To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he received a copy of the Kennedy working party report on High Court judges; and if he will make a statement.

The report was received by the Lord Chancellor on 10 February 1993.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether he will publish the advice given to the Lord Chancellor by the Legal Aid Advisory Committee on his proposed changes in legal aid.

The Legal Aid Advisory Committee has itself already made public its advice to the Lord Chancellor on the proposed eligibility changes and the Lord Chancellor's response to its advice. I have placed copies of the correspondence in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the legal issues in connection with the European Communities (Amendment) Bill on which he has made public statements, indicating on which of them he sought advice from (a) his Department's lawyers, (b) Crown Law Officers and (c) European Court legal advisers.

We have taken legal advice from various sources during the passage of the European Communities (Amendment) Bill. It is neither customary nor appropriate for me to reveal these sources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether legal advice was sought before 20 January on the effects of amending the European Communities (Amendment) Bill.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many reported incidents there have been of (a) total number of crimes reported, (b) murders, (c) attempts to escape, (d) incidents of rape, (e) incidents of child sex abuse, (f) drug abuse, (g) abortions and (h) suicides for each year at the Whitehead detention camp in Hong Kong.

The figures for 1991 and 1992 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on official entertainment in his Department during 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

The following was spent on entertainment by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will support mandatory sanctions against UNITA, including the banning of all lethal and non-lethal supplies and all flights to and from UNITA-controlled areas of Angola.

Resolution 804, adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 29 January, urged members to cease the supply of lethal material to any Angolan party. We keep the situation under review, but do not believe that mandatory sanctions could be effectively applied against UNITA.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to promote the ending of the current conflict in Angola through the implementation of the peace accords which were agreed with the Angolan Government on 31 May 1991.

The Government fully support United Nations efforts to promote dialogue between the Government of Angola and UNITA with a view to agreeing a ceasefire and full implementation of the Bicesse peace accords. With our EC partners, we have urged UNITA to agree a date for a further meeting with the Government of Angola to be held under United Nations auspices in Addis Ababa, and to agree to a truce in the besieged city of Huambo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the treatment of ethnic and political minorities in Kenya and (b) other aspects of the present human rights situation; and what advice he has given to the Kenyan Government about the necessary human rights provisions in Kenya for the continued provision of aid.

We have expressed concern at the highest levels over recent renewed outbreaks of ethnic clashes and have stressed the importance of the Kenyan Government providing security for all Kenyan citizens. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development has also raised concerns over Kenya's human rights performance, a key factor which Her Majesty's Government take into account when allocating aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning the European Community observer mission in South Africa.

The European Community observer mission in South Africa—ECOMSA—is making a valuable contribution to defusing violence and reducing tensions. ECOMSA, together with the Commonwealth team, has been particularly praised for its professionalism, and has rapidly built extensive relations with, for example, local political organisations, peace accord structures and the South African police. They have the advantage of comprising several senior serving police officers with experience in, for example, community policing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the terms of reference of the European Community observer mission in South Africa; what is the period of the mandate of the mission; what is the size of the mission; what is the number of members from each EC member state; and in which areas of South Africa it is operating.

The European Community observer mission in South Africa was deployed in accordance with the terms of Security Council resolution 772 to work in association with other international observer groups and the structures of the national peace accord as part of their efforts to reduce tension and end violence.The mission was initially deployed for six months, with effect from October 1992, and comprises 15 members contributed from member states as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are to extend the period of the mandate of the European Community observer mission in South Africa beyond the current expiry date.

This is under consideration among the Twelve. A decision is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements have been made for the European Community observer mission in South Africa to report to (a) the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, (b) the Council of Ministers, (c) the structures of European political co-operation, (d) the Commission of the European Communities, (e) the European Parliament and (f) the national parliaments of the member states of the European Community.

Regular reports are submitted to the presidency. These are made available for discussion as necessary by European Community Foreign Ministers. They are also circulated to all member states and can be drawn on to inform their parliaments as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recommendations the European Community observer mission in South Africa has made to (a) the presidency and (b) the Council of Ministers.

To date, the reports of the European Community observer mission in South Africa have been factual commentaries on the situation and about action engaged in by team members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on which dates the Council of Ministers has discussed the question of the European Community observer mission to South Africa since October 1992.

