Written Answers

Written Answers To Questions

Friday 21 May 1993

Lord Chancellor's Department

Data Protection

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department to what investigations his Department has been subject by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint and state when the complaint was made; and what remedial action was taken by his Department to ensure future compliance with the principle subject to the investigation.

Appeals to Immigration Adjudicators
	Received¹	Allowed	Dismissed	Withdrawn
(a)	8,333	229	5,573	2,171
(b)	13,882	3,845	15,752	3,458
(c)	105	53	425	46
(d) and (e)²	1,656	33	963	275
¹ The number of appeals received does not equal those allowed, dismissed and withdrawn as the latter categories include appeals received before 1 April 1992 and determined during 1992–93.
² The Immigration Appellate Authorities do not record separate figures for appeals against removal as an illegal entrant and these appeals are recorded with those at (e).

Employment

Training Schemes (Accidents)

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) fatal, (b) major arid (c) minor accidents have occurred on youth training, employment training and employment action in each region and in Great Britain as a whole in each quarter since March 1990; and if she will make a statement.

Table A gives the accident figures for 1990;Table B gives the accident figures for 1991;Table C gives the accident figures for 1992; and Table D gives the figures for the first quarter of 1993.

Table A: 1990 accident figures
	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Quarter ending 30 June 1990
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	9	48	—	—	15	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	27	89	—	8	31	—	—	—
Northern	—	11	87	—	9	41	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	22	78	—	10	57	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	14	82	—	2	28	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	26	65	—	5	23	—	—	—
Wales	—	13	46	—	7	23	—	—	—
South West	—	16	26	—	3	16	—	—	—
South East	—	14	37	—	3	19	—	—	—

The Lord Chancellor's Department has not been the subject of any investigations by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle.All computer systems within the Lord Chancellor's Department comply fully with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1984, as will all future systems.

Immigration Appeals

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals there were against a refusal of (a) a variation or extension of leave to remain in the United Kingdom, (b) entry clearance abroad, (c) entry to the country, (d) removal as an illegal entrant and (e) a decision to deport a person and the refusal to revoke a deportation order; and what the results were of these appeals.

[holding answer 14 May 1993]: The information requested was as follows during the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993: Notes:1. Employment Department figures for trainees have been compiled on a similar basis to those prepared by the Health and Safety Executive for employed persons. However, the Employment Department's figures include a number of accidents to trainees in educational establishments, and road traffic accidents, which would not have been reportable to the Health and Safety Executive had the individuals been employed.2. Major injuries are classified according to the severity criteria laid down in the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985.3. Employment Action was launched in October 1991. Accident statistics for Employment Action are included from the quarter ending December 1991.4. Eastern Region was formed during quarter ending 30 September 1992. North West Region was split into two during quarter ending 30 September 1992. Accident records for Scotland were split between Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise from the quarter ending 30 September 1991.

	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
London	—	5	16	—	2	6	—	—	—
National	—	157	574	—	49	259	—	—	—
Quarter ending 30 September 1990
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	1	10	27	—	2	18	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	13	59	1	8	35	—	—	—
Northern	—	9	62	—	8	47	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	11	60	—	7	43	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	17	83	—	7	15	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	9	49	—	5	21	—	—	—
Wales	—	4	34	1	3	15	—	—	—
South West	—	6	23	—	1	12	—	—	—
South East	—	5	28	—	3	9	—	—	—
London	—	3	12	—	—	—	—	—	—
National	1	87	437	2	44	215	—	—	—
Quarter ending 31 December 1990
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	14	46	—	2	19	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	20	94	—	10	25	—	—	—
Northern	—	14	88	—	16	43	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	14	74	—	10	49	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	22	88	1	3	28	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	7	55	—	2	21	—	—	—
Wales	—	10	56	—	12	20	—	—	—
South West	—	2	20	—	2	5	—	—	—
South East	—	8	19	—	1	10	—	—	—
London	—	2	15	—	2	6	—	—	—
National	—	113	555	1	60	226	—	—	—

Table B: 1991 accident figures
	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Quarter ending 31 March 1991
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	4	27	—	1	7	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	1	7	33	—	2	15	—	—	—
Northern	—	15	69	—	5	33	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	9	32	—	7	33	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	25	74	—	10	23	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	5	28	—	3	9	—	—	—
Wales	1	16	42	—	6	21	—	—	—
South West	1	8	27	—	2	8	—	—	—
South East	—	8	20	—	4	5	—	—	—
London	—	3	7	—	—	2	—	—	—
National	3	100	359	—	40	156	—	—	—
Quarter ending 30 June 1991
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	6	24	—	2	9	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	11	32	—	I	16	—	—	—
Northern	—	8	67	—	3	32	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	11	47	—	4	24	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	18	52	—	6	16	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	10	49	—	3	23	—	—	—
Wales	—	8	34	—	4	15	—	—	—
South West	—	5	14	—	—	4	—	—	—
South East	—	8	22	—	3	14	—	—	—
London	—	2	12	—	3	1	—	—	—
National	—	87	353	—	29	154	—	—	—

	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Quarter ending 30 September 1991
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	7	35	—	2	5	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	12	45	—	2	10	—	—	—
Northern	—	13	80	—	3	34	—	—	—
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	17	64	—	3	24	—	—	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	17	63	—	6	10	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	8	44	—	1	7	—	—	—
Wales	—	4	30	—	3	14	—	—	—
South West	—	6	17	—	1	4	—	—	—
South East	1	6	23	—	1	5	—	—	—
London	—	2	2	—	—	2	—	—	—
National	1	92	403	—	22	115	—	—	—
Quarter ending 31 December 1991
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	7	39	—	4	5	—	—	2
Highlands/Islands	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	17	67	—	5	19	—	—	—
Northern	—	7	59	—	1	27	—	—	1
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	12	81	—	3	28	—	1	—
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	—	11	64	—	6	12	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	17	52	—	5	12	—	—	1
Wales	—	9	34	—	2	11	—	—	—
South West	—	6	23	—	2	6	—	—	1
South East	—	9	19	—	—	6	—	1	—
London	—	4	7	—	1	2	—	—	—
National	—	99	446	—	29	128	—	2	5

Table C: 1992 accident figures
	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Quarter ending 31 March 1992
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	6	42	—	3	5	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	9	49	—	2	14	—	—	—
Northern	—	6	47	—	3	20	—	—	2
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	8	55	—	4	16	—	—	3
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	1	13	62	—	1	16	—	—	6
West Midlands	—	6	45	—	3	9	—	2	3
Wales	—	7	37	—	1	13	—	—	5
South West	—	2	20	—	—	5	—	—	1
South East	—	6	19	—	1	1	—	1	2
London	—	3	17	—	—	2	—	—	—
National	1	66	395	—	18	101	—	3	22
Quarter ending 30 June 1992
East Midlands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Eastern	—	5	20	—	1	6	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	14	44	—	2	10	—	—	2
Northern	—	5	23	—	3	11	—	1	3
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	7	38	—	—	16	—	3	10
North West West	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North West East	1	8	24	—	1	8	—	2	1
West Midlands	—	6	26	—	1	6	—	1	—
Wales	—	1	24	—	2	18	—	2	2
South West	—	2	29	—	1	8	—	—	1
South East	—	3	21	—	—	2	—	1	2
London	—	4	1	—	2	—	—	—	—
National	1	55	250	—	13	85	—	10	21
Quarter ending 30 September 1992
East Midlands	—	5	25	—	—	10	—	—	1

	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Eastern	—	2	11	—	—	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	11	37	—	6	18	—	—	2
Northern	—	3	60	—	1	21	—	—	2
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	18	63	—	3	12	—	1	10
North West West	—	13	25	—	—	3	—	—	1
North West East	—	5	10	—	—	4	—	—	1
West Midlands	—	13	34	—	3	9	—	—	2
Wales	—	9	39	—	1	16	—	2	7
South West	—	7	27	1	2	6	—	—	2
South East	—	3	18	—	1	6	—	—	1
London	—	7	10	—	—	—	—	—
National	—	96	359	1	17	105	—	3	29
Quarter ending 31 December 1992
East Midlands	—	6	33	—	2	5	—	—	2
Eastern	—	2	10	—	—	1	—	—	—
Highlands/Islands	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	5	35	—	3	23	—	2	2
Northern	—	5	48	—	1	14	—	—	2
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	13	72	—	7	33	—	3	9
North West West	—	7	33	—	—	1	—	2	2
North West East	—	6	24	—	2	5	—	1	2
West Midlands	—	13	42	—	6	11	—	—	1
Wales	—	6	33	—	6	17	—	—	15
South West	—	4	30	—	1	4	—	—	1
South East	—	4	18	—	2	4	—	—	1
London	—	5	7	—	—	2	—	—	2
National	—	76	385	—	31	120	—	8	39

Table D: 1993 accident figures
	YT			ET			EA
Region	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor	Fatal	Major	Minor
Quarter ending 31 March 1993
East Midlands	—	5	29	—	—	5	—	1	1
Eastern	—	4	16	—	2	3	—	—	2
Highlands/Islands	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Scot Enterprise	—	6	35	1	1	9	—	1	2
Northern	—	4	42	—	5	12	—	1	5
Yorkshire and Humberside	—	12	62	—	1	29	—	—	6
North West West	—	6	26	—	1	7	—	—	2
North West East	—	2	19	—	3	3	—	—	2
West Midlands	—	7	42	—	1	10	—	—	3
Wales	—	2	36	—	4	7	—	—	5
South West	—	5	27	—	—	7	—	1	1
South East	—	3	21	—	2	—	—	—	7
London	—	4	13	—	1	1	—	—	1
National	—	63	368	1	21	93	—	4	37

Pregnant Women's Rights

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much has been allocated by her Department towards publicity campaigns for 1992 and 1993 to explain to employers and employees their obligations and rights with regard to the employment rights of pregnant women.

