To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been commissioned into the environmental impact and property damage implications of aircraft engines capable of powering 600-seater aircraft.

There are no 600-seater aircraft yet in production. The regulatory authorities have not yet been provided with information about any such aircraft which would enable them to undertake environmental assessment. However, all new types of civil aircraft must receive a certificate of airworthiness, covering a wide range of safety and environmental standards, before they are permitted to operate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the latest position as regards the consultation study by Acer Consultants Ltd. in connection with its work on the alignment of an east/west trunk route regarding the section between the A5 and the M11.

We expect to receive a report from our consultant this autumn. This will provide information about route options on which we hope to consult the public in 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the first degree obtained by each of the chief executives of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded;(2) how much was spent on events and publicity surrounding the launch of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency as agencies; and whether the cost in each case was borne by the parent department or the new agency.

The chief executives of the DVOIT agency and the Transport Research Laboratory will be writing to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the maximum salary payable, including performance related element, and the length of time of the contract, of each of the chief executives of DVOIT and the Transport Research Agency.

The chief executive of the DVOIT agency has been appointed from 1 April 1992 for five years. The maximum salary that the chief executive DVOIT agency could be paid in 1992–93 on the basis of the current scale is £46,671 but a further general increase is expected on 1 August 1992. In addition, the chief executive is eligible for special non pensionable performance related bonus payments of up to 10 per cent. of salary.The chief executive of the Transport Research Laboratory has been appointed from 11 November 1991 for five years. The maximum salary that the executive could be paid in 1992–93 is currently £63,000. This figure is subject to annual review in the light of the Government's decisions on the recommendations of the top salaries review body for the senior open structure. In addition the chief executive is eligible for non pensionable performance related bonuses up to a maximum of 10 per cent. of salary for the years to which the bonuses relate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the additional cost of (a) initiating, (b) administering each year and (c) policing each year the scheme of red routes in London as announced on 11 June.

I expect the implementation of the red route network announced on 11 June to cost in the region of £50 million (over the next five years) and the cost of administration to be of the order of £1.5 million a year subject to variation in workload. When the system becomes fully operational the annual cost of the additional police officers and traffic wardens will be about £25 million. However, the final cost will depend on the extent to which the boroughs' future involvement in parking enforcement releases existing traffic warden resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements relating to regulated parking, pedestrian crossings, cycle facilities and bus lanes or bus preference traffic schemes are possible under red route legislation and not possible under other provisions for traffic and highway management.

The power for the Secretary of State to designate a coherent network across London and to ensure the co-ordinated implementation of effective measures on it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to build an outer orbital trunk road outside the M25.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects construction of the Colne Foulridge bypass to begin.

This is Lancashire county council's scheme. Its timing is a matter for the council, although the council is hoping for exceptional central Government funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress on the Selby bypass following the conclusion in 1991 of the local public inquiry into the line of the route.

The joint decision of the Secretaries of State for Transport and the Environment is awaited. I am aware of the need for an early decision, but in view of their statutory position it would be wrong for me to forecast when an announcement can be made. Of course, they have to consider all evidence before them, including the inquiry inspector's report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what review is being undertaken of the law relating to wheel clamping of vehicles by private companies in England.

The law on wheel clamping on private land is a matter for the courts. But the recent ruling of the Scottish High Court of Judiciary will be examined carefully by my Department—with other relevant Government Departments—with a view to the position in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what action he has taken in relation to the conclusions on page seven of the report commissioned by his Department from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority on a post-Chernobyl survey of radionuclides in Wales from August to October 1986.

The report to which the hon. Gentleman refers is one of many dealing with the effects of radioactive deposition from Chernobyl within the United Kingdom as a whole. Since the accident there have been a wide range of laboratory and field studies to improve our understanding of the behaviour of the fallout from Chernobyl in the affected areas, including north Wales.The recommendations for further work in this particular report are being followed up. The Welsh Office is currently funding a project examining the dynamics of caesium in soils in upland Wales. As part of its wide ranging research programme the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has also funded work in the migration of radiocaesium in peat, as well as into the presence of strontium 90 in crops before and after the Chernobyl accident.Following the Chernobyl accident a comprehensive monitoring programme of all foodstuffs likely to be affected was undertaken in Wales. The results indicated that radioactivity levels were generally well below those at which action was necessary to protect the safety of the food chain—with the exception of sheepmeat from certain parts of north Wales. As a result, sheep movement and marketing restrictions remain in force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what conclusions he has reached on the implications of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin for people seeking access to personal records for which he has responsibility; and what action he intends to take.

My Department has consulted relevant agencies in Wales about how existing legislation and practice on the subject of access to social work records might need to be modified in the light of the judgment given by the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Graham Gaskin.I am considering, together with other Ministers, what action should now be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the approval by his Department for the West Glamorgan family health services authority to begin the immediate checking of standards at dental surgeries in the county will include the aim of reducing the rates of cross-infection; and if this initiative will now be extended to the whole of Wales.

The inspection of general dental practitioners premises is a matter for individual family health services authorities to decide as part of their management responsibility for general dental services. The composition of the inspection checklist is stipulated in guidance issued to FHSAs and includes consideration of cross-infection control.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review his financial regulations to enable the Penylag county primary school, Deeside to be extended; and if he will make a statement.