This matter has not been discussed by the Council of Ministers since October 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the Council of Ministers has given to the possibility of expanding the European Community observer mission to South Africa and extending its mandate when agreement is reached on the calling of one person one vote elections.

This question has not yet been considered by the Council of Ministers. Any election-monitoring mission would be different in nature, and would probably have to operate separately, from the current observer exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens are currently attached to (a) the United Nations observer mission to South Africa, (b) the European Community observer mission to South Africa, (c) the Commonwealth observer group to South Africa and (d) the Goldstone commission.

There are three United Kingdom citizens currently serving with the United Nations observer mission to South Africa, two with the European Community observer mission, one with the Commonwealth observer group to South Africa, and one with the Goldstone commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the money to be spent on (a) safety and (b) capital investment by regional railways in Suffolk in the next financial year.

The disaggregation of expenditure at this level is a matter for British Rail. It is for BR to determine what safety-related expenditure is required in each area and how the available capital investment resources should be shared out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the contracts awarded by his Department to (a) Coopers and Lybrand management consultants, (b) Touche Ross management consultants, (c) Price Waterhouse management consultants, (d) Ernst and Young management consultants, (e) Chrichton Roberts Ltd., (f) KPMG management consultants and (g) Leopold Joseph management consultants, with the total cost of the contracts with each contractor, for (i) the past 12 months and (ii) 1991–92.

The following contracts were awarded by the Department of Transport:

• A Review of the Inspectorate's Performance Measures.
• DVOIT Job Costing.
• TRL's Temporary Finance Director.
• Independent Assessment and Review of Sale of Marks —Market Testing Assignment.
• Total cost £178,000.

• HQ Accommodation Study.
• Preparation of an Operation Requirement for Design and Development of a Property Management Information System for PMT.
• Preparation of an OR for a Property Management Information System.
• Total cost £143,000.

• Advice on personnel arrangements.
• Total cost £68,000.

• Development of Decision Framework to Assist DOT with European Standardisation.
• Commission to Design, Develop and Implement a Payroll Modelling System.
• HQ Accommodation Management Implementation Study.
• IS/IT Scoping Study.
• IS/IT Full Study.
• Total cost £380,000.

• Total cost Nil.

• Pilot Implementation of Project Software.
• Implementation Study—Business Analysis—Extension to cover Local Authority Issues.
• Advice on Networking Policy.
• Network referencing Phase 1
• Total cost £403,000.

• Total cost Nil.

• DVOIT Agency Implementation Support.
• Study of EC Directive and Rail Liberalisation.
• Total cost £591,000.

• Accommodation Management Information Study.
• Property management information system for AOSD.
• Total cost £105,000.

• Total cost Nil.

• Study of the Options of a Payroll Modelling System for PMT.
• Preparation for the Design and Development of Payroll Modelling System.
• Total cost £66,000.

• Total cost Nil.

• Assisting in Developing a Management Accounting Model.
• PMS DOT Implementation Study—Business Analysis.
• Information Systems Strategy for the Vehicle Inspectorate.
• Total cost £205,000.

• Total cost Nil.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many contracts for consultancies were awarded by his Department over (a) the last 12 months and (b) 1991–92.

The following consultancy contracts, including management consultancies, were awarded by the Department of Transport over:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson), Official Report, columns 510–11, what is his Department's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

The current estimated outturn for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 by my Department is £8–78 million. The 1993–94 estimates will be considered by Parliament on 9 March, after which budgets will be published. The budget for 1993–94 is expected to be in line with 1992–93 expenditure in real terms. These estimates do not include publicity expenditure by the Department's executive agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will introduce a public campaign on the need for cyclists to have both a front and rear light when riding a pedal cycle during the hours of darkness; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is planning to launch a cycling safety campaign in March and our publicity material will include advice on the use of lights by cyclists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he proposes to introduce to stop motorists driving too close to motor cyclists and pedal cyclists.

Advice to motorists to give cyclists plenty of room is contained in the "Highway Code", "The Driving Manual", "Your Driving Test" and a leaflet currently being issued with vehicle excise duty reminders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what conclusions the Transport Research Laboratory has come to for the criteria which need to be applied to the installation of pedestrian crossings and islands to meet the needs of vulnerable people; and if he will make a statement.