The Department publicises employment rights for pregnant women principally through the advice leaflet "Employment Rights for the Expectant Mother".The cost of producing and distributing this booklet in 1992–93 was £2,378, and the allocation for 1993–94 is £2,615. I will send a copy of the booklet to the hon. Member.

Duchy Of Lancaster

Market Testing

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 5 May, Official Report, column 85, if he will provide details of the evidence upon which he bases his estimate of the percentage savings arising from market testing in previous years.

The annual reports by the central unit on purchasing on progress in Government procurement for the four years to March 1991, provide information on Departments' progress with market testing. This information, which includes savings, is derived from returns provided by Departments themselves. The annual reports are in the House Library.

No report on market-testing progress was complied for 1991–92. I shall report on the current period which runs to 30 September 1993 as soon as possible after that date.

Attorney-General

Data Protection

To ask the Attorney-General to what investigations his Departments have been subject by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint and state when the complaint was made; and what remedial action was taken by his Departments to ensure future compliance with the principle subject to the investigation.

None of the Law Officers' Departments has been the subject of an investigation by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle.

Social Security

Family Credit

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the current annual spending on family credit; and what was the spending on family income support in 1979.

Family credit expenditure for 1992–93 was £864 million. This is 36 times more than the £24 million spent on family income supplement in 1978–79 in cash terms and 13 times more in real terms.

Christmas Bonus

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would have been the total cost to the Exchequer of paying a Christmas bonus to pensioners in the year 1992–93 had such bonus been increased annually since 1972 in line with prices.

The Christmas bonus would now be worth £62.30 had it been increased annually since 1972 in line with prices. To pay it at this rate to 12.7 million beneficiaries in 1992–93 would cost £791 million.

Retirement Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentages of newly retired (a) men and (b) women were entitled to payments from the state earnings-related pension scheme in each year since SERPS pensions were first available.

The information is in the table.

Percentage of awards of retirement pension containing serps¹
	Men	Women²
April 1979—November 1979	44·1	7·1
December 1979—May 1980	55·3	12·5
June 1980—June 1981	62·5	14·9
July 1981—November 1981	69·7	15 2
December 1981—May 1982	74·2	18·1
June 1982—September 1982	74·6	18·9
October 1982—March 1983	77·5	19·2
April 1983—September 1983	80·1	19·9

	Men	Women²
October 1983—March 1984	79·0	18·7
April 1984—March 1985	86·9	23·6
April 1985—September 1985	88·0	23·5
October 1985—March 1986	89·1	24·1
April 1986—September 1986	91·7	29·0
October 1986—September 1987	91·9	29·3
October 1987—March 1988	92·4	29·6
April 1988—September 1988	92·8	33·7
October 1988—March 1989	92·1	32·9
April 1989—March 1990³	91·8	46·2
April 1990—March 1991³	92·1	49·0
April 1991—March 1992³	91·8	52·5

Notes:

¹ Includes men and women who receive SERPS through either an Additional Pension or a Contracted-Out Scheme.

² Includes all categories-Category A derived from contributors own contributions; Category ABL—derived from both the contributor's and her husband's contributions; Category B—derived from husband's contributions only. No SERPS is paid on Category B pensions.

³ Up to March 1989 the proportions are derived from all new claims to contributory Retirement Pension regardless of age. From April 1989 they are based on claims by men aged 65 and women aged 60, so that claims deferred for more than a year and some claims for Category B pension are excluded. In order to match up the two series, the proportion of men with entitlement to SERPS from April 1989 onwards should be increased by about 1 percentage point and the proportion of women reduced by about 10 percentage points.

Compensation Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the clearance target for each social security benefit which will be used in the calculation of the new compensation scheme announced on 4 May.

The target clearance times relevant to the revised arrangements announced on 4 May are as follows:

Benefit	Clearance target¹
Social Fund Crisis Loans	²—
Social Fund Community Care Grants	20 days
Income Support—Claims	13 days
Sickness and Invalidity Benefit	30 days
Child Benefit	30 days
Family Credit	42 days
Disability Living Allowance	55 days
Disability Working Allowance (Claims from people starting work)	5 days
Retirement Pension	60 days
¹ Shown as working days.
² On the day need arises.

The clearance targets which will be used in the cases of those benefits which do not have secondary clearance times are being considered. Where the clearance target would mean a customer having to wait longer than the 12 month period which was applicable to the arrangements before 1 April 1993, a notional target of six months will be used.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether the clearance target used to calculate compensation under the scheme announced on 4 May will be the target for the year the payment should have been made, the target for the year the payment was finally made or the target for some other year.

The target clearance time used to calculate compensation which may be due under the revised arrangements announced on 4 May will be the clearance target relevant to the date payment of the arrears of benefit are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the full rules governing the award and calculation of compensation in the new compensation scheme for late payment of social security benefits announced on 4 May.

The criteria under which payment of compensation is considered when a payment of a new claim for a social security benefit is delayed are:

(i) The delay must be because of official error;

(ii) The arrears due must be for £50 or more; and

(iii) The delay must be for at least six months plus the relevant target for clearing the bulk of claims—usually between 85 and 95 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he wil publish a leaflet for the public setting out the rules governing the new compensation scheme for late payment of social security benefits announced on 4 May; and if he will include in it the clearance targets which are relevant for each benefit.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's clearance targets, which relate to the revised arrangements, are published in the Benefits Agency business plan.All district offices display details of national targets in their reception areas, and customers will be able to obtain details of the relevant clearance targets from the customer service manager at their local office.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Flag

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 553–54, by what Act or instrument the Government of Northern Ireland adopted the Northern Ireland flag; and for what purpose it was adopted.

The official flag of Northern Ireland is the Union flag. In 1924, the Government of Northern Ireland was granted arms by royal warrant and had the right to display these arms on a flag or banner. In 1953, they exercised this right by giving assent to the flying of such a flag, known as the "Ulster Banner", on festive occasions.

Terrorism

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost of compensation paid out for loss of property by fire and explosion in terrorist incidents over the last three years.

Responsibility for the subject in question is a matter for the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. J. Robinson. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from J. Robinson to Rev. Martin Smyth, dated 20 May 1993:

I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning the cost of compensation paid for loss of property in terrorist incidents. The Secretary of State has asked me to respond.

Compensation paid in the 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 financial years in respect of claims for damage to property caused by fire and explosion in terrorist incidents amounted to £19·37 million, £29·07 million and £64·1 million respectively. The figures do not include applicants' fees and costs.

I hope this is helpful.

Rate Collection Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Rate Collection Agency in 1993–94.

For 1993–94, the following performance targets have been set for the agency:—

1. To reduce rating debt to 1·83 per cent. of the gross collectable rate, excluding late assessments, by 31 March 1994.

2. To achieve a reduction of 2 per cent. in the real value of the unit costs of collecting rates per hereditament.

3. To generate refunds to 96 per cent. of ratepayers so entitled within 14 days of credits being identified.

4. To process by 31 March 1994, 94 per cent. of applications for the incoming year received from existing housing benefit recipients before 15 March 1994.

5. To achieve a reduction of 1·8 per cent. in the real value of unit costs of processing housing benefit cases.

6. To assess 96 per cent. of housing benefit claims free of error.

Ordnance Survey

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will provide details of the key performance targets for 1993–94 which have been set for Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.

The key performance targets for the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994 which have been set for Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland are as follows:

to survey 30,484 house units in the continuous revision programme;

to complete 800 data capture units representing 1,429 basic scale map sheets converted to digital format;

to update the digital topographical database with 90 per cent. of the surveyed change within seven days of receipt of the field data;

to dispatch within seven working days 90 per cent. of orders for folded and basic scale maps;

to reduce unit costs so that the weighted mean percentage reduction of selected representative activities is 2 per cent.;

to recover, from the supply of goods and services, 21 per cent. of the total costs incurred by the agency.

Wales

Local Authorities (Payment Of Bills)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he intends to take to encourage or require local authorities to pay their bills on time; and if he will make a statement.

The prompt payment of bills by local authorities is a matter for them and I have no power to intervene. However, the Government expect the public sector generally to follow best practice and to pay its bills within the agreed credit period or, where no such period has been agreed, 30 days. The payment performance of Government Departments is regularly monitored and Government contracts now include a requirement for sub-contractors to be paid promptly.

Hydatidosis

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to control the spread of hydatidosis in Wales.

The Welsh Office has been providing funds to Powys health authority since 1989 for a five-year public education campaign on hydatid disease. The disease is generally most prevalent in sheep farming areas and the aim of this campaign is to reduce the incidence of hydatid disease through increased public awareness and the encouragement of preventive measures. Total funding to the end of 1992–93 is £119,000. Resources have been set aside to fund the campaign during the current financial year. The effectiveness of this will be evaluated in September 1994. Decisions on the future direction of the hydatid disease campaign in Wales will be taken in light of the outcome of this evaluation.Additionally, the communicable disease surveillance centre, Wales, is currently preparing a survey into the incidence of hydatid disease in humans in Wales for the period 1984 to 1992. We hope to have the results of this shortly.

