To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures and criteria of quality he uses when balancing quality and price in deciding to whom to award contracts for prison education.

In deciding the providers to whom contracts should be offered, the prison service has taken into account price; relevant experience and financial status of the tenderer; and the management and staffing arrangements for delivering the range of services specified in the contract and ensuring that the quality of those services meets the required standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many citizens of Hong Kong have applied for entry to the United Kingdom in each of the last three years; what information he has on the numbers in each case seeking to reside in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

The available information relating to Hong Kong British dependent territories citizens and British Nationals (Overseas) is given in the table. Information on the person's intended destination within the United Kingdom is not available.

Hong Kong British dependent territories citizens and British nationals (overseas)
	Arrivals at United Kingdom ports1	Persons initially refused entry clearance in Hong Kong2
1990	82,100	60
1991	80,200	60
1992	391, 100	60
1Data cover admissions plus persons refused leave to enter and removed. The data may include some stateless persons from Hong Kong.
2 Some may have been granted entry clearance subsequently on appeal.
Provisional figure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review his Department's consultation procedures with local authorities and other public bodies with regard to the implications for them of any legislative changes, prior to their presentation to the House or implementation.

I have no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts from farms have been recorded in each police authority area within Wales during each of the last five years.

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the extent to which parliamentary questions relating to the prison service after 1 April will be answered (a) directed by Ministers and (b) by the director of the Prison Service Agency in so far as they relate to (i) costs and average costs, (ii) staffing matters, (iii) events relating to discipline and (iv) contracting out.

From 1 April 1993, when the prison service becomes an executive agency, the director general will have delegated responsibility for its day-to-day management. When a Member of Parliament asks a parliamentary question on a delegated matter, I will normally ask the director general to write to the Member. The question and the director general's reply will be published in Hansard. Questions relating to costs and average costs, staffing, disciplinary matters and operating aspects of contracting out will normally fall within the director general's delegated responsibilities. Questions relating to policy on contracting out the management of prison establishments will normally be answered by Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the reduction in civilian manpower in his Department in relation to the implementation of "Options for Change", expressed both in total numbers and as a percentage of its original targets.

We propose to make a reduction of some 35,000 civilian posts by 1996–97 from the 1 April 1990 baseline of approximately 172,000—a 20 per cent. reduction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Polaris missiles have been purchased from the United States.

In the late 1960s, the United Kingdom purchased 99 Polaris missiles, comprising rocket motors and ancillary equipment, from the United States. A further 70 rocket motor sets were subsequently purchased for spares and as part of the Chevaline development programme. In the early 1980s, the United Kingdom replaced existing stocks with 82 new rocket motor sets as part of the Polaris remotoring programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what price has been agreed with Babcock Thorn for the refit of HMS Gloucester; and what was the price submitted by Devonport Management Ltd.

It is not our practice to disclose bid or contract prices. I can confirm that best value for money will be obtained by allocating the refit to Babcock Thorn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any decision has yet been taken on the number of missiles that will be deployed on each Trident submarine.

The deterrent, capability to be deployed when Trident is in service from the mid-1990s onwards will be decided in the light of circumstances at the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if there is a requirement to test fire United Kingdom Trident missiles.

There is a requirement to test fire United Kingdom Trident missiles in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the United Kingdom strategic nuclear deterrent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answers of 18 March, Official Report, column 322, and to the hon. Member for Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald) of 26 January, Official Report, column 645, when it became his policy not to reveal the numbers of missiles and warheads carried on the United Kingdom ballistic submarines.

It has been the policy of successive Governments not to reveal the current or planned numbers of missiles and warheads carried on the United Kingdom's ballistic missile submarines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the possession of nuclear or chemical weapons by republics of the former Soviet Union; and if he will make a statement.

We understand that all tactical nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union have now been withdrawn to Russia. A number of strategic nuclear weapons remain on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. All are due for elimination under the terms of the START I treaty and its associated instruments. Completion of this process—which remains subject to Ukraine ratifying START I—would leave Russia as the only possessor of nuclear weapons amongst the republics of the former Soviet Union.We were reassured that Russia, with the world's largest chemical weapons stockpile, was amongst the first to sign the convention on the prohibition of the development, production stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and of their destruction. Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Ukraine have also signed the convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by Her Majesty's Government to prevent the proliferation of nuclear and chemical weapons in the middle east, Africa and Asia.

