To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates resigned for reasons other than age in each quarter since January 1988.

In the Lord Chancellor's area of responsibility, the figures for each of the quarters referred to, save for this year and the first quarter of 1992 cannot be given without disproportionate cost. Figures for the Duchy of Lancaster, where available, are shown in brackets. The number of losses for the years in the question and for the first quarter of 1992 and 1993, but excluding those justices who reached the statutory retirement age, are as follows:

	Number
1988	659
1989	799
1990	794
1991	820 (167)
	First quarter
1992	256 (40)
1992	1,034 (165)
	First quarter
1993	261 (37)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what sources of funding are available to students who wish to pursue osteopathy courses.

Students on designated full-time first degree and equivalent level courses in osteopathy are eligible for a mandatory award and a student loan on the terms prescribed in the relevant regulations. Other students may apply to their local education authority for a discretionary award, the availability and amount of which is for the authority to determine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he is giving to the report from the National Curriculum Council: "Special Needs and the national curriculum: Opportunity and Challenge"; if he will extend the national curriculum to take account of the recommendation of this report; and if he will make a statement.

This leaflet, which the National Curriculum Council has recently sent to my right hon. Friend, summarises a wide-ranging review of issues concerning the relationship of pupils with special educational needs to the national curriculum. It highlights some important matters and suggests some ways forward for schools.The national curriculum is appropriate for the great majority of children. A very small number may not he able to study across the whole of its range, or reach the levels generally appropriate to their age, and arrangements are in place to allow the modification of the curriculum as appropriate to each individual child.In respect of exceptionally able children, there is no need for the modification of the curriculum to enable them to work at an appropriate pace and challenge, since the national curriculum sets out only a minimum entitlement, and schools are free to extend this work with individual children.My right hon. Friend agrees with the National Curriculum Council that involvement in the national curriculum in itself means that pupils' entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum is addressed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he will publish the report by Birmingham university on the effectiveness of conductive education as practised at the Institute for Conductive Education in Birmingham; and if he will make a statement.

I am pleased to be able to announce that the full report, containing a description of the methodology of the research and details of its findings, will he published today. Copies of the report are being placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the figures for teacher numbers and vacancies for January 1993; and if he will make a statement.

The annual survey of teacher numbers and vacancies shows that teacher numbers in England rose between January 1992 and January 1993, and that the vacancy rates in January 1993 were the lowest ever recorded. Vacancies have fallen to only 1,343 this year. This is good news for schools. It represents a further 30 per cent. fall in vacancies, to little more than one vacancy for every 20 schools. The fall is even more marked in mathematics, science and modern foreign languages. Provisional teacher numbers in LEA-maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools and self-governing state schools rose by 0·2 per cent. from 394,900 full-time equivalent teachers in January 1992 to 395,600. The estimated overall pupil to teacher ratio is 17·66: 1.I am placing fuller details of the vacancy figures in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Ministers in his Department have received a London Transport travelcard from the Reclaim the Streets Action Campaign; and what use each of those Ministers who received one made of the card for official journeys by (a) bus (b) tube or (c) rail in the week including 15 May.

I and my hon. Friend the Minister for Public Transport have received London Transport travelcards from the Reclaim the Streets Action Campaign. It would not be appropriate to accept these cards. We shall therefore be returning them to the campaign organisers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue will be raised from vehicle excise duty in 1993.

The latest forecast for the financial year 1993–94 is £3,690 million net.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department expects to reply to the letters from. the hon. Member for Greenwich concerning Oxleas wood, dated 13 October 1992 and 3 March 1993.

I have written today to the hon. Member to explain that I had thought it right to delay my reply until matters in the Court of Appeal and with the European Commission have been resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the reports commissioned from private consultants concerning the crossrail proposals.

No. The reports contain commercially sensitive information. If it is decided that crossrail should proceed as a joint venture with the private sector, a great deal of the information will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to make an announcement as to the location of the new midlands channel tunnel terminal.

This is a commercial matter for British Rail in co-operation with the private sector. The Government have no plans at present to make an announcement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the level of pollution from diesel exhaust emissions of buses one year old up to seven years old.

No assessment has been made which specifically addresses pollution arising from buses. However, the Department has an extensive research programme looking at control technology and other measures to reduce emissions. In the light of the results of this research, the Government will consider the need for a feasibility of establishing emission requirements for specific categories of vehicles, for example buses, operating in the urban environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the number of buses currently in operation which are not controlled by European Community legislation on account of the age of the vehicle.