Job Vacancies

To ask the Secretary of Slate for Wales if he will publish figures showing the number of vacancies within each jobcentre area in Wales in each of the last four quarters.

All available vacancy figures can be accessed on-line by staff in the Library of the House.

European Farm Commissioners

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 7 May, Official Report, column 275, who represented his Department at the meeting of European Farm Commissioners on 26 and 27 April.

Per cent.
	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992
(a) Employees
Degree of equivalent	7	7	9	7	7	7	8	8	10
Other higher education	9	9	9	8	8	8	9	8	9
A-level or equivalent	22	22	21	23	23	22	24	26	27
O-level or equivalent	17	18	19	19	19	20	21	21	22
Other qualifications	7	8	8	9	12	13	10	9	10
No qualifications	39	36	34	34	31	30	28	28	22
(b) Self employed¹
Higher education qualification²	10	10	14	12	13	13	14	12	14
GCE A-level or equivalent	31	35	34	30	31	32	38	37	39
Other qualification³	18	21	15	21	22	22	22	20	18
No qualifications	41	34	36	37	34	33	27	30	29
¹ For the self-employed some Labour Force Survey estimates for Wales are not accurate enough to be published in the level of detail required. Some groups of qualifications have, therefore, been aggregated for the answer.
² Includes Degree and all other Higher Education Qualifications.
³ Includes O-level and all other qualifications.

Historic Buildings Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the 36th annual report of the Historic Buildings Council for Wales.

My Department was represented at the Agriculture Council of Ministers on 26 and 27 April by the head of the agricultural commodities, structures and general policy division.

Council Mortgages

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance has been given to local authorities as regards the gross rate of interest to be paid for by council mortgages.

Under the provisions of section 438 and schedule 16 of the Housing Act 1985, local authorities are obliged to set their mortgage interest rate at the higher of the "standard national rate" or the "local average rate".A revised standard national rate of 8·01 per cent. was declared, and notified to authorities, on 26 February and came into effect on 1 March. On 2 March, the Local Authority Mortgage Interest Rate Determination 1993 was issued to authorities setting out a revised method of calculating the local average rate.

Employees' Qualifications

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of (a) employees and (b) the self-employed in Wales had (i) a higher education degree or equivalent, (ii) higher education experience below degree level, (iii) GCE A-level or the equivalent, (iv) O-level or the equivalent, (v) other forms of qualification and (vi) no qualifications in each year since 1984.

The information requested is available from the labour force survey and is included in the table.

The 36th annual report of the Historic Buildings Council for Wales has been published today. The report covers the financial year 1991–92 arid copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

Labour Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many people aged (a) 16 to 17 years, (b) 18 to 19 years and (c) 20 to 24 years were unemployed in each travel-to-work area in Wales in each of the last four quarters; (2) what were the numbers and percentages of long-term unemployed people aged

(a) 18 to 24 years, (b) 25 to 59 years and (c) 60 years or over within each travel-to-work area in Wales in each of the last four quarters;

(3) if he will publish figures showing the number of unemployed people by duration of unemployment within each county in Wales indicating the number who have been unemployed for (a) zero to three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to 12 months and (d) 12 months or more.

All available unemployment claimant figures can be assessed on-line by the staff of the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) male and (b) female workers in Wales were in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employment in each county in Wales in each year since 1979.

Figures are available only for years when a census of employment was carried out and the results prior to 1981 are not comparable with later years. All available employment figures can be accessed on-line by staff in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to his answer of 17 May Official Report, columns 57–58, how many people, and what percentage of all adults aged 16 years or over, were recorded by the 1991 census in Wales as economically inactive.

The number of adults in Wales aged 16 or over recorded as economically inactive by the 1991 census was 1,002,205. This represents 44·4 per cent. of the total resident population aged 16 or over.

Health

Patient Records

To ask the Secretary of State for Health to whom (a) written and (b) computer notes on patients held by general practitioners belong.

Ownership of records on patients maintained by general practitioners in accordance with their terms of service, is vested in family health services authorities.

Spastics Society

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met representatives from the Spastics Society to discuss (a) the adoption of a disability income scheme and (b) reform of the tort system in dealing with claims of negligence against the medical profession.

We have had no such meetings.

Drugs And Alcohol

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish details of all the monitoring information held by her Department on the funding of drug and alcohol services after 1 April.

We expect to publish the findings of the monitoring exercise now being undertaken by Goldsmiths' college, including aggregated national data, when the exercise is completed at the end of July.

Limited List

To ask. the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs to finish its deliberations on which products in each of the 10 new categories are to be placed on the selected list; and if she intends to publish their advice.

The committee has been asked to complete its work by the end of the year. The committee's advice is confidential and will not be published.

Teenagers (Magazine Advice)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to encourage magazines for teenage girls to include moral as well as practical advice on sexual issues.

It is important that discussion about sexual health matters has proper regard to moral considerations, the value of family life and the responsibilities of parenthood, and this is the approach set out in the Government's White Paper "The Health of the Nation". We hope that those responsible within the media for decisions about the content of magazines read by young people will bear this firmly in mind.

Doctors And Consultants (Suspensions)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will publish a table showing (a) how many doctors are currently suspended, (b) the breakdown of (a) in terms of gender and race and (c) the breakdown of (a) in terms of general practitioners and hospital doctors: and if she will make a statement.

This information is not available centrally.

Schools Health Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what directives she has given to district health authorities on the schools health service; and if she will make a statement; (2) what steps she is taking to protect the schools health service, and to ensure a uniform standard of service throughout the country; and if she will make a statement.

Health authorities are aware that, in their purchasing of health services for their local populations they must fulfil the duty under section 5 of the National Health Service Act 1977 to provide for the inspection and treatment of children at maintained schools—duties which may be extended to independent schools by arrangement with the school's proprietors. How they do so is a matter for local decision. With the increasing involvement of general practitioners and their primary care teams in child health surveillance, many school children receive the bulk of the health care they require from GPs as part of a comprehensive family practitioner service. It is therefore no longer appropriate to insist on a separate school health service responsible for all school children. We foresee a continuing need for some specialised services, particularly for children with special educational needs and for those not adequately covered by primary care. We intend to publish guidanceon such provision within a good practice guide to child community health services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the funding allocation for the schools health service for each year since 1985.

Funding is provided through the general allocation for community health services. It is not possible to identify specific allocations to health services for school children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) school nurses and (b) school medical officers were employed by each district health authority in each year since 1985.

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Blood Donors

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what categories of person are prevented from donating blood for the national blood transfusion service.

People wishing to donate blood but who consider themselves to be in the following categories are asked not to give blood:

anyone who has AIDS, is HIV positive or thinks they may need an AIDS test

anyone who has ever injected themselves with drugs

any man who has ever had sex with another man

anyone who has ever worked as a prostitute

any man who has had sex with a woman he knows has AIDS or is HIV positive

any woman who has had sex with a man she knows has ever had sex with another man

anyone who has had sex with a man or woman who they know has ever injected themselves with drugs

any woman who has had sex with a man who she knows has haemophilia.

People who consider themselves to be in the following categories are asked not to give blood if in the last two years they have had sex with:

a male or female prostitute

any man or woman of any race living in Africa—but not Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya or Egypt—or any man or woman who has had sex in the last two years with anyone living there.

Others may be deferred from giving blood, either permanently or for a period if

they have had an infectious disease in the last two years, or if they have been in contact with an infectious disease in the last six months

they have visited or lived abroad other than in Europe

they have received any innoculations or vaccinations in the last six months or ever been treated with human growth hormone

they have had any of the following: anaemia; asthma; brucellosis (undulant fever); cancer; diabetes; epilepsy (fits); glandular fever; hay fever; heart disease; high blood pressure; hospital admission; jaundice (including contact with a case during the past six months); kidney disease; malaria; stroke; tuberculosis.

Transport

Nuclear Fuel (Transport)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he takes to monitor the compliance with weight regulations of wagons used for the shipments of spent nuclear fuel sent to Sellafield from Germany; and which shipments he has checked for their compliance.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to her rail freight questions on 12 May, Official Report, column 462.

Scirocco

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken following the refusal of the Spanish authorities to permit, and the use of gunboats to prevent, the landing at Almeria of the British-registered vessel Scirocco.

We are continuing our efforts to resolve the matter. In our view, Cenargo is entitled to operate this service under European Community legislation on shipping liberalisation. We welcome the fact that the Spanish Government have conceded that there is no legal obstacle to Cenargo operating such a service.

Marine Emergencies Organisation

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the future of the Marine Emergencies Organisation.

I have decided that the Marine Emergencies Organisation should be a candidate for executive agency status within my Department. I am confident that this will provide the MEO with the incentive and opportunity to enhance the well-regarded service it already provides. The necessary preparatory work is being put in hand for the organisation to become an agency on 1 April 1994.

East London Rail Study

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 16 July 1992, Official Report, columns 861–63, what further work has been undertaken on the options identified in the east London rail study phase 2.

I understand that work has focused on a Thames crossing between the royal docks and Woolwich and that a joint London Transport—London Docklands development corporation study has been looking at the local and more strategic impact of such a link. Improved access to London City airport by the docklands light railway and improved local links between the royal docks and Barking remain possibilities and will be the subject of further studies.

