To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the tribunal of Sunday trading legislation policy proposed by the Keep Sunday Special campaign and Retailers for Shop Act Reform with the Government's policy on reducing bureaucracy and burdens on business; and if he will make a statement.

We shall publish in the next few weeks a draft Sunday trading Bill, together with a covering text explaining the options for reform. Hon. Members will no doubt weigh the effect of each of the options on businesses before choosing from among them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the quarter per cent. betting duty reduction announced in the Budget in 1992 has been received by the British Greyhound Racing Trust Fund for the 1992–93 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the British Greyhound Racing Trust fund has, to date, received voluntary payments from the betting industry totalling £1,058,504 for the financial year 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of IRA terrorist bombings in Great Britain in each year since 1985; and what is his estimate for 1993 up to 31 May.

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of (a) men and (b) women at present serving prison sentences in England and Wales for terrorist offences.

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 what was the number of killings by IRA terrorists in Great Britain in each year since 1985.

Since 1 January 1985, 26 people have been killed in Great Britain as a result of terrorist activity attributed to the Provisional IRA. The numbers of people killed in each year are as follows:

Number of people killed by the Provisional IRA
Year	Number
1985	0
1986	0
1987	0
1988	1
1989	11
1990	3
1991	3
1992	5
19931	3
1 To date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had of possible reforms to the appeal system.

Various aspects of the appeal system fall within the remit of the Royal Commission on criminal justice, to which my predecessor gave evidence. We shall consider whether any changes may be needed in the light of the commission's report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in the last year for which figures are available for selling tobacco products to under-age children.

In 1991, in England and Wales there were 101 prosecutions for the offence of selling tobacco to juveniles.1992 data will not be available until the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will agree to institute an extended pilot project on the use of the expandable side-handled baton.

On 16 June, my right hon. and learned Friend agreed to a scientific evaluation of the expandable side-handled baton. Decisions about trialling this piece of equipment will be taken following the evaluation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was (a) the number and (b) the proportion of triable-either-way cases committed to the Crown court in 1979, 1983 and in each year from 1987 to 1992.

The numbers and proportions of persons aged 17 and over committed to the Crown court for triable-either-way offences for 1979 and 1983 and 1987–1991 are given below. Data for 1992 are unavailable until the autumn.

Persons aged 17 and over committed for trial at the Crown court for triable-either-way offences in England and Wales
	Committed for trial
Year	Number (thousands)	Percentage
1979	55·3	15
1983	79·6	18
1987	93·5	23
1988	93·1	22
1989	80·4	21
1990	80·4	20
1991	81·3	19

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will give details of the initiatives taken under the citizens charter programme to develop user consultation, representation and participation in public services.

The citizens charter calls on all public services to consult their customers on a regular and systematic basis. Survey programmes are being carried out across the public sector, and many organisations recognise and consult groups who represent their customers. There are numerous initiatives nationally and locally. These include:

Charter Mark Scheme: organisations that apply must demonstrate that they consult customers on a regular and systematic basis and take their views into account when service standards arc set or revised. Thirty-six awards were made in 1992.

Inland Revenue: has conducted a major survey of taxpayers to find out views on their service and are also surveying employers. Inland Revenue is considering how to improve services in response to these results.

Customs and Excise: work is in hand on two national surveys of travellers and VAT traders. Results of a qualitative survey of travellers carried out last year were used when redrafting the travellers charter.

London Underground: customers are surveyed on a four-weekly basis on over 20 performances indicators, including the five key targets set out in the customer charter.

Police: the results of a survey of public satisfaction with police services were published in December 1992. A number of police services also use local customer satisfaction surveys or questionnaires.

National Health Service: the patients charter encourages all health authorities to seek the views of local people on local services in a variety of ways. In Scotland, an independent survey of NHS users was undertaken to measure progress towards the achievement of charter commitments and identity problems and priorities for further action. In Wales, health authorities regularly carry out consumer research through patient satisfaction surveys, focus groups and local consultations.

