To ask the Prime Minister what support Her Majesty's Government (1) are giving through the EC to an international science and technology centre to be sited in Russia;(2) when he received a copy of the Royal Society report on the state of science in the former Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

I received the Royal Society report on 17 January. It is a very valuable analysis of the problems facing scientists in the former Soviet Union. After careful study of the report's recommendations the Government are making a sum of £670,000 available for increased bilateral assistance; £350,000 will come from existing programmes in the current year and the remainder will be charged to the reserve. The entire sum is within the planning total of public expenditure.The European Community is contributing some £14 million, of which the United Kingdom's share is approximately 18 per cent., to the creation of an international science and technology centre. The centre will fund research projects for scientists in the former Soviet Union who have hitherto been working on weapons programmes.

To ask the Prime Minister what basic scientific equipment is being provided to the former Soviet republics.

None is provided directly. However the United Kingdom institutions participating with former Soviet Union counterparts in joint projects supported by the Royal Society may apply to the society for up to £500 to purchase basic equipment for their partner.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent visit by the chief scientific adviser, Professor William Stewart, to the Soviet Union.

The chief scientific adviser visited Russia on 15 and 16 March, in order to discuss the difficulties faced by scientists in the former Soviet Union and how the United Kingdom might help. During his visit he called on the Ministries of Atomic Energy and Science, Technology and Higher Education, and on the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as meeting other senior members of the Russian science community.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what were the number of repossession orders granted by the county courts in Wales during the years, 1979, 1987 and 1991.

The 1979 figures are not available. The table shows the total number of mortgage possession actions entered and orders made in Welsh county courts during 1987 and 1991. The 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 1991 figures are provisional and therefore liable to revision in the future.

Mortgage possession actions in Welsh county courts during 1987 and 1991
	Actions entered	Orders made
1987	4,959	2,857
1991	10,235	7,428

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions have been reached on future United Kingdom participation in the Central Rhine Commission.

After having consulted interested representatives of the shipping industry, I have decided that the benefits of continued United Kingdom membership of the Central Rhine Commission are no longer sufficient to justify our annual expenditure on this organisation. We will therefore be giving the Central Rhine Commission formal notice of our intention to withdraw from 31 December 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Health and Safety Executive has completed its investigation into the pattern of falls from passenger trains with slam doors.

The Health and Safety Executive has today made public the conclusions of its investigation into falls from slam-door trains. I have arranged for copies of the summary report to be placed in the Library.The full report of the investigation will be submitted to me by the Health and Safety Commission and published by HSE later in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive a report from the Transport Research Laboratory following its evaluation of the effectiveness of current pedal cycle helmets in reducing head injuries.

The work being done by the Transport Research Laboratory, formerly the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, on current pedal cycle helmets is expected to be completed by March 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to invite tenders for further work on the M3 Bar End-Compton.

[holding answer 18 May 1992]: Tender documents are being prepared with a view to starting the main works for the final section of the M3 between Bar End and Compton later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consideration he has given to providing a new road to relieve congestion on the A1 through Gateshead;(2) what proposals he has to widen the A1 through Gateshead;(3) what alternatives he has considered to the provision of a new road and the widening of the existing road to relieve congestion on the A1 through Gateshead.

[holding answer 19 May 1992]: The A1 Gateshead western bypass improvement scheme was included in the White Paper "Roads for Prosperity" published in 1989. The consultants appointed by the Department to determine practical and viable options for consideration have not yet completed their work.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons in England and Wales that each Home Office Minister has visited since 1979.

Complete records do not go back as far as 1979. To assemble them would involve disproportionate cost. The information in the table about prisons, young offender institutions and other establishments in England and Wales visited by Ministers in the Home Department since my right hon. Friend the Member for Mole Valley (Mr. Baker) became Home Secretary in 1990 is complete.

Prisons in England and Wales visited by the Secretary of State and Ministers for the Home Department since 23 November 1990
Ministerial visits	Date
Right hon. Mr. Kenneth Baker
Gloucester	30 November 1990
Wandsworth	5 December 1990
Glen Parva	14 December 1990
East Sutton Park	20 December 1990
Send	11 January 1991
Wormwood Scrubs	31 January 1991
Bedford	1 February 1991
Onley	13 February 1991
Newbold Revel	13 February 1991
Pentonville	21 February 1991
Reading	27 February 1991
Winchester	6 March 1991
Coldingley	15 March 1991
Bullingdon	22 March 1991

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what figures he has for the number of prosecutions in each year since 1987, for cycling on footpaths (a) for England and (b) for Somerset.

