To ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department what cost implications the steering group of the major agencies of the legal system has identified in respect of the establishment of courses and training for court interpreters; and what the cost would be of implementing a system of qualifications.

Financial Year	Provision + Supplementary £million1		Outturn £million	Percentage increase legal aid	Percentage increase GDP	Increase above GDP percentage increase	Number of bills paid2
1979–80	101·31 +	—	99·35	—	—	—	971,684
1980–81	127·81 +	5·53	138·89	39·8	14·00	25·8	1,088,945
1981–82	190·43 +	—	170·26	22·6	9·71	12·8	1,269,685
1982–83	222·96 +	20·00	215·45	26·5	9·50	17·0	1,400,772
1983–84	244·00 +	—	237·22	10·1	8·40	1·7	1,538,113
1984–85	276·40 +	—	273·99	15·5	7·10	8·4	1,705,598
1985–86	301·02 +	25·9	319·46	16·6	9·50	7·1	1,964,267
1986–87	357·19 +	23·00	362·94	13·6	7·60	6·0	2,225,599
1987–88	442·31 +	—	433·65	19·5	10·70	8·8	2,504,194
1988–89	488·48 +	—	478·49	10·3	11·20	-0·9	2,460,384
1989–90	54602 +	12·46	568·83	18·9	8·40	10·4	2,665,113
1990–91	608·27 +	90·96	683·81	20·2	6·40	13·8	2,725,902
1 Exclusive of administration costs.
2 The Legal Aid Board does not record its information in the form of the number of people who have received legal aid in any given year. More than one individual can be assisted by a single certificate and it is also possible for an individual to have received separate acts of assistance from the Legal Aid Board on separate issues in a given year. What is recorded is the number of acts of assistance. The number of bills paid correlates to the number of acts of assistance.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will consider ren aming the Department of Health in order more clearly to identify its responsibility for the personal social services.

No.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will invite the Dalai Lama to visit the United Kingdom.

I have no plans to do so but the Dalai Lama is welcome to visit the United Kingdom at any time. I met him during his last visit in December last year.

A steering group of the main agencies of the legal system has been convened by the Nuffield Foundation to promote the use of trained interpreters by the police, the courts and other legal services. The steering group has met four times since January 1991. It will start to address questions of cost at its next meeting on 21 May and will primarily be concerned with the cost to the legal system of using qualified interpreters and the setting up of training courses.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's Department what was the legal aid (a) budget and (b) outturn in each year from 1979 to 1991; what was the percentage increase in each year after allowing for inflation; and what number of people received legal aid in each year.

The information required is detailed in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the public opinion survey carried out by his Department, entitled "Post Campaign Research for Electoral Registration Advertising".

A copy of a report into the effectiveness of the 1991 advertising campaign on electoral registration entitled "Home Office Electoral Registration Campaign: Campaign Monitor Summary Report" was placed in the Library in January this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he was first requested to confirm the byelaw approved by South Hams district council, based on the Home Office model, excluding all dogs from certain beaches along the coastline of south Devon during the summer months; and if he will make it his policy to approve it immediately.

On 19 July 1991, South Hams district council applied to the Home Office for confirmation of byelaws to regulate dogs on various beaches. A number of objections to the byelaws had been sent to the Home Office and the council was asked to comment on these in August and December 1991.After considering the objections, and the council's observations, my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary confirmed the byelaws on 11 May 1992 and the consent of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, which is also required for seashore byelaws, was granted on 12 May.The byelaws, which were returned to the council by the Department of Transport on 12 May, will come into force on 19 May 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish details of the rateable valuation of each hotel in each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland.

The information is not available in the format requested. I have, however, written to the hon. Gentleman and placed a copy of my response in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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.

At 31 March 1992, the Northern Ireland Office had 103 London-based staff, all of whom had been invited to take part in an ethnic monitoring survey. Of those who responded, 14 per cent. described themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority. None of these were in grades 1 to 7. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origin of its staff and the information is not therefore available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the Northern Ireland Departments last conducted a survey of the ethnic origin of their employees; when they next plan to do so; and whether he will make a statement.

In June 1988, the home civil service completed a four-year programme of ethnic origin surveys covering all staff then in post. The Northern Ireland Office has continued to monitor staff who join the home civil service group in the Department and to update its records. The Northern Ireland Office is an equal opportunity employer and this is emphasised in all recruiting campaigns and advertising. The Northern Ireland civil service is not required to monitor the ethnic origin of staff, nor has it current plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to tighten the laws preventing the exploitation of the natural assets and wildlife of the seashore by private extraction companies.

