To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the schools in Northern Ireland which have located Portacabin-type accommodation units on their sites, showing in each case the number of such units in use and the number of years that have elapsed since the first such unit was placed on site.

There are over 1,300 schools in Northern Ireland and information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the latest estimate of schools with temporary classroom units on site is as follows:

Number of schools	Number of temporary classroom units
550	1—5
80	6—10
45	11—15
25	over 15

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Northern Ireland how much money will be made available through the care in the community fund.

The total amount of funds to be transferred from social security to the community care budget held and managed by health and social services boards will be £24·63 million in 1993–94, rising to £65·28 million in 1994–95 and to £100·33 million in 1995–96. A further sum of £4·822 million, over and above the transfer sum, will be made available to health and social services boards in 1993–94 to help operate the new arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have received payments from the independent living fund for each of the last three years.

I understand that the information requested can be provided only in terms of the average numbers—based on quarterly counts—who received payments, and is as follows:

Year	Number
1990	748
1991	1,217
1992	1,929

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money in total was paid out to people in Northern Ireland under the independent living fund.

I understand that the amount paid up to December 1992 was £10·787 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will order an independent safety investigation into the Aldermaston atomic weapons establishment; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to order an independent safety investigation at the Aldermaston atomic weapons establishment, which is already subject to independent inspection under the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Safety is, and will remain, of paramount importance at the establishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what charge will be raised from the Foreign Office by his Department for the deployment of three RAF Wessex helicopters from Cyprus on 23 January to southern Lebanon.

Final figures are still being collected in Cyprus, but it is anticipated that the charge, based on extra cost, will amount to some £20,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy relating to the release of official information on health and safety issues at (a) the atomic weapons establishment and (b) the Defence Research Agency; and if he will make a statement.

It is my Department's policy to make available all information required in order to comply with health and safety legislation at the atomic weapons establishment and the Defence Research Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to changing his policy relating to the release of official information on health and safety issues at (a) the atomic weapons establishment and (b) the Defence Research Agency; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to change our policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received relating to the release of information concerning health and safety issues at Aldermaston; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the current health and safety arrangements at Aldermaston.

The current health and safety arrangements at Aldermaston are designed to ensure that the well-being of the work force, and the safety of the site and the surrounding environment are and will continue to be of paramount importance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 6 November 1992, Official Report, columns 536–537, if a decision has now been taken on the proposal to rationalise Royal Air Force ground training.

My Department has consulted thoroughly with the trade unions on the proposal to concentrate training at RAF Cosford, RAF Halton and, subject to further review, RAF Locking. No issues have been raised which call into doubt the viability of the proposal and I have therefore decided that it should be implemented as I set out on 6 November.Every effort will be made to find alternative employment for the staff affected by these organisational changes and action will be taken to assist those involved in relocation. The personal preferences of staff will be carefully and sympathetically considered and all possible measures will be taken to minimise civilian redundancies. Where redundancies do occur, all staff will be entitled to the appropriate periods of notice or pay in lieu and to compensation in accordance with the relevant pension scheme. The MOD redundancy and outplacement service and the relocation scheme will be available for staff wishing to make use of these services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the procurement of an attack helicopter for the British Army.

We have previously advised the House of our intention to order a complete attack helicopter

Q12	Percentage of winds above specified wind speed
Wind speed
Year	5 knots	10 knots	15 knots	20 knots	25 knots	30 knots	35 knots	40 knots
1987	88·9	57·1	27·4	9·0	2·3	0·7	0·1	0·0
1988	90·4	61·7	32·1	12·8	3·9	1·0	0·3	0·0
1989	90·5	59·1	32·2	12·8	4·1	1·0	0·2	0·1
1990	92·5	63·9	36·3	14·6	5·2	1·6	0·4	0·1
1991	90·5	58·7	29·9	12·7	4·8	1·3	0·3	0·0
1992	89·4	59·9	32·0	12·1	3·4	0·8	0·2	0·0
1