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what basis Adol Owen-Williams was refused entry to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the treatment Mr. Owen-Williams received from immigration officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will investigate the treatment of Mr. Adol Owen-Williams of Germantown, Maryland, by the immigration services at Gatwick airport in April.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 19 May, at column 93.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to monitor the levels of absence through sickness and injury in police forces.

In December last year the Home Office issued guidance to chief officers of police in England and Wales about the collection of data on sickness absence and assaults. Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary has also issued guidance and is paying particular attention to data collection and other aspects of sickness absence management. All police forces in England and Wales should now be monitoring sickness absence in a consistent way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are awaiting entry into Grendon prison; what plans are being made to open a second similar type of prison; and what plans are being made to open a similar prison for women.

A total of 247 prisoners were on the waiting list for transfer to Grendon prison on 18 May 1992. The question of a second psychiatric prison is being considered in a review of services to meet the needs of mentally abnormal offenders, including women. The review is being carried out jointly by the Home Office and Department of Health. The report is expected to be received in September 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce regulations to prohibit the shooting of wild goats, other than in extreme and specified circumstances; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definitive guidance he gives to local authorities and police authorities arising from the recommendations of the Taylor report.

Hitherto, guidance has been given by means of Home Office circulars and, in the case of sports ground safety, in the Home Office guide to safety at sports grounds known as the green guide, the latest version of which was published in November 1990 to take account of the Taylor recommendations.With matters concerning safety at sports grounds presently being transferred to the Department of National Heritage, responsibility for providing future guidance will also pass to that Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to implement the fire safety requirements of European Council Directives 89/391/EEC and 89/654/EEC relating to the health and safety of workers at work; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend intends to implement these requirements by making regulations under section 12 of the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and has today embarked on a public consultation exercise which will end on 18 July 1992. Copies of the consultative document have been placed in the Library of both Houses.The regulations will apply to most places of work with one or more employees. In this way the regulations will fulfil the Home Secretary's responsibility to ensure, by legislative means, that people at work, are as safe as possible from the risk of fire.The onus for ensuring that workplaces have adequate standards of fire safety is placed firmly on the employer or the occupier of the premises. From 1 January 1993, he or she will have to make an assessment of the risk of fire to persons in the workplace and prepare an emergency plan. The plan will include details of the means of fighting fire on the premises, the action to be taken by the employees in case of fire, the evacuation procedure to be followed and the arrangements for calling the fire brigade.There will be a staged application of some of the regulations in accordance with the workplace directive—89/654/EEC. The regulations concerned relate to the requirements to provide adequate means of escape in case of fire and fire detection and alarm systems. They will apply:

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will state the last date to which the bound sessional index volume of the Official Report refers; when he expects further publication of bound index volumes relating to the last Parliament to be published; and what plans he has for reducing the interval between the end of a parliamentary Session and publication of the relevant bound index.

The last Session for which there is a bound sessional index volume for the Official Report is 1988–89. Work is taking place on the index for Session 1989–90 which it is hoped will be published in the first half of 1993. The index for Session 1990–91 is expected to be published a few months later. I understand that the Librarian is reviewing the production of the three published indexes to the Official Report with a view to speeding up publication of the sessional index.

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on the progress of the cleaning of the external faces of the interior walls of the Palace of Westminster; and if he will take steps to ensure this work is completed in the current Parliament.

The current stage of the programme of external stone cleaning and restoration at the Palace of Westminster, which covers the south elevation and the Victoria Tower is on programme for completion in 1994. Before that, a programme will be agreed for the next stages covering the internal courtyards so that this work can continue.

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if he will seek for arrangements to be made for Members to be able to purchase daily newspapers from a location within the Palace of Westminster.

In the first instance it would be for the Administration Committee to recommend, if it established that there was sufficient interest from Members, whether such a service should be provided.

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff are currently employed in the Clerk's Department on duties principally related to departmental Select Committees.

Sixty-six.

To ask the hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission what plans there are for establishing a general store within the Palace of Westminster where hon. Members could buy household items, and miscellaneous stationery.

A shop selling a limited range of items has already been established in I Parliament Street. The Accommodation and Works Committee in its first report, Session 1991–92 HC 269—I approved plans for a "necessities" shop in the phase 2 building and undertook to give

"further consideration at a future date to the range and type of retail units needed to serve Parliament and the public".