There is currently no European Community legislation relating specifically to the construction of buses, although buses are affected by a number of EC directives setting technical standards for various aspects of motor vehicles. We have no estimate of the number of buses affected, which will depend on the precise requirements of the many directives in question, the date on which they came into effect and the manner in which they are applied in United Kingdom law.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the cost to the food industry in a full year of implementing the Food Safety Act 1990.

The Food Safety Act 1990 is an enabling piece of legislation which, of itself, does not require any additional expenditure by food businesses. The requirements that it places directly on businesses relating to food safety and consumer protection are couched in general terms, and are no more than any prudent well-run business would involve itself in as part of ensuring its good reputation with its customers. It is, therefore, not possible specifically to identify the cost to the industry of complying with the Act.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many copies of his departmental reports on (a) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food environmental research strategy and requirement document 1993–95 and (b) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food arable crops and horticulture research strategy document 1993–95 have been printed; at what cost; and to whom they have been distributed.

One thousand five hundred copies of (a) the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food environmental research strategy and requirement document 1993–95 and 800 copies of (b) Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food arable crops and horticulture research strategy document 1993–95 have been printed, at a total cost of £3,880. They have been distributed to contractors and other parties known to have an interest in research and development, and publicised more widely by means of a press notice.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to seek the adoption in the European Community of siphoning on transfers of milk quotas so as to provide a pool of quotas for new entrants under the age of 40 years into farming in the United Kingdom.

The Government have no plans to do so. However, we shall be looking to see whether any lessons for milk quotas may be drawn from experience in the operation of quotas in the sheep and suckler cow sectors, where arrangements for new entrants have been proposed.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what cuts in expenditure in near-market strategic and basic research have been implemented since 1978; and if he will list the size of his Ministry's budget and the numbers of projects and

	1991–92		1992–93		1993–94
Subject area	£ million cash	£ million real1terms	£ million cash	£ million real1terms	£ million cash	£ million real1terms
Protecting the countryside	1·6 (16)	1·6	1·7 (19)	1·6	1·7 (20)	1·6
Farm woodland and set aside	2·7 (20)	2·7	2·7 (21)	2·5	2·8 (16)	2·6
Protecting water supplies and rivers	7·1 (39)	7·1	8·1 (61)	7·8	7·9 (60)	7·4
Soil protection	1·5 (16)	1·5	1·4 (21)	1·4	1·7 (19)	1·6
Protecting the air	1·6 (15)	1·6	1·6 (15)	1·5	1·8 (17)	1·7
Pest and pesticides	21·3(174)	21·3	22·2(172)	21·5	20·0(158)	18·8
Flood and coastal defence and climate change	3·0 (63)	3·0	3·7 (76)	3·6	4·0 (71)	3·7
Marine protection	3·5 (32)	3·5	3·6 (31)	3·5	3·8 (29)	3·6
Genetic conservation and modification at RBG. Kew	8·7 (—)	8·7	10·3 (—)	10·0	9·1 (·)	8·6
Protecting fisheries	4·7 (81)	4·7	5·1 (69)	5·0	5·2 (67)	4·9
Totals	55·8(456)	55·8	60·4(485)	58·4	58·0(457)	54·5
1 Using GDP deflator 1991–92= 100.

Figures for years before 1991–92 are not available in the form requested.No information is held centrally about the number of personnel employed on each subject area.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether bovine eyes are used in food for human consumption in the United Kingdom.

I am aware of the suggestion that bovine eyes are used in meat products. All the main meat industry organisations have assured me that they have no evidence of any use of bovine eyes in food. Moreover, the British Meat Manufacturers Association has pointed out that under its accredited standard scheme eyes are totally banned from use in meat preparations and meat products by their members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has any plans to privatise the Northern Ireland electricity service; what estimate of asset proceeds he has made; and if he will make a statement.

The first phase of the privatisation of the electricity supply industry in Northern Ireland—the trade sale of the four existing power stations to three private sector companies—was completed in March 1992. The personnel employed with respect to each of the subject areas outlined in "MAFF NR 143/91" in nominal and real terms for each year since 1978.

Research projects are not classified routinely in the terms specified in the question. However, near-market projects, by definition, would seldom, if ever, be expected to fall into the strategic or basic research categories.My Department's expenditure in cash and real terms on environmental R and D by subject area is set out in the table. The number of projects is shown in brackets. Individual projects differ in value.second phase—the floatation of Northern Ireland Electricity plc on the stock exchange—is due to take place in June 1993. The sale of the four power stations realised some £350 million. It is too early to provide an estimate of proceeds from the floatation of NIE plc, details of which will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce a concessionary rate game fishing permit for pensioners for Northern Ireland at the same level as is applicable in Great Britain.

