To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether his Department has yet made an evaluation of the 1991 report by the OECD, "Choosing Priorities in Science and Technology", in so far as it applies to the United Kingdom.

I was interested to read this report which summarises the experiences of 10 OECD countries, including the United Kingdom. The report rightly acknowledges the complexity of choosing priorities and emphasises that each country should have regard to its own traditions and political, economic, social and cultural characteristics. The report usefully contributes to the wider debate on these important questions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what current contracts have been awarded to United Kingdom organisations under the EC marine science and technology (MAST) research and develop-ment programme 1989–92; and what benefits have accrued to the United Kingdom from participation in MAST.

United Kingdom organisations are participating in 29 of the 46 contracts awarded under the EC MAST programme (1982–92), and are acting as co-ordinators in 11. Although it is too early to assess the scientific and technical outcomes, this reflects the value which the researchers themselves expect to derive. It is also consistent with the Government's efforts to involve themselves as fully as possible in decisions about the scope and content of EC research programmes, so that UK researchers can achieve the maximum return from the available funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the total number of sports development officers in England for each of the past 10 years.

The information requested is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the initiatives taken by his Department since 1987 to support or expand the inspection services of local education authorities, with a table for each year of grants made available under the education support grant schemes, or other schemes.

My Department has supported the appointment of additional local authority inspectors through education support grants since 1989–90. The local education authority expenditure supported by grant and grant payable for each year since then is shown in the table:

£ million
Year	LEA expenditure supported by grant	Grant
1989–90	1·90	1·33
1990–91	5·50	3·30
1991–92	8·10	4·86

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out the recent representations he has received about the nutritional content of school meals; and if he will make a statement.

The Department has received a small number of letters in recent months about the nutritional content of school meals; this is a matter for those who organise school meals in schools and for local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the number of daily journeys on the south London line of channel tunnel freight (a) between 8 am and 10 pm and (b) between 10 pm and 8 am in (i) 1993, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 2003, respectively.

The only figures available were published by British Rail in March 1991. They envisage that by 1995 about half the channel tunnel freight trains (28 per day, taking both directions together) will use the south London line between Factory junction, Battersea and the Nunhead junction. Fourteen are expected to run between 0700 and 2300 hours and 14 between 2300 and 0700 hours.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to upgrade the North Downs link, and if he will make a statement.

British Rail is currently refurbishing the trains on the North Downs line. The section between Tonbridge to Redhill is being electrified and BR plans to electrify the remainder in 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures will be taken to minimise the impact of the international trains using existing track in south London during the period between the opening of the channel tunnel and completion of the rail link.

British Rail is replacing sections of jointed rail by continuously welded rail, eliminating the familiar wheel-on-joint noise of the traditional railway, and will use electric traction for all international trains. Both the passenger and freight trains will be powered by electric traction built to the latest noise specification applicable at the time the tenders were invited, and the new international wagons will also have to meet stringent noise specifications. In addition, as I announced on 19 June, British Rail and Kent county council are discussing what can be done to implement the council's proposals for protecting against noise the homes likely to be worst affected along the Kent stretches of the lines. British Rail is willing to hold talks on a corresponding basis with any other local authority whose area is likely to be similarly affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any special safety provisions were made for the transport by road from Dover to Dounreay in Caithness of highly enriched spent research reactor fuel, imported from Braunschweig in Germany at the end of September.

No special provisions were necessary as the flask was certified as fully complying with national and international transport safety regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent research has been undertaken by his Department into ways of improving safety in passenger train doors.

With the agreement of my right hon. and learned Friend, the Health and Safety Commission has asked the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to undertake an independent investigation into the causes of falls from trains. The investigation, which is now well under way, is being led by Her Majesty's railway inspectorate and also involves HSE's scientific, technical and statistical resources. The results will he published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions he intends to make to ensure that agreements between highway authorities and statutory undertakers are adhered to.

I shall be happy to respond to the hon. Member if he lets me know which agreements he has in mind.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects a decision to be announced on the location of a Eurofreight rail terminal in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

I expect British Rail to make an announcement very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on current and anticipated grant for, and levels of, investment in Network SouthEast, to include the financing of the restoration of Bournemouth station.

In 1990–91 the British Railways Board received £600 million of public service obligation (PSO) grant for the supported sectors, of which £143 million was for Network SouthEast. In 1990–91, investment in Network SouthEast was £349 million. Total PSO grant provision in 1991–92 will be at least £743 million. Planned investment by the British Railways Board in 1991–92 totals £1,095 million. It is too early at this stage to forecast the share of grant or investment for Network SouthEast. I understand from British Rail that it hopes to start restoration work on Bournemouth station in 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways the criteria of good government and human rights are being applied in determining aid to individual countries; and if he will make a statement.

Individual aid programmes are kept under regular review to ensure appropriate and effective use of resources. We take into account a number of factors which contribute to good government in the country concerned including respect for human rights. The Government announced in June a target of £50 million in new bilateral commitments for direct assistance on good government in the coming year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards controls on the trade in rain forest timber; and if he will make a statement.

The Government do not support unilateral bans or restrictions in the import of tropical timber. However, they do support and adhere to trade restrictions which have been agreed in international fora—such as appendix I of the CITES lists of endangered species.The Government believe that bans would be counterproductive and would serve only to speed up the rate of deforestation. They would only rob forests of the value which presently affords them some protection against needless conversion to alternative land uses.The Government aim to persuade and help tropical timber-producing countries to manage their forests on a sustainable basis.The International Tropical Timber Organisation also has an important role in helping to promote national policies aimed at sustainable utilisation and conservation of tropical forests and their genetic resources. The Government are helping to strengthen ITTO to ensure that it works more effectively.The Government are working towards the agreement of a declaration of principles for the sustainable management of the world's forest resources for endorsement by world leaders at the United Nations conference on environment and development 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if new logging activities in primary rain forest are currently funded under the bilateral aid programme; and if he will make a statement.