The use of other accommodation would need the approval of the relevant Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what homeless centres are at present being funded by the Government in the Tooting constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Since 11 December 1991, my Department has been funding English Churches housing group to provide up to 40 bedspaces at Rame House, in Church lane, Tooting Bec. Rame House was opened as part of the Department's programme of emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough last winter. The shelter is to close on 31 May; and I understand that English Churches hopes by then to have found accommodation for most of the residents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to promote employment diversification in the rural economy.

The Government will continue to work through agencies such as the Rural Development Commission to promote enterprise and economic diversity in a lively and prosperous countryside. For example, we announced as part of our "Action for the Countryside" package that the commission would soon be launching a new initiative, the countryside employment programme. The pilot scheme, which was launched today, will aim to diversify the economy and improve job prospects in those rural areas which are most vulnerable to changes in agriculture.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the guidelines to the Local Government Commission regarding the review of local government will be published; and if he will make a statement.

We will give the Local Government Commission guidance on policy and procedures once it has been set up. We intend to issue revised policy guidance and procedure guidance in draft to the local authority associations before giving it to the commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if it is still the intention of Her Majesty's Government to require the Local Government Commission to conduct an early review into the future of the county of Humberside; and if he will make a statement.

We intend to ask the Local Government Commission to give special priority to reviewing local government structure in Humberside and Lincolnshire where the Local Government Boundary Commission found a strong case for change.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment for what reasons energy efficiency was not included in the press announcement regarding the allocation of ministerial responsibilities; and if there is a Minister responsible for energy efficiency in his Department.

Energy efficiency is an important new responsibility of my Department. My noble Friend Lord Strathclyde will have primary responsibility for energy efficiency, reporting, where necessary, to my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside, and to myself.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for the privatisation of the Property Services Agency International.

In July 1991, my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment announced the timetable for privatisation of PSA Services. The announcement stated that PSA International, which is largely concerned with defence maintenance overseas, was not saleable as a separate organisation and would be closed by the end of 1993. PSA Projects International, the overseas arm of PSA Projects, will, however, be offered for sale with that business.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons are or were registered as homeless in (a) London and (b) in the London borough of Brent (i) now and (ii) in 1979.

The available information is on the numbers of households for whom local authorities accepted responsibility for securing permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the Housing Act 1985. Estimates of the number of persons in these households is not available centrally.The available information is as follows:

Homeless households accepted for permanent rehousing1
Year	Greater London	Brent
1979	15,054	1,074
1991	39,590	1,384
1 A new reporting system was introduced for London authorities from the third quarter of 1982, and the definition of acceptances was altered from the second quarter of 1991, to exclude "intentionally" homeless. Earlier Greater London figures have been adjusted to the new basis, but the adjustment cannot be applied to individual local authorities. The acceptances figures for 1979, especially that for

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether any radioactive waste is imported into the United Kingdom as a constituent part of spent irradiated nuclear fuel.

Nuclear material is classified as waste only if no further use is foreseen for it. Spent nuclear fuel imported for reprocessing does not meet this criterion. Constituents of such spent fuel only become waste when they are separated in the reprocessing plant from the potentially valuable uranium and plutonium.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the members of the Local Government Commission and the address of the commission's headquarters.

The Local Government Commission has not yet been set up. Sir John Banham has agreed to become its chairman. Other members will be announced shortly. The location of the commission has not yet been decided.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions are in place at civil nuclear facilities to protect against the dispersal of radioactive tritium from sites.

Civil nuclear sites are subject to strict regulation by both the nuclear installations inspectorate—NII—and Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution—HMIP—jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food—MAFF.The storage of nuclear matter including radioactive waste containing tritium is licensed by the NII under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965. Disposal of radioactive waste is authorised jointly by HMIP and MAFF by means of strict limits and conditions imposed in certificates issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1960. The regulating authorities inspect nuclear sites regularly to ensure that the terms of the site licence and authorisation are being met.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those nations which must agree to limit their carbon dioxide emissions before Her Majesty's Government will agree to a mandatory deadline of the year 2000 for stabilising carbon dioxide emissions at 1990 levels; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bridgend (Mr. Ainger) on 13 May, Official Report, column 138.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to designate wetland sites in the Solent and adjoining waters under the Ramsar convention.