No. In accordance with practices agreed with the local authority associations it is for local authorities to determine the distribution of the resources made available to them between services and projects in the light of their view of local needs and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will visit Penylag county primary school and meet the governors, staff and the parent-teachers association.

I have no present plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will earmark cash in the Sports Council grant aid to enable the Sports Council to list the current stock of school playing fields land.

As indicated in the Government's policy statement "Sport and Active Recreation" published last November, I will be considering with the Sports Council for Wales whether the register of all playing fields in England currently being compiled should be extended to Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons the construction of the alternative feeding grounds for wading birds was omitted from the re-advertisement of the specifications of the tender to construct the proposed Cardiff bay barrage in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 5 June; and what difference it made to the total estimated construction cost.

The construction of the alternative feeding grounds for wading birds was omitted from Cardiff Bay Development Corporation's re-advertisement since the Select Committee required the provision for the feeding grounds to be removed from the Cardiff Bay Barrage Bill. The indicative value of £112 million given in the advertisement should have been reduced by the £5.7 million cost of the feeding ground to £106 million. As I indicated in my answer to the hon. Gentleman on 16 June the estimated value in the advertisement is intended to be purely indicative of the scale of the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales for what reasons it was decided to increase the volume of dredged material in the specification for the construction of the Cardiff bay barrage from 1,000,000 m³ to 1,700,000 m³, and for sandfill from 1,300,000 m³ to 1,500,000 m³ between the original advertisement in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Communities dated 14 November 1990 and the most recent re-advertisement dated 5 June 1992.

Following completion of ground investigations and detailed design of the barrage, allowance has been made for removal of all soft material from beneath the locks, sluices and Penarth Link, and removal of some soft material from beneath the embankment. This is required to avoid problems during construction and to ensure the complete structure integrity of the finished structure. It has resulted in the increases in dredging and sandfill quantities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the increase since November 1990 in cost and in percentage terms of the proposed Cardiff bay barrage exclusive of the cost of the alternative feeding grounds.

If the cost of the alternative feeding grounds had been excluded from the November 1990 prequalification notice, the cost of the Cardiff bay barrage would have been £82 million at 1988–89 prices. The equivalent figure for the latest notice is £106 million at 1991–92 prices. Estimated construction costs exclusive of the alternative feeding grounds have therefore risen by £24 million or 29 per cent. over a period of some three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what special measures he plans to encourage manufacturing industry in Wales.

Development of manufacturing industry in Wales is a high priority. A wide range of schemes is available to encourage investment, research and development, and job creation. Specific initiatives have been taken to strengthen supplier networks, encourage technology transfer and build on the record levels of inward investment that have been achieved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the loss of banking and finance jobs in Wales.

Employment Department figures show that between 1989 and 1991 employment in the banking, insurance and finance sector in Wales increased by almost one third to 90,000.

To ask the Attorney-General how much money has been spent on investigations under the War Crimes Act 1991; and how many individual cases have been investigated.

The War Crimes Act 1991 came into effect on 9 May 1991. Costs associated with investigations in England and Wales in 1991–92 were £1,003,072. This includes running costs and direct expenditure by the CPS in providing advice and other support to the investigators. The corresponding figure for Scotland is £300,000. No individual investigations have been completed. The inquiry is focusing on the case identified in the Hetherington/Chalmers report which appear most susceptible to criminal investigation.No figures are yet available for the expenditure in the current year.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will now indicate when the opinion of the Advocate General and the judgments of the court will be available on the case relating to Sunday trading.

The Advocate-General will give his opinion on 8 July. The court will give public notice in due course after 8 July of the date when it will give judgment.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his attendance at the European Court of Justice on 2 June.

On 2 June the European Court of Justice heard references by English courts concerning the compatibility of the Shops Act 1950 and Community law. I addressed the court on behalf of the United Kingdom and argued that the Act was compatible with Community law.

To ask the Attorney-General what consideration the Director of Public Prosecutions is giving to instituting proceedings under section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961 against the publishers or distributors of "Final Exit"; and what criteria the Director of Public Prosecutions applies to such cases.

In December 1991 the acting director of Public Prosecutions considered a complaint relating to the distribution of "Final Exit" by Derek Humphrey. He concluded that there were no grounds for proceeding against either the publishers or distributors for an offence contrary to section 2 of the Suicide Act 1961. In reaching this decision the acting director took into account the High Court's consideration in Attorney General v. Able and Others [1984] 1 ALL ER p. 277 of the circumstances in which supply of a publication may contravene section 2. It is for the police to investigate any particular supply of "Final Exit" which might constitute an offence.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of cases heard by each magistrates court in Greater London and Essex for each week during the past 12 months.

The information is not available centrally in the form requested. However, the Home Office collects and publishes the numbers of people proceeded against annually by petty sessional division and commission of the peace area in "Criminal statistics England and Wales". The 1990 publication, the latest available, is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of court sittings for each magistrates court in Greater London and Essex for each week during the past 12 months.

This information is not available centrally in the form requested. The annual number of bench sittings for north-east London is 10,220 in 1990 (the latest year available) and for Essex is 10,217 in 1991. It is possible to provide the numbers of individual bench sittings only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if small claims courts are required to issue documents to plaintiffs and defendants by recorded or registered post; and if he will make a statement.