Education: all school governing bodies arc required to have elected parental governors. Since 1986, school governors are required to produce an annual report for parents and hold annual parents' meetings where parents can pass resolutions concerning the school. The parents charter has extended these rights to require schools to provide parents with annual reports on children, including exam and test results.

Benefits Agency: carries out an annual independent customer survey to ask customers what they think of services, and publishes the results; holds regular meetings with customer representative groups; and has received nearly 600 written submissions on its discussion paper "One Stop" about service delivery.

Employment Service: conducts an independent national customer satisfaction survey, and has piloted local surveys.

Under the Council Tenants Charter, tenants have the following rights to: be consulted on changes to the management of their homes; annual information on how the council has managed its housing stock; attend meetings of the housing committee and to see the records of its meetings; transfer to a new landlord, and increased opportunities to get involved in the management of estates, for example, through tenant management co-operatives. The Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Bill includes a right to manage for council tenants.

United Kingdom Passport Agency: surveys customers by post and in person to find out their views and satisfaction levels. A consultative panel of users is planned for the future.

Land Registry: users' customer views obtained from a programme of: meetings with user groups, surveys of regular customers, open days, visits and exhibitions to review targets to reflect customers' needs and wishes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.

The market tests completed since November 1992 by the Office of Public Service and Science, including its agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information and the outcome of these tests are as follows:

Activity tested (and area)	Outcome
Bristol distribution centre (HMSO)	Retained in-house
Distribution of College 1993–94 prospectus (Civil Service College)	Contracted out
Elements of payroll development (Chessington computer centre)	Contracted out
Manchester forms centre (HMSO)	Retained in-house
Reprographic unit Basildon (HMSO)	Part contracted out.
	part retained in-house
Reprographic unit Manchester (HMSO)	Retained in-house
Security guarding (Recruitment and Assessment Services)	Retained in-house
Stationery store (COI)	Service abandoned
Telephonist service for Downing street (OPSS)	Contracted out
Typing services at publications centre (HMSO)	Contracted out

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the impact on his budgets for research into air quality, marine pollution, and waste management of the recent announcements relating to Warren Spring Laboratory.

The transitional costs of the merger of WSL with the Atomic Energy Authority to form the National Environment Technology Centre will not fall on my budgets in these areas of research. In the longer term, the Government believe that the merged organisation will be able to offer better value for money to all its customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what procedures he has introduced to ensure that the housing needs of elderly people are fully met by local social services departments.

Circular 10/92 "Housing and Community Care", issued jointly by my Department and the Department of Health on 24 September last year, advises social services and housing authorities of their roles under community care. Social service authorities have a statutory duty to assess an individual's needs for community care services and are advised to co-operate with housing authorities where appropriate, in making that assessment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to continue meetings of the investigation of the air pollution standing conference following the closure of Warren Spring Laboratory.

I intend to continue meetings of the investigation of air pollution standing conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will introduce measures to ban the pesticide Benlate; and if he will make a statement.

The Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP), the independent statutory committee which advises Ministers on the approval of pesticides, has examined data relating to benomyl—the active ingredient in the product Benlate—on two occasions in the past 15 months. On both occasions, the ACP advised that there was no need for concern over its continued use in the United Kingdom. A ban would, therefore, not be appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make changes to the private house renovation grant system; and if he will make a statement.

I have placed in the Library copies of a consultation paper published today discussing the performance and effectiveness of present private house renewal programmes, including the renovation grant system, and outlining a variety of options for change. These include both changes that might be made in the short term, by adjustments to secondary legislation, and those that could be introduced longer term, subject to primary legislation.The Government are keen that there should be a full public dialogue on how policies in this area should develop and, accordingly, the consultation paper has been given wide distribution with three months for comment.I am also publishing today a preliminary report from the 1991 English house condition survey providing information on the number of unfit dwellings in the English housing stock. Between 1986, the date of the last survey, and 1991 there has been a welcome decline in the number of unfit dwellings whether measured against the fitness standard in force in 1986 or against the new, higher standard introduced under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Under the old standard, 3·9 per cent. of dwellings—0·753 million—were unfit in 1991 compared with 4·8 per cent.—0·909 million—in 1986; under the new standard, 7·4 per cent. of dwellings—1·456 million—were unfit in 1991 compared with 8·8 per cent.—1·643 million—in 1986.The report also reveals that most progress has been made in those sectors of the stock which have the highest proportions of unfit dwellings, namely pre-1991 housing and the private rented sector. It further shows that, under the new standard, over half of all unfit dwellings fail to meet only one requirement in the standard. Many of these may be remedied relatively easily.We also plan to publish during the consultation period the first main report from the survey, which will give fuller information about the condition of the stock and household characteristics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish key performance targets for the Building Research Establishment.

