To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the weight and the number of packages involved in delivering the key stage 3 material to the average secondary school in England; and what assessment he has made of the capacity of such schools to store this material.

The weight and number of packages of the tests delivered will depend on the size of the school. A typical school would need approximately 1,900 test papers and associated mark schemes in English, maths, science, and technology for all their pupils undergoing key stage 3 testing. This would weigh approximately 99 kgs.As they were delivered shortly before the start of the tests, storage of the papers should not pose a long-term problem.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what percentage of schools conducted key stage 3 tests on 7 June; and if he will make a statement;(2) what percentage of 14-year-olds sat key stage 3 tests on 7 June; and if he will make a statement.

Precise information is not yet available. Parents and the public more widely will rightly question why all schools did not administer the test which was a sound and straightforward basis on which to measure pupils' reading and writing skills. It provides vital information for teachers to help children who are failing in these areas. Schools which carried out the test will gain a clear idea of how their pupils perform in reading and writing against national standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent communications he has received from the chairman of British Nuclear Fuels plc in regard to the future of radioactive waste arising from THORP.

The chairman of British Nuclear Fuels plc has written to the Secretary of State on only one recent occasion, about the timing of authorisations for the Sellafield site.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information his Department has concerning the amounts of money raised by local electoral authorities through the sale of electoral registers.

The information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the national beach awards made by the Tidy Britain Group.

The seaside awards scheme was introduced by the Tidy Britain group (TGB) in 1992. It recognises beaches which have attained high standards of facilities, management, beach cleanliness and the water quality requirements of the Bathing Water Directive (76/160/ EEC). At present only those beaches which are entered for the scheme are considered for awards.My Department supports TBG in its operation of this awards scheme which encourages high standards at both resort and rural beaches. The criteria by which entrants are judged are exacting and in some cases more stringent than for the Blue Flag scheme for resorts.This year's awards, announced on 3 June, were presented by my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 7 June. One hundred and thirty-three beaches received awards compared with 94 last year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the standard spending assessments of each district council in England and Wales as a sum per head of population numbered in descending order.

The information requested for English shire district councils, has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce the name of the new Minister with special responsibility for Merseyside.

Shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has of the amount of unpaid poll tax; what measures he is taking to encourage local authorities to collect the outstanding payments; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 June 1993]: I estimate that the level of community charge arrears for local authorities in England at 31 March 1993 was £2·4 billion. Authorities have, however, made provision for non-collection of £1·6 billion.We have provided authorities with a range of enforcement options. Once it has obtained a liability order from a court an authority may collect unpaid community charges by any of the following methods: an attachment of earnings order; distress; deductions from income support; charging orders (for collective community charges only); and bankruptcy and winding up. If, having attempted to levy distress, an authority is unable to find any or sufficient goods to distrain, it may seek to have the chargepayer committed to prison.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement of his policy in relation to common land.

[holding answer 8 June 1993]: It remains our policy to safeguard the status of common land and to strengthen the ways in which we protect and use it. We recognise that this policy requires legislation but I cannot say when such legislation will be introduced.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what direct involvement Her Majesty's Customs has had in the three discoveries of cannabis on a location off the west Wales coast over the last three weeks; and if he will make a statement;(2) what action he proposes to take to increase surveillance to prevent importation of drugs and arms on the west Wales coast.

The bales of cannabis were trawled from the seabed by a fishing vessel and the master promptly and correctly notified Customs on each occasion. Customs subsequently took possession of the cannabis when the trawler returned to port at Milford Haven.Customs are constantly vigilant to prevent the importation of both drugs and arms on the west Wales coast as elsewhere and they deploy anti-smuggling teams, based at Swansea and Pembroke dock, to meet the assessed risk of such smuggling.The Customs strategy in relation to anti-smuggling controls is based on flexible targeting of resources towards areas of the highest risk at any given time.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the United States proposal to join the international consensus on debt reduction on Trinidad terms.

The Government very much welcome the announcement by the United States Administration that it is seeking congressional approval for measures to enable the United States to join the Paris Club consensus for the implementation of debt reduction on Trinidad terms for the poorest and most indebted countries.Debt reduction on Trinidad terms was originally proposed by the Prime Minister in 1990.A modified version of the Prime Minister's Trinidad terms proposals, implemented by the Paris Club from December 1991, provide for 50 per cent. reduction in the debt payments due over a period of between one and three years. They also provide for consideration of the question of the country's whole stock of debt after three to four years, subject to satisfactory performance under IMF programmes.Approval of the legislation and necessary appropriation measures by Congress should allow the United States to give the 50 per cent. debt or debt service reduction under the Trinidad terms as presently implemented. The United States proposal should also allow the United States to participate in a Paris Club stock of debt reduction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the progress of the Sino-British talks on the future of Hong Kong.

