To ask the Attorney-General what principles the director of the Serious Fraud Office applies on the execution of a warrant for arrest; and whether he will make a statement on the arrest of Mr. Ian Maxwell and Mr. Kevin Maxwell.

It is the policy of the Serious Fraud Office to procure the arrest of persons suspected of serious fraud with the assistance of the police. The process of arrest is an operational matter for the police who will decide questions of timing, whereabouts and related matters as part of their operational duties. Where police are conducting investigations in conjunction with the Serious Fraud Office, they may be advised, but not directed, on such matters by the SFO. Such advice will have regard to the seriousness of the alleged offences, the need to secure evidence at the time of the arrest and any circumstances material to the risk that a suspect may seek to abscond, including the likelihood that such suspect may have the means and ability to do so and to support himself outside the jurisdiction. Each case will be considered impartially on its merits.Ian Maxwell, Kevin Maxwell and Larry Trachtenburg were arrested without warrant on suspicion of having committed the offences for which they have subsequently been charged. Similar principles govern both the execution of warrants of arrest issued by the courts and arrest without warrant.

To ask the Attorney-General what consideration he has given to the remarks of Lord Justice Murray at Belfast Crown Court last week in relation to Fred Bushell, the late Colin Chapman and John de Lorean; what obstacles stand in the way of extraditing Mr. De Lorean from the United States of America to face charges in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

My attention has been drawn to the remarks of Lord Justice Murray in the course of sentencing Federick Bushell at the conclusion of his trial. These followed a joint investigation by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Serious Fraud Office. Frederick Bushell resided and was arrested in the United Kingdom.Although the Royal Ulster Constabulary holds a warrant for the arrest of Mr. De Lorean for conspiracy to defraud, I am advised that the laws of the United States provide a limitation period after which extradition is not normally possible. Although the period varies depending on the offence alleged, the period in this case expired before the Serious Fraud Office was created. It was the Serious Fraud Office investigation which produced the evidence justifying the obtaining of the warrant against Mr. De Lorean.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

Proposals for market testing relating to the Departments for which I am responsible are being considered and an announcement will be made later in the year. Any relevant information will be made available, subject to the need to protect commercial confidentiality.

To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

In 1991 the Crown prosecution service contracted out its headquarters reprographic operation at a saving of around £90,000 per year. No other estimates have been made.

To ask the Attorney-General what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The cost is £15,500.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many additional places he has provided for the purposes of detaining applicants for asylum; and where these places are located.

New accommodation, providing about 300 additional places for detention under Immigration Act powers, will be delivered in phases from September 1992 to spring 1995, and will be located at Harmondsworth, Gatwick airport, Kidlington in Oxford and Stansted airport.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to his answer on 24 June, Official Report, columns 193–94, if he will list the organisations with which he has held meetings in connection with proposed legislation on asylum applications.

I have discussed legislation on asylum at meetings with representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Amnesty International and Westminster city council. My right hon. and learned Friend and I are ready to hear the views of interested organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

A provisional programme of areas of work to be market tested in my Department in 1992–93 has been drawn up and promulgated to Home Office staff. As promised in the White Paper "Competing for Quality", departmental targets for market testing in 1992–93 will be announced later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department wht estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

The purpose of the market-testing programme is to test by competition the value for money represented by the present arrangements for undertaking activities and thereby to identify and introduce more effective arrangements. No estimate of likely savings has yet been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The cost of the market-testing initiative in my Department from November 1991 to June 1992 is £150,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's position on reducing racism and xenophobia in Europe.

The Government abhor all manifestations of racism and support all the practical steps taken by member states to counter this. We were very pleased to support the European Council declaration on racism and xenophobia agreed at Maastricht in December 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide details of how many accidents involving Metropolitan police vehicles and third parties have been reported for each year since 1985; and on how many occasions in each year the Metropolitan police were held to be liable for the accidents.

The information is not held in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection on Shamrock Farms; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has received no representations from the BUAV on Shamrock Farms to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the basis on which expatriate voters were allocated to each constituency.

Overseas electors are registered in the constituency in which they were last registered as electors before leaving the United Kingdom. If they left the country before they were old enough to vote, they are registered in the constituency in which a parent or guardian was registered at the time they left the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it a policy to extend minimal standards of care and accommodation as set out in the code of practice for the housing and care of animals used in scientific procedures to all suppliers of animals;(2) what minimum standards primate traders must meet to be licensed by his office; what are the dimensions of the smallest cage British primate suppliers may legally use; and if he will make a statement.