The Government do not finance commercial logging projects in primary rain forests. However, some timber extraction may be allowed in projects with wider objectives—for example, in studies of forest regeneration or in helping to promote sustainable management systems.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to amend the rate of value added tax on veterinary services and veterinary supplies, for pet owners.

None. VAT is intended to fall on a wide range of consumer expenditure. Moreover, our obligations under European Community VAT law preclude our introducing any new relief.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to remove value added tax from boatway and slipway refurbishments needed for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Such refurbishments have been zero-rated for VAT since 1984. My right hon. Friend has no plans to vary the position.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the proportion of loans given to industry by Britain's main clearing banks which had repayment periods longer than four years for each year since 1979.

Figures are not collected centrally by the Government. However, according to figures published by the British Bankers Association, the proportion of advances to United Kingdom residents (excluding persons) with a maturity of five years and over since 1982 are as follows:

	Per cent
1982	12
1983	13
1984	12
1985	12
1986	13
1987	15
1988	15
1989	15
1990	14

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost so far to the Exchequer of the recent Gulf war; and how much of this has been offset by cash contributions from other countries.

The additional defence costs of the Gulf conflict are currently estimated to be around £2½ billion, spread over several years. The bulk of the costs, some £2 billion, will be covered by the cash contributions generously pledged by other Governments, of which £1·93 billion has so far been paid to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate of income tax avoidance for the financial year 1990–91; and the Government resources allocated to identifying individuals in that category.

It is not possible to make reliable extimates of income tax avoidance. Work on investigating avoidance schemes is continuous and widespread.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if there are any proposals to transfer certain civil service functions and jobs from London to areas within Strathclyde; and if he will make a statement.

Departmental Ministers announce their own decisions on relocation venues once the essential processes of assessment and consultation have been completed. However, I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Garscadden (Mr. Dewar) on 24 July at columns 603–5 which listed civil service posts located or relocated to Strathclyde since 1979; and identified future plans including a new PAYE office for East Kilbride.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those industries, businesses and enterprises remaining in the public sector; and if he will make a statement.

The following enterprises are currently in the public sector:

• Audit Commission
• Bank of England Banking Department
• British Broadcasting Corporation
• British Coal
• British Railways Board
• British Technology Group
• British Waterways Board
• The Buying Agency
• Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd.
• Central Office of Information
• Channel 4
• Civil Aviation Authority
• Commonwealth Development Corporation
• Companies House
• Covent Garden Market Authority
• Crown Agents and Crown Agents Holding and Realisation Board
• Crown Estate Office
• Development Board for Rural Wales
• Driver Testing and Training Organisation
• English Industrial Estates Corporation
• Export Credits Guarantee Department
• Forestry Enterprise
• Her Majesty's Stationery Office
• Highlands and Islands Enterprise
• Horserace Totalisator Board
• Housing Action Trusts
• Housing Corporation
• Housing for Wales
• Industrial Training Boards
• Land Authority for Wales
• Local authority airports
• Local authority Bus companies
• London Regional Transport
• National Health Service Trusts
• New Town Development Corporations and Commission
• Northern Ireland Electricity Service
• Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company
• Northern Ireland Trust Ports
• Nuclear Electric plc
• Oil and Pipelines Agency
• Passenger Transport Executives
• Patent Office
• Pilotage Commission
• Post Office
• Remploy Ltd.
• Royal Mint
• Scottish Enterprise
• Scottish Homes
• Scottish Nuclear Ltd.
• Scottish Transport Group
• United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority
• Urban Development Corporations
• Vehicles Inspectorate
• Welsh Development Agency
• Welsh Fourth Channel Authority

Also included in the public sector are local authority enterprises, other than those above, for which no comprehensive list exists centrally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the current estimated level of British overseas investment; and what it was in 1979;(2) what is the estimated level of dividends received from Britain's overseas investment.

The estimated level of overseas direct and portfolio investment by United Kingdom residents at the end of 1990 was £312 billion, compared with £44 billion at the end of 1979. The interest, profits and dividends received by United Kingdom residents from direct and portfolio investment overseas in 1990 were £25·9 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what benefits to the United Kingdom economy have accrued from his recent visit to the Soviet Union.

During my right hon. Friend's visit he had discussions with a wide range of contacts in the public and private sector. My right hon. Friend received several requests for assistance. A number of these projects are being organised through the know-how fund for the Soviet Union, and will be of direct benefit to United Kingdom businesses. These contacts should also open up opportunities for United Kingdom companies in the Soviet Union in the years to come. More generally, my right hon. Friend's visit served to strengthen contacts between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 1980 any agreement for inheritance tax exemptions for national heritage land of outstanding scenic, historic or scientific interest has been broken; if he will indicate the location of the land and the undertakings that were broken in each case; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 17 October 1991]: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Arts who are the current chairman and officers of Yorkshire and Humberside Arts; what are their terms of office; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows:

• Ernest Hall (Chairman)
• Councillor Chris Heinitz (Deputy Chairman)

To ask the Attorney-General whether Her Majesty's Government has any plans to seek the extradition of Mr. John Cairncross, former Foreign Office civil servant, from France.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how long the Health and Safety Executive staff who investigated the accident of Mr. Randall at Maxwell house, Chadderton on 31 August 1989 had been in post; what qualifications they had; and what disciplinary action has been taken against them.

The inspector who conducted the investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Randall's accident joined the Health and Safety Executive in 1978 and holds an honours degree in engineering. The Health and Safety Executive considers that the inspector undertook the inquiry in an appropriate manner. The question of disciplinary action does not therefore arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many times in each of the last five years accidents occurred on sites where Vanguard Engineering was a sub-contractor which were not reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the correct manner, or in the correct time.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many notifiable accidents involving Vanguard Engineering (Northern) Ltd. happened during each of the last five years; and what action the Health and Safety Executive has taken to bring prosecutions against Vanguard.