There have now been four rounds of talks between Britain and China about electoral arrangements in Hong Kong. We have the responsibility to ensure that the elections to be held in 1994 and 1995 are fair, open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. There should also be objective criteria for confirmation of members of the 1995 Legislative Council as members of the first legislature of the Hong Kong special administrative region in 1997. We are working hard for a successful outcome from the talks. But we also need to ensure that the elections are held on time. The talks will therefore need to be brought to a conclusion in good time to allow the practical arrangements for the elections to be made; they cannot go on indefinitely. We must make more progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss recent political events in Serbia with the Federal Yugoslav representative in London; and if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's view of recent developments in the Yugoslav Federation.

None. Recent developments in Belgrade were discussed at the EC General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 8 and 9 June. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and his European colleagues condemned the repression evident in Serbia, in particular the physical abuse of the opposition leader, Mr. Draskovic and his wife, and the moves to ban opposition parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Latvian Foreign Minister about the development of democracy in that country and the position of the ethnic Russian minority; and if he will make a statement.

At the EC Troika ministerial meeting with Baltic Foreign Ministers on 19 April, we and our partners acknowledged the progress on political reform which Latvia had made. We also reiterated the importance we attach to the upholding of human rights. We do not accept Russian allegations of human rights abuses in Latvia, which have been shown to be unfounded by CSCE and UN fact-finding missions. However, Latvia needs to find fair formulae on citizenship and non-citizens' rights. We have urged Latvia to implement soon the recommendations of the report on Latvia by the CSCE high commissioner on national minorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the conduct of the recent elections in Latvia; what were the nature of such reports; and if he will make a statement.

The elections were the first to have been held since Latvia regained independence. We are pleased that they were conducted successfully. Her Majesty's embassy in Riga has reported that the Council of Europe mission observing the elections concluded that they were free, democratic and independent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Foreign Minister of Greece; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met Mr. Papaconstantinou at the Foreign Affairs Council on 8 June.Among the topics discussed were the former Yugoslavia, EC enlargement, structural funds arid the GATT Uruguay round.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom post in Zagreb received from Mrs. Sadeta Draganovic and her children an application to be granted asylum in the United Kingdom; when that application was forwarded to the immigration and nationality department of the Home Office; if the post in Zagreb received information as to whether a decision on the application has been taken; and if he will make a statement.

Her Majesty's embassy in Zagreb received an application for entry clearance by Mrs. Draganovic on 28 April 1993. This was referred to the Home Office the same day. To date the embassy has received no response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking to ensure that legitimate government in Angola is maintained.

We fully support United Nations efforts to promote dialogue between the democratically elected Government of Angola and UNITA leading to a ceasefire and full implementation of the Bicesse Peace Accords. On 1 June the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations operation in Angola for 45 days to allow these efforts to continue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) representatives of non-Governmental organisations and (b) with commonwealth high commissioners about recent developments in Somalia; and if he will make a statement.

We maintain regular and close contacts with NGO's about the situation in Somalia, including the recent developments. Officials have been in contact with individual Commonwealth High Commissions.We have also expressed our condolences over the recent tragic death of Pakistani United Nations troops in Somalia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards the referendum in Malawi on 14 June.

We sent three observers to Malawi as part of a coordinated EC mission to monitor the referendum voter registration process beween 12 and 21 April. A further five United Kingdom observers arrived in Malawi on 3 June where they will remain until 18 June to monitor the latter stages of the referendum process, including the vote and declaration of the result. In addition, we have agreed to provide financial support through the United Nations development programme to supply equipment necessary for the holding of the referendum.We are supporting the referendum process despite a number of concerns over reports of harassment, intimidation of individual multi-party advocates and lack of coverage of their views on the government controlled media. However we are encouraged that all the parties remain committed to continued participation in the referendum process. We have urged the Government of Malawi to ensure that the remainder of the campaign takes place under conditions which allow all Malawians to express their views freely.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the expected publication date of the report of the prison service investigation into the American prison firm CCA.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will delay the opening of Blakenhurst prison pending the outcome of the prison service investigation into CCA.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the sections and organisations within his Department for which there are plans for relocation or amalgamation.

The Home Office has no major relocation or amalgamation plans at present, but a number of minor moves are being planned. In particular, the central research and support establishment will move from Aldermaston to forensic science service headquarters in Birmingham and the prison service tactical management and planning unit (TMPU) will move from Birmingham to London, both in September 1993. TMPU will also be amalgamated with the prison service headquarters section responsible for the managements of category A prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to eliminate Temazepan capsule abuse.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) has recently completed consultations on its proposed changes in the controls over Temazepam and I expect shortly to receive its conclusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any member of the initial Manchester gaol tender evaluation panel has been recruited by any of the firms involved in submitting tenders for running that prison.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take legislative action to prevent the staff of security companies from being uniformed so as to resemble police officers; and if he will make a statement.