The county court rules 1981 require that any document which is to be served on a person should be served personally or by first class post. There is no requirement for documents to be sent by recorded or registered post.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many children have been taken abroad by one parent against the wishes of the other parent in the last year of record.

No statistics are kept of the total number of children taken abroad unlawfully by one parent against the wishes of the other. However, in the year 1991, the child abduction unit of the Lord Chancellor's Department, which acts as the central authority for applications in England and Wales under the Hague convention of 1980 and the European convention of 1980, processed 108 applications involving 149 children who were said to have been wrongfully removed to other contracting states under those conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much is allocated by the Overseas Development Administration to special training programmes in wildlife management techniques and if he will break these figures down into the amounts spent on (a) annual capture and translocation, (b) management of crop-raiding animals, (c) veterinary diagnosis and management of diseases, (d) operation of culling programmes, (e) the development of village-level use of wild species, (f) management of sports hunting and other associated activities, (g)implementation of reintroduction programmes for both plants and animals and (h) programmes to exterminate damaging introduced and invasive species.

Information is not readily available in the form requested by the hon. Member. However, many of the projects ODA supports in wildlife management include elements for training for developing country personnel. Some examples include:

(i) £12 million for Kenya's protected areas Wildlife Services project to protect rare and endangered species;

(ii) £474,000 for the Zoological Society of London to protect black rhinos and other flora and fauna and prevent damage to crops and livestock by predators in the Aberdares, Kenya;

(iii) £91,000 in support of community education programme to promote conservation and sustainable resource use in Zimbabwe;

(iv) £30,000 for training and equipment for the Ecological Research Institute at Etosha, Namibia to develop remote sensing techniques for effective environment monitoring and management of wildlife parks.

We also support training in the United Kingdom on environmental subjects; of the 485 broad-based environment awards in 1990–91, 12 were for specific wildlife management training courses at a cost of approximately £140,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid Her Majesty's Government provides for Bahrain (a) in real terms and (b) as a percentage of gross national product.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian Government concerning slaughter of baby seal pups; and if he will make a statement.

The Russian authorities are well aware of public concern in the United Kingdom about seal culling. The EC banned the import of harp and hooded seal pup skins in 1983. The United Kingdom persuaded the Community to make the ban indefinite in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many papers have been withdrawn from the Public Record Office by his Department in each of the last five years.

In each of the past five years the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has temporarily recalled the following numbers of files from the Public Record Office.

	Number
1991	2,425
1990	2,113
1989	3,316
1988	3,324
1987	2,851

All Foreign and Commonwealth Office files temporarily recalled from the Public Record Office are held for the minimum period of time necessary for official business, and are returned to the Public Record Office thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken towards protection of the chemical plant in Tuzla, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, against the risks of war damage leading to environmental damage.

The best protection for all sites in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be a durable ceasefire. We therefore wholeheartedly support Lord Carrington's and the United Nations efforts to bring this about.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that United Nations sanctions against Serbia do not harm the economy or the people of Slovenia.

As a United Nations member state, Slovenia has a legal obligation to implement the sanctions imposed on Serbia and Montenegro by Security Council Resolution 757. It is for the Slovenian authorities to take steps, consistent with this resolution, to protect the interests of their economy and people should they be affected by Slovenian implementation of the sanctions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to secure the release of Patricia Cahill from prison in Thailand.

The British embassy in Bangkok submitted Patricia Cahill's petition for a pardon from His Majesty the King of Thailand to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 4 May 1992. The embassy strongly supported the petition on the grounds of Miss Cahill's youth and immaturity at the time the offence was committed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for entry clearance at the deputy high commission in Karachi have been outstanding for more than one month.

[holding answer 12 June 1992]: There are 745 applications which have been outstanding for more than one month. Of these, 528 are non-settlement cases where the post requires further information or the applicants have failed to attend for interview. Of the remaining 217 settlement cases, 50 have been referred to the Home Office for decision, 82 applicants are waiting first interview, and 85 are applicants who have been interviewed but from whom further documents are required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will update the 1977 survey conducted by his Department and the Welsh Office on how many schools in England and Wales have outside toilets in use by pupils.

I have no plans at present to update the information contained in the 1977 "A Study of School Building" which gave the number of schools with outside toilets on a sample basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to strengthen the representative base of school governing bodies by opening up all places on every body to election by parents; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to alter the carefully constructed balance of membership of school governing bodies established by the Education (No. 2) Act 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will review the procedure for appointment of school governors by minor authorities to prevent such authorities from removing well-established school governors and replacing them with political appointees; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to review the procedure for the appointment of school governors by minor authorities.The Education (No. 2) Act 1986 allows those appointing governors to remove them at any time. The courts have, however, taken the view that in doing so they must act reasonably. There is therefore a remedy in law for a governor who considers that he has been unreasonably removed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the latest figure for the cost of surplus school places for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The average premises-related cost of maintaining a school place is estimated to be £150 a year for a primary school and £250 a year for a secondary school at 1991–92 prices. The amount that can be saved by removing surplus places will, however, vary considerably according to the particular circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the differences in the arrangements for (a) aided schools and (b) county schools in using school budget money to support governors' money for paying for decorations or repairs approved for 85 per cent. grant from his Department; and if he will make a statement.