No. The legislation which governs angling licensing in Northern Ireland does not provide the flexibility to issue licences at concessionary rates except, in limited circumstances, to outside visitors.

To ask the Prime Minister when he now expects the report by the National Radiological Protection Board into the effects of radiation on veterans of British nuclear tests to be published; how this relates to the orginal envisaged publication date; and if he will make a statement.

The National Radiological Protection Board anticipates that a report will be sent for peer review to a recognised scientific journal in the late summer or early autumn of 1993, with a view to publication as soon as possible thereafter later in the year.Delays have been caused by changes in scope made by the National Radiological Protection Board to update their final report. These changes include the incorporation of all deaths of participants up to 1 January 1991 rather than 1 January 1989 as originally envisaged and of a detailed case study into the effects of emigration and a more complete check of mortality and cause of death.The Government are not aware of any evidence which would change the conclusions of the National Radiological Protection Board report published in 1988 that the overall incidence of cancer among nuclear test participants is no greater than that among the population as a whole.

To ask the Prime Minister when he received the letter of 4 May from Nottinghamshire county council regarding the Child Migrant Trust; what reply he has sent; and if he will make a statement.

The letter was received on 6 May and was acknowledged.

To ask the Prime Minister what reference he has made to the public appointments unit in relation to the appointment of Ms Beata Brookes as chairman of the Welsh Consumer Council in 1991; what account he has taken of whether the chairman of the Wales area of the Conservative and Unionist party carries out executive duties; and how his policy on such appointments has changed since his answer of 28 November 1991, Official Report, column 608.

The public appointments unit is consulted in seeking nominations for all appointments to public boards, including the chairmanship of the Welsh Consumer Council, as are a number of other bodies. As chairwoman of the Wales area of the Conservative and Unionist party, Miss Brookes is not an officer carrying out executive duties in the party. Her role does not, therefore, conflict with the long-standing and now publicly available guidelines for members of public boards on political activities. This is in line with the answer I gave on 28 November at column 608.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 May 1992, Official Report, column 77, whether Customs and Excise has decided upon prosecution against Allivane International.

No prosecution has been commenced against Allivane International.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the retail prices index is expected to rise as a result of the increase in indirect taxes in the current Budget; and if he will disregard the effect of that increase on the rate of inflation in formulating his economic policies.

The Budget measures add ¼ per cent. to the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments in 1993 compared with the autumn statement forecast, and a further ½ per cent. by the second quarter of 1994.The Government's objective is to keep underlying inflation within a range of 1 to 4 per cent., and to bring it down to the lower part of this range by the end of this Parliament; monetary policy will be set to achieve this.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward legislation to extend 100 per cent. of inheritance tax relief in respect of farms which are let.

No.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current base rate in each EC member state.

Short-term market interest rates in each European Community country were as follows on 12 May:

	Interest rates
United Kingdom	5·8
Germany	7·4
France	7·8
Italy	11·0
Spain	15·4
Netherlands	7·5
Belgium	7·2
Denmark	10·9
Greece	23·0
Portugal	18·0
Ireland	8·1

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current rate of inflation in each EC member state.

Data for inflation rates in each European Community country are published in the OECD's main economic indicators. The latest figures show that only Denmark of the European Community countries has a lower headline inflation rate than the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about information on gilts and the gilt-edged market.

The Bank of England will be issuing on 17 May a new guide providing information for institutional investors about gilts and the operation of the gilt-edged market.The costs of producing the booklet will fall to the Treasury's 1993–94 vote—class XVII, vote 1. parliamentary approval for this new expenditure will be sought in a summer supplementary estimate. The resulting increase in the Treasury's cash limit and gross running costs limit will be fully offset by a reduction in the Bank of England's cash limit and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith), of 26 February, Official Report, column 764, whether the rules regarding the provision of car benefits are in practice implemented for Ministers in exactly the same way as the Inland Revenue expects them to be implemented for employees in general.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: The same rules apply to Ministers as to other employees, and the Inland Revenue seeks to apply the law even-handedly to Ministers and to others.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the percentage increase for each of the 10 commodities whose prices have increased the most on the commodities markets since the pound left the exchange rate mechanism.

[holding answer 10 May 1993]: Of the 30 main commodities that make up The Economist all-items commodity price index, the 10 that have increased in price the most since the 15 September 1992 are shown in the table.

