To ask the Attorney-General how many officers of police forces are presently seconded to the Serious Fraud Office; from which police forces they are drawn; and on which inquiries they are employed.

Ninety-three police officers from six police forces are presently seconded to the Serious Fraud Office. In addition, the Serious Fraud Office receives assistance from a number of officers from provincial forces who are investigating cases for the SFO, but who are not actually seconded to that office. For operational reasons the Director of the SFO does not identify the police forces providing assistance to his office at any particular time or their deployment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the latest figures, by Department, showing the volume of ministerial correspondence from hon. Members, the targets set for reply and the percentage of replies sent within target.

The 1991 figures are set out in the table.

Ministerial correspondence from MPs—1991
Department, and target set for reply	Number of letters received	Percentage replies within target
7 working day target:
Northern Ireland Office1,2	3719	46
10 working day target:
Central Statistical Office	36	92
Department of Trade and Industry	1,416,180	92
Welsh Office5	18,018	89
Department of Energy	2,075	674
Cabinet Office (OMCS)	49	71
Ministry of Defence7	895	70
Office of Arts and Libraries	462	69
Treasury8	92,268	64
Scottish Office5	9,605	1024
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	911,378	12—
13 working day target:
Inland Revenue8	9,132,345	78
Customs and Excise1,8	91,673	66
15 working day target:
Overseas Development Administration	4,001	83
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	9,984	76
Legal Secretariat to the Law Office	662	75

Department, and target set for reply	Number of letters received	Percentage replies within target
Northern Ireland Office1,2	14588	66
Ministry of Defence7	6,776	58
Department of the Environment	21,818	54
Crown Prosecution Service	100	1539
Department of Transport	161,398	26
17 working day target:
Department of Employment	7,330	84
18 working day target:
Inland Revenue8	9,17514	33
20 working day target:
Lord Chancellor's Department5	4,130	82
Department of Social Security	1813,699	68
Department of Education and Science19	117,295	62
Department of Health	15,359	60
Other
Home Office20	21,939	—
1Includes all Ministerial replies, not only letters from MPs.
1Figures for NI Departments cover October-December; those for NIO cover November-December.
3Replies signed by Minister.
4Includes correspondence for Export Credits Guarantee Department.
5Target for officials to submit draft reply to Ministers' Private Offices.
6Estimated figure based on sample of correspondence received.
7 MOD uses two target periods, which is a reflection of the different volume of Ministerial correspondence handled by the offices involved.
8Target for officials to submit draft reply to Treasury Ministerial Correspondence Unit.
9Figures only available for period June-December.
1060 per cent, of letters received by The Scottish Office received replies within 20 working days.
11Includes some letters signed by officials.
12FCO did not monitor performance against target in 1991.
13All cases where local office reports are not required.
14Replies signed by Private Secretary to Minister.
1571 per cent, of letters received from the Law Officers received replies within 20 working days.
16Figures for 1991 are only available for period mid-November to end December (which includes the Christmas recess) and are not thought to be representative of the Department's performance over the whole year.
17All cases where local office reports are required.
18Includes replies by Chief Executives of Agencies.
19Represents 1992 target.
20No single target for 1991. Monitoring showed average time taken to be 29–42 working days. New arrangements are being 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) how many individuals, shown by gender, received part-time hourly contracts of employment in each Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council-funded higher education corporation in the most recent year for which statistics are available;(2) how many lecturers were employed in each PCFC-funded higher education corporation on each salary grade at lecturer level or above in the most recent year for which statistics are available, shown by gender;

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many lecturers are employed in each further education college and adult education institute in England and Wales on each salary grade in the most recent year for which statistics are available, shown by gender.

These data are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will give the latest annual statistics on the number of school days lost because of truancy; and what manpower and resources are available to deal with the problem.

Information on the number of school days lost due to truancy is not collected centrally. Some 3,000 education welfare officers are employed by local education authorities in England and Wales to work with schools and parents in promoting regular school attendance. The Department is also currently supporting 31 local projects designed to improve school attendance under the grants for education support and training (GEST) programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that in the circumstances of local management of schools and grant-maintained status, the resources for support of religious education in schools associated with the responsibilities of the Standing Advisory Committee on Religious Education will be sufficient to enable them to fulfil their statutory obligations.

It is the responsibility of local education authorities to allocate the resources at their disposal to ensure that they, their schools and standing advisory councils on religious education are able to meet their statutory responsibilities in respect of religious education and collective worship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment the Government have made of the need for additional student financial support this summer.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 June, Official Report, column 273, which described the substantial increases already announced in student support. We do not consider that additional provision is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what public funds are available to assist members of the scouting movement and other youth organisations from eastern and central Europe to attend jamborees and similar gatherings being held and organised by their counterparts in the United Kingdom.

My Department has no funds available for this purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the EC scheme Euroform, and its aims, funding and achievements to date.

I have been asked to reply.EUROFORM is one of three human resource initiatives under the European social fund. It funds transnational partnerships between organisations in two or more member states and is designed to develop and promote new occupational qualifications, new skills and new employment opportunities responding to the single market and technological change.The central aim of the initiative is the transfer of knowledge and expertise between member states. The objectives of EUROFORM are to provide a Community dimension for vocational training and employment promotion projects, to foster the convergence of occupational skills and qualifications and promote the occupational and geographical mobility of workers.The EUROFORM programme in Great Britain was allocated 31.3 mecu—£21.8 million—for a three-year period 1991–93. Approximately £l3 million was allocated to projects submitted under the first round of applications in November 1991, and 92 projects were approved in principle for funding. A second round took place in April 1992 and a further 83 projects were selected, thereby committing virtually all remaining funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account has been taken in United Kingdom policy towards Mozambique of the 1991 EEC report concerning appropriation of internation-al aid to Mozambique by the Frelimo Government and officials.

