To ask the Attorney-General how many staff, both police or civilian, are employed by the Serious Fraud Office; and how many there have been in each year since its creation.

The Serious Fraud Office currently employs 116 permanent civil servants. The figures for previous years are as follows:Sixty-two in 1988–89, 83 in 1989–90 and 101 in 1990–91. The permanent civil servants employed are supplemented by temporary staff whose number varies with operational requirements. The number of temporary staff so employed is currently 57. The Serious Fraud Office does not employ police officers. Police officers work in conjunction with the Serious Fraud Office and are attached to cases under the control of the Serious Fraud Office by agreement with the appropriate police force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he gave financial approval for expenditure on the electric locomotives used on the Stoke on Trent-Euston service; and how many (a) class 90 electrics and (b) class 86–2 electrics (i) were approved and (ii) are currently in use;(2) how many 1987–88 InterCity new 110 mph class 90 electric locomotives were

Approval for 50 class 90 locomotives was given in 1984. Fifteen were allocated by BR for use on InterCity services on the west coast main line, of which the Stoke-Euston route is a part. All are currently in use on that line.The remaining 35 class 90 locomotives were allocated to what are now the freight and parcels sectors.Approval for class 86/2 locomotives was given in the mid–1960s. Information on their original deployment is no longer available. Twenty-two class 86/2 locomotives remain in service on the west coast main line.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he plans to commission a study on the implications of continental-gauge freight operations into the United Kingdom and the effect upon existing freight operations to and from the existing regions;(2) when he last discussed with the chairman of British Rail the implications of building a continental-gauge freight route to London.

BR is confident that it has sufficient capacity on its existing lines to cope with forecast increases in international freight and its limited programme of structure gauge enhancements on specific route sections will enable some 95 per cent. of swap bodies and containers used on the continent to travel to the BR network of regional channel tunnel freight terminals. Operating continental gauge freight wagons in the United Kingdom would require either the construction of new lines or very costly modifications to existing lines and rolling stock. It is envisaged that the new channel tunnel rail link to London would be built to continental gauge. My Department is considering with British Rail the revenue and cost implications of designing this link to accommodate freight as well as passenger trains, compared with alternative ways of providing additional capacity for freight movements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision is included in his Department's expenditure plans for 1991 to 1994 published in February 1991 and adjusted in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's autumn statement for the construction of the proposed new terminal at King's Cross.

It is for British Rail to decide its investment programme and priorities within the resources available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has received from British Rail about the amounts of revenue income from high-speed rail link services along the Ove Arup route that will be attributable, respectively, to the financing of the proposed new terminal at King's Cross and that of the planned station at Stratford East.

For each of the routes studied, the forecast revenues associated with proposed stations were treated as an integral part of the route and not individually identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to introduce minimum standards for large goods vehicle instructors; and how this will be implemented and monitored.

I have no plans at present to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the average typical first-year costs and rates of return for local road safety schemes.

A report published by the Transport and Road Research laboratory in 1989 showed that the average local safety scheme cost about £7,000 and saved just over one casualty accident per year, valued at £16,690, where both figures are in 1987 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the British standard for splash and spray suppression to be upgraded to the higher European directive standard.

I hope that a revised standard will be available by the middle of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of lorries stopped and checked for possible overloading expressed as a percentage of total lorry journeys.

It is estimated that in 1990 about 0·06 per cent. of all HGV journeys were checked for excessive weight.This statistic relates to vehicles weighed by Department of Transport and local authority trading standards enforcement staff. The police also weigh vehicles, but no information on the numbers they weigh is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the damage and wear inflicted on highways by private cars.

The damage and wear inflicted on highways by private cars is very small in relation to that caused by lorries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the annual cost over the past five years of the damage caused to (a) highways and (b) under-road services by lorries.

The road track costs of vehicles in the United Kingdom, and the amounts allocated to large goods vehicles are given in the Department's annual publication "The allocation of road track costs", copies of which are available from the House Library. Technical investigation has failed to establish any direct causal link between heavy lorry traffic and damage to underground services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will give details of any time limits which have been set within his Department within which statutory procedures for the introduction or alteration of speed limits on principal roads must be completed; and whether he will make a statement.