Commodity price rises: 15 September 1992 to 5 May 1993
(Per cent.)
Commodity	Dollar prices	SDR prices	Sterling prices
Timber	90·1	93·0	126·9
Sisal	24·8	26·7	48·9
Sugar	22·3	24·2	46·0
Groundnut oil	17·9	19·7	40·7
Coffee	16·1	17·9	38·6
Beef	13·6	15·4	35·6
Soyabean meal	8·4	10·1	29·4
Lamb	7·9	9·6	28·8
Soyabean oil	6·2	7·8	26·7
Cotton	5·3	6·9	25·7
All-items	1·1	4·1	21·9

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what benefits-in-kind an employer should report on the form P11D in respect of an employee who is driven from home to his normal place of employment in a chauffeur-driven car provided by his employer.

[holding answer 12 May 1993]: If the car is a pooled car and the journeys are merely incidental to the business use of the car, the employer should make no return.In other circumstances, the employer should return on form P11D the benefit of the car and the costs of the chauffeur.Whether or not an employee's private use of a car is incidental to its business use will depend on the facts of each particular case. If employers or employees are in any doubt about the correct treatment, they should consult their tax office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what requests he has received from institutions of the European Community for a report on their programme for attaining convergence within the economies of the Community; what reply has been sent; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 March 1993, c. 147]: The United Kingdom has today submitted a convergence programme. A copy of this programme is being placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if Ministers in his Department are ordinarily allocated their own ministerial car.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: Ministers are provided with first-call cars from the Government car service pool.

To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received regarding the implications for administrative routines within the Law Officers Department of the case of Hosni E. Farhat.

None.

To ask the Attorney-General what information he has on contacts between prosecution witnesses in the case of Hosni E. Farhat and Ahmed Gaddafi Aidain of Libya; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Attorney-General how many appeals relating to unemployment benefit were heard by social security appeals tribunals in 1992; and in how many cases the appeal succeeded wholly or in part.

[holding answer 11 May 1993]: I have been asked to reply.Information is not available in the form requested. The latest information, which covers the first nine months of 1992, indicates that 12,327 unemployment benefit appeals were heard and decided of which 5,310 were decided in the appellant's favour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to recover inappropriate loans and illegal payments to consultancy companies and related businesses employed by regional health authorities.

Recovery action is a matter for the authorities concerned. The Department closely monitors progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the reasons for excluding terminations of pregnancy from the list of goods and services which general practitioner fund holders may purchase elsewhere when they are not available locally; and if she will make a statement.

The list of goods and services is currently limited to procedures which all fund holders are required to purchase on behalf of their patients where clinically indicated. Some general practitioners for ethical reasons are unable to refer patients for termination of pregnancy and such GPs could not be required to purchase these services.

Numbers of deaths of children under 18 years of age in England and Wales by age and sex registered in the years 1979 to 1991
Year and sex	Total deaths	Age in years
		Under 1	1 to 4	5 to 9	10 to 14	15 to 17
1979
Male	7,420	4,731	641	602	605	841
Female	5,059	3,447	527	368	386	331
1980
Male	7,051	4,471	668	517	546	849
Female	5,038	3,428	518	349	373	370
1981
Male	6,640	4,119	651	447	573	850
Female	4,461	2,902	529	302	368	360
1982
Male	6,317	3,914	652	391	546	814
Female	4,288	2,861	485	253	353	336
1983
Male	5,933	3,654	604	391	514	770
Female	4,160	2,727	489	269	332	343
1984
Male	5,624	3,443	610	348	501	722
Female	3,956	2,594	454	260	302	346
1985
Male	5,651	3,510	638	328	503	672
Female	4,008	2,631	497	260	308	312
1986
Male	5,682	3,724	573	325	380	680
Female	3,890	2,589	491	248	272	290
1987
Male	5,580	3,637	578	309	404	652
Female	3,878	2,635	489	237	246	271
1988
Male	5,639	3,649	587	374	402	627
Female	3,866	2,621	498	232	218	297
1989
Male	5,318	3,368	606	371	337	636
Female	3,641	2,440	472	241	226	262
1990
Male	5,105	3,207	593	333	338	634
Female	3,499	2,357	434	220	230	258
1991
Male	4,771	2,966	554	341	354	556
Female	3,350	2,192	439	248	222	249

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is issued to health authorities and general practice fund holders on the purchase of complementary and alternative medical services.

Our guidance makes it clear that we expect general practitioner fund holders to purchase high-quality and cost-effective care. We have not issued guidance on purchasing specific services as this is a matter of clinical judgment. Fund holders may employ alternative practitioners using the staff element of their fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of deaths of children under 18 years by age and sex, for each year since 1979.

The information is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female consultants are working between one and 11 sessions per week, broken down by number of sessions.

