To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the reform of the standard spending assessments in the light of the Audit Commission's report.

Standard spending assessments (SSAs) are based on extensive analysis, research and continuing discussions with local authority representatives. The Government are not proposing any major changes to SSAs although data from the 1991 census will be incorporated as soon as possible after they become available.The Audit Commission is in the early stages of a study of standard spending assessments, but has published no recent report on the subject. We shall, of course, consider any recommendations which the commission may eventually make.

:To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) why the capital financing standard spending assessment for Westminster for 1991–92 was set at a level higher than that required by the council; what effect this had on the level of poll tax in Westminster; and if he will give the comparable figures for Great Grimsby and Humberside;(2) what considerations of policy led to the decision not to use the October figures of each charging authority's debt repayments as included in their budgets in calculating their standard spending assessments; and if he will give the basis of the assumptions which are used in fact.

The capital financial element of an authority's SSA is based on notional, rather than actual, outstanding debt. This is to ensure that all authorities are treated equally and that past and present policies with regard to financing capital expenditure do not affect SSAs. The use of actual debt would: penalise those authorities who have in the past chosen to use receipts to reduce debt; divert grant towards expenditure on trading services (which are specifically excluded from SSAs as they are assumed to generate income); and provide grant for those debt charges which are already covered by specific grants.The method of calculating the capital financing SSA element for all authorities is set out in the Revenue Support Grant Distribution Report (England). The underlying basis of the calculation is set out in annex VII of the SSA Handbook on Background and Underlying Methodology—copies of both documents are in the Library.The following table sets out the information requested:

	1991–92 capital financing SSA element	Equivalent net revenue expenditure	Effect on community charge if net revenue expenditure were equal to SSA
	£ million	£ million	£ per head
Great Grimsby	0·627	1·650	-16
Humberside	44·489	36·293	+13
Westminster	20·610	7·252	+85

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had, and proposes to have, with local government and other interested bodies with regard to his proposals for establishing an urban regeneration agency; and if he will make a statement.

The Department will consult on the proposals to establish an urban regeneration agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria he adopts when determining planning applications referred to him, or for decision by him following an appeal, that relate to the tipping of household waste and other rubbish.

Each called-in application and planning appeal is determined on its merits, having regard to the provisions of the approved development plan and any other material considerations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the balance of trade in building products in each of the past 10 years.

The information requested is as follows:

Year	Imports	Exports	Deficit
1982	1·85	1·31	0·54
1983	2·28	1·35	0·93
1984	2·63	1·45	1·18
1985	2·71	1·60	1·11
1986	3·03	1·46	1·57
1987	3·56	1·54	2·02
1988	4·17	1·59	2·58
1989	4·70	1·85	2·85
1990	4·65	2·15	2·50
1991	4·00	2·17	1·83

All figures are in £ billion at current prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the result of his deliberations on the planning application to build a rugby league stadium in Dewsbury.

My right hon. Friend has requested more information about alternative sites for the proposed stadium. He expects soon to receive and assess the further views of interested parties, before a final decision is made about the planning application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has now received the report of the inspector into the Barkby Thorpe, Leicester, methane site; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State expects to receive the inspector's report shortly and will consider it carefully before reaching his decision. I shall ensure that the hon. Member receives a copy of the Secretary of State's decision when it is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department is to make towards the environment week, 16 to 24 May, sponsored by the Civic Trust.

I will launch the midlands region environment week at the Green Show in the national exhibition centre on May 14. Lord Strathclyde will be launching a leaflet explaining how the public can help to prevent summer-time smog. Officials are discussing other opportunities for participation with the Civic Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reasons his standard spending assessment estimate for capital financing for Great Grimsby in 1991–92 was lower than Grimsby's budget expenditure; how much difference this made to the average poll tax in Grimsby; and if he will make good the difference.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give an estimate of the impact of the introduction of catalytic converters on United Kingdom emissions of nitrous oxide from road transport.

Before the introduction of catalytic converters on cars, road transport made a small contribution to United Kingdom emissions of nitrous oxide. Measurements made on the exhaust emissions of cars fitted with catalytic converters show that emissions are a factor of 3–5 higher. Nevertheless, even when all the United Kingdom vehicle fleet is equipped with catalytic converters, road transport emissions will still be small compared with other sources, particularly soils and nylon manufacture.Catalytic converters will in any case reduce emissions of other oxides of nitrogen by around 75 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures of households accepted as homeless by local authorities following mortgage repossessions for England and Wales.