Education

Oxbridge College Fees

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what formulae are used for calculating the grants for college fees at Oxford and Cambridge; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Perry Barr (Mr. Rooker) on 22 April, Official Report column 154. The changes in college fees at Oxford and Cambridge each year take account of the change in the average unit of public funding for student places in higher education. Discussions between the Department and representatives of the colleges on fee levels for the 1993–94 academic year are currently in progress.

"Testing: The Facts"

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the cost to public funds of the promotional package "Testing: The Facts"; and how widely it was distributed.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Woolwich (Mr. Austin-Walker) on Wednesday 19 May 1993 Official Report columns 170–71.

Prime Minister

Mr Alan Clark

To ask the Prime Minister if Mr. Alan Clark was telephone tapped during his period in office as a Minister of the Crown.

The policy on the interception of the telephones of Members of Parliament remains as stated in 1966 by the then Prime Minister, the Lord Wilson of Rievaulx, and as applied by successive Governments since. In answer to questions on 17 November 1966, Lord Wilson said that he had given instructions that there was to be no tapping of the telephones of Members of Parliament and that, if there were a development which required such a change of policy, he would at such moment as seemed compatible with the security of the country, on his own initiative make a statement in the House about it. As I said in reply to a similar question by the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 29 June 1992 at column 375, the Government regard this undertaking as still applying to both postal and telephone interception.

National Finance

Currency And Commodity Dealings

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for requiring a full audit trail in currency and commodity dealings as a protection against fraud and price manipulation.

Institutions regulated by the Bank and under the Financial Services Act must have adequate systems to control the regulated aspects of their business, including an adequate audit trail. Where these controls are inadequate, the regulators will take appropriate action. They will also investigate any evidence of fraud or malpractice. I have no proposals to change the present regulatory arrangements, but will keep the matter under review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for requiring the total separation of dealing and fund management in currency and commodity markets.

Separation in the functions of dealer and fund manager is not a regulatory requirement in these or other financial markets. The necessary safeguards to ensure that banks and financial institutions deal fairly for clients are matters for the Bank of England and the financial services regulators. Their judgment is that this can be achieved by having appropriate controls to satisfy regulatory requirements and by imposing a disclosure requirement, where appropriate. I have no proposals to change the present regulatory arrangements, but will keep the matter under review.

Trade Bank

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requests the Bank of England has received from Mr. Sadiq Hassan Taha in regard to the establishment of a trade bank in London, since 1985.

The Bank of England has sole responsibility for authorisation under the Banking Act 1987, and it is for the Bank to determine what information relating to possible applications for authorisation may be disclosed. Its ability to disclose any such information is constrained by the confidentiality provisions of the Act.

Exchange Rates

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 and for each month since August 1992 the sterling effective exchange rate, as shown in table Fl of the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" and currently, distinguishing the effective exchange rate for Organisation of European Economic Co-operation countries and the corresponding rate for non-OEEC countries together with the imports and exports of manufactures in each case as a percentage of money gross domestic product.

The sterling effective exchange rate index which formerly appeared in table F1 of the Central Statistical Office's "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" can still be found in up-to-date form in table 13·1 of "Financial Statistics", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Indices of the effective exchange rate for sterling relative to specific groups of countries are not available.Information on trade in manufactures with individual countries and major groupings of countries is published in the CSO's business monitor MA20, available in the Library, and information on the gross domestic product is on the CSO database which can be accessed by the Library.

Manufactures

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the effect of the increase in the terms of trade for manufactures since the second half of 1973 on the balance of payments for (i) semi-manufactures and (ii) finished manufactures in terms of 1992 prices and as a percentage of money gross domestic product; and if he will publish a table showing the relevant figures for each year since 1970 and, where relevant, in index form as a percentage of the second half of 1973.

The terms of trade are only one of several influences on the balance and there is no simple and direct relationship between them. The latest information on the balance of trade in manufactures between 1970 and 1992 at current and constant prices, and on the gross domestic product, is available from the Central Statistical Office database which can be accessed by the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he expects the figures for import and export prices of manufactures on trade with other EC countries to follow the same path (a) this year to date and (b) for the rest of the year as on trade with non-EC countries; what is his estimate of the effect that has had on the balance of payments this year to date; and what is his forecast for the rest of 1993.

While there has been a correlation between movements in EC and non-EC trade prices over the past, prices for our non-EC trade are not necessarily an exact guide to prices for our trade with other EC countries. Figures for prices of our trade with other EC countries will be available in mid-June. The latest forecast of the balance of payments was published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

Rents

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what percentage rents to consumers have increased since January 1987, measured by the retail prices index; and if he will publish a table (a) giving separate figures for the increase in public and private rents and their corresponding weights in the index in 1978, 1979, 1987 and to date and (b) showing the effect of rent increases on the real disposable incomes of council tenants not in receipt of housing subsidies or national assistance.

Between January 1987 and March 1993, the latest date for which information is available, the "rents" section of the retail prices index rose by 70·9 per cent. Information on public and private sector rents is not available in the form requested.In 1987, local authority tenants not in receipt of rent rebates, supplementary benefit, rates rebate and housing benefit supplement, had an average disposable income of £180 per week. In 1991, local authority tenants not in receipt of rent rebates, income support and rates rebate, had an average disposable income of £218 per week. The information was obtained from the 1987 and 1991 family expenditure surveys. Information on rent excluding rates is not available from the 1987 family expenditure survey.

"Monthly Digest Of Statistics"

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the aggregate increase in prices in non-food items since 13 January 1987 for (a) the groups in table 18·2 of the April edition of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" and (b) table 18·1 for March; what is the reason for the difference between the two figures; what account was taken of foreign holidays in (i) the weights in both tables 18·1 and 18·2 and (ii) the averaging in table 18·2; and if he will make a statement.

The aggregate increase in prices in non-food items within the retail prices index since 13 January 1987 was 39·7 per cent. by 12 January 1993 and 40·8 per cent. by 16 March 1993.The difference between the two figures simply reflects changes in prices between January and March.Foreign holidays were introduced into the RPI with effect from February 1993, following a recommendation of the RPI Advisory Committee, Cm 2142.Thus, while March 1993 edition of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" contains indices up to and including January 1993, with no foreign holidays component, the April 1993 edition contains indices up to March 1993, including the new foreign holidays component showing the movement compared to January 1993.The foreign holidays component in the all-items RPI for 1993 has a weight of 30 parts per 1,000.Changes in prices for the RPI are measured by comparing them to their levels in the previous January and then weighting them together using the latest weights for the current year to produce an overall average price change for each month. These average price changes are then linked with the figures for earlier years.By "chain-linking" the calculations in this way, the index can both take account of changes in the make-up of household spending from year to year and provide comparisons between different years. This procedure ensures that if something is dropped from the index or introduced, the index is not distorted. Thus, the introduction of foreign holidays has not resulted in a discontinuity in the level of the index.

Forestry Commission

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any officials of his Department have met third parties to discuss matters relating to the possible privatisation of the Forestry Commission.

From time to time, my officials meet bodies and organisations with interests in forestry.

Drugs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered drug addicts there were in Wales in each year since 1987; and how many (a) registered heroin addicts, (b) new heroin addicts in each year, (c) cocaine addicts and (d) new cocaine addicts there were in each year.

The information requested is given in the table.

Drug addicts notified in Wales to the Home Office during the year 1987–91
Number of persons
	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
All notified addicts	230	253	299	366	528
All heroin addicts	154	186	196	231	208
New heroin addicts.	53	66	70	77	106
All cocaine addicts	8	13	20	17	12
New cocaine addicts	2	10	10	8	10

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has on (a) the real street price after accounting for inflation and (b) the purity of hard drugs in the United Kingdom since 1987.

As drug dealing is an illegal and clandestine activity, it is not possible to obtain more than a very general indication of the street prices of drugs. Information obtained by the National Criminal Intelligence Service and set out in the table suggests that over the period 1987–92, the street prices of drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines have remained relatively steady.

Price per gramme
	Heroin	Cocaine	Amphetamine
1987	£75–90	£60·90	£10·20
	(£102–122)¹	(£81–122)¹	(£14–27)'¹
1988	£80–100	£60–80	£10–15
1989	£70–90	£60–80	£10–15
1990	£60–90	£50–100	£12–15
1991	£50–100	£50–100	£12–15
1992	£50–100	£50–100	£10–15
¹ Expressed in 1992 prices.

The purity level of drugs as ascertained by scientific analysis will depend on at what point the sample is intercepted in the chain between dealers and misusers. Average street level purities for the period in question are contained in the table.

Proportion of the weight of heroin and cocaine seized by Her Majesty's Customs, Police and other agencies, United Kingdom, 1987–91
United Kingdom	Percentages
	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
Heroin
Her Majesty's Customs	80·7	90·5	94·1	95·6	77·8
Police and other agencies	19·3	9·5	5·9	4·4	22·2
Cocaine
Her Majesty's Customs	89·1	82·6	85·5	91·9	98·4
Police and other agencies	10·9	17·4	14·5	8·1	1·6

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the total quantity and (b) the estimated street value of (i) heroin, (ii) cocaine, (iii) synthetic category A drugs and (iv) all category A drugs seized within (1) the United Kingdom and (2) Wales in each year from 1987.

The available information on the quantity of class A drugs seized in the United Kingdom is published in table 2.4 of the Home Office statistical bulletin "Statistics of drugs seizures and offenders dealt with, United Kingdom, 1992", a copy of which is in the Library.Information on estimated street value is not collected centrally, and estimates of the quantity of controlled drugs seized are compiled only for the United Kingdom as a whole.