Preparation of a case for designation of Southampton Water and the Solent as a Ramsar site and special protection area is part of the work programme agreed between English Nature, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Department of Environment. However, English Nature is unlikely to be in a position to make a formal recommendation before 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the changes that it is proposed to introduce for integrated pollution control in relation to components for the battery industry.

A number of processes involving the production of components for the battery industry will require authorisation under the integrated pollution control system by 1996, in accordance with the timetable set out in the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991, SI. 1991/472. Before applications are made to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution for authorisation, the chief inspector will issue guidance covering each process which will set out the standards which will be applied. Industry will be fully consulted during the preparation of this guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's current estimate of the number of homes that may be repossessed by banks and building societies in 1992.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mr. Raynsford), on 15 May, Official Report, column 238.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what levels of expenditure will be allocated for city challenge in the financial year 1994–95, expressed both as a net figure and as a proportion of total inner city expenditure; and how many local authorities will be selected as winners.

City challenge expenditure on the 11 pacemakers and the 20 round 2 winners will be £82·5 million and £150 million per annum respectively for five years. No decisions on future rounds of city challenge have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what process of evaluation of the city challenge bid for 1992 is taking place; what consultation will take place with the communities concerned; and when he expects to announce the winners.

City challenge bids are being assessed against the criteria set out in the bidding guidance issued in February. Official level meetings are currently being held with each of the urban programme authorities which submitted a bid. The purpose of these meetings is to allow the local authority and their partners, including representatives of local communities, to clarify their proposals. I and my colleagues will make the final assessment before announcing the winners by the end of July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he will be announcing the winners of city challenge.

The winners of the second round of city challenge will be announced by the end of July 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of urban programme funding for each year since 1979, expressed both in net figures, current prices and as a proportion of the total urban programme allocation, has been allocated to individual projects designed to promote positive action in relation to (a) ethnic minorities and (b) disabled people.

The information requested on projects relating to ethnic minorities is as follows:

	Ethnic expenditure
	£000 (cash)	£000 1991–92 prices1	As percentage of urban programme
1980–81	6,500	12,771	4
1981–82	7,500	13,439	4
1982–83	15,000	25,090	7
1983–84	27,000	43,162	12
1984–85	31,000	47,195	14
1985–86	37,000	53,384	17
1986–87	35,500	49,589	16
1987–88	31,500	41,732	13
1988–89	29,500	36,464	12
1989–90	30,500	35,404	13
1990–91	27,000	28,890	11
1991–92	28,627	28,627	11
1 1991–92 prices adjusted by GDP deflator.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his latest estimates for allocations from his Department for the urban programme, expressed both as net expenditure at current prices and as a percentage of total urban block expenditure for the next five years, beginning 1992–93.

The planned allocations for the urban programme for 1992–93 and 1993–94, expressed as net expenditure at 1992–93 prices and as a percentage of total urban block expenditure are given in the table. No decisions on allocations for subsequent years have yet been taken.

Year	Urban programme provision £ million	Percentage of urban block provision
1992–93	245	30
1993–94	232	29

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the estimated number, location by local authority area and by building type of privately owned homes known to be defective and outside the scope of the Housing Defects Act 1984.

That information is not available in the form requested. When the housing defects legislation was passed, it was estimated that there were some 3,000 privately developed dwellings of designated types, whose owners would therefore not be eligible for assistance, in addition to those owners who bought ex-public sector stock in knowledge of the defects.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to exercise his powers to make regulations under sections 106A and 106B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Sections 106A and 106B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 were inserted into that Act by section 12(1) of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991. These provisions, which are not yet fully in force, enable my right hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales to make various regulations governing applications to a local planning authority to modify or discharge a planning obligation and appeals to my right hon. Friends when such applications are refused or not determined. Such appeals may be determined by a planning inspector if my right hon. Friends so determine.The Government's proposals for these regulations are set out in a public consultation paper, which has been issued today to local authority associations and other representative bodies for their comments. The main proposals are that a person or persons bound by a planning obligation will be able to agree with the responsible local planning authority to modify or vary it; someone who is bound by a planning obligation will be able to apply to the local planning authority for it to be modified or discharged once five years have elapsed since it was entered into; the applicant will be required to serve notice on others with an interest in the land concerned or who are tenants of it, and the local planning authority will be required to publicise the application; the authority will not be able to determine the application until a set period for representations has elapsed; when the authority determines an application it will have to send a notice to the applicant. If the application is refused, the notice will state clearly and precisely the authority's reasons and set out the applicant's right of appeal; an applicant will have six months from the date of the notice of refusal to lodge an appeal; a form will be prescribed for appellants to use which will set out the rights of either party to a public local inquiry if they wish; appeal decisions will be given in writing and with reasons; a planning inspector will be able to determine all classes of appeal under section 106B, although my right hon. Friends may recover individual cases for their own determination.My right hon. Friends intend to make regulations this autumn to bring these proposals into effect.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the process applications for integrated pollution control authorisations which have applied for commercial confidentiality, analysed by process categories and sub categories as specified in the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991; how many of these Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has declined to accept and how many have gone to appeal to the Secretary of State; and what was the result of these appeals.