No statutory time limits are set for my Department to deal with speed limits on principal roads. They are dealt with as quickly as possible. I intend to set target times within which this work should be done in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the current number of formal applications submitted by local highway authorities to his east midlands regional office seeking to introduce new or revised speed limits on principal roads; how long ago the earliest submission which remains undetermined was made to his Department; and how many full-time staff are deployed on this work.

There are currently seven applications still undetermined. The earliest was submitted on 8 February 1991. No staff work exclusively on speed limit orders. Resources are deployed as and when necessary and target times within which this work should be completed are to be set to avoid such long delays.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will make a statement, with specific dates, on the involvement of his Department in approving the 40 mph speed limit on the A6003 road through Preston, Rutland; and what action he intends to take to prevent any repetition in Leicestershire or Rutland of the incident by which the signs were erected but remained covered and inoperative between January and October 1991.

The formal application from Leicestershire county council was received on 21 March 1991 and after due consideration consent was notified to the county council on 20 September 1991. The erection of the necessary signs is a matter entirely for Leicestershire county council as the local highway authority. I am unable to comment on why the council chose to erect the signs in advance of the order being sent to my Department. The signs were uncovered shortly after consent was granted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consultations he has had with London Underground over the standing capacity limits in tube carriages;(2) what representations he has received over the capacity limits of London Underground trains.

We have received only one representation in the last three years about the capacity limits of London underground trains, although I understand the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate has received a few letters.The inspectorate has discussed with London Underground on the Secretary of State's behalf plans for refurbishing existing trains and proposals for new stock. It has been an objective of these discussions to maximise passenger-carrying capacity while maintaining safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with councillors from Avon county council over proposals to develop Filton airfield into a commercial airport.

Filton is one of the 10 locations being considered by a working group, chaired by my Department, in terms of their ability to help meet air traffic demand after the turn of the century. The local authority input to the group's work, including that from Avon county council in respect of Filton and Bristol Lulsgate, is being coordinated by Serplan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the estimated cost to an average yacht owner of installing the necessary safety equipment and crew required by the proposed Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Yacht) Regulations; and when he plans to bring these regulations into force.

There will be no cost to the average yacht owner. The proposed regulations will apply only to commercially operated yachts. It is intended that the regulations come into force on 1 April 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which yachts will be subject to the proposed Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Yacht) Regulations; and how many such yachts he estimates there are in the United Kingdom.

Only commercially operated yachts will be subject to the proposed regulations. Yachts used solely for the sport or pleasure of the owner are excluded from the regulations. Information on the numbers and use of yachts is not held by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on similar regulations to the proposed Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Yacht) Regulations in force in each of the other EC countries; and if he will report when such legislation was enacted.

Scandinavian standards, which detail extensive requirements, for commercially operated pleasure craft are being implemented in 1992 by Denmark. The Netherlands are incorporating similar regulations next year and Belgium in 1993. No information on the requirements of other EC countries is available at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many surveyors from his Department will be employed, and at what cost to the Exchequer, to enforce the proposed Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Yacht) Regulations; and what he will charge yacht owners to have their vessels surveyed.

Application of the regulations will require no additional surveyors or cost to the Exchequer. Any survey required on commercially operated yachts will be charged for surveys in accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 1991, SI 1991/784.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) angling boats, (b) charter yachts, (c) cruising yachts, (d) diving boats and (e) sailing schools, respectively, will be affected by the proposed Merchant Shipping (Pleasure Yacht) Regulations.

Information on the various types of craft, used commercially, is not held by the Department. Sailing schools can operate under the terms of the code of practice for sail training ships. Compliance with the code, which was developed with the industry, gives exemption from the requirements of legislation. If agreement can be reached with those concerned it is proposed to introduce further codes of practice to cover other categories of pleasure craft used commercially.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost of the single track train accidents at Bellgrove, Hyde and Newton, including loss, damage, repair, replacement of rolling stock, other assets and equipment, related staff, resource and disruption costs, legal fees and all forms of compensatory payments made to passengers, British Rail's staff and relatives.

Details of these costs are matters for British Rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in securing the introduction and servicing of the class 159 DMU trains due to operate on the Waterloo-Andover-Exeter service from October 1992, to which he referred to his answer of 19 November 1990, Official Report, columns 35–6.