The report concerned the provision of EC food aid to the market sector. Following pressure from the EC, the Mozambique Government have tightened up their procedures and introduced new regulations for the handling of such food aid.Our bilateral food aid programme for Mozambique is for free distribution to those most in need, not for the market sector. It was in the market sector, and related to the payment of counterpart funds, that the problem identified in the EC report arose. Furthermore, the procurement and close monitoring by British-based non-governmental organisations of all our food aid for Mozambique further reduce the possibility of our aid being misappropriated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution he will make via the World Food Programme, the EC or bilaterally to the famine relief effort in Madagascar; and what estimate he makes of the number of people who will be fed, and for how long, by the British contribution.

So far this year, the European Community has provided over 13,000 tonnes of food aid for Madagascar, worth £1.3 million, including 12,000 tonnes of cereals delivered in April. The United Kingdom share of the cost of this food aid is £235,000. In addition, the Commission is planning an early contribution to a World Food Programme ( WFP) project aimed at feeding 700,000 people in the south of Madagascar.In parallel with this initiative, the WFP—to which the United Kingdom is a significant contributor—will be launching a new programme for early delivery of 27,000 tonnes of food. This programme, to be spread over eight months, is expected to feed a further 320,000 people. Finally, Her Majesty's Government have just approved a bilateral grant to the WFP of £25,000 for local purchase of maize and beans in Madagascar.

To ask the Prime Minister if he plans to convene any meetings in Scotland to discuss the subsidiarity principle during his presidency of the European Community; and if he will make a statement.

The Lisbon European Council invited the Commission and the Council to undertake urgent work on the procedural and practical steps to implement the principle of subsidiarity and to report to the European Council in Edinburgh on 11 and 12 December. This will be an important priority during our presidency.

To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to establish a ministerial committee on disability.

I have no such plans. Officials of the interdepartmental group on disability regularly provide advice to the Minister for Social Security and Disabled People.

To ask the Prime Minister when he will discuss with the Government of Spain the Lockerbie-related issues arising from legal proceedings against M onzer-el-Kassar.

[holding answer 2 July 1992]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office—my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Grantham (Mr. Hogg) —gave to him on 24 June at column 211.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to the power generating companies to ensure that flue gas desulphurisa-tion equipment and scrubbers are fitted to all power stations in the United Kingdom.

implementation of integrated pollution control under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, for power stations and other prescribed processes, is a matter for the chief inspector of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, subject to any directions or other requirements laid on him by the Secretary of State. These include the Secretary of State's national programme and plan for implementation of the EC large combustion plants directive. The plan includes a commitment to the retrofitting of 8,000 MW of electricity generating capacity with flue gas desulphurisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing legislation to allow local planning authorities to designate football grounds as metropolitan open space or green belt.

Metropolitan open land is found only in London and has the same status as green belt. Under existing legislation, it is open to local planning authorities in their development plans to designate land, including playing fields, as open space or green belt where the area concerned meets certain criteria. In respect of playing fields, the criteria are set out in paragraphs 41 to 44 of planning policy guidance note 17. In respect of green belts, the criteria are set out in paragraphs seven to 11 of planning policy guidance note 2.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what scientific evidence his Department has on the percentage content of heavy metals in orimulsion; and what assessment he has made of the implications for the ecosystem of burning this fuel at power stations in the United Kingdom;(2) what scientific evidence his Department has requested from other countries in which orimulsion is burnt; and if he will make a statement.

The environmental effects of burning orimulsion at power stations are being considered by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in respect of applications made to it under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In considering these applications, I understand HMIP has requested and received information both from the United Kingdom and from abroad, including information about the heavy metal content of orimulsion.This includes an independent analysis of orimulsion carried out for my Department which showed the following percentage of heavy metals: vanadium 0.035 per cent. and nickel 0.007 per cent. chromium, manganese, copper, arsenic, cadmium and lead are all less than one 10,000th part of 1 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to prohibit the use by organisations of the highway outside residential properties for displaying second-hand cars for sale.

Use of the highway to sell vehicles commercially may constitute a business activity and require specific planning consent. The responsibility of controlling breaches of planning control rests with local planning authorities, which must decide in each case whether it is in the interests of good planning in their areas to take action against development in breach of planning controls. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 has provided planning authorities with a range of new enforcement measures for dealing effectively and speedily with such breaches.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Glasgow, Maryhill, qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.

In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits: housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 3,734 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in the Makerfield constituency qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.

In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits: housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of houselolds eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 1,502 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in Rochdale qualify for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme; and how many houses have been improved under the scheme since its inception in 1991.

In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits: housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency, 447 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households in the Dundee, East constituency qualified for grant aid under the home energy efficiency scheme; and how many houses have been improved in the constituency under the scheme since its inception in 1991.