It is already an offence under section 52 of the Police Act 1964 to impersonate a police officer with intent to deceive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what savings would be made by using prisoners at HMP North Sea camp to drive lorries to deliver vegetables to other prisoners:(2) what plans there are to use convicted inmates as lorry drivers at HMP North Sea camp; what assessment has been made of the security implications; and if he will make a statement;(3) what discussions have taken place with the Prison Officers Association and the Prison Governors Association about the use of prisoners in jobs previously held by paid staff.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if a decision has yet been made on the date for sending out tenders for Doncaster prison; who will be sent the tender documents; and what is the closing date for bids.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what clauses exist in the present contract with Group 4 escort services to allow renegotiation of the contract; and what would be the additional cost of renegotiating the contract in line with the increased number of prisoner movements;(2) what talks Group 4 has had with his escort duties; what projections were made about the number of prisoner movements by his Department as the basis for the contract with Group 4 escort services; what are the actual numbers of prisoner movements at the latest available date; and if he plans to amend the contract accordingly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many murder cases in the last two years there has been a delay of (a) more than 10 weeks, (b) less than 10 weeks, (c) less than eight weeks and (d) less than four weeks after death before defence solicitors agreed to the release of the victim's body to the family.

I regret that this information is not available. Coroners, with the encouragment of the Home Office, do all they can to keep to the minimum the delay in releasing bodies. I deeply sympathise with the families of victims to whom distress is caused by any delays.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Department received from the visa section of the British embassy in Zabred an application for asylum in the United Kingdom by Mrs. Sadeta Draganovic and her children; when the Immigration and Nationality Department is going to take a decision on this application; and if he will make a statement.

An application by Mrs. Draganovic and her three sons for visas to join members of their family admitted exceptionally under the special arrangements for ex-detainees was referred by the visa officer to the asylum division of the Immigration and Nationality Department on 28 April. A decision on the application will be made shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the main decisions taken by EC Immigration Ministers meeting recently in Copenhagen.

I refer to the answer which I gave the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 9 June 1993 at column 246.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the inquiry into the allegation of mistreatment of prisoners in the United States in establishments controlled by the Corrections Corporation of America.

[holding answer 17 May 1993]: Mr. Bentley has now completed his inquiries and has reported his findings to Derek Lewis, the director general of the prison service.In addition to the original allegations made against CCA and some of its senior management, I understand that consideration has also been given to further allegations contained in

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department and the Department of the Environment will produce a guidance document on the use of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) based and composite buildings products both under construction and in existence; what representations on the potential dangers to the public and firefighters of this substance have been made by the joint fire prevention committee of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council over the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 9 June 1993]: The research to establish whether there are potential additional hazards to firefighters and the general public from fires involving structures roofed with PTFE-based materials concluded that in the event of a fire the probability of any additional threat would be minimal. Guidance for fire brigades on the use of such materials in buildings will be issued shortly by my Department and we understand that guidance for building control officers will be published in the autumn by the building research establishment.Progress of the research project and on the preparation of guidance notes has been reported at meetings of the joint fire prevention committee on 2 October 1990, when the interim conclusions of the research were available, 15 October 1991, 7 April 1992 and 6 October 1992. The final results were made available to the committee on 23 March 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies he has undertaken into the concept of network marketing; what evidence there is to link this concept with associated marketing techniques, such as pyramid selling; and if he will make a statement.

A network marketing scheme is subject to the same legal requirements as pyramid selling if it includes the elements specified in section 118 of the Fair Trading Act. We are reviewing the legislation governing pyramid selling and similar trading schemes.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the countries that have contracted to use the European transonic wind tunnel cycle programme; for what amount of time; and at what charge;(2) when the European transonic wind tunnel cycle programme will be ready for use; and what access countries outside the partnership have to the tunnel;(3) who are the European partners in the European transonic wind tunnel cycle programme; and what is each country's contribution in cash terms.

The partners in the European transonic wind tunnel (ETW) are United Kingdom, France Germany and the Netherlands.They are providing funds in the following proportions:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to amend the law on trademarks.

A Bill to implement the proposals in the White Paper "Reform of Trade Marks Law" (Cm 1203) has been fully drafted, and will be introduced as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the research contracts awarded to Warren Spring Laboratory in each of the last two years relating to all aspects of transport policy.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has required the administrator of Polly Peck to furnish him with a report under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986.

The joint administrator reported to the Secretary of State on 16 June 1992.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will now make a direction to proceed under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 against Mr. Asil Nadir.