It is already the practice of the Home Office animals (scientific procedures) inspectorate to seek compliance by designated suppliers with the standards of care and accommodation set out in the Laboratory Animal Breeders Association's guidelines on the care and housing of animals bred for scientific purposes. There is therefore a recognised standard against which such establishments can be assessed.The recommended minimum size of cage is determined by the weight of the primate to be housed. The smallest cage size recommended by the LABA guidelines is for animals up to 700g in weight. The minimum recommended height for such animals is 100 cm, and the minimum recommended floor area is 1,200 sq cm per animal when the animals are housed in groups, or 2,500 sq cm when they are housed singly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all British primate suppliers and for each the number of primates which (a) were dead upon their arrival to Britain, (b) died before reaching British research laboratories and (c) were slaughtered before research was undertaken.

The Home Office does not hold information on the number of primates imported into Great Britain which are dead on arrival or which have died before reaching British research laboratories.Figures on the number of primates humanely killed after receipt and before use are not collated centrally. The humane killing of primates in British research laboratories in such circumstances is known to be uncommon, but might take place, for example, to terminate suffering from otherwise untreatable disease.It is not our practice to give details of individual establishments designated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outstanding backlog of naturalisation applications as at 1 January 1990, 1991, and 1992 and for the most recent available date; and what is the current rate at which applications are being cleared.

The numbers of outstanding applications for naturalisation on the dates referred to were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he now expects Operation Container to end in Greater Manchester;(2) how much Operation Container has so far cost; and what is his estimate of its final cost.

Since April 1990, the total payment made to the Greater Manchester police for holding prisoners in police cells has been £40,121,851.19 This figure does not include payments for Manchester prisoners held by other police forces, information on which was not collected separately. As has been explained to the hon. Member, while the ending of the police cells problem is a matter of the highest priority for the prison service, it is not possible to say exactly when Operation Container will no longer be required or the final cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the likely completion date of the proposed dedicated access road and signalling system from the M42 to the national exhibition centre; and if he will make a statement.

The contract for the construction of the improved access road from the southway exit of the national exhibition centre to the M42 slip road is due to be let very shortly. This should enable it to be open in time for the motor show in late October. Improvements to the roundabout at the intersection of the A45 and the M42, including the provision of further traffic signals and the widening of the approaches to the roundabout, are currently being designed in detail. These should be completed summer 1993. Together with the other improvements which we have in hand at and around this intersection, access to and from the NEC and the other important facilities in the area will be easier.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

Following the publication of the White Paper "Competing for Quality" in which a new market testing initiative was announced, the efficiency unit will announce the programme for all departments later this year. All relevant information will be made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total cost so far of the market testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The identified cost since November 1991, mainly consultants' fees, amounts to some £10,000. Other expenditure involving the salaries of civil servants is not kept in a suitable form and ascertaining what it might be could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market testing programme.

Since 1986–87 the total estimated savings made to date as a result of the market testing programme amount to approximately £7.3 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many and what percentage of officers in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively, and overall in his Department are registered disabled people.

The Department of National Heritage is still in the process of being set-up and the information to answer this qestion is not yet centrally available.

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

The numbers and percentage of women in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are as follows:—

Grade	Number of officers	Number of women	Percentage of women
1	1	—	0
2	—	—	—
3	3	1	33
4	1	—	0
5	15	4	26
6	3	1	33
7	46	10	21

The figures for staff in post are for the latest available date. The figures for officers in other grades are not yet centrally available as the Department is still in the process of being set up; this includes setting up the central personnel and manpower planning function.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance he has issued to the authorities responsible for Hyde park as to the parking arrangements admissible for coaches in connection with demonstrations and marches in order to ensure the free flow of normal traffic in the surrounding streets.

[holding answer 30 June 1992]: That the organisers be asked to make arrangements with the public transport authorities to use public transport to get to and from the park whenever possible to avoid unnecessary disruption in local streets. When coaches have to be used it is recommended that they liaise with the police to organise transfers on to the London public transport system before reaching central London; and as a last resort, arrangements be made for coaches to park at agreed locations close to the park. The possible disruption to traffic and local residents is a key factor in early discussions with organisers before any event takes place.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who has been appointed as a consultant to his Department for market testing.

[holding answer 29 June 1992]: My Department is in the process of appointing a consultant to assist in preparing its market testing programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will set out the opening hours on weekdays and Sundays of the woodland garden in Bushy park; whether the park contractors are obliged to comply with these hours; if he will state why the gates were not open by 9.45 am on Sunday 31 May; and what action will be taken to prevent a recurrence.