There are no plans at present to amend the current legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many specialist teachers of visually impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a part-time basis in each of the education and library board areas; and what is their full-time equivalence;(2) how many specialist teachers of hearing impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a part-time basis in each of the education and library board areas; and what is their full-time equivalence;(3) how many specialist teachers of visually impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a full-time basis in each of the education and library board areas;(4) how many specialist teachers of hearing impaired children, who are not attending special schools, are employed on a full-time basis in each of the education and library board areas;(5) how many specialist teachers of

No specialist teachers of visually impaired children are employed on a full-time or part-time basis in any of the education and library board areas. A support service for all such children is provided by Jordanstown special school.A number of full-time and part-time specialist teachers of hearing impaired children are employed in special units attached to mainstream schools as follows:

Board	Full-time	Part-time	Full-time equivalency
Belfast	7	2	0·8
Western	6	1	0·6
North Eastern	5	—	—
South Eastern	7	2	1·0
Southern	5	—	—

In addition, the education and library boards operate a peripatetic teaching service and four teachers in each board currently offer support to pupils with hearing problems and their teachers in special mainstream schools.The Department of Education itself does not employ any teachers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how often, on average (a) a visually impaired and (b) a hearing impaired child, who is not attending a special school, will be visited by a specialist teacher each year; and what is the average duration of each visit.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children, not attending a special school, are registered as (a) visually impaired and (b) hearing impaired in each of the education and library board areas.

The latest available information relates to the 1990–91 school year, and is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the position of hospital trusts in the national health service.

NHS trust status is the management model of choice for the provision of health care within the national health service. The first 57 NHS trusts have shown that they are better able to respond to patients needs through the great freedoms and flexibility that NHS trust status affords. Ninety-nine hospitals and other units became operational as NHS trusts from 1 April 1992 and we look to them and to those coming forward in subsequent waves to continue the tradition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessments she has made of the cost of providing needles for BD pens on prescriptions;(2) whether needles for BD pens will be available on prescription; and if she will make a statement;(3) what representations she has received on the question of providing needles for BD pens on prescription; what was the content of those representations; and if she will make a statement.

We have received a small number of representations on this issue. Decisions about additions to the list of items which GPs may prescribe must be subject to the availability of resources and other competing priorities. In the case of insulin injection pens, and their special needles, negotiations about the price are continuing with manufacturers. From the information currently available, the cost of these pens and their needles would exceed the current cost of disposable needles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will conduct a study of the general health of those carers whose dependants are in receipt of respite care.

In 1985, the general household survey included a series of questions for people looking after a sick, handicapped or elderly person, so as to provide as full a picture as possible of informal carers. Information was collected about the health of carers and about time off from caring. In 1990, questions about informal carers were again included in the general household survey, and the results will be published in due course.In addition, the Department is currently funding a three-year study at the National Institute for Social Work to investigate the effectiveness of respite services for the carers of confused elderly people. One component of the study, which is due to report later this year, is the impact of respite services on the health of carers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the report of the Department's chief economic adviser on the impact of banning tobacco advertising on consumption and prevalence; and if she will make a statement.

The contents of the Department's study on the effects of tobacco advertising will be made available in an appropriate form when it has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 12 May, Official Report, column 483, how many male intensive coronary care beds there are in Calderdale health authority; and what is the comparable provision in other health authorities.

In the year ending March 1991 there were four beds designated specifically for intensive care services in Calderdale health authority. Those beds are available for the urgent treatment of male and female patients. Provisional figures of available beds in intensive care wards in Calderdale and other authorities are given in the table.

Number of available beds in intensive care wards by district 1990–91. (Provisional)
		Number
	ENGLAND	2,484
	Northern RHA	202
A01	Hartlepool	7
A02	North Tees	13
AO3	South Tees	21
A04	East Cumbria	10
AO5	South Cumbria	5
A06	West Cumbria	4
AO7	Darlington	9
AO8	"right">Durham	8
AO9	North West Durham	8
A1O	South West Durham	8
All	Northumberland	6
A12	Gateshead	2
A13	Newcastle	79
A14	North Tyneside	4
A15	South Tyneside	6
A16	Sunderland	11
	Yorkshire RHA	151
B12	Hull	8
B13	East Yorkshire	7
B14	Grimsby	10
B15	Scunthorpe	0
B22	Northallerton	4
B23	York	14
B24	Scarborough	8
B25	Harrogate	6
B32	Bradford	5
B33	Airedale	10
B42	Calderdale	4
B52	Huddersfield	15
B53	Dewsbury	8
B62	Leeds Western	16
B63	Leeds Eastern	19
B72	Wakefield	7
B73	Pontefract	10

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her latest estimate of the average weekly cost of a residential care place in local authority care homes.