County schools are not eligible for grant from the Department for repairs or decorations. Governors of county and voluntary aided schools with delegated budgets may, subject to any conditions in their LMS scheme, spend the budget share of their school as they see fit for the purposes of the school. In the voluntary aided schools, such purposes could include external repairs to school buildings, including decoration, which are their responsibility under the provisions of section 15 of the Education Act 1944 and eligible for grant.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will next pay an official visit to Kinsley.

I shall be making further visits to many parts of the country and hope to include Kinsley among them.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about ministerial responsibilities for HMSO, the Central Office of Information, Chessington Computer Centre and CCTA—the Government Centre for Information Systems.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Minister of Public Service and Science) will assume responsibility for these bodies from the Chancellor of the Exchequer.The transfer of responsibility for the Central Office of Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office will take place on Monday 22 June. The transfer of CCTA will take place once the necessary Transfer of Functions Order permits. Responsibility for Chessington Computer Centre will be transferred as soon as the administrative arrangements have been completed.These four bodies are largely self-contained units engaged in providing services, mostly on a repayment basis, and mainly to other civil service departments and agencies. They will take their place alongside the Civil Service college, the Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency and the Occupational Health Service, which are also self-contained units largely serving civil service departments and agencies and which are already the responsibility of the Chancellor of the Duchy. Bringing these seven units under one Minister is designed to improve their effectiveness and help to provide even better value for those who use those services.

To ask the Prime Minister what benefits are planned to flow to London from the millennium fund.

It is far too early to say. But the millennium fund, which will commemorate the start of the 21st century, will be one of the areas funded by the national lottery.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what functions will be carried out by the Private Sector Forum for London; and whether its proceedings will be subject to public scrutiny;(2) when he intends to announce the membership of the proposed Private Sector Forum for London; and if he is inviting nominations from representative bodies in the capital.

The forum will promote London internationally as a business, tourist and cultural centre. We are still considering the detailed arrangements for the forum. We will announce our conclusions in due course.

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has made an official visit by train since becoming Prime Minister.

I do so when ever the opportunity arises but for practical and security reasons I am unable to travel often by train.

To ask the Prime Minister what is the most appropriate Department to sponsor the Royal British Legion's bid to PERIFRA II for the establishment of a training centre in Tidworth for providing specific training for members of the armed forces and their families, so as to prepare them for continuing careers in civilian life; what action he will take in consultation with the Royal British Legion; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 17 June 1992]: The aims of the British Legion proposal are to provide employment opportunities and training for the wives and dependants of service personnel, for ex-service personnel, and for the local community in Tidworth. The Ministry of Defence has the matter under consideration.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to prevent a reporting accountant acting for debenture holders from acting as a receiver.

I have no such plans.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received regarding the pricing of compact discs.

My Department has received a small number of letters about the price of compact discs and other aspects of the market for recorded music in the course of the last few months. The Office of Fair Trading has also received correspondence on this issue and is keeping the market under review.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value of exports by the aerospace industry to Britain for each of the years from 1979, giving the financial value under the headings of airframe, engines etc.

United Kingdom Aerospace exports
(£ millions)
	1988	1989	1990	1991
Aircraft
Aircraft—new	799	1,194	1,030	1,157
—other	275	877	942	569
Spacecraft	1	1	23	0
Aircraft Parts	1,722	2,406	2,498	3,229
Guided Weapons	210	315	182	81
TOTAL	3,008	4,794	4,674	5,036
Propulsion devices
Reciprocating	4	5	6	6
Reciprocating—parts	26	36	44	34
Jet and turbo—new	504	1,085	1,133	912
—other	491	474	478	461
Other than jet	8	11	6	7
Jet and turbo parts	737	794	827	817
TOTAL	1,770	2,405	2,494	2,237
Equipment
Aircraft tyres	11	8	10	7
Radio Communications	40	54	57	54
Aircraft radar	41	57	42	29
Aircraft instruments	177	219	225	183
Seating and furnishings	16	48	53	58
Parachutes, rotochutes	7	5	5	6
Catapults, launching gear	5	3	6	5
Ground trainers	118	166	131	89
Spcialised machinery	1	3	6	8
Mechanical handling equipment	2	3	5	3
Transmission Shafts	12	14	17	11
Other equipment	163	182	234	238
TOTAL	593	764	790	692
TOTAL AEROSPACE	5,370	7,962	7,958	7,966

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and tonnage of exports of hot rolled coil by the British steel industry for each of the years from 1979.

The information is given in the table.

United Kingdom exports of hot rolled coil steel
	Value (£ million)	Weight (thousand tonnes)
1979	23.6	161.0
1980	9.3	55.8
1981	10.3	79.8
1982	7.3	49.3
1983	26.5	146.9
1984	35.4	198.5
1985	39.6	199.7
1986	42.7	231.1
1987	50.4	257.6
1988	68.9	332.4
1989	90.4	390.3
1990	110.3	493.2
1991	124.0	656.0

The available information is given in the following table. Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and tonnage of imports of (a) HRC and (b) other categories of steel by the British steel industry for each of the years from 1979.