Child Deaths

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are recorded as having suffered a violent death during the last five years; and in how many of these cases criminal proceedings were subsequently brought.

A total of 474 offences of homicide were initially recorded in England and Wales during the period 1987 to 1991 where the victim was a person under the age of 16 years; in 391 of these, criminal proceedings were brought. In the remaining 83 cases, there was one case where the suspect died, 59 cases where the suspect

Percentages
	Heroin	Cocaine	Amphetamine
1987	33	56	11
1988	36	61	10
1989	39	48	7
1990	38	45	6
1991	48	51	5
1992	42	48	6

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish figures showing the proportion of (a) heroin and (b) cocaine seized by (1) Customs and Excise and (2) other agencies within (i) the United Kingdom and its waters and (ii) Wales in each year since 1987.

The information relating to the proportion of heroin and cocaine seizures by weight in the United Kingdom made by Her Majesty's Customs and other agencies is given in the table. Information regarding amounts seized in Wales is not held separately.committed suicide, nine cases where no suspect has yet been found and 14 cases where proceedings were not initiated—for example, on the advice of the Crown prosecution service.

Data Protection

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a resolution to the Council of Ministers to extend the European Commission's proposals for a data protection directive to personal data held by the police, immigration and national security services; and if he will make a statement.

The Government do not consider that the protection of data in these areas is a matter on which a Community-level initiative would be desirable.

Ecstasy

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Ecstasy-related deaths occurred in the United Kingdom during 1992.

This information is not yet available.

Crimes Against Children

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what medical or psychiatric treatment is available for men convicted of indecent assault on or sexual abuse of children; and what plans he has for improvement in or extension of such treatment.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Ms Jean Corston, dated 19 May 1993:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about medical or psychiatric treatment for men convicted of indecent assault on or sex abuse of children.

The treatment of sex offenders, including those who have committed offences against children, within the Prison Service falls into two broad categories, medical or educational, depending on whether the treatment consists of a form of psychotherapy or is based on a cognitive behaviourial approach.

For the former, in particular, facilities exist at HM Prison Grendon where there is a unit using a psychotherapeutic approach involving multi-disciplinary teams which are directed by a physician; the Wormwood Scrubs annex where therapy is conducted through group and one to one sessions involving psychiatrists, psychologists, probation, education and health care staff; and Glen Parva which provides similar programmes for young offenders.

Therapy or treatment is also provided at many establishments on an individual basis by visiting physicians or psychiatrists according to the clinical needs of the patient.

The second category of treatment is being facilitated by the Prison Service Sex Offender Programme which was introduced during 1992 and has been initially targeted at prisoners who receive sentences of four years or more, although there is scope for offenders who are serving shorter sentences but are deemed to be particularly dangerous to be put forward for the programme.

The programme, which is educational rather than medical in character, is divided into two main sub-programmes; a core programme, which tackles offenders' distorted beliefs about relationships, and an extended programme, for those who represent the greatest risk.

At present there are seven prisons acting as assessment centres, 13 providing core programmes and seven providing extended programmes. In addition, two establishments offer concentrated core programmes for high risk inmates serving less than four years.

For the future we plan to create additional capacity and increase the number of establishments providing the extending programme.

Probation Service (Partnership Plans)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many partnership plans have been formulated by probation services under section 97 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991; and how many include reparation and mediation services among their priorities for the coming three years.

Although we are still awaiting replies, the initial responses to the partnership decision document were encouraging, and give us reason to believe that most areas should be in a position to submit their initial plans by the 30 June deadline. This timing was endorsed by the National Partnership Forum and received the full support of the representative from the Association of Chief Officers of Probation, who was of the opinion that such a deadline would be acceptable to probation areas.

Unit Fines

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the unit fine scheme on the number of people received into Prison Department establishments for fine defaults.

The data necessary to make such an assessment are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he gave to returning the unit fine system to (a) the unit values used in the four pilot projects or (b) some other values instead of the values currently in force.

Unit values in any unit fine scheme must be such as to allow the courts to impose fines at up to the maximum levels approved by Parliament. The maximum unit values in the four pilot projects reflected the then requirement to be able to achieve a maximum fine of £2,000.The increase in the maximum fine that can be imposed by a magistrates court to £5,000 means that it would not be feasible to change the current maximum unit value of £100 without making a corresponding change to the maximum number of units available to express the seriousness of an offence. Having looked carefully at the scheme, we concluded that changes in this area would not address the anomalous results that have arisen in certain cases. We therefore announced our intention to abolish the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) of 26 January, Official Report, column 685, if he will place in the Library the information collected by his Department on the operation of the unit fines system.

Statistical information about fines imposed since 1 October 1992 is still being collected. It will be published in due course in the usual way.

Police Mergers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received urging the merger of a police force in England and Wales with another since taking office; and how many have been received by his Department in each of the past 10 years.

My right hon. and learned Friend has not received any representations urging the merger of a police force in England and Wales since taking office; nor have any such representations been received by this Department in the last three years. Details of correspondence from between three and five years ago could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Correspondence on this subject dating back over five years has been destroyed. It is normal departmental practice not to retain records dating back over five years unless they are considered to be of long-term significance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement giving all the evidence available to him on which he based his decision to change the current procedure for amalgamation of police forces; and if he will place copies of all supporting papers and correspondence in the Library.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: My right hon. and learned Friend proposes to simplify the statutory procedure relating to the amalgamation of police forces because he thinks that, if any amalgamations under existing leglislation were to be considered, the procedures would lead to protracted delay and uncertainty for the police forces concerned and would be detrimental to police performance.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter sent to him on 4 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, regarding the letter about relatives of Abdullahi Mohammed, of 21 Tarporley Avenue, forwarded to him by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office at the beginning of February.

[holding answer 22 April 1993]: My right hon. and learned Friend wrote to the right hon. Gentleman today.

Fines (Non Payment)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were sentenced to prison for failure to pay fines in the six-month periods beginning (a) April 1992 and (b) October 1992.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the prison service, who has been asked to arrange a reply.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Robert Maclennan, dated 20 May 1993:

The Secretary of State has asked me to write to you directly in reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of fine defaulters committed to custody in the six month periods beginning April 1992 and October 1992.

The latest available data relate to the 6 months from 1 March 1992 to 31 August 1992.During this period 9,329 fine defaulters (8,815 males and 514 females) were received into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales. More up to date information is available about the population of fine defaulters in Prison Service establishments; this was 533 persons (506 males and 27 females) on 31 March 1993, 256 persons (254 males and 2 females) on 30 September 1992 and 328 persons (308 males and 20 females) on 31 March 1992.

Trade And Industry

Nuclear Sites

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he has taken in response to the request made in the 22nd report of the Select Committee on European Legislation, HC79-xxii, of 10 March, in regard to explanatory memorandum 4140/93 on Euratom safeguards, for a fuller explanation of the background to and reasons for the expected increased costs for the safeguarding of United Kingdom nuclear sites and an assessment of the reaction of nuclear business interests to the proposals for the submission of detailed design information to be sought.

A response to the request of the Select Committee on European Legislation in regard to explanatory memorandum 4140/93 will be made when the final text of the proposed amendment to Commission regulation (Euratom) No. 3227/76 is available.

Warren Spring Laboratory

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the future arrangements for the operation of his Department's environmental helpline at Warren Spring Laboratory following the announcement on 11 May of the closure of the laboratories.

There has been no announcement about the future of Warren Spring Laboratory. My Department's environmental helpline service continues to be available to business callers on 0800 585 794.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what circumstances Glaxo plc will not have to pay the full agreed price to the Exchequer in respect of its acquisition of the site of the Warren Spring Laboratory at Welwyn.

Glaxo Group Research Ltd. acquired the site of the Warren Spring Laboratory at Stevenage—not Welwyn—on 1 April 1992.The purchase price is payable in instalments, but there are no circumstances in which Glaxo will not have to pay the full agreed price.

Export Control Compliance

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many copies of his Department's publication on export control compliance have been published; to whom it has been distributed; and whom his Export Control Organisation consulted prior to preparing the documents.

Some 6,000 copies of the code of practice on export control compliance have been distributed to date. They have been sent to companies exporting controlled goods, and to trade associations, chambers of commerce and other trade bodies. The Export Control Organisation consulted a wide range of companies and trade organisations in preparing the code which reflects the best practice found in operation.

Energy Policy

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the priorities of his Department in relation to energy policy for the remainder of 1993.

Currently, the priorities for my Department in support of the Government's energy policy are to: decide on the structure and licensing arrangements appropriate to a privatised coal industry with a view to legislation being brought forward as soon as possible; complete the review of our renewable energy strategy; begin work on the Government's review of the future prospects for nuclear power; make awards following the 14th round of offshore licensing; appoint the energy advisory panel in preparation for the first annual energy report to be published next year; achieve agreement on a substantial energy charter treaty among all countries of the OECD, of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and make further progress towards a single energy market in the Community.Other priorities will no doubt arise as the year progresses.

Manufactured Goods

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the change in the manufactured imported content of United Kingdom exports since 1970.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 3 November 1992, Official Report, columns 142–43.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the increase in imports and exports of finished manufactures in (a) 1970–77, (b) 1977–79 and (c) since 1979.

The available information is given in the table.

Percentage changes in United Kingdom trade¹ in finished manufactures²
	Exports	Imports
1970–77	43·2	126·2
1977–79	–3·1	38·4
1979–92	72·1	150·4
¹ Exports and imports in volume terms.
² Finished manufactures are defined as divisions 7 and 8 of the Standard International Trade Classification, less erratics (ships, North sea installations and aircraft)

Source: Monthly review of External Trade Statistics.