[holding answer 2 July 1992]: In order to be eligible for grant under the home energy efficiency scheme, an applicant or his or her spouse must be in receipt of one of five passportable benefits: housing benefit, income support, family credit, community charge benefit and disability working allowance. In addition, his or her property must meet certain criteria concerning existing levels of insulation and receipt of a grant for similar work under previous schemes. Data on numbers of households eligible in any particular area at a particular time are not available.Figures for the number of homes treated under the scheme are not collected on a constituency basis. Within the network installer area which contains the hon. Member's constituency. 3,136 homes have benefited from HEES grant since 1 January 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to introduce legislation to enable the lessees of flats under long leases to extend their leases.

We plan to introduce in this Session, after the recess, measures to enable long leaseholders of flats either to acquire the freehold collectively or, if the building does not qualify for collective enfranchisement, to extend their leases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about compliance with the European Community bathing water directive.

Seventy-six per cent. of identified bathing waters complied with the directive's mandatory coliform standards in the 1991 bathing season. This compares with 51 per cent. in 1986. A £2 billion programme of improvements is under way to bring virtually all the waters up to standard by 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the test of resources that applies to renovation grants and disabled facilities grants for works required by people with disabilities, what assessment he has made of the effect the means test on whether disabled people obtain the adaptions they need; and if he will make a statement.

The details of the test of resources for house renovation and disabled facilities grants are set out in the Housing Renovation Etc. Grants (Reduction of Grant) Regulations 1990—S.I. 1990 No. 1189. They are also summarised in the Department's circular 12/90, on house renovation grants, issued on 20 June 1990. Copies of these documents are available in the Library. The Department's monitoring shows that over 80 per cent. of recipients of mandatory disabled facilities grants receive 100 per cent. grants for the full cost of adaptations. On average, disabled people contribute only 5 per cent. of the cost of grant-aided works. The effect of the means test on grant applicants, including the disabled, has been considered as part of the recent review of the grant system. We hope to make an announcement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the conclusions of the review of the renovation and disabled facilities grants scheme; what changes were introduced as a result of the review; and if he will make a statement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he proposes to announce further appointments to the Local Government Commission.

When I announced the initial appointments to the Local Government Commission on 15 June, I indicated that we would be making further appointments shortly. We are now appointing three further members to the commission:

• Professor Malcolm Grant
• Howell Harris Hughes
• David Thomas

These appointments broaden the range of interests and experience on the commission while maintaining the balance and independence which will be essential to it in formulating its recommendations. We have no plans to make further appointments in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether his Department will reduce the level of payments under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 management agreements where the land involved is exempted from inheritance tax; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 2 July 1992]: Matters of taxation are primarily for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Paragraphs 47 to 49 of DOE circular 3/84—"Financial Guidelines for Management Agreements"—contains provision for agreements to be terminated if conditional exemption from inheritance tax is granted, for annual payments to cease and for partial recoupment from the landowner where a lump sum has been paid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) whether job centre staff in Larne or any other job centre in Northern Ireland can be selective regarding the issue of application forms to applicants; and if he will ensure that all sections of the community have equality of access to application forms for job vacancies;(2) if he will list the regulations that relate to the requirement on applicants to a job centre for an application form to provide the job centre staff with information regarding the first school attended before receiving an application form.

The Training and Employment Agency is committed to delivering all its service in a way which promotes equality of opportunity for all its customers regardless of religion, gender, disability or marital status. All agency offices issue application forms to job seekers who meet the criteria for the post as laid down by the employer. Primary school data is used to monitor the agency's equality policy, but it is not a condition for the issue of application forms that this information is provided by an applicant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, following his reply on 30 June to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), Official Report, column 475, if he will indicate the results of the charges made against those prisoners in Her Majesty's prison Maghaberry, female section, who were charged with (a) disobeying a lawful order, (b) offending against good order of the prison and (c) committing an assault, indicating how many of the prisoners were dealt with summarily, how many were legally represented and what were the punishments which were inflicted.

All 22 prisoners charged were adjudicated on by the governor in accordance with Prison Rules (NI) 1982. Twenty-one of these prisoners were found guilty as charged and were given awards as listed below. None was legally represented.

(a) Twenty-one were found guilty of refusing to obey an order to undergo full search and awarded seven days' loss of remission, 14 days' loss of afternoon yards and 14 days' loss of evening association. Those prisoners on remand had loss of remission contingent upon conviction.

(b) Seven prisoners were also found guilty of erecting barricades and were awarded 14 days' loss of remission consecutive to the seven days lost at (a) above with 28 days' loss of afternoon yards and 42 days' loss of evening association concurrent to (a). They were also awarded three days' cellular confinement.

(c) Seven were further charged with assaulting staff. Six have their charges still to be heard. One was found guilty and awarded 14 days' loss of remission, consecutive to (a) above with 28 days' loss of evening association plus three days' cellular confinement.

Fifteen of the prisoners were granted judicial review of the governor's adjudications and 12 were granted interim relief in the High Court on 20 charges. The cases were heard on 12 June. but judgment has been reserved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will seek the removal of those elements of the constitution of the Irish Republic that lay claim to part of the territory of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The Government believe that there should be a place in strands 2 and 3 of the talks for a discussion of constitutional issues. My predecessor's statement of 26 March 1991 made it clear that it would be open to each of the participants in the talks to raise any aspects of the relevant relationships including constitutional issues. The Government will seek, as a product of the talks process as a whole, an unambiguously expressed consensus on the constitutional issues and a framework for relationships which will be genuinely acceptable to all. We believe that such an outcome should thereby enable all participants to acknowledge Northern Ireland's present status as a part of the United Kingdom, and to recognise that there will be no change in that status without the consent of a majority of the people who live there, that the present wish of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland is for no change but that, if in the future a majority of the people of Northern Ireland clearly wish for and formally consent to the establishment of a united Ireland, both Governments will introduce and support legislation to give effect to that wish. In so far as this is considered to have implications for articles 2 and 3 of the Irish constitution, I welcome the Taoiseach's public assurance that they are among the constitutional matters which the Irish Government envisage would be "on the conference table" during the talks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has received the 17th report of the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.

