To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what budget he has set aside for the Charterline telephone information service he intends to set up in the east midlands pilot project; what charges will be made for the service; how it will be vetted to guarantee that it is politically impartial; and whether he will also fund other citizens' rights information lines which are not under his political control.

The citizens charter unit is still negotiating the contract for this service. Revealing the budget would undermine the charter unit's negotiating position.Callers will be charged at the local call rate for using the service. The service will direct callers to a contact in the public service organisation which is best placed to answer their query or deal with their complaint. It will therefore be a politically impartial service.It would not be right to fund other independent information lines which might have other purposes than the provision of information about public service organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the terms of the agreement for the forces of NATO to operate outside the areas previously agreed; and what measures are necessary to amend the North Atlantic treaty.

NATO Foreign Ministers agreed in June and December 1992 that the alliance should support, on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with its own procedures, peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe or the United Nations. NATO Defence Ministers agreed in December that support for UN and CSCE peacekeeping should be among the missions of NATO forces and headquarters. Copies of the communiqués from all these meetings are in the Library of the House.There is no need for the North Atlantic treaty to be amended to permit NATO to operate outside its own area in pursuit of these decisions; the treaty obliges members of the alliance to respond to an armed attack on one of them within the North Atlantic area, but it does not prevent NATO members from acting collectively outside the North Atlantic area if they so agree.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on current relations with Taiwan.

For well-known reasons, diplomatic relations do not exist between the United Kingdom and Taiwan. There are many unofficial links, reflecting widespread recognition of Taiwan's growing economic weight. The Anglo-Taiwan trade committee and the Anglo-Taiwan education centre respectively promote commercial and educational exchanges. United Kingdom exports to Taiwan in 1992 totalled £545 million. There is scope for expanding business co-operation in many areas including financial services, investment and joint ventures —such as that between British Aerospace and Taiwan Aerospace Corporation. A new air link between the United Kingdom and Taiwan was recently announced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what effect the non-incorporation of the opt-out on the social chapter in the Maastricht treaty into United Kingdom law would have on the competence of the European Court of Justice with regard to the rights of British workers and fair competition between United Kingdom companies and their continental counterparts; and if he will make a statement.

Non-incorporation of the protocol on social policy into United Kingdom law would have no effect on the competence of the ECJ to interpret the Treaty on European Union, including the clause of the protocol which states that

"Acts adopted by the Council …shall not be applicable to the United Kingdom".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what informal or formal representatives from his Department attended the round table meeting held by UNESCO on 23 February in Paris to bring together artists, writers, journalists and ex-politicians from all sides of the ethnic divide in former Yugoslavia; and what assessment he has made of the effect of an application by the United Kingdom to rejoin UNESCO on such peacemaking and peacebuilding initiatives.

The round table was not attended by any United Kingdom representatives. We welcome Senor Mayor's initiative in organising the meeting. We have made no decision on a resumption of UNESCO membership. The work of UNESCO in this and other fields will obviously be taken into account in reaching any decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.

The following meetings are planned:

• 2 March—Consumer Affairs Council
• 8 to 9 March—Foreign Affairs Council
• 15 March—Economic and Finance Council
• 15 March—Transport Council
• 16 to 17 March—Agriculture Council
• 18 March—Fisheries Council
• 22 to 23 March—Environment Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are currently undertaken by the Overseas Development Administration to reduce debt burdens of countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

I have been asked to reply.It is Government policy to cancel the debts of those very poor and indebted countries which are successfully pursuing sound policies of reform. So far, nearly £200 million of old aid debt has been cancelled in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and other countries will benefit as they fulfil the qualifications for this treatment. All new aid to very poor countries is now given only in the form of grant aid.Those debt-distressed countries which do not qualify for aid debt cancellation may apply to have their debts rescheduled through the Paris Club, composed of the major creditor Governments. The Paris Club is prepared to reschedule aid debt over long periods at highly concessional rates of interest. The effect of this is to increase greatly the grant element of the loans concerned, so producing a very substantial reduction in the present value of the obligation to repay.Many of these countries owe most of their official debt to export credit agencies rather than to aid agencies. That is why the United Kingdom proposed the comprehensive Trinidad terms initiative for reducing the debts of the very poorest and severely indebted countries. So far, over $3 billion has been consolidated under these agreements in sub-Saharan Africa by the Paris Club, cancelling over $1 billion during the lifetime of the agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish his consultation paper on heavier lorries for combined road and rail transport.