The Health and Safety Executive is aware of two incidents in the last five years reportable to the appropriate enforcing authority under the Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1984 involving Vanguard Engineering (Northern) Ltd. Legal proceedings were not instituted by the Health and Safety Executive following the investigation of either incident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the cause of the accident to Mr. Randall of Reddish, at Maxwell house, Chadderton on 31 August 1989; and what consideration was given by the Health and Safety Executive to prosecuting (a) MCP in respect of reporting the accident and (b) Vanguard Engineering in respect of supervising the job.

The accident to Mr. Randall occurred when a lifting gantry frame fell over when a load was lifted through a floor opening and swung clear. It appears that brackets intended to secure the frame to the floor had not been fitted. Having investigated the incident the Health and Safety Executive decided that the prosecution of MCP was not appropriate and that of Vanguard Engineering could not be sustained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether the Health and Safety Executive interviewed all those persons working with Mr. Randall at Maxwell house on 31 August 1989 when an accident occurred to Mr. Randall to ascertain whether verbal instructions as to how the work was to be carried out had been correctly given; and what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to see that all witnesses to accidents are interviewed.

In the course of the investigation into the cause of Mr. Randall's accident, the Health and Safety Executive did not interview all those persons who were working with Mr. Randall at the time. Inspectors are not required to question every witness to an accident and may decide to curtail an investigation if, in their opinion, further inquiries are unlikely to be productive for their purposes. There are no proposals to change this procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many accidents in 1989 were not reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the correct manner and were only subsequently found out about by the Health and Safety Executive; and in how many cases employers were prosecuted for their failure to report an accident.

The Health and Safety Executive's records do not distinguish between accidents reported voluntarily by employers and those reported following inquiries by HSE. In 1989–90, HSE inspectors obtained 89 convictions for non-reporting under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance is issued by his Department to the Employment Service to ensure that the service (a) does not advertise jobs which are paying below the legal wage council minimum and (b) reports to the wages inspectorate any such offence in order that prosecution can take place; and if he will make a statement.

Questions on operational matters in the Employment Service executive agency are the responsibility of Mike Fogden, the agency's chief executive, to whom I have referred this question for reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to review provisions to assist people with disabilities in training or employment, and if he will make a statement.

Following a review of the Department's services and schemes for people with disabilities, we invited comments last year from a wide range of interested parties on a number of proposals to make our provision more effective. Since these consultations, we have announced a number of changes to existing measures or action which we are taking to consider issues further. We will make further announcements as appropriate. We will continue to keep our employment and training provision for people with disabilities under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he has any plans to review the registration rules for people with disabilities who are seeking employment or vocational training; and if he will make a statement.

Since its introduction, the main purpose of the disabled persons register, established under the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act 1944, has been connected with the operation of the scheme under which employers with 20 or more employees are required to employ a "quota" of registered disabled people.My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Employment announced on 17 September that he has decided to make no changes to the quota system and to keep the position under review. We will, therefore, continue to look at the operation of the scheme and reassess its effectiveness in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which organisations he normally consults on matters relating to employment and/or training of people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Ministers and officials from this Department and Training and Enterprise Council personnel are frequently in contact with a wide variety of organisations involved with people with disabilities to discuss matters affecting our employment and training services and schemes. Particular organisations are consulted on specific issues as appropriate.The National Advisory Council on Employment of People with Disabilities provides Ministers with advice at national level and committees for the employment of people with disabilities fulfil a similar function locally.Last year we issued two consultative documents on issues connected with the employment and training of people with disabilities, which together attracted comments from several hundred organisations and individuals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish a table showing his estimate of the number of apprenticeships in the construction industry, by trade, in each year since 1975; and if he will make a statement.

The available estimates from the Labour Force Survey are given in the following table. I will write to the hon. Member about his request for figures by trade.

Apprenticeships in the construction industry
Year	Thousands
1979	56
1983	75
1984	64
1985	67
1986	54
1987	64
1988	64
1989	81
1990	77

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list for each port in England and Wales, and for each year since 1985, the number of recorded accidents which have taken place in the course of the employment of dockers, stevedores and dock workers.

The information is not readily available in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The table shows the total number of injuries to employees occurring in the sea transport and port and inland water transport industries in Great Britain between 1985 and 1989–90. Injuries involving dockers, stevedores and dock workers cannot be separately distinguished.

Date of accident	Number of reported1 injuries
	Fatal	Major2	Over 3days3	Total
1985	12	120	n/a	n/a
1986–874	6	144	694	844
1987–884	13	136	672	821
1988–894	9	123	655	787
1989–904	11	94	514	619
n/a Not available.
1 As reported to the Health and Safety Executive's Factory and Agricultural Inspectorates under the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 (NADOR) for 1985 and the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what initiatives have been taken by his Department since July to improve health and safety in motor vehicle repair.

Since July 1991, the Health and Safety Executive has published and publicised a booklet and a video entitled "Health and Safety in Motor Vehicle Repair" aimed at improving health and safety in the motor vehicle repair industry. Inspectors have continued to undertake visits to motor vehicle repair premises for inspection and other purposes and to seek compliance with the health and safety regulations that apply. Additionally inspectors from the Heath and Safety Executive's engineering national interest group have met the National Tyre Distributors Association to discuss problems relevant to that sector of the industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish figures to the latest date available of health, safety and accident incidence in (a) the brewery industry, (b) the soft drinks industry and (c) the wine and cider industries in each of the past four years.

Reported injury statistics for these specific industries have been separately available only since 1989–90 and are provided in the table.Information concerning occupational ill-health is not available for these industries.