I understand that BR expect the new class 159 DMU trains to be delivered during the summer of 1992 and to enter service from September 1992. I can confirm that British Rail are now able to go ahead with the construction of the new depot at Salisbury to service and maintain these trains, within the finance available to them within the autumn statement. The Government's decision to provide a substantial increase in funding for investment in the railways has enabled BR to allocate money to this project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when the report of the wave energy review being carried out by his Department will be published.

The interim report on the wave energy review is published today and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of the House. The report explains the methodology being used in the review. All interested parties are being consulted in this work as it progresses. The final report containing the results of the review will be published early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the amount of energy recently produced by the joint European torus laboratory at Culham.

In the experiment on 9 November, the JET device is reported to have produced an energy release equivalent to 1 MW for two seconds. Many times this amount of energy was required to operate the device.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the cost to date of the JET programme at Culham.

The cost of the JET programme to the European Community and associated partners Sweden and Switzerland has been about £750 million to the end of 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many families were dependent on state benefits in 1961; and how many families are dependent on state benefits in the current year.

Provisional figures show that 353,000 families were receiving family credit in August 1991. In 1990, the latest yar for which figures are available, there were 1.15 million families receiving income support. Figures are not available for 1961.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 11 November, Official Report, column 356, if he will list the six Departments and agencies which exceeded a 3 per cent. level of staff registered as disabled in 1990.

In 1990 more than 3 per cent. of employees were registered disabled in each of the following departments and agencies: Crown Estate Office; Department of Employment Group; Land Registry; National Investment and Loans Office; Paymaster General's Office; Registers of Scotland.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will arrange for the common core memorandum on departmental annual reports issued by Her Majesty's Treasury in July to be further revised to include in section D research and development undertaken by or sponsored by the Department;(2) if he will make it the practice for all departmental annual reports to include as part of their common core information a statement of research and development activity sponsored by or undertaken by the Department.

All departments with significant levels of spending on research and development already include relevant material in their departmental annual reports. Past and planned spending by departments on research and development was set out in table 4.13 of the "Statistical Supplement to the 1990 Autumn Statement", Cm. 1520. Up-to-date information will be published early next year in the "Statistical Supplement to the 1991 Autumn Statement". Extensive additional information is published by the Cabinet Office in the annual review of Government-funded research and development. The requirements for the 1993 departmental reports will be reviewed in the light of comments on the 1992 reports from Select Committees and others.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to co-ordinate the activities of the Departments of Health and of Education and Science on including health promotion and self health care into the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

It is already the policy of both Departments to work together closely in order to secure that young people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote their immediate and long-term good health. To that end, aspects of health education are already included, wherever relevant, in several national curriculum foundation subjects.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for 19 November.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce legislation to enable local authorities to introduce identical service charges for people's properties purchased under the right-to-buy legislation, where the properties are similar and receive the same services; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to amend the legislation, which provides that a tenant exercising the right to buy a flat may be required to bear a reasonable part of the costs of repair and other services provided by the landlord.The protections of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 apply to purchases of local authority flats under right to buy as well as to purchases in the private sector. Leaseholders have the right to information on how their service charges have been made up and may challenge unreasonable demands in court.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what matters were discussed and decisions taken at the third preparatory committee meeting for the United Nations conference on environment and develop-ment in August; and if he will make a statement.

The preparatory committee for the United Nations conference on environment and development-UNCED—held its third session at the United Nations Office in Geneva from 12 August to 4 September 1991.The preparatory committee considered reports on the activities of the conference secretariat and of other intergovernmental bodies. In its plenary sessions, the preparatory committee considered the structure and organisation of the UNCED action programme and cross-sectoral issues such as finance and technology. The preparatory comittee also considered the arrangements for UNCED, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 1 to 12 June 1992.Working group I of the preparatory committee considered proposals relating to the atmosphere, land resources, biological diversity and biotechnology. It also began work on a statement of principles on the management, conservation and development of all types of forests. Working group II considered proposals relating to the oceans and seas, freshwater resources, wastes and chemicals, while Working group III discussed legal and institutional matters, including proposals for a declaration of principles on general rights and obligations in the field of environment and development.Many of the decisions the preparatory committee adopted requested the UNCED secretariat to prepare revised proposals for the preparatory committee at its fourth session, which will take place in New York from 9 March to 3 April 1992.The United Kingdom presented reports by consultants on the role of technology transfer in the conservation of biological diversity and in tackling global climate change, and a discussion paper on the linkage between population, environmental degradation and development. These documents will be laid before the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the National Rivers Authority report on river quality.