The latest available figures are those published by the Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). Its estimates for 1991–92 suggest an average gross cost per place filled, excluding capital charges, for local authority residential care provision for elderly people of £190 a week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to abolish the division between residential and nursing homes.

None. Generally speaking, residential care homes and nursing homes cater for people with different needs. This is reflected in the different services and facilities which they offer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her latest estimate of the number of residential places for the elderly in local authority care homes.

At 31 March 1991, the latest date for which information is available centrally, there were 96,100 places in local authority residential care homes in England whose primary function was stated to be caring for the elderly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she has approved the setting up of the South Essex Health Consortium; what is its function; and what statutory base it has.

The South Essex Health Consortium is a non-statutory body formed to co-ordinate the purchasing of health care services on behalf of Southend, Basildon and Thurrock, Brentwood and part of Barking, Havering and Brentwood district health authorities and the southern part of Essex family health services authority. It did not require the approval of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to be established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to receive the conclusions of the Howe inquiry into residential care; and if she will make a statement.

The report of Lady Howe's inquiry will be made to the local government interests which commissioned it. We will be glad to consider any recommendations relevant to our responsibilities once the report is published, which I believe may he early in June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding of local authority personal social services in the current financial year in terms of the ability of individual social services departments to undertake their statutory responsibilities.

Personal social services (PSS) standard spending for 1992–93 has been set at £4,850 million, an increase of 7·7 per cent. (3·1 per cent. in real terms) over 1991–92 standard spending, and 6 per cent. higher than 1991–92 budgets. The settlement provides a realistic increase in resources for PSS taking account of falling inflation, and allows for the first full-year costs of implementing the Children Act 1989, phase 2 of community care, new and increased specific grants, inflation and demography. PSS expenditure has increased by nearly 60 per cent. in real terms since 1978–79.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will be meeting the Irish Transport Minister to discuss improving road and rail communications between Eire and the rest of Europe, particularly between St. Cleers and Pembroke Dock and Fishguard ferry ports.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to tighten the laws preventing the exploitation of the natural assets and wildlife of the seashore by private extraction companies.

There are no plans at present to amend current legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to designate any further areas of outstanding natural beauty in Wales.

The responsibility for designating areas of outstanding natural beauty rests with the Countryside Council for Wales, although such designations require confirmation by my right hon. Friend before they take effect. There are no proposals currently before my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency concerning the level of senior management staff turnover at the agency; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency concerning (a) the resignation of Mr. Tony Meredith, the head of the information technology initiative and (b) the future structure and funding of the information technology initiative.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made in conjunction with the chairman of the Welsh Development Agency of the number of information technology-based inward investment projects in the pipeline for Wales.

I regularly discuss a range of matters with the chairman of the agency, including the many prospective inward investment projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress is being made with Panteg environmental monitoring study being undertaken by the university of East Anglia into levels of polychlorinated biphenyl contamination in the Pontypool area.

The study which I commissioned in January 1991 continues to make good progress. I published the first interim report last October, and I have now placed copies of the second and latest interim report in the Library of the House. The second report describes the detailed sampling and analysis programme which is now well underway. I expect the study to be completed early in 1993.

Employees in employment in England*
Net change since previous quarter—(unadjusted)
Thousands
	Energy and water supply	Metal manufacturing and chemicals	Metal goods, engineering and vehicles	Other manufacturing
	Division 1	Division 2	Division 3	Division 4
1989
March	-7	-7	-10	-32
June	-8	24	-20	1
September	-8	27	10	22
December	0	-1	-8	-11
1990
March	-4	-11	-22	-32
June		-4	-15	4
September	1	-1	11	5
December	1	-16	-45	-30

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many claimants were suspended from unemployment benefit at the Rawtenstall unemployment benefit office in each year since 1987; and what percentage of claimants this represented each year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployed people in Wales were last employed in the construction industry in Wales.