Local authorities report quarterly on the number of households accepted under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985, distinguishing where the main reason for loss of the last settled home is mortgage arrears, but they do not separately identify those which were subject to repossession.The latest estimate is 3,700 such households in England, in the quarter ending December 1991.For information about Wales I would refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the comparative public sector revenue costs of housing homeless families in (a) Greater London and (b) in English non-metropolitan areas by (i) providing them with newly built council dwellings, (ii) providing them with council dwellings, newly acquired from the private sector and improved for letting and (iii) providing them with bed-and-breakfast accommodation; and if he will publish these figures on a comparable basis with those published in his replies to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 16 January 1987, Official Report, columns 331–32 and on 4 March 1987, Official Report, column 637.

I have looked carefully at the basis on which such an answer can be given and have concluded that the information is not available in a form which enables a valid comparison to be made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what consultations his Department has undertaken with the relevant authorities to ensure that local authorities are given adequate guidance in responding to pollution incidents affecting water supplies;(2) what consultations his Department has undertaken to improve the emergency provisions guidance given to local authorities in responding to pollution incidents affecting water supply.

Local authorities have special responsibility for private water supplies. DOE and Welsh Office consulted the local authority associations and other relevant bodies in preparing the joint circular on private water supplies issued in December 1991, in which paragraph 6.11 deals with the response to pollution. Water companies are responsible for the wholesomeness of public water supplies, but the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989, which were also the subject of consultation, require water companies to notify local and district health authorities of any event which, by reason of its effect on water supplies, is likely to give rise to a significant risk to the health of local people. The Departments have also published guidance on safeguarding the quality of public water supplies, which includes advice on emergency procedures; water companies are advised to consult local and district health authorities with regard to the appropriate steps to be taken when incidents occur. As a result of the Water Act 1989, the National Rivers Authority became responsible for pollution incidents affecting controlled waters used for water supplies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his plans for new regulations governing development by local planning authorities or on their land.

New regulations to replace the Town and Country Planning General Regulations 1976, together with associated secondary legislation and policy guidance, are currently being prepared. My right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales intend that the new arrangements should be in force by the end of June. Their main features will be:

—local planning authorities will continue to be able to grant themselves planning permission for development carried out by them, such as schools or local authority housing, and will also he able to grant themselves permission for development undertaken jointly with another person, such as a joint venture with a housing association;

—for all other development proposals to be carried out on local authority-owned land by other parties, planning permission will have to be sought from the responsible development control authority. (Thus a county council which is, for example, seeking to dispose of land with planning permission will have to apply to a district council, unless the development is a "county matter" (minerals and waste in England; minerals in Wales); and the district council would have to apply to the county council for development which is a "county matter");

—local planning authorities will now have to make a planning application to themselves or to another local planning authority and will be subject to broadly the same statutory procedures as other applicants;

—applications must be publicised as prescribed by a development order in the same way as applications from the public;

—to avoid a conflict of interest, applications may not be determined by a committee, sub-committee or officer responsible for the management of the land or buildings concerned;

—planning permission granted to local planning authorities for development by them or jointly will not pass to subsequent owners of the land. For example, an authority will not be able to grant itself planning permission for council housing, then change its mind and sell the land with planning permission to a developer.

In addition,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to recruit members of ethnic minorities in top grades of employment at his Department.

Recruitment for senior grades is undertaken by the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency on behalf of the Civil Service Commissioners.In order to aid the recruitment of members of ethnic minorities to senior grades the agency has formed links with universities, tertiary colleges and ethnic minority communities. Recruitment literature reflects a multi-racial work force; and validating selection procedures are in place to ensure that selection is fair and non-discriminatory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are members of ethnic minorities.