The report, for the period 1 April 1991 to March 1992, was published on 2 July and copies have been laid before Parliament. Copies of the report an my response to it were placed in the Library yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many former workers at Lantex at St. James business centre, Linwood, Renfrewshire, have yet to receive redundancy pay.

All but six former employees of Lawtex Babywear Ltd. have received their full entitlement, and these outstanding payments will be received very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if it is her policy that training credits for young people should be for training that would not otherwise have been given.

I refer the hon. Member to the training credit prospectuses, issued in 1990 and 1991, which can be found in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to introduce unemployment and training schemes aimed specifically at people aged 40 years and over, among the long-term unemployed.

The Department's employment and training programmes are open to people unemployed for more than six months who are between the age of 18 and the state pension age, except for employment training and employment action where the upper limit is currently 59. We keep our provision for unemployed people under continual review, and have no plans for a scheme specifically restricted to people aged 40 or over.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many full apprenticeships in the building trade were begun in the north-west in each of the last five years and in 1981, 1971, 1961.

The information requested is not available. The available information relates to the value of orders received by contractors for new construction work in 1991, by region subdivided by public sector and private sector clients. This is published in table 2.8 of "Housing and Construction Statistics" part 2, No. 48, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the Medicines Act (Exemptions from Licences) (Importation) Order 1984—SI, 1984, No. 673—in relation to named patient arrangements for the supply of unlicensed factor 8 preparations and other unlicensed pharmaceutical products.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health on 1 July, Official Report, column 636. Responsibility for the operation of the Medicines Act (Exemptions from Licences) (Importation) Order 1984 (SI, 1984, No. 673) is a matter for the Medicines Control Agency, which is an executive agency of the Department of Health.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is the estimated cash value of assisted area status in Wales for each year since 1979;

The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Gentleman with such information as my Department can provide and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state, for Wales and by county, the number of people unemployed for (a) more than six months but less than 12 months, (b) more than 12 months but less than two years and (c) more than two years, sub-divided for males and females; and if he will make a statement.

The latest month for which data is available is April 1992. The numbers unemployed in each of the categories requested are available from the NOMIS database, which can be accessed on-line by House of Commons Library staff.The following tables show the information as requested:

Unemployed for more than six months and less than 12 months1
	Male	Female	Total
Clwyd	2,727	809	3,536
Dyfed	2,469	841	3,310
Gwent	3,240	880	4,120
Gwynedd	2,057	660	2,717
Mid Glamorgan	4,244	977	5,221
Powys	477	169	646
South Glamorgan	3,599	901	4,500
West Glamorgan	2,830	714	3,544
Wales	21,643	5,951	27,594
1 Unadjusted.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the progress achieved so far at this week's meeting of the International Whaling Commission in Glasgow.

The IWC meeting in Glasgow, which I opened earlier in the week, is expected to conclude its work later today. There has been a series of achievements in our efforts to protect whales and cetaceans which we greatly welcome.Discussions continue today on the development of tougher and more prudent means of stock management. We have made clear that we will not even consider any resumption of commercial whaling unless stocks are healthy; there are tough, transparent and fully agreed systems of monitoring and inspection; and there are methods of killing whales which are humane. Our approach is shared by many other countries. Meanwhile, the moratorium on all commercial whaling will remain firmly in place. We shall not support requests for any form of interim quota.A new United Kingdom proposal, dealing with research into Antarctic ecosystems, and the impact of global environmental changes on whale stocks, has been adopted. The United Kingdom will be playing a full part in these studies.We have strongly endorsed resolutions to study the establishment of a circumpolar whale sanctuary such that this may be adopted at the IWC's 45th meeting next May. In the meantime, we co-sponsored a successful resolution securing a whale sanctuary in the Indian Ocean for a further 10-year period.On humane killing, the United Kingdom has carried forward its strong commitment. We gained IWC agreement to a special three-day workshop in Glasgow last week under the independent chairmanship of Professor Sir Richard Harrison. An 11-point action plan has now been agreed, calling for more research, regular reviews on methods and their effectiveness, and analyses of times to death. We are presently pressing for action on the cruelty aspects of the Faroese pilot whale hunt.Discussions continue today on the scientific whaling programmes proposed by Norway and Japan. We shall oppose these as failing to meet in full the needs of the IWC's criteria for lethal research.Finally, although good progress is being made, the work of the IWC this week has been made doubly difficult by Norway's announcement on Monday that it will resume commercial whaling next year, regardless of future decisions of the Commission. We have already strongly condemned this—and so have 17 Commissioners—as seriously undermining the IWC and the work that it is trying to do to protect the world's whale stocks.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of confirmed cases of BSE in each county of England and Wales since 1 June.

