To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases have been dealt with by the legal services ombudsman.

A full investigation has been conducted and a report issued in 823 cases. Of these 766 related to complaints about solicitors, 53 to complaints about barristers and four to complaints about licensed conveyancers. The legal services ombudsman has received a further 883 complaints relating to solicitors, of which 559 failed to meet the criteria for investigation, and 324 are either awaiting or under investigation. He has also received a further 58 complaints relating to barristers, of which 42 failed to meet the criteria and 16 are either awaiting or under investigation. In addition, the legal services ombudsman has received a further four complaints relating to licensed conveyancers, none of which met the criteria.The legal services ombudsman has also investigated and reported on 560 cases which had been referred to the lay observer prior to 31 December 1990, but which had not been dealt with by him before the legal services ombudsman replaced him on 1 January 1991.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many solicitors have been ordered to pay compensation as a result of intervention by the legal services ombudsman.

Since 1 January 1991, the legal services ombudsman has recommended that 50 solicitors should pay compensation to complainants. In addition, he has recommended that the Solicitors Complaints Bureau should pay compensation in 10 cases.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellors Department how many people have made a complaint to the legal services ombudsman in relation to their dealings with the Solicitors' Complaints Bureau.

The legal services ombudsman has received 1,649 cases relating to the way in which the Solicitors Complaints Bureau has dealt with complaints about solicitors.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to increase funding to the office of the legal services ombudsman.

The allocation to the ombudsman's office for 1993–94, excluding the accommodation charge, will be approximately £547,000. The allocation for 1992–93, on a comparable basis, was approximately £508,000.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will issue guidance to magistrates on the use of their powers to require means inquiries or to waive charges in cases of hardship in cases relating to non-payment of poll tax; and if he will make a statement.

Where an application has been made to commit a community charge defaulter to prison, magistrates are required to hold an inquiry into the debtor's means, and have the power to remit amounts due where a committal warrant is neither made nor its issue postponed. Guidance on the operation of the community charge regulations was issued to magistrates courts by the Home Office in 1990. It would not be right for me to seek to interfere in the way in which magistrates exercise their discretion in individual cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he expects to conclude consultation with the Roman Catholic Church on the official recognition of territorial sees and titles;(2) if he will give a summary of action taken on consultations following the Prime Minister's statement on 18 May,

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he was given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 December, at columns 753–54.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received in opposition to official recognition of territorial sees and titles of the Roman Catholic Church.

This department has received two letters expressing concern about the possibility of greater recognition being afforded to Roman Catholic territorial sees and titles.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he provided a substantive reply to the letters dated 16 July and 7 October from the Right Rev. Monsignor Philip Carroll, General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference.

An interim reply was sent on 28 July. My right hon. and learned Friend hopes to be in a position to respond to the substantive points raised in those letters very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what prisons other than Strangeways have been the subject of funding for the remand contract unit in his Department for market testing; and if he will make a statement.

None at present, but we have already announced that new prisons will be opened up to competitive tender and further plans are being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to reduce the number of people in prison.

It is for the court to decide, within the framework provided by Parliament, whether a custodial sentence is appropriate in any individual case.A new sentencing framework was created by the Criminal Justice Act 1991, which came into force on 1 October 1992. It is based on the clear proposition that the sentence passed should match the seriousness of the offence committed. It provides, therefore, that the use of custodial sentences should be confined to offences whose seriousness is such that only a custodial sentence can be justified and as a consequence enhances the role of non-custodial sentences. Pre-sentence reports are now mandatory in an increased range of cases, to ensure that courts receive relevant advice on the suitability of possible community sentences.

Population of sentenced young offenders in Prison Service establishments by age: August, September and October 1992
	Number of persons				All young offenders
	Aged under 17	Aged 17	Aged 18–20	1Aged 21
31 August	262	450	3,979	877	5,568
30 September2	—	—	—	—	5,384
31 October2	—	—	—	—	5,113
1 Prisoners aged 21 who have not been reclassified from young offenders to adults.
2 An age breakdown is not yet available for these dates.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arriving persons at United Kingdom points of entry have been allowed to go to temporary addresses while their cases have been considered in each of the last five years and the current year to date; and in each year how many have absconded.

The information available is given in the table.

Number of Passengers at United Kingdom ports of entry
	Passengers granted temporary admission	Passengers who absconded1
1988	8,692	401
1989	13,744	475
1990	15,357	561
1991	13,220	601
21992	13,786	445
1 These figures include passengers who abscond from the control area or from detention as well as those who abscond from temporary admission. Data on the latter are not separately available.
2 January to October.