I understand that the National Rivers Authority expects to publish its report of the 1990 river quality survey in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what account was taken of the ideas submitted to him by the Liberal Democrats in the preparation of the Local Government Finance Bill.

We welcomed the Liberal Democrats' decision to take up our offer of discussions on the future of local government finance. We do not, however, believe that a local income tax is the way forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will quantify the net value of transfers—gross transfers minus reverse transfers from housing revenue accounts to general funds—from local authority general funds to their housing revenue accounts for each calendar year between 1980 to 1990 both on an England and Great Britain basis.

The information requested for English local housing authorities for the financial years 1980–81 to 1989–90 is shown in the table.

Year	Net Value of Transfers to Housing Revenue Accounts £
1980–81	308,697,811
1981–82	327,383,247
1982–83	251,723,321
1983–84	291,333,242
1984–85	287,590,281
1985–86	257,615,638
1986–87	276,691,862
1987–88	279,016,885
1988–89	308,841,920
1989–90	82,580,313

The figures are taken from housing subsidy claim forms and are not audited.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities in (a) Great Britain and (b) England made transfers from their housing revenue accounts to their general funds during 1990–91 and 1991–92; what is the estimated total value of such transfers; and if he will provide similar information on a projected basis for 1992–93 and 1993–94.

Schedule IV to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 requires a local housing authority to make a transfer from its housing revenue account to some other revenue account if its housing revenue account subsidy calculation results in a negative amount. The transfer must be equal to that amount. An authority not entitled to housing revenue account subsidy may also transfer any end-of-year surplus on its housing revenue account to some other revenue account. In 1990–91, a total of 19 English authorities transferred an estimated total of £23,227,569 from their housing revenue accounts. In 1991–92, a total of 14 authorities are expected to transfer an estimated total of £21,741,658 from their housing revenue accounts.The level of transfers from housing revenue accounts in 1992–93 and 1993–94 will depend largely on annual decisions about rent guidelines and management and maintenance allowances for those years and the amount of rent rebate expenditure incurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many local authorities in England failed to attract a positive housing borrowing capital account during 1990–91 and 1991–92 and the total aggregate value of the annual housing capital guideline allocations to such authorities;(2) how many local authorities would continue not to attract a positive borrowing capital account if total gross capital housing allocations to local authorities in England were raised to

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update the information given in his answer of 28 March 1991, Official Report, column 533, on how much the estimated cost of housing revenue account rent rebate subsidy for years 1990–91 and 1991–92, and its planned provision for years 1991–93 and 1993–94 would be were it not for the assumed transfer of rental income from the tenants of some councils.

The total contributions to rent rebates which local authorities made from their housing revenue accounts in 1990–91 is estimated to be £195 million. It is estimated that authorities will make contributions of £302 million in 1991–92 and £530 million in 1992–93. The estimate for 1992–93 is subject to the outcome of the current consultation exercise on proposals for rent guidelines and management and maintenance allowances for that year. No decision has been made for 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a complete list of all those local authorities that have been issued with (a) section 13 notices, (b) section 14 notices, both under the Local Government Act 1988, (c) section 19a notices and (d) section 19b notices, both under the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, giving dates of issue in each case, and indicating for each case the reason for issuing the notice.

Following is the information:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the EC directive of 28 June 1984 on the combating of air pollution from industrial plants (84/360/EEC) has been transposed into United Kingdom law.