On 25 November 1991 a bankruptcy order was made against Mr. Asil Nadir and he is disqualified from acting as a company director until discharged—normally three years. The Official Receiver is considering applying to the court to suspend the discharge period until Mr. Nadir has fully co-operated.If the suspension is granted then an application under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 will not be necessary.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what level of grant-in-aid the Government will pay to the British Standards Institution this year; and if he will make a statement about BSI's role in relation to industrial competitiveness.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is an independent body incorporated under royal charter. BSI has made an important contribution towards industrial competitiveness over the past 90 years in providing a framework for the setting of standards for industry. I am pleased to announce that the Government will make a grant-in-aid of £4·5 million for 1993–94 and that my Department will contribute a further £2·7 million in support to industry for standards making purposes.In view of the changing nature of BSI standards, as a result of the increasing emphasis over recent years on the writing of standards at European and international level, and of the growth in BSI's quality assurance and testing activities, I have decided to review the need for Government financial assistance and the appropriate mechanisms for any future financial assistance, bearing in mind the need to ensure best value for money from public expenditure. This review is due to be completed by the end of September.My officials are consulting all interested parties about future funding arrangements and about ways in which BSI and standards can contribute further to improving the competitiveness of British industry. They are seeking views on such questions as the value of national and international standards in support of competitiveness; the effectiveness of BSI as a standards-making organisation in a world market; the need for new types of product standard, or for new product testing, certification and marking schemes in the United Kingdom; and possible alternative approaches to standards writing at national level and to United Kingdom representation at international level. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of the consultation note which has been issued.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was his Department's expenditure in 1992–93 on monitoring compliance with offshore licensing conditions; what is its projected expenditure in 1993–94; and what other bodies have a role in monitoring compliance with conditions.

The monitoring of compliance with the conditions contained in offshore oil and gas licences is an integral part of the licence administration and technical support activities carried out by my Department, and monitoring is not separately costed. Other governmental bodies involved in monitoring particular aspects of the licence conditions include the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Scottish Office, the Health and Safety Executive, the Ministry of Defence, and the Department of Transport.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to maintain the knowledge and expertise in wastes management and recycling developed by Warren Spring Laboratory after the sale of its site in Stevenage.

[pursuant to his reply, 27 May 1993, c. 692]: I am announcing today the formation of a new national environmental technology centre (NETC). This is to be created by bringing together at Culham and Harwell the country's two main centres of environmental research, those of my Department's Warren Spring Laboratory (WSL) and AEA Technology. Together they will form a single centre of excellence in environmental technology.WSL and AEA Technology has each established national and international reputations in environmental science and consultancy, serving customers in Government, in the private sector, and overseas. They are already working together in certain environmental areas. The NETC will provide a more comprehensive service for all these customers, and better value for the taxpayer's money. It will combine the complementary strengths of WSL and AEA Technology in the environmental field. It will aim to provide the full range of services provided in the past, and will develop and extend them. The Government will remain an important customer, and will deal with the NETC on a fee-paying basis.This decision follows advice from PA consulting group on options for the future of WSL. The proposed relocation of WSL from its existing site at Stevenage to a greenfield site at Welwyn Garden City will not now proceed.WSL has now been an executive agency of the Department of Trade and Industry for four years. I have been impressed by its progress within this framework towards becoming a more customer-oriented and cost conscious body, and I am confident that this progress will continue following the merger with AEA Technology.The NETC will negotiate with all WSL's customers with the aim of taking on to the fullest extent possible the whole of WSL's business. WSL staff required to work on the business to be transferred will be expected to transfer to the AEA with their work. I am eager to see the greatest possible number of such staff transfer. The Department will seek to redeploy other staff, though some redundancies are likely.My hon. Friend the Minister for Energy announced on 1 April that consultants were being appointed to advise on the practicability of privatising the AEA. I will want to consider the prospects of privatising the NETC activities in the light of that study.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade to what investigations his Department has been subject by the Data Protection Registrar in relation to a suspected breach of a data protection principle; if he will summarise the nature of each complaint and state when the complaint was made; and what remedial action was taken by his Department to ensure future compliance with the principle subject to the investigation.

[pursuant to his reply, 20 May 1993, c. 288–89]: My further inquiries have revealed that the complaint concerned a subject access request which was not promptly responded to. By the time the Data Protection Registrar brought this to the attention of the office which received the subject access request a response had already been provided. No further action was necessary.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of EC grants available for 1992 remain unclaimed by the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.As EC grants made under the structural funds are allocated on a multiannual basis, no annual figures for grants actually claimed are available. However, of the structural funds allocated to the United Kingdom for the period 1989–93, approximately 80 per cent. have been committed to projects. The remaining 20 per cent. is expected to be committed before the end of the year. Since there is no allocation specific to the United Kingdom in respect of other EC expenditure it is not possible to say what percentage of grants intended for the United Kingdom has been claimed.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the current level of support from Arts Council funds to (a) the London City Ballet and (b) the National Ballet.

This year's Arts Council grant to London City Ballet is £250,000. The grant to English National Ballet is £3,603,000.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total acreage of arable land put into set-aside during the last three years.

A total of 54,317 hectares (134,000 acres) of land have been entered into the five-year scheme and 14,118 hectares (35,000 acres) into the one year scheme in the United Kingdom during the years 1990–92.I will publish details of the amount of land set-aside under the arable area payments scheme as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what new measures her Department is considering to encourage or require farmers to promote wildlife habitats.