The information is shown in the table.

Hospital medical consultants by contracted notional half-days (NHD) England—30 September 1991
	Consultants
NHD	Male	Female
Under 1	15	5
1 to less than 2	54	6
2 to less than 3	32	16
3 to less than 4	53	22
4 to less than 5	45	19
5 to less than 6	98	73
6 to less than 7	92	102
7 to less than 8	97	72
8 to less than 9	105	81
9 to less than 10	397	105
10 to less than 11	17	0
11	10,891	1,829
Total	11,895	2,329

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female consultants are working part and full time.

The information is shown in the table.

Hospital medical consultants by sex and nature of contract England (whole-lime equivalent) 30 September 1991
	Consultants
	Male	Female	Total
Full time	6,328	1,452	7,780
Maximum part time	4,563	377	4,940
Part time	1,004	500	1,504
Total	11,895	2,329	14,224

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to reject any proposals to end payments of allowances to pharmacists who dispense fewer than 2,000 prescriptions a month.

We are exploring a range of options for restructuring pharmacists' pay. Consultations are continuing and no options have yet been ruled out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of pharmacies in the west midlands; and how many dispense fewer than 2,000 prescriptions a month.

In the west midlands, all the 227 pharmacists dispensed fewer than 2,000 prescriptions a month in 1991–92, the latest year for which figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many in-patients were treated by the national health service in England in 1992 and in 1979;(2) how many out-patients were treated by the national health service in England in 1992 and in 1979.

In 1991–92, there were 7,759,000 in-patients and 36,941,000 out-patients treated in the NHS in England. This information is based on counts of finished consultant episodes. In 1979, 5,400,000 in-patients and 34,100,000 out-patients were treated. In-patient information for 1979 is based on numbers of discharges and deaths and is, therefore, not directly comparable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations the national health service performed in England in 1992 and in 1979.

In 1989–90, the latest year for which information is available, an estimated 3·8 million non-maternity operations were performed in the national health service in England. The information is based on counts of finished consultant episodes. In 1979, there were 2·5 million non-maternity operations. Information for 1979 is based on numbers of discharges and deaths and is, not therefore, directly comparable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which representatives of deaf and hard of hearing people she consulted prior to her decision to exclude them from free sight tests;(2) what representations she received from deaf and hard of hearing people concerning the introduction of charges for eye tests.

We are not aware that any representations were made by deaf and hard of hearing people when charges for sight tests were introduced on 1 April 1989; nor were their representatives consulted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many transplants were carried out in the years 1991 and 1992 of (a) kidneys, (b) hearts, (c) livers and (d) hearts and lungs;(2) what estimate she has of how many people died in the years 1991 and 1992 while waiting for organ transplants.

The table shows the numbers of solid organ transplants carried out in the United Kingdom in 1991 and 1992¹.

Year	Cadaver ic kidneys	Hearts	Livers	Hearts and lungs	Lungs
1991	1,628	281	420	79	72
1992	1,641	301	501	53	89
1 Figures supplied by United Kingdom Transplant Support Service Authority. 1992 figures are provisional.

There are no figures available centrally on people who die while waiting for kidney transplantation, but in 1991, the only year for which such figures are available, deaths of people awaiting other organs were as follows: hearts 69, livers 33, hearts and lungs 41, lungs 16

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are treated annually at Sefton general hospital's chest clinic; how wide is the catchment area from which they are drawn; how many staff are employed in the unit; where it is to be relocated; what is the future of the jobs of the clinic staff; and what estimate has been made of travelling times and costs of patients currently being treated at Sefton general.

This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. D. H. Tod, the chairman of Liverpool health authority, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the annual expenditure within the national health service on (a) computers in hospital and (b) computers in general practice for each year since 1990.

[holding answer 27 April 1993]: The available information for 1990–91 and 1991–92 is shown in the table.rent and leasing.3. The figures for general medical services are the costs of direct reimbursements made by family health service authorities to general medical practitioners for computers.4. The table excludes costs incurred by family health services authorities on their administrative functions etc., and by special health authorities providing central services to the national health service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the turnround of correspondence relating to disability living allowance applications met his targets; and if he will make a statement.

The arrangements for replying to correspondence relating to operational questions on disability living allowance are a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member and a copy will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what savings would be made by restricting child benefit to households which have total incomes of (a) 80 per cent., (b) 100 per cent., (c) 120 per cent of (i) average earnings and (ii) average household income.