It is estimated from the labour force survey that in the spring of 1991 there were 23,000 unemployed people—on the internationally agreed International Labour Organisation definition—in Wales whose previous employment, within the past three years, was reported to have been in the construction industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will list the number of jobs lost in the (a) textile industry, (b) transport and communication, (c) construction, (d) energy and water supplies, (e) other minerals and ore extraction, (f) metal goods, engineering and vehicles, (g) other manufacturing and (h) banking, finance, insurance etc. since January 1989, by month, (i) in Leeds, West and (ii) in England, giving the most recent figures available.

The latest available estimates of changes in employment by constituency are for the period September 1987 to September 1989 when censuses of employment were taken. Employment estimates for standard regions are not available monthly and are available only at division level of the standard industrial classification 1980 (SIC 80). The available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training and enterprise councils give (a) £30 per week, (b) less than £30 per week and (c) over £30 per week under the enterprise allowance scheme.

It is not possible to provide information in the form required, except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what specific financial assistance is currently being granted by the Government to developing countries to help reduce pollution and environmental damage; and, of this amount, how much is ear-marked for (a) clean water and sanitation projects, (b) pollution reduction technologies and (c) improved protection for forests and natural habitats.

We examine environmental issues in all projects financed under the aid programme. Separate figures are not maintained for assistance given to reduce pollution and environmental damage. The most recent information available shows that in 1989 £36·8 million was provided in bilateral assistance for water and sanitation projects. In the forestry sector, there are currently 202 projects either under way or in preparation at the total cost to the aid programme of £158 million. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development will be writing separately to the hon. Member on the subject of pollution reduction technologies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to introduce new funding mechanisms to assist developing countries in dealing with the effects of climate changes.

No. The internatinal negotiating committee for a framework convention on climate change completed its final session on 9 May 1992 in New York. It has been agreed that the global environment facility, under the auspices of the World bank, United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environment Programme, will provide assistance to help developing countries fulfil their convention commitments. The United Kingom has pledged £40·3 million to the GEF and we have indicated our willingness to commit new arid additional financial resources to replenish the facility at an appropriate moment if other countries do the same.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes Her Majesty's Government propose to make in resources allocated to overseas aid over the next four years; and what percentage of gross national product this will represent.

Public expenditure provision for overseas aid to developing countries is £1,831 million in 1992–93, £1,899 million in 1993–94 and £1,975 million in 1994–95. The provision for 1995–96 will be considered during the public expenditure survey later this year. The percentage of gross national product that these provisions will represent is dependent upon developments in the United Kingdom economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the estimated reduction in debt service payments in 1992 on official bilateral debt, from those countries which have received Trinidad terms compared with actual payments made on official bilateral debt by those countries in 1991.

The Prime Minister's 1990 Trinidad terms initiative has so far benefited five of the poorest, most heavily indebted countries. The terms reduce the amount of debt service due over the length of the debtor's current International Monetary Fund programme—usually three years—by around 50 per cent.Figures for debt owed by or cancelled for any country are confidential. After a framework agreement is reached at the Paris Club, each creditor negotiates a separate bilateral agreement with the debtor. We would need the consent of the authorities in both debtor and creditor countries before we could provide any figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the response to the comments made by the World Commission of Environment and Development representatives in London on 24 April on the subject of third world debts; and what action is currently undertaken by his Department to encourage the write-down of third world debts by commercial banks.

The Government believe that for those poorest countries whose efforts to achieve economic growth have been hampered by the heaviest debt burdens, debt relief has an important role to play. Five countries have so far benefited from the Prime Minister's Trinidad terms initiative, which the Paris Club began implementing in December. We continue to press for an extension of the terms offered, along the lines of the Prime Minister's original proposals, and for all creditors to participate in debt reduction.It is true to say that financial flows to developing countries fell during the 1980s. But the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 1990 survey "Financing and External Debt of Developing Countries", confirmed the recovery in financial flows initiated in 1988–89. Recent experience in Latin America shows that determined adjustment and policy reform efforts in Mexico and Chile, for example—can quickly attract considerable amounts of external private funds and export credits. Provisional OECD figures show that, when all financial flows are considered, developing countries received $46·4 billion more in 1990 than they paid out.Arrangements for dealing with commercial bank debt must be a matter for the parties to the loans to negotiate between them, but we continue to urge comparability of treatment between official and commercial debt. The Government fully support decisions to allow the IMF and World bank to provide some of their resources directly in support of commercial bank debt reduction, through the Brady plan and the International Development Association's debt reduction facility. The United Kingdom is financing its share of IMF and World bank resources involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the assistance given by his Department to pensioners of the Maxwell group of companies.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) on 12 May at column 95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the levels of funding for respite care.