The numbers and percentages of non-industrial ethnic minority staff identified in the Department and its agencies at 1 April 1991 are:

Grade	Total number of respondents	Number of ethnic minority respondents	Percentage of ethnic minority respondents
1	1	0	0
2	4	0	0
3	18	0	0
4	20	0	0
5	88	1	1·1
6	144	4	2·8
7	660	20	3·0
Total	935	25	2·5

These figures are based on responses to a voluntary confidential survey of staff. Overall, 4·8 per cent. of all respondents to the Department's ethnic origin surveys are of ethnic minority origin.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of its employees; when it next plans to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

The Department completed a full survey of the ethnic origin of non-industrial staff in January 1991. A targeted re-survey took place in September 1991, and further targeted re-surveys will be conducted where necessary.Ethnic origin information is sought from all new entrants. The Department's ethnic origin database currently records 86 per cent. of staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the implications of surface temperature inversion for visibility on sections of the proposed yellow route for the M1–M62 motorway link on the Calder Valley.

No such assessment has been made at this early stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the sites of recognised vertebrate/invertebrate and ecological interest which will be affected by (a) the proposed yellow route and (b) the proposed purple route of the M1–M62 motorway link.

I will write to the hon. Member with a list of these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the relative proportion of green belt affected by (a) the proposed yellow route and (b) the proposed purple route for the M1-M62 motorway link.

80 per cent. of yellow route would be situated in green belt and 99 per cent. of the purple route. This is reflective of one of the design objectives, which is to minimise the effect on property.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his latest estimate as to the number of public representations received (a) in favour and (b) against (i) the proposed yellow route and (ii) the proposed purple route for his suggested M1-M62 motorway link.

More than 5,000 responses have so far been received, covering a wide range of issues. We have yet to analyse them.The purpose of consulting the public and representative bodies at this early stage in the scheme development is to listen to and learn from those affected. The comments received often relate only to localised matters rather than agreeing or disagreeing with any particular overall route.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to revise the Merchant Shipping Act 1989 to prevent foreign fishing boats registering as British.

An order amending the 1988 Act provisions dealing with entitlement to register a vessel as British, is being prepared. It will reflect a recent ruling of the European Court of Justice (commonly known as the FACTORTAME case) and will have the effect of permitting wider European ownership of British registered vessels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his policy with regard to a Sheffield to Manchester motorway link.

There are no proposals in the current roads programme to provide a new motorway link between Sheffield and Manchester. There are, however, a number of schemes in the programme which will improve journeys between the two cities. These include proposals for a new motorway link from the M1 to the M62 between Wakefield and Huddersfield; widening of the M62 between junctions 18 and 24; and improvements to the A616/A628 corridor. I shall, of course, keep the long-term trunk road network under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects completion of the services area on the M11 motorway at Birchanger.

The contract specifies completion of construction by August 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of motorcycle licence holders were provisional licence holders in 1990; and what this proportion was for 1981 to 1985.

Since the advent of driving licences that are valid until age 70 it has become difficult to produce exact figures on licence holders. However, information from the national travel survey 1988–1990 indicates provisional motorcycle licence holders account for nearly 10 per cent. of motorcyclists. This is about the same as the 1985–86 survey although the number of motorcycle licence holders has decreased by about a third over this period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department received a copy of the recently published report, "Local Bus Deregulation and the Consumer".

The report has not been submitted formally to my Department, but we are aware of its publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will intervene in the case of Mr. Anthony Benton to refer the conviction to the Court of Appeal.

Representations from Mr. Benton which have been submitted on his behalf are being considered to decide whether there are any grounds to justify our intervention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 22 April concerning Mr. Anthony Benton.

My right hon. Friend hopes to reach a decision on the case shortly. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as a decision has been reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it is expected the Police Complaints Authority will decide on any disciplinary proceedings arising from the arrest and conviction of Mr. Anthony Benton.

This is a matter for the West Midlands police and the Police Complaints Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the contemporaneous notes taken after the arrest of Mr. Anthony Benton are included in the papers of the case submitted to the Police Complaints Authority; and if he will make a statement.

These are not matters for my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to revise the guidelines for dealing with hon. Members' representations in immigration cases.

I have no immediate plans to do so, but the guidelines are kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will announce a time-table for reducing the number of prisoners in police cells; how many prisoners were so detained at the latest date for which figures are available; and in which police authority areas;(2) when he expects Operation Container to be discontinued;(3) what representations his Department has had about the future of Operation Container and the problems it has caused for the police service;(4) if he will be meeting representatives of the greater Manchester police authority to discuss Operation Container; and if he will make a statement.