Numbers of reported1 injuries to employees in specified drinks manfacturing industries, 1989–90 2Great Britain
Injury Severity	Brewing and Malting3	Soft Drinks4	Wines, Cider and Perry5
Fatal	—	—	—
Major6	88	38	12
Over 3 Day7	1,555	396	98
All Reported	1,643	434	110
Rate per 100,000 employees
Fatal and Major	215·7	226·2	315·8
All Reported	4,027·0	2,583·3	2,894·7
1 Reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR) to HSC/E.
2 Year beginning 1 April.
3 Defined as Standard Industrial Classification 1980 (SIC) activity heading 4270.
4 Defined as SIC 1980 activity heading 4283.
5 Defined as SIC 1980 activity heading 4261.
6 As defined under RIDDOR.
7 Injuries causing incapacity for work for more than three consecutive days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what contributions Her Majesty's Government currently plan to make to the European Year of Health, Safety and Hygiene at Work.

The Government welcome this European initiative and hope that it will give a new thrust to the improvement of occupational health and safety throughout the Community. In the United Kingdom, a national liaison committee has been set up by the Health and Safety Commission to co-ordinate activities for the year. It is composed of employer, trade union, voluntary sector and Government representatives. The national committee is working with the Health and Safety Executive to develop a full programme of events and activities throughout the year. Some EC funding is available. Applications have been invited from a wide range of private, public and voluntary sector bodies to take forward projects during the year. In addition, many employers, workers and voluntary organisations are planning their own initiatives for the year. The success of the year clearly depends on the widest possible involvement at all levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what new measures to enhance health and safety in clinical laboratories have been recently introduced.

On 17 September the Health and Safety Commission published new guidance entitled "Safety in Health Service Laboratories" on safe working and the prevention of infection in clinical laboratories and post-mortem rooms. This was accompanied by model rules for staff and visitors.The guidance which has been made available to the Health Departments aims to help employers in the health care sector to comply with their duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, in particular in the context of risk assessment. A copy has been placed in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what recent studies have been undertaken by his Department on the environmental effects of noise in the workplace.

The Health and Safety Executive has a continuing programme of research into the effects of noise on employees in the workplace. Recent studies include a review of the non-auditory effects of noise which examined the effect of noise on, among other things, employees' performance, efficiency and health. Health and Safety Executive is to publish shortly a report by Professor Douglas Robinson on occupational hearing loss which provides tables to assist with the estimation of hearing loss caused by the combined effects of noise exposure and ageing.Studies on the effects of workplace noise on the external environment are also being undertaken by the Department of the Environment. The Building Research Establishment is examining the factors which affect the insulation of buildings. This will help to contain noise at source and minimise the transmission of noise from one work environment to another. In addition, research is under way into the degree of acceptability to the public of industrial noise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether Her Majesty's Government have taken any recent initiative to improve the safety of rough terrain agricultural and forestry vehicles.

The Health and Safety Executive has recently instigated two research projects on the safety of all-terrain vehicles. In one, funded jointly by the Health and Safety Executive and industry, the Scottish Centre of Agricultural Engineering is assessing the braking performance and stability of ATVs primarily with mounted or towed equipment. In the other, Health and Safety Executive's research and laboratory services division is investigating the stability of ATV when used as a means of transport over different terrains.Health and Safety Executive is also supporting a further initiative, jointly sponsored by the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association and the Agricultural Training Board, to improve the training given to drivers of ATVs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment whether his Department is making any assessment of the impact of training credits upon the provision of training opportunities for young people with special needs.

Within training credits schemes, suitable high quality training must be made available to all eligible young people, including those with special needs. The impact of the initiative upon young people with special needs will be addressed in the rigorous evaluation the Department is undertaking of the pilot schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many domestic tourists, overseas visitors and day trips there have been to the Heart of England tourist board area for each year from 1979 to 1991.

The available estimates of the numbers of visits by domestic tourists and by overseas residents to the Heart of England tourist board area for each year from 1979 to 1990 are contained in the following table. There were also 70 million same-day visits by residents of Great Britain in the 12 months between March 1988 and April 1989.

Millions
Year	Visits by domestic tourists	Visits by overseas residents
1979	9	0·8
1980	8	0·8
1981	10	0·7
1982	9	0·7
1983	9	0·8
1984	11	0·9
1985	10	1·0
1986	11	1·0
1987	11	1·0
1988	10	1·1
1989	19	1·3
1990	17	1·2
1 Based on the United Kingdom Tourist Survey and not wholly comparable with the figures prior to 1989 which were based on the British Tourism Survey Monthly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the outcome of the meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council held in Luxembourg on 14 October; and if he will make a statement.

The Council reached unanimous agreement on the draft directive concerned with health and safety on temporary and mobile construction worksites. The Council formally adopted a common position on the directive concerning written statements of employment conditions (proof of contract), on which the United Kingdom abstained in the vote.There was lengthy discussion of the provisions in the proposed directive on pregnant workers concerned with dismissal and maternity pay. However, agreement was not reached on actual texts, which were referred back to COREPER for further examination.There was agreement to take forward my proposal that the Social Affairs Council should launch an employment initiative, based on the principle that unemployed people should be provided with the help they need to return to work as quickly as possible, and on a commitment by the Council to devote more of its time at future meetings to identifying and disseminating information on effective practice. As the first practical step in this initiative, the Council took note of a paper which I presented on the comprehensive range of help and advice available in the United Kingdom to people without a job.The EC Ministers discussed implications of the European Court of Justice decision on the Barber case. Industrial action on the part of the interpreters prevented any discussion of the proposed directive on working time.This Council demonstrated yet again that the United Kingdom is far from isolated in its approach to EC social affairs. A wide range of member states have substantial concerns about the more difficult legislative proposals made by the Commission under its social action programme. In contrast, the Council was able to make progress on matters of genuine relevance to health and safety at work and agreed that high priority should be given to creating and sustaining employment.Prior to the Council, there was a meeting between members of the Council and representatives of the European Parliament to discuss the state of progress on EC social affairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what new opportunities exist for health authorities and fund-holding general practitioners to obtain complemen-tary and alternative medical treatment for their patients under the national health service as a result of his reforms.