The available information is given in the table.

United Kingdom imports of steel
	Hot rolled coil steel		Other steel
	Value (£ million)	Weight (thousand tonnes)	Value (£ million)	Weight (thousand tonnes)
1979	92.8	526.9	901	3,257
1980	97.7	525.1	1,173	4,102
1981	63.9	379.9	842	2,935
1982	99.4	524.5	1,056	3,312
1983	104.5	520.6	930	2,824
1984	101.1	482.5	1,132	3,071
1985	128.2	574.6	1,274	3,175
1986	157.7	694.1	1,331	3,424
1987	165.7	707.7	1,403	3,560
1988	149.0	583.0	1,828	4,447
1989	155.1	567.0	2,144	4,715

	Hot rolled coil steel		Other steel
	Value (£ million)	Weight (thousand tonnes)	Value (£ million)	Weight (thousand tonnes)
1990	166.6	631.9	2,053	4,526
1991	118.4	494.3	2,065	4,815

Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau from the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value and numbers of motor cars, vans and lorries (a) imported and (b) exported for each of the years from 1979.

The information is given in the table.

United Kingdom trade in motor cars, vans and lorries1
	Imports		Exports
	Value (£ billion)	Numbers (thousands)	Value (£ billion)	Numbers (thousands)
1979	2.85	1,132	1.40	552
1980	2.38	941	1.40	485
1981	2.40	861	1.44	453

United Kingdom trade in textiles (£ million)
	Exports			Imports
Textile fibres1	Other textiles2	Total textiles	Textiles	fibres1	Other textiles2	Total textiles
1979	316	1,339	1,655	476	1,691	2,167
1980	313	1,363	1,676	376	1,544	1,920
1981	298	1,203	1,501	376	1,762	2,138
1982	314	1,192	1,506	411	1,928	2,338
1983	375	1,285	1,660	476	2,320	2,796
1984	428	1,485	1,913	597	2,705	3,302
1985	420	1,709	2,129	663	3,032	3,695
1986	373	1,712	2,085	547	3,162	3,709
1987	397	1,886	2,283	658	3,472	4,130
1988	440	1,935	2,374	688	3,636	4,323
1989	498	2,205	2,703	681	3,770	4,451
1990	495	2,447	2,942	549	3,936	4,485
1991	466	2,349	2,816	453	3,739	4,191
1 Textile fibres are defined as division 26 of the Standard International Trade Classification.
2 Other textiles consist of textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles not elsewhere specified and related products, and are defined as division 65 of the Standard International Trade Classification.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Telecommunications Council on 5 June.

The principal item for discussion was a proposal for a Council decision on an action plan for the introduction of advanced television services in Europe. The action plan proposes a subsidy of up to 850 mecu to accelerate development of a market for wide-screen and high-definition television services broadcast by satellite or cable and using MAC (Multiplex Analogue Components) transmission standards. The United Kingdom supported by several other member states, rejected the sum of 850 mecu as unacceptably high. The United Kingdom further stated that a convincing business case for any subsidy had yet to be presented. No Council conclusions were drawn from the discussion. Consideration of the action plan will continue.The otherwise light agenda included a brief discussion on the long awaited postal services green paper. The

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value of textiles exported and imported for each of the years from 1979.

The information is given in the table.United Kingdom strongly welcomed its stated objective of seeking the maximum deregulation consistent with the maintenance of affordable efficient universal letter delivery services. The Council also adopted the open network provision (ONP) directive on leased lines and ONP recommendations on integrated services digital networks (ISDN) and packet switched data services. A resolution on ISDN was also adopted.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the work of the renewable energy advisory group.

In August 1991, the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy, the hon. Colin Moynihan, announced the formation of a ministerial advisory group to spearhead the Government's review of renewable energy strategy. Since then the group has considered evidence submitted by a wide range of interested external parties, as well as drawing upon a technical assessment being conducted by the energy technology support unit.The group will complete its work under the chairmanship of Dr. Martin Holdgate, the Director General of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. I look forward to receiving the report from the group in the autumn and I expect it to be published.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been allocated under the Better Environmental Awards for Industry scheme in each year since its establishment.

I have been asked to reply.The scheme is run by the Royal Society of Arts. My Department has made grants towards the RSA's scheme costs as follows:

	£
1988–89	25,000
1989–90	29,200
1990–91	33,000
1991–92	150,000

The Department acted as a promoter of the Better Environment Awards for Industry scheme in its first year, 1987, but made no grant in that year towards scheme costs.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his European counterparts regarding potato marketing; and if he will make a statement.

None. We shall do so once the European Commission makes its proposals for a common régime, expected shortly.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the potato marketing system; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations both for and against continuation of the existing arrangements. We shall not take a decision about the future of the potato marketing scheme until the European Commission publishes its proposals for a common regime for potatoes.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the first degree obtained by the chief executives of ADAS and the Central Science Laboratory; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.

The chief executive of ADAS was awarded a graduateship from the Royal Institute of Chemistry, equivalent to a first class honours degree in chemistry. The chief executive of the Central Science Laboratory obtained a first class honours degree in biochemistry from University college, London.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the maximum salary payable, including performance-related element, and the length of time of the contract of the chief executives of ADAS and the Central Science Laboratory.