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the President of the Board of Trade in respect of how many parliamentary questions a substantive answer was not provided by his Department wholly or partly on the ground of disproportionate cost in each of the last 18 months (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of questions answered.

[holding answer 17 May 1993]: The information requested is shown in the table.

Year and month	Number of disproportionate	Total number of Answers	Percentage of Questions receiving disproportionate cost Answers
1991
November	3	396	0·75
December	3	248	1·20
1992
January	3	308	0·97
February	0	312	0·00
March	2	207	0·96
April	—	—	—
May	1	173	0·57
June	12	422	2·84
July	2	343	0·58
August	—	—	—
September	—	—	—
October	6	218	2·75
November	4	542	0·73
December	5	385	1·29
1993
January	2	320	0·62
February	4	406	0·98
March	8	451	1·77
April	4	294	1·36
Total	61	5,025	1·21

The table includes those questions answered by the Department of Energy between November 1991 and March 1992.

Energy Advisory Panel

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria he will use in appointing members to the energy advisory panel.

[holding answer 19 May 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to paragraph 3.32 of "The Prospects for Coal", Cm 2235.

Defence

Aldermaston

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the decommissioning of the Merlin reactor at Aldermaston.

Although the Merlin reactor was situated within the parish of Aldermaston, it was never part of the atomic weapons establishment. The reactor was owned and operated by Associated Electrical Industries, which subsequently became part of GEC. Consequently, its decommissioning is not a matter for my Department.

Data Protection

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what investigations his Department has been subject by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint and state when the complaint was made; and what remedial action was taken by his Department to ensure future compliance with the principle subject to the investigation.

Since the office of the Data Protection Registrar was established, 10 complaints have been received against the Ministry of Defence as follows:

Complaint Type	Number Received	Date Received
Principle 3	1	3 December 1990
Principle 5	2	9 November 1988
		14 June 1992
Principle 7	5	15 December 1987
		21 March 1988
		21 November 1988
		24 August 1989
		8 August 1990
Principle 8	1	3 November 1989
Section (5) 1	1	2 April 1990

None of these cases required any significant remedial action by this Department.

Bosnia

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence British forces serving in Bosnia-Herzegovina have reported of Croat forces wearing nazi uniforms or swastika badges.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British combat aircraft currently enforcing the no-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzegovina are also engaged in the reconnaissance of possible future ground targets.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received from British forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina on fighting between Croat and Muslim forces since 17 May; and if he will make a statement.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North (Mr. Elletson) on 30 April, Official Report, column 591.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) RAF and (b) foreign aircraft were used (i) to return personnel of the Cheshire Regiment from Bosnia to Germany and (ii) to fly out personnel of the Prince of Wales's Own Regiment; why foreign aircraft were used; at what cost; whether foreign military aircrew were involved; and if he will make a statement.

RAF Hercules C-130 aircraft and Ilyushin 8, Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 aircraft belonging to Saarland and Berlin Air and contracted by the German Government were used to effect the changeover of our battalion group in Bosnia. No German military aircrew were involved. The German Government last year offered UNPROFOR troop contributors, on a bilateral basis, practical assistance in supporting their contingents in Bosnia. The German offer took the form of services they could provide, rather than direct financial assistance. The savings made from taking up the German Government's offer of assistance is estimated at £179,000.

Hms Avenger

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, column 573, what specific effect the fleet's commitments in the Adriatic had on the decision that HMS Avenger should return directly to the United Kingdom from the south Atlantic rather than via the Pacific; and what was the difference between the two plans in the projected dates of her return to port.

In allocating the fuel available to the Fleet in 1993–94, priority has been given to operational tasks, including the commitment in the Adriatic, with the result that plans for some other activities, including HMS Avenger's visit to Chile, have had to be changed. HMS Avenger will arrive back in the United Kingdom 33 days earlier than was originally planned.

No-Fly Zone

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his statement of 1 April, Official Report, column 505, if the costs of enforcing the no-fly zone under Security Council resolution 816 will be met by the United Nations or from national defence budgets.

Costs will be met by participating nations. In the case of the United Kingdom, they will be charged to the defence budget.

Fourth Frigate Flotilla

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 May, Official Report, column 573, what was the budget in 1992–93 for fuel costs for the fourth frigate flotilla; what was spent; what is the budget in 1993–94; how much has been spent to date; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is as follows:

£ thousands
	Allocation	Spend
1992–93	4,421	3,316
1993–94	2,483	¹311
¹ Up to 30 April 1993.

The lower spend than allocation in 1992–93 reflects efficiency measures and reassessments of fleet activities. The lower allocation in the current financial year reflects expected continuing improvements in efficiency, the reduction in size of the fourth frigate squadron and different fleet activity priorities from the previous year.

Guns

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the planned peacetime establishment of the five artillery regiments to be equipped with the AS90 self-propelled gun; what is the present establishment of an artillery regiment equipped with 150 mm Abbot or M109 guns; how many of the guns in each battery will be manned in peacetime; when the decision was taken not to man complete batteries in peacetime; when and how it was announced; how the batteries will be brought up to full strength; what are the annual manpower and related savings of partial manning; and if he will make a statement.

It is not the practice to disclose details of unit establishments.

Army Personnel Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what capital value was ascribed to Kentigern house, Glasgow in arriving at the comparative costs of provision of the new Army personnel office.

The Government already own Kentigern house, and therefore its capital value was not a factor taken into account in determining the cost of the Army personnel centre. The investment appraisal was carried out in accordance with Her Majesty's Treasury guidelines in these matters and the opportunity cost of utilising space in Kentigern house for the Army personnel centre rather than for other purposes was included. This showed Kentigern house to be the most cost-effective solution.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Protocols (Ratification)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to ratify the 1 and 2 optional protocols to the international covenant on civil and political rights and the 6 optional protocol to the European convention on human rights; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to ratify these optional protocols. We believe that the European convention on human rights—ECHR—provides individuals with a stronger means of redress than they would have under the first optional protocol to the international covenant on civil and political rights—ICCPR. With regard to the second optional protocol to the ICCPR and the sixth optional protocol to the ECHR, we believe that the abolition or reintroduction of the death penalty is an issue of conscience which should be decided by a free vote of Parliament.

Royal Family (Visits)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the breakdown by category of expenditure by his Department in the latest available year on overseas visits by the royal family at the request of Government Departments.

The cost to the Department to date of overseas visits undertaken by members of the royal family at the request of Government Departments during the financial year 1992–93 is £453,300, broken down as follows:

	£
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh	157,100
The Prince and the Princess of Wales	133,200
Other members of the royal family	163,000

Regional Aid

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the maximum ceilings for regional state aid for each of the member states of the EC.

I have been asked to reply.The maximum ceilings for regional state aids for each of the member states are laid down by the European Commission in its communication on the method for the application of article 92(3) (a) and (c) to regional aid—Official Journal C 212 of 12 August 1988.Within each member state, the permitted rate of assistance may vary within this ceiling depending on the kind, intensity or urgency of the regional problems the assistance is designed to combat.

	Percentage
Belgium	25
Denmark	30
France	¹25
Germany	23
Greece	75
Italy	¹15
Ireland	75
Luxembourg	25
The Netherlands	20
Portugal	75
Spain	¹45
United Kingdom	¹30

¹ Some areas of these countries are designated as article 92(3) (a) EEC areas—where the standard of living is abnormally low or where there is serious underemployment—and, as such, are permitted aid intensity of up to 75 per cent.

Ec Legislative Programme

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response Her Majesty's Government have made to the Commission's legislative programme for 1993, "COM (93)43 Final" published on 3 February; and what is his policy towards the proposal to change the scope of Euratom safeguards as set out in paragraph 244 of the programme.

I have been asked to reply.The contents of the Commission's legislative programme have been received and noted. Her Majesty's Government do not respond formally to the Commission's programme. The only reference in the legislative programme to Euratom safeguards is contained in annex III under the section entitled "promoting sustainable, environment-friendly growth", and relates to the amendment of regulation (Euratom) 3227/76 to strengthen international safeguards. Initial proposals for these changes were described in explanatory memorandum 4140/93, a copy which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Overseas Development

Yugoslavia

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the aid and assistance schemes made available to the Croat Government since independence.

We have provided a total of £60,000 in the form of direct bilateral assistance to the Croatian Government. This was used to assess the damage and make urgent recommendations for remedial repairs to the Peruca dam which was in danger of collapse. The United Nations and the EC have provided various forms of assistance in Croatia but comprehensive figures Setting out their expenditure are not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the new initiative launched by his Department to alleviate physical and psychological hardship among Bosnian women will be extended to all women in Bosnia-Herzegovina irrespective of ethnic origin; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: A programme of assistance to traumatised women in Bosnia-Herzegovina is being started by the United Kingdom-based non-governmental organisation Marie Stopes International. We are providing financial support for this project together with the European Commission, a number of other EC member states and the United Nations.The project will be based in four centres in Bosnia from where it will operate outreach health and counselling teams. The locations have been chosen on the basis of security, logistics and need. They will provide assistance to traumatised and abused women irrespective of their ethnic origins.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect the application of sanctions on fuel supplies to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is having on the provision of humanitarian aid by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belgrade to the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[holding answer 20 May 1993] There were initial concerns in UNHCR that the rapid imposition of further sanctions against Serbia would delay the supply of humanitarian relief supplies to Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, the United Nations sanctions committee has taken steps to ensure that all shipments of humanitarian supplies are authorised and proceed without delay.