Fundholding general practitioners may directly employ complementary therapists within their practice staff. Non-fundholding general practitioners may employ such therapists subject to their family health service authority's agreement to pay for the service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the current figures available on the average general practitioner list size for the Doncaster family health services authority.

At 1 April 1991, the latest date for which figures are available, the average list size for the Doncaster family health service authority was 1,984.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to compile and distribute to all hon. Members a map of health authorities and their boundaries in England and Wales.

No. Maps of health authority boundaries are available from the Health Services Journal price £2·95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has any plans to enable sufferers of inflammatory bowel disease to receive free prescriptions.

The extensive exemption arrangements already in operation and the prescription prepayment scheme protect those who might otherwise have difficulty in paying prescription charges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of consultants in rehabilitation medicine in post in England in December (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) July 1991, respectively.

The latest data available show that there were 11 consultants in rehabilitation medicine in post in England at 30 September 1990. No data prior to 1990 are held centrally as staff in this specialty were included in the figures for rheumatology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make it his policy to tighten monitoring procedures on psychotropic drugs, in the light of the withdrawal of triazolam;(2) if he will establish an inquiry into the conduct of the Committee on Safety of Medicines with respect to triazolam; and if he will make a statement;(3) if, following the withdrawal of triazolam, he will now undertake a study into the safety of the other benzodiazepines; and if he will make a statement;(4) for how many years triazolam was available in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Evidence of quality, safety and efficacy is required before any product is licensed. The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) continually monitors the safety of all such licensed medicinal products including drugs of the benzodiazepine group.Where new evidence emerges which suggests that a safety problem may exist for a particular drug or group of drugs, all available evidence is reviewed and the drugs placed under intensive surveillance. The existing pro-cedures allow for tightened monitoring whenever appropriate.Triazolam was first licensed for marketing as a medicinal product in the United Kingdom in 1978. The CSM has frequently reviewed its safety, but hitherto there was insufficient evidence to associate triazolam with any significant safety hazard at the doses employed in the United Kingdom. After careful consideration of the evidence which only recently became available, the committee recommended that the product be withdrawn from clinical use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total number of prescriptions issued by community pharmacists in Great Britain in 1990 for each individual benzodiazepine.

The information requested is as follows:

Benzodiazepines—Great Britain 1990
Drug group	Prescriptions (millions)
Temazepam	5·3
Diazepam	3·9
Nitrazepam	3·8
Triazolam	2·1
Lorazepam	1·4
Chlordiazepoxide	0·7
Oxazepam	0·5
Loprazolam	0·1
Lormetazepam	0·1
Clonazepam	0·1
Clobazam	0·06

These figures are estimates based on a sample of prescriptions of approximately one in 200 in England and Wales and one in 100 in Scotland which were dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what responsibility will be assumed by his Department for the dependence on triazolam of patients prescribed the drug;(2) what will be done to assist those currently dependent on triazolam to come off these drugs.

The clinical care of a patient, including that of dependence, is the responsibility of the physician in charge of the patient. The problem of dependence following prolonged treatment with triazolam and other benzodiazepines has been recognised for a number of years. The Committee on Safety of Medicines has recommended restrictions on the use of benzodiazepi-nes in order to reduce the risk of dependence. In the case of patients taking triazolam prior to its withdrawal, the Committee has recommended re-assessment of their therapeutic needs.The provision of treatment services for drug misusers, including those dependent on prescribed drugs, is the responsibility of local health authorities. The Government have made available to health authorities nearly £16·5 million in the current year for use in developing and expanding services for all drug users.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current estimate of the number of people in Great Britain taking benzodiazepines on a regular basis; and if he will take steps to discourage such use.

To discourage the improper use of benzodiazepines, these products are licensed only for short-term use in patients with severe anxiety or insomnia. Guidance from the Committee on Safety of Medicines on the correct use of benzodiazepines has been issued to all prescribers. Information on numbers of people in Great Britain taking benzodiazepines on a regular basis is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he intends to take to protect children in local authority homes from abuse by members of staff.

The measures that came into effect on 14 October with the implementation of the Children Act 1989 and its associated regulations and guidance, and the guidance published in the recently revised edition of "Working Together (Working Together —Under the Children Act 1989)" should ensure protection for children from abuse in whatever setting they are being looked after.The Children Act 1989—Guidance and Regulations —Volume 4—Residential Care contains specific guidance relating to abuse in children's homes, including the prevention of such abuse wherever possible and the action that must be taken to protect the child involved and deal appropriately with the perpetrator of any abuse.The Department also operates a consultancy service, which holds details of people whose fitness to care for children is in doubt. Local authorities and other organisations involved in the residential care of children are expected to carry out thorough checks on the suitability of staff, including using the consultancy service, prior to their appointment.In addition the Act and the regulations and guidance provide, for the first time, for local authorities to carry out regular and detailed inspections of children living away from home in a wide variety of settings, to ensure that their welfare is being adequately safeguarded and promoted. This would include inspections of the authority's own children's homes provisions, wherever possible by the authority's own arms length inspection unit.Each authority is also required to have a comprehensive and accessible complaints procedure in place for children they are looking after. Children in residential care should also have access to someone independent of the home whom they can contact to discuss any worries. Copies of the publications are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is planning to issue operational guidance on how the Criminal Justice Act should be administered by social services departments in order to accommodate young people who would previously have been maintained within the prison system.