[holding answer 18 May 1992]: The information is as follows:

Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances) Regulations 1991
Applicant	Section reference
National Power, Skelton	1.3(a)
National Power, Willington	1.3(a)
National Power, Drax	1.3(a)
National Power, Eggborough	1.3(a)
National Power, Agecroft	1.3(a)
National Power, Blyth	1.3(a)
National Power, Thorpe	1.3(a)
National Power, Padiham	1.3(a)
National Power, Ironbridge	1.3(a)
National Power, Rugeley	1.3(a)
National Power, Uskmouth	1.3(a)
National Power, Pembroke	1.3(a)
National Power, Littlebrook	1.3(a)
National Power, West Thurrock	1.3(a)
National Power, West Burton	1.3(a)
National Power, Didcot	1.3(a)
National Power, Staythorpe	1.3(a)
National Power, Fawley	1.3(a)
National Power, Tilbury	1.3(a)
National Power, Aberthaw	1.3(a),
	1.3(b)
PowerGen, Ferrybridge	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Drakelow	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Fiddlers Ferry	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Ince	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Hams Hall	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Castle Donnington	1.3(a)
PowerGen, High Marnham	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Cottam	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Isle of Grain	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Richborough	1.3(a)
PowerGen, Ratcliffe	I.3(a)
PowerGen, Kingsnorth	1.3(a)
ICI, Wilton	1.3(a)
British Salt	1.3(a)
Cabot Carbon Ltd.	1.3(a)
Lindsey Oil	1.3(a)
Esso	1.3(a)
Fibrogen	1.3(c)
Vert	3.5
Synthetic Chemicals Ltd.	4.1(c)
Hickson & Welch Ltd.	4.2(a)
Robinson Brothers Ltd.	4.2(c)
N. R. Grace Ltd.	4.2(c)
Fine Organics	4.2(c)
Great Lakes	4.2(d)
NIPA	4.2(d)
BP Chemicals Ltd.	4.2(d)
Bio-synthetics	4.2(d)
Nexton Chemicals	4.2(j)
ICI Fine Chemicals	4.4(c)
Peboc Ltd.	4.4(e)
Rhône-Poulenc	4.7(ii)

A total of 39 applications for confidentiality have been rejected in total or in part: and 30 of these are currently the subject of appeals to the Secretary of State. None of the appeals has yet been determined, but decisions will be made as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the Chair of State.

I have been asked to reply.The Chair of State remains on display at the Victoria and Albert museum. I understand that the National Heritage Memorial Fund is still hopeful that the chair will be returned to the Palace of Westminster, but that this is dependent on a charitable trust being set up to which ownership of the chair can be transferred.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the level of capital investment in housing for rent by both local authorities and housing associations in 1979, 1987 and 1991 in Wales;(2) what was the level of capital investment in housing for rent by both local authorities and housing associations in 1979, 1987 and 1991 in Blaenau Gwent.

Outturn information is as follows:

	Wales £ million		Blaenau Gwent £ million
	HA	LA	HA	LA
1979–80	30·7	81·8	1n/a	6·0
1987–88	64·5	135·7	1n/a	6·9
1990–91	1160	125·6	8·1	4·0
1 Prior to 1988–89 the Housing Corporation did not report expenditure by Local Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the average fair rents of housing association-owned housing in Wales in (a) 1987 and (b) currently; and what are the current assured tenancy rents by housing associations in Wales;(2) what the average fair rent of housing association-owned property in Blaenau Gwent was in 1987; and what are the average fair rents and average assured rents of housing association-owned property currently in Blaenau Gwent.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many homes were available for rent by local authorities and housing associations in Blaenau Gwent in 1979, 1987 and at the most recent available date;(2) what are the number of homes available for rent by local authorities and housing associations in Wales in

The available information, excluding dwellings awaiting sale or demolition, is as follows:

Local authority dwellings available for rent at 1 April
	1987	1991
Blaenau Gwent	10,871	9,777
Wales	253,028	222,290

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the number of homes for rent built by local authorities in Wales in 1979, 1987 and currently.