Implementation of the air framework directive in Great Britain has been by means of the Alkali &c. Works Regulation Act 1906, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and regulations made thereunder. This will be reinforced by the new controls introduced under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.Implementation in Northern Ireland is also by means of the Alkali Act. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland intends to make regulations to bring into effect the residual requirements of the directive relating to public access next spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will review government classification of ozone levels so that they are in line with World Health Organisation guidelines and report exceeding of eight hour guidance values.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 11 November 1991, Official Report, column 394.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Lincolnshire will be in the first batch of local authorities that will be recommended for consideration by the local government commission when it is established.

We are still considering what would be the most balanced and manageable programme of reviews for the Local Government Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the university of Aston business school to report on the national survey of parish and town councils; and if he will make a statement.

We have received the results of this survey. The university of Aston business school is preparing its final report which we hope to publish in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environmnent what progress has been made in the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on a protocol controlling emissions of volatile organic compounds; and if he will make a statement.

Negotiation of a protocol to the 1979 convention on long-range transboundary air pollution, which would control the emissions of volatile organic compounds—VOCs—or their transboundary fluxes, has now been successfully completed and the United Kingdom today became one of the first signatories to the protocol.VOCs are major precursors of ground level azone, a pollutant which can affect human health and damage crops and trees. Ground level ozone is an international problem, and some of the worst ozone episodes in the United Kingdom have significant contributions of continental origin. It therefore needs to be tackled by international agreement.The new protocol is the first international commitment to VOC abatement across the board. It obliges most parties to secure a 30 per cent. overall reduction in their VOC emissions between 1988 and 1999. Other basic obligations include requirements, two years after the protocol enters into force, to apply national or international emission standards to new sources of VOCs, taking account of guidance on control technologies given in the protocol; to apply national or international measures to products that contain solvents and promote the use of products with low or nil content; and to foster public participation in VOC emission control.The United Kingdom is already taking a number of steps which will help it to comply with the protocol, which represents an important step forward in international action to improve the quality of our environment. I am arranging for a copy of the protocol to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be meeting members of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee.

I am meeting members of the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee today following the inaugural meeting of the reconstituted committee. I have asked members of the new committee to look at the three particular subjects. First, I have asked them to review the radioactive waste disposal issues which are likely to arise over the next 20 years. Secondly, I have asked them to review the overall national radiation monitoring programme following the installation of phase 2 of the radioactive incident monitoring network and to make recommendations. Thirdly, I have asked them to consider and advise on the extent and nature of the Department's radioactive substances research pro-gramme.The members of the reconstituted committee are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by district authorities in the south-west region all capital receipts from the sale of council houses received each year since the introduction of right to buy.

[holding answer 18 November 1991]: The total discounted value of all sales of houses and flats for each year from 1980–81, as reported by local authorities, are in the table. Actual cash receipts in any year will depend on the extent to which the sales were financed by loans from the authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice his Department offers to land owners and others concerning the control of straying domestic or feral cats.

I have been asked to reply.None. I am not aware of any demand for such advice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement on the negotiations with the Baltic states on the Baltic gold.

Talks were held with an Estonian delegation on 7 November; a Latvian delegation on 8 November; and a Lithuanian delegation on 13 November. The discussions were friendly and useful progress was made. In each case it was agreed that a further round of discussions be held soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his meetings with representatives of Lithuania concerning repayment of the Baltic gold.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed the question of the gold when he met President Landsbergis in Blackpool on 8 October. Subsequently talks on the gold and other financial issues were held in London on 13 November with a Lithuanian delegation led by the Lithuanian deputy Foreign Minister. It was agreed that a further meeting be held soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there are any plans to reopen diplomatic relations with Libya; and if he will make a statement.

There are no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the number of refugees fleeing Yugoslavia and going into Italy, Hungary and Austria.

A total of 35,000 Yugoslav refugees have registered in Hungary. Between 5,000 and 8,000 refugees are believed to have arrived in Austria. Since there is no visa requirement for Yugoslays travelling to Italy, no figures are available for refugees there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the numbers of British citizens employed in Libya during the past five years to the latest available date; and if he will make a statement.

Figures are available only for 1988, 1989 and 1990. We estimate that 5,000 British nationals, including dependants, were living and working in Libya in 1988 and 1989 and around 5,500 in 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will veto the extension of EC competence into any areas not directly related to the establishment of the single market.