My right hon. Friend has published the paper today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has issued to road safety officers concerning the role of children in getting across to adults the "don't drink and drive" message; and if he will make it his policy that all "don't drink and drive" advertisements on television sponsored by his Department are transmitted during hours when children are likely to be viewing.

We have not given specific advice to road safety officers, although they are involved in the planning of our drink-drive campaigns.We aim to show our television commercials to as wide an audience as possible and recognise that children have an important role in influencing the attitudes of adults. Surveys have shown that children's views against drinking and driving have been reinforced by watching the commercials. The final decision on when commercials can be transmitted rests with the Independent Television Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has undertaken into impairment caused by alcohol to the driving of young or infrequent drinkers.

There has been no specific research into this subject in the United Kingdom. International research suggests that young drivers arid infrequent drinkers are more likely to be impaired at lower alcohol levels, but there is considerable variability between individuals at all ages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will seek to amend the Road Traffic Act 1988 so as to reduce the alcohol limit in Britain to 50 mg/100 ml and to include random breath tests.

No. The current limit of 80 mg/100 ml is scientifically based at the level at which, for most people, the chance of being involved in an accident starts to rise sharply. More than half of all drink-drive offenders are convicted at twice this limit. Lowering the legal limit and introducing random breath tests would risk directing resources away from this group of high risk offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received to lower the legal unit of alcohol in the breath and blood for tests carried out by the police; and what information he has as to the legal limits set by other countries.

We receive representations from time to time from road safety organisations and from members of the public. The best information we have on legal limits for drinking and driving in other countries is for other European Community member states, a majority of which share the same legal limit as the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research contracts his Department has let into measures for controlling the routes of ships carrying dangerous or polluting cargoes while they are in British waters; and what plans he has for future research.

A contract was let in 1989 to assess shipping movements along the west coast of Scotland since the deep water route to the west of the Hebrides was implemented.The Department is also involved in the European Community project "Euret", which is directed at the development of vessel traffic systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much money was transferred from the highway maintenance standard spending assessment to the highways structural maintenance elements of transport supplementary grant in the settlement for 1993–94; how much of that sum has been allocated for structural maintenance on principal roads and how much for Bridge strengthening; and what was the amount of local authority expenditure on structural maintenance on principal roads in 1992–93.

For 1993–94 a further £120 million has been transferred from revenue support grant to the transport supplementary grant system to cover structural maintenance on carriageways of principal roads. This followed two previous transfers, £90 million in 1991–92 for assessment, strengthening and other structural maintenance on bridges and £100 million in 1992–93 for carriageways of roads on the primary route network.Of the £310 million transferred, £172·8 million has been allocated in 1993–94 for structural maintenance on carriageways of principal roads, and £137·2 million for assessment, strengthening and other structural maintenance of bridges.For 1993–94 local highways authorities may switch resources between bridges and carriageways according to local priority.The amount of local authority expenditure on structural maintenance on principal roads in 1992–93 is not yet available. Local highway authorities have budgeted to spend £119 million on these roads in 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the location, cost and duration of the road improvement schemes funded by his Department in the city of Westminster since 1979.

My Department was not directly responsible for funding road improvements in the city of Westminster prior to 1986. No major improvement schemes have been carried out on trunk roads in the city since then. We have supported a number of local road improvements through transport supplementary grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he received the proposals for a channel tunnel rail link from Union Rail; and when he proposes to publish them.

A report from Union Railways on options for refining the route of the channel tunnel rail link was received on 11 January 1993. The Government will announce as soon as possible a route for consultation, together with information on the options put to Ministers by Union Railways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account is taken of British Rail's capital requirements to maintain the network in setting the public spending total for the Department of Transport.

British Rail's capital requirement is one of the most important factors taken into account in setting the Department's public spending allocation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to make compulsory the wearing of safety helmets by children on bicycles; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to make compulsory the wearing of cycle helmets by child cyclists. We must ensure that children and parents are fully aware of the very significant improvement in safety that helmets give. This has been the subject of recent publicity by the Department and will be an important element of our forthcoming cycling safety campaign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement regarding the future of the Aberystwyth-Shrewsbury and Machynlleth-Pwllheli railway lines.

The level of service provided on these lines is currently a matter for British Rail. In due course, that responsibility will be assumed by the franchising director.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an announcement about the proposed Ashford international station.

The public expenditure settlement for 1993–94 allows for British Rail to undertake urgent track and signalling works for the proposed Ashford international passenger station. What exactly needs to be provided is still under discussion and I shall write to my hon. Friend as soon as decisions have been reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the figure for accidents and casualties on the Archway road red route pilot and for the pilot corridor in 1991; and if he will instigate an independent inquiry of the pilot study.