The chief executive of ADAS was appointed in June 1991 and the chief executive of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) in May 1991, each for a period of five years. They receive the standard civil service pay at grade 2 and grade 3 respectively. Neither participates in civil service performance pay. Instead, both are eligible for an annual, non-pensionable performance bonus, linked to the achievement of predetermined targets, of up to 12.5 per cent. of salary at the end of the financial year. The maximum payable to the chief executive of ADAS in 1992–93 would therefore be £73,125, while for the chief executive of CSL the 1992–93 maximum would be £57,713.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up an agency to administer sheep and beef quotas, to provide opportunities for new entrants and to avoid unused quotas in less favoured areas.

Decisions on the administration of quotas in the beef and sheep sectors will be taken following the adoption of detailed implementing rules by the EC Commission. These rules are expected to include provision for new entrants and for unused quota not to be lost.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set up a procedure to arbitrate on special cases involving beef and sheep quotas which acquire a significant capital value when such quotas are transferred, sold, changed, or when the farm's ownership or management changes, or its operations cease.

I secured provision in the agreement on beef and sheep quotas for the specific problems linked to the transfer of quota by tenants to be addressed in the detailed Community implementing rules.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will apply the 90-head limit on the beef special premiums per age group of animals, and not on a per farm basis.

The way in which the 90-head limit applies will depend upon the precise wording of regulations implementing the reform package on beef. This has not yet been agreed.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to make the maximum possible use of the environmental and forestry schemes which form part of the CAP reform package.

We welcome the positive environmental aspects of the CAP reform agreement. We have a year to draw up our implementation plans for both the agri-environment and forestry measures and we are considering how best to respond to the new regulations.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who will be in charge of checking and authorising the entry procedures of companion animals entering the United Kingdom after 1 January 1993 at the port of entry.

Arrangements for the legal importation of companion animals have to be made in advance, and so are not dependent on controls or checks at the port of entry. Selective customs intervention which will continue after January 1993 will maintain the effectiveness of controls on illegal imports.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what use non-saleable crops are likely to be permitted under the new set-aside proposals; and when he expects detailed conditions to be published by the relevant authority that will determine environmental options available to national Governments.

I hope that the draft legal texts implementing the Council agreement will be adopted this month. The Commission will then have to table detailed implementing regulations and proposals on the use of set-aside land to grow industrial crops. Until these are in place, it is not possible to provide authoritative guidance about national management conditions or the preciserange of crops that might be permitted on land set-aside under the new arable regime.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, column 274, on set-aside, what environmental conditions he considers to be vital elements for the new set-aside arrangements agreed in the common agricultural policy reform package in May.

The appropriate environmental conditions will vary depending on the individual circumstances of each member state. The most important factors are to ensure that set-aside land is properly managed and that the management conditions offer scope for it to be used in ways which will benefit the environment. We shall be developing our own national requirements in the light of these factors.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is investigating the possibility of issuing scanning equipment to detect the onset of BSE in cattle; and if he will make a statement.

Scanning by nuclear magnetic resonance has been experimentally applied to laboratory animals incubating spongiform encephalopathy. But this technique does not at the moment appear to represent a practicable means of diagnosing BSE under field conditions.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will name the members of the British delegation to the forthcoming International Whaling Commission meeting in Glasgow.

The United Kingdom delegation will comprise 13 members. It will be led by Mr. A. R. Burne, the United Kingdom Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission, his deputy will be Mr. B. S. Edwards. The delegation will also include a number of advisers, as well as representatives of the nongovernmental organisations Care for the Wild (Dr. W. Jordan), the World Wide Fund for Nature (Mr. J. Martin-Jones) and the Environmental Investigation Agency (Dr. R. Reeve), all belonging to the Cetacean Group of Wildlife Link.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the reasons for his decision not to extend stamp duty relief on home purchases.

When my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced the increase in the stamp duty threshold last December, he made it clear that it was a temporary measure for eight months to help bring forward transactions in the housing market. As I explained in the debate on Second Reading of the Finance Bill on 2 June, Official Report, col 770, the cost of any extension of the threshold increase would be substantial and would make it more difficult to meet our public expenditure priorities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the actual revenue that will be foregone in 1992–93 financial year as a result of the temporary arrangements for the relief from stamp duty of property conveyances up to £250,000 in value; what is his estimate of the likely yield from such stamp duties in the year 1992–93 once the temporary relief is ended; and what is the likely yield from properties valued at more than £250,000 in the current financial year.

The estimated cost in 1992–93 of the temporary increase in the stamp duty threshold from £30,000 to £250,000 is £290 million. The forecast yield in 1992–93 from stamp duty on land and property below the temporary threshold which becomes chargeable from 20 August is £370 million. The yield in 1992–93 if the threshold were £250,000 throughout the year would be about £300 million. Not all of this will necessarily come from properties valued at more than £250,000. Duty on the grant of a new lease is charged by reference to the premium and the rent payable.During the debate on the Finance Bill on 2 June I referred to the total yield from stamp duty on houses amounting to almost £1.4 billion. It may be helpful if I clarify that the total yield of all stamp duty in 1992–93 is estimated to be £1.5 billion, whereas the yield in respect of land and property in a normal year would be almost £1 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what regulations govern the payment of taxation on pensions paid from abroad to residents of the United Kingdom;(2) whether people living in the United Kingdom who are in receipt of pensions from overseas are liable to taxation.