We are considering the results of consultations which we have just held on a range of new measures to benefit wildlife habitats, including new environmentally sensitive areas, a scheme to improve the condition of moorland and a habitat improvement scheme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make provision under the new set-aside scheme for the preservation of good wildlife habitats created under the existing scheme.

We expect that farmers with land in the five-year set-aside scheme or in rotational set-aside will be able to enter land directly into non-rotational set-aside under the new arable area payments scheme. In addition, as part of our agri-environment programme, we are proposing a new scheme for the withdrawal of land from production for 20 years. Habitats of particular value created under the five-year scheme would be eligible for this new long-term scheme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received from farmers in Cheshire on the future of the Potato Marketing Board; and if he will make a statement.

We have received 19 representations by or on behalf of farmers in Cheshire, all expressing support for the continuation of the Potato Marketing Board.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she next expects to meet representatives of the poultry industry to discuss the state of the sector.

I hope to be in regular contact with representatives of the industry. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary recently addressed the annual conference of the British Poultry Meat Federation.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the balance of trade in agricultural produce between the United Kingdom and France and the United Kingdom and Germany; and what are the main British products involved.

In 1992 we had a trade deficit of £624 million with France and £403 million with Germany.Wine was the largest single import in each case.The largest British exports to both countries were meat and whisky.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals she intends to bring forward for the reform of agricultural tenancy law.

The objective of agricultural tenancy reform would be to encourage more letting of land by giving landlords and tenants greater freedom to negotiate the terms of their own agreements. The industry has been consulted on proposals and its views are now being considered. The introduction of the necessary legislation will depend on parliamentary time becoming available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average level of farm income in 1992; and what is the projected figure for 1993.

Aggregate farm income for the industry as a whole rose by just over 10 per cent. in 1992. It is too early to forecast figures for 1993.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how she is monitoring the price of bananas.

Data on the price of bananas at all stages in the marketing chain from the point of import into the United Kingdom to final retail sale are collected on a regular basis and allow comparison with prices in other countries.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received about the proposed EC banana regime.

We have received a wide range of representations from interested parties at all stages in the marketing of bananas.These have included representatives of producer interests and companies involved at all stages in the marketing of bananas in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions are taking place on the criteria to be used for measuring quality within the new EC banana regime; and if she will make a statement.

Council regulation 404/93 on the common organisation of the European banana market provides for the development of quality and marketing standards for bananas marketed in the Community.Details of these standards and how they will be applied will be decided by the Commission in consultation with member states.No discussion of quality standards has yet taken place.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on progress on deregulation.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Sykes).

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will arrange to meet representatives of the Scotch whisky industry to discuss the prospects for the industry and the workers employed in it.

My right hon. Friend hopes to have frequent contacts with representatives of the Scotch whisky industry.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the United Kingdom is now designated as environmentally sensitive areas.

Just over 9 per cent. of agricultural land in the United Kingdom is now designated under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme.The Government have announced proposals for further designations which together are expected to bring the total area covered to approximately 15 per cent. by the end of the year.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she will take to improve the accuracy of food labelling.

It is already an offence under the Food Safety Act 1990 falsely to describe a food or to give information which is likely to mislead as to its nature, substance or quality.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she next intends to meet the chairman of the Food Advisory Committee to discuss the committee's membership.

I have no plans at present for such a discussion.The views of the chairman of the Food Advisory Committee are always taken into account when appointments to the committee are being considered.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she will next visit Dartmoor hill farmers to discuss the less favoured areas.

My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary (Lords), Earl Howe, chaired a meeting of the Hill Farming Advisory Committee on 2 June. Two of the members of the committee farm on Dartmoor and a range of issues related to farming in the less favoured areas was discussed.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the outbreak of equine viral arteritis.

On 7 June the Animal Health Trust confirmed an outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) on a non-thoroughbred stud in Nottinghamshire. The trust is investigating a number of associated suspect outbreaks at various locations in Great Britain. This is the first reported incidence of EVA in the United Kingdom. The source of the infection is still under investigation and, although some reports have indicated a possible link with a stallion imported from Poland in September last year, this link has not yet been positively confirmed.EVA is not a notifiable disease in Great Britain and statutory disease control measures and movement restrictions do not apply. Similarly, the disease is not specifically covered by EC animal health rules governing movements of equidae between member states. However, EC rules in relation to the import of equidae into the Community from third countries, to be implemented in Great Britain with effect from 1 July 1993, require that uncastrated males must either originate from countries which have been free of EVA for at least six months or the stallion blood or its semen must have been tested with negative results for EVA prior to import.The United Kingdom equine industry operates a voluntary code of practice for the prevention and control of EVA which is issued by the Horserace Betting Levy Board. In addition, importers are free to seek from the exporter or vendor the provision of private veterinary certification in respect of EVA.Officials attended a meeting organised by the industry last week. At that meeting it was confirmed that an application for an inactivated vaccine had been received by the veterinary medicines directorate and that it was being assessed as quickly as possible. In addition, the state veterinary service will increase the level of post import testing of stallions imported from third countries. All those giving seropositive results will be re-exported to their country of origin.We will continue to monitor the situation extremely carefully.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received from the European Agriculture Commissioner concerning her proposed visits by Commission staff to member states to discuss the extent and nature of implementation difficulties concerning the integrated administration and control system procedure.