I have no plans to instigate an inquiry. Independent monitoring of the pilot red route has already been carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consideration was given to including, in the advertisement placed in the Official Journal of the European Community for the sale of DVOIT, a requirement that it must remain in Swansea;(2) if he will make a statement on the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 to the proposed privatisation of DVOIT in Swansea.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the advertisement for the privatisation of the Department of Transport agencies based in Swansea will specify that the privatised facilities should remain in the Swansea area.

[holding answer 10 February 1993]: I am advised that the proposed privatisation of DVOIT by means of a sale to a private sector company will be a transfer within the terms of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981. Future location options for DVOIT will be a matter for prospective purchasers of the agency to consider.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many grant-maintained schools (a) did and (b) did not receive a capital allocation named grant in each of the last three years.

The information is shown in the table for the financial years 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education in how many ballots for grant-maintained status the Electoral Reform Society has reported to him that improper conduct and procedure had taken place.

Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. reports the factual results of ballots to the governing body of the school concerned and to the Department. From time to time the Department receives complaints about improper conduct or procedure in a ballot. If these require investigation, Electoral Reform (Ballot Services) Ltd. may be asked for its comments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the total capital expenditure named projects grant, for grant-maintained schools in each of the last three years; and how many grant-maintained schools there were in each of these years.

The information is shown in the following table. Final outturn figures for 1992–93 are not yet available as expenditure is still being incurred by schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many ballots for grant-maintained status he has ordered to be re-run; and what were the reasons for these orders.

Four ballots have been declared void and required to be re-run to date. In each case, the grounds for the decision were errors in the ballot arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures he has taken to notify parents about grant-maintained schools; how much these measures have cost in each financial year; and what further expenditure is planned.

Information specifically for parents about grant-maintained schools is set out in "Grant Maintained Schools: Questions Parents Ask" and through the telephone helpline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if his departmental advisers on the teaching of English to 14-year-olds will meet representative heads of departments from London's secondary schools for discussions on coursework, assessment and curriculum issues.

My right hon. Friend is advised on curriculum issues by the National Curriculum Council and on assessment issues by the School Examinations and Assessment Council. It is for those bodies to respond to any requests for meetings put to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education which Minister in his Department is responsible for promoting the export of educational equipment; and if he will make a statement.

I am responsible within the Department for Education for educational exports. The Department provides support to companies wishing to export educational equipment, while the British Council has responsibility for promoting the export of education and training services, a field in which it is especially active.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement itemising the main details and purpose of each scheme he is funding under the grants for education support and training programme 1993–94 to deal with truancy; and if he will provide the same information for schemes whose proposals were presented to him which have not been funded.

Proposals submitted by local education authorities (LEAs) under the reducing truancy programme of the grants for education support and training (GEST) scheme 1993–94 took a variety of forms. Bidding was competitive, with priority being given to those LEAs where the problems were most severe. Individual bids were assessed according to the extent to which they:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the capital expenditure on state schools in Cambridgeshire in each year since 1984 in (a) nursery schools, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools.

The table shows the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children of (a) primary age and (b) secondary age, (i) in each local authority area and (ii) in total have been statemented in each of the last five years.

Separate information on primary and secondary age children for whom a statement of special educational needs has been made is not available. Information on the numbers of children of all ages for whom statements of special educational needs were made for the first time during each of the calendar years 1987 to 1991, the latest year for which information is available, in each local education authority in England is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many higher education institutions have requested additional funds for their access fund from his Department during the present academic year.

Access funds are allocated to higher education institutions through the funding councils at the beginning of the academic year. Institutions are aware that once allocations are made no additional funds are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the access fund for the University of Manchester in 1992–93.

The Universities Funding Council allocated £365,270 to Manchester university, including £24,440 for the Manchester business school, as the university's share of the access funds for the academic year 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the operation of the higher education institution access funds for 1992–93.

It is too early to say how the scheme is progressing in the current academic year. The funding councils are asked to submit an annual report to the Department on the use of the funds by institutions after the end of each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 1992, Official Report, column 659, how many higher education institutions have none of their 1992–93 access fund moneys left.

This information is not held centrally. We have advised institutions, through the funding councils, to consider holding back some of their access funds and to make arrangements to meet requests for assistance late in the academic year and during the summer vacation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many county court judgments were secured against students during (a) September 1992 to December 1992 and (b) January 1993 to February 1993 by the Student Loans Company.

This is a matter for the Student Loans Company. I will ask the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much Her Majesty's Government have spent on tackling illiteracy in each of the last five years.