The number of cases confirmed for England and Wales from 29 May to 26 June is as follows:

County	Confirmed cases
England
Avon	68
Bedfordshire	7
Berkshire	17
Buckinghamshire	23
Cambridge	7
Cheshire	109
Cleveland	3
Cornwall	285
Cumbria	129
Derbyshire	70
Devon	410
Dorset	252
Durham	26
Essex	14
Gloucestershire	69
Hampshire	76
Hereford and Worcester	65
Hertfordshire	12
Humberside	22
Isle of Wight	18
Kent	43
Lancashire	137
Leicestershire	56
Lincolnshire	20
London	3
Manchester	3
Merseyside	7
Norfolk	108
Northamptonshire	17
Northumberland	31
Nottinghamshire	16
Oxon	49
Shropshire	119
Somerset	313
Staffordshire	134
Suffolk	37
Surrey	24
Sussex East	47
Sussex West	56
Tyne and Wear	2
Warwickshire	42
West Midlands	4
Wiltshire	156
Yorkshire North	166
Yorkshire South	15
Yorkshire West	24
Wales
Clwyd	56
Dyfed	218
Glamorgan Mid	2
Glamorgan South	6
Glamorgan West	5
Gwent	20
Gwynedd	13
Powys	52

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total number of (a) confirmed and (b) suspected cases of BSE in each county or region in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the seven days in the week ending 19 June.

The information as requested from 12 to 19 June 1992 is as follows. The confirmed cases will have a date of clinical onset of disease and date of report before 12 June.

County	Confirmed cases	Reported cases 13 to 19 June 1992
England
Avon	18	13
Bedfordshire	1	1

County	Confirmed cases	Reported cases 13 to 19 June 1992
Berkshire	4	3
Buckinghamshire	10	4
Cambridge	3	0
Cheshire	31	29
Cleveland	1	1
Cornwall	89	30
Cumbria	54	19
Derbyshire	13	19
Devon	110	60
Dorset	90	22
Durham	8	2
Essex	4	2
Gloucestershire	9	14
Hampshire	19	12
Hereford and Worcester	6	9
Hertfordshire	3	0
Humberside	2	3
Isle of Wight	8	3
Kent	17	6
Lancashire	43	28
Leicestershire	17	8
Lincolnshire	7	8
London	1	1
Manchester	1	0
Merseyside	0	1
Norfolk	25	18
Northamptonshire	3	8
Northumberland	15	6
Nottinghamshire	1	3
Oxfordshire	18	9
Shropshire	35	17
Somerset	91	53
Staffordshire	52	29
Suffolk	12	13
Surrey	9	5
Sussex East	16	5
Sussex West	18	15
Tyne and Wear	0	0
Warwickshire	7	7
West Midlands	1	0
Wiltshire	43	36
Yorkshire North	52	23
Yorkshire South	2	3
Yorkshire West	7	2
Wales
Clwyd	22	5
Dyfed	12	39
Glamorgan Mid	0	0
Glamorgan South	2	1
Glamorgan West	0	1
Gwent	2	4
Gwynedd	3	4
Powys	6	10
Scotland
Borders	1	0
Central	0	3
Dumfries	22	13
Fife	3	0
Grampian	9	3
Highland	0	1
Lothian	1	0
Orkney	0	0
Shetland	0	0
Strathclyde	16	15
Tayside	4	2
Western Isles	0	0
Northern Ireland
Antrim	0	1
Armagh	0	1
Down	1	5
Fermanagh	0	1
Londonderry	0	1
Tyrone	1	1

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee has met each year since its establishment.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 17 June 1992, Official Report, at column 573.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the countries which are refusing to import cattle from the United Kingdom due to concern over BSE; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will list the countries which are refusing to import milk and milk products from the United Kingdom due to concerns over BSE; and if he will make a statement;(3) if he will list the countries which are refusing to import boneless beef from the United Kingdom because of concerns over BSE; and if he will make a statement.

The information is as follows:

Cattle
Algeria	New Zealand
Argentina	Russia
Australia	Saudi Arabia
Austria	Sweden
Brazil	Switzerland
Canada	Syria
Chile	Trinidad and Tobago
Finland	Tunisia
Hungary	Turkey
Iran	United Arab Emirates
Israel	USA
Japan	Uruguay
Jordan
Malaysia (state of Sarawak only)
Boneless Beef
Algeria	Montserrat
Barbados	Philippines
Dominica	St. Kitts
Egypt	St. Lucia
Grenada	St. Vincent
Guyana	Saudi Arabia
Jamaica	Syria
Japan	Taiwan
Libya	United Arab Emirates
Malaysia (state of Sarawak only)
Milk and Milk Products.
Libya
Sweden1
Syria
1 Sweden bans the importation from the United Kingdom of bovine milk products for consumption by farm animals. Milk for human consumption may continue.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what date each of the individuals represented on the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee were appointed; and if he will make a statement.

All the members of the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee were appointed in April 1990, except for Professor Richard Barlow and Mr. David Pepper, who were added in September 1990.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many times the consultative committee on research into spongiform encephalopathies has met each year since its establishment.

The consultative committee on research into spongiform encephalopathies met on three occasions in 1989 before it was reconstituted as the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of felines confirmed as having spongiform encephalopathy in each of the following age ranges: (a) below 12 months, (b) one to two years, (c) two to three years, (d) three to four years, (e) four to five years and (f) over five years; and what information he has on the likely cause of transmission.

The information requested is as follows up to 26 June 1992:

Age	Number of felines with spongiform encephalopathy
Less than 12 months	0
One year to two years	1
Two years to three years	1
Three years to four years	3
Five years and over	21
Age not known	1

Insufficient cases of FSE have yet been identified to enable any conclusions about the epidemiology of the condition, or the source of infection, to be drawn. Information is, however, being collected about each confirmed case.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the countries which ban the import of British beef.