The Transport Research Laboratory has carried out research into pedestrians' use of crossings, the effectiveness of the crossings and accidents which occur.As a result, the assessment criteria for the provision of pedestrian crossing facilities are being revised to remove the existing numerical criteria and encourage more account to be taken of local needs.The new Puffin pedestrian crossing which is being developed makes it easier and safer for all pedestrians. it automatically extends the crossing time as needed for elderly and disabled pedestrians. The TRL is continuing to monitor and assess the new crossing design.Advice has been issued to local authorities on the provision of dropped kerbs and tactile paving at pedestrian crossing points to improve the safe and independent mobility of wheelchair users and visually impaired people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many representations he has received since May 1992 concerning developing (a) the current Severn bridge and (b) the second Severn crossing as toll-free bridges.

We have received since May 1992 some 150 representations about the reduction or removal of the tolls specified in the Severn Bridges Act 1992. Very few of them distinguish between the two bridges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been undertaken by his Department on the possible use and development of electric cars in the United Kingdom.

The Transport Research Laboratory is soon to complete a review of worldwide research and experience in the use and environmental impact of alternative fuels including electricity. This covers various road vehicles including cars. It will draw on earlier TRL work on electric vehicles which included published reports on their market prospects, energy consumption and refuelling infrastructure.The Department is also funding a study examining the feasibility of limited in-service field trials of vehicles using a range of alternative fuels including electricity.In addition, engineers in the Department continue to keep abreast of electric vehicle developments worldwide, and I welcome the continuing efforts by manufacturers to develop advanced batteries and more competitive electric vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the relationship between the public service obligation grant for 1993–94 and the 1988 public service obligation directive to British Rail; and if he will make a statement.

Public service obligation grant is paid to meet the cost to British Rail of compliance with the obligation laid down, which is currently defined in the Secretary of State's direction of 30 March 1988. Payments made in the years since the direction was issued have varied according to need. The Government's initial estimate of grant needed for 1993–94 is £850 million, but the amount to be paid will be settled in the light of the board's budget, still in preparation, and may be subject to subsequent adjustment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the difference between the minimum standards of construction for coaches registered in the United Kingdom for coaches which do not exceed 60 mph and those for coaches which travel at speeds up to 70 mph; and if he will exempt coaches which do not exceed 60 mph from the requirement to have seat belts fitted even in exposed seats.

Coaches and large buses that can exceed 60 mph are required to have anti-lock brakes and seat belts on exposed seats and, from 1 April 1993, to comply with European superstructure strength requirements.These features are not required for large buses that cannot exceed 60 mph. They operate normally at low speed on short town and city routes. The need for belts and the likelihood of their being used are less than on faster long-distance coaches and we have no plans to make them compulsory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to tighten up regulations on the construction of coaches registered in the United Kingdom which travel at speeds not exceeding 60 mph.

No, but I intend to monitor the situation. If it becomes apparent that coach operators are generally using vehicles of lower than appropriate safety standards, I will consider new measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport from what year coaches will be restricted to a maximum speed of 100 kilometres per hour (a) on the continent and (b) in the United Kingdom; what effect these restrictions will have on the safety standards of coaches manufactured in the United Kingdom; and what representations he has received from coach manufacturers on this subject.

EC directive 92/6 requires speed limiters on new coaches to be set at 100 km/h from 1 January 1994. It will also apply to coaches registered after 1 January 1988 from 1 January 1995 if the coach is used for international transport and from 1 January 1996 if the coach is used for national transport. We will be consulting shortly on draft regulations to implement the directive.The safety standards applying to the construction of coaches are not directly affected by the directive.I have been approached on the subject of safety by one United Kingdom coach manufacturer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what are the costs so far to (a) British Rail and (b) his Department of preparing for the privatisation of railways;(2) what are

The Department of Transport's internal BR privatisation costs cannot be separately identified before September 1991. The following costs include those of special advisers where appropriate:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to transfer the responsibility for grade I listed buildings from English Heritage to local authorities.

English Heritage's forward strategy, published last October, proposed certain changes to responsibilities for grade II listed building and conservation area casework in London. Revised proposals have recently been put to me following public consultation, and I am considering them. The strategy proposed no change in current responsibilities for grade II buildings outside London.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when the Football Licensing Authority will begin to issue licences; and if he will make a statement.