It is for local education authorities to determine their level of expenditure on adult literacy provision. Government funding over the last five years of the adult literacy and basic skills unit, which is the central organisation for advice and research into adult literacy, was as in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the number of (a) adults and (b) children who are (i) illiterate or (ii) functionally illiterate in the United Kingdom.

There are very few adults in the United Kingdom who are completely illiterate in the sense that they cannot read or write at all. The adult literacy and basic skills unit, which advises the Government, estimates that 4 million adults in England and Wales have real difficulty coping with everyday tasks like filling in forms; and a further 1·5 million are reckoned to have difficulty with numerical skills. Such people are often described as being "functionally illiterate", although there is no standard definition of that term. ALBSU has however recently developed a common set of standards for communication and numeracy. These standards describe competence levels in reading, writing, number and oral communication skills. They have been mapped against both the national curriculum and the communication and numeracy units in the new general national vocational qualifications. Better information on the incidence and level of these difficulties will become available as these standards are more widely applied.It is impossible to provide comparable figures for children, since the rate at which individual children acquire and master literacy skills varies. The testing and assessment arrangements being introduced under the national curriculum will in future provide parents and teachers with clear information about children's reading and writing standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research into the problems of illiteracy has been financed by his Department in each of the last five years; and at what cost.

The adult literacy and basic skills unit, which is funded by the Government to advise on, and conduct research into, adult literacy, has conducted extensive research over the last five years. I will write to the hon. Member shortly with details of the cost of that research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps are being taken to tackle the problem of illiteracy in British industry and commerce; and at what cost.

The Department for Education, the Department of Employment and the Welsh Office are jointly funding an initiative on basic skills involving employers and training and enterprise councils. The basic skills at work programme has funded surveys of need and provision and is now funding pilot projects to explore new methods of providing vocationally-related basic skills training, for those in or out of work. The initiative will cost about £3 million over three years. In addition, many firms offer basic skills training independently.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment has been made of the cost to British industry and commerce of illiteracy in each of the last five years.

The adult literacy and basic skills unit, which is funded by the Government, is currently conducting research into this question. The results of that research are expected to be available in early April.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what fee it is proposed to charge the organisers of the London marathon for use of (a) St. James's park and (b) Greenwich park for the London marathon in 1993; and what is the basis for the charge.

The London marathon is being asked to pay £15,000 for the use of the royal parks in 1993. This charge is based on the area utilised and the period of the event.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his Department's policy in relation to the Sports Council's policy of sport for all; and how that policy is interpreted in relation to the London marathon.

The Department supports the Sports Council's policy of sport for all. This is entirely consistent with charging a fee for use of the royal parks for the London marathon.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions in the past five years a cultural, sporting or entertainment event has been held in Greenwich park which has been organised by a private, voluntary or commercial organisation, Government Department or other statutory body, apart from letting of sports pitches; what was the nature of the event in each case; what were the estimated additional costs to the Department of the Environment or the Department of National Heritage for each letting; what was the fee levied; and what was the basis of the charge.

Apart from the London marathon, only minor local events have been held in Greenwich park. These minor events involved the Department in no additional costs and no charge was levied. For that reason, no records have been kept of the individual events.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he is taking to ensure that there will be equal opportunities for disabled people when employees are recruited for the national lottery.

The organisation licensed to run the national lottery will be a company in the private sector, bound by the terms of the Disabled Persons (Employment) Acts 1944 and 1958.The Office of the National Lottery, headed by the Director General, will like other regulatory bodies be a non-ministerial Government Department. Its staff will be civil servants or engaged on conditions analogous to those of civil servants. The civil service is an equal opportunity employer and all applications for employment are considered on their merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what the total funds were for the national tourist boards in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland for the last five years; what the projected funds are for the next three years; if he will show those figures per head of adult resident population, in real terms at current prices; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 1 March 1993]: The following table shows the funds provided to each of the national

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the effect of the reallocation of electricity costs, the new pool tariff, on chlor-alkali manufacture.

The Government are in dialogue with large electricity users about electricity prices, and this issue is among those that are being considered by the coal review. Any proposals would need to benefit all customers with appropriate circumstances.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has for future funding of the Coal Research Establishment.

The future funding of clean coal technology and the role of Coal Research Establishment in developing this technology is under discussion as part of our work on the coal review.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last visited the Coal Research Establishment.

I have not visited the Coal Research Establishment. However, my chief scientific adviser on science and technology visited the establishment on 29 January 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans there are to harmonise the system of export licences across the European Community.