People receiving respite care are entitled to claim the higher income support limit appropriate to those in residential care or nursing homes. These limits are reviewed regularly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are in receipt of respite care.

This information is not available in the form requested.Income support is available to temporary residents in residential care and nursing homes in the same way as for permanent residents and no distinction is made in the collection of data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure on income support payments to residents of (a) private nursing homes, (b) private residential homes, (c) voluntary nursing homes and (d) voluntary residential homes during the last financial year.

Expenditure is available only for all residential care homes and nursing homes.

	£ billion
Residential care	0·9
Nursing homes	1·0

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants for income support in private or voluntary residential care or nursing homes had claims amended from the higher rate for nursing care to the lower rate for residential care during the previous financial year.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of (1) the number of claimants of income support payments in (a) private nursing homes, (b) private residential homes, (c) voluntary nursing homes and (d) voluntary residential homes and (2) the proportion of the overall number of residents in each category that this represents.

Information is available only for all residential care homes and nursing homes.It is estimated that 60 to 70 per cent. of residents in residential care and nursing homes are in receipt of income support.

	Number
Residential care	149,600
Nursing homes	103,600

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants for income support in private or voluntary residential care or nursing homes had amended claims for the higher nursing care provision met during the previous financial year.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the likely expenditure during the current financial year on income support payments to members of (a) private nursing homes, (b) private residential homes, (c) voluntary nursing homes and (d) voluntary residential homes.

Estimated expenditure in the current financial year is available only for all residential care homes and nursing homes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to reform the retail prices index to bring it in line with other countries in the exchange rate mechanism; and if he will make a statement.

I informed the House on 6 February 1992, Official Report, column 256, that I have reconvened the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee to consider the treatment of the council tax in the index and other matters. I have asked the committee in forming its recommendations to take account of the practices in other European Community countries. The Central Statistical Office will also be involved in discussions on harmonising consumer price indices with the Statistical Office of the European Community and statistical offices of other member states.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to relate economic policy to potential environmental carrying capacity.

A healthy economy is essential if the country is to be able to afford the cost of measures to protect the environment. The Government will continue to pursue policies designed to minimise environmental damage, while ensuring that industry remains internationally competitive.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Ministers have given evidence to the Bingham inquiry.

[holding answer 14 May 1992]: The Prime Minister assured the House on 22 July 1991, Official Report, column 759, that all Ministers and officials would co-operate fully with Lord Justice Bingham's inquiry, and we have done so. A number of Ministers have given evidence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times he has met the governor of the Bank of England since 5 July 1991 to discuss the Bank of Credit and Commerce International; and if he will state the dates of such meetings and what was discussed.

[holding answer 14 May 1992]: My right hon. Friend meets the Governor of the Bank of England from time to time to discuss a variety of matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) expressions of interest there have been and (b) applications have been received from tenants under the Government's rents-to-mortgages scheme in Scotland; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of tenants eligible to participate in the scheme.

[holding answer 13 May 1992]: Over 20,000 expressions of interest and 1,159 applications have been made under the rent-to-mortgage scheme. Those figures represent 5·4 per cent. and 0·3 per cent. respectively of the 370,000 tenants estimated to be eligible for the scheme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are currently being undertaken by his Department to ensure that the common fisheries policy takes environmental protection fully into account.

We have already endorsed the view expressed in the Commission's recent report on the common fisheries policy, which is forming the basis of the mid-term review of that policy, that environmental aspects of fisheries should be taken into account. The discussion on future action under the CFP is still in progress.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to press for the amendment of the common fisheries policy to ensure that all decisions taken under the policy take into account the prevention of effects on ecosystems and marine wildlife.

I agree that the common fisheries policy should take into account effects of fishing on the marine environment and whilst the CFP is primarily based on article 43 of the original treaty of Rome, Fisheries Ministers now must have regard to article 130R of the revised treaty which provides for the consideration of environmental matters.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much is currently spent by his Department on studies concerning fishing gear selectivity; and if he has any plans to announce an increase in funding.

Fisheries departments currently spend about £1·5 million per year on fishing gear and a significant proportion of this relates to gear selectivity. Most recently, we have implemented measures introducing square mesh panels following such research, and further work on those and other aspects of fishing gear selectivity are in hand. Gear selectivity continues to be a high priority in our research programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about London taxi fares and fees.