Operation Container was set up specifically to deal with the shortage of prison accommodation in the greater Manchester area caused by the destruction of Manchester prison in April 1990. Since then, the prison population has risen and there is now a general shortfall throughout England and Wales of prison accommodation available to house all those who have been committed to prison by the courts. Measures have been taken to make more effective use of prison accommodation, and new accommodation is being added to the estate.Nevertheless, on 7 May there were still 1,638 prisoners in police cells for whom places could not be founed in prisons. They were held by the following police forces:

	Number
Avon and Somerset	43
Bedfordshire	21
Cambridgeshire	20
Cheshire	36
Cleveland	29
Cumbria	31
Derbyshire	15
Devon and Cornwall	22
Durham	34
Dyfed	24
Essex	13
Greater Manchester	233
Gwent	2
Hampshire	3
Hertfordshire	14
Humberside	30
Lancashire	114
Leicestershire	21
Lincolnshire	13
Merseyside	71
Metropolitan	203
Norfolk	11
North Wales	15
North Yorkshire	19
Northamptonshire	28
Northumbria	79
Nottinghamshire	34
South Wales	61
South Yorkshire	45
Staffordshire	11

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of overseas voters in each parliamentary constituency.

The number of overseas voters included in the electoral register for each parliamentary constituency will be published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the annual reference volume, Electoral Statistics 1992, series EL No. 19, in the summer. Details of the figures will be placed in the Library shortly. The number of overseas electors included in the draft electoral register for 1992–93 was given in answer to a question from the hon. Member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes) on 3 March 1992 at column. 102.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders have committed suicide in custody in 1992, 1991, 1990 and 1989.

The number of prisoners under the age of 21 years who have died as the result of an act of deliberate self-harm in each of the years 1989 to 1992 is as follows:

Year	Number
1989	11
1990	10
1991	5
11992	5
1 To 11 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to introduce, in the current session of Parliament, legislation outlawing the sale of tickets for, and on the day of, a football match without the authority of the home club to do so; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are committed to introducing this offence when parliamentary time allows, but that is unlikely to be in this Session.

	Appointed by	Period of office
The hon. Mr. Justice Anthony Evans	Lord Chancellor	April 1989—31 December 1992
Mr. W. P. Davey CBE, DL, IPFA	Home Secretary	March 1989—31 December 1992
Mr. M. P. McLaggan JP, DL, MA	Secretary of State for Wales	March 19891—31 December 1992
1 First appointed in July 1980.

No assistant commissioners hold appointment at present. The deputy chairman is required to be a judge of the High Court. No other formal qualifications are prescribed.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will now make a statement on United Kingdom regional representation on the EC Committee of the Regions agreed at Maastricht.

Ministers are considering the nomination of the 24 United Kingdom members (and 24 alternates) on the Committee of the Regions.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will appoint a Minister for war veterans, widows and dependants, within either the Ministry of Defence or the Department of Social Security.

Responsibility for matters affecting war veterans, their widows and dependants forms part of the departmental remit of a number of Ministers. There are no plans to change this arrangement.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will make a statement on the representations made to the United Kingdom Government by the Government of Libya about the proposed extradition of two Libyan nationals in relation to the Lockerbie bombing;(2) if he will discuss with the President of the United States the representations made to both of them by the Arab League in relation to the Lockerbie bombing and policy towards Libya; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have taken place over the past 12 months on breaches of the Sunday trading laws.

The information requested is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Welsh parliamentary boundary commissioners and any assistant commissioners, giving their period of office and any appropriate qualifications.

Madam Speaker is chairman of the commission. The other members are:

We have had various approaches from Libyans and intermediaries over the Lockerbie bombing. None of them indicates that Libya is ready to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions 731 and 748. We have worked closely with the United States and France and shall continue to do so.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will state the Government's policy towards war crimes in the Channel islands.

The Government's policy is that people who have committed murder, manslaughter or culpable homicide as violations of the laws and customs of war in German-held territory during the second world war should not be able to use the privilege of residence in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands to escape justice.

To ask the Prime Minister for how many church livings he has the responsibility of appointment.

I am responsible for recommending clergy to Her Majesty the Queen for appointment to 206 benefices where the Crown has rights of presentation. Of these, 126 belong to the Crown in full right, while appointment to the remaining 80 is undertaken alternately or sequentially depending upon the number of other patrons having rights of presentation to those benefices.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will have powers to require the publication by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority of safety reports dealing with radiological risk to the public, under the new arrangements for oversight of the nuclear programme.