These countries are as follows:

• Algeria
• Argentina
• Barbados
• Brazil
• Chile
• China
• Dominica
• Egypt
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Iran
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Libya
• Montserrat
• Philippines
• Sarawak
• St. Kitts
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent
• Saudi Arabia
• Sultanate of Oman
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list the legislation relating to the prohibition of the export of animal protein material derived from specified bovine offals; and if he will make a statement;(2) what restrictions he has imposed on the export of cattle offal from the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The exportation of the specified bovine offals and protein derived from them from Great Britain to other member states of the Europen Community and to third countries is banned under the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1991 and the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1991.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number and percentage of (a) dairy cattle and (b) beef cattle requiring to be destroyed due to acute lameness in each year since 1982.

This information is not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to collect centrally information on the movement of radioactive materials for reprocessing by road, rail, sea and air in the United Kingdom.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in the compilation of the International Atomic Energy Agency database on the movement of radioactive materials for reprocessing in the United Kingdom.

Information was supplied by my Department to the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1991 in response to an IAEA request for certain details for its database on shipments of radioactive material. The information related to total shipments of irradiated fuel, non-irradiated fuel, uranium from reprocessing and wastes for the year 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total level of investment by British Rail since 1988 in Network SouthEast.

In the five financial years from 1987–88 to 1991–92, Network SouthEast invested about £1780 million at 1991–92 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are made to ensure that the vehicles operated by travelling people are (a) MOT tested and (b) properly insured; how many prosecutions in each of these respects have taken place over the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements for ensuring compliance with the law on vehicle testing and insurance are the same for all vehicle users. It is an offence to use a vehicle without a current test certificate and valid insurance, and the police can bring prosecutions. The vehicle inspectorate checked the roadworthiness of 92 large non-public service vehicle passenger-carrying vehicles, most of which will not have been used by travelling people, at roadside spot checks in 1991–92. The inspectorate's policy is to prohibit unroadworthy vehicles rather than to prosecute. The 92 checks resulted in four prohibitions. The power to prohibit vehicles in a dangerous condition was extended to the police by the Road Traffic Act 1991, which was commenced on 1 July this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the total level of planned investment by British Rail in the latest year for which figures are available.

British Rail invested a total of £1,005 million in 1991–92; this was the highest level for 30 years. British Rail's investment ceiling for 1992–93 is currently set at £983 million for the existing railway and £755 million for the new railway. The combined ceiling for both existing and new railways is therefore set at £1,738 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when the conclusions of the transpennine study will be published; and if he will give reasons for the postponement in publication;(2) what consideration is being given to the extension of the M65 eastwards as part of the transpennine study.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) on Monday 29 June at column 391, and to the hon. Member for Burnley (Mr. Pike) on Tuesday 9 June at column 114.The transpennine study considered options for improving transport links in a number of corridors within a wide study area, which included the M 65-A56-A59-A65-A660 corridor. The study covered a range of complex issues and our consideration of the consultants' findings has taken longer than expected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the road bridges across the Thames within the area of greater London and indicate which of them are, or will be, subject to closure and restriction because of maintenance; and how many are subject to width restrictions affecting traffic flow.

The following bridges carry roads across the Thames in the greater London area: Tower bridge, London bridge, Southwark bridge, Blackfriars bridge, Waterloo bridge, Westminster bridge, Lambeth bridge, Vauxhall bridge, Chelsea bridge, Albert bridge, Battersea bridge, Wandsworth bridge, Putney bridge, Hammersmith bridge, Chiswick bridge, Kew bridge, Twickenham bridge, Richmond bridge, Kingston bridge and Hampton bridge. Chiswick, Kew and Richmond bridges carry trunk roads. Local highway authorities are responsible for all other structures.I am aware that the following restrictions currently apply: Tower bridge, 17 tonnes weight; Westminster bridge, 7.5 tonnes weight; Albert bridge, 2.1 m width—temporary—two tonnes weight; Battersea bridge, 2.5 m width; and Hammersmith bridge, three tonnes weight.Proposals to restrict bridges that carry or connect designated roads are subject to the prior approval of the Secretary of State under the Local Government Act 1985. Under these powers my Department can ensure that restrictions on structures that affect traffic flow are essential and are imposed for the minimum time necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the duties and functions of the Traffic Director for London.

The duties and functions of the Traffic Director for London are set out in part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991. They include responsibility for co-ordinating the introduction and maintenance of traffic management measures taken by highway authorities in relation to priority routes established under the Road Traffic Act 1991, and for monitoring the operation of those measures. Specific functions include the preparation of a network plan for the design and operation of priority routes in London, giving approval to local plans for priority routes prepared by London highway authorities and preparing local plans himself for trunk roads in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who decides arid authorises increases in the salary of the members of the board of the Port of London authority.

Under the provisions of the Port of London Act 1968, the authority itself determines the board members' remuneration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details of the salary of each member of the board of the Port of London authority for the past five years.

Information about board members' remuneration is included in the annual reports of the Port of London authority which are placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who appoints members of the board of the Port of London authority; when the existing members were appointed; and when each member is due to retire or be reappointed.