The Building Research Establishment is working to the following provisional key targets for 1993–94 in its strategic plan:

• £96,000 net contribution to the Exchequer.
• Income to cover full economic costs of a trading basis.
• Non-Exchequer component to be 10·9 per cent. of total net research commissions.
• An improvement of 5 per cent. in the unit cost ratio of research output on the target for 1992–93.

The strategic plan is subject to further discussion with my Department. If, as a result, there are any changes to these targets, revised targets will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total amount of revenue expenditure by local authorities in (a) England, (b) Greater London and (c) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated.

The latest information is:

Local authority revenue expenditure1
£ million
Year	England	2Greater London	South East (excluding Greater London)
1982–83	19,737	4,111	3,541
1983–84	20,809	4,677	3,691
1984–85	21,312	5,000	3,768
1985–86	21,661	4,676	3,933
1986–87	23,760	5,128	4,201
1987–88	25,686	5,408	4,582
1988–89	27,667	5,553	5,162
1989–90	29,404	5,969	5,395
1990–91	32,493	6,371	6,041
31991–92	36,416	6,956	6,999
31992–93	38,945	7,392	7,628

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate has been made of the amount of transitional relief each authority will pay in 1993–94; and if he will express this figure as (a) a percentage of total provision for transitional relief and (b) an amount per council tax payer.

[holding answer 18 June 1993]: I am arranging for the available information to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.

Only one of the projects in the Department's market-testing programme which involves exposing in-house functions to competition has yet reached the stage where a contract or service level agreement has been awarded. The market testing of a research project commissioned by the Department from the Building Research Establishment has resulted in the award of a contract to an outside bidder.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total estimated cost of establishing a site of 15 pitches for new age travellers at Gipsy lane, Burnett, Avon.

The cost of providing an authorised site for gipsies, as defined in section 16 of the Caravan Sites Act 1968, has been estimated by Avon county council as £795,500.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the total amount of (a) net and (b) gross capital expenditure by local authorities in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) the south-east, excluding Greater London, for each year from 1982–83 to 1992–93, estimated.

The available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what factors were taken into account in determining which tenders were acceptable for shortlisting for the housing management contracts for the Liverpool HAT; what (a) guidelines and (b) procedures were used for evaluating the tenders; and if he will publish them;(2) what information will be given to those organisations or individuals who submitted tenders for management contracts for Liverpool HAT which were rejected as to why they were not acceptable;(3) if he will list those organisations or individuals which have been shortlisted for the management contracts for Liverpool HAT, indicating which are black-based associations.

[holding answer 18 June 1993]: Responsibility for awarding the contracts rests with the Liverpool housing action trust. The HAT board is evaluating tenders received in accordance with standard public procurement procedures and against the criteria in the information pack sent to prospective tenderers and in the tender document. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the Library.Any future discussion between the HAT and tenderers on tenders not selected for shortlisting is a matter for the HAT board.I shall write to the hon. Member with the names of those shortlisted organisations which agree to the release of their names. Information was not sought in the tender process on the ethnic backgrounds of tenderers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from Liverpool university about access funds; and if he will make a statement.

One, from the assistant registrar of Liverpool university. I announced on 14 June that a total of £23·8 million will be available for access funds in England for the 1993–94 academic year. This represents an increase of over £2 million—nearly 10 per cent.—over 1992–93. We believe that if properly targeted to genuinely needy students, this should be sufficient for the purpose of supplementing an already generous student support package of grants and loans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) county primary schools and (b) voluntary-aided primary schools have applied for and been granted grant-maintained status; and what percentage these are of all schools in these categories.