[holding answer 30 June 1992]: The woodland garden in Bushy park opens at 9 am seven days a week. It closes at dusk.Contractors are obliged to unlock the gates at the stated time. This is a scheduled item within the ground maintenance contract.Due to an oversight on the part of the contractor a member of his staff was not available to open the gates at the required time on Sunday 31 May 1992.The contractor was financially penalised for failure to comply with the contract and subsequently gave assurances that it would not happen again. It has now been agreed with the contractor that in order to make sure all gates are open by 9 am he will start unlocking earlier than hitherto.The client duty officer for the day has also been instructed to pay particular attention to the contractor's performance in this area and report any lapse to the park superintendent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate of the average depletion of the ozone layer on an annualised basis (a) at British latitudes and (b) at all latitudes; and what are the projections of the extent of depletion over the period 2000 to 2050.

The latest estimates of ozone layer depletion remain substantially the same as published in the 1991 report of the Department's stratospheric ozone review group, copies of which are in the Library. Ozone depletion at British latitudes is at a maximum in the early spring, averaging 0.8 per cent. per year. Ozone levels recover substantially during the summer. The annual average depletion taken over all latitudes is about 0.3 per cent. per year—we do not have an equivalent figure for British latitudes. The extent of ozone depletion in future years will depend on how the Montreal protocol controls are tightened, but the review group estimate that under the present controls the potential for ozone depletion will increase until at least 1997, and then decline slowly over the next century.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 19 June, Official Report, column 694, what is his timetable for demolishing the Marsham street Government offices.

The planning and development consultants, whose appointment was announced in the answer of 19 June, have just started work. Their advice will assist in identifying the best alternative uses for the site at 2 Marsham street and thereby in establishing a timetable for the reuse of the site. Until that is established I cannot be precise on the timing of demolition.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons were registered as homeless in the London borough of Newham for each year since 1979.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 17 June 1992, Official Report, columns 569–70.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how the United Kingdom will be represented at the 21 and 22 September meeting of the Paris commission.

I shall be representing the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at this meeting, together with officials from my Department, the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food and the Department of Trade and Industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which substances the United Kingdom expects to agree completely to eliminate from discharges to water in the United Kingdom, at or as a result of the 21 and 22 September meeting of the Paris commission.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on proposals from other countries regarding the complete elimination of certain substances in discharges to water, at or as a result of the 21 and 22 meeting of the Paris commission.

The major business of the meeting is the agreement of a new convention concerning the protection of the marine environment in the north-east Atlantic which will replace the existing Oslo and Paris conventions. There are also a number of recommendations to be considered, but none calls for the complete elimination of substances in discharges to water.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress the United Kingdom has made in eliminating discharges to water of substances controlled under agreements of the Paris commission; and if he will publish such data.

The United Kingdom has made good progress in implementing Paris commission decisions and recommendations. At the ministerial meeting of the Oslo and Paris commissions being held in September a number of reports will be published on their activities and these will give details of the data submitted by the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) motor cars, (b) lorries and (c) buses on air quality in (i) urban and (ii) rural areas.

Motor traffic is a growing source of urban and rural air pollution, and much action is already in hand to tackle it. The current position is conveniently summarised in the air quality chapter of the Department's annual "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics". A copy of the latest volume has been placed in the Library of the House. In addition, the Royal Commission on environmental pollution reported in September 1991 on emissions from heavy duty diesel vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 22 June 1992, Official Report, column 102.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The full cost of the market testing initiative in my Department since November 1991 is estimated at £223,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

No such estimate has yet been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if any Government Ministers or officials attended any of the half-day round table meetings sponsored by UNESCO at the recent United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Inner Cities Religious Council will hold its first formal meeting; and what its purpose and membership will be.

The first formal meeting of the Inner Cities Religious Council will take place on Monday 20 July. Members will be drawn from the Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim anhd Sikh faiths, under my chairmanship.The Inner Cities Religious Council will allow representatives of the faith communities to discuss policy and practical issues with Government and each other. It will give consideration to the needs of communities in inner cities and deprived urban areas, and the assistance available to meet them, and will also seek to create opportunities for action in such areas involving faith communities in partnership with other local residents, business, voluntary organisations and local and central Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in negotiations about his Department's move to Docklands since his oral answers of 2 June, Official Report, columns 707–13.

My Department's advisers are continuing to negotiate in respect of Harbour Exchange, East India Dock and Canary Wharf. In the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Attercliffe (Mr. Betts) on 9 June, Official Report, column 150, I said that a fourth docklands development at Thomas More square, Wapping had been ruled out on the ground of cost. However, the owners of Thomas More square have now sought my agreement to be allowed to enter into the negotiations on the same terms as the other three contenders in docklands. I have agreed that they may do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if his Department has considered relocating staff from Marsham street to County hall.

