated to UG6. Figures for UG6 on a consistent basis could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bar telephones in his Department from connection to premium rate services.

Telephones in my Department are already barred from connection to premium rate services.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the liquidation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

I refer my hon. Friend to the oral statement I made earlier today.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much assessed tax on income in 1989–90 had been assessed by 31 July 1990.

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: The amount of tax assessed on income in 1989–90 by 31 July 1990 cannot be ascertained, as the Inland Revenue keeps records by reference to the collector's accounting year ending in October.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many P11D forms were outstanding on the most recent date for which this information is available.

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: There were 1·15 million P11D forms on hand on 13 June 1991. The bulk of these forms are received in the first part of the tax year and dealt with in a targeted programme finishing in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made in ensuring aid arrives at the destination where needed in the Horn of Africa with the minimum of delay.

The established relief routes in northern Ethiopia continue to deliver food to those in need. In northern Sudan the relief routes are operational. Problems persist over the provision of food to southern Sudan and to those parts of Ethiopia still affected by conflict. However, new mechanisms, including air drops, are being introduced to deal with pockets of acute need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the average percentage of gross domestic product spent on overseas aid in other EC member states; and if he will make a statement.

Figures are available only for those member countries of the European Community which are also members of the development assistance committee of the OECD. The overall average percentage of gross national product given in overseas aid by these seven countries, excluding the United Kingdom, was 0·56 per cent. in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities exist to discuss overseas aid with EC counterparts; and what proposals are envisaged for the development of a single EC policy on aid.

I have regular meetings with my EC colleagues on all aspects of aid policy. I have just returned from an informal Development Council which met in the Netherlands over the weekend. A wide range of issues was discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what animal conservation schemes are currently under consideration for financing by his Department.

Several possible projects are under consideration, in which animal conservation will be an important element. They include the following:

Bangladesh: study of impact of flood control on aquatic ecology.

Bhutan: management Plan for Jigme Dorji wildlife sanctuary.

Brazil: conservation of flooded forest areas.

India: wetlands conservation in Manipur valley.

Indonesia: conservation adviser.

Nigeria: development of Gashaka Gumpti game reserve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects were discussed during the Minister for Overseas Development's visit to Zimbabwe.

I had separate meetings with His Excellency the President and a number of his senior Ministers. The subjects we covered included arrangements for the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe's economic reform programme, our bilateral aid and other matters of mutual concern and interest to our two Governments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response his Department has made to the report by the export group for the construction industries "Farewell to the Third World", a copy of which has been sent to the Minister for Overseas Development.

Our response to the Export Group for the Construction Industries referred to the clear statement of ODA's strategy in the 1991 departmental report to Parliament (Cm. 1502), the importance of supporting economic reform in many developing countries, the good record of British contractors in gaining business from bilateral and multilateral aid, and the continued real-terms growth in the aid programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bilateral aid Her Majesty's Government have given to Nicaragua since President Violetta Chamorro took office.

We started a bilateral technical co-operation programme in March 1990; this is now running at about £200,000 a year. We subsequently pledged £600,000 of grant aid as part of the international effort to help restore the Nicaraguan economy. Since Mrs. Chamorro took office we have made commitments totalling £260,033 for six new NGO projects in Nicaragua. Our largest financial contribution continues to be through the British share of European Community assistance to Nicaragua; there are no figures yet available on this for 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what United Kingdom medical aid is being given to Kuwait and Southern Iraq.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that I gave on 17 June at column 32. We are keeping the situation under close review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the grants made by Her Majesty's Government to Bangladesh through the Bangladesh aid consortium since 1972 was devoted to programmes designed (a) to protect coastal areas from cyclone damage and (b) to prevent flooding within Bangladesh.

[holding answer 5 July 1991]: The Bangladesh aid group is a forum for discussion of Bangladesh's development policies and financing requirements, at which donors indicate their aid intentions. It is not a mechanism for channelling aid, which is provided on a bilateral basis.British aid statistics do not separately identify the amounts spent over past years on cyclone or flood protection. Since the 1989 Bangladesh flood conference we have committed £4·5 million towards the cost of studies identified as part of the flood action plan. Under that plan work on cyclone protection is also being undertaken with finance from the European Community.

To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to meet the director of the Serious Fraud Office to discuss company crime; and if he will make a statement.

I shall next meet the director very soon, when we shall of course discuss commercial fraud among any other matters of departmental interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the chairman of the health authorities in Wales to discuss health provision in Wales.

I met health authority chairmen on 31 January and hope to do so again in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will next be meeting the chairmen of the health authorities to discuss the future of the health service in west Wales.

My right hon. Friend hopes to do so in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the change in the level of unemployment during the year to May 1991 in (a) Neath and (b) Wales as a whole.

The number of unemployed claimants in the Neath constituency and Wales increased by 731 and 29,043 respectively in the year to May 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state the number of unemployed males and females in May 1989 and 1990 in Ogmore, Mid Glamorgan and the present recorded number.