Q13

Percentage of winds in each 30 degree sector

Wind direction

Year

North

030

060

East

120

150

South

210

240

West

300

330

1987

10·2

7·0

5·5

7·9

10·2

8·6

6·0

10·7

11·5

7·9

5·7

7·9

1988

10·1

8·0

3·2

4·6

6·6

7·7

6·3

11·4

15·1

12·4

7·8

6·9

1989

9·3

10·8

4·2

5·5

7·1

6·0

5·7

14·1

13·8

9·0

7·4

7·0

1990

7·2

8·8

4·1

3·6

6·1

6·4

6·5

14·2

16·2

11·5

9·2

6·3

1991

9·0

9·7

5·0

6·4

10·6

7·3

5·9

12·1

14·6

8·1

5·6

5·7

1992

9·8

9·4

3·3

4·6

5·5

5·7

7·4

16·5

15·9

10·1

6·5

5·5

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the annual percentage of winds of at least (a) 5 knots, (b) 10 knots, (c) 15 knots, (d) 20 knots, (e) 25 knots, (f) 30 knots, (g) 35 knots and (h) 40 knots recorded at St. Anne's head and RAF Brawdy during each of the last six years;(2) what was the annual percentage of winds coming from each point of the compass recorded at St. Anne's head and RAF Brawdy during each of the last six years;(3) what was the annual percentage of winds coming from each point of the compass at speeds of at least

These matters are delegated to the Meteorological Office under its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will commission independent financial advisers to carry out costings comparisons of the bids of Rosyth and Devonport dockyard managements with respect to the future maintenance requirements of Trident submarines.

My Department's work on future refitting arrangements, including assessments of the various proposals put forward by the dockyard contractors, has, for some considerable time, been informed by the use of independent consultants. They will continue to advise on all appropriate aspects of proposals under consideration.

To ask the Lord President of the Council what arrangements will be made in respect of answering hon. Members' questions relating to the work of the Finance and Services Committee.

I intend to amend the question rota shortly to take account of the establishment of the Finance and Services Committee. After consultation with the House of Commons Commission, I have agreed that oral questions to the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee should be included in the same "slot" as questions to the Member answering for the House of Commons Commission. The Chairman, my right hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Channon), will respond in particular to

"questions concerning the estimates for House of Commons expenditure (which will be prepared under his Committee's supervision), the financial performance of Departments of the House, and the financial implications of any new or expanded services which may be proposed by the committees appointed under Standing Order No. 125 (Domestic Committees)" (Official Report, 11 February 1992 column 452).

The oral questions to the Commission and the Finance and Services Committee will be printed in one combined order created by the random selection process. They will be taken every sixth Monday, at 3.15 pm. In order to reflect the changes in direct responsibility for House services, ten minutes will be allocated to the new combined slot, and questions to the Lord President of the Council will follow at 3.25 pm.In addition, questions for written answers may also be tabled to the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee concerning the exercise of the responsibilities of the Committee.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what VAT treatment has been agreed between the British Bankers Association and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise with regard to the VAT treatment of supplies of non-executive directors' services made by investing institutions to investee companies.

There has been no specific agreement concerning non-executive directors' fees. These fall to be treated in the same way as management fees which are included in the list of guidelines agreed between Customs and the British Bankers Association. Where a director is appointed to the board of the United Kingdom investee company as a condition of a loan, any charges for the director's services are part of the consideration for the loan, an exempt supply. Alternatively, where the investor acquires shares and exercises the right to appoint a director, Customs take the view that there is no supply for VAT purposes, as any shares are supplied to the investing institution by the investee company. In either case, any associated VAT incurred by the investing institution would not be recoverable.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the net revenues raised by the increase in VAT from 8 per cent. to 15 per cent. in June 1979 in the first full year thereafter, in cash and current prices.

[holding answer 2 February 1993]: As shown on page 31 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" 1979–80 £430 million was expected to be raised from unifying the rates of VAT at 15 per cent. in 1980–81.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what VAT liability is applied to arrangement fees charged by a bank to its customers in connection with a debt for equity exchange by that bank.

The VAT liability of arrangement fees charged by banks depends strictly on the terms of the contracts between the parties. Without further details, it is difficult to be precise about the liability. Arrangement fees charged by the banks in respect of loans or other forms of credit form part of the consideration for the loan, an exempt supply. Moreover, where a borrower issues shares in return for loan capital, any arrangement fee would also be exempt from VAT. In either case, any associated VAT incurred by the bank would not be recoverable.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of VAT receipts to Her Majesty's Treasury from charities in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) on 28 January 1993 at column 791.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will tabulate such information as he has available about tax relief for people commuting to and from work by rail, for OECD countries.