If child benefit were restricted to households with less than (a) 80 per cent., (b) 100 per cent., and (c) 120 per cent. of average gross male earnings, it is estimated that benefit savings of (a) £4 billion, (b) £3·2 billion and (c) £2·4 billion would accrue.If child benefit were restricted to households with less than

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been total sales proceeds from the sale of council houses in Wales to date since 1981; and how much has been (a) allocated from proceeds to develop social housing and (b) held in local authority bank accounts or short-term investments.

Between 1 April 1981 and 31 March 1992, receipts including the repayment of principal on local authority mortgages from the sale of council housing amounted to £793 million. Information on the allocation of the receipts from the sale of council housing to develop social housing and the amounts held in local authority bank accounts or short-term investments is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated asset base of local authority housing stock in Wales net of debt.

Information on the value of local authority housing stock is not collected centrally. However, the national value of housing revenue account dwellings at 1 April 1993, net of accumulated debt, was assumed, for HRA subsidy purposes only, to be £4·5 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about the operation of and future of consultancy services provided under the enterprise initiative in Wales.

The consultancy services available under the enterprise initiative are provided by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and delivered in Wales on his behalf by the Welsh Development Agency. On 10 March, my right hon. Friend announced that the scheme will continue until 31 March 1994 with reduced rates of subsidy, thus allowing development of a new and more flexible package of support services within the available resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to encourage the growth of the small business sector in Wales.

As well as helping entrepreneurs set up new businesses through the business start-up programme, I support a broad range of measures designed to help existing small businesses to grow. Measures include regional selective assistance, regional enterprise grant, Enterprise Wales consultancy support, overseas trade missions and export advice, skills development support and technology initiatives.In October 1992, I set up the enterprise and business support working group with representatives from the public and private sectors. The group has been comprehensively reviewing business support services in Wales and will shortly be making recommendations, particularly about improving access for the small business man to available assistance. A range of other measures which assist the small business sector include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to empower local authorities in Wales to make direct payments to people with disabilities following the completion of needs assessments.

No. Now is not the time to be adding to local authorities' very full agendas. Direct payments are, and should continue to be, the province of the social security system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Welsh Office made known the necessity of completion of the integrated administration and control system forms to Welsh farmers and the farming unions.

Following the publication in December of the Commission regulations on the integrated administration and control system, Agriculture Departments issued a joint press notice on 13 January announcing further details of the claim procedures for arable aid payments. In the same notice, we alerted livestock producers to the fact that they, too, would need to comply with the general arrangements relating to IACS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what day the European Community directive for the preparation of integrated administration and control system forms was communicated to the Welsh Office.

The governing Commission regulations were published in the Official Journal of the European Communities on 31 December 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Welsh Office made known to Welsh farmers and the farming unions that the integrated administration and control system forms should be completed using black ink; and when that requirement was communicated to the Welsh Office by the European Commission.

The explanatory booklet on the integrated administration and control system, available from 2 April, advises farmers to make copies of the forms they submit and, therefore, recommends that they are completed clearly and in black ink in order to make photocopying easier.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the forms of industrial toxic waste exported from the United Kingdom and their destinations, identifying third world destinations separately, and the quantities involved, over the last 12 months.

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to her of 19 April 1993, Official Report, column 44.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to support any moves to strengthen the common position on the proposed cosmetics directive with respect to the phasing out of cosmetic tests on animals when it is discussed by the Council of Ministers.

The common position on the proposed sixth Council amendment to the EC cosmetics directive agreed by the member states under the United Kingdom presidency last year represents a fair and reasonable balance between the concerns of those who wish to phase out testing on animals of the ingredients of personal care products and the need to protect the consumer by ensuring that alternative non-animal tests are validated. I do not believe there is scope for strengthening the measure without jeopardising the proposal as a whole.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the cost to British industry of implementing the trading standards regulations.

No such estimate has yet been made. However, as part of the deregulation initiative, the Department of Trade and Industry is reviewing all the regulations for which it is responsible.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many prosecutions were brought by trading standards officers in each of the last five years; and what percentage of (a) cases and (b) contested cases resulted in prosecution.

In England and Wales the numbers of prosecutions brought by trading standards departments have been as follows:

	Numbers
1987–88	10,921
1988–89	12,682
1989–90	9,921
1990–91	10,469
1991–92	10,425

In Scotland, the numbers of prosecutions resulting from investigations made by standards trading departments and brought by the Crown through the procurators fiscal have been as follows:

	Numbers
1987–88	355
1988–89	383
1989–90	300
1990–91	220
1991–92	267

Information about the number and outcome of comparable prosecutions in Northern Ireland and about the outcome of prosecutions in England, Wales and Scotland is not readily available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what remuneration or other benefits and expenses the members of the deregulation task forces receive; and on what basis such remunerations were calculated.