A number of proposals have been put forward in the intergovernmental conference on political union for extensions of EC competence. We consider them on their merits, but the Government have made clear that a significant increase in competence would be undesirable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, further to his answer of 13 November, Official Report, column 525, if he will place copies of the papers concerning the Morning Star and Pergamon Press in the Library.

We will do so when they have been translated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty; and if he will make a statement.

We are committed to a comprehensive test ban within the context of general and complete disarmament. Because our security will depend for the foreseeable future on deterrence based in part on the possession of nuclear weapons, we have a continuing need to carry out nuclear tests to maintain the effectiveness and safety of our deterrent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the United Kingdom delegate voted on the draft resolution on a comprehensive test ban treaty (Document A/C. 1/46/L.4) at the United Nations on 11 November.

The United Kingdom abstained on the resolution in the first committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards a moratorium on United Kingdom nuclear tests.

We have a continuing need to carry out tests to maintain the effectiveness and safety of our nuclear deterrent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's policy towards a negotiated gradual reduction in the number of nuclear tests worldwide.

This is primarily a matter for the United States and Soviet Union. The United Kingdom has only a limited test programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of the potential impact of a comprehensive test ban treaty on the futher proliferation of nuclear weapons.

The 1968 non-proliferation treaty—NPT—is the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. A comprehensive test ban would not change the policies of those states not parties to the NPT, or prevent certain countries like Iraq who are parties to the treaty from seeking a nuclear capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of the potential impact of a comprehensive test ban treaty on the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons arsenal.

For as long as the United Kingdom's security and that or our allies relies on our possession of a minimal nuclear deterrent, the United Kingdom will have a requirement to carry out tests from time to time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of (a) men and (b) women who are foreign nationals and are at present serving prison sentences in prisons in England and Wales for conviction for seeking to import illegal drugs into the United Kingdom.

The information readily available does not distinguish the different types of drugs offence.On 30 June 1990, the latest date for which information is available, about 1,090 males and 160 females recorded as foreign nationals were held in prison service establish-ments in England and Wales under sentences for drugs offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost (a) to his Department and (b) to police authorities, of holding prisoners in police accommodation during the action by prison officers to limit numbers at Cardiff prison (i) as a total to date and (ii) in each month to date.

Separate information on the cost of holding Cardiff prisoners in police cells is not collected centrally. It could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to magistrates on passing those convicted of taking away a motor vehicle without consent to a higher court for sentencing.

The power to commit for sentence does not apply to the current offence of taking a vehicle without consent, which is triable summarily only. We shall shortly bring forward proposals for a new offence of aggravated taking carrying more severe punishment in the Crown court. Magistrates would be able to commit an offender convicted of the new offence to the Crown court for sentence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the number of crimes committed by individuals granted bail during the last 12 months;(2) how many police officers have been injured or assaulted by persons who were on bail at the time of the offence during the last 12 months.

Information on the number of recorded offences committed by persons who were on bail is not available separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Parole Board was informed about the case of a prisoner about whom the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill wrote to the Minister of State in the Home Office on 17 September; and when he expects to receive a reply from the Parole Board.

The case was referred to the Parole Board on 28 October 1991 and is scheduled for consideration on 27 November. I will write to the hon. Member once the outcome is known.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average cost of putting a potential immigrant through a test to determine whether he or she has sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh, or Gaelic languages.

There is no language test for potential immigrants. In a small number of cases, it may be necessary to make special inquiries to establish that applicants for naturalisation meet the statutory require-ment to have a sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language. The cost of these inquiries cannot be separately identified from the cost of other inquiries that are made in particular applications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning convicted and remand prisoners being kept in police stations because prisons are full; whether he has any immediate plans to reduce the number of prisoners being held in police cells in Leicester; and whether he has any timetable for ending the holding of convicted and remand prisoners in police stations nationwide.

I have received a large number of representations from hon. Members and others about this problem. As my hon. Friend has made clear, he has taken a number of steps to reduce the numbers held in police cells, by converting young offender establishments to adult use, deferring the closure of wings, and retaining in use establishments which would otherwise have closed.Because the arrangements for holding prisoners in police cells are co-ordinated nationally through the police mutual aid co-ordination centre, it is not possible to predict the effect of these measures on police cells in particular areas. While not being able to predict accurately when the problem will be solved, I can say that I believe the measures taken, together with new prisons opening, will relieve the pressure in the foreseeable future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on which Acts of Parliament are in force governing which shops and markets may open and what goods may legally be sold on Sundays in England; and who has responsibility for enforcing such Acts.