Licensing will be introduced in time for the start of the 1993–94 football season in August. Accordingly, section 9 of the Football Spectators Act, which creates the offence of admitting spectators to unlicensed premises, will be brought into force during the close season.I also intend to use the powers conferred on me by section 11 of the 1989 Act to make an order ensuring that clubs in the Premier League and first division meet the August 1994 deadline for all-seater stadiums. I will therefore begin shortly the statutory consultations which will lead to the inclusion of seating requirements in next year's licences.Initially, I intend to levy only a nominal fee of £100. The level of the fee will be kept under review, and is likely later to be raised to reflect more closely the full costs involved in determining the licence conditions.The Government continue to support the principles of spectator safety and comfort as set out in the Taylor report. We remain firmly committed to the all seater requirement for the top two divisions, and to the implementation of safe terracing for those in the lower divisions that choose not to provide all-seating. The introduction of licensing will be a major step in achieving these aims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing care beds for elderly people were available in hospitals in each regional health authority in each of the last 10 years.

[holding answer 19 February 1993]: The average number of available beds in wards caring for elderly patients is given in the table. There is no separate classification of "nursing care beds".

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would the average tax saving be in (a) excise duty and (b) VAT to an individual buying the full indicative allowance of beer in France and importing into the United Kingdom for personal consumption, compared with purchasing the same amount in the United Kingdom.

The guidance level for duty paid beer is 110 litres. On beer of typical strength, the excise duty in the United Kingdom is 41p per litre or £45.10 for 110 litres compared with £2–57 for 110 litres in France. French duty is due to rise from 2p to 7.5p a litre or £8.25 for 110 litres in May. The United Kingdom applies a VAT rate of 17.5 per cent. on beer compared with 18.6 per cent. in France. The amount of VAT that is liable on 110 litres of beer in either country will vary according to the product.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many arrests have been made by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise verification officers since 1 January of persons illegally selling alcohol bought in France or Belgium at lower excise duty rates and imported to the United Kingdom ostensibly for personal use.

In January, Customs detected 36 cases of illegal sales of excise goods. Of these, 13 related to alcohol. Customs take legal proceedings by way of arrest when appropriate, but other options, such as proceeding by way of information and summons, are also available. Two arrests were made. Other forms of offence action have been taken or are being considered in the remaining cases.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the level of manufacturing investment in (a) 1990, (b) 1991 and (c) 1992; and if he will make a statement.

Estimates of manufacturing investment for 1990, 1991 and 1992 at constant prices were published in the 1992 fourth quarter capital expenditure press notice released by the Central Statistical Office on 11 February 1993. The 1992 figure is provisional. Copies of the press notice are available in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which monetary aggregate takes precedence in the formation of policy in the event of M0 rising above and M4 falling below their respective target ranges.

Current spending in the economy has in the past been more closely related to M0 than to M4. The authorities also take account of a number of other domestic indicators, as well as the exchange rate, in their monetary policy decisions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of redesigning and issuing the new £5, £10 and £20 Bank of England notes; and what will be the cost of redesigning and reissuing revised notes which are easier to distinguish from each other.

The cost of designing the new £5, £10 and £20 Bank of England notes, including subsequent changes in design, falls within the normal research and development expenditure of the Bank of England printing works which amounts to some £750,000 a year.In introducing the new series of banknotes, the opportunity was taken to incorporate features in the design and in the printing processes which reduced the cost of producing notes. The cost of printing and issuing banknotes amounts to some £60 million a year. The revised versions of the new notes will be issued in the normal course of replacing worn notes, so there will be no additional issuing costs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect of the change in the value of the pound sterling since 14 September 1992 on the cost of imports in the last quarter of 1992.

In addition to the external value of the pound, import prices depend on world prices and importers' profit margins. Thus, it is not possible precisely to isolate the impact of the change in the exchange rate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 June 1992 to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson), Official Report, column 397, what is his Department's (a) current outturn estimate for publicity expenditure for 1992–93 and (b) budgeted publicity expenditure for 1993–94.

The estimated spending on publicity during 1992–93 is £32,000. This is lower than the figure given on 2 June and the difference mainly results from the transfer of Chessington computer centre from the Treasury to the Office of Public Service and Science. Budgeted expenditure for 1993–94 is £50,000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has about the level of retail sales in (a) November 1992 and (b) January 1993; and if he will make a statement.

The estimate of the volume of retail sales —seasonally adjusted—in November 1992 is 121.6; 1985 = 100. The provisional estimate for January 1993 is 122=3. The level of sales volumes in the three months to January equalled the record level recorded in the three months to November.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on environmental protection of a windfall tax on the utility companies.