A national steering group, comprising representatives of all the relevant Government Departments and local agencies, has been established to take this work forward. Its remit will be to bring forward an action plan and timetable for the development of services and facilities to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place to enable the practice of remanding juveniles to penal custody to be abolished.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what commitments his Department has given to Leeds Healthcare to cover any budget deficit in the current financial year of the Leeds General Infirmary Self Governing Trust and St. James' Self Governing Trust; and when he varied the instruction that all national health service trust budgets must be independently balanced;

The Department makes allocations to regional health authorities and it is for them to allocate to individual district purchasers. It is a statutory requirement that all NHS trusts must break even one year taken with another.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the annual remuneration figures for salaries and all benefits of all national health trust board members and senior managers will appear in the annual report of trust hospitals.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave to the hon. Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook) on 21 May at column 443.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to notify every social services department about the level of social security moneys to be transferred to their authority for community care funding.

Decisions about the amount to be transferred from the social security system to local authorities for community care funding will be taken as part of the 1992 public expenditure survey. Individual local authorities will be informed next autumn of their proposed standard spending assessment for personal social services for 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to review the way in which grants are made available by social services departments for adaptations to the homes of disabled people.

There are no plans to change the duty of social services departments under section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to make arrangements for adaptations to the homes of disabled people. In many instances this responsibility is discharged by housing authorities using their powers under part VIII of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, which introduced disabled facilities grants. Responsibility for the disabled facilities grants system lies with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. I understand that a review of the new system is under way. Officials from a number of Government Departments, including the Department of Health, are involved in consultations on the exercise. The results should be available early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he expects to receive an interim report from the committee on conditions of service for residential social workers chaired by Lady Howe.

The committee reports to the National Joint Council for Local Authorities' Administrative, Professional, Technical and Clerical Services. The hon. Member may wish to contact the national joint council for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what were the numbers of staff employed by each of the family practitioner committees in Wales in 1980 and in 1983 and those engaged by the successor FHAs in 1990 and in 1991.

The information for 1980 and 1983 is not available centrally. The numbers employed by FHSAs in 1990 and 1991 are shown in the table:

FHSA	Number of staff employed1
	1990	1991
Clwyd	47	54
Dyfed	43	46
Gwent	49	51
Gwynedd	45	46
Mid Glamorgan	67	70
Powys	20	25
South Glamorgan	56	60
West Glamorgan	39	44
TOTALS	366	396
1 September each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received a copy of the 12th radioactive waste management advisory committee's annual report; and what plans he has to take action on issues raised in the report referring to radioactive waste management in Wales.

A copy of the radioactive waste management advisory committee's 12th annual report was sent to me in August by the chairman of the committee.Along with the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Scotland, my right hon. Friend is currently considering the issues raised in the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether his Department has taken any initiatives to improve the hygiene and safety of sheep dipping since July.

The Agriculturel Departments have recently issued advisory notes and an accompanying wallchart to farmers on the safe use and disposal of sheep dip. This information has also been sent to the National Rivers Authority and agricultural merchants who sell sheep dip. The publications give practical advice to farmers and others engaged in the dipping of sheep on the siting of sheep dip baths and the safe use and disposal of the chemicals involved.All sheep dip products are licensed under the Medicines Act 1968 and are currently subject to a review to ensure the most up-to-date standards on safety—including safety to the environment. Any products which fail to meet these standards will be withdrawn from the market. The review will be completed by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what decisions he has made on the recommendations of the inspector's report on the public inquiry into the application to build a wind power farm in Cemmaes in Powys; and if he will make a statement on the future of wind-generated power in Wales.

My right hon. Friend granted planning permission for the wind farm at Mynydd y Cemmaes on 19 September 1991. Other wind farm proposals in Wales will need to be considered on their own planning merits. The Government's general policy is to stimulate the development and application of all forms of renewable energy, including wind energy, wherever they have prospects of being economically competitive and environmentally acceptable. The Department of Energy has invested more than £180 million on renewable energy programmes in the United Kingdom, and expenditure this year is at a record level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the number of consultants in rehabilitation medicine in post in Wales in December (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) July 1991, respectively.

Detailed information concerning medical staff in post, as at 30 September, is collected by means of an annual census. Rehabilitation medicine was not recognised as a speciality for this purpose until the 1990 census and at that date no consultants were formally recognised as working in rehabilitation medicine. This does not mean, however, that no consultants work in this area of medicine, only that they cannot, as yet, be recognised separately. I will write to the hon. Gentleman about how this will happen in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the total number of sports development officers in Wales for each of the past 10 years.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to improve road safety on the roadway between Portavogie and Cloughey in the townland of Ratallagh; if he will arrange for the erection of 30 mph speed limit signs; if he will provide a footway at this location; and if he will make a statement.

There are at present no proposals to improve the section of road in question, to introduce a 30 mph speed limit or to provide a footway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list works carried out since his reply of 19 November 1990, Official Report, columns 37–38; and what further proposals he has to improve road safety at Saltwater bridge, Kircubbin.

No works have been carried out at Saltwater bridge, Kircubbin since November 1990. A scheme to realign the carriageway and improve forward sight distances is due to start, subject to the availability of the necessary finance, early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to widen the Harbour road, Ballyhalbert, and to provide a footway in those stretches of the road where no footway presently exists.

There are present no proposals to widen Harbour road, Ballyhalbert or to provide additional lengths of footway on it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether land owners around Strangford lough require his approval to impose mooring charges in the lough.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the distances between (a) Kircubbin and Newtownards, and (b) Newtownards and Belfast; what is the price of a single adult bus ticket on each of these two routes; and if he would provide for private bus firms to provide scheduled bus services on these routes.

The distance between Kircubbin and Newtownards is 10·7 miles and between Newtownards and Belfast 10·1 miles. The adult single fare charged by Ulsterbus between Kircubbin and Newtownards is £1·65 and between Newtownards and Belfast is £1·20. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, as licensing authority, will consider any stage carriage application which it receives, giving due regard to the interests of both the travelling public and existing licensed operators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that the wooden fence at Shore road, Ballyhalbert, near the Gospel hall, is adequate to combat coastal erosion; and if he will make a statement.