The Agriculture Commissioner has indicated that Commission staff will be visiting all 12 member states during June and July to monitor implementation of the integrated administration and control system in each member state. The Commission team will be visiting the United Kingdom in the week beginning 5 July.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps were taken by her Department to prepare the farming community for the introduction of IACS forms.

We kept farming organisations informed of the progress of the EC regulations governing the integrated administration and control system. We subsequently consulted them during the preparation of the explanatory booklet designed to help farmers complete their IACS application forms.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the answer by the President of the Board of Trade of 25 May, Official Report, column 488, if she will make a statement on the current timing of the decision in respect of the revised discharge authorisations in connection with the commissioning of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield.

My right hon. Friend and the Secretary of State for the Environment have recently received a report from the inspectors in response to consultation on draft radioactive discharge authorisations for BNFL Sellafield. Their report is currently under consideration and a decision on how we intend to proceed will be made as quickly as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps require to be taken to implement the European Community regulation No. 3759/92 in the United Kingdom with particular reference to the extension of discipline rules with respect to producer organisations in the fisheries sector, including aquaculture.

Regulation 3759/92 does not require member states to extend the discipline rules of fish producer organisations to those who do not belong to such an organisation. It allows member states the option of doing so. There are no present plans for doing so in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what restrictions are placed on the importation of beef from Brazil to deal with environmental concerns at point of production.

Only beef produced in certain premises in Brazil, which are approved by the Commission, can be imported into the Community. All consignments of beef are subject to a documentary check on entry to the Community to ensure that the meat was produced at an approved plant. A percentage of consignments are also subject to physical checks carried out under the supervision of an official veterinary surgeon.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current population of sheep; and what was the figure 10 years ago.

The total number of sheep and lambs on agricultural holdings in England estimated from the June 1992 agricultural census was 20,529,478. The corrresponding figure for June 1982 was 15,456,436. These figures include estimates for minor holdings.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the average number of half days at sea provisionally allocated to fishing vessels (a) in each fishery and (b) in the United Kingdom as a whole.

The average of provisional allocations to fishing vessels licensed by MAFF, SOAFD and DANI is 275 half-days. Individual vessels may prosecute a variety of fisheries and therefore figures for the average provisional allocation per fishery cannot be given.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the implications for food standards and for food standards regulations in the EC and in the United Kingdom of GATT proposals concerning the UN FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius.

Under the terms of the proposed GATT Uruguay round agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, any trade restriction imposed in conformity with internationally agreed standards such as the UN FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius shall automatic-ally be considered to be consistent with GATT rules. This shall not prevent the imposition of tighter standards where they are scientifically justified.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received on which areas to target for support under the moorland destocking scheme.

I have received a number of representations supporting the Government's proposal that the scheme should be targeted on specific moorland in the less favoured areas where a reduction in sheep stocking would be most likely to achieve environmental benefit. Some respondents suggested particular areas or moorland types for inclusion.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many veterinary surgeons are currently employed in his Department on questions of animal welfare, and at what cost; what was the figure 10 years ago; and if she will make a statement.

All veterinary staff of the animal health and welfare group are involved with animal welfare as part of their normal duties.In 1992–93 this work amounted to 10·3 per cent. of veterinary time, which is the equivalent of 43 man-years at a cost of £2,274,872 per annum.Ten years ago animal welfare work amounted to 10·5 per cent. of veterinary time, the equivalent to 57·6 man-years. Estimated cost then was £1,523,635 per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which countries voted for and against the United Kingdom proposals for ferry survivability in the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organisation on 24 to 28 May.

The United Kingdom proposal was not put to the vote, however the vote for a consolidated proposal put forward by Canada, Denmark, Belgium, Norway and Sweden and supported by the United Kingdom was 16 for and 10 against. A detailed record of the voting was not taken. Sixty-five countries attended the meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what decisions taken at the 62nd session of the International Maritime Organisation's Maritime Safety Committee meeting 24 to 28 May will have a bearing on improving the safety of shipping in the English channel and in the shipping lanes for ferries between British ports and those in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Routeing and other navigational issues, including ferry routes, for the English channel were not discussed at the 62nd session of the Maritime Safety Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how and when he was informed of the collision between BP tanker British Trent and the bulk carrier Western Winner.