Part IV of the Shops Act 1950 contains the general prohibition on Sunday trading in England and Wales. It also contains provisions for partial exemption from, and modification to, that general prohibition, and for there to be, in schedules 5, 6 and 7 to the Act, lists of exempted transactions. Special exemptions from the general prohibition are also made in the Tyne and Wear Act 1976 for the Quayside market in Newcastle upon Tyne; in the West Midlands County Council Act 1980 for the national exhibition centre in Birmingham; and in the Greater London Council (General Powers) Acts 1981 and 1983 for exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences held at certain specified premises in Greater London.Local authorities are responsible for enforcing this area of the law.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has on the link between the level of crime and poor street lighting.

Recent independent research for the Home Office ("The Influence of Street Lighting on Crime and Fear of Crime", Crime Prevention Unit paper 28 and "The Effect of Better Street Lighting on Crime and Fear: a Reveiw", Crime Prevention Unit paper 29, both papers published in August 1991 and copies available in the Library) has shown that good street lighting is helpful in reducing the fear of crime but has little effect on crime itself, except perhaps in small localised spots where lighting is particularly inadequate. Other research has shown that it can also, in some cases, reduce the incidence of anti-social behaviour.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the guidelines to presiding officers at polling stations in order to minimise the risk of personation.

No. Revised and updated Home Office guidance for acting returning officers was issued in September of this year. If my hon. Friend is aware of a particular problem with regard to personation, perhaps he would consider writing to me about it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of annual retail turnover lost through unauthorised entry to premises by retailers in the United Kingdom; and what information he has on the percentage lost by similar crime from retailers in other EC countries.

It is estimated that retailers lose some 2 per cent. of turnover annually through the disappearance of stock. This loss includes thefts of all descriptions; the proportion attributable to unauthorised entry is not known and cannot be ascertained.Information about losses elsewhere in the EC is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give separate figures for spending by the Metropolitan police on (a) television advertising, (b) radio advertising, (c) newspaper advertising and (d) other promotional material in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what are his latest estimates for 1991–92 and budgets for 1992–93.

[holding answer 5 November 1991]: I understand from the Commissioner that expenditure by the Metropolitan police on all forms of recruitment and other advertising, and other promotional material in each financial year since 1979–80 is as follows (it is not possible to give separate spending figures for the years before 1987–88):

	£
1979–80	759,000
1980–81	967,000
1981–82	1,062,000
1982–83	1,028,000
1983–84	1,675,000
1984–85	1,747,000
1985–86	1,868,000
1986–87	2,269,000

	Television advertising £	Radio advertising £	Newspaper advertising £	Other promotional literature £
1987–88	—	3,000	1,,722,000	1,111,000
1988–89	—	6,000	1,881,000	1,258,000
1989–90	472,000	15,000	1,660,000	663,000

	Television advertising £	Radio advertising £	Newspaper advertising £	Other promotional literature £
1990–91	683,000	59,000	1,065,000	1,322,000
11991–92	200,000	66,000	1,110,000	1,852,000
1 Estimated out-turn.

Decisions on expenditure for 1992–93 have yet to be settled.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total expenditure by the Metropolitan police on press and public relations in 1979–80 and in each following year; and what is his estimate for 1991–92 and budget for 1992–93.

[holding 5 November 1991]: I understand from the Commissioner that expenditure on staff and accommodation costs of the directorate of public affairs, and on recruitment and other advertising and other promotional literature, in each financial year since 1985–86 and estimate expenditure for 1991–92 are as follows:

	£
1985–86	3,622,861
1986–87	4,444,103
1987–88	4,555,000
1988–89	5,475,000
1989–90	5,366,000
1990–91	5,921,000
11991–92	6,274,000
1 Estimated out-turn.

Information for the years prior to 1985–86 is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Decisions on expenditure for 1992–93 have yet to be settled.