The wooden fence in question was erected solely for road safety purposes. Protection against coastal erosion is provided by the rocks placed behind the fence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the success of the provision of rocks at Ballyhalbert to combat coastal erosion; how many complaints he has received about rats dwelling among these rocks; and if he will make a statement.

The provision of rocks is a recognised method of preventing coastal erosion and regular inspections indicate that it has proved successful at Ballyhalbert.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Colne Valley (Mr. Riddick) of 23 July, Official

Table 1
Pensioners income components by quintile—£ (1988 prices)
	(1) Total SS	(2) OCC	(3) Invest	(4) Earns	(5) Total	(6) Total	(7) Median equivalent
	Benefits	Pensions	Income		Gross	Net	Net
1st Quintile
1974	41·5	1·3	1·4	1·2	45·3	45·1	62·8
1979	49·6	1·2	1·5	0·4	52·7	52·2	69·8
1988	54·8	2·2	3·8	0·5	61·2	59·5	80·3
Increase 1974–79 (Per cent.)	20	-7	8	-64	16	16	11
Increase 1979–88 (Per cent.)	10	82	149	19	16	14	15
2nd Quintile
1974	48·3	2·8	2·1	1·1	54·4	54·1	74·5
1979	55·7	3·6	2·2	0·6	62·0	61·5	81·7
1988	62·1	5·7	4·5	0·7	73·0	71·7	97·7
Increase 1974–79 (Per cent.)	15	27	5	-51	14	14	10
Increase 1979–88 (Per cent.)	11	59	108	29	18	17	19
3rd Quintile
1974	52·7	6·2	3·8	3·2	66·0	64·7	87·2
1979	53·1	5·3	2·5	2·3	63·1	62·2	91·4
1988	63·4	9·9	4·9	1·1	79·3	77·2	111·5
Increase 1974–79 (Per cent.)	1	-14	-34	-30	-4	-4	5
Increase 1979–88 (Per cent.)	20	87	92	-51	26	24	22
4th Quintile
1974	51·6	11·9	6·8	11·5	81·8	76·8	103·8
1979	55·1	13·3	6·8	8·2	83·4	79·3	108·1
1988	64·1	28·1	14·6	6·8	113·6	105·7	139·1
Increase 1974–79 (Per cent.)	7	11	-0	-29	2	3	4
Increase 1979–88 (Per cent.)	16	111	114	-17	36	33	29
5th Quintile
1974	41·9	39·6	42·5	54·4	178·4	146·6	159·8
1979	51·7	46·2	34·5	40·7	173·1	143·1	157·9
1988	59·2	92·6	72·1	39·7	263·6	217·8	225·6
Increase 1974–79 (Per cent.)	24	17	-19	-25	-3	-2	-1
Increase 1979–88 (Per cent.)	14	100	109	-2	52	52	43

1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of those persons in receipt of the state pension are also in receipt of state earnings-related pension (a) in total and (b) in each of the bands of £1 additional pension from state earnings-related pension upwards.

As at September 1990, there were3,066,050 people in receipt of additional pension. Of these 23,760 received additional pension only.The numbers of people in receipt of additional pension with the amounts shown in £1 bands is as follows:

Amount £	Numbers
Less than £1	581,550
1– 1·99	524,380
2– 2·99	468,200

The information requested is in the table. The figures in columns 1–6 are subject to sampling error and to possible distortion by any switch in the composition of the pensioner population. The median equivalised incomes, being subject to generally smaller sampling errors and free from distortion by compositional changes, therefore give a more accurate indication of overall income changes by quintile. However, these figures cannot be broken down by income component.

Amount £	Numbers
3– 3·99	345,030
4– 4·99	234,720
5– 5·99	166,640
6– 6·99	109,760
7– 7·99	87,710
8– 8·99	74,150
9– 9·99	63,680
10– 10·99	53,970
11– 11·99	44,850
12– 12·99	39,540
13– 13·99	35,320
14– 14·99	29,920
15– 15·99	26,570
16– 16·99	24,260
17– 17·99	19,720
18– 18·99	16,770

Amount £	Numbers
19– 19·99	15,650
20– 20·99	14,440
21–21·99	11,130
22– 22·99	9,880
23– 23·99	8,230
24– 24·99	7,770
25– 25·99	7,730
26– 26·99	5,760
27– 27·99	5,170
28– 28·99	5,360
29 or more	28,190

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are currently in receipt of the state pension; and how many of these are also in receipt of income support.

In September 1990, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 10 million people in receipt of state retirement pension. In May 1990, the latest date for which these figures are available, there were 1·38 million people in receipt of both retirement pension and income support. A further 0·15 million people in receipt of retirement pension were partners of people in receipt of income support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has of the cost of paying the care component of the disability living allowance at all three levels to people who become disabled after the age of 65 years net of savings in the administration costs and payment of attendance allowance.

It is very difficult to estimate with any degree of certainty whether paying the three rates of the care component of disability living allowance to people who become disabled after the age of 65, rather than the two rates of attendance allowance currently available to them, would result in administrative savings or costs. The benefit cost of introducing such a change, net of anticipated expenditure on attendance allowance, would be in the region of £165 million in the first full year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest annual figures for unclaimed supplementary benefit or income support, housing benefit, and other benefit categories; and if he will make a statement.

The latest available information on the take-up of income-related benefits is for 1987 and is contained in the published estimates of take-up, a copy of which is available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of (a) extending invalid care allowance to people caring for someone on lower rate care component, (b) abolishing the waiting period in disability living allowance or reducing it to two months, (c) extending the linking rule in disability working allowance from eight months to two years for all long-term incapacity benefit recipients, (d) abolishing the qualifying benefit rules, (e) increasing disability working allowance threshhold levels to £50 per week for single claimants and £75 per week for couples, (f) reducing the disability working allowance taper to 15 per cent. and (g) aligning severe disablement allowance with IVB.