The most important instrument of the non-proliferation regime is the nuclear non-proliferation treaty—NPT. As a co-depositary of the treaty, the United Kingdom is actively working to ensure that the 1995 NPT extension conference will endorse the indefinite extension of the treaty. The United Kingdom works with like-minded countries to ensure that International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards and nuclear export controls are implemented as effectively as possible.The United Kingdom plays a leading role in the 24 member Australia group which seeks to harmonise international controls on chemical weapons precursors, dual-use chemical and biological equipment and technology, biological agents and toxins. These controls are reviewed and updated as required at the biannual meetings of the group. The early entry into force of the chemical weapons convention, which can be no earlier than January 1995, will provide the most effective mechanism for preventing the proliferation of chemical weapons. Some 140 states are already signatories of the convention. The United Kingdom will play an active part in the establishment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which will oversee the implementation of the convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's assessment of which middle eastern, African and Asian countries currently possess, or are near to obtaining, nuclear or chemical weapons; and if he will make a statement.

There are three states in these regions—Israel, Pakistan and India—not party to the non-proliferation treaty—NPT—which have significant unsafeguarded nuclear activities, though none has declared itself to have or to be seeking nuclear weapons. North Korea, which is not recognised by Her Majesty' Government, has recently announced its intention to withdraw from the NPT. It has significant nuclear facilities and has failed to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency implementing its safeguards agreement. There are also a number of countries in these regions which have, or are believed to be seeking to acquire, an offensive chemical weapons capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the decision of the Democratic Republic of Korea's decision to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 18 March, Official Report, column 318.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about Her Majesty's Government's policy towards enforcement of a no-fly zone over Bosnia.

We condemn the bombing of the village of Gladovici in eastern Bosnia, which was the first confirmed combat-related violation of the no-fly zone set up in United Nations Security Council resolutions 761 and 776 since 13 October 1992. We fully support the moves in the United Nations towards enforcement of the no-fly zone.We shall also continue to assess the possible repercussions of enforcement on our ability to protect the humanitarian aid effort. The safety of British troops remains our paramount concern.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of Her Majesty's Government's response to the proposal to establish a war crimes tribunal in the former Yugoslavia, under Security Council resolution 808.

Yes. Under United Nations Security Council resolution 808 the United Nations Secretary-General should report by 22 April on the most effective and expeditious way to establish the tribunal. The United Nations secretariat has asked for informal contributions from member states to assist it in that work. We have provided comments in the form of a non-paper. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response has been made to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the efficiency and costs of and the service provided by the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

I have today placed in the Library of the House responses by the Commonwealth Development Corporation and the Government to the recommendations made in the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's report. The Government welcome the MMC's conclusion that

"CDC provides a particularly valuable form of assistance to the economies of developing countries".

The MMC was impressed

"by CDC's competence and by the dedication with which its staff work, often in difficult circumstances, towards the Corporation's objectives".

The Government regard the CDC as an important part of Britain's overall aid effort and it is the principal vehicle under the aid programme for directly assisting the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial or technical assistance given by his Department to eastern European countries has gone to aid the production or marketing of tobacco products.

It is Government policy not to support the tobacco industry under the aid programme. However, inadvertently, one manager from a Polish cigarette company's factory was attached to a United Kingdom company last year under a Foreign and Commonwealth Office—Overseas Development Administration know-how fund programme designed to increase management experience in Britain's market economy. This programme has brought more than 350 managers to the United Kingdom since 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the financial and technical assistance provided to east European states includes contributions to new nuclear power installations.

The financial and technical assistance provided by the United Kingdom to eastern European countries does not include contributions to new nuclear power installations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many discretionary awards were given by each local education authority in each year since 1985.

The number of discretionary awards reported by each LEA for the academic years 1989–90 and 1990–91—latest available—are set out in the table. Some historical information on discretionary awards made by individual LEAs is published in past volumes of "Statistics of Education: Finance and Awards" and "Statistical Bulletins: Student Awards in England and Wales" copies of which are in the Library.

Total discretionary awards
LEA	1989–90	1990–91
City of London	—	7
Camden1	—	n/a
Greenwich	—	91
Hackney	—	1,191
Hammersmith	—	372
Islington	—	198
Kensington	—	279
Lambeth	—	275

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the amount of total resources allocated to and by each local education authority for discretionary awards in each year since 1985.

It is for each LEA to set out its own budget for discretionary awards in the light of local needs and priorities. The Department does not collect information on any such planned allocations. The available information on expenditure for the years 1985–86 to 1987–88 and 1989–90 to 1990–91 made by LEAs is included in the table. Data for the academic year 1988–89 are not readily availabe and cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students applying for discretionary awards, in each local education authority, were refused such awards for each year since 1985.