The chairmen and members of the deregulation task forces receive no remuneration, but are eligible to apply for travel and subsistence expenses on standard civil service terms.

Area
Licensing round	Northern	Central	Southern	Drill by
10th	0	4	0	1993
11th	41	60	47	1995
12th and subsequent	13	75	66	1997–2000

To ask the President of the Board of Trade from what date the six months life of the deregulation task forces is regarded as commencing.

The deregulation task forces were launched on 19 March 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the membership of each deregulation task force, and the approximate number of regulations allocated to each task force.

A complete list of deregulation task force members has been placed in the Library. Each task force has been surveying the whole range of Government regulation as it applies to its sector.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it will be open to deregulation task forces to propose extensions of existing legal provisions.

The deregulation task forces are free to make any recommendations they wish, within their broad remit to advise Ministers on priorities for deregulation and on ensuring a continuing voice for business in the regulatory process.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is his intention to publish the reports of the deregulation task forces.

The deregulation task forces will not be producing formal reports. They will be giving advice to Ministers which will feed into the public debate on deregulation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cars were exported from Britain to Japan in 1978 and in 1992.

In 1992, more than 11,700 passenger cars were exported from Britain to Japan, compared with almost 3,400 cars exported to Japan in 1978.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of commitment wells required to be drilled by each licensee in each United Kingdom continental shelf sector under existing licences granted by his Department; and for what period these wells are to be drilled.

[holding answer 10 May 1993]: The total number of commitment wells outstanding as at 16 March 1993, to be drilled by licensees on the United Kingdom continental shelf, is 306, as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, how many obligations remain outstanding for drilling (a) firm and (b) contingent wells under the 11th and 12th United Kingdom offshore licensing rounds.

[pursuant to his reply, 29 April 1993, c. 493]: I have now been informed that there are 296 outstanding obligation wells from the 1lth and 12th rounds of offshore licensing. Of these, 185 are firm obligations and 111 are conditional.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the annual salary of the chairman of the Welsh Consumer Council.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: The appointment of chairman of the Welsh Consumer Council attracts a salary of £4,600 per annum, plus as a member of the National Consumer Council, an additional £4,600 per annum, both of which are subject to tax and national insurance.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, if he will make a statement on the proposed sale of The Observer.

[pursuant to his reply, 30 April 1993, c. 560–61]: I have today received an application for my consent to the proposed transfer of The Observer newspaper to Guardian Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of The Guardian and Manchester Evening News plc. The application invites me to give my consent without a Monopolies and Mergers Commission reference under section 58(3)(a) of the Fair Trading Act 1973. This section gives me discretion to consent to a newspaper transfer without an MMC inquiry where I am satisfied that the newspaper concerned is not economic as a going concern and as a separate newspaper, and that, if the paper is to continue, the case is one of urgency.I should like to reach a decision as quickly as possible on whether the application falls within section 58(3)(a) of the Act, and if so whether I should give my consent without requiring an MMC report. I am, therefore, inviting comments from interested parties by 21 May. Any person wishing to comment should write by 5 pm on 21 May to:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Gruinard island off Wester Ross was de-crofted during the time it was under Government control; if it was returned to crofting status when it was returned to its previous owner; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has no information on the precise status of Gruinard island when the land was originally acquired by the then Ministry of Supply. The Crofters Commission has no record of the island ever being under crofting tenure. Under the Crofting Acts, any person with an interest may refer to the Scottish Land Court questions as to whether a holding is a croft.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what financial assistance or advice he is making available to the agricultural industry for schemes to minimise water pollution.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: The code of good practice "Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity" which the Government published in March 1992 gives comprehensive advice to farmers. Advice may also be obtained from the Scottish Agricultural College.Grants of up to 50 per cent. are available under the farm and conservation grant scheme towards the cost of waste management facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has commissioned or is conducting into the effects of agriculture on water quality in Scotland; and what sums have been allocated to such research.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: The following projects currently form part of the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department's commissioned programme of agricultural and related research and development:

• Measurement, modelling and prevention of transfer of pollutants from land to aquatic systems.
• Development of methods and a computer programme for treatment of livestock wastes and regulation of waste management systems.
• Protozoan, bacterial and viral pathogens, farm animal wastes and water quality protection.
• Biological mechanisms in mass algal cultures controlling the emission of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon from animal wastes.
• Use of photobioreactor to investigate the influence of irradiance, light/dark cycles and carbon dioxide concentration on the growth of microalgae and their application to waste treatment and biotechnology.
• The effect of livestock farming (beef and dairy cattle) activities on catchment water quality.
• Use of geographical information systems techniques with process-based environmental assessment procedures for water quality modelling.
• Quantifying sources and sinks of acidity under selected hill land use, and their effects on water quality and quantity.
• Quantifying the principal hydrological and hydrochemical consequences of forestry in relation to soil type, atmospheric inputs and management practices.
• Water resource modelling: the effect of land use change and atmospheric deposition.
• Economic analysis of the effect of agricultural pollution on water quality and the potential for its control.
• Operational research and modelling studies of environmental problems associated with silage effluent, slurry and other pollutants.