Number1 of applications for asylum in certain member states of the European Community, by year of application, 1980 to 1991
Thousands
	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	19912
Belgium	2.7	2.4	3.1	2.9	3.7	5.3	7.7	6.0	5.1	8.1	13.0	15.2
Denmark	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.3	4.3	8.7	9.3	2.1	4.7	4.6	5.3	4.6
France	18.8	19.8	22.5	22.3	15.9	25.8	23.4	24.8	31.0	60.0	56.0	46.3

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sentenced offenders aged (a) under 21 years, (b) under 18 years and (c) under 17 years were held in prison service establishments at the end of September, October and November and on the most recent available date.

The latest readily available information is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of (a) immigrants and (b) refugees that have entered the United Kingdom and other EC member states in each year since 1979.

Information on persons accepted for settlement in the United Kingdom in the years 1979–91 is given in tables 18 and 9 respectively of the 1987 and 1991 volumes of the annual Home Office Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom"— Cm 415 and Cm 2063. These figures are of persons subject to immigration control who are granted indefinite leave to remain here. Comparable information for other EC countries is not available.Information on the number of applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom in the years 1979–91 is given in tables 1 and 1.2 respectively of Home Office Statistical Bulletins "Refugee Statistics, United Kingdom 1989" and "Asylum Statistics, United Kingdom 1990–91" —issues 22/90 and 12/92. Available information on asylum applications to other EC member states is given in the table.Copies of these publications are in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenilies were held on remand in prisons and remand centres at the end of September, October and November and on the most recent available date.

The latest readily available information is given in the table.

Population of unsentenced juvenilies1 in prison and remand centres June, July and August 1991
	Number of persons
Month/dates	Untried	Convicted unsentenced	Total
30 June	54	19	73
31 July	44	22	66
31 August	51	22	73
1 Persons aged under 17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken at the Wolds remand prison to establish a bail information scheme on the lines laid down in the operating contract.

The post of bail information officer is expected to be filled early in 1993, and the scheme will be operational shortly afterwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of the supernumerary posts approved for the Thames Valley police for 1993–94; and how this cost will be met.

The cost of supernumerary police posts in the Thames Valley police is estimated by the force at £1.7 million for 1993–94. These posts will be funded in the usual way from specific grant paid by the Home Office and through the local authority funding mechanism.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list the number of supernumerary posts allocated to each police force in England and Wales in each of the last five years, for the current year and for 1993–94 and the period for which they were allocated in each case;(2) if he will list

I shall arrange for a written reply to be sent to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criteria on which he bases his judgment as to whether any police force should be allowed to carry any supernumerary posts.

Applications for sumpernumerary police posts are considered, with the advice of Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary, against the following criteria:—

(i) whether the posts are affordable within the Department's provision for Police Grant for the financial year in question;

(ii) whether they reflect Home Office policy objectives and initiatives:

(iii) whether they meet a temporary need.

All such posts are subject to review at regular intervals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs will be met directly by his Department in respect of supernumerary posts for each police authority in England and Wales for 1993–94; and what percentage of the total costs this represents.

Specific grant at the usual rate of 51 per cent. is payable on these posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of all the police forces which have had an increase in police numbers for the coming year, giving the reasons in each case.

In light of the need to impose constraints on public expenditure, my right hon. and learned Friend has concluded that the costs of further increases in police numbers cannot be justified. He has therefore not approved an increase in establishment for any provincial force in 1993–94.The establishment of the Metropolitan police will increase by 50 officers with effect from 1 April 1993. This increase was agreed to as part of the 1991 public expenditure settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure the full recovery of policing costs for rave parties.

[holding answer 11 December 1992]: I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 November, Official Report, column 548, what was the total cost of each of the vehicle-related projects in each of the last five years and estimated for next year, and the percentage paid, or budgeted by the Home Office in each year and in each case.

Vehicle related projects funded under the probation supervision grants scheme in 1991–92 and 1992–93
1991–92
Area	Title	Amount (£)	Percentage of total cost of project funded by HO under this scheme
West Glamorgan	Guiding Hands Association	20,787	68
North Yorkshire	Croft Motor Trust	2,000	50
West Sussex	Car Offender Project Sussex Association for the Rehabilitation of offenders	20,830	100
South Glamorgan	Dragon Wheels	1,597	2
Shropshire	Telford Drive	21,679	50
Somerset1	Mendip Motor Project	5,650	50
West Yorkshire1	NACRO Focus	54,826	70
West Yorkshire1	Bradford Motor Education Project (Probation Supervision element)	4,158	100
Oxfordshire1	Trax-Oxfordshire Motor Project	3,293	53
Northumbria1	YMCA North Shields	9,422	65
1 These projects received part of their grants in this financial year.

1992–93
Area	Title	Amount (£)	Percentage of total cost of project funded by HO under this scheme
West Glamorgan	Guiding Hands Association	20,492	68
North Yorkshire	Croft Motor Trust	2,100	50
West Sussex	Car Offender Project. Sussex Association for the Rehabilitation of offenders	28,973	100
South Glamorgan	Dragon Wheels	9,372	17
Shropshire	Telford Drive	21,679	50
Somerset	Mendip Motor Project	13,075	49
West Yorkshire	Bradford Motor Education Project (Probation Supervision element)	45,742	100
West Yorkshire1	Birstall Urban Motorcycle Project for Youth (BUMPY)	24,717	73
West Yorkshire	NACRO Focus	50,702	70
Avon	Bristol Wheels Project. Youth and Community Help Trust (YACHT)	66,555	41
Northumbria	Motorvatin Youth Project Axwell Park School Foundation	31,840	100
Northumbria	Motoring MACPI (Multi-agency Crime Prevention Initiative) Prudhoe Community Workshop Trust	8,500	65
Northumbria	YMCA North Shields	16,650	65
West Midlands1	Shard End Driver Training Project Shard End Community Project	13,737	52
Oxfordshire	Trax-Oxfordshire Motor Project	36,220	53
Essex1	Motor Project	36,200	100
1 These projects received part of their grants in this financial year.

Vehicle related projects funded under the safer cities programme in 1991–92
Project	Scheme	Amount (£)	Percentage of total cost of project funded by HO and this programme
Bradford	Bradford Motor Education Project1 (Crime Prevention Element)	16,500	50
Bradford	Keighley Motor Project	5,500	35
Bradford	Canterbury Motor Project	5,500	100
Bristol	Southmead Racing Bangers Project	12,000	100
Coventry	Henley Green Motorcycle Project	4,625	90
Hartlepool	Motor Cycle Project	2,000	60
Hull	Orchard Park Wheels Project—Summer 1991	750	100
Nottingham	Wheelbase	22,500	20
Salford	Swinton Karting Project	2,005	27
Salford	General Education in Automobile Responsibility in Salford	12,000	50
Sunderland	Town End Motor Project	8,950	43

[holding answer 30 November 1992]: As indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 26 October, at column 457, the main programme of funding for motor projects began in 1989–90. The projects currently being funded were listed in my reply on 24 November, at columns 547–48. The information requested in relation to motor projects in 1991–92 and 1992–93 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his intention to reduce his contribution to the existing commitments under section 11 of the Local Government Act 1966 and to invite no new bids for 1993–94 and 1994–95; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 11 December 1992]: The Government remain firmly committed to the reduction of racial disadvantage, and the section 11 grant continues to play a central role in our programme. But we regret that in the present difficult economic circumstances it is not possible to maintain the planned levels of section 11 grant or to consider bids for new projects in 1993–94 or 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Education what sums were expended by his Department in respect of European Drugs Prevention Week; and for what specific purposes.

The information is as follows:

	£000s
i. Printing and publication of revised and updated version of the booklet "Drug Misuse and the Young"	117.1
ii. Regional conferences for 14 to 19 year olds on drug misuse	133.0
iii. Contribution to cost of TACADE/Local Government Drugs Forum National Conference on "Drugs Prevention: The Contribution of Local Government"	0.8
Total	50.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department will provide mandatory grants to assist students in Wales who have been accepted to study for diplomas in mechanical and electrical engineering, such as the higher national diploma.

Under the Education Act 1962, mandatory awards are already available to eligible students on designated full-time or sandwich courses for the HND or DipHE at publicly-funded insitutions. Other full-time or sandwich diploma courses may be designated for mandatory awards if they are comparable to first degree courses. For diploma courses which are not designated, local education authorities have power to make discretionary awards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education at what age according to the provisions of the national curriculum children are expected to have attained the skill of the correct use of the apostrophe.

The curriculum order for English requires that pupils should learn about the use of the apostrophe between the ages of seven and 11. The order is currently under review, and one of the issues being addressed is how to define more clearly the grammatical knowledge which pupils must demonstrate in order to meet different levels of attainment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will announce the results of the technology schools initiative; and if he will make a statement.

We aim to announce the allocations to be made under the technology schools initiative very shortly, and will place this information in the Library. This initiative has attracted great interest from schools and local authorities, and we have received many bids of high quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the requirement arising from the Data Protection Act 1984 on the headteacher and governing body of a school to be separately registered with regard to the holding of personal information on computer records when only one registration was previously required for the county as a whole on behalf of all maintained schools; and what proposals he has to lessen the consequent expense.

[holding answer 11 December 1992]: Data users for the purposes of the Data Protection Act are individuals or groups of people who control the contents and use of a set of personal data. Any such data controlled by school governing bodies and headteachers for the purposes of their respective statutory responsibilities, should be registered accordingly with the Data Protection Registrar. The cost of registration was one of a broad range of pressures on local education authorities that the Government took into account in fixing education standard spending for 1992–93.

To ask the Prime Minister who in his Office has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Office.

Responsibility for overseeing and developing green issues in 10 Downing street rests with the Cabinet Office. The Green Minister for the Cabinet Office is the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service and Science. Within the Cabinet Office three civil servants are currently involved with the management and development of green issues. Various officials in 10 Downing street also deal with green issues among others. Any expenditure is likely to be met from existing funding.

To ask the Prime Minister what guidance he will now give to all Ministers of the Crown as to how bills will be met on their behalf for legal services to forestall or correct misleading and inaccurate press stories which might do damage to a Minister's reputation and would therefore have a bearing on the performance of his public duties.

Guidance for Ministers already exists in relation to libel proceedings and I have no plans to issue further guidance at present.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with his European Community partners about the establishment of a sanctuary for whales in the Antarctic; and if he will make a statement.

The forum for discussion on this matter is the International Whaling Commission—IWC —of which the United Kingdom and six other Community countries—Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain—are members.The French proposal for a whale sanctuary in the Antarctic, put to the IWC at its 44th meeting in Glasgow last June, is due for detailed consideration when the Commission next meets in Kyoto in May 1993. The United Kingdom was one of those countries which encouraged the IWC to undertake further work on this idea. We shall play a full part in its further consideration in liaison with those of our Community partners which are party to the IWC.

To ask the Prime Minister what is the current financial limit for gifts to Ministers.

The guidance covering gifts to Ministers is set out in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps he has taken to ensure that northern Somalia, Republic of Somaliland, is given help appropriate to its current situation in the light of the United Nations decision to support military intervention in Somalia.

We have stressed the need to take appropriate account of the north in discussions in the United Nations Security Council; in meetings with the United Nations Secretary General and the under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs; in discussions at the United Nations donors conference which took place last week in Addis Ababa; and in recent meetings my right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Chalker, the Minister for Overseas Development, has had with British nongovernmental organisations working in Somalia.

To ask the Prime Minister which Government Department will publish the Scott inquiry report; and if he will make a statement.

As I explained on 16 November at columns 74–75, Lord Justice Scott will be entirely free to decide on the publication of his report and of the evidence he takes. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will be responsible for arranging publication of the report.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 7 December, Official Report, columns 469–70, on the civil list, whether the charges to the Government Departments cover accommodation and support for security personnel; and how much is paid to the households royal collection department and in respect of which building.

No charges are made to Government Departments in respect of accommodation and support for security personnel. The royal collection department pays charges for administration services but not for accommodation.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 7 December, Official Report, columns 469–70, on the civil list, what was the increase in charges paid by the Government in real terms in the period 1987–90; which Departments make the payments; and how much each pays.

There was no real-terms increase between 1988—first full year—and 1990 in charges to the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department of the Environment, the Department of Transport, the Scottish Office and the Treasury. As was implied in my answer of 7 December, the proportion of the royal households expenditure so recovered is marginal—about 3 per cent. Detailed numbers could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many (a) physically disabled and (b) sensorily disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage they are of the total work-force.

The Department of National Heritage is still in the process of setting-up its personnel and other central management information systems and the information to answer this question is not yet centrally available.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who in his Department has been appointed to oversee and develop green issues; how many civil servants have been allocated new or additional responsibilities to deal with the management and development of green issues; and what additional allocation of resources has been made to support programmes related to green issues in his Department.

I am the Minister responsible for overseeing and developing green issues in the Department of National Heritage. The management and development of green issues is undertaken by the implementation and review division of the Department. A departmental energy efficiency officer and a departmental green contact have been appointed in this division. Although the Department has not specifically allocated additional resources to support programmes related to green issues, these officers will ensure that proper consideration is given to environmental and green issues in all aspects of the Department's policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what estimate he has made of the effect of the receipt by charities of proceeds from the national lottery on the level of receipts by charities from other sources.

The Government intend that proceeds from the national lottery should represent an additional source of money for charities and other beneficiaries: receipt of lottery moneys will not preclude charities from applying to other sources for funding. Indeed, it would be desirable for charities receiving money from the lottery to have a broad funding base.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many people have (a) arrived in the United Kingdom on flights originating in the Indian subcontinent and (b) departed from the United Kingdom on flights whose terminal destination is the Indian subcontinent in each of the last 10 years and for each month of this year to date.

I am informed by the Civil Aviation Authority that the latest available information is as shown in the table. Figures for the years before 1986 are not readily available.

Terminal passengers1 on flights with origin or destination to and from the Indian sub-continent2
Year	Arrivals	Departures
1986	357,587	342,146
1987	379,946	373,690
1988	408,452	382,935
1989	432,313	431,286
1990	476,700	449,993
1991	386,083	353,119
1992:
January	38,315	33,723
February	31,581	29,446
March	35,253	25,544
April	37,711	28,359
May	36,918	21,859
June	29,510	28,038
July	32,699	37,648
August	39,873	34,181
September	36,389	29,876

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what account he is taking in his consideration of the future of the BBC and the licence fee, of the position of pensioners in and out of sheltered accommodation with shared facilities and common boundaries paying for television licences; and if he will make a statement.

As I indicated in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Luff) on 9 December, Official Report, column 683, the Government have repeatedly made it clear that they have no plans to amend or extend the regulations governing the concessionary TV licence scheme, which were thoroughly overhauled in 1988 after long and careful consideration. The long-term future of the licence fee and the arrangements for paying it are issues to be considered in the debate about the renewal of the BBCs charter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) physically disabled and (b) sensorily disabled people are employed in his Department; and what percentage they are of the total work force.

As at 1 January 1992 there were 1,262 staff in the Northern Ireland civil service—4.3 per cent. of the service—who were registered or who self-reported a disability. A total of 1,232–4.2 per cent. of the service —were physically disabled and 290–0.1 per cent. of the service—were sensorily disabled. Each of these figures includes those who are both physically and sensorily disabled.A survey carried out in 1990 showed that, in the small home civil service group in the Northern Ireland Office, nine staff—4.3 per cent. of the group—considered that they had a disability, all of whom were physically disabled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the present state of the ware and seed potato industry; what is the present state of the potato industry; how exceptional relevant weather conditions have been during the year; and if he will make a statement about proposals to support the potato industry in Northern Ireland.

Representations have been received from two public representatives. Potato prices in Northern Ireland and throughout the European Community have been depressed as a result of increases in the area planted and yield of potatoes. While rainfall in the three months September to November has been below average there were no sustained dry spells. This resulted in difficult harvesting conditions. There are no plans to provide financial support for the potato industry in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what surplus properties were disposed of within the past 12 months by the Southern health and social services board; how much money was realised by the sales of these properties; and how much of this money was retained by the Department of Health and Social Services management executive.

The following surplus properties in the Southern health and social services board have been disposed of during the current financial year:

• Ballyards Castle Hospital, Armagh
• Site at John Street, Rathfriland (3.75 acres)
• Site at Armagh Road, Newry (2 acres)
• 40 Thornleigh, Shankill, Lurgan
• Tandragee Health Clinic

The total realised is £343,112. This amount has been reallocated by the management executive to meet a number of high-priority pressures within the health and personal social services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who have been empowered to issue public interest immunity certificates in Northern Ireland in relation to Court cases and coroners' inquests in each year since 1972.

Where public interest immunity has been claimed by the Crown in legal proceedings in Northern Ireland by way of a certificate, the certificate has been signed by a Minister in a position to assess the public interest asserted.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to introduce an independent audit of the Government's citizens charter promises and of its performance against the targets set.

The citizens charter calls for all public services to publish targets and performance against them. Overall progress is monitored by the Prime Minister at regular seminars, and published in reports such as the recent White Paper.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received following the publication of the first annual report on the citizens charter.

We have had a very encouraging response to the citizens charter report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the impact of recent European Court decisions on the future of market testing and compulsory competitive tendering, within the civil service.

There is nothing new in this. The fact is that both the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981, and the Acquired Rights Directive which they implement in United Kingdom law, can already apply to transfers from the public to the private sector; and this has always been the case.We are continuing with our programme to open services to competition across the public sector and advice will be taken on individual cases as necessary.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what general sanctions will apply when charters are broken; if he will make a statement.

All charters include information about what to do if things go wrong. Compensation may be payable in some cases, but in others alternative forms of redress may be more appropriate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 13 November, Official Report, column 1012, how many officials are employed by the European Commission; and how many and what percentage in each grade are nationals of each EC member state.

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 1 December, at column 316. The provision of detailed breakdowns of staffing figures is a matter for the European Community institutions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what major international collaborative science programmes the United Kingdom research councils participate in.

The United Kingdom research councils participate in a wide range of internationally collaborative research, including laboratory twinnings, access to overseas facilities, and formal collaborative partnerships. The following list identifies internationally collaborative programmes or facilities with an annual subscription or other cost to councils of over £0.1 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress has been made on the fourth framework research and development programme.

The Commission submitted its working paper on the EC fourth research and development framework programme—FP4—to the Council of Ministers on 9 October, and Vice-President Pandolfi presented his ideas at the meeting of the Research Council on 12 October. EC Research Ministers had a wide ranging discussion on the subject at the meeting of the Research Council on 9 December. I expect the EC to make good progress on FP4 during 1993 as a result of these exchanges. A copy of the United Kingdom Government policy document setting out our views on the shape and content of FP4 has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on what action he is recommending be taken to assist non-governmental organisations to disburse to the citizens of Sarajevo medical and other humanitarian assistance.