No OECD country allows tax relief specifically for rail travel to and from work. But the following countries allow various levels of tax relief for journeys to and from work by public transport:

• Germany
• Netherlands

The following countries allow various levels of tax relief for home-to-work travel by any type of transport:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Securities and Investments Board concerning the future of LAUTRO and FIMBRA and their proposed successor bodies; and if he will make a statement.

Recognition of a self-regulatory organisation is a matter for the Securities and Investments Board. It would be inappropriate for the Treasury to be involved in drawing up detailed plans for the Personal Investment Authority. Nevertheless, I welcome the progress made so far and see imporant advantages for investor protection if the PIA were established to regulate private investor business with the support of firms who do business in that sector.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to seek to reform the Financial Services Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has asked the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board to review how SIB carries out its regulatory responsibilities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the percentage change in (a) real terms and (b) cash terms of his Department's budget from 1992–93 to 1993–94.

The Treasury's budget includes expenditure on certain Bank of England services, United Kingdom coinage, Parliament and Privy Council in addition to the running costs of the central Treasury. The percentage change between 1992–93 and 1993–94 based on the latest 1992–93 forecast outturn is:

(a) —4·1 per cent. in real terms; and

(b) —1·4 per cent. in cash terms.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the net revenues raised by the tax changes introduced in the 1981 Budget in the first full year thereafter, in cash and current prices.

[holding answer 2 February 1993]: An estimate of revenues in cash terms is contained in table 2 of the 1981–82 "Financial Statement and Budget Report". An estimate in current prices can be obtained using the series for the GDP deflator published in the 1993 "Economic Trends" annual supplement. Both are available in the Library.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps have been taken to ensure co-ordination between the Home Department and the Department of Transport regarding the campaign on the wearing of seat belts scheduled for February.

The campaign is a matter for the Department of Transport. It has consulted the Home Office and the Association of Chief Police Officers, who support the campaign.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will co-ordinate ministerial consideration of a centrally funded approach for needle exchange schemes to work towards the elimination of illegal needle and syringe disposal.

There are about 300 needle exchange schemes. In 1988, general guidance on such schemes was issued to health authorities including advice on the disposal of used equipment.The Department of Health issued further guidance when it made £1.4 million central funding available to health authorities in 1992–93 to expand the number of such schemes based in pharmacies. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, managers of such schemes must take all resonable steps to ensure that the waste is handled and disposed of safely and legally.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his discussions with the Indian Prime Minister on the status of Kashmir and the human rights of Kashmiri people during his recent visit to India.

I discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Prime Minister. I restated our view that the best way forward is through dialogue between India and Pakistan; improvement in human rights and a genuine political process in Kashmir; and an end to all external support for violence in Kashmir. Mr. Narasimha Rao assured me of his determination to hold elections in Kashmir as soon as possible and of his commitment to respect for human rights.

To ask the Prime Minister what were the full terms of the agreement reached with the Indian Government during his visit on the importation of Scotch whisky.

During my visit to India, I took the opportunity to urge the Government of India to accelerate the liberalisation of its import regulations, which would include such products as Scotch whisky. We are continuing to press for an early resolution of this matter.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to ensure the Secretaries of State for Wales and Scotland have equal delegation of powers.

The powers of the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland reflect the different constitutional positions of Wales and Scotland.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the principal responsibilities of (a) the Secretary of State for Wales, (b) the Secretary of State for Scotland and (c) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the principal differences of those responsibilities; and what changes he is planning to make to the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

The principal responsibilities of the Secretaries of State are set out in the list of ministerial responsibilities, a copy of which is in the Library. A review of a wide range of aspects of governance of Scotland, including the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Scotland, is under way. The Government will make an announcement to the House about the results of the review once it is complete.

To ask the Prime Minister what is the percentage change in (a) real terms and (b) cash terms of the Cabinet Office budget from 1992–93 to 1993–94.

The percentage reduction in spending plans for the Cabinet Office, excluding the Office of Public Service and Science, between 1992–93 and 1993–94 is expected to be (a) 23·9 per cent. in real terms, and (b) 21·8 per cent. in cash terms. The reduction is due mainly to the fact that capital expenditure is expected to be less in 1993–94 than in 1992–93.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will bring forward proposals for procedures for the House to scrutinise the way in which its decisions on proposed European Community directives and regulations are reflected in voting in the Council of Ministers when the proceedings of the Council become public; and if he will make a statement;(2) what arrangements are being made within the European Community for the implementation of the decision by the Edinburgh conference that votes cast in the Council of Ministers will be published; and if he will make a statement.

As agreed at Edinburgh, the Council secretariat will make arrangements to publish the record of the vote, including explanations of the vote where delegations request these, whenever a formal vote is taken in Council. This information will be provided to the House.

To ask the Prime Minister which members of the royal family have carried out engagements overseas on behalf of the Government in each year since 1989.

[holding answer 1 February 1993]: The information is as follows:

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions overseas visits have been made by members of the royal family in each year since 1989 at the request of Government Departments.

[holding answer 1 February 1993]: The number of overseas visits made by members of the royal family at the request of Government Departments, including the British Overseas Trade Board, in the years concerned was as follows:

	Number
1989	41
1990	28
1991	35
1992	41

To ask the Prime Minister which Departments have requested members of the royal family to carry out engagements on behalf of the Government in each year since 1989.

[holding answer 1 February 1993]: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions were brought by the Crown prosecution service arising out of investigations by the Metropolitan police in each inner and outer London magistrates court in the latest month for which the information is available; what was the number for the same month one year ago; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the change.

The information is not available in the form requested. Figures are held for whole Crown prosecution service areas rather than for individual magistrates courts.The Crown prosecution service does record the number of cases received in each area, which includes cases received for advice. The year ending figures for the periods indicated are as follows:

	September 1991	September 1992	Percentage change
Inner London	148,117	146,555	-1·05
London North	80,663	79,881	-0·97
London South and Surrey	63,113	60,373	-4·34
Total CPS	1,603,002	1,569,996	-2·06

The figures include cases received from police forces other than the Metropolitan police, for example, British Transport police, and in respect of London south and Surrey, the Surrey police. No concluded assessment of the reasons for the change have yet been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will give, by specialism, the membership of the committee considering the list of drugs purchasable over the counter;(2) if a dermatologist will be invited to give evidence on the application of dermatological drugs to be considered by the committee on drugs purchasable over the counter; and if she will make a statement.

The membership of the Committee on Safety of Medicines is given in the table. In accordance with the requirements of the Medicines Act 1968, we seek and take account of the Committee on Safety of Medicines' advice before deciding whether it is safe for a prescription-only medicine to be reclassified so that it may be supplied over the counter. If a dermatological medicine currently restricted to supply on prescription only were to be proposed for reclassification to allow it to be supplied over the counter, the Committee on Safety of Medicines' advice would be sought. It would be open to the Committee to obtain any additional specialist advice it considered necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department has received from the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry regarding product licence information supplied to the Medicines Control Agency being made available for use by other sections of her Department including the section responsible for the management of the Advisory Committee on National Health Service Drugs.

Product licence information supplied to the Medicines Control Agency is not available for use by other sections of the Department. Officials have received a letter from the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry on this matter and will be replying shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 26 January, Official Report, column 689, on the west midlands, what information she has on the number of hospital beds at the dates given.

The information is shown in the table. The number of beds, however, is not a good indicator of patient activity over the period in question as my earlier reply indicated. As in my earlier reply to the hon. Member, figures for 1991–92 are provisional. Validated figures will be published shortly.

Total available beds in West Midlands RHA
	1979	1990–91	11991–92
West Midlands	36,263	26,591	24,774
1 Provisional.

National Health Service Management Executive Table of pamphlets, leaflets and brochures issued to managers and staff in the national health service in the 12 months to 21 January 1993 Key: P=Print, D=Design, A=Artwork, Del=Delilery charges, T=Typesetting, Dist=Distribution and Mailings, F=Fulfilment, HLOS=Health literature ordering service
Project/Project description	Category	Cost (£)	Sent to
C50/018 Purchasing for patients issue 6 (DCED)	P	1,076·00	—
C50/027 Sharing developments issue 3 (DCED)	A, T, P	4,906·80	—
C50/029 GP Computer survey booklet (NHSIS)	D, A, T, P	7,930·00	—
C50/034 Purchasing for patients issue 7 (DCED)	P	966·00	—
C50/042 Sharing developments issue 4 (DCED)	D,A, P	5,214·65	All sent to NHS managers
C50/042 Sharing developments issue 4 (DCED)	P	1,034·00	All sent to NHS managers
C50/048 IMG News issue 7 (NHSISA1)	P	1,762·06	All sent to NHS managers
C50/051 Purchasing, Teaching and research booklet (DCED)	P	2,179·00	All sent to NHS managers
C50/052 NHS Reg. of Comp. Apps. Info. guide (NHSISA1)	D, A	1,727·25	—
C50/052 NHS Reg. of Comp. Apps. Info. guide (NHSISA1)	P	2,798·00	—
C50/057 Purchasing intelligence brochures (DCED)	P	2,179·00	—
C50/068 'This is the IMG' advert leaflets (NHSISA1)	P	566·00	—
C50/069 IMG News issue 8 (NHSISA1)	P	2,389·40	—
C50/070 Purchasing for patients issue 8 (DCED)	P	1,098·00	—
C50/073 (EOR) Outpatients computer prog. booklet	P	9,470·00	—
C50/074 EOR booklet (EOR)	A, P	996·00	—
C50/076 Clinical audit leaflet (NUR)	D, A, T	507·60	—
C50/076 Clinical audit leaflet (NUR)	P	593·38	—
C50/083 Working for patients leaflet (NHSRIU)	A, T, P	1,149·15	—
C50/085 Purchasing for patients issue 9 (DCED)	P	1,045·00	—
C50/088 Local voices publication (PMB3B)	P	2,827·00	—
C50/092 Total quality management project	P	2,500·00	—
C50/093 IMG News issue 9 (NHSISIA1)	P	2,178·93	—
C50/100 Purchasing for patients issue 10 (DCED)	P	1,113·00	—
C74/007 Demonsrtrably different IT (CEM-ME4)	P	8,000·00	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been de-registered on the initiative of dentists in Norfolk in the past 12 months.

This information is not held centrally for the period required. Between 3 July 1992 and 22 January 1993 dentists informed Norfolk family health service association of the deregistration of 14,637 adults and 57 children.During the 12 months 1 December 1991 to 30 November 1992, 111,390 adults and 53,347 children left the register of national health service dental patients in Norfolk and 177,356 adults and 58,457 children were added. At 1 December 1991, 413,797 patients were registered with dentists in Norfolk. At 30 November 1992, 484,878 patients were registered—a net increase of over 71,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the most recent figures available for the total annual cost to her Department of road-related accidents.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pamphlets the national health service management executive has published in the last year; if she will list the title, the recipients and the cost of each pamphlet; and if she will make a statement.

[holding answer 25 January 1993]: In the 12 months to 21 January 1993 the national health service management executive prepared and issued 57 pamphlets, leaflets and brochures to managers and staff in the NHS. The table gives the project number, description, cost and to whom it was sent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had with (a) the Association of County Councils, (b) the Association of Chief Police Officers, (c) the Police Federation and (d) others with regard to proposals to restructure the police force and police authorities in Nottinghamshire.

My right hon. and learned Friend has had no discussions relating to police organisation in Nottinghamshire. He is considering a range of issues relating to the future structure, organisation and funding of the police service generally.My right hon. and learned Friend does not yet have firm proposals for change, but when he does, he will consult interested parties before final decisions are reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the capacity of fire authorities in Nottinghamshire to cope with fire, emergency and other demands in 1993–94.

The standard of service provided by the Nottinghamshire fire and rescue service was last examined in the course of an inspection of the service by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services between 19 and 23 October 1992. I expect the report of that inspection to be published shortly. It is for Nottinghamshire county council, in the light of its standard spending assessment, to set a budget for 1993–94 which will allow it to comply with its duties under the Fire Services Act 1947 as a fire authority, and with the nationally recommended minimum standards of fire cover.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of offenders in the east midlands and in England and Wales were under 21 years of age in the last year for which figures are available.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 20 January 1993, at column 252.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reduce car crime; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the question from the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) on 16 December 1992 at column 208.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to curb the use and sale of vehicle entry devices; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans at present to ban or control the sale of vehicle entry devices.It should be stressed, however, that it is already a criminal offence, under section 25 of the Theft Act 1968, to carry equipment for use in connection with any burglary or theft. This covers vehicle entry devices, and upon conviction an offender is liable to imprisonment for up to three years.Many people, such as locksmiths and garage owners, have a legitimate need for equipment such as skeleton keys, and this would make it extremely difficult to prohibit their sale. These devices are also often no more effective in gaining entry to locked vehicles than other more rudimentary tools, like screwdrivers or shaped pieces of metal, and often require some skill on the part of the user to work effectively.Moreover, inquiries by the Home Office crime prevention centre and the Association of Chief Police Officers have not found any evidence of the widespread misuse of skeleton car keys. In particular, the Association of Chief Police Officers has reported that these devices have not been found in the possession of offenders charged with either theft of or from a vehicle.We do not, therefore, see a need at present for legislation to control the possession, sale or advertising of skeleton car keys, but we shall continue to monitor the situation closely.We are aware, however, that devices which are capable of deactivating electronic car alarms and central locking systems have recently appeared on the British market. We are actively looking into their availability and effectiveness, with a view to assessing what action may be required. Manufacturers too are aware of the existence of these devices and are working to improve the security of their products accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the percentage clear-up rate for each police force in England and Wales in 1981 and 1991 calculated solely on the basis of those charged and found guilty.

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each police force in England and Wales in 1981 and 1991 (a) the number of those people who appeared in court who entered an initial plea of guilty and (b) the percentage of all those who appeared in court which the figure in (a) represents.

The readily available information which is collected in selected sample weeks in February, June and October of each year for proceedings for indictable offences, including either-way, at magistrates courts, is given in the table.Information for 1985 and earlier years is not available. Information on the type of plea for committals for trial dealt with by the Crown court by circuit, is published annually in the command paper "Judicial statistics, England and Wales". Table 6.7 of the 1991 issue (Cm 1990) gives data for 1990. Information for police force areas is not available.

Table A
Defendants pleading guilty at a summary trial as a percentage of all those proceeded1 against at magistrates' courts for indictable offences by police force area, 1986 and 1991
Police force area	1986	1991
Avon and Somerset	60	44
Bedfordshire	58	57
Cambridgeshire	75	46
Cheshire	66	52
Cleveland	71	50
Cumbria	69	64
Derbyshire	63	50
Devon and Cornwall	64	62
Dorset	274	52
Durham	59	45
Essex	64	54
Gloucestershire	72	59
Greater Manchester	62	51
Hampshire	68	53
Hertfordshire	63	56
Humberside	69	59
Kent	66	47
Lancashire	65	46
Leicestershire	71	53
Lincolnshire	63	53
London, City of	260	248
Merseyside	50	48
Metropolitan Police District	55	44
Norfolk	59	52
Northamptonshire	269	50
Northumbria	57	46
North Yorkshire	67	60
Nottinghamshire	65	52
South Yorkshire	64	58
Staffordshire	74	52
Suffolk	73	78
Surrey	72	52
Sussex	75	58
Thames Valley	66	51
Warwickshire	257	253
West Mercia	62	58
West Midlands	59	48
West Yorkshire	63	53
Wiltshire	68	57
Dyfed-Powys	260	52
Gwent	72	45
North Wales	60	50
South Wales	61	52
England and Wales	62	51
1 Includes proceedings where the defendant is committed for trial to the Crown Court or the case is withdrawn or discontinued.
2 Based on less than 200 persons proceeded against; percentages based on small numbers are less reliable and subject to greater error.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the most recent figures available for the total cost of policing the roads in the United Kingdom; what these figures include; and how they are created.

In 1991, approximately 8 per cent. of the total police strength in England and Wales was deployed on specialist traffic duties. The proportion of non-specialist officers' time spent on traffic matters is not recorded. The total costs could not be reliably estimated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) civilian staff have been employed by each police authority in England and Wales for each year since 1979.

The table shows police and civilian strength from 1992. The information for 1979 to 1991 can be found in the appendix to the annual reports of Her Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, copies of which are in the Library.

Police and Civilian Strength—1992
As at 31 October
Force	Police	Civilians
Avon and Somerset	3,068	1,097
Bedfordshire	1,129	387
Cambridgeshire	1,262	448
Cheshire	1,888	543
City of London	801	310
Cleveland	1,490	461
Cumbria	1,192	413
Derbyshire	1,803	581
Devon and Cornwall	2,918	1,045
Dorset	1,317	561
Durham	1,390	542
Dyfed-Powys	966	268
Essex	2,923	1,067
Gloucestershire	1,154	378
Greater Manchester	7,084	2,508
Gwent	1,008	318
Hampshire	3,269	1,078
Hertfordshire	1,690	583
Humberside	2,027	692
Kent	3,099	1,103
Lancashire	3,203	1,075
Leicestershire	1,846	671
Lincolnshire	1,188	486
Merseyside	4,687	1,621
Norfolk	1,419	454
North Wales	1,369	459
North Yorkshire	1,411	461
Northamptonshire	1,197	431
Northumbria	3,578	1,229
Nottinghamshire	2,343	738
South Wales	3,182	1,076
South Yorkshire	3,013	924
Staffordshire	2,196	740
Suffolk	1,240	520
Surrey	1,684	604
Sussex	3,007	971
Thames Valley	3,843	1,457
Warwickshire	1,007	334
West Mercia	2,061	917
West Midlands	6,935	2,444
West Yorkshire	5,095	1,861
Wiltshire	1,257	490
Metropolitan	27,804	14,459

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the procedure which has to be followed by any person or organisation wishing to film an interview with a convicted prisoner (a) for research purposes, (b) for other private purposes and (c) for publication or broadcast; and at what level the decision is taken in each case.

Requests to interview a prisoner must be made to the governor of the holding prison or the public relations branch of the Home Office. Applications from the media must be made in writing giving details of the requirements of the interviewer and the justification for the interview to take place.If the interview is allowed to take place for research purposes or private purposes, a signed undertaking is required that none of the material gathered will be used in any publication or broadcast. Requests for interview for the purposes of publication or broadcast are considered by the public relations branch in conjunction with officials or governors, and where necessary after consultation with Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) who gave permission for the filming of an interview with Dennis Nilsen which was subsequently broadcast on television;(2) to whom permission was given for the filming of the Nilsen interview; what were the terms of the written request for permission; and what written conditions were placed on the permission granted.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave him on Tuesday 2 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases he referred to the Court of Appeal following an investigation by C3 division at his Department in each of the last 12 months.

The information requested is given in the table:

Number of cases referred under section 17 (1) (a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968 in respect of conviction
	Number
1992
February	—
March	2
April	—
May	—
June	—
July	3
August	—
September	1
October	1
November	—
December	—
1993
January	4

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases were referred to the Court of Appeal following investigation by his Department in each of the last five years.

The information requested is provided in the table:

In respect of conviction	Number of cases	Number of defendants
(a) Under section 17(1)(a) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968
1988	2	2
1989	3	6
1990	7	20
1991	10	12
1992	8	11
In respect of sentence
1988	23	23
1989	6	6
1990	3	3
1991	4	8
1992	1	1
(b) Under section 17(1) (b) of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968
1990	1	1
1991	2	2

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of alleged miscarriage of justice cases which were held by C3 division at his Department in 1992 or for the latest data available.

At the beginning of 1992, 171 representations were under consideration, 790 new representations were received during the year, and 783 representations were concluded; 178 representations were under consideration at the end of 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the average time taken to investigate an alleged miscarriage of justice by his Department during 1992 or for the latest year available;(2) how many cases which are currently being examined by C3 division of his Department, at the latest date available, have been outstanding for more than 12 months.

Information is not available in the form requested. On the latest available information, the average time taken to deal with representations about an alleged miscarriage of justice is 41 days, but much depends on the complexity of the case and the extent of police or other inquiries that may be required to assess the representations made. Further representations may be received while a case is under consideration, prolonging the conclusion. At 1 February, there were 27 cases which had been under consideration for more than 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up an inquiry into the incident at Frankland prison involving a sexual assault by an inmate on a women prison officer while carrying out her official duties; and if he will make a statement.

Serious assaults in prisons are usually investigated by the police. The incident at Frankland, involving a sexual assault on a woman prison officer by an inmate, was immediately referred to Durham constabulary, which is conducting an inquiry. Its findings are not yet known.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the national safety standards for prison officer staff; and what procedures are being followed by his Department to ensure that these were complied with at Frankland prison.

The safety of all prison staff is always a prime concern in designing procedures within establishments. Arrangements reflect local conditions and I am satisfied that all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of staff are taken at Frankland. The nature of the work and the inmate population inevitably involves some element of risk.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer staff have been employed at Frankland prison for each year of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Staffing figures for Frankland prison are available for the last seven years as shown in the table. Before 1986, staffing records were not centrally kept. Further information is not therefore readily available, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Date	Staff
1 April 1986	354
1 April 1987	376
1 April 1988	378
1 April 1989	388
1 April 1990	399
1 April 1991	404
1 April 1992	401

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many local authority areas help and advice is provided to young people who are cautioned; and how many (a) aged under 18 years and (b) aged over 18 years received such assistance in each of the past three years in each local authority area.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to tighten up the law on squatting; and if he will make a statement.

As my hon. Friend knows, we are firmly committed to introduce legislation to tighten up the law on squatting. It is important that any new provisions deal effectively with this clearly unacceptable activity while striking the right balance between the criminal and the civil law. Any new provisions must also be both fair and enforceable. We have been giving very careful thought to the form which legislation might take and will announce our conclusions as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage change in (a) real terms and (b) cash terms of his Department's budget from 1992–93 to 1993–94.

There is no change in real terms between the Home Office's estimated outturn for 1992–93 and its planned expenditure fur 1993–94, but there is an increase of 2·75 per cent. in cash terms.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to privatise parts of his Department over the next year.

I have given approval for advisers to be engaged in preparation for the privatisation of DTELS, formerly the Directorate of Telecommunications. The aim is to privatise during 1993–94 by means of a trade sale.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has about the percentage contribution to gross domestic product provided by manufacturing industry in the United Kingdom; and how this compares with percentages in the other member states of the European Community.

The information is in the table.

Manufacturing industry5 as a percentage of gross domestic product in European Community countries
	1989
United Kingdom	119·8
France	21·3
Germany	31·1
Italy	23·2
Belgium	23·3
Netherlands	20·2
Luxembourg	28·4
Denmark	15·8
Ireland	222·3
Spain	26·9
Portugal	329·2
Greece	415·3
1 Latest year 1987.
2 Latest year 1979.
3 Latest year 1986.
4 Latest year 1988.
5 Manufacturing is defined according to the International Standard Industrial Classification Division 38.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will introduce legislation to require all funeral directors to publish an itemised price list covering all costs associated with arranging a funeral; and if he will make a statement.

No. Whilst I strongly support price transparency, and would welcome an amendment to the code of conduct of the National Association of Funeral Directors in this direction, I do not think it would be appropriate for the Government to prescribe to the funeral industry how it should prepare its estimates and invoices.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the results of the OFTEL consultancy study into the accounting separation of BT activities to be complete; and if he will place a copy in the Library as soon as it is complete.

Coal R&D expenditure in United Kingdom, United States of America and Japan Period 1985 to 1990
	1985 £ million	1986 £ million	1987 £ million	1988 £ million	1989 £ million	1990 £ million
United Kingdom	122·3	118·2	58·2	45·5	43·8	45·8
United States of America	179·5	170·8	140·7	243·7	245·3	472·2
Japan	159·9	152·7	159·2	175·9	137·3	134·5

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 28 January, Official Report, column 822, which organisations specifically requested that their advice and response to his consultation on the 14th round of offshore licences should be treated in confidence; and if he will make a statement.

Consultation of other Departments and interested bodies took place on the understanding that the information provided would be treated in confidence. This is our established practice with regard to consultation on blocks offered for licensing.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister for Industry of 26 January, Official Report, column 972, (1) what consultations he has had with organisations representing United Kingdom business in relation to the suspension of section 8 assistance to exceptional projects scheme;(2) what consultations he has had with the European Commissioners responsible for

[holding answer 2 February 1993]: Only two projects have been able to satisfy the stringent criteria