The Secretary of State for Transport appoints the chairman and non-executive members of the Port of London authority for terms of three years or until the end of the year when they reach the age of 70. Their terms expire as follows, at the end of the year referred to: Sir Brian Kellett, chairman, 1992; Mr. R. G. Crawford 1993; Capt. P. M. Edge 1994; Mr. I. F. Halliday 1992; Mr. C. W. Jonas 1993; Mr. J. H. Kelly 1993; Mr. A. J. Macintosh 1994; Mr. A. P. Ravenscroft 1994; Sir Brian Shaw 1994. Two executives have been appointed to the board by the authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by type the vehicles used by (a) the construction or (b) agriculture industry where drivers using them on the public highway cannot be prosecuted for traffic offences, not being deemed a road vehicle under the current legislation; and if he will make a statement.

The main bad driving offences under sections 1, 2, 3, 3A and 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 now apply to all mechanically propelled vehicles. Various other road traffic offences apply to "motor vehicles", which are mechanically propelled vehicles intended or adapted for use on roads. Whether a particular vehicle is so intended or adapted depends on the facts in that case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to set mandatory minimum fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) on 3 June, Official Report, volume 208, column 522.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information his Department holds, and at what level of' regional disaggregation, regarding the failure rates of public service vehicles.

The Department's vehicle inspectorate holds complete information about vehicle testing, includng the percentage failure rates for public service vehicles at initial annual tests and retests and the most common failure items. Information on a national basis is published in the inspectorate's annual report. Regional information is held by its 54 district offices, which can further break the information down for individual testing stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to introduce legislation to make it mandatory for heavy goods vehicles to be fitted with speed limiters.

Regulations have been made requiring the fitment of speed limiters to heavy goods vehicles. New goods vehicles over 7.7 tonnes gross weight must have speed limiters from 1 August this year. Articulated and certain drawbar goods vehicles over 16 tonnes gross weight first used on or after 1 January 1989 will need to be fitted by 1 August 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations the Minister of State for Public Transport has received from the chairman of the Greater Manchester passenger transport authority about the stated intention to take powers to enforce the privatisation of all remainining municipal bus companies; if he will be meeting representatives of the PTA; and if he will make a statement.

I am in correspondence with the chairman of Greater Manchester passenger transport authority confirming our commitment to privatise the remaining local authority-owned bus companies. I shall be happy to have an early meeting with the PTA about the future ownership of Greater Manchester Buses Ltd. and our consultant's report on the possibilities of splitting that company. My office is making the necessary arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many motorway intersections, where two motorways join, do not have full four-way access.

Twenty motorway to motorway junctions in England do not have full four-way access.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why it was decided not to construct a full four-way access junction where the A1(M) joins the A66(M) at Darlington; what plans he has to initiate the construction of a full four-way access junction at this point; and what estimate he has made of the cost.

The A1(M)—A66(M) interchange at Darlington was opened to traffic in May 1965 and its layout was designed to cater for the then existing and predicted further traffic movements.A study of the A1(M) between Barton and Birtley is currently being undertaken to assess the longer-term requirements of this section of motorway. An assessment of this interchange and others will be undertaken as part of the study which will be completed in the spring of 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to ensure that road and rail infrastructure investments are being appraised on a comparable basis.

The Department of Transport published last January a paper on investment appraisal in road and rail transport, which attracted helpful comments from many quarters. Many of these comments expressed concern about the relative roles of cost-benefit analysis and of financial analysis, and in particular the view that cost-benefit analysis should be more widely used in the appraisal of all transport infrastructure.Different forms of transport should be able to compete on fair terms. This should be reflected in the criteria for Government grants and investment rules. It also follows that users of transport should as far as possible pay the full cost of the services they use. Although it is efficient to allow road congestion relief and other external benefits to be taken into account in the pricing of urban public transport, the benefits to public transport users themselves should be met as far as possible through fares.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent changes he has made in the arrangements regarding the handling of constituency inquiries by hon. Members which are addressed to regional offices of his Department; if he will publish the arrangements; what assessment he has made of the time taken to reply to (a) such an inquiry and (b) a similar inquiry from a member of the public; if he will review the arrangements; and if he will make a statement.

We have made no recent changes in the arrangements for handling constituency inquiries by hon. Members to our regional offices. We continue to require these to be replied to promptly and fully; the same requirements apply to inquiries from members of the public. We have no plans to review the arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will instigate a confidential inquiry into bullying in the Army; and if he will make a statement.

No inquiry is necessary. The Army takes the most careful steps to prevent bullying and treats any cases which do occur very seriously. Since 1987, the number of substantiated cases of bullying in the Army has fallen from 31 a year to 11 in 1990 and six in 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what professional, security, copyright and financial terms staff of the Defence Research Agency may participate in the Link programmes or research programmes funded by the European Community.

This is a matter for the Defence Research Agency under its framework document. I have asked the chief executive to reply directly to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what encouragement there is in the framework document or in other formal guidance to encourage personnel and technology transfer between the Defence Research Agency and civil research and development.

As the Ministry of Defence's principal source of scientific and technical advice, the Defence Research Agency attaches high priority to co-operation with industry in meeting MOD's requirements. Within the context that MOD is its major customer, it can pursue profitable commercial outlets for its services and arrange personnel exchanges with other organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the names and company of secondment of the head of the Defence Export Services Organisation and its international financial adviser.

The head of Defence Export Services Organisation is Mr. Alan Thomas, on secondment from Raytheon. Mr. Miles Faulkener, the international financial adviser, was previously employed by Trafalgar House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what advice and facilities such as telephones and stationery are provided for service personnel undergoing resettlement training to seek outside employment; and what arrangements are made for personnel to have access to newspapers and magazines which publish job vacancies;(2) how many service personnel are currently undergoing resettlement training; in how many places such training is being undertaken; what types of training are offered; what are the minimum and maximum days of training offered; and what budget allocation has been made to pay for such resettlement training;(3) what representations he has received about the current provision for resettlement training; and if he will make a statement.