The information requested is as follows:

	Ogmore constituency	Mid Glamorgan	1South Wales
May 1989
Male	2,045	15,406	47,679
Female	656	4,992	16,150
May 1990
Male	1,801	13,952	41,929
Female	497	3,784	11,964

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many men and how many women, showing full and part-time separately, were in employment in January 1979 and the latest date for which figures are available, in Wales and Mid Glamorgan.

Employees in employment data below national level is available only in census of employment years. The following table therefore shows data for June 1978—the nearest to January 1979—and the latest available—September 1989—containing both Mid Glamorgan and Wales:

Thousands
	Mid Glamorgan	Wales
June 1978
Male full-time	106·6	587·9
Male part-time	3·3	25·3
Female full-time	48·8	249·6
Female part-time	27·5	152·5
September 1989
Male full-time	79·8	484 5
Male part-time	4·1	37·2
Female full-time	44·7	255·2
Female part-time	36·4	209·8

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the proportion of inward investment projects attracted to the United Kingdom which have resulted in jobs created in Wales.

Wales continues to attract very significant levels of inward investment from overseas. The recent announcement that Sony was to create 1,400 jobs at a new manufacturing facility at Bridgend and Northern Telecom etc. is further evidence that Wales is now one of the most attractive locations in Europe for internationally mobile investment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent per pupil in secondary schools in Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for 1978–79, at constant prices.

In 1989–90 current expenditure per pupil in secondary schools in Wales was £1,817. The equivalent constant price figure for 1978–79 was £1,243.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on progress in combating coronary heart disease in Wales.

In May 1991 the Department published comprehensive and authoritative advice to the NHS in Wales entitled "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain: Cardiovascular Diseases" which has been well received.In addition, the Heartbeat Wales programme, which is run by the Health Promotion Authority for Wales, continues to combat the high incidence of coronary heart disease in Wales. The authority has distributed advice to GPs and other health professionals on the management of blood cholesterol levels and is organising seminars to outline cholesterol guidelines. Preliminary evaluation of the first five years of the Heartbeat Wales programme shows encouraging trends with smoking and excess drinking decreasing and more people in Wales taking exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether residents in private nursing homes in Wales are eligible for free NHS services including chiropody and physiotherapy.

Under the Registered Homes Act 1984, the person responsible for a private nursing home is required to provide adequate support services such as physiotherapy. Consequently, health authorities would not normally provide such services to patients in such homes.The Government's policy on chiropody is that treatment should be available under the NHS, free to all who need it. However, it is for the individual health authority to decide the level of provision required in its area and detailed priorities within available resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales from which organisations he has received representations so far concerning local government reform in Wales.

I have received written or oral representations from the Assembly of Welsh Counties, the Council of Welsh Districts, the Wales Association of Community and Town Councils, members of the Conservative party, Plaid Cymru, and the Liberal Democrat party, a number of individual local authorities and councillors. I have also received a large number of letters from members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to meet the authorities in Baden-Wiirttemburg, Rhone-Alpes, Catalonia and Lombardy during the coming six months to discuss economic co-operation.

My Department and the Welsh Development Agency are actively pursuing practical links with all these regions. I have already visited Rhone-Alpes and plan to visit Baden-Wurttemberg later this year. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State has visited Lombardy and plans to visit Catalonia later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new initiatives he plans to announce to help the unemployed.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment recently announced a substantial package of additional measures to help unemployed people back into work. This includes expert advice and help in looking for a job, extra training and a new work experience programme—employment action. This new package, together with the wide range of programmes already in place, amounts to the most comprehensive range of measures we have ever had to help unemployed people back to work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the proposed dualling of the A5 across Ynys Môn.

Following the public consultation exercise last October we expect to make an early announcement of the preferred route for the dualling of the A5 across Ynys Mon. The preferred route for the Holyhead improvement was announced last November and design work is proceeding with ground investigation and topographical surveys due to begin shortly. The A5 schemes are included in the Roads in Wales programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the number of people currently training for a British national technical engineering qualification (a) in Mid Glamorgan and (b) in Wales.

There were 505 students enrolled on Business and Technician Education Council engineering courses at higher education level in Mid Glamorgan in 1989–90, the last year for which figures are available. The corresponding figure for Wales was 2,516. At further education level the number of students enrolled was 558 for Mid Glamorgan and 3,497 for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the future of the Royal Welch Fusiliers; and if he will make a statement.

I have received 188 written representations and a petition containing 35 signatures calling for the continuation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers in their present form. I have also received a number of personal representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will bar telephones in his Department from connection to premium rate services.

Yes. It is my Department's practice to do so where it is technically feasible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the maximum permissible levels and monitored levels of (a) tetrachlorodibenzofuran, (b) tetrachlorodibenzodioxin, (c) pentachlorodibenzodioxin, (d) pentachlorodibenzofuran, (e) heptachlorodibenzofuran and (f) octachlorodibenzodioxin, respectively, in parts per million found in the Pontypool area; and what information he has regarding the risks of dioxins and furans to human health.