The information requested is given in the table.

	Primary schools operating/approved for self-governing governing status	As a percentage of all schools in the category
TOTAL	139	0·7
of which county or former county	96	0·8
voluntary or former voluntary	43	0·7
of which VA1 or former VA and SA2 or former SA	23	0·6
VC3or former VC	20	0·7
1 Voluntary aided.
2 Special agreement.
3 Voluntary controlled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to clarify the legal liabilities of individual governors of (a) local education authority maintained schools, (b) voluntary-aided schools and (c) grant-maintained schools; and what plans he has to underwrite the legal liabilities of school governors.

The Education Bill currently before Parliament provides for the incorporation of governing bodies of LEA-maintained schools. This will ensure that governors do not incur any personal liability for decisions taken in good faith. Subject to Royal Assent, the Department will be issuing guidance on incorporation later this year. A separate fact sheet on legal liabilities is available on request to governing bodies of self-governing—grant-maintained—schools.It is for local education authorities and governing bodies to cover legal liabilities with their own insurers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the lowest, highest and average sum of money paid for an assisted place in the United Kingdom.

In 1991–92, the lowest fee charged by a school participating in the scheme was £2,025. However, assisted places are subject to a means-tested contribution from parents. Hence the lowest cost to the Exchequer is nil where the parental contribution exceeds the fees charged. The highest cost to the Exchequer would be a pupil at the school charging the highest fee—£8,595—accepted under the scheme, who for reasons of low parental means was entitled to full fee remission. The average cost to the Exchequer for an assisted place was £3,100. These figures relate to England only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received assisted places at schools in 1990, 1991, 1992 and the current year to date.

There were 26,740 children on assisted places in the academic year 1990–91, 27,641 in academic year 1991–92 and an estimated 28,670 assisted pupils in the current academic year 1992–93. These figures relate to pupils in England only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what percentage of parents secured the school of their first choice for their children in (a) 1979 and (b) the last year for which figures are available (i) nationally and (ii) for each local education authority, and for (1) primary and (2) secondary schools.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he intends to extend the national curriculum and tests to the private education sector.

My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend the national curriculum and the associated testing and assessment arrangements to schools in the independent sector. It is for independent schools themselves to decide whether to implement the national curriculum. Some have already decided to do so. As the arrangements become better established, I expect many more to follow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the principal religions in Great Britain for the purposes of section 8(3) of the Education Reform Act 1988.

It is not for my right hon. Friend, but for each local agreed syllabus conference, to determine the religions to be included in its syllabus for religious education in the light of the requirements of the law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has to provide local authorities with appropriate guidelines on providing a youth service; and if he will make a statement on the policy and the priority to be attached to a youth service by local authorities.

The Department's circular 1/93 of 5 January 1993, "The Further and Higher Education Act 1992", made it clear that local education authorities have a duty to secure the provision of adequate facilities for further education, including the youth service. The duty is placed on LEAs, and it is primarily for them to decide on their policies and the priority to be given to their local youth services in the light of local needs and circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the expenditure on the youth service for (a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92 and (c) 1992–93; and what is his forecast for expenditure in 1993–94.

Expenditure by LEAs in England on the youth service in 1990–91 was £241·7 million (cash). For 1991–92, the provisional total is £248·8 million (cash). This total includes provisional figures for six LEAs and excludes one outstanding LEA return. Outturn figures are not yet available for 1992–93, and forecasts are not made for future years' expenditure on the youth service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students in each of the universities and institutions of higher education in England and Wales are registered disabled; and what proportion they represent of the student population in (a) Wales, (b) England and (c) Wales and England combined.

Disability is not currently recorded on the statistical records of higher education students.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answers to the right hon. and learned Member for Monklands, East (Mr. Smith) on 8 June, Official Report, column 138, when and where the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for East Hampshire (Mr. Mates), met Mr. Asil Nadir during the 10 days prior to Mr. Nadir travelling to northern Cyprus.