All service personnel coming to the end of their careers are advised individually on how best to prepare themselves for civilian life. In addition, everyone who leaves after more than five years' service is entitled to a comprehensive resettlement package. This comprises:

Briefings on how to go about finding a new job, on specific second careers, on home purchase, on personal finance and on other aspects of civilian life.

The opportunity to spend some time on attachment to an employing organisation in order to gain civilian work experience.

A pre-release resettlement period of 28 days on full pay which can be used for any resettlement-related activity, including attendance at a wide range of training courses. These courses take place at the resettlement training centres at Aldershot and Catterick and at many other locations.

Assistance with job finding through the Services Employment Network, the Officers Association or the Regular Forces Employment Association.

About 19,500 sevice personnel will be entitled to this help during 1992–93, and most of them will take advantage of at least some of what is available. The total direct cost in 1992–93 will be about £4 million. As part of this process, personnel are encouraged to consult newspapers and magazines which publish job vacancies. In addition, the Service Employment Network of the Ministry of Defence publishes its own weekly "Resettlement Bulletin Vacancy Supplement" which contains details of specific jobs. It is not MOD policy to make telephones or stationery specifically available to those seeking jobs.We are determined to ensure that the service we offer provides those leaving the armed forces with the best possible support, particularly at a time when a number of those leaving will have been made redundant. The package of measures that I have set out has therefore been revised thoroughly and enhanced in a number of ways. We are continuing to consult widely within the armed forces and with other organisations which provide resettlement services to ascertain what more might be done.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what independent inspectorate exists for military detention centres in England; who appoints such inspectors; to whom they make their reports following their visits to military detention centres; and if he will make a statement.

The two military detention centres at the royal naval detention quarters, Portsmouth, and military corrective training centre, Colchester, are inspected at least twice a year by an independent board of visitors. Members of the board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Defence and make their reports to him. Statutory Instruments Nos. 723 and 724 of 1980 set out the composition and duties of the board relating to the military corrective training centre and royal naval detention quarters respectively.Royal Air Force regional services detention rooms are not independently inspected, but are visited daily by the orderly officer and inspected regularly by the chain of command.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is the Government's intention to continue the operation of air-sea rescue services at RAF Chivenor in north Devon; and if he will make a statement.

A review of the provision of sea-air rescue by the armed forces is approaching its final stages. Final decisions on the structure and basing of the military SAR force have yet to be taken. I cannot, therefore, comment on the future of any individual military SAR flight.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the Government's target for the length of time to process reviews of claims for (a) mobility allowance, (b) attendance allowance, (c) attendance allowance on grounds of terminal illness, (d) disability living allowance and (e) disability living allowance including a claim for the highest rate of care component on grounds of terminal illness; and if he will make a statement.

The administration of mobility and disability living allowance are a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if sufficient officers have been employed during the last six months to handle reviews of claims for attendance allowance in order to meet the Government's targets for processing reviews; and if he will make a statement.

The administration of attendance allowance is a matter for Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and copies will be placed in the Library and the Public Information Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the latest figures for the shortfall in income support payments by comparison with fees charged in (a) residential homes and (b) nursing homes for the elderly or disabled, on a national, regional and local basis.

The information is not available. Data are collected on a sample basis which precludes the provision of reliable estimates. Contemporary information is not collected on fees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the income support personal allowance for home owners aged (a) 21, (b) 22, (c) 23 and (d) 24 years, respectively, to the rate appropriate to persons aged 25 years and over.

The information is given in the table.

Benefit	Age 21+	Age 22+	Age 23+	Age 24
Income support	5	1	1	1
Community charge	1	1	1	1
Housing benefit	0	0	0	0
Total	5	1	1	1
1 Denotes a cost of less than £2.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the cost of raising the income support personal allowance for recipients of housing benefit aged (a) 21, (b) 22, (c) 23 and (d) 24 years, respectively, to the rate appropriate to persons aged 25 years and over.

The information is given in the table.

Benefit	Age 21+	Age 22+	Age 23+	Age 24
Income support	20	15	10	5
Community charge	1	1	1	0
Housing benefit	15	10	5	5
Total	40	25	20	10
1 Denotes a cost of less than £2.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer of 2 June, Official Report, column 483, if he will estimate the cost of raising the income support level for all persons aged (a) 21, (b) 22, (c) 23 and (d) 24 years, who are living away from home to the rate appropriate to persons aged 25 years and over.

The information is given in the table.

Benefit	Age 21+	Age 22+	Age 23+	Age 24
Income support	55	40	25	10
Community charge	1	1	1	1
Housing benefit	15	10	5	5
Total	70	55	30	10
1 Denotes a cost of less than £2.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what financial effect there has been from the recent review on the level of the social fund available in 1992–93 to those social security offices which serve people in the Sheffield, Attercliffe constituency.

Details of the allocations made to individual Benefits Agency districts are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how long it is taking social fund inspectors to deal with an application for review of a decision made by a social fund officer; and if he will make a statement.

I am informed by the social fund commissioner that the average time taken is 38 working days. This figure includes the two weeks allowed for the applicant to comment on the papers which are sent to him. The majority of urgent cases are cleared within four working days.