None, but in the absence of other changes, an increase in the tax burden on utilities would reduce the resources available to them.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the scope and value of tax incentives for companies for environmental protection projects for the last year for which figures are available.

There are no specific incentives for companies' environmental projects, but the taxation system as a whole contains many incentives to protect the environment. These include the level of hydrocarbon oils duties and capital allowances which already cover energy saving investment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times a windfall tax has been levied since 1961; which types of companies were affected; and if he will make a statement.

The term "windfall tax" is not clearly defined. Development gains tax–1973—development land tax–1976—the tax on banks' interest—free deposits –1981—and supplementary petroleum duty–1981—were introduced in response to what were seen as exceptionally high profits. The first two applied to gains on disposals of development land by firms in any sector, the third to the banking sector and the last to the oil industry.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what efforts have been made to date to integrate environmental variables into national accounting systems.

1 refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 8 December 1992, at columns 571–72.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about zero rating cycle helmets for VAT purposes; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations on this subject and these will be carefully considered in the run-up to the Budget. The hon. Member will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this stage.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the abatement procedure has reduced the United Kingdom net payments to the European Community since 1985.

By the end of 1992, the abatement had reduced the United Kingdom's net payments to the European Community budget by £11,843 million. The table shows the level of abatement received each year since 1985.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual yield from capital gains tax in each year since 1979–80.

The requested information is given in table 1.2 of the 1992 edition of "Inland Revenue Statistics". A revised estimate for the yield in 1992–93 will be published on Budget day in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1993–94".

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive a report from the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee.

[pursuant to the reply, 21 January 1993, c. 344]: I have today received a supplementary report from the Retail Prices Index Advisory Committee on the treatment in the index of council tax transitional relief. The supplementary report is being published this afternoon as Cm 2153 and copies are available in the Vote Office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the net revenue forgone in each financial year as a result of the reductions in personal income tax for higher rate taxpayers introduced by the Finance Act 1988 in the light of Government receipts since then.

[holding answer 22 February 1993]: The table shows the direct revenue costs in a full year compared with reintroduced tax rates of 45, 50, 55 and 60 per cent. The band widths for the tax rate schedule have been calculated by uprating the corresponding parts of the 1987–88 regime by movements in the retail prices index as in the statutory indexation formula. The estimates take account of the introduction of independent taxation from 1990–91 and the restriction of mortgage interest relief to the basic rate from 1991–92.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings he or his departmental officials have had with representatives of the International Monetary Fund in the United Kingdom at which he or they have discussed with them the Government's public expenditure programmes.

[holding answer 23 February 1993]: Under article IV of the articles of agreement of the International Monetary Fund, fund staff carry out regular surveillance of the economies of the member countries. Fund staff visited the United Kingdom on 1 to 11 December 1992 for its annual article IV consultation. This consultation covered all aspects of the Government's economic policy, including public expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update the table given in his answer of 21 January, Official Report, columns 339–40, relating to the convergence criteria of the Maastricht treaty.

[holding answer 23 February 1993]: Following is the updated table as requested.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will hold urgent discussions with the National Rivers Authority and the London borough of Harrow on the need for flood prevention remedial measures to protect residents in certain areas of Stanmore, Middlesex.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food makes grant available to the National Rivers Authority, local authorities and other bodies towards the cost of flood defence schemes which are technically sound, economically worth while and environmentally sympathetic. In the case referred to, the Ministry has indicated that any scheme put forward by the responsible local bodies will be sympathetically considered against the criteria laid down. I understand that the National Rivers Authority is working on designing a suitable scheme and is in contact with the Ministry's river and coastal engineers.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what consultations he has had with (a) staff, (b) the fishing industry, (c) local councils, and (d) hon. or right hon. Members regarding the possibility of conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;(2) what consideration he has given to conferring next steps agency status on the marine laboratory in Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;(3) what plans he has for the rationalisation or amalgamation of services provided by the marine laboratory facilities in Aberdeen and Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement;(4) what assessment has been made of the implications for organisational and departmental responsibilities of the assumption of next steps agency status by one or both of the present marine laboratory facilities in Aberdeen and Lowestoft; and if he will make a statement.