That is a matter for my hon. Friend.

To ask the Prime Minister what the budgets are or were for the operation of the most recent registration campaigns for (a) the sale of British Telecom shares, (b) overseas voters and (c) electoral registration by United Kingdom residents.

Details of the costs of the BT3 share offer will be reported to Parliament in due course, following completion of the sale. These will include, and separately identify, the costs of marketing and the share information office. The sum of £672,000 was spent in the 1992–93 financial year in Great Britain on advertising to encourage people to register to vote. Advertising in support of electoral registration is not carried out in Northern Ireland. A publicity campaign to make British citizens living abroad aware of their new voting rights wasd carried out in 1990 only, at a cost of £705,000.

To ask the Prime Minister what proportion of the teaching company scheme budget is being transferred from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Office of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

[holding answer 16 June 1993]: None.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the total official revenue that will accrue to the Exchequer in a full year of the imposition of VAT at the rate of 5 per cent. on (a) domestic fuel and power and (b) categories one, three, six, seven, eight, 10, 11, 12 and 13 contained in annex H of directive 92/77/EEC.

Estimates of the effect on VAT revenue that would occur in a full year from a 5 per cent. rate are as follows:

£ million
(a) Domestic fuel and power—yield	740
(b) Annex H selected items—cost	-450

These estimates are for 1992–93 and, unlike those published in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report", make no allowance for behavioural change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his best estimate of the number of recipients of invalidity benefit who would have an increased tax bill if invalidity benefit was taxed as income; and what would be the average increase;(2) what is his best estimate of the number of recipients of invalidity benefit who would pay tax whose only income was invalidity benefit if that benefit was taxed as income; and what the average tax bill would be for that group;(3) what is his best estimate of the yield to the Treasury in a full year of taxing invalidity benefit as income.

Approximate estimates are that the yield at 1993–94 levels, from making invalidity benefit taxable would be about £500 million.The estimated number of recipients who would have an income tax liability and the average increase in tax is shown in the table:

	Number of taxpayers with invalidity benefit liable to tax	Average increase in tax with invalidity benefit liable to tax (£ a year)
All recipients of invalidity benefit	1900,000	550
Invalidity benefit recipients with no other income	200,000	100
1 Of which some 250,000 already have an income tax liability.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his best estimate of the yield to the Treasury in a full year of treating child benefit as income for income tax purposes

At 1993–94 levels the revenue yield would be about £600 million, assuming that the benefit was taxed as the mother's—or lone father's—income.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate what the saving would be of taxing child benefit as part of the woman's income in 1993–94 and 1994–95;(2) if he will estimate what the saving would be of taxing child benefit as part of the man's income in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

[holding answer 17 June 1993]: The revenue yield at 1993–94 levels would be about £1·3 billion if child benefit was taxed as the father's—or lone mother's—income and about £0·6 billion if taxed as mother's—or lone father's—income.Estimates for 1994–95 will depend on the levels of child benefit and on tax rates and allowances for that year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many privilege holidays in addition to bank holidays are enjoyed by employees in central Government.

Civil servants receive 21½ days' holidays, in addition to the eight public and bank holidays in the calendar year. These holidays are fixed by tradition and taken as follows: a half-day on Maundy Thursday afternoon, a day for the Queen's birthday and an additional day at Christmas.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further representations he has received on tax relief for workplace nurseries.

We have received a number of representations on this subject, as we have on many other tax reliefs. They have ranged from suggestions to give tax relief for all child care to representations that there should be no change.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates privatisation revenue will be in 1993–94.

In his autumn statement of 12 November 1992, the former Chancellor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston-upon-Thames (Mr. Lamont), announced that the privatisation proceeds for 1993–94 are estimated to be £5·5 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the estimated full-year costs or savings of changing income tax by (a) raising the upper limit of the 20p band to £2,750, (b) raising the 25p rate by 1 p, (c) introducing a 35p in the pound rate for taxