To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish the specification for the post for each category of judicial appointment, outlining the selection criteria.

The criteria employed by the Lord Chancellor are set out in the latest edition of the booklet "Judicial Appointments: the Lord Chancellor's Policies and Procedures", which was published in November 1990. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to reform the judiciary.

The Lord Chancellor has confidence in the judiciary in its present form. However, he is always ready to bring forward proposals for reform which he considers to be desirable in the public interest. For example, the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Bill [Lords], at present before this House, provides among other things for reduction of the retirement age of judges to 70.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary. Lord Chancellor's Department what requirements there are that (a) the Lord Chancellor, (b) the Attorney-General and (c) the Solicitor-General be legally qualified; and if he will make a statement.

The Lord Chancellor must be a person able to discharge duties as the President of the Supreme Court of Judicature—that is, the Court of Appeal, the High Court and the Crown court—and also as the presiding chairman of the House of Lords in its judicial capacity and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General must be legally qualified in order that they may perform their general duties; and are members of the Bar in order that they may represent the Crown in each of the Queen's courts in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make it his policy to make available to barristers who are unsuccessful in an application for silk the grounds on which he decided not to put their names forward.

Competition for appointment as Queen's counsel is intense. It is inevitable that many able applicants will be disappointed. However, it is always open to any unsuccessful applicant to see a senior official of the Lord Chancellor's Department to discuss his or her application and the view the Lord Chancellor took in that case. Each year a number of practitioners avail themselves of this facility.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what instruction he has given to magistrates courts regarding the imposition of charges for court lists; if he will list the level of such charges in all courts in England and Wales: and whether these are levied across the board or apply only to specific groups.

None; however, in 1989 the Home Office advised magistrates courts that the news media should be asked to meet the costs of providing copies of court papers. The charges, and the circumstances in which they may be sought, will vary from court to court and details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what number and proportion of cases granted legal aid in each of the past five years are those where the involvement of a solicitor could have been avoided because other agencies could have helped free of charge; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is not available. However, advice agencies are able to provide a high standard of advice on a wide range of matters, such as housing and employment difficulties, about which solicitors are also consulted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian authorities to stop executions, with particular reference to cases where defendants claim that they have not had a fair trial.

Together with EC partners we made representations to the Iranian authorities in May 1992 about the high number of executions in Iran and specifically the summary execution of a member of the Baha'i community. In October we made representations about the death sentences passed on two other Baha'is following summary trials and the right of defendants to a lawyer. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs also raised these latest cases with the Iranian Foreign Minister at the United Nations General Assembly in September. They are now being reviewed by the Iranian authorities. International concern at the high number of executions and the absence of guarantees of due legal process in Iran was highlighted in the resolution on human rights in Iran, which we and our EC partners co-sponsored, and which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how Her Majesty's Government were represented at the fourth part of the forty-fourth ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from 1 to 5 February.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs attended the Parliamentary Session on 2 February, in his capacity as chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, to deliver the statutory report of that body and to answer questions from the parliamentarians. He took the opportunity to make a short statement in his national capacity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the relative contributions of countries providing military support towards the United Nations humanitarian aid effort in Bosnia.

The following troops have deployed to the United Nations protection force in Bosnia to offer protective support for convoys of humanitarian aid and released detainees:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals or decisions have been made for the presidency or secretariat of each Council of Ministers of the European Community to issue an official minute of each of their meetings, to include a reflection of the views expressed, the decisions reached and the record of votes cast.

The Council secretariat already issues press releases after each Council meeting providing brief details of the discussion and of any agreements reached. Following a decision by the Edinburgh European Council, the Council secretariat will include in this press release the record of the vote, including explanations of the vote where delegations request these, whenever a formal vote is taken in Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement regarding his policy towards the renewal of the United Nations mandate in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

We consider renewal of the mandate of the United Nations protection force in Croatia to be crucial to the peace process and will pursue it in the Security Council when it falls due. Initial discussions are already under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the numbers of displaced persons currently in Bosnia Herzegovina.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are some 740,000 displaced people in Bosnia Herzegovina; of these 480,000 are in central Bosnia and western Herzegovina.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the prevalence of war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement.

We are appalled by the numerous allegations that violations of international humanitarian law have taken and continue to take place in the territory of former Yugoslavia. The United Nations Security Council has established a commission of experts to examine and analyse information on such breaches submitted by states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom staff are employed in Her Majesty's embassies in (a) Zagreb and (b) Belgrade; and if he will make a statement.

On 8 February, there were seven United Kingdom-based staff at the British embassy in Zagreb and 28 United Kingdom-based staff at the British embassy in Belgrade.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has regarding the supply of arms and munitions to Serbian irregulars, militia and Chetniks currently operating in Bosnia Herzegovina and Croatia.

We are aware of allegations in the media concerning the supply of arms to these groups. We have no specific information to corroborate these reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of current United Nations sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro.

The economic effects of sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro are becoming increasingly evident. In concert with our EC and other partners, we are offering assistance to the Danube's riparian states in order to prevent the recurrence of the recent breaches of the embargo. On 4 February, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe appointed an executive sanctions co-ordinator, who will be responsible for ensuring that sanctions are applied as rigorously as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has of the number of people killed through artillery fire in the current conflict in Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina.

We are unable to provide definitive statistics about casualties caused by artillery fire in Croatia and Bosnia. Reports of numbers killed differ radically according to source.

To ask the Secretary of Stare for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest assessment by Her Majesty's Government of the capacity of the Governments of the south African region adequately to feed all their people.

The prospects are that this year's harvest will be much better than last year's, but it is still too early to make an accurate assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements exist within his Department to assess need for aid to Sierra Leone and monitor its use.

Officials of ODA's west and north Africa department, in conjunction with the diplomatic wing of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with the high commission at Freetown, make regular assessments of economic and social conditions in Sierra Leone, and thus of the need for aid. British aid activities in that country are monitored by the high commission and by officials from the Overseas Development Administration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new applications he is considering for the use of the know-how fund in Lithuania.

The know-how fund is considering four new projects which will benefit the agriculture and energy sectors and small business creation. These are valued at approximately £366,000. Other smaller projects are also in the pipeline, but have not yet been costed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on Overseas Development Administration programmes in the first and second years of a return by the United Kingdom to UNESCO.

No decision has been taken to rejoin UNESCO.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the total identifiable expenditure (a) of all and (b) of each of the research councils (i) has been spent in England and in Wales in each of the last five years and (ii) is intended to be spent in England and Wales in 1993–94.

In 1991–92 the research councils collectively spent approximately 72 per cent. of their grant in aid in England, and approximately 4 per cent. in Wales. The respective percentage figures for the individual Research Councils were as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what procedures are employed in the selection of members of (a) research councils, (b) the boards of research councils and (c) the funding committees of research councils; and what independent mechanism within his Department exists to ensure the fairness of the process and the distribution of members among the various institutions active in each field of research;(2) what procedures are employed to ensure that membership of research councils, the boards of those councils and the funding committees of those councils does not give any undue advantage in the allocation of funds to institutions to which the members belong.

Members of the research councils are appointed after wide consultation with interested Departments and the councils themselves. The Government aim to secure an appropriate balance of academic and industrial expertise and experience.The composition of their committees is a matter for the councils themselves, as is the allocation of funds to institutions. Each council operates a system of peer review, aimed at securing the highest scientific quality in competition for the funds available.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many complaints he has received from those members of the public who have paid for decoders which enable them to receive a satellite programme called "Red Hot Dutch".

I have received some 450 letters from members of the public about the satellite television channel "Red Hot Dutch", now renamed "Red Hot Television". Most of those who have written appear not to be subscribers to the channel; but it is not possible to be sure of that.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what has been the total income of the BBC in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available; and how much and what percentage of that income was derived from the licence fee in each of those years.

[holding answer 4 February 1993]: The information requested is set out in the table.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will outline the proposed restructuring of the Crown prosecution service.

I refer my hon. Friend to my earlier reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns).

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the policy relating to criminal prosecutions by the Crown prosecution service.

The Crown prosecution service applies the principles set out in the "Code for Crown Prosecutors". A copy of the code is in the Library.

To ask the Attorney-General what consideration the Serious Fraud Office has given to the issues arising out of the recent report under section 5 of the Local Government Act 1988 on the conduct of some departments of Lambeth council.

The director of the Serious Fraud Office has been in contact with the Audit Commission in connection with this report and has asked the Metropolitan police to keep him informed of matters brought to their attention regarding Lambeth council so that he can decide what, if any, action by the Serious Fraud Office might be appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with local authorities regarding access to public transport for the disabled.

:My department is in close and regular touch with local authorities on a wide range of issues to improve services for the disabled including the introduction of low-floor buses, design standards for light rapid transit systems and accessible taxis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has recently had with the European Commission on the subject of coach safety.

My Department has regular communication with the European Commission on directives covering various aspects of vehicle safety, including those affecting coach safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what support he has received from the United Kingdom freight industry for his proposals to privatise British Rail freight.

Our discussions suggest that the great majority of existing rail freight users support our proposals to privatise British Rail's freight businesses. Like us, they believe that they offer the best hope of providing a rail freight industry for the future which will be competitive and respond to customers' needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications of his legislative proposals for British Rail upon the lines north and west of Inverness.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on Second Reading of the Railways Bill, ScotRail, which includes the services north and west of Inverness, will be one of the first groups of services to be prepared by BR for franchising.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to ensure that the present standards of safety currently held by British Rail are imposed upon new private sector operators.

We have accepted all the Health and Safety Commission's recommendations for a safety regime which will ensure that high safety standards on the railways are maintained after privatisation. The recommendations have also been endorsed by the chairman of BR.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the future of rail services in south Wales after privatisation.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in this House on 2 February in the debate on the Second Reading of the Railways Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the subsidy required to maintain the Southampton-Eastbourne railway service after the franchising of this route.

I have made no such estimate. In the process of franchising British Rail passenger services, subsidy requirements will in future be market tested. It has not yet been decided whether this service would be franchised on its own or as part of a larger grouping.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps will be taken to ensure that a privatised British Rail will cater adequately for disabled passengers.

Under our proposals for railway privatisation, all railway operators will be required by the terms of their operating licences to have regard to the needs of passengers with mobility handicaps. The regulator will be responsible for issuing and checking compliance with railway licences and he will have a specific statutory duty to look after the interests of disabled passengers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he intends to take to develop regional airports within the United Kingdom.

We believe that future development at regional airports is best undertaken in the private sector. That is why we are encouraging their privatisation. We are also providing more opportunities for air services from regional airports through our liberalisation policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will extend the use of red light and speed cameras in London.

It is for the Metropolitan police and the City of London police to decide on the deployment of red light and speed cameras in their respective areas of London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the latest position on the plans to extend the Jubilee line.

Negotiations are continuing with the administrators of Olympia and York Canary Wharf on the terms of an agreement on which they are to contribute towards the cost of the Jubilee line extension. We have made provision for the construction of the extension subject to a satisfactory agreement being reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make statement on the current outturn of expenditure on the Jubilee line development relative to budget.

Through London Underground Ltd., the Government have spent nearly £160 million preparing to build the Jubilee line extension. The latest approved estimate of the total cost of the extension is £1.5 billion at June 1990 prices—something over £1.8 billion cash.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he intends to keep in place the present procedures which must be undertaken before a railway is closed.

The Railways Bill sets out new closure procedures no less rigorous than the present ones. The current arrangements will continue to apply to lines and stations which are not currently operated by British Rail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he has taken to encourage the use of buses in urban areas.

I recently announced the allocation of over £15 million to local authorities in England for bus priority measures in 1993–94. This represents a substantial increase on the sum originally budgeted for. Some £4 million was allocated in 1992–93 for similar schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bypasses he plans to start building in the next financial year.

We plan to start 19 new bypasses, 83 miles in length, in the next financial year.In addition to these schemes, there are 22 other national schemes planned to start in England next year. Although not described as bypasses, most of these relieve one or more communities of through traffic.My Department is also funding the construction of 24 local bypasses and relief roads through the transport supplementary grant and borrowing approvals announced in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the level of London Transport's investment in 1993–94.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about London Transport's investment plans for 1993–94 and subsequent years. These have included letters from hon. Members, local councillors and members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to extend the lighting on the M1 motorway.

It is proposed to extend the lighting on the M1 between junctions 40 and 42 and to light the M1/M62 interchange. Further lighting is expected on sections of the M I as they are widened to four lanes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when British Rail expects to introduce the proposed new trains on the Waterloo-Exeter line.

The first new train for the Waterloo-Exeter line was delivered to British Rail on 23 January. It will enter passenger service shortly. The remaining trains should be in service by July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's budget for London is spent on public transport.

The Department does not have a separate budget for expenditure in London. But, in the current financial year, London Transport and Network SouthEast are expected to invest in total about three times the amount which the Department will be spending on the construction and capital maintenance of roads in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has received from London Transport on capital investment for the modernisation of London Underground.

My Department regularly receives investment proposals from London Underground. Spending plans for 1993–94 and following years have not yet been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Minch is designated by Her Majesty's Government as an internal sea or an internationally recognised navigable strait; and if he will make a statement.

By virtue of the United Kingdom Territorial Water Order in Council 1964 the area known as the Minches is within the internal waters of the United Kingdom.By virtue of article 5 of the UN convention on the territorial sea and contiguous zone 1958, ratified by the United Kingdom on 14 March 1960 there exists a right of innocent passage through that area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce the results of his review of section 8 grants.

I refer my hon. Friend to my right hon. Friend's speech during the Second Reading of the Railways Bill on 2 February Official Report, columns 164–65.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to increase the section 8 grant budget.

This will depend on demand and other calls on public expenditure. The budget is kept under review and to date no schemes have been turned down through lack of funds. The need for additional funding will be considered in the light of the proposals put forward by my right hon. Friend on 2 February, Official Report, columns 164–65.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list what information he has of individual items of traffic transferred from rail freight distribution and train load freight to roads since July 1992; and if he will make a statement.

This is a commercial matter between British Rail and its customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the operational and infrastructure cost savings he expects for the rail freight sector following privatisation.

Privatisation and open access to the network will transform rail freight from a public sector monopoly into a competitive privately owned industry. Operators will need to improve constantly to stay ahead of their competitors. They will be free from public sector constraints on finance and will be able to benefit directly from the cost and service improvements they make.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the report by Mercer Management Consultants into the future of the rail freight industry.

No. The report will contain commercially confidential information. We will be publishing proposals on the future of British Rail's freight businesses after we have studied Mercer's report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his written answer of 1 February, Official Report, column 1, what evidence the marine accident investigation branch has now taken or plans to take in respect of the progress of the steps that were being taken by the owners of the MV Braer at the time of its accident to renew the insurance cover of the vessel.

The conduct of the inquiry into the Braer accident is a matter for the inspector, and I cannot discuss the evidence which is being obtained in the course of the investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the report of the public inquiry into the M66 junction A664; and if he will make a statement.

Soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Government funding has been spent on providing freight facilities at Eastgate cement works since 1975 to help transfer freight from road to rail.

There has been no Government assistance towards facilities at Blue Circle's Eastgate cement works. However, a 50 per cent. freight facilities grant under section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 was awarded in January 1984 towards the provision of modern wagons, for the movement of cement from Eastgate to northern destinations, and for work at two of the reception depots. The award led to a total grant payment of £728,000. In common with all awards the traffic has continued to be monitored annually and the results have shown that the original grant has been more than justified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will amend the passengers charter so as to require British Rail to offer a full discount on fares on InterCity trains which arrive at their destination one and half hours or more late.

Under the passengers charter, a full refund is available if the train a passenger planned to catch is cancelled or delayed, and the journey is not made. In addition, British Rail offer vouchers of 20 per cent. or more of the fare paid if a journey, or any leg of it, is delayed by more than an hour. Where delays are particularly serious, the compensation offered can be as much as 100 per cent. I believe that these arrangements provide reasonable recompense to those who are seriously inconvenienced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what arrangements are being made for the submission of evidence to Lord Donaldson's inquiry into possible measures to protect United Kingdom coastlines from pollution by merchant shipping.

Lord Donaldson held a preliminary hearing at Church house, Westminster on 29 January at which he invited written submissions to the inquiry to reach the secretariat by the end of February. Lord Donaldson emphasised that although his Inquiry was set up in reaction to the Braer accident, he will not be investigating that accident. It is already the subject of investigations by the marine accident investigation branch and the Liberian Government. Nor does his inquiry cover the ecological effects of the Braer oil spill, which will be assessed by the ecological steering group appointed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.Lord Donaldson said he would consider any issues within his terms of reference which appear to him to be relevant but he expects to concentrate on finding answers to four questions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will allow private sector freight interests access to British Rail's operational and infrastructure accounts.

British Rail does not produce separate operational and infrastructure accounts at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct British Rail to produce accounts separating infrastructure accounting from operations, in accordance with the relevant EC directive.

British Rail is already making preparations for the implementation in its accounting year 1993–94 of the provisions of Council directive EEC 91/440 requiring that the accounts for business relating to the provision of transport services and those for business relating to the management of railway infrastructure are kept separate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what property, rights or liabilities of Northern Ireland Railways are affected by the Railways Bill.

It is not the intention that Northern Ireland Railways should be affected in any way by the provisions of the Railways Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what property, rights or liabilities of British Rail relate to Northern Ireland.

That is a matter for British Rail, but I understand that the board has no significant property, rights or liabilities in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a list of all the regulations for which his Department is currently responsible with a descriptive title for each individual regulation.

A provisional list of regulations that impact on business has recently been put together. Consideration will be given to placing the list in the Library once it has been fully checked for accuracy and consistency of definition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the present apportionment of costs between British Rail sectors for the Darlington to Bishop Auckland railway line; and what will be the change in apportionment of track costs following withdrawal of cement trains later in the current year.

This is primarily a matter for British Rail. The route between Darlington and Bishop Auckland is Regional Railways sponsored. In such cases, freight flows are charged only incremental costs and there is not, therefore, likely to be any effect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legislation inhibits the public payment of rail track costs for freight operators; and if he will seek to revoke that legislation.

The proposed new grant towards track changes would be paid under EC regulation 1893/91, subject to the designation of the Secretary of State as the competent authority for that purpose. It would take effect when Railtrack is established and when the new regime for track access and charging commences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what requests for funding he has received from British Rail for the maintenance of the Forth bridge; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will contact the European Shipping Commissioner and Mr. Alex Underwood of Salmond street, Gateshead to collect further evidence about the MV Derbyshire and the MV Tribulus.

My Department is in frequent contact with the EC Commissioner responsible for shipping matters.If anyone has information about the MV Derbyshire which they regard as "new and important" evidence under the terms of section 57 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1970, it should be sent to my Department for consideration. Any information about the MV Tribulus accident in 1990 should be sent to the Isle of Man marine administration, with which the ship is registered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider his decision not to order a full public inquiry into the sinking of MV Derbyshire.

A formal investigation into the loss of the MV Derbyshire was held between October 1987 and March 1988. I have no plans to order a further public inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the increase in public service obligation grant that will be required to maintain passenger services at their present level following withdrawal of freight services.

British Rail is in the process of preparing its budget for 1993–94, which will provide the basis for determining public service obligation grant for next year. The board's claim for grant will take account of the impact of any expected changes in the pattern of freight flows on the finances of the grant-supported businesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to apply the policy of prompt payment of sub-contractors towards new developments by London Transport.

I am advised that London Transport has a policy of settling payments to all suppliers and contractors strictly in accordance with the terms agreed in its contracts with them. This applies equally to investment in the existing infrastructure and in new development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the capital investment at constant prices by British Rail in 1991–92, 1992–93, planned for 1993–94 and 1994–95, in the 1991 autumn statement and now proposed for 1993–94 and 1994–95, excluding spending associated with the channel tunnel.

British Rail invested a total of £1,005 million in 1991–92, of which £751 million was spent on the existing railway. British Rail is planning to invest around £1.5 billion in 1992–93, over £1 billion of which is expected to be spent on the existing railway. BR is currently considering plans for future years as part of its 1993–94 budget and 1993 corporate plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations he has had with British Rail concerning the lengthening of timetabled journeys on InterCity arising from track maintenance shortfall; and if he will make a statement.

It is for British Rail to plan its track maintenance programme within available resources. Prudent timetabling must have regard to the implementation of this programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans there are for improvements to rail transport arrangements between Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Perivale, Northolt and Paddington; and if he will make a statement.

Most stations in these areas will benefit from the £750 million upgrading of London Underground's Central line with new trains and signalling or from the £240 million modernisation of Network SouthEast's Thames and Chiltern division with new trains, signalling and station improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he now expects construction work to start on the Jubilee line extension; and if he will make a statement.

That depends upon the settlement of detailed terms for the private sector contribution to the cost of the extension, upon which negotiations with the administrators of Olympia and York continue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects junction 2 on the southbound section of the M1 to reopen; and if he will make a statement.

Given reasonable weather conditions, the junction should be reopened before the end of March.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps are taken to co-ordinate the work of the United Kingdom Departments and Scottish and Welsh Offices concerned with Relate; and if he will make a statement on the grants for Relate for future years.

:Consultations take place within government on this matter as necessary. The Home Office grant to Relate supports marriage guidance in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The grant for 1993–94 of £1,530,000 is 38 per cent. higher than that for 1991–92. It is planned to increase the grant for Relate in 1994–95 by 4 per cent. over the 1993–94 level, subject to public expenditure constraints. The Scottish Office provides a grant to Marriage Counselling Scotland. In 1993–94 this will amount to £87,288, an increase of one and half times compared with 1992–93.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will undertake a comparative study of the employment effects of any tax or consumer subsidy for coal mining on the existing job in nuclear energy supply and in the offshore gas and oil industry.

The coal review being undertaken by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade is considering, among other options, methods and costs of reducing the price of British Coal by providing support to the coal industry, for example by subsidy or levy arrangements, and the implications for other energy providers and customers. The effect of any measures on employment in other energy sectors is one of the factors being considered. Evidence on this has been submitted to the review from organisations and individuals within the nuclear, oil and gas industries, and is being given full consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will seek to amend the current legislation to introduce stiffer penalties where death has occurred as a result of aggravated vehicle-taking offences; and if he will make a statement.

It is not our present intention to change the sentencing provisions of the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act 1992. We have, however, made clear our intention to raise the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous or drink driving to 10 years as soon as a suitable legislative opportunity is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies he intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Mansfield and in Nottinghamshire.

The Government's strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. In Nottingham a local drugs prevention team has been set up under the Home Office drugs prevention initiative—DPI—and they will continue to work with the local community in finding effective ways of preventing the spread of drug misuse. As the work of the 20 local teams is evaluated and lessons are learnt from it, we aim to ensure that other areas of the country have the opportunity to benefit from the DOI's experience.Nottinghamshire, like other areas, will benefit from other aspects of the Government's drug strategy such as the measures in the Criminal Justice Bill to tighten the law on drug trafficking and money laundering, the assistance we are providing to other countries to help reduce the supply of drugs into this country and the tougher controls which we are introducing on precursor and essential chemicals.At the national level, we are committed to bringing forward proposals to ensure that the control of drug misuse is co-ordinated effectively, and the Criminal Justice Bill which we hope to bring before the House shortly, further tightens the law on drug trafficking and money laundering.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new strategies his Department intends to promote to tackle drug problems in Greater London; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's strategy for tackling drug misuse is aimed at reducing both the supply of and the demand for drugs. Within the Greater London area, six local drug prevention initiative teams are working in key areas with the local community in developing imaginative strategies specifically designed to tackle local drugs problems. In addition, the London drug policy forum, which receives funding from the Home Office, has initiatives in hand for promoting the co-ordination of local authority effort on drug-related matters.At the national level, we are committed to bringing forward proposals to ensure that the control of drug misuse is co-ordinated effectively and the Criminal Justice Bill, which we hope to bring before the House shortly, further tightens the law on drug trafficking and money laundering.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to prepare and motivate for employment those who are subject to a court sentence in (a) Mansfield and (b) Nottinghamshire as part of their rehabilitation.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 11 January to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) at column 600. It is the responsibility of the Nottinghamshire probation service to prepare and implement local plans to achieve the objective of ensuring effective provision for offenders under its supervision in relation to training and employment; in partnership with training and enterprise councils, the employment service and others locally.In relation to those who receive a custodial sentence, the prison service has been working closely with the employment service to introduce preparation for job search courses and job clubs in prisons to improve the help given to prisoners in preparing for and finding jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the number of Sri Lankans deported from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

The information requested is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 798, if he will give a breakdown by region of the number of posts at present funded or part-funded by section 11 grant.

Section 11 is not administered on a regional basis. The table shows approximate numbers of posts, in full-time equivalent terms, for which payment of grant has been approved to local authorities and other eligible bodies, grouped on a geographical basis:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 January, Official Report, column 798, how many posts at present funded or part-funded under section 11 grant, are engaged in (a) education in schools, (b) training, (c) advice work and (d) economic development.

Information is not available in the form requested. Approval for funding has been given for some 8,876 posts, in full-time equivalent terms, in education. A large proportion of these posts are school-based. In addition, approximately 1,250 posts, in full-time equivalent terms, have been approved in other service areas, including social services, housing employment, training and enterprise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posts in (a) Hampshire county council and (b) district councils in Hampshire are currently funded under section 11; what is the total cost of these posts; and if he will list the number and purpose of each post funded in each authority.

Numbers of posts approved for funding from 1 April 1992 are given in the table, with current full-year potential grant cost:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 11 January, Official Report, column 595, when he proposes to bring forward legislation on the European election boundaries.

The Government's proposals on the basis for this legislation will be brought forward shortly. The legislation itself will be introduced at the appropriate time bearing in mind the dates of future elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many media interviews with convicted prisoners have been published in the last two years; and what are the criteria for allowing such interviews.

Applications to interview prisoners are generally processed through the Home Office public relations branch. Each application is dealt with on its merits and a decision to proceed is made by the public relations branch in conjunction with prison governors, senior officials and, where necessary, Ministers.At the outset, the journalist involved would need to outline fully his or her request and justify the need to interview prisoners.If the interview is allowed to proceed for research or private purposes, an undertaking would need to be given that none of the material obtained would be used in any publication or broadcast.Statistical information about the number of media interviews with convicted prisoners, published or broadcast during the last two years, is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase, in real terms, the grant to the charity Relate.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the question from the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent North (Ms. Walley) on 4 February at columns 288–89.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what way and for what reason he intends that licensed bingo clubs should be regulated differently from the proposed national lottery.

The arrangements for the regulation of licensed bingo clubs are set out in the Gaming Act 1968 and the Gaming (Bingo) Act 1985. The proposed regulatory framework for the national lottery is set out in the National Lottery Etc. Bill currently before the House. The differences between the two sets of controls reflect the different nature of the activities involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been instituted for illegal telephone tapping since the coming into force of the Interception of Communications Act 1985.

The Interception of Communications Act 1985 came into force on 10 April 1986. From 1986 to 1991 there have been six prosecutions under section 1(1) of the Act. Information collected centrally does not identify whether the communications were by post or by means of public telecommunication systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of offences recorded by each police force in England and Wales in which firearms are reported to have been used in each quarter of 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992.

The tables give the information requested. Statistics for 1992 are not yet available.