The information requested is as follows:

(a) We estimate that the cost of extending invalid care allowance to people caring for someone on the lowest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance would be about £20 million a year;

(b) I refer the hon. Member to the answers that I gave to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 6 December at column 191;

(c) We estimate that the cost of extending the invalidity benefit and severe disablement allowance linking rules from the present eight weeks to two years for all claimants would be around £30 million a year;

(d) We estimate that the cost of removing the qualifying benefit test for disability working allowance would be about £150 million a year once the benefit is established;

(e) We estimate that the cost of increasing the disability working allowance threshold levels to £50 per week for single claimants and £75 per week for couples would be approximately £22·5 million a year once the benefit is established;

(f) It is impossible to estimate with confidence what would be the cost of reducing the disability working allowance taper to 15 per cent. but it would probably be well over £100 million a year once the benefit is established;

(g) I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood) on 24 July at column 673.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of (a) making the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance. available to people aged over 65 years who also qualify for the care component, (b) making the lower rate care component of disability living allowance available to people who qualify aged over 65 years, (c) making the higher rate mobility component available to those aged over 65 years, (d) removing the lower age bar of disability living allowance, (e) reducing the age limit of disability living allowance to age two or three respectively, and (f) introducing a new higher rate at the same level as the higher rate care for people with locomotor difficulties in OPCS categories 9 and 10.

The information is as follows:

(a) The estimated cost of making the lower rate only of the mobility component available to people over the age of 65 who also qualify for the care component would be in the region of £15 million. The cost of making both the rates of the mobility component available to such people would he up to £100 million.

Estimates of the other costs which have been asked for are (b) £165 million, (c) £2 billion, (d) £35 million, (e) £30 million for an age limit of 2 or £25 million for an age limit of 3.

(f) There are particular difficulties with attempting to estimate the cost of introducing a new higher rate of the mobility component at the same level as the higher rate care for people with locomotor difficulties in OPCS categories 9 and 10. OPCS severity categories refer to overall levels of disability and a very severe level of overall disability may not necessarily equate with appreciable mobility needs. If a higher rate mobility component was to be paid in the way suggested in the question it would be necessary to decide the overall level of a person's disability before going on to determine whether there were any locomotion difficulties; and benefit would be awarded regardless of the severity of those locomotion

disabilities. The Government does not believe that such an approach would be either sensible or workable. The cost, assuming the normal age conditions for the mobility component, might be around £140 million, but this cannot be assessed with any certainty.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security between 1979 and 1987, what increase or decrease in incomes, after housing costs, occurred (a) for the poorest 100 of the population and (b) for the richest 100 of the population.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Oldham, West (Mr. Meacher) on 23 July at columns 535–37.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations he has received from the Campaign for Cold Weather Credits; and if he will make a statement.

Yesterday we received one representation concerning this campaign, to which we will reply separately. The Government have recently announced substantial improvements to the cold weather payments scheme. From this winter, payments will be made automatically to those who are entitled; a forecast trigger has been introduced; and the capital limit has been abolished bringing a further 400,000 people into the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what basis the adult population of Lambeth is calculated to be 172,411 for poll tax reduction grant instead of Lambeth council's estimated population of 181,000; and what difference the lower figure makes to the reduction given to Lambeth overall and on individual terms.

Instalments of community charge grant, which compensates authorities for the £140 general reduction in community charges in 1991–92, are currently based on the amount which each council had budgeted to collect in community charges for the year. After the year end further payments will be made to bring the total amount of grant up to 100 per cent. of the actual income forgone. Actual population is incidental to these calculations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many queries have been raised about the correctness of assessments of domestic properties since 1 April 1990 following the change of domestic rates after the introduction of poll tax; and what action he proposes to take to deal with the question of identically built and serviced properties erected prior to 1 April 1990 whose owners are now in dispute over incorrect assessments and which cannot be reviewed retrospectively by the district valuation offices.

Information on queries to local valuation offices about 1973 valuation list entries is not kept centrally. We do not propose to re-open the right to appeal against the assessments of domestic properties for general rates. All ratepayers had full rights to challenge their rateable values during the life of the previous system.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions have taken place between Government Departments, and agencies such as English Nature, and local authorities about possible conflicts between local authorities' duties to protect and maintain public rights of way and the duty under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to protect sites of special scientific interest.

No such discussions have taken place, although my Department is aware of correspondence between English Nature and highway authorities. Such authorities have a duty of care when operating within sites of special scientific interest and are advised to consult English Nature informally before undertaking operations in sensitive areas such as this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to restrict trade in wild birds; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bosworth (Mr. Tredinnick) on 14 October 1991, Official Report, column 13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent meetings have been held with the national advisory group on eco-labelling; and what publications on eco-labelling were released by his Department between the end of July and 14 October.

The national advisory group on eco-labelling last met as a body on 16 July; further meetings of its sub-groups, examining product categories, promotion and the administration of the scheme have been held since then.The national advisory group on eco-labelling published a report on its work, "Giving Guidance to the Green Consumer—Progress on an Eco-Labelling scheme for the UK", on 22 August. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department was represented at or participated in the conference on disasters, pollution and the environment, held at the university of Bradford on 10 to 12 September.

My hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside spoke at the conference on 11 September.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to meet officials of the Association of Municipal Engineers to discuss its report "Recycling Household Waste—The Way Ahead", a copy of which was sent to his Department in August.

Officials in the Department of Trade and Industry have already discussed the ideas in the report with its authors. We consider it a useful contribution to the current debate on the future of household waste recycling in this country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when his Department published its 1991–92 environmental protection research newsletter; from where and at what cost it can be obtained; and how many copies were printed on the initial print run.

The Department released its 1991–92 environmental protection research newsletter in June 1991; 500 copies were printed on the initial print run. The newsletter is available from the chief scientist group of the Department.