The general position is that those who are resident for tax purposes in this country are liable to tax on pensions which arise overseas, subject to a statutory deduction of one-tenth. In some cases, for example those who are not domiciled in this country, the one-tenth deduction does not apply and the liability is determined by the amount of the overseas pension which is remitted to this country. Certain overseas pensions, for example German and Austrian pensions payable to victims of Nazi persecution, are statutorily exempt from tax. The relevant legislation for these provisions is in sections 19, 58, 65, 68 and 330, Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.Relief may also be due under the terms of a double taxation agreement. This will depend on the precise terms of the agreement between the United Kingdom and the country from which the pension is paid.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the number of pensioners in the United Kingdom in receipt of pensions from the United States of America; and what is the total sum of money involved.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place a copy of the Inland Revenue manual "Accounts Investigation Interviews", in the Library.

I have done so.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the yield of restricting (a) the personal tax allowance, (b) the married couple's allowance and (c) the age allowances and the major tax reliefs to the basic rate of tax in 1992–93.

The latest estimates of the direct revenue yields in a full year with the 1992–93 levels of allowances and tax rates are as follows:

	£ million
Personal tax allowances (excluding married couple's allowance)	1,100
Married couple's allowance	340
Age allowances1	nil
Relief on contributions to personal pensions2	3170
Relief on employee's contributions to occupational pension schemes	290
1The higher levels of the age-related personal and married couple's allowances given to those aged 65 and over subject to the income limit.
2Including relief for retirement annuity premia and free standing additional voluntary contributions.
3This estimate is subject to a wide margin of error.

No account has been taken of possible behavioural changes resulting from such restrictions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how often his Department carries out monitoring of land where agreements have been reached on the granting of exemptions of inheritance tax for public access; and if he will make a statement.

Regular monitoring of undertakings given in return for the conditional exemption of land from inheritance tax is carried out, on behalf of Inland Revenue, by the appropriate heritage advisory agency. As part of the regular monitoring, owners are required to submit an annual report to the agency. In addition the Inland Revenue separately review all such cases at five yearly intervals.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of agreements for the exemption of inheritance tax to granting public access that have been broken for each year since 1983; and if he will make a statement.

The appropriate heritage advisory agencies monitor the operation of undertakings on public access. Any issues arising are resolved in discussion between the agencies and landowners. Where issues could not be resolved in this fashion, the agencies would notify the Inland Revenue. To date there has been no occasion on which they have had to do this.If a land owner breaks an undertaking given in respect of conditionally exempt land, inheritance tax is chargeable on the current value of the property. This provides a powerful incentive to honour the terms of the undertaking.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conditions are imposed on the length of time from agreement on exemptions on inheritance tax for the granting of public access to land; and if he will make a statement.

Public access to land which has been conditionally exempted from inheritance tax is required as soon as detailed negotiations have been completed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, columns 233-34, what are the criteria on which the decision is taken to propose provisions for the auditing of non-departmental public bodies by (a) the Comptroller and Auditor General and (b) private accountancy practices; what evaluation has been carried out of the respective merits of the two kinds of audit; and if he will make a statement.

The Comptroller and Auditor General is normally appointed auditor for non-departmental public bodies which are wholly or mainly financed from public funds, except in the case of bodies whose operations are of a commercial nature and where it is appropriate for the audit to be carried out by private sector auditors qualified under the Companies Act. In the latter case it is usual to provide for the Comptroller and Auditor General to have a right of inspection of the books and records of the company.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the loss to tax revenue in the current financial year of the reduction in pools betting duty which preceded the setting up of the Foundation for Sport and the Arts.

[holding answer 16 June 1992]: The cost is estimated to be £20 million in 1992–93.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the estimated number of taxpayers above the current threshold for P11Ds and below the current threshold for the last available figures.

[pursuant to his reply, 8 June 1992, Official Report, column 21]: Unfortunately the estimates given related to numbers of taxpaying employees whose total income was above the current threshold for P11Ds and whose total income was below it. The P11D threshold is applied to earnings, including benefits in kind. About 12.6 million taxpaying employees have earnings above the threshold and 5.8 million have earnings below it. The estimate of 0.8 million taxpaying directors is unaffected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will make resources available to regional and island education authorities in order to increase the teaching of modern languages in primary schools; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will give for regional and island education authorities, the cost of introducing the teaching of modern languages in primary schools; and if he will make a statement;(3) by which year he expects the teaching of modern languages in primary schools to be universally available throughout Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Foreign language teaching will be made available in the curriculum of all Scottish primary schools within the life-time of this Parliament. Plans to implement this policy are now being prepared and a further announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to reclassify physical education as a practical subject in Scottish secondary schools.

It is the responsibility of local authorities, in consultation with headteachers, to determine the deployment of teaching staff in circumstances which may call for formation of smaller groups for certain purposes. Development of the school curriculum may mean that some classes formerly regarded as non-practical may now contain practical elements; the converse may also be true. The most recent statistics on average class sizes in physical education are set out in SOED Statistical Bulletin C7/1992/3 issued in February this year, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the first degree obtained by the chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency; and from which university or polytechnic it was awarded.