Staff representatives were informed last July that a study group had been established to review the merits of a move to next steps agency status for the MAFF directorate of fisheries research. My right hon. Friend is currently considering the issues raised by this review in consultation with colleagues and will report his decision to the House in the normal way.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further advice he has on salmonella in eggs; and if he will make a statement.

[pursuant to his reply, 9 February 1993, c. 556–58]: 1 have today made an order revoking the Poultry Laying Flocks (Testing and Registration etc) Order 1989, as amended. Commercial egg laying flocks will no longer be required to be registered or tested for the presence of salmonella.I previously announced that, in the light of the expert advice from the committee chaired by Professor Heather Dick, and in accordance with the new EC zoonoses directive, the compulsory slaughter of commercial egg-laying flocks infected with salmonella enteritidis would no longer be required: this change will take effect tomorrow.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the precise criteria for the derogation for this season's vining pea crop from the set-aside regime.

Vining peas are not covered by the arable area payments scheme, which includes provision for set aside. However, there is a derogation for those who can demonstrate that they had sown, or were committed to sowing, vining peas before 17 November 1992 and who wish to claim aid on their vining peas for 1993. Any such growers will have to apply to their regional service centre or local area office for a vining pea claim form and to return it by 15 May 1993. They will have to confirm that they have sown by that date and to sign the following undertaking and provide the supporting information mentioned.DECLARATION ON VINING PEAS

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each write-off of aid debt approved since 1 January 1987, with the date and sum involved.

The following aid debt agreements have been signed since 1 January 1987:that Zambia's economic reform programme stays on track. Aid agreements with a number of other countries were signed prior to 1 January 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much aid per year the British Government give to Thailand, how much aid is given (a) to the Government and (b) to nongovernmental organisations; and what the aid is used for.

In the last three years for which figures are available, gross United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure to Thailand was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts are being made to supply emergency aid to Angola.

We maintain close contact with British non-governmental organisations which are assessing how best to help meet current needs. Security problems are making assessment difficult.Following the destruction of Luanda's water treatment works, we have contributed £45,000 to One World Action, a non-governmental organisation, which is running a community-based cholera prevention programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list of the current application of the PHARE funds by (a) cost, (b) purpose of each project, (c) country where funds are to be used and (d) the British firms or institutions involved.

The list of current PHARE-funded projects is extensive. EC Commission documents containing information on their cost, purpose and recipient country have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Details of the involvement of British firms and institutions are not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many ballot papers were supplied by the British Government for the recent Kenyan elections; and how many were necessary for meeting the legitimate voting needs of the Kenyan electorate;(2) for what reasons the ballot papers for the recent Kenyan elections were supplied by the British Government rather than by the European Community.

The British Government did not supply any ballot papers for the recent Kenyan elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many ballot boxes were supplied by the British Government for the recent elections in Kenya; how many were calculated as necessary for the elections; and how many were thought to be surplus to immediate requirements.

The British Government supplied 35,000 ballot boxes in accordance with the requirement for the elections calculated by the Kenyan electoral commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list of the current application of TACIS—technical assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States—funds by (a) cost, (b) purpose of each project, (c) destination for funds and (d) the British firms or institutions involved.

The list of current TACIS-funded projects is extensive. EC Commission documents containing information on their cost, purpose and recipient country are now available in the Libraries of the House. Details of the involvement of British firms and institutions are not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the capital of (a) the World bank, (b) the Latin American development bank, (c) the African development bank and (d) the Asian development bank is held by the United Kingdom; and what sum has been paid in.

The United Kingdom's present shareholdings are detailed in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the level of arrears owed to (a) the World bank, (b) the Latin American

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the funds disbursed under the auspices of the World bank's special programme for Africa originate from (a) the European Community and (b) the United Kingdom bilateral aid program.

According to information from the World bank, 7.3 per cent. of the funds disbursed under the auspices of the World bank's special programme for Africa up to June 1992 came from the European Community and 6.4 per cent. from the United Kingdom bilateral aid programme.pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington), of 11 December 1992,

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) on 11 February at column 727. The bank's executive directors are expected to consider this recommendation soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to ensure that World bank staff implement fully and efficiently the decisions taken by the World bank board.

The World bank board regularly reviews the bank's performance in implementing policies and in implementing programmes in its borrowing member countries. In addition individual World bank

The information requested is detailed in the table:operations are subject after completion to evaluation of their effectiveness in meeting approved objectives; evaluation findings are submitted to the board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of each local Zambian non-governmental organisation which will be consulted on each of the World bank projects under consideration in Zambia; on what date consultation was initiated; and on what date it is due to be concluded.