Responsibility for co-ordinating the international community's response to the humanitarian crisis in Sarajevo and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia rests with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Non-governmental organisations—NGOs— both international and indigenous, play an important part in that co-ordinated relief effort. We have provided significant resources to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees both directly, and via the European Community, in the form of cash, medical supplies, equipment and personnel, as well as providing grants to NGOs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will now assign an aircraft for aid flights to Bosnia.

The RAF has been flying into Bosnia since 3 July. When hostilities permit two or three sorties a day are flown to Sarajevo by RAF Hercules. A total of 3,400 tonnes have been delivered in this way by the United Kingdom so far.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when it is planned that the next UN aid convoy will reach the besieged enclave of Srebenica; and if it will be carrying medicines.

Decisions on where and when to operate UN aid convoys in Bosnia are taken in the field by the staff of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the UN protection force. In doing so, they have to take into account the local needs, security situation, weather conditions and the availability of suitable vehicles. Now that the UNHCR staff have gained access to Srebenica they are better able to take account of local needs, including medical supplies, in planning future convoys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made since September in providing a telephone link and other communications facilities in Hargeisa, Berbera and the north of Somalia generally, Republic of Somaliland.

Earlier this year the BBC world service in Somalia increased its output to broadcast missing persons letters for an hour over each week to the whole of Somalia including the north. On 12 December in recognition of the crisis in Somalia it began a new dawn service bringing local and international news including news of Somali matters at the UN to the whole country.We have provided an expert to investigage how we may assist with the improvement of communications in the area and to advise Save the Children Fund (UK) on the development of its communications links throughout the country. We are considering his recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what EC overseas development assistance funds are used for military expenditure.

Under OECD rules, military expenditure does not qualify as overseas development assistance. EC Foreign Ministers agreed exceptionally in October, in view of the urgent need for a secure environment in Somalia for delivery of aid, to offer up to 20 million ecu from European development fund resources to support the Belgian contingent then being considered as part of United Nations Operations in Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made on the protection and designation of tropical rain forests and the role of the European Community during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Commission.

[holding answer 9 December 1992]: Under our presidency we have been working with member states for the Sustainable Development Commission to have a role in taking forward the forests principles agreed at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. We have also worked closely with our European Community colleagues on the continuing reform of the tropical forestry action programme and the renegotiation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Kenya concerning the treatment of Somalian refugees.

My noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development discussed the plight of Somali refugees in Kenya, when she met President Moi in September. This year Britain has provided assistance worth £1 million to help the refugees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Bangladesh concerning its treatment of Burmese refugees.

We have repeatedly urged the Bangladeshi authorities to co-operate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other non-governmental organisations in looking after the refugees until they genuinely and voluntarily wish to return home.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Turkish authorities concerning the killing of Kurdish journalists in south-east Turkey.

We have made no representations to the Turkish Government on this issue.We welcome Prime Minister Demirel's recognition of a Kurdish identity and his Government's intentions to make human rights improvement a top priority as well as the introduction of a programme of democratic and human rights reform.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he first informed the Chinese Government of his wish to see an increase in the number of seats in the Legislative Council of Hong Kong beyond that envisaged in the Basic Law.

The point was made repeatedly to the Chinese Government during the drafting of the Basic Law as the exchanges with the Chinese during 1990—recently made public—show. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House on 16 February 1990 that we would continue to press the case for a faster pace of democracy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was first informed by the Chinese Government of their view that the Basic Law cannot be changed; and what was his response.

The Chinese Government made a public statement at the end of May this year that, in their view, the Basic Law, including provisions for the first special administrative region legislature, cannot be changed before 1997. Our position on the pace of democracy for Hong Kong was made clear once again to the Chinese side during my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister in New York on 25 September this year. While we would still wish to see more directly elected seats in the Legislative Council, the Governor of Hong Kong has made alternative proposals which are entirely within the terms of the joint declaration and Basic Law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made following the recent Thai ban on United Nations flights from Cambodia to the Government of Thailand regarding the need for Thailand to co-operate with United Nations sanctions against the Khmer Rouge.

The United Nations Security Council on 30 November adopted resolution 792, which calls, inter alia, on all parties to prevent the supply of petroleum products to any Cambodian party not complying with the military provisions of the Paris agreements and to respect the moratorium on the export of logs from Cambodia agreed by the Supreme National Council of Cambodia on 22 September. The United Nations Secretariat in New York and the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia—UNTAC—are discussing implementation of this resolution as it affects Thailand. This is being reinfored in bilateral contacts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government support the peaceful and democratic reunification of Korea; and if he will make a statement.