[holding answer 26 June 1992]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 2 June to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan), Official Report, column 368. In the light of that answer, I am not considering the relocation of staff to County hall.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, column 126, to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms. Primarolo) when the commissioned study into the use of economic instruments to promote recycling will be published.

[holding answer 30 June 1992]: We expect to receive the final version of the study shortly. I will then discuss the next steps with my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade, whose Department is co-sponsoring the study.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to introduce a citizen's charter for the Public Record Office.

There are no plans to introduce a charter for the Public Record Office, though the office has published its quality of service and efficiency targets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

The total cost of the market testing initiative in my Department since November 1991 is estimated to have been £139,300.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridgeshire, South-East (Mr. Paice) on 22 June 1992, at column 102.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

Market testing in the former Management and Personnel Office and in the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service is estimated to have saved some £290,000 in cash terms between 1986–87 and 1991–92.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 15 June to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond), Official Report, columns 360–61, if he will list each individual land or property holding of the Duchy, together with its location and capital value.

It would be impractical to list each individual land and property holding belonging to the Duchy, which amount to over 1,000. A summary of land and property holdings is therefore set out.

£ per week
	1979	1980		1981		1982		1983		1984		1985
	£	per cent. increase	£	per cent. increase	£	per cent. increase	£	per cent. increase	£	per cent. increase	£	per cent. increase	£
Average Earnings1	89.60	23.0	110.20	13.3	124.90	9.3	136.50	8.6	148.30	7.4	159.30	7.3	171.00
Senior Civil Servants
Head of the Civil Service	593.87	8.1	641.76	7.0	686.69	17.2	804.60	14.3	919.54	6.8	981.80	46.3	1,436.78
Permanent Secretary to the Treasury	593.87	8.1	641.76	7.0	686.69	17.2	804.60	14.3	919.54	6.8	981.80	36.6	1,341.00
Grade 1	545.98	8.8	593.88	7.0	635.44	13.8	723.18	13.2	818.97	6.4	871.65	31.9	1,149.43
Grade 1A	498.08	9.6	545.98	7.0	584.19	14.8	670.50	12.9	756.70	6.3	804.60	31.0	1,053.64

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage increase and actual size in pounds per week, in pay for each main group covered by the Top Salaries Review Body for each year since 1979; and what the comparable figures were for an employee on national average earnings for each of those years.

The information requested is set out in the table.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will issue guidelines to local tax offices on the taxation of payments made to employees by way of compensation for breach of contract, classifying the schedule under which such tax is collected; and if he will make a statement.

Payments of compensation for loss of office are chargeable to income tax under section 148 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988. Local tax offices have detailed instructions on how to deal with such cases.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a table of expenditure on the business expansion scheme cross-referenced to standard regions, showing Greater London as a separate region, for each year from 1984–85 (a) at cash prices and (b) at 1984–85 prices.

I regret that the information requested is not available. Available information is published in chapter 7 of "Inland Revenue Statistics 1991". Regional analyses are given in tables 7.5 and 7.6.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a date when he will announce the areas of work in his Department to be market tested; and whether all relevant information will be made publicly available.

An announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of savings in his Department as a result of the market-testing programme.

No estimate has yet been made, since details of the programme have still to be settled.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which parts of his Department are going to be market-tested following the review which has recently been undertaken as a result of 'Competing for Quality'.

[holding answer 30 June 1992]: An announcement will be made in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the responsibilities of each of the deputy secretaries in his Department and the numbers and ranks of staff reporting to each.

[pursuant to his reply, 24 June 1992 c. 223–24]: I regret that a column in the table was omitted from the reply. The complete reply is as follows:The responsibilities of each of the deputy secretaries in the Treasury are as follows. The information on the numbers of staff reporting to each is contained in the table.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if steps will be taken to ensure that stocks of recycled stationery are permanently kept in all the stationery cupboards adjacent to offices.

I understand that steps have been taken for stationery cupboards to be stocked with recycled stationery where a particular demand has been identified.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will use the British presidency of the EC Council of Ministers to press for reform of the EC directive granting freedom of movement within Europe to doctors so as to include doctors who qualified in non-EC countries.

Before we could agree to any such proposals we should need to be satisfied with the standard of non-EC qualifications recognised in other member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects to determine the school standard number reductions proposed by Buckinghamshire county council in respect of (a) Shelburne County first school, High Wycombe, (b) Loudwater County combined school, High Wycombe, (c) Gerrards Cross Church of England combined school, Gerrards Cross and (d) Waddesdon County combined school, New Aylesbury.