We do not have the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the World bank to conclude the review of the implementation of the Narmada dam project.

As agreed at the bank's board meeting last October, a World bank mission is due to review in April the progress made against a set of performance benchmarks agreed with the Indian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects will be on the agenda of the next general meeting of the World bank.

The next annual meeting of the World bank will be held in October. The agenda is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what methods and using what criteria the United Kingdom contribution to the World bank in 1991–92 is assessed for effectiveness.

Our contributions to the World bank form part of the British aid programme and are judged against the objectives set out in the annual departmental report, Cm. 2202. The greater part of our contributions are made to the International Development Association on the basis of the reports agreed by donors for each replenishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of discussion concerning the Wappenhans report.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) on 11 February, at column 727.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account has been taken of human rights violations associated with the Sardar Sarovar project in considering United Kingdom involvement in funding the project.

We are well aware of reports of such incidents. Our position on the continuation of external support for the project is that we shall take into account all the relevant issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the conditions attached to the ninth replenishment of IDA; and what steps have been taken to ensure they were met prior to the 10th replenishment of IDA.

The report on the ninth replenishment of the International Development Association was published as Cm. 1325 in November 1990. Annual progress reports on implementation are presented to the World bank's board of directors, and were considered by IDA donors in the course of negotiations on the 10th replenishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the United Kingdom's contribution in current prices, and as a proportion of the total, to the International Development Association on its establishment and on each successive replenishment, including the proposed 10th replenishment; and what reasons there have been for changes in the proportion.

United Kingdom contributions to IDA replenishments have been:

To ask the Prime Minister what was the cost of work carried out at public expense at the home of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food since 1989.

I have been asked to reply.Security work is carried out at the home of Ministers on the advice of the security authorities. Its cost is kept to the minimum necessary to provide proper protection.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those Ministers entitled to assistance from public funds in respect of security facilities at their private homes.

To ask the Prime Minister in how many cases since 1979 permanent accommodation for security staff has been provided at public cost for Ministers in or on property owned by Ministers.

I have been asked to reply.It is not in the public interest to disclose or aid the identification of security arrangements relating to public figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reduce the levels of those juvenile offences linked to substance abuse or drug or gambling addiction.

It is not possible to estimate precisely how much juvenile crime is linked with substance abuse or drug addiction, although it is known that many offenders, including juvenile offenders, may have problems with alcohol or drugs, and all action to reduce misuse may, accordingly, help to prevent crime.The Department of Health organises extensive publicity campaigns against the misuse of drugs and other substances. The national curriculum incorporates aspects of health education, including the dangers of drugs, solvents and alcohol misuse. which schools are statutorily required to teach. The Home Office drugs prevention initiative, which was launched in 1989, has established 20 local drug prevention teams around Great Britain. The main purpose of the teams is to work with the community to promote the prevention of drug misuse and young people are targeted as the principal group at risk.Home Office research has shown that there is no evidence of any association between the playing of amusement machines, which is the only form of gambling to which juveniles have ready access, and delinquency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on evidence from the Magistrates Association on the extent to which teenage offenders commit frequent crimes over a relatively short period as a result of a sudden traumatic incident in their lives; and if he will outline his proposals for dealing with such cases.

We have noted the contents of the evidence to which the hon. Member refers. This is currently before the Home Affairs Select Committee for consideration in its inquiry. Courts and criminal justice agencies are already able to take account of the circumstances which give rise to offending behaviour in determining the most appropriate course of action in particular cases: relevant advice on this should be included in a pre-sentence report, which is required before imposing any custodial sentence in the magistrates or youth courts, or one of the more demanding community sentences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of cleared-up offences were committed by juveniles in 1979, 1981, 1985, 1991 and 1992;(2) what is the amount of crime for which juveniles are known to have been responsible in 1979, 1985 and 1992;(3) how many offences committed by juveniles were dealt with by way of caution in 1979 and 1992.

Although overall clear-up figures are collected centrally, it is not possible to separately identify those offences committed by juveniles.Information on "known offenders"—those found guilty or cautioned—by age is published annually in chapter 5 of the Command Paper "Criminal statistics England and Wales". 1992 data will not be published until the autumn. Copies of the annual publication are available in the Library.