We have consistently supported efforts to bring about a peaceful solution on the Korean peninsula. It is encouraging that talks have been taking place on a number of levels this year between South and North Korea. Much remains to be done, but we hope that the next round of prime ministerial talks scheduled for 21 to 24 December will go ahead and lead to further progress.We also hope that bilateral nuclear inspections can get underway without further delay. That would be an important confidence-building measure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in the Peoples Republic of China concerning human rights.

We remain very concerned by reports of human rights abuses in China, and Ministers have made our concerns clear to the Chinese at a high level both in public and private on many occasions. My right hon., noble and learned Friend Lord Howe, who has just returned from China, will in due course submit a formal report on his visit to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. That report will be placed in the Library of this House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 23 November, Official Report, column 452, when he expects to be able to supply the information on visa applications from Bosnian citizens offered in his answer.

For the period 9 November to 4 December, the first months operation of the visa requirement for nationals of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 663 visa applications for the United Kingdom, for both visits and settlement, were received at our posts at Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Rome, Milan, Dusseldorf, Paris and Sofia. A total of 182 applications were refused. This figure includes the 166 visa applicants in the convoy arranged by the ALERT group whose applications were refused by the Home Office.I regret it is not possible to identify the number of visa applications that have been refused from applicants with relatives in the United Kingdom. The method of recording statistics at post worldwide does not allow us to give the precise detail which the hon. Member has requested without disproportionate expense.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list every visit made (a) to Hargeisa, (b) to any other part of northern Somalia (Republic of Somaliland), (c) Mogadishu and (d) any other part of Somalia outside the Republic of Somaliland by (i) Ministers and (ii) official representatives of the British Government in each of the last 24 months.

The following is the information requested:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for free and fair elections in Kenya.

We warmly welcome the Kenyan Government's expressed commitment to free and fair elections, to which end we have given considerable practical assistance. We have provided all the ballot boxes, trained key electoral officials, supplied some office equipment to the electoral commission, and have made a significant financial contribution through the Commonwealth Secretariat to the Commonwealth observer team. We are also supporting local projects to educate the electorate and monitor election media coverage. The total cost of our assistance is now over £800,000.While there have been improvements in recent weeks, we remain concerned about the evenness of the playing field. We continue to urge the Kenyan Government to be more open, establish a better dialogue with the opposition, allow all parties unhindered campaigning in all parts of the country, ensure freedom of the press and reasonable access by opposition parties to the broadcast media. We are making the same points about openness and transparency to the electoral commission. Electoral observers will base their assessment not just on the events of polling day but on the conduct of the whole electoral process.Above all, it is essential that all concerned should avoid the use or encouragement of violence or intimidation before, during and after the elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has received from the Chinese authorities to the draft resolution on the situation in Tibet put forward at the UN Commission on Human Rights.

We, together with our EC partners, took the lead in promoting the draft of a resolution on the human rights situation in China including Tibet at the UN Commission on Human Rights earlier this year. The draft resolution referred to a resolution on Tibet adopted in the UN sub-commission in August 1991. The Chinese authorities opposed the draft resolution, which was subsequently defeated by a procedural motion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the benefits to the United Kingdom of the resources committed to the joint research centres and European Atomic Energy Community for research into radiation risk and protection since 1973.

I have been asked to reply.EC programmes on radiation protection research, in particular those funded by shared cost actions, have been of great scientific value to the United Kingdom. Research undertaken by the EC is helping to provide the scientific base for an objective assessment of the effects and risks of radiation from natural, medical and industrial sources, and has led to the development of methods to optimise radiation protection. Research within the United Kingdom has also benefited: work has been completed through EC programmes that would not have been possible for any one member state to conduct alone. The United Kingdom has consistently gained more in contracts than its share of the programmes' costs.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment Her Majesty's Government have made of the contribution made to the Iraq nuclear weapons programme of the technical aid provided by the United Kingdom to Iraq via the Baghdad pact nuclear training centre since 1962.

It is my understanding from the limited information available that Iraq ceased to participate in the activities of the training centre when it was transferred to Tehran following the revolution in Iraq in 1959.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make available to Lord Justice Scott's inquiry all papers, records and evidence assembled by his inspectors in the course of their inquiries into Astra Holdings plc.

All relevant Government papers will be made available to Lord Justice Scott on request.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, Official Report, 9 November, column 589, for what reasons confidentiality was requested by Her Majesty's Government to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq in the provision of information of possible involvement of United Kingdom companies in the Iraq nuclear programme.

Lack of confidentialilty would hamper and could prejudice investigations into any evidence of wrong-doing or breaches of export controls.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what information his Department's export control organisation has in regard to the compliance by United Kingdom-based or registered companies with the Export of Goods (Control) (Iraq and Kuwait Sanctions) Order 1990, date 8 August 1990;(2) what investigations his Department has made to verify the compliance of United Kingdom exporters with European Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2340/90 banning trade with Iraq.