The Department of Transport's marine emergency operations room was notified by Dover coastguard of the incident by telex message at 07.36 on Thursday 3 June. The operations room informed Lord Caithness, the Minister for Shipping, who informed the Secretary of State at approximately 09.30.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many Norwegian ships are operating or have operated under contract or charter in the United Kingdom sector of the North sea supplying oil rigs (a) at present, (b) one year ago, (c) 18 months ago and (d) two years ago;(2) how many British ships are operating or have operated under contract or charter in the Norwegian sector of the North sea supplying oil rigs

The Government do not collect details of contracts placed in the North sea, but I have seen the following figures:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the channel tunnel terminal will be described on road signs on the principal motorways and trunk roads in the direction of Folkestone; what effect including the tunnel terminal on road signs will have on the current level of references to Folkestone on such road signs; and if he will make a statement.

The new fixed channel link will be described as "Channel Tunnel" on trunk road signs. This is a change from the earlier proposal to sign it as "Eurotunnel".The inclusion of "Channel Tunnel" on the signs does not itself affect the number of signs on which "Folkestone" will be shown, but the reclassification of the town in the mid 1980s from a super primary to a primary destination does.As signs are now being changed for other purposes, the references to Folkestone will be made consistent with its primary destination status. The major change will be on the M20 motorway. The town will continue to appear on all signs eastward from the western side of Ashford. Westwards from there it will no longer appear on advance direction signs but, in the light of recent representation made to my Department we have agreed to retain it on all distance signs on M20 and M26 back to M25. These are the signs which are located between junction and show destinations and the countdown mileages to them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for rail freight travel and handling to take advantage of the opening of the channel tunnel.

We have supported investment by British Rail of over £400 million in preparation for channel tunnel freight services, and have asked BR to explore further the opportunities for maximising private sector involvement in their development. It remains the Government's objective to secure the transfer of this business to the private sector as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 17 March, Official Report, column 265, what progress was made at the United Nations working group meeting held in mid-April to consider proposals for incorporating the Hazchem warning system into proposed European legislation; what further action he proposes to take; and if he will make a statement.

An informal UN working group meeting was held on 19–22 April at the United Kingdom Fire Service college to examine possible ways of devising and displaying on road tank vehicles and rail tank wagons carrying dangerous goods throughout Europe a form of action code to be used by the emergency services in the event of an accident. The meeting was a result of United Kingdom initiatives in recent regular sessions of the WP. 15 group of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, at which the need for emergency action in the first few minutes of an incident and for coded information to be the same in all languages had been acknowledged.The meeting was arranged by the Home Office and chaired by my Department. It was attended by a wide representation from signatory countries to the UNECE's ADR agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road and from relevant international associations. A number of presentations illustrating from experience the benefits of the United Kingdom's Hazchem action code were made by United Kingdom interests. I am grateful to the commandant of the college and his staff for the efficient arrangements, including the vital practical demonstrations on the fireground. Although some participants remained satisfied with the present Kemler code in the ADR or that the UN substance identification number would be sufficient in future or that use of reference books was not a problem, a majority declared an interest in developing an emergency action code to be included additionally in the ADR. My Department and the Health and Safety Executive therefore will continue to promote formally our detailed proposals for amending the ADR agreement to include a composite placard.A representative of the European Commission recalled the succession of approaches to the Commission and questions in the European Parliament on this subject. He conceded that with this level of political concern in a member state, a derogation would have to be proposed for inclusion in the draft Council directive currently under informal discussion between the Commission services, member states and other parties that would, in effect, apply the provisions of the ADR to domestic transport. Following further discussion with the Commission, a provision has now been included in a new draft which would allow the continued use of existing emergency action codes for domestic journeys until an internationally agreed code is developed.I have placed a copy of the official report of the UN working group in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about progress on the preparatory work for the dualling of the A249 from the M2 to the Kingsferry bridge; when he expects tenders to be invited; and what are the latest estimated dates for commencement and completion of this project.

Tenders for the construction of the A249 (M2 to Iwade) improvement are expected to be invited later this summer with a view to starting work around the end of the year. The work is expected to take about two years to complete.

To ask the Prime Minister is he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 10 June.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the number of Government political advisers for each year since 1980–81.

The information requested has not been regularly collected centrally. The available information on the number of special advisers—including expert advisers—is as follows:

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total expenditure on Government political advisers broken down into salaries and other costs for each year since 1980–81 in (a) cash and (b) 1992–93 prices.

Precise total salary bills and aggregate figures for 1980–81—1987–88 are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The aggregate figures for 1988–1993 available are as follows:

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 27 May, Official Report, column 663, if he will give the date and name of each school which he has visited since taking his present office.

I have nothing further to add to my reply to the hon. Member on 27 May at column 663.

To ask the Prime Minister how much in severance payments the right hon. Members for Kingston upon Thames (Mr. Lamont) and for Watford (Mr. Garel-Jones) will receive following their departure from ministerial office; and to what extent such payments are free from income tax.

Severance payments for Ministers are determined under the provisions of the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991. Under the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988, severance payments of less than £30,000—including those to former Ministers —are exempt from tax.

To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to require contracting suppliers of goods and services to Government Departments to exercise good practices in the prompt payment of their sub-contractors; and if he will make a statement.