My right hon. Friend has the same powers as those previously held by the Secretary of State for Energy. It has been UKAEA's practice over a number of years to issue reports annually on the radiological effect of its operations. This information is given both in a safety report and in a report on the Radioactive Waste Disposal by AEA Establishments. I am arranging for copies of the latest reports to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he and his officials have had any meetings with the liquidators of BCCI in the last (a) two months and (b) one month.

My officials met Mr. Morris and Mr. Richards, two of the joint liquidators of BCCI, on 26 March 1992.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has received a copy of the Government of Abu Dhabi's proposal for compensation of the victims of BCCI; and if he will make a statement.

My officials have been supplied with a copy of the joint liquidators' report to the court dated 16 March 1992 containing a 52 page summary of the proposed agreements between the liquidators of BCCI and the Government of Abu Dhabi. I understand that the High Court is to consider these proposals on 11 May 1992 at which time all interested parties will have the opportunity to give their views. If the proposed agreements are approved by the Court acceptance of the compensation offered by the Government of Abu Dhabi will be a matter for individual creditors of BCCI.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on discussions between the European Community and the United States of America, and in GATT, on patenting of computer software.

The draft final text of the trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPs) agreement of the GATT Uruguay round is a good one overall for United Kingdom business and industry. It is consistent with United Kingdom domestic law and will not preclude the Patent Office from excluding computer software patents.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the changes to the regional enterprise grants scheme that were announced on 6 March will be introduced.

The changes to the regional enterprise grants scheme that were announced on 6 March 1992 by the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry were subject to clearance from the European Commission. Now that this clearance has been received I have decided, in consultation with the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, that from 18 May these changes will become effective and that the innovation element of the scheme will be extended to all inner city task force areas, city challenge areas and the Scottish urban areas which already qualify for the higher level of support under the consultancy initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to allow the Gibraltar Government direct and independent access to the European Commission and Parliament on all those matters that presently fall within their competence.

No. Gibraltar's interests are represented by the British Government in the European Community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who decides disputes about the interpretation of the translation of the text of the treaty on European union.

The treaty makes it clear (article S) that the text in each of the Community languages is "equally authentic". Disputes about the texts are for the parties to resolve among themselves. Where they concern areas of the treaty within the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice they may ultimately be referred to it for decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he published or intends to publish, the text of the treaty on European union; and if he intends to also publish any explanatory guide or other descriptions of its provisions and implications.

The text of the treaty on European union was published as a Command Paper (Cm 1934) on 7 May. Further information on its provisions is contained in memoranda submitted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Her Majesty's Treasury to the Foreign Affairs and Treasury and Civil Service Committees respectively. Copies are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the provisions of article 7a as referred to in the revised article 100a(i) in paragraph (22) of article G of the Maastricht treaty; and if he will indicate where article 7a is located in the various European Community treaties.

Under paragraph 9 of article G of the treaty on European union the present article 8a of the treaty of Rome becomes article 7a (and articles 8b and 8c become 7b and 7c). Present article 8a was added to the treaty of Rome by article 13 of section II of the Single European Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the treaty on European union he signed at Maastricht on 7 February is the text circulating in Conf-UP-U-EM 2002/1/92; in what language was the version he signed; who translated it into English; what check his officials made of the accuracy of that translation; and when an accurate text will be provided in Parliament and published.

The Treaty signed at Maastricht was subsequently circulated as CONF-UP-UEM 2002/1/92. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs signed a version in English translated by European Community linguists. Officials and FCO translators were fully involved in meetings with linguists before 7 February to finalise the texts. The text as signed was made available to Parliament immediately thereafter and was published as a Command Paper on 7 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has in his possession a copy of the proposed treaty of Rome as it would be following ratification of the treaty of European union.

There is not yet an official publication of the treaty of Rome as amended by the treaty on European Union. The treaty on European union has been printed as a Command Paper (Cm 1934).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what enactment article 100A(i) of the treaty of Rome, which is to be replaced in accordance with paragraph 22 of article G of the Maastricht treaty, was inserted in the treaty.