The current cost of these projects in 1993–94 is estimated to be about £0·9 million.In addition, the Scottish Office Environment Department is funding research which is likely to improve understanding of the effects of agriculture on water quality. The work includes a study of nutrient transport in estuaries. £54,000 will be allocated to these projects in 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects of agriculture on water quality in Scotland.

[holding answer 13 May 1993]: Figures compiled by the Scottish farm waste liaison group show that in 1992 there were 400 water pollution incidents arising from agricultural operations compared with 521 in 1991. This significant drop is welcome. The Government hope that greater awareness of and compliance with the Control of Pollution (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (Scotland) Regulations 1991 will result in further improvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the proposed A40 bypass route to the north of Oxford.

I have been asked to replyIn accordance with the requirement of EC directive 85/337, as applied by section 105A of the Highways Act 1980, an environmental statement in respect of the proposed A40 north of Oxford bypass was published on 25 March 1993. This coincided with publication of draft statutory orders for the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements his Department has made with Muidden Chemie (Netherlands) since 1982.

My Department has no records of placing any contracts with this company in the last three years. Records for previous years could be checked only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what agreements his Department has with Luchaire of France for provision of military equipment.

The value of contracts placed with Luchaire Defence SA over the last three years is as follows:

• 1992–93—nil
• 1991–92—two contracts, total value £16,832.
• 1990–91—five contracts, total value £2,738,356

The contracts were for a variety of grenades and associated items.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recommendation was made by Rolls-Royce and Associates in respect of reassessment of the need to establish a safety case before lifting nuclear submarines;(2) what the criteria now are for establishing a safety case for the Faslane Trident shiplift.

Before a nuclear-powered submarine is lifted at the Clyde submarine base it will be necessary to demonstrate that no reasonably foreseeable event, whether internal—for example, mechanical or electrical breakdown—or external—for example, extreme winds, waves, floods, tides or an earthquake—would result in catastrophic failure of the shiplift or an unacceptable risk to the general public. This is in line with practice in the civil nuclear industry. To provide confidence in the progress of the safety case, we commissioned independent advice from Rolls-Royce and Associates. The company made a number of detailed recommendations, all of which are either under consideration or already being implemented. The shiplift will not be used to lift a nuclear-powered submarine until its safety has been established to the satisfaction of the nuclear safety authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultancies have been awarded by his Department to Rolls-Royce and Associates.

Of some 280 current contracts between my Department and Rolls-Royce and Associates, only one is specifically for consultancy services. This was placed in 1992, and requires the preparation of reports on nuclear safety at the Clyde submarine base, Faslane. The hon. Member will appreciate that a full investigation of all past and present contracts to determine whether any consultancy services were required could be carried out only at disproportionate cost and effort.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment has been supplied by Northern Engineering Industries for the shiplift project and the syncrolift, Faslane.

Northern Engineering Industries supplied the syncrolift, control systems and five cranes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been paid to firms contracted to establish the safety case for the Faslane Trident shiplift.

Expenditure to date is estimated at £20 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average surface displacement weight of the Vanguard class missile submarine.

The surface displacement of the Vanguard class Trident missile submarine is some 14,000 tonnes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what future plans he has to encourage the allocation of defence work and related employment to the north of England and Scotland.

The Ministry of Defence does consider the employment implications when placing contracts, consulting the DTI and other Departments as appropriate. My Department's prime concern, as a customer, must be to obtain the best value for money for the taxpayer. It is for companies to decide where to locate their facilities and where to carry out work arising from contracts, though in so deciding they no doubt take into account the various Government measures to assist industry in particular areas. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry informed the House on 12 May, Official Report, column 801, of the measures being considered to help Tyneside.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what letter he sent to defence industry firms concerning Government policy on exports of defence equipment to Iraq in (a) 1984 and (b) 1985; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for Lord Justice Scott's inquiry to consider.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 759, what criteria are used when considering whether or not to destroy documents; and if he will make a statement.