Following the announcement during the 1992 Budget, all Government contracts have been required to contain a clause requiring the supplier or contractor to pay its subcontractors promptly. In the absence of normal practice to the contrary for that type of contract or other special circumstances, the commitment should be to pay the subcontractor within 30 days of receipt of a valid invoice or similar demand for payment as defined by the contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement defining Her Majesty's Government's concept of good government as a principle governing the United Kingdom's relations with other states; and if he will state what Her Majesty's Government's policy is towards those states which do not meet the good government criteria.

Good government includes the legitimacy, accountability and competence of the processes and institutions of government, along with respect for human rights and the rule of law. It is an important consideration in our relations with other countries. In consultation with our EC partners and others, we seek to encourage Governments not meeting good government criteria to take appropriate action.Good government issues significantly influence the effectiveness of aid and are therefore an important criterion, alongside other factors, for the allocation of aid between and within countries. We use our aid programme in positive ways to improve the quality of government. Where standards are not met, for example where human rights are persistently abused, we are prepared to withdraw or reduce our assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange talks with British-based voluntary groups involved in supplying aid to Bosnia to discuss action the Croatian Government could take to facilitate British aid reaching Bosnia.

We maintain contact with a wide range of British voluntary agencies who are active in Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible for coordinating the international community's response to this crisis, which includes regular dialogue with voluntary agencies and the various authorities in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Croatian Government about interference from Croatia with United Kingdom aid to Bosnia; and if he will make a statement.

We have urged and continue to urge all interested parties to respect the right of international humanitarian agencies to free and unimpeded access to all parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We seek at all times to co-operate fully with them and to ensure the safety of their personnel as embodied in UN Security Council resolution 820 of 17 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further assistance the United Kingdom will be providing to Mozambique.

At the Maputo Donors conference this week we pledged £7 million of humanitarian assistance of which some £4 million will be for food aid. With the £3 million we pledged following the signature of the peace accords this will bring the United Kingdom's contribution to £10 million. The non-food aid assistance will be channelled mainly through British non-governmental organisations in the form of seeds and tools provision and for demining work in Zambezia Province. Our delegation at the conference stressed the vital importance of effective donor co-ordination and the key role to be played in this by the UN's Department of Humanitarian Affairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if a decision has been reached on the most appropriate location of mining records currently deposited in Lady Victoria pit at Newtongrange by British Coal on behalf of HM inspectorate of mines and quarries; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any such decision. It is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive and the British Coal Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with (a) HM inspectorate of mines and quarries and (b) British Coal on the most appropriate location of mining records currently deposited in Lady Victoria pit at Newtongrange by British Coal on behalf of H M inspectorate of mines and quarries; and if he will make a statement.

We have had no such discussions on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to introduce measures which would render it more difficult for public sector workers to take (a) strike action and (b) any other form of industrial action.

The Government have no immediate plans for legislation beyond the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Bill currently before Parliament. We continue to keep all aspects of industrial relations law under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the fee for emergency treatment under section 155 of the Road Traffic Act 1972 has been calculated; and if he will make a statement.

The emergency treatment fee, collected under section 158 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, is payable for immediate medical attention following a road traffic accident. The fee represents a contribution towards the actual costs incurred. Orginally set at 12s 6d in 1934, it was not raised until 1969, since when it has been periodically uprated in line with inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she last met British Medical Association officials; and what matters were discussed.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met representatives of the British Medical Association (BMA) on 18 May. The meeting was held at the request of the chairman of the General Medical Services Committee (GMSC) of the BMA to discuss a range of issues of current concern to the profession,. including the patients charter, violence against general practitioners and complaints arrangements.I met the GMSC chairman on 24 May to discuss complaints arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average cost to the NHS of prescribing the contraceptive pill to one woman for a year.

This information is not available. The costs of different brands of oral contraceptives are listed in the "British National Formulary", a copy of which is available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her recommended maximum GP list size in the London implementation zone; what is the average GP list size; how many GPs there are in the zone; and how many have list sizes of (a) over 2,000, (b) over 2,500, (c) over 3,000, (d) over 3,500 and (e) over 4,000.

The maximum number of persons which a general practitioner may have on his list in all localities is specified in the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992. Regulation 24(2) provides that the maximum number shall be (a) 3,500 for a single-handed doctor (b) 4,500 for a doctor practising in a partnership, subject to a maximum average of 3,500 for each of the partners in the practice; and, where the doctor employs an assistant, a further maximum number of 2,000 for each assistant. There are no recommended maxima specifically for the London initiative zone.The London initiative zone comprises five complete family health services authorities (FHSAs) and seven part-FHSAs. The information requested is not available for part-FHSAs.As at 1 October 1992, there were 3,186 unrestricted GPs in the 12 complete FHSAs which lie wholly or partly within the London initiative zone. The average list size was 2,092. The number of GPs by average list size is shown in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the vacant post of chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority was advertised publicly; and in what journals.