It is for each local education authority to decide on the allocation of discretionary awards in the light of local needs and priorities. The number of students refused discretionary awards is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) if he will make a statement about the level of support being provided to teachers of children with special educational needs to develop appropriate systems of assessment leading to level 1 of key stage 1 of the national curriculum;(2) if he will take steps to develop a system of assessment within the national curriculum to take proper account of those children who are currently assessed as working towards level 1 of key stage 1;(3) if he will make a statement about work being undertaken by local education authorities and schools to develop systems of assessment appropriate for children who are currently assessed as working towards level 1 of key stage 1 of the national curriculum.

The statutory assessment arrangements for key stage 1 already provide for teachers to assess those pupils who are working towards level 1, including those with special educational needs. Teachers are able to use the framework provided by the national curriculum, and extend it in the light of individual needs and circumstances, to identify suitable targets for those working towards level 1. These arrangements are kept under review by the School Examinations and Assessment Council—SEAC.All local education authorities receive specific grant for education support and training to meet their in-service training requirements for assessment. This includes arrangements for teachers of children with special educational needs.Arrangements to disseminate good practice between schools and LEAs' specialist advisers are encouraged.SEAC has also given extensive guidance to LEAs and teachers on appropriate assessment arrangements for pupils with special educational needs. Additionally some LEAs, in conjunction with their schools, are developing further guidance for teachers of pupils working towards level 1.SEAC's guidance, which is kept under review, provides for a considerable degree of flexibility which teachers are able to use in making adaptations to both testing procedures and the tests themselves. The effectiveness of these general assessment arrangements are also reviewed, as appropriate, during the periodic school survey programme conducted by the Office for Standards in Education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake a survey of the effects of the introduction of the national curriculum and its associated assessment and testing on the work load of teachers and its impact on their health.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish information on the level of teacher absence from school because of ill health in each of the last five years and in 1979.

Information on teacher absences was collected as part of the secondary school staffing survey of maintained secondary schools in England. However, it is available only for the years 1988 and 1992, when the percentage of tuition time affected by short-term absences of teachers for reasons other than in-service training or other professional duties was recorded as 4 and 3 per cent. respectively.

	England		Wales		Total
Financial year	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)
1978–79	91	473	10	58	101	531
1988–89	811	6,289	77	424	888	6,713
1989–90	861	6,724	73	457	934	7,181
1990–91	840	6,603	87	445	927	7,048
1991–92	673	5,535	55	379	728	5,914
1992–931	742	6,244	67	371	809	6,615
1Provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures he intends to take to help children who care for disabled or terminally ill relatives to attend school regularly.

Regular school attendance is important for all pupils. Where special circumstances exist at home, we look to schools to liaise closely with education welfare officers and local authority social services departments to ensure that children are not thereby prevented from attending school.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the latest information he has on the levels of (a) truancy and (b) expulsions in primary and secondary schools.

Truancy data will be published in local school performance tables for the first time this autumn. We will then have a clearer understanding of the levels of truancy nationally. Information on permanent exclusions from maintained schools was collected by the Department over a two-year period beginning with the summer term 1990. Returns from the second year are currently being analysed but preliminary results from an analysis of the first-year data show that there were some 3,000 permanent exclusions over that period. Exclusions in the primary phase accounted for 13 per cent. of the total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish a list of those schools which have expressed an interest in introducing selective admission procedures based on ability for secondary education.

The following self-governing state schools—grant-maintained schools—have published proposals

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) head teachers and (b) teachers have been given early retirement in each of the last five years and in 1979.

The number of (a) head teachers and (b) teachers in schools who have been given early retirement under the premature retirement arrangements in the financial years 1978–79 and 1988–89 to 1992–93 is shown in the table. The numbers relate to those teachers who retired before the normal retirement age of 60. They do not include teachers retiring for reasons of ill health.under section 89 of the Education Reform Act 1988 to make a significant change of character by introducing arrangements for some or all pupils to be admitted by reference to ability: Castle Hall School, Kirklees, rejected on 21 May 1992; Avon Valley School, Warwickshire, withdrawn 24 March 1992; Southlands School, Berkshire, approved 16. February 1993; Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Cumbria, minded to approve 5 March 1993. No other such proposals are currently before my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the value of nursery education in enhancing the performance of pupils at key stage 1 of the national curriculum; and what action he intends to take in the light of the evidence which is available to his Department on this subject.