United Nations Security Council resolution 661 was adopted on 6 August 1990 and imposed a total economic embargo against Iraq following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The Government have no evidence of any major breaches of the Iraq sanctions by British exporters or businesses. Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have successfully prosecuted two businesses for minor breaches of sanctions involving the export to Iraq of office furniture and goods to an Iraqi canning factory.If the hon. Member has any evidence of a contravention of sanctions it shall be urgently investigated, and if appropriate would be a matter for the courts.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he possesses on the role of (a) Apremont S.A. Company of Panama, (b) Muiden Chemie Company of the Netherlands, (c) GEA Company, Remie Ltd. and Erber Ltd. of Italy, (d) SPEL Company of Portugal and (e) Banco Nazionale Del Lavoro in facilitating the export of United Kingdom origin military equipment to Iraq since 1985.

Matters relating to the export of defence equipment from the United Kingdom to Iraq are for Lord Justice Scotts inquiry to consider.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make it his policy to permit public disclosure of information contained in section C6 of the export licence application form, where the prospective export is deemed to be a dual-use military-sensitive technology.

No. I see no reason to change the policy followed by successive Administrations that details of individual export licence applications should not be made public.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which countries have been subject to United Kingdom's arms embargos over the last 20 years; and for which exact periods.

I will write to the hon. Gentleman with the details.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the matters discussed in the bilateral meeting between the European Community and Japan on energy matters held at the end of October.

The meeting on 30 October was between directorate general XVII (energy) of the European Commission and the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry. I understand that they discussed a broad range of energy issues.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will await the publication of the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report into the future of the coal industry before publishing the results of his departmental inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

The results of the Governments coal review will he published in a White Paper early in the new year. The timing of publication of the Trade and Industry Select Committee's report is a matter for the Committee, but I believe that it will be helpful to the House if it is available when the House debates the White Paper.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures he has taken and plans to take as part of the energy review to assess accurately Nuclear Electric's economic case for extending the life of the seven Magnox stations; which outside consultants are being used by his Department for this purpose; how many civil service personnel-hours will be required to assess Nuclear Electric's submission to his Department's inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

The coal review is considering the implications of the statutory obligation on electricity suppliers to purchase non-fossil power, including that from nuclear sources. Ernst and Young has been appointed to assist the coal review team in

(i) the assessment and analysis of information provided by Nuclear Electric plc and verified by Nuclear Electric's auditors, BDO Binder Hamlyn, on the costs of the company's Magnox stations with particular emphasis on the avoidable costs of premature closure, and on the cash flow and accounting implications;

(ii) the examination of information provided by Nuclear Electric, to the DTI and the Select Committee in respect of its actual and projected receipts of the fossil fuel levy.

The coal review team will be considering carefully the evidence provided by Nuclear Electric and the results of this work.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the purpose of the nuclear levy.

The purpose of the fossil fuel levy is to finance the above-market element of the price paid by the regional electricity companies for electricity purchased under qualifying arrangements within the non-fossil fuel obligation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the average avoidable costs for each kilowatt hour of generating electricity by Magnox, ACR, Sizewell B, United Kingdom coal, imported coal and CCGT.

My Department is assessing the relative costs of coal-fired and other sources of generation as part of the Government's coal review.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the estimated value of contracts between United Kingdom industry and (a) Iraq, (b) Iran and (c) Indonesia since the installation of the current regimes in each country.

Figures for contract values are unobtainable. The value of United Kingdom exports of goods to the countries in question was as follows. Iraq from 1979 to October 1992 £5,092.2 million, Iran from 1989 to October 1992 £1,563.1 million, Indonesia from 1966 to October 1992 £4,374.1 million. Figures for 1965 are not available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what forecast he has made of trends in the economy in the south-east region between 1993 and 1998.

My Department does not forecast future trends in regional economic performance.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the applications currently before his Department or the Office of Electricity Regulation to build a gas power station on the Wirral; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research he has commissioned into the biological effect on people from micro-wave transceivers of the type currently being positioned on the top of high-rise council flats in Wolverhampton; and what assessment he has made of whether the equipment which his Department has licensed companies to install meets the appropriate British and international standards necessary to safeguard residents from any harmful effects.

The Radiocommunications Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry monitors work undertaken, in the United Kingdom and abroad, on the biological effects of electromagnetic radiation. The agency's memorandum entitled "Safety Precautions Relating to Intense Radio Frequency Radiation"— RA 119—refers to the exposure levels recommended by the Medical Research Council and is available to manufacturers, owners, employers and operators who have a responsibility in relation to the safe use of radio.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to review the ban on ECGD cover for trade with Vietnam; and if he will make a statement.