Select Committee Recommendations

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Select Committee recommendations have been made about the Overseas Development Administration since April 1989; and how many have been accepted.

Since April 1989, the Foreign Affairs Committee has published 21 reports, containing recommendations about the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration. The Government's responses have been placed in the Library of the House.

Desertification

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement outlining the policy of the United Kingdom Government on negotiations to agree an international convention to combat desertification.

We are participating in the negotiations. Our view is that the convention should provide a framework for effective national programmes of action concentrating on the principal causes of land degradation.

Know-How Funds

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those countries to which assistance is given through the know-how fund; and if he will state the sums involved in each case.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: The countries receiving assistance through the know-how fund, including those to which specific pledges have been made, are:

Poland

Pledge of £50 million over 5 years, commencing 1989–90 and £15 million for the Agricultural Development Fund;

Hungary

Pledge of £25 million over five years, commencing 1989–90;

Czech Republic Slovak Republic}Pledge of £30 million over 5 years, commencing 1990–91;

Romania, Bulgaria, Albania and Slovenia

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the countries of the Transcaucasus and Central Asia: Pledge of £100 million over five years, commencing 1991–92.

A further £60 million of bilateral aid for Russia was announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in April 1993.

We are also committed to spending £5 million on environmental projects in the region in the period 1992–95.

In 1993–94, we also expect to contribute £48·7 million to the European bank for reconstruction and development and £131 million to the European Community's PHARE and TACIS programmes. Total British assistance to eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union in financial year 1993–94 is likely to exceed £232 million.

Population And Development Conference

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the British delegation to the preparatory committee meeting for the International Conference on Population and Development 1994 held in New York on 20 and 21 May had practical experience of family planning and population aid programmes; and what organisations they represented.

[holding answer 19 May 1993]: Three members of the British delegation have such practical experience. They represent the Overseas Development Administration, the United Kingdom Family Planning Association and Population Concern, a non-governmental organisation.

Scotland

Gp Fund Holders

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 11 May, Official Report, column 408, how much of the total savings of £150,000 was retained by each fund holding practice; and on what these sums were spent.

I have written to the hon. Lady to correct an error in my original answer of 11 May where the figure for the total savings of GP fund holder practices should have read "£190,000" rather than "£150,000".The savings of individual GP fund-holding practices for 1991–92 are shown in the audited annual accounts of the individual GP fund-holders, which are public documents.These savings, which are administered by the health board may only be applied in accordance with regulations, and with board agreement for the benefit of the fundholders patients. The specific details of the individual practice expenditure involved is a matter for the relevant health board.

Employment Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people were participating in (a) employment training, (b) employment action, (c) the enterprise allowance scheme and (d) youth training in each month since December 1991; and if she will make a statement.

:Information on numbers of people participating in employment training, employment action, the enterprise allowance scheme and its successors, and

	Youth Training¹	Employment Training¹	Enterprise Allowances	Employment Action
1991
December	36,507	17,763	n/a	263
1992
January	37,940	17,657	n/a	381
February	38,451	18,317	n/a	841
March	38,099	17,670	n/a	1,214
April	36,522	16,845	4,563	1,535
May	35,461	16,298	4,560	1,789
June	36,478	15,792	4,681	2,086
July	35,922	15,464	4,602	2,337
August	35,547	15,194	4,581	2,562
September	35,679	15,307	4,644	2,741
October	35,578	15,429	4,580	2,939
November	35,460	15,558	4,746	3,283
December	34,915	15,151	4,747	3,440
1993
January	35,711	14,761	4,406	3,408
February	35,191	14,735	4,606	3,434
March	34,595	14,060	4,223	3,407
¹ Data are subject to increase as late returns are received from training providers.

Renewable Energy

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to lay the Scottish renewable energy obligation order.

I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member for East Kilbride (Mr. Ingram) on 21 April, Official Report, column 113.

Forestry

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list all Forestry Commission land holdings over 1,000 acres, giving their name, county, Ordnance Survey grid reference and size.

[holding answer 14 May 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 12 May 1993, Official Report, column 487, in response to his request for a list of all Forestry Commission land holdings over 1,000 hectares. A further list of Forestry Commission holdings over 1,000 acres could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Opencast Mining

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 5 May, Official Report, column 170, if he will make it his policy to refuse any appeal made against a planning decision relating to opencast coal until the new natural planning policy guideline on land for mineral workings is promulgated.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: My right hon. Friend is bound by statute to receive and determine all appeals, which have been properly and timeously lodged under the appropriate planning statute, having regard to the provisions of the relevant development plan and any other material considerations.

youth training in Scotland in each month since December 1991, based on the latest information available, is set out in the table.

Planning Appeals

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indemnify local authorities against legal costs of defending appeals against planning decisions which are upheld subject to prior discussion between the local authority and the Scottish Office.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: My right hon. Friend has no powers to indemnify local authorities in relation to costs; in planning proceedings, including appeals, parties are expected to meet their own expenses. Where one of the parties applies at the appropriate stage in the proceedings, expenses may be awarded on the ground of unreasonable behaviour by another party which resulted in unnecessary expenses being incurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with COSLA on the level of legal costs incurred by local authorities regarding appeals against planning decisions.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: My right hon. Friend has had no discussions with COSLA on this matter.

Hedges (Salt Spray)

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what study he has made of the effect of salt spray on roads such as the A68 insidiously killing hedges.

[holding answer 20 May 1993]: The roads directorate of the Scottish Office Industry Department has not undertaken any such specific study and is unaware of any evidence of damage to hedges.

Environment

Council Tenants (Property Purchase)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide figures per council of the range of cash incentives available to council tenants to purchase a property in the private sector.

Section 129 of the Housing Act 1988 empowers local authorities to operate a cash incentive scheme to give grants to their tenants to help them obtain other accommodation by buying or leasing a home. These schemes are a valuable and cost-effective way of securing vacancies for reletting to homeless people.The table lists schemes approved by the Department to date for 1993–94 and gives the range of grant payable under each scheme.

Local authority cash incentive schemes approved by the Department of the Environment 1993–94
	For each household
Local authority	Minimum grant	Maximum grant
Eastern
Basildon	—	19,000
Colchester	—	20,000
Dacorum	12,000	20,000
Maldon	6,500	20,000
Southend	—	15,000
Uttlesford	9,000	20,000
Watford	—	15,000
London
Croydon	13,000	22,500
City of London	11,000	20,000
Enfield	18,000	25,000
Hammersmith and Fulham	6,500	20,000
Harrow	12,500	25,000
Havering	13,000	16,000
Hillingdon	13,000	26,500
Kingston upon Thames	13,000	20,000
Redbridge	10,000	22,000
Sutton	—	18,000
Waltham Forest	13,000	20,000
Wandsworth	18,000	22,000
South East
Ashford	—	15,000
Canterbury	14,880	18,160
Chichester	—	18,000
Dover	12,000	20,722
Eastbourne	—	15,000
Eastleigh	—	15,000
Gillingham	10,000	18,000
Havant	10,000	15,000
New Forest	—	17,000
Portsmouth	2,000	15,000
Reigate and Banstead	—	20,000
Rushmoor	12,500	12,500
Spelthorne	—	24,000
Test Valley	7,500	10,000
East Midlands
Boston	3,000	8,000
Daventry	5,000	10,000
East Northamptonshire	—	6,000
West Midlands
Stafford	4,000	10,000
Warwick	—	10,000
Wyre Forest	—	10,000
South West
Caradon	4,000	10,000
Cheltenham	—	10,000
Exeter	—	10,000
Restormel	—	10,000

	For each household
Local authority	Minimum grant	Maximum grant
Salisbury	—	10,000
Taunton Deane	—	10,000
Woodspring	—	10,000

Waste Water Treatment

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from the water companies concerning costs expected to be incurred by water companies in implementing the EC urban waste water treatment directive.

The water companies, through the Water Services Association and individually, have made known their views and are continuing to refine their estimates of costs. The Department aims to meet the obligations of the directive in an economical and efficient manner.

Pollution Inspectorate

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the policy underlying, and the estimated impact of, the restructuring of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, as announced on 29 April.

HMIP has undergone an internal restructuring aimed at consolidating the organisational, management and cultural changes brought about by the implementation of integrated pollution control. It is part of the continuing development of the inspectorate as a performance-driven, customer-aware and value-formoney organisation.The reorganisation will enable the management and staff of HMIP to focus their efforts better on delivering the inspectorate's key objectives more efficiently and effectively and, thereby, to provide an enhanced service to industry and the public.

Environmental Impact Assessments

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance his Department gave the European Commission in its compilation on the annex on the United Kingdom to its report "Com. (93) 28 Final-Volume 12" on implementation of EC directive 85/337/EEC, published on 2 April.

The Government were among those consulted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what independent measures exist in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other member states of the European Community to review the adequacy and effectiveness of environmental impact statements prepared, pursuant to EC directive 85/337/EEC.

The requirements of EC directive 85/337 have been introduced into member states' law in several different ways. In the United Kingdom, the local planning authority or other competent authority is required to take the environmental information, which includes the environmental statement, into consideration in deciding whether to grant development consent. Planning authorities have powers to require the applicant to provide further information concerning any of the matters set out in schedule 3 to the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 or to produce evidence to verify information in the environmental statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many British individuals or organisations have complained to the European Commission in regard to alleged breaches of EC directive 85/337/EEC on environmental impact assessments since it came into force; how many have been upheld; and if he will make a statement on the impact of the directive to date.

The United Kingdom is not notified of all complaints to the EC by British individuals and organisations and current figures are not therefore available to the Government. However, I refer the hon. Member to the Commission's report dated 2 April 1993 on the implementation of directive 85/337—COM 93(28)—which has been deposited in the House and which gives numbers of complaints for the period 1988–90.It is not known how many were from British individuals or organisations. To date, no cases have been brought against the British Government in the European Court of Justice concerning the implementation or application of directive 85/337.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on European Commission proposals "COM (92)93 Final" and "COM (93)131 Final" for a convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context.

EC proposals COM (92)93 and COM (93)131 concern a proposal to facilitate simultaneous ratification by the European Community and the individual member states of the convention on environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context which was adopted at Espoo on 25 February 1991.Explanatory memoranda have been submitted to Parliament and have been placed in the Library of the House. The Government welcome the convention which the United Kingdom signed on 26 February 1991 and support the principle of simultaneous ratification.

Grounds Maintenance Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases of anti-competitive behaviour by local authorities in awarding grounds maintenance contracts were reported to his Department in 1992; and what action was taken as a result.

An analysis of all anti-competitive cases received by the Department in 1992 is to be carried out during the summer. I will write to my hon. Friend before the recess with the results in respect of ground maintenance cases.During the first four months of 1993, 32 new anti-competitive complaints involving ground maintenance work were received. As at the end of April, four statutory notices have been served; in 17 cases we have decided not to proceed to statutory action; and the remainder are under consideration.

Recycling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent permissions have been given to local authorities for implementing recycling plans.

A total of 245 recycling plans have now been cleared by the Department as complying with the necessary statutory requirements. Once a local authority has been given the go ahead, it should publicise the plan and make it available to the local community.I have placed in the Library of the House a list of the local authorities which have had their plans cleared.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local government authorities have implemented policies to achieve the recycling of glass, paper, and metal cans; and what incomes were achieved in the latest year available.

According to the recycling plans submitted by local authorities in England, glass is collected for recycling in 91 per cent. of waste collection authorities, paper is collected in 81 per cent. of authorities and metal cans are collected in 60 per cent. of authorities. Each plan should provide information about the future costs and savings attributable to the proposals in the plan, but the nature of incomes achieved will vary from one authority to another and are not presented on a comparable basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the approximate volume of glass, paper and metal cans recycled for future use during the last year for which figures are available.

In 1992, approximately 459,000 metric tonnes of glass; 3,086,000 metric tonnes of paper; and over 80,000 metric tonnes of metal cans were recycled for future use.

Climate Change Conference

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the matters addressed and agreed at the conference on climate change held in London on 7 May.

The conference's focus was how the United Kingdom should meet its commitment of returning CO₂emissions to 1990 levels by 2000.My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State was pleased that many participants at the conference welcomed the open consultative process adopted, which encouraged the partnership approach that is the key to developing a cost-effective CO₂programme, and were keen to consider what they could contribute. In his speech to the conference, he accepted the argument put by many of those who have taken part in the consultations that only Governments could provide the basic legislative and fiscal framework for our programme, within which others could act.A report of the conference will be published next month and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Public Conveniences

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has commissioned of the environmental and pollution consequences of a reduction in the number of public conveniences and an increase in the incidence of sleeping rough.

None, although as part of independent research into the effectiveness of the first phase—1990–93 —of the Government's £96 million rough sleepers initiative, a count undertaken by voluntary organisations last November found that the number of people sleeping rough in central London had fallen to around 420, down by more than a half from estimates of over 1,000 before the initiative began.

Indo-British Environmental Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the Indo-British environmental initiative agreed with the Indian Minister for Environment and Forests on 21 April.

I have arranged for a copy of the text of the Indo-British initiative agreed between my right hon. and learned Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, and Mr. Kamal Nath, Indian Minister for Environment and Forests, to be placed in the Library.

Ozone Depletion

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had in the European Council of Ministers on the time scale for the phasing out of the production of substances damaging the ozone layer.

I have been pressing the European Commission to submit proposals for an EC regulation on ozone-depleting substances as soon as possible, and for it to contain stricter controls on hydrochlorofluorocarbons and methyl bromide than those in the Copenhagen amendment to the Montreal protocol.

Planning Consents (Revocation)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library the details of the instances in 1991 when he used his revocation powers on a planning consent.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 17 May 1993, Official Report, column 60.

Water And Sewerage Charges

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what percentage (a) the retail prices index and (b) water and sewerage charges to consumers have increased since January 1987; to what extent the level of water and sewerage charges are determined by the Government; and if he will publish a table showing the increase in real earnings since April 1987 of those employed in the industry compared with the corresponding increase for full-time adult male manual workers in manufacturing industry.

The percentage increase in the RPI from January 1987 to March 1993 was 39·3 per cent. The percentage increase in average household water and sewerage bills from the 1986–87 charging year to 1992–93 was 85 per cent. Under legislation, increases in water and sewerage charges are limited by the Secretary of State under his decisions in 1989 or under subsequent decisions by the Director General of Water Services. Within these overall limits, water and sewerage companies can apportion tariffs for different services, so long as they do not discriminate between customers or classes of customer. Relevant information on comparative earnings is available from the new earnings survey, copies of which are in the Library.

Unitary Authorities

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the remit of the Local Government Commission for England includes considering proposed unitary authorities based on a combination of parliamentary constituencies.

No, although the Local Government Commission may recommend unitary authorities of any size within each review area.

Rents

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the average increase in rents for (a) council tenants, (b) housing association tenants and (c) private tenants with regulated tenancies in each of the past three years; and what were the comparable figures in the retail prices index, average earnings and the average value of houses in England.

Information on the percentage changes in average rent levels in the last three years is set out in the table. The table also gives the corresponding changes in the retail prices index, average earnings and average house prices. Figures refer to England unless otherwise stated.

per cent
	1990	1991	1992
Council tenants¹	+15	+15	+11
Registered rents²
Housing association tenants	+12	+9	+11
Other tenants	+15	+10	+13
RPI³	+9	+6	+4
Average earnings⁴	+10	+8	+6
Average house prices	-2	-2	-5
¹ The percentages given are the annual changes in average rents for the financial years 1990–91 to 1992–93. Figures for average local authority rents are not available for calendar years.
² The percentages given are for changes in the levels of those rents registered in the year rather than in average rents for all tenants with registered rents.
³ United Kingdom figures.
⁴ Great Britain figures.

Employment Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were directly employed by each local authority in England and Wales for each year since 1978.

Numbers employed by each local authority in England and Wales from 1979 have been published in the joint staffing watch press releases. These are available in the Library of the House. Information about the numbers employed, by local authority, before 1979 is not available.

Landfill Methane Emissions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of the United Kingdom methane emissions arise from landfill gas" what information he has about future trends of landfill methane emissions; and whether he will issue a plan to return total United Kingdom emissions of methane to 1990 levels by the year 2000.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Norwood (Mr. Fraser) on 11 May 1993, Official Report, column 366.

Surrey Heath Borough Council

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the level of council tax in the Surrey Heath borough council; and what is the level of revenue support grant.

The average headline band C council tax for two adults in Surrey Heath is £472.The revenue support grant entitlement for Surrey Heath borough council itself in 1993–94 is £767,000.

Community Charge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much community charge was outstanding to local authorities on 31 March; and if he will give details of the amount outstanding to each local authority.

[pursuant to his reply, 4 May 1993, c. 39]: I estimate that the level of community charge arrears for local authorities in England at 31 March 1993 was £2·4 billion. Authorities have, however, made provision for non-collection of £1·6 billion.

Volume 225: debated on Sunday 21 February 1993

Written Answers To Questions

Lord Chancellor's Department

Data Protection

Employment

Training Schemes (Accidents)

Immigration Appeals

Pregnant Women's Rights

Duchy Of Lancaster

Market Testing

Attorney-General

Data Protection

Social Security

Family Credit

Christmas Bonus

Retirement Pensions

Compensation Scheme

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Flag

Terrorism

Rate Collection Agency

Ordnance Survey

Wales

Local Authorities (Payment Of Bills)

Hydatidosis

Job Vacancies

European Farm Commissioners

Historic Buildings Council

Council Mortgages

Employees' Qualifications

Labour Statistics

Health

Patient Records

Spastics Society

Drugs And Alcohol

Limited List

Teenagers (Magazine Advice)

Doctors And Consultants (Suspensions)

Schools Health Service

Blood Donors

Transport

Nuclear Fuel (Transport)

Scirocco

Marine Emergencies Organisation

East London Rail Study

Education

Oxbridge College Fees

"Testing: The Facts"

Prime Minister

Mr Alan Clark

National Finance

Currency And Commodity Dealings

Trade Bank

Exchange Rates

Manufactures

Rents

"Monthly Digest Of Statistics"

Forestry Commission

Drugs

Child Deaths

Data Protection

Ecstasy

Crimes Against Children

Probation Service (Partnership Plans)

Unit Fines

Police Mergers

Correspondence

Fines (Non Payment)

Trade And Industry

Nuclear Sites

Warren Spring Laboratory

Export Control Compliance

Energy Policy

Manufactured Goods

Parliamentary Questions

Energy Advisory Panel

Defence

Aldermaston

Data Protection