Article 100a was added to the treaty of Rome by article 18 of the Single European Act which came into force on 1 July 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the text of the treaty of Rome used as a basis for the amendments to that treaty in the treaty of European union is the same as the text of the treaty of Rome issued in September 1988 by HMSO as Cm 455.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Bangladesh Government concerning reports of a massacre at Lougong in the Chittagong hill tracts; and if he will make a statement.

We have expressed our concern about these reports to the Bangladeshi authorities who have told us a judicial inquiry will be conducted. We will take a close interest in the report of this inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Bangladesh Government to allow UN observers into the Chittagong hill tracts.

None. We doubt whether there is a role for UN observers in the hill tracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received concerning proposals made by any Commissioners of the European Economic Community concerning changes in or replacement of the commissioners or presidency of the Community; and when he expects any such proposal to be published.

A declaration attached to the treaty on European union provides for a review of the size of the Commission by the end of 1992. The Commission has made no proposals regarding commissioners or the presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Abu Dhabi concerning that Government's proposal to compensate the victims of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has had no such discussions, but I raised the plight of BCCI staff and depositors in the United Kingdom during my visit to Abu Dhabi last October. The Abu Dhabi authorities were made aware that we should like to see depositors get as much of their money back from the BCCI as possible and the employees given fair severance terms.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is (a) the capital expenditure and (b) the revenue expenditure on each crown court in Yorkshire for each year since 1979.

It has not been possible to obtain the information requested in the time available but I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for how many church livings the Lord Chancellor has the responsibility of appointment.

My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor is responsible for making appointments on behalf of the Crown to 464 benefices where the Crown has rights of presentation. Of these, 194 belong to the Crown in full right, while appointment to the remaining 270 is undertaken alternately or sequentially depending upon the number of other patrons having rights of presentation to those benefices.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received about covenants on open land; and if he will make a statement.

The Lord Chancellor has received and is considering around 100 letters from Members of Parliament and the public expressing a range of views on the Law Commission's report on obsolete restrictive covenants published in July 1991.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what further steps are being taken to review the availability of criminal legal aid in cases where defendants are in custody.

A defendant to criminal proceedings is eligible for legal aid if, in accordance with the provisions of the Legal Aid Act 1988 and legal aid regulations, a court decides that it is in the interests of justice that legal aid be granted and that the defendant's financial resources are such that he or she requires assistance in meeting the costs. The team conducting the review of financial conditions for legal aid is now considering legal aid in all criminal cases. A consultation paper will be issued in the summer.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will give the latest figures for repossessions in England and Wales by month in tabular form.

The table gives the total number of mortgage possession actions entered, suspended orders and orders made in England and Wales during January, February and March of this year. These figures do not indicate how many houses have been repossessed through the courts as not all of the orders made will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession. At this stage the figures are provisional and therefore liable to revision in the future.

Mortgage possession actions in England and Wales during 1992
Month	Actions entered	Suspended orders	Orders made
January	14,223	7,052	5,813
February	13,781	5,902	4,938
March	14,465	6,201	5,807

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy by county or region in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to the latest available date.

The information requested to 1 May 1992 is as follows:

County	Confirmed cases
ENGLAND
Avon	1,123
Bedfordshire	144
Berkshire	299
Buckinghamshire	469
Cambridgeshire	174
Cheshire	1,779
Cleveland	65
Cornwall	4,052
Cumbria	1,304
Derbyshire	950
Devon	5,586
Dorset	4,209
Durham	187
Essex	229
Gloucestershire	1,368
Hampshire	1,670
Hereford and Worcestershire	915
Hertfordshire	177
Humberside	227
Isle of Wight	347
Kent	916
Lancastershire	1,403
Leicestershire	1,163
Lincolnshire	390
London	28
Manchester	62
Merseyside	40
Norfolk	1,019
Northamptonshire	470
Northumberland	242
Nottinghamshire	288
Oxon	835
Salop	1,205
Somerset	4,929
Staffordshire	1,164
Suffolk	604
Surrey	458
Sussex East	691
Sussex West	1,213
Tyne and Wear	11
Warwickshire	509
West Midlands	26
Wiltshire	3,063
Yorkshire North	1,998
Yorkshire South	167
Yorkshire West	259
WALES
County
Clwyd	720
Dyfed	2,549
Glamorgan M	104
Glamorgan S	142
Glamorgan W	24
Gwent	385
Gwynedd	166
Powys	521
SCOTLAND
Borders	111
Central	50
Dumfries	498
Fife	98
Grampian	330
Highland	91
Lothian	42
Orkney	18
Shetland	5
Strathclyde	487
Tayside	133
Western Isles	1

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total number of confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy by county or region in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1 January until the latest available date.

The number of cases confirmed for England, Wales and Scotland from 3 January 1992, and for Northern Ireland from 17 January 1992, to 1 May 1992 is as follows. Many of these cases will have a date of clinical onset of disease, and indeed date of report, before 3 January.

	Confirmed cases
ENGLAND
County
Avon	204
Bedfordshire	24
Berkshire	54
Buckinghamshire	88
Cambridgeshire	33
Cheshire	357
Cleveland	13
Cornwall	741
Cumbria	331
Derbyshire	258
Devon	948
Dorset	728
Durham	35
Essex	52
Gloucestershire	188
Hampshire	226
Hereford and Worcester	154
Hertfordshire	22
Humberside	32
Isle of Wight	45
Kent	130
Lancashire	347
Leicestershire	187
Lincolnshire	63
London	7
Manchester	16
Merseyside	15
Norfolk	239
Northamptonshire	94
Northumberland	50
Nottinghamshire	50
Oxfordshire	176
Shropshire	223
Somerset	946
Staffordshire	482
Suffolk	109
Surrey	89
Sussex, East	133
Sussex, West	233
Tyne and Wear	3
Warwickshire	80
West Midlands	5
Wiltshire	491
Yorkshire, North	391
Yorkshire, South	31
Yorkshire, West	51

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether distribution and transit depots handling packaged meat fall under the category of cold stores as defined in the draft Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992; and what requirements these depots will have to meet.

Yes. Distribution and transit depots handling and storing packaged meat fall under the category of cold stores as defined in the draft Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992. Such premises will, therefore, have to comply with the requirements applicable to cold stores laid down in those regulations in order to operate in the single market. The extent to which individual requirements of the draft regulations apply will depend on the operations carried out at each premises. Businesses can obtain advice from their local MAFF animal health office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she is reviewing policy on tobacco advertising; and if she will make a statement.

The Government continue to keep under review the position on tobacco advertising, against the background of our long-standing policy that the right way to control the advertising and promotion of tobacco products is through the voluntary agreements that we have with the tobacco industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason her Department's advice to local authorities and health authorities on implementing "Caring for People" states that the current broad pattern of funding should be regarded as an implied commitment for 1993–94 by the local authority in respect of new clients requiring residential or nursing home care after April 1993.

The funds for such placements will transfer from the Department of Social Security to local authorities. Whether there should be any adjustment to the current pattern of service would be a matter for local decision which should be taken jointly with the relevant health authority. Individual assessment of need will of course determine the exact numbers of people who enter residential or nursing home care after April 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what proportion of prescriptions for which a prescription charge is paid the cost of the item to the NHS is less than the prescription charge.

The proportion in 1991–92 was 29·4 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice is given to health authorities with regard to public consultation prior to the closure or change of use of individual wards in hospitals where the long-term closure of such hospitals has already been agreed.

The Community Health Council Regulations 1985, as amended, require district health authorities to consult the relevant community health council on proposals which would result in substantial changes to health services in the district. It is for regional and district health authorities to consider when further formal or informal local consultation is necessary during the phased closure of a major institution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current level of aid to Kenya.

Our gross bilateral aid programme in 1990—the last year for which figures are available—was £44 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will state the Government's response on aid to sub-Saharan Africa.

Sub-Saharan Africa has a high priority in the bilateral aid programme. Gross bilateral aid flows amounted to £367 million in 1990, the latest year for which full figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of United Kingdom official aid has been untied for purchasing at the discretion of recipient developing countries in each of the last three years.

British aid is provided for specific purposes. Nearly all the aid we provide through multilateral institutions is untied. The untied proportion of our bilateral aid commitments was 18 per cent. in 1988, 24 per cent. in 1989 and 21 per cent. in 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's current policy on overseas aid in respect of tropical forests.

The Government's policy is to help promote the sustainable management of tropical forests and their biodiversity. We have substantially increased our bilateral aid activities to this end and encouraged other donors to do likewise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to meet third-world leaders to discuss rescheduling of debt.