The information requested is given in the table:

Local Authority Completions
	Number
1979	3,010
1987	810
1991	421

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council tenants in Wales were in receipt of housing benefit and what percentage this was of the total number of council tenants in 1987; and what are the equivalent current figures.

The information requested for 1990–91, the latest available year, is given in the following table. The numbers are provisional estimates based on information at the end of February 1991. Equivalent figures are unavailable for 1987 as there was an element of double counting prior to 1988.

Local authority tenants receiving rent rebate, 1990–91
	Estimated number of recipients	Percentage of total number of tenants (at 1 April 1991)
Aberconwy	1,783	71
Alyn and Deeside	2,944	61
Arfon	3,277	69
Blaenau Gwent	6,821	70
Brecknock1	1,820	69
Cardiff	14,343	77
Carmarthen	1,961	59
Ceredigion	1,722	55
Colwyn	1,841	76
Cynon Valley	3,684	77
Delyn	3,437	77
Dinefwr	1,544	65
Dwyfor	881	64
Glyndwr	1,700	61
Islwyn	3,861	68
Llanelli	4,705	73
Lliw Valley	3,378	70
Meirionnydd	1,187	61
Merthyr Tydfil	4,920	77
Monmouth	2,728	59
Montgomeryshire2	1,994	48
Neath	3,796	74
Newport	8,902	70
Ogwr	6,753	75
Port Talbot	3,671	69
Preseli Pembrokeshire	3,340	63
Radnorshire	523	47
Rhondda	3,900	82
Rhuddlan	1,732	67
Rhymney Valley	7,694	82
South Pembrokeshire	1,816	68
Swansea	11,785	73
Taff-Ely	4,836	73
Torfaen	7,928	62
Vale of Glamorgan	3,865	67

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when his Department plans to announce the outcome of the recent review of the disabled facilities grant system; and if he will make a statement.

The findings of the review of the house renovation grant system, including disabled facilities grants, are under consideration. We hope to make an announcement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what policy initiatives he intends to take to reduce the number of young people without jobs.

The Careers Service and the Employment Service already offer a wide range of services aimed at helping young people find suitable employment. The Government are firmly committed to quality training for young people and all 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in full-time education or employment are entitled to a youth training place. By 1996 all 16 and 17-year-olds in this category will be entitled to a training credit which will increase their ability to obtain jobs with training to approved standards and to achieve recognised qualifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will establish drop-in centres to assist young people out of work.

The Careers Service and the Employment Service already offer a wide range of readily accessible services to young people aimed at providing advice, guidance and information on suitable training and employment opportunities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what studies he has made of vandalism in Wales; and what policies he has to lessen vandalism in town centres and housing estates.

Vandalism is an aspect of crime which is being tackled along with others in Wales by the police, local authorities, the probation service and voluntary bodies working together. The reduction of vandalism in town centres and on housing estates is one of the elements of the strategies being pursued.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether the submission by the Health Education Authority on the review of tobacco sponsored sport on BBC television is in accordance with the policy of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's policy is that sport should be allowed to benefit from tobacco sponsorship providing it is subject to the proper control. That control is provided by the voluntary agreement which exists between the Government and the tobacco industry. The Health Education Authority report "Tobacco and the BBC" makes recommendations about the BBC's present sports coverage. The content of its programmes is a matter for the BBC. I understand that the BBC's producers' guideliness draw attention to the voluntary agreement. The Government believe that the agreement is working well.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will publish a list showing the DTI inspectors' reports relating to post-1979 investigations carried out under the Companies Act 1985.

The table lists all inspections under sections 432 and 442 of the Companies Act 1985, or their predecessor sections, where inspectors were appointed after January 1980 and have submitted a report.

Date of appointment	Company name	Date of report
12 February 1980	Consolidated Gold Fields Ltd.	24 July 1980
25 July 1980	Dunlop Holdings Ltd.	118 December 1980
		310 March 1981
		212 November 1981
4 September 1980	Euroseas Securities Ltd.	5 March 1985
24 August 1981	Riafield Ltd.	30 December 1983
11 November 1981	Corporate Management Planning Ltd.	24 September 1986
8 March 1982	Euroflame Holding plc	27 June 1987
25 March 1982	Pharmaceutex (IV Fluid) Ltd.	4 June 1986
	Drivehouse Ltd.
	Furdrove Ltd.
10 May 1982	Cubar Construction Ltd.	28 August 1984
24 September 1982	Alexander Howden Group plc	130 December 1985
		2 26 June 1987
8 November 1982	Minet Holdings plc	17 April 1986
	WMD Underwriting Agencies Ltd.	216 January 1990
19 November 1982	Signal Life Assurance Co. Ltd.	16 November 1988
11 November 1983	Graylaw Holdings Ltd.	28 November 1989
	Link Service Stations Ltd.
	British Anzani plc	28 November 1989
6 April 1983	The Greenbank Trust plc	28 June 1985
4 October 1983	Bank Street Securities Ltd	28 November 1989
	Pennine Commercial Holdings plc	128 November 1989
25 February 1983	Hartley Baird plc	21 December 1983
7 June 1983	Westminster Property Group plc	17 October 1985
23 August 1983	House of Fraser plc	123 July 1984
16 February 1984	Medway Secondary Metals Ltd.	21 October 1987
3 September 1984	Emray plc (now Equity & General plc)	9 December 1987

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which the approval of a company's employees would be needed before a company could make any financial donations to political parties.

No.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which companies making losses would be forbidden from making donations to political parties.

No.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many auditing firms are regulated by the recognised supervisory bodies.

At 12 May some 16,000 firms were registered with supervisory bodies under the Companies Act 1989.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any plans to propose legislation under which an independent statutory body would be responsible for appointing auditors to major companies.

No.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for legislation under which external auditors would be prevented from (a) performing actuarial tasks for their audit clients and (b) recruiting directors for their audit clients.

No. It is a condition for recognition under part II of and schedule 11 to the Companies Act 1989 that supervisory bodies must have adequate rules and practices regarding the professional integrity and independence of company auditors. In addition shareholders will in future have information provided under the Companies Act 1985 (Disclosure of Remuneration for Non-Audit Work) Regulations 1991, which require companies that are not small or medium-sized to disclose in their accounts the remuneration of their auditors and their associates for non-audit work for the company and its associated undertakings.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any proposals for requiring all major public limited companies to have (a) internal audit departments and (b) audit committees.

No. These are matters for individual companies.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will propose legislation under which auditors will have a statutory duty to detect and report material fraud.

All auditors should apply the guidance in the auditing guideline issued in February 1990 on the auditor's responsibility in relation to fraud, other irregularities and errors. If an auditor does not apply the guidance in any particular case, he must be prepared to explain why he has failed to do so. The guideline makes it clear that where the auditor is aware of matters of concern and does not have confidence that they will be properly dealt with by management, he should, if he considers that disclosure should be made in the public interest, disclose the matters to the appropriate authorities.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps his Department has undertaken recently to ensure that the pensions of both current and past British Coal employees are fully protected following privatisation of the industry.

No decisions have yet been taken on the details of the privatisation, but the Government have already made it clear that pension entitlements will be safeguarded.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of current negotiations with National Power and PowerGen about the future of British Coal.

The negotiations are a commercial matter between British Coal and the generating companies. It is in the interests of all concerned that there should be the earliest possible resolution of these negotiations.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if any current safety provisions in deep-mining collieries will be subject to change following privatisation of British Coal.

Safety provisions relating to the coal industry are the responsibility of the Health and Safety Commission. I have therefore now formally written to the chairman of the commission to seek its advice on safety matters in the context of coal privatisation. The Government are determined that health and safety should remain of paramount importance in the privatised coal mining industry.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to discuss privatisation of British Coal with the National Union of Mineworkers.

As I made clear in the House on 18 May, I will be writing to bodies directly involved in the coal industry, including the National Union of Mineworkers, seeking their views on the privatisation of British Coal.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the amount per year paid out to all bodies for advice on coal privatisation since 1979.

No payments were made to outside bodies for advice on coal privatisation before 1991–92. In that year expenditure on such advice was £3·3 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is Her Majesty's Government's policy to allow the import of illegally extracted timbers; and if he will make a statement.

There are restrictions on imports into the United Kingdom of a limited range of timber covered by the internationally-agreed Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Otherwise, it is for countries concerned to enforce their own laws on illegal extraction of timber, not for the United Kingdom to attempt to do so at our external frontier. We do not, however, take lightly the threat posed to the environment by the destruction of tropical forests, hence our policy of fostering sustainable management of these important resources.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he intends to forward the EC proposal on ranges for prescribed quantities and unit pricing during the United Kingdom presidency; and when he expects it to be adopted by the European Commission.

Although my officials have recently urged the Commission to reconvene discussions, the Commission has indicated that it does not expect to make a formal proposal to the Council this year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to publish the nuclear safety cases relating to Trawsfynydd nuclear power station.

The comprehensive safety case which Nuclear Electric plc—NE—has prepared in respect of Trawsfynydd nuclear power station is known as a long-term safety review—LTSR. The nuclear installations inspectorate—NII—which is part of the Health and Safety Executive—HSE—regards the LTSR as providing the primary basis for judging the adequacy of NE's case for the continued operation of Trawsfynydd.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what scientific advice on energy technologies and strategies is provided to his Department.

The Department has a wide range of advisory bodies with external membership offering advice on particular technological areas and on the broad balance of the Department's energy research and development programmes. The Department also has its own specialist staff who offer advice on energy issues and run the R and D programmes for the energy sector.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether the former chief scientist to the Department of Energy has been relocated to his Department.

Yes.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress his Department has made towards establishing a demonstration off-shore wind energy plant similar to that already established in waters off Denmark.

[holding answer 19 May 1992]: The Government have no plans for an offshore wind energy plant similar to the one recently built in Denmark.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will employ criteria other than travel-to-work areas in reviewing assisted area boundaries; and if he will take account of unemployment blackspots.

[holding answer 19 May 1992]: The Government announced before the election that a review of the assisted areas map would be conducted early in this Parliament. We are now considering how to take this forward and looking at the criteria to be applied. I hope to make an announcement on this shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the extent of adult illiteracy in the United Kingdom; what definition he uses of illiteracy; and if he will make a statement.

There are very few adults in the United Kingdom who cannot read or write at all, but there are substantial numbers who cannot cope with the demands of everyday life. They cannot, for example, fill in forms, check payslips or give the correct change. Such people are often described as being "functionally illiterate".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has for the strengthening of the position of religious instruction in the national curriculum and of religious worship in the daily timetable of state schools; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend strongly supports the requirements, as statutorily defined, for all registered pupils at maintained schools to study religious education as part of the basic curriculum, and to attend a daily act of collective worship, subject to their parents' right to withdraw them from these activities.The Education Reform Act 1988 reaffirmed religious education and collective worship as matters for determination by local, rather than national, bodies. I welcome the National Curriculum Council's support for the role of local bodies and its intention to monitor the additional contribution of the national curriculum to the general aim of promoting pupils' spiritual and moral development, set out in section 1 of that Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what priority he intends to give in future capital expenditure allocations to the replacement of Derwent system school buildings.

Capital resources for local authority maintained schools are distributed on the basis of national priority criteria. These give priority to the second and third-year costs of work approved under earlier allocations, new school places needed in areas of population growth and projects to remove surplus places. The remaining resources are then largely distributed to contribute towards the cost of all other capital work including improvement and replacement projects. Priority in making allocations to grant-maintained schools has been given to projects required on urgent health and safety grounds.Bids from GM schools to replace Derwent system school buildings will be considered on their merits. For voluntary aided and special agreement schools such replacement projects would be categorised as improvement work and it would be for the local education authority to determine the priority of each bid. Local education authorities are responsible for the state of county and voluntary controlled school buildings, and for deciding expenditure levels and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Derwent system schools are in existence; and what is the estimated cost of replacing them at current prices to provide the same educational facilities.

Over the period 1952 to 1984, the Department recorded expenditure on 558 primary and secondary school projects in England and Wales that used the Derwent system. Local authorities could well have used the system for minor projects for which the Department has no records.The cost of replacing the recorded uses of the system in permanent construction to current standards so as to provide the same educational facilities is estimated to be between £300 million and £450 million at current prices.These costs take no account of cases where such accommodation has been taken out of use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list for each further education college and sixth-form college its revenue budget, and capital allocation for (a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92 and (c) 1992–93; and if he will make a statement.