The director and chief executive of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency, Dr. Robert K. M. Hay gained a first-class honours degree in chemistry from the university of Aberdeen in 1967.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to promote Scotland worldwide as the home of the sport of golf; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 June 1992]: I have today written to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to promote the creation of forest reserves in areas where less than 20 per cent. of the original forest remains, and to surround such areas with tracts of modified forests.

[holding answer 15 June 1992]: The Government attach considerable importance to the conservation of the remaining ancient and semi-natural woodlands in Britain. These woodlands are protected by the felling controls in the Forestry Act 1967, as strengthened in 1985, and the Forestry Commission offers grants and guidance to encourage their effective management. In addition, woodlands which are sites of special scientific interest are protected under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. These measures are proving effective and we are not convinced that further initiatives of the kind proposed by the hon. Member are needed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the average cancer mortality rates in each of the past 10 years.

[holding answer 12 June 1992]: The figures requested are given in the table.

Malignant neoplasm (ICD1140-208) death rates per 100,000 population
Scotland
1982–91
	Male	Female
1982	294	252
1983	295	258
1984	297	260
1985	299	265
1986	301	268
1987	306	268
1988	305	274
1989	309	278
1990	308	279
21991	307	276
1 International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision.
2 Provisional.

Rates for cancers for specific sites are given in the Annual Reports of the Registrar General for Scotland, copies of which are in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 134, concerning the planting of native broadleaf species, what information is held centrally on non-native species planted since 1984.

[holding answer 16 June 1992]: Detailed information by areas and species, both for Forestry Commission planting and for private sector planting approved by the Commission for grant aid, has been held centrally on computer since May 1991. These records indicate that current broadleaved planting mainly comprises native species. Information at the same level of

Number of new dwellings completed by local authorities 1979 to 1991
Areas	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
SCOTLAND	4,755	5,048	3,770	2,342	2,311	2,120	1,989	1,733	1,710	1,933	1,474	1,010	996
Borders
Berwickshire	14	11	29	—	—	27	16	22	17	—	31	—	29
Ettrick and Lauderdale	34	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14
Roxburgh	4	12	—	51	45	43	8	8	4	28	18	—	—
Tweeddale	—	56	—	10	—	—	—	—	6	54	4	8	6
Central
Clackmannan	155	132	—	—	—	1	23	30	—	35—	—	—	—
Falkirk	—	23	54	66	20	78	147	56	74	—	—	—	—
Stirling	9	42	168	8	18	37	—	6	—	—	—	—	—
Dumfries and Galloway
Annandale and Eskdale	100	224	173	86	160	158	85	38	35	17	46	43	26
Nithsdale	129	78	49	18	27	6	70	80	66	74	81	33	10
Stewartry	74	51	49	42	44	41	23	34	40	10	45	33	2
Wigtown	32	77	34	120	20	86	—	40	20	26	—	5	—
Fife
Dunfermline	110	129	—	83	89	26	58	60	178	132	11	—	—
Kirkcaldy	123	44	54	63	15	113	101	91	131	172	84	34	127
North East Fife	198	127	121	41	142	70	14	48	65	17	19	5	58
Grampian
Aberdeen	430	518	372	134	47	117	178	45	93	136	109	71	62
Banff and Buchan	175	220	227	99	128	116	154	48	67	60	50	56	19
Gordon	35	—	4	85	199	108	89	44	171	9	183	80	72
Kincardine and Deeside	56	4	53	35	60	54	22	175	41	105	58	17	76
Moray	87	567	111	156	139	85	75	100	34	169	70	87	16
Highland
Badenoch and Strathspey	24	49	20	54	38	16	16	—	13	—	12	11	6
Caithness	54	68	40	—	55	20	14	23	29	24	27	10	8
Inverness	38	124	68	25	115	90	10	136	32	59	86	90	93
Lochaber	57	102	18	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Nairn	—	—	—	—	—	—	20	24	22	—	28	—	28
Ross and Cromarty	89	64	96	48	31	65	8	38	46	26	27	1	—
Skye and Lochalsh	11	46	9	13	—	10	14	46	8	25	50	8	14
Sutherland	13	27	13	22	27	22	15	10	33	34	22	68	8
Lothian
East Lothian	46	18	30	45	92	25	91	65	14	66	59	10	25
Edinburgh	199	—	117	49	8	—	—	—	63	87	101	125	—
Midlothian	—	47	—	—	—	—	7	—	14	—	12	—	25
West Lothian	—	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	8	76	7	—	—
Strathclyde
Argyll and Bute	110	126	68	60	33	76	17	—	12	71	31	15	25
Bearsden and Milngavie	36	67	27	56	12	—	16	—	35	6	—	6	—
Clydebank	—	63	73	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Clydesdale	53	32	49	18	20	18	—	30	—	24	—	32	18
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth	35	54	3	—	16	8	—	—	6	—	—	—	—
Cumnock and Doon Valley	26	47	43	6	—	14	—	2	6	2	—	—	—
Cunninghame	102	68	90	45	85	44	54	34	—	55	—	31	24
Dumbarton	6	39	—	—	—	—	—	14	18	18	—	—	—
East Kilbride	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—