On 31 August 1992 the Commission of the European Communities adopted a proposal for the Council regulation on the control of exports of certain dual-use goods and technologies and of certain nuclear products and technologies.The proposed regulation aims to provide a framework for common export controls to be applied by member states to dual-use and nuclear goods leaving the territory of the European Community, and for the harmonisation of export licensing systems. Member states are continuing to discuss Commission proposals in a Council high level working group set up for this purpose.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consider introducing a system of blanket export licences on the line of that operating in the Netherlands.

The United Kingdom already operates a system of open general export licences—OGELs—which are similar to the global export licences issued in the Netherlands. An open general export licence is a general authorisation permitting the export of a range of controlled goods to a range of destinations without the need for prior application to the Department of Trade and Industry. Its use is subject to compliance with the conditions of the licence. There are currently eight open general export licences in force.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from the Public Relations Consultants Association about the collapse of Corporate Communications plc; and if he will make a statement.

A letter on this subject has been received from the Public Relations Consultants Association. My officials replied to that letter on 1 March 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what action his Department is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom complies with the additionality criteria for European Community structural funds; and if he will make a statement;(2) what efforts his Department is making to account for European Community structural funds receipts transparently; and if he will make a statement.

Public expenditure arrangements take account of receipts from the structural funds when departmental programmes are set. My Department is responsible for providing public expenditure cover for forecast European regional development fund receipts for projects which fall within my Department's ambit. For the next financial year some £60 million of provision has been made, and in accordance with the agreement with the European Commission reached in February last year, this is reflected more transparently in the departmental report, which was laid in the House of Common's Library on 10 February 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that miners working at the 21 pits in the coal review will not be financially disadvantaged by remaining in employment until the House has completed consideration of the closure proposals.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 26 February, Official Report, column 773.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the present enhanced redundancy scheme for mineworkers ceases; and what discussions he has had with the chairman of British Coal about extending it.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Barnsley, West and Pennistone (Mr. Clapham) on 26 February, Official Report, column 773.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements he has made to provide expedited approval procedures for European regional development fund assistance for schemes to enable early approvals to be gained to provide an incentive for infrastructure schemes to be carried out by local authorities and other eligible infrastructure-providing bodies.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: My right hon. Friend has made no such arrangements. The possibility of ERDF assistance should be incentive enough to local authorities and other bodies to seek early approval for schemes which may qualify for grant. Applications must be appraised to ensure that they give value for money.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the United Kingdom's share of the European regional development fund for 1992–93 has been allocated.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: It is not possible to derive figures for the allocation of only the 1992–93 part of the United Kingdom's share of the European regional development fund, many of the programmes span longer periods.Approximately two thirds of the United Kingdom's share of the fund for the present period of the regulations from 1989–93 has been allocated.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the negotiations with the European Community Commissioner for Regional Affairs in relation to the achievement of (a) transparency, (b) additionality and (c) sequential causality in the approval procedures for assistance from the European regional development fund from United Kingdom local authorities and other eligible bodies.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: In accordance with the appropriate Community regulations, receipts from the European regional development fund are taken into account in setting departmental expenditure programmes.The Government will implement from the beginning of the next financial year new arrangements to improve the transparency of the public expenditure treatment of these receipts, as agreed with the Commission.A number of meetings have taken place at official level to explain to the Commission progress on these new arrangements, which are at present being finalised.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with local authorities and their associations and other eligible infrastructure-providing bodies in relation to the impact of the approval of areas of Britain for European regional development fund objective 1 status on the availability of funds for areas with objective 2 status.

[holding answer 2 March 1993]: None. it was only on 24 February that the Commission adopted a proposed list of objective 1 regions for the period 1994 to 1999 which included the Highlands and Islands and Merseyside, as well as Northern Ireland whose objective 1 status was confirmed by the European Council at Edinburgh. The final decisions on which regions will be eligible for objective 1 rests with the Council of Ministers in the context of the review of the structural fund regulations.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the tariff levels of United Kingdom exports of carpets, headings 5702 and 5703, to (a) the United States of America, (b) South Africa, (c) Australia, (d) Turkey, including additional duties, (e) India, (f) Pakistan, (g) Thailand and (h) Malaysia together with any non-tariff barriers which apply and the tariff level for imports of that product from the same countries into the Community.

[holding answer 23 February 1993]: The tariff information is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing the tariff levels for United Kingdom exports of sweaters, heading 6110, to (a) the United States of America, (b) South Africa, (c) Australia, (d) Turkey, including additional duties, (e) India, (f) Pakistan, (g) Thailand and (h) Malaysia together with non-tariff barriers which apply and the tariff level for imports of that product from the same countries into the Community.