My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development regularly meets leaders of third world countries. The rescheduling of debt is often discussed. The Prime Minister's 1990 Trinidad terms initiative has so far benefited five countries, and Britain has relieved developing countries of the burden of aid debt worth more than £1,000 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with east European leaders on the question of aid to east European states.

We are in regular contact with colleagues in central and eastern Europe on all aspects of our bilateral relations, including aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given to help Zimbabwe deal with the current drought.

The Government has provided £7·5 million in balance of payments aid for Zimbabwe, to help relieve the financial burden of food imports, in response to the current crisis.

To ask the Attorney-General what is his policy on freedom of information relating to papers in the possession of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the law officers and under consideration where prosecutions have not been instituted.

Papers relating to prosecuting decisions are distinct from Government papers. Their handling must reflect special considerations, such as the need to avoid harm or unfairness to a prospective defendant or to witnesses if the decision is taken not to prosecute.

To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received in respect of the conduct of the inquest into the Hillsborough disaster; and what has been his response.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General has received various representations. He is at present considering a formal application received on 16 April, for consent under section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988 to enable the relatives of six persons who died at Hillsborough to apply to the High Court for an order quashing the inquisitions in respect of those six persons and directing a fresh inquest.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his responsibilities in relation to extradition.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has responsibility for the law and practice relating to extradition.I myself conduct certain communications on behalf of the United Kingdom with the Attorney-General of the Republic of Ireland concerning the return of alleged offenders from the republic under the backing of warrants arrangements.

To ask the Attorney-General when it is expected the Director of Public Prosecutions will make a decision over any possible criminal proceedings regarding the conviction of Mr. Anthony Benton of Walsall.

The Crown prosecution service has considered whether any criminal proceedings should be brought following complaints regarding the conviction of Mr. Anthony Benton of Walsall. The deputy chief constable of the West Midlands police has been advised that the evidence is insufficient to justify any criminal proceedings against any police officer involved in that case.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the proceedings taken by the allies at the end of the last war against Kurt Klebeck; and whether he will discuss with his counterparts in the Channel islands the taking of proceedings against him for Nazi war crimes in the Channel islands.

No.Kurt Klebeck was prosecuted and convicted in 1947 by the British military court in Germany for:

To ask the Attorney-General if he will publish the code for Crown prosecutors drawn up by the Crown prosecution service.

The code for Crown prosecutors is a public document.In accordance with section 10(3) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985, the Director of Public Prosecutions sets out any alterations to the code in the annual report which she makes to me under section 9 of the Act. The annual report is available to the public through HMSO.The code was re-printed in January 1992, incorporating amendments that have been made since it was first issued in 1986. A copy of the revised edition was placed in the Library of both Houses on 10 March 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has for scrapping standard assessment tasks for children of seven years of age.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to reduce the amount of business funding for city technology colleges.

I have no such plans. Each city technology college represents a funding partnership between Government and private sector sponsors. Sponsors have already contributed some £20 million to the capital costs of CTCs, and are committed to contribute over £10 million more. My Department funds the running costs of CTCs on a basis comparable with that of other secondary schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the number of city technology colleges.

Thirteen city technology colleges are now operating. A further college will open in Derby this September, and another in Bristol the following year. In accordance with our manifesto commitments, the Government will enable the creation of new types of grant-maintained and voluntary-aided schools which will embody the characteristics of CTCs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps have been taken to increase employment opportunities in the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency; and what plans there are for the immediate future.

The Welsh Office, the Development Board for Rural Wales and other Government agencies operate a wide range of measures aimed at increasing employment opportunities throughout all areas of Wales. The Welsh Office and all the other bodies involved in economic development will continue to look for and respond swiftly to opportunities that arise which have the potential to increase employment prospects in the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the current unemployment figures for Ogmore, Mid Glamorgan and Wales; and what the figures were in May 1979.

In March 1992 there were 4,435, 32,551, and 125,871 unemployed claimants in the Ogmore constituency, Mid Glamorgan and Wales. Comparable data for May 1979 for Ogmore and Mid Glamorgan is not available. The comparable number of unemployed claimants in Wales in 1979, seasonally adjusted, was 66,100 and 122,500 in March 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the annual rate of inward investment to Wales for each year since 1974.