Various research findings have indicated that nursery education has benefits in preparing many children for their primary schooling. There is no conclusive evidence of its benefits over the longer term or of its cost effectiveness relative to that of other forms of under-five provision. The Government believe that the patterns of provision for the under-fives are best left for local determination in the light of the available resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will undertake a national survey of the effects of the introduction of the local management of schools and the national curriculum on the health of headteachers.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the latest figures for the number of students who have taken out loans from the students access funds; and if he will estimate the total amount of the loans.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications for grant-maintained status have been approved (a) without modification, (b) with modification in respect of the admission number, (c) with modification in respect of the date of incorporation and (d) with modification in respect of the admissions policy; and how many of such applications were published (i) before 1 December 1992, and (ii) after 1 December 1992.

This information could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education which professional services within his Department have been subjected to market testing within the last 12 months and with what result; and which will be subjected to market testing within the next 12 months.

A limited market test of the Department for Education library in 1992 led to the service being retained in-house. The Department's market-testing programme for the period after 30 September 1993 has not yet been finalised.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will introduce legislation to provide for the levying of charges on the Church of England for the passage of Church of England Measures along the lines of those levied on promoters of private Bills.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission if he will list the numbers and grades of staff whose work involves a significant amount of time spent on matters relating to Church of England or Church Commissioners' business in the House.

One assistant clerk—HEO/D—is made available as Commons secretary of the Ecclesiastical Committee and spends not more than 10 per cent. of his time on work associated with that committee. No other member of staff spends a significant amount of time on Church of England or Church Commissioners' business.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how much time has been devoted to (a) oral questions to the right hon. Member answering on behalf of the Church Commissioners and (b) to the passage of Church of England measures, in Sessions 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

The information requested is as follows:

	(a) Oral Questions (Church Commissioners)	(b)Church of England measures
1990–91	35 minutes	1 hour 17 minutes
1991–92	15 minutes	1 hour 1 minute
1992–93 (up to 25 March 1993)	25 minutes	nil

To ask the Lord President of the Council how many questions tabled to the right hon. Member answering on behalf of the Church Commissioners have been printed in the Order Paper; and how many received (a) oral and (b) written answers, for Sessions 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93 to date.

The information requested is as follows:

	Total	(a) oral answer	(b) written answer1	(c) withdrawn
1990–91	44	18	26	—
1991–92	12	7	5	—
1992–93 (up to 25 March 1993)	48	16	30	2
1Includes questions tabled for oral answer which were not reached, and therefore received a written reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the names of the (a) schools, (b) colleges and (c) universities which he and his ministerial colleagues have visited since April 1992; and if he will make a statement on the purpose and benefits of the visits.

The information is as follows:

Schools

Clwyd

• Ysgol Uwchradd Glan Clwyd
• Brynhyfryd Comprehensive

Dyfed

• Llandovery College (Independent)

Gwent

• Garnfach Infants
• Lliswerry Comprehensive
• Pentrepoeth Primary
• Brynmawr Comprehensive (Grant Maintained)

Mid Glamorgan

• Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelin
• Aberdare Girls High
• Llwyn Crwn Primary

Powys

• Crickhowell High
• John Beddoes Secondary

West Glamorgan

• Bishop Vaughan Comprehensive (Grant Maintained)

South Glamorgan

• Englwys Wen Primary
• Ysgol Melin Gruffydd

Colleges

• Atlantic College
• Carmarthenshire College of Technology and Art
• Gwynedd Technical College
• Rhondda College
• Barry College
• Gwent College of Higher Education
• Llandrillo College

Universities

• University of Glamorgan
• University of Wales College of Cardiff

Such visits provide opportunities to see institutions in operation and to discuss education matters with staff, students and pupils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement rescinding his instruction to South Glamorgan health authority to award the catering contract at the University hospital of Wales to Gardner Merchant.

The awarding of catering contracts is a health authority responsibility and South Glamorgan health authority advises us that it intends to take no further steps to implement the tendering exercise concerned with the provision of catering services at the University hospital of Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many children in each local education authority speak Welsh as their mother tongue in Wales in absolute and percentage terms.

Information on the number of children who speak more Welsh than English at home will be available from the results of the 1992 Welsh social survey. The 1991 census collected data on whether children spoke Welsh but not on whether it was their first language. The numbers and percentage of children aged three to 16 speaking Welsh is published for Wales and counties—local education authorities—by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in the 1991 census national monitor for Wales—Cen 91 CM 55.