To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the appointments made by him as listed in "Public Bodies 1992" came within the categories set out in paragraphs 49 and 50 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" and required a submission to the Prime Minister.

There were 27 appointments to the bodies listed in "Public Bodies 1992", sponsored by my Department, which required prior consultation with the Prime Minister under paragraph 50 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 for each year since 1987.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investment packages are available to private sector investors in Hackney to create jobs and housing.

The following DOE programmes are available in Hackney:

City Challenge: £7·5 million over five years, to develop and improve the local business economy, develop the skills of local people and raise the quality and management of homes.

Housing: Following the Chancellor's autumn statement, an additional £10·8 million for housing associations to purchase homes and provide cash grants to enable housing association and council tenants to move into owner occupation. The estate action programme has also been successful in drawing private sector investment into the refurbishment of council estates.

City grant: The private sector in Hackney is able to bid for funding of individual projects.

Hackney task force: Provides loans/grants of up to £5,000 to small and and start up businesses.

Urban partnership funding: £125,000 for enterprise projects will lever in over £500,000 from the private sector as a result of this initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reassign the functions and responsibilities of the London residuary body (a) prior to abolition and (b) following abolition.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no such plans. It is envisaged that the London residuary body will discharge its present functions and responsibilities until it is wound up.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the London residuary body to be wound up; and when its final accounts will be published.

The date of the winding up of the London residuary body (and hence the date of the publication of its final accounts) will depend upon the timing of the disposal of the County hall site and buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the running costs of the London residuary body for each year to date.

Expressed in current prices, net expenditure by the London residuary body on general management or administrative services, including preparation and transfer of records to successor bodies by the London residuary body's administration department, was as follows in the years 1986–87 to 1992–93:

	£'000
1986–87	7,077
1987–88	4,285
1988–89	3,698
1989–90	3,043
11990–91	7,599
1991–92	3,048
21992–93	1,859
1 On 1 April 1990 the London residuary body took on responsibility for winding up the affairs of the Inner London education authority.
2 The figures for 1992–93 are from the London residuary body's 1992–93 original budget while for other years they come from the London residuary body's annual report and accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of the north, south and island blocks of County hall; how much they are valued at; and if he will make a statement on potential buyers.

The disposal of these properties is a matter for the London residuary body, which is at present actively marketing the land and buildings concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the London residuary body will receive the proceeds of the sale of the main building of London's County hall; how much they are expected to be; and how they will be distributed.

The timing and the amount of the receipt of the proceeds of the sale of the riverside building of County hall are matters of commercial confidentiality between the London residuary body and the purchasers. It is, however, expected that the ensuing capital receipt will be distributed to the London boroughs by 31 December this year. The method of distribution will be the subject of consultation between the Department and the London boroughs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the disposal of all the buildings in the County hall complex to be completed.

The disposal of the County hall site and buildings is a matter for the London residuary body, which is under a duty to sell the land and buildings concerned for the best obtainable price.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 30 March, Official Report, columns 133–34, how many prosecutions have been brought under (a) the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations 1990 and (b) the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 for failure to maintain and repair gas appliances; and how many of these prosecutions have resulted in convictions.

The survey of local authorities in England and Wales contained in the Institution of Environmental Health Officers annual report 1990–91 reports that 90 convictions were obtained for failure to comply with section 369 of the Housing Act 1985, under which the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations 1990 are made.The survey also reports that 719 notices were served under section 372 (power to require execution of works to remedy neglect of management). 403 of these were complied with (including those complied with by means of the local authority carrying out the works), and 12 convictions were obtained for failure to comply with a notice.Information on the number of prosecutions specifically for failure to maintain and repair gas appliances, and on the number of prosecutions under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to invite contributions from local authorities and other interested parties to his review of standard spending assessments.

[holding answer 14 April 1993]: Officials in my Department have written to all local authorities in England inviting them to make representations on the review of standard spending assessments and to provide evidence to support any proposed changes.There will also be regular meetings between my officials and representatives of the local authority associations until September to discuss the technical aspects of the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the staffing resources and the financial provision for external research that he proposes to devote to his review of standard spending assessments.

[holding answer 14 April 1993]: The review of standard spending assessments will involve work by my own Department in consultation with other Government Departments and the local authority associations. Work is already in progress using existing resources. Some external research is under way and more will he carried out where this is felt necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action he will take to prevent further deterioration in the condition of the grade I listed former St. Ann's hotel in The Crescent. Buxton.

In view of the lack of progress with the repairs specified in last December's repairs notice, my right hon. Friend has today authorised the service on the owners, Capitalrise Ltd, of a compulsory purchase order under section 47 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.This is the first time that my right hon. Friend's powers under section 47 have been used. This reflects the outstanding importance of the building. My right hon. Friend and I are not prepared to see it deteriorate further through neglect and indecision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total number of persons arrested under the Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act 1991 and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 for the period (a) September 1991 to December 1992 and (b) January 1993 to the present date.

The available information is as follows:

Period	Number of persons arrested in Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991	Number of persons arrested in Northern Ireland under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989
1 September 1991—	92	2,382
31 December 1992
1 January 1993—	Not yet available	438
31 March 1993
Total	92	2,820

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps it is intended to take to resolve housing needs in east and south Belfast, including the Castlereagh and Lisburn boroughs.

The Housing Executive and housing associations have new building plans, which together with relets, are aimed at meeting housing needs. A total of 854 dwellings are presently under construction or planned by the Housing Executive over the next three years in east and south Belfast including the Castlereagh and Lisburn boroughs in addition to an estimated annual figure of some 1,970 relets. This will be complemented by housing association schemes currently under construction or planned to commence over the same period to provide 654 dwellings together with 109 bed spaces in shared accommodation.Under the Government's house purchase scheme announced by the Chancellor in the autumn statement the Housing Executive and housing associations (including the Co-ownership Association) purchased a total of 126 dwellings in the area and these will further assist in meeting housing needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements are currently in force for the police to be permitted to interview convicted Irish Republican Army prisoners in connection with incidents which have taken place (a) while they are in HM prison and (b) before they become inmates; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of these.

Where any convicted prisoner is suspected of involvement. in any criminal offence either in or outside prison, rule 60 of the Prison Rules (NI) 1982 provides that

"a police officer may, on production of an order issued by or on behalf of the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, interview any prisoner willing to see him."

The police and the prison authorities in Northern Ireland are satisfied that these arrangements are adequate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 for each year since 1987.

	RUC	NIPS	Army	UDR	Civilians
1983	0	0	0	0	1
Average years served	—	—	—	—	12 years 1 month
Terrorist involvement	—	—	—	—	0
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	0
1984	0	0	0	0	2
Average years served	—	—	—	—	13 years 8 months
Terrorist involvement	—	—	—	—	2
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	1
1985	1	0	1	0	2
Average years served	9 years	—	7 years 5 months	—	11 years 1 month
Terrorist involvement	1	—	1	—	2
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	—
1986	1	0	0	0	3
Average years served	13 years 4 months	—	—	—	10 years 10 months
Terrorist involvement	1	—	—	—	2
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	—
1987	2	0	1	1	9
Average years served	14 years 1 month	—	10 years 3 months	14 years	12 years 8 months
Terrorist involvement	2	—	1	1	8
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	—
1988	5	0	1	0	14
Average years served	14 years 4 months	—	10 years 10 months	—	13years
Terrorist involvement	5	—	1	—	12
Recommended minimum sentence not served	—	—	—	—	3

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many students from Northern Ireland applied for places at university in Great Britain, and how many were accepted, in the last year for which figures are available.

Information provided by the Universities Central Council on Admissions is that in 1992, 8,121 students from Northern Ireland applied for places at university in Great Britain of whom 1,794 accepted the offer of a place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show for as many years for which the information is conveniently available the number of persons sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of (a) police officers, (b) prison officers, (c) regular Army, (d) Ulster Defence Regiment members and (e) civilians who have been in each year released from prison; what was the average number of years and months served in each case; whether the life sentence had a minimum recommendation imposed by the court which was not served; and in which cases there was a terrorist involvement.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the annual cost of monitoring the religious affiliation of the employees of BBC Northern Ireland.

I have been asked to reply.I understand from the BBC that the estimated annual cost is £30,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on the implementation of objective 4 of the European Community social fund.

Assistance from the European social fund under objective 4 is aimed at improving the employment prospects of young people by supporting their vocational training. In 1992, £132 million was approved under objective 4 to support training for some 155,000 young people in the United Kingdom.The regulations governing the EC structural funds are currently being reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications were made to industrial tribunals since the beginning of 1989 in which the grounds of the application was wholly or partly based on a claim that the applicant had been disadvantaged in, or dismissed from, his employment because of his trade union membership; and how many of these cases resulted in a decision in favour of the applicant.

The figures are as follows:

	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Registered applications	513	709	475	411
Decision in favour of applicant	95	30	25	—

I regret that figures for the outcome of hearings are not yet available for 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many applications have been made to industrial tribunals since the beginning of 1989; how many resulted in a hearing; and how many resulted in decisions in favour of the applicant.

The figures are as follows:

	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Registered applications	34,697	43,243	67,448	71,821
Hearings	10,229	11,430	13,773	—
Decision in favour of applicant	4,598	5,503	7,017	—

I regret that the figures for hearings and their outcome are not yet available for 1992–93.The majority of applications to tribunals do not come to hearing, being settled or withdrawn, often after conciliation by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps she has taken to ensure that Giro cheques reported lost are replaced with the minimum of delay.

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service Agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the outcome of the meeting on 6 April of the Social Affairs Council in Luxembourg; and if she will make a statement.

I attended the meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 6 April.One proposal was agreed—a directive relating to the health and safety of workers exposed to biological agents at work. This directive, on the classification of biological agents, will amend the existing directive on the protection of workers from these risks.A general debate was held on the employment situation in the Community in open session. This stemmed from the Social Affairs Council resolution on unemployment agreed during the United Kingdom presidency. In my remarks, I stressed the need for the Community to have full regard to its wider international competitiveness, and the importance of not damaging the prospects for jobs growth by increased regulation and higher costs.Most of the rest of the agenda consisted of policy debates on outstanding proposals for directives, including those on European Works Councils and Protection of Young People at Work, on both of which the presidency had raised specific issues for discussion. There was also a brief discussion of outstanding issues on the Working Time Directive. No decisions were taken, but the presidency indicated that it hoped to bring these proposals back to the Council on 1 June.Finally, there was a brief report from the presidency on the conference on the social dialogue, held in Copenhagen last month, and a progress report on negotiations on a directive on health and safety on fishing vessels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research has been conducted into the safety and protection from injury as provided by headgear for the users of bicycles.

The Transport Research Laboratory report "Pedal Cycle Accidents—A Hospital Based Study" estimated that if helmets were universally worn more than 4,000 casualties would be prevented and the severity of 3,000 serious casualties would be reduced each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many certificates have been signed under the terms of section 27 of the Data Protection Act 1984 for each year since 1987.

I am aware of none so far as the Department of Transport is concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the reduction in number of passengers travelling by air from London regional airports as a result of the channel tunnel rail link (a) when the tunnel opens and (b) when a high-speed rail link is completed.

The Department's 1991 air traffic forecasts project a reduction of 5·3 to 6·6 million passengers per annum travelling through London airports in 2000 as a result of the channel tunnel. These forecasts assume a high speed rail link. Estimates of the reduction in air passengers when the tunnel opens are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to receive the report from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch into the grounding of the MV Braer on Shetland in January.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch investigation is progressing well, but it is too early to give an indication of when the report of the chief inspector of marine accidents will be available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many formal or informal representations have been received by him or his departmental Ministers and officials to the effect that a formal investigation under merchant shipping legislation should not be instituted in respect of the grounding of the MV Braer on Shetland in January.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate has been made of the costs to businesses caused by transportation delays, on a yearly basis since 1969.

These costs are undoubtedly considerable, but no reliable estimate of them, by roads or by other modes, is available. It is an aim of the Department's expenditure and policies to reduce congestion and delay where it is economic to do so, and to make the best possible use of all modes of transport. By ensuring the maintenance of standards in British Rail's passengers charter and the London Underground charter we aim to ensure that public transport delays are kept to a minimum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information is held on the number of delays on British Rail and London Underground caused by security alerts, on a yearly basis since 1969.

British Rail and London Underground maintain records of such delays, though not back to 1969. It is not their policy to publish such information and thereby to give publicity to the activities of terrorists.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if the costs of legal and other advisers attending the Scott inquiry will be covered by the resources made available by Her Majesty's Government to support Lord Justice Scott's investigation;(2) what criteria will govern the repayment of costs for witnesses at the Scott inquiry; and what expenses will be regarded as reasonable.

The inquiry will meet the expenses of a witness or adviser necessarily incurred in attending to give evidence to the inquiry. Legal costs will be met by the inquiry if Lord Justice Scott decides that they were necessary in the interests of justice. They will be assessed by the costs branch of the Treasury Solicitor's Department on the standard basis (as defined in order 62, r.12(1) of the rules of the Supreme Court). The legal costs of Government witnesses or advisers will be met by the Department in which they were serving at the relevant time.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting held between the Cabinet Secretary and Lord Justice Scott on 12 February.

No. The Cabinet Secretary and Lord Justice Scott discussed the procedures which Lord Justice Scott will adopt during the course of his inquiry and that discussion was reflected in the notes of procedures published by Lord Justice Scott on 31 March 1993.

To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has received from the national chairman of the Royal British Legion; what reply he is sending; what action he is taking; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 15 April 19931]: A letter has been received expressing concerns over the recent introduction into war pensions legislation of a 20 per cent. disablement threshold for claims for noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss, and the new community care arrangements.A reply has been sent which emphasises that the package on war pensions which included the change on hearing loss claims also included, gains of up to £5 a week for almost 200,000 war disablement pensioners. The Government consider that the concentration of limited resources on the most severely disabled war pensioners is the right way forward.The reply explains that it is now for local authorities to make sure that they discharge their community care responsibilities effectively. Ministers in the Department of Health have encouraged organisations such as the Royal British Legion to seek discussions with the local authority associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the use of the International Atomic Energy Agency's international centre for theoretical physics in Trieste by potential proliferator nations to obtain information which could contribute to the development of nuclear weapons.

The international centre for theoretical physics (ICTP) at Trieste is supported by the IAEA, UNESCO and the Government of Italy. It seeks to promote international co-operation among scientists from both industrialised and developing countries. A small proportion of its activity concerns the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We have no information that the centre has been used in the way suggested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries he visited on his recent visit to the middle east; which Ministers or Government officials he met; and what matters in regard to nuclear non-proliferation and arms exports were discussed.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not been to the middle east since May last year, when he visited Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In Egypt he met President Mubarak, the Foreign Minister Mr. Amre Moussa, and the Secretary General of the Arab League Dr. Abdel Meguid. In Kuwait he met the Amir, His Highness Shaikh Jabir al Sabah, the Crown Prince Shaikh Saad al Sabah, and the then Foreign Minister Shaikh Salem. In Saudi Arabia he met His Majesty King Fand. He discussed a range of security issues, including the question of weapons of mass destruction and the United Kingdom contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Gulf.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had on nuclear proliferation and the forthcoming preparatory committee meeting for the fifth review conference of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty during his recent visit to Russia.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs discussed North Korea's announcement of her intention to withdraw from the non-proliferation treaty and the importance of upholding the treaty. There was no discussion about the first preparatory committee meeting of the 1995 extension review conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has of the presence of Iranian troops, together with heavy military support equipment in southern Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

The evidence is limited, but we shall continue to monitor the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on decisions taken during the 11th meeting of the FAO's Committee on Forestry in Rome during March;(2) what action will be taken by the United Kingdom in accordance with decisions taken at the 11th meeting of the FAO's Committee on Forestry held in Rome during March.

[holding answer 2 April 1993] I have been asked to reply.The biennial meetings of FAO's Committee on Forestry provide an opportunity for the exchange of views on important subjects related to forestry and for the provision of advice to FAO on its forestry activities. The Committee acts in an advisory capacity and does not take executive decisions.At its 1993 meeting, the Committee reviewed and commented on FAO's regular programmes, criticised the reduction in FAO's forestry budget, and discussed the increasing political recognition of the importance of forestry, the implementation of the Forest Principles agreed in Rio de Janeiro, the role of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and the future of the Tropical Forests Action Programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many reported cases there have been of malnutrition in children in the last five years;(2) what steps she is taking to ensure that children are getting their recommended daily calorie intake.

Malnutrition is a term which covers a wide variety of single or combined deficiencies of nutrients and/or energy, none of which are notifiable. Current surveillance does not indicate that, on average, children in the United Kingdom are malnourished in terms of any specific nutrient or energy.Estimated average requirements for the daily calorie intakes appropriate for those aged 0 to 18 years in the United Kingdom are set out by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy in its report on Dietary Reference Values published in 1991. A copy is available in the Library.Improved surveillance, through the Government-funded national study of health and growth and the national diet and nutrition survey programme, will provide more detailed information on children's health status in relation to energy and nutrient intake.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that all children and their parents are aware of what constitutes a healthy and balanced diet.

Within the national curriculum, the science order for each key stage covers diet and nutrition in the context of personal health. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health are contributing funds to the production of a comprehensive education pack "Food—A Fact Of Life" which the British Nutrition Foundation is producing for use in schools.The Health Education Authority (HEA) provides information and advice on healthy eating to the public through its publications and local and national campaigns. In addition the Government have produced "Eight Guidelines for a Healthy Diet" as well as a range of booklets in the "Food Sense" series, copies of which are available in the Library.The nutrition task force set up under "The Health of the Nation" as a partnership between Government and key outside organisations is currently considering action to improve and target advice on healthy eating and weight control for all population groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that children who have parents on a low income have access to a healthy and balanced diet; and if she will make a statement.

A healthy and balanced diet can be achieved in a variety of ways and need not be more expensive than the current average diet. Children whose parents are in receipt of income support are entitled to free school meals and the welfare food scheme continues to provide a nutritional safeguard for children in low-income families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation she has made of the effect of the European Year of the Elderly in the United kingdom.

It is too early to evaluate the effect of the year, which commenced in January, but I am confident that it will bring real and lasting benefits to older people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of orthopaedic hand operations carried out in the last 14 years have required revision;(2) what percentage of knee replacement operations carried out in the last 14 years have required revision.

It is not possible to identify precisely what proportion of operations required revision, but in 1989–90 and 1990–91 respectively, an estimated 6·3 per cent. and 5·3 per cent. of knee joint replacements were revisions. Equivalent information for hand operations is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to introduce a national register of knee replacements and revisions to provide an accurate measure of revision rate.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 14 April at column 610.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which knee replacement implants which have been used in the NHS in the last 14 years have (a) the highest success rate and (b) the highest failure rate.

Information on the outcome of knee replacement operations is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of clinicians to give advice to patients on the various types of knee implants available, based on the needs of the patient.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tests are carried out on knee replacement implants before they can be marketed.

There are no statutory requirements for the marketing of knee replacement implants.Since 1986, knee implants have been controlled by the voluntary Department of Health manufacturer registration scheme, which requires that new designs should undergo appropriate testing prior to their release for general sale. There are currently 23 registered manufacturers of knee implants and the vast majority of these products implanted in the United Kingdom are from registered sources.From 1 January 1995, the European Directive on Medical Devices will place the control of knee implants on a formal statutory basis, and manufacturers will be required to submit details of manufacturing and design to third party assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set out the process of consultation that will apply to the proposed changes to health services by local health authorities.

District health authorities (DHAs) are required by the Community Health Council (CHC) Regulations 1985 (SI No. 304), as amended, to consult the relevant CHC on proposals they are considering which would result in substantial changes to the services in the district.Information about the proposed changes should be provided to the relevant CHC and other interested parties, and a date prescribed by which comments should be made. The DHA will then reconsider the proposal in the light of the comments and, if there is no objection from the CHC, may proceed with implementation.Ministers make decisions on contested closure proposals. Where a CHC wishes to object formally to a proposal, involving the closure or change of use of a health building, the DHA refers it to the regional health authority (RHA). If the RHA supports the DHA's proposal, it will refer the proposal to the Secretary of State for final decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the 10 health districts in England which had the lowest revenue budgets per head of the population in the most recent available five-year period.

[holding answer 30 March 1993]: The information requested for a five-year period could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.The budgets of district health authorities are set by regional health authorities and detailed information is not collected centrally. However, lists derived from information which relates the expenditure of district health authorities to their resident populations for the years 1989–90 to 1991–92 are shown in the table.The district health authority figures for 1991–92 are not comparable with those for earlier years as they show the authorities primarily as purchasers rather than providers of health care. Figures of expenditure per head of population for district health authorities will inevitably vary. Those for years prior to 1991–92 will reflect patterns of local service provision and the effects of patient flows across health authority boundaries while the figures for 1991–92 should be regarded as transitional as each regional health authority moves towards allocating funds to district health authorities on a weighted capitation basis. Figures for spending per capita include other resources (such as regional budgets and local income) in addition to allocations for resident populations.

Revenue expenditure per head of population—lowest annual figures for district health authorities in England
	£
1989–90
West Surrey and North East Hampshire	168
Sandwell	167
North Tyneside	166
Durham	162
South West Hertfordshire	160
Northallerton	158
Wycombe	157
Halton	153
East Hertfordshire	150
Chorley and South Ribble	96
1990–91
West Surrey and North East Hampshire	182
North Tyneside	181
Trafford	181

	£
South West Hertfordshire	174
Durham	173
Northallerton	172
Wycombe	172
Halton	163
East Hertfordshire	162
Chorley and South Ribble	103
1991–92
North Derbyshire	286
Kettering	281
Southend	279
South East Staffordshire	277
Chorley and South Ribble	276
Medway	276
Wycombe	276
West Surrey and North East Hampshire	268
Huntingdon	264
Durham	209

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new lettings were made by housing associations in Wales for each year since 1979; and what proportion of new lettings were made to tenants receiving housing benefit.

The information is not available centrally

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women have in vitro fertilisation treatment each year; how many are undertaken by the national health service; and how many in the private sector.

Prior to August 1991 and the advent of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), data was collected on the number of treatment cycles rather than the number of women treated. If did not differentiate between the NHS and the private sector. Figures are as follows:

Year	Number
1989	456
1990	570
1991	390

The 1991 figures are for January to July only. Data about the number of women given IVF treatment from August to December 1991 will be available in July this year. The HFEA will not be able to give information about the number of women treated by the NHS because of the complexity of funding arrangements.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give in cash terms the level of the national debt at the end of each financial year since 1979, together with his forecasts for its level at the end of each year until 1997–98 using the public sector borrowing requirement forecasts published with his Budget.

The table shows data for net public sector debt at end-March for each year from 1979 to 1992, plus projections for 1993 and 1994 consistent with the Budget forecast.

Net public sector debt (end-March figures)
	£ billion	Percentage GDP
1979	92·0	49·50
1980	100·6	45·50
1981	115·2	47·00
1982	126·1	47·00
1983	134·0	45·75
1984	146·5	46·50
1985	160·3	46·75
1986	166·4	44·75
1987	172·3	42·50
1988	177·1	38·00
1989	157·2	31·50
1990	151·0	28·00
1991	153·9	27·25
1992	167·9	28·25
1993	204·0	33·50
1994	255·0	39–25

Projections for 1994–95 to 1997–98 for net public sector debt as a percent of GDP are shown in chart 2·5 of the 1993–94 Financial Statement and Budget Report. The projections are illustrative and depend on the assumptions made about the growth of the economy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Treasury made of the possible jobs impact of the Budget oil taxation changes; if he will publish details of the impact assessment; and if he will make a statement.

The Budget tax proposals increase the post-tax costs and increase the post-tax profits that would have been subject to PRT. The effect on jobs depends on the extent to which companies would have been deterred from worthwhile investment by the current levels of taxation, or have planned more exploration and appraisal activity than is economically justified.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he, or the Commissioners of the Inland Revenue, have issued in the past 12 months changing the instructions on restricting the acceptance of payment of arrears by instalments.

There has been no change to the instructions issued regarding the acceptance of payment of arrears of tax by instalments. The Inland Revenue recognises that people may face temporary financial difficulties and in such circumstances the collector should be contacted at the earliest opportunity to discuss how the difficulty may be resolved. All reasonable offers of payment, including payment by instalments, are considered. There are no plans to change this practice.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information is collated on consumption by (a) low income families, (b) middle income families and (c) high income families over the last 12 months for (i) food, drink and tobacco, (ii) furniture and house maintenance, (iii) fuel, electricity and gas, etc., (iv) clothing and (v) entertainment.

Information on expenditure by households on all items, including categories (i) to (v), was obtained in the last 12 months through the Family Expenditure Survey. Analyses of expenditure by level of household income will be included in the report "Family Spending", to be published in the autumn. A copy of the latest report, for 1991, is available in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long he gave the Bank of England to prepare the report on bank charges to small businesses which he reported to the House on 20 January, Official Report, columns 623–25.

The bank was asked on 16 November to undertake the study. Its final report, which was based on a number of exchanges with the commercial banks and the information provided by them, was published on 26 January. The period from initial request to final publication was 71 days.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 26 January, Official Report, columns 623–25, how many small business customers were interviewed in the instance on which he has based his statement.

The answer of 26 January concerned a report produced by the Bank of England based on information which it had gathered from the banks. Although my right hon. Friend the Chancellor had commissioned the report because of the number of complaints which the Government had received from small business customers, none was interviewed as part of that study. However, as the answer made clear, the bank's conclusions were supported by another report commissioned from Nottingham university and published, a few weeks earlier, by the Forum of Private Business. The Nottingham university study had been based on information provided by small business customers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Treasury has made of the possible impact on exploration and appraisal activity in the United Kingdom continental shelf of the Budget oil taxation changes; and if he will express the impact in terms of numbers of drilling wells in each of the next five years.

Exploration and appraisal activity has proved highly volatile and difficult to forecast, irrespective of tax changes. The Government do not publish five-year forecasts of this or other components of North sea activity.The increasing use of 3D seismic surveys means that the level of drilling activity is becoming a less effective measure of total exploration and appraisal activity. One of the aims of the Budget proposals is to encourage companies to improve their international competitiveness by giving them greater rewards for innovation and for more effective working methods.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of the Treasury's impact assessment of the Budget oil taxation changes on the forecast number of exploration and appraisal drilling wells, in the United Kingdom continental shelf, in each of the next five years; and if he will make a comparison with those forecasts made prior to the Budget changes.

The Budget proposals shift the emphasis away from adding to oil and gas discoveries and towards developing existing finds. That is likely to influence how companies allocate their funds between exploration, appraisal, development and enhanced recovery.The Budget tax changes are one, and only one, factor affecting future exploration and appraisal levels. A significant number of wells are drilled by companies which do not expect to get early PRT relief for the expenditure. There is no reason to suppose such activity would be affected. To the extent that companies with discoveries made more attractive by PRT abolition wanted to get them into production earlier, there should be some increased appraisal activity. However, to the extent that companies have planned their E and A programmes essentially to obtain PRT tax relief at 75 per cent. rather than on pre-tax economics, some decline in future E and A activity is to be expected.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances the Inland Revenue passes information on individual cases to the Immigration and Nationality Department of the Home Department without the express consent of the individual.

The Inland Revenue does not disclose to other Government Departments any information it holds on taxpayers without their consent except as authorised by statute. There is no legislation which requires the Inland Revenue to pass such information to the immigration and nationality department of the Home Office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the report by the chairman of the Securities and Investments Board on the board's regulatory responsibilities.

Pursuant to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 3 November 1992, Official Report, column 121, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer now expects to receive the report in the next few weeks.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total capital income from value added tax at 8 per cent. and 17½ per cent. from (a) gas and (b) electricity bills in 1994–95 and 1995–96.

[holding answer 14 April 1993]: Estimates of total revenue from VAT on fuel on power at 8 per cent., and 17½ per cent. were given in the Budget speech. No estimate was made for the separate revenue from gas bills and electricity bills.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the intra-Community trade declared despatch arrival values for January to February 1993 as a percentage of the corresponding values for January to February 1992 period.

[holding answer 14 April 1993]: Details of the value of intra-Community arrivals into and despatches from the United Kingdom in January and February 1993 are not yet available. As such, the requested figures cannot be calculated at this time.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer of 22 May 1992, Official Report, column 271, what further progress has been made in persuading European Community partners to introduce special safeguards on the transport of live wild birds; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission has established a working group of experts to consider what additional measures should be adopted under the directive on the protection of animals during transport. Amongst the subjects being addressed is the trade in wild-caught birds. We have urged the Commission to bring forward its proposals quickly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the criteria used by the Home Office to select outside tenderers for Home Office tasks which are the subject of market testing exercises.

Evaluation criteria will be contained, where appropriate, in the EC Journal notice advertising the relevant market tests, or in the invitation to tender documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated current cost of court escorts; and how much might be saved if the function was contracted out in England and Wales.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate has been made of the costs to the Exchequer of bomb damage, terrorist violence or threat of violence in (a) London, (b) the rest of Great Britain and (c) Northern Ireland, in terms of compensation paid to victims for (i) personal injury, (ii) loss of business and (iii) damage to property, on a yearly basis since 1969.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, which is responsible for administering the criminal injuries compensation scheme in Great Britain, does not record centrally information about claims for personal injury arising from terrorist incidents as distinct from other forms of crime. Such information could not be provided without disproportionate cost. Compensation is not paid for loss of business or damage to property arising from terrorist incidents in Great Britain. Compensation matters in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Compensation Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how Mr. Don Treshman was able to enter the United Kingdom on Sunday 28 March after an exclusion order had been made on Friday 26 March.

My right hon. and learned Friend decided during the evening of Friday 26 March that Mr. Treshman should be excluded from the United Kingdom on the ground that his presence was not conducive to the public good. The asylum and special cases division communicated the decision to the ports directorate at 10.30 am on Saturday 27 March, the expectation being that Mr. Treshman would arrive at Heathrow on 28 March. In the event, Mr. Treshman arrived at Gatwick South at 10.45 on Saturday 27 March before his details had been circulated to all ports. The failure to notify the ports of the decision on Friday evening was regrettable and arrangements have been put in place to ensure that in future there is no delay in communicating details of exclusion decisions to ports of entry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will introduce legislation to provide a minimum banning order of five years for those convicted under the Protection of Animals Act 1911;(2) if he will conduct a study of the range of times for which banning orders have been applied by the courts under the Protection of Animals Act 1911.

Minimum sentences are not in general a feature of the criminal justice system in this country. It is for the courts, subject to the maximum penalty prescribed by Parliament and in the light of all the relevant factors, to decide upon the appropriate penalty in an individual case.My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to initiate a study of the courts' use of their power under the 1911 Act to disqualify an offender from having custody of an animal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a table to show for those constabularies in England and Wales which keep such records the number of persons holding shotgun certificates who are presently 12 years, 13 years, 14 years, 15 years, 16 years, 17 years and 18 years respectively, or such age or ages definition as is convenient, or is used by police; and what were the numbers three and five years ago for each police force.

The information which is readily available is given in the table. This shows the number of shotgun certificates which were on issue to persons aged under 16 in six police force areas in England and Wales on 1 December 1992.Information about other police force areas and previous years is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Shotgun certificates
Police force	Number of shotgun certificates on issue to persons aged under 16 (see note)
Metropolitan	46
Devon and Cornwall	80
Gwent	9
Thames Valley	59
West Yorkshire	30
Avon and Somerset	89
Total (six forces)	313

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government are taking to combat racism.

The Government are committed to eliminating racism and reducing racial disadvantage. The Race Relations Act 1976 and Public Order Act 1986 provide statutory protection for ethnic minorities and are kept under review. In 1992 the inter-departmental racial attacks group published a second report on initiatives which tackled the problem of racially motivated violence and the response by police and local agencies. We are also taking steps both in European and in international forums to promote the value of anti-discrimination legislation and of non-legislative measures to increase racial harmony.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the Home Office scoping reports thus far completed in respect of the market testing of any Home Office function.

No. Scoping study reports are internal management documents made available to local management and, where practicable, to trade unions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase funds to London boroughs to deal with refugees and asylum seekers; and what plans he has to implement a strategic approach in London.

The Department of the Environment is providing special financial assistance to local authorities worst affected by the influx of displaced persons from the former Yugoslavia in 1992–93. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 3 February at col. 343 that a similar scheme will operate in 1993–94 and that assistance will also be given in respect of unaccompanied refugee children. Local authorities, including London boroughs, will be given an opportunity to make claims for financial assistance in due course.We are conscious of the pressure on services due to the number of refugees and asylum seekers wishing to settle in London. Where refugees are being brought to the United Kingdom under Government-sponsored schemes, every effort is made to settle these people outside London.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the private firms involved in tendering for the prison education service.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 14 January at col. 798. Responsibility for this matter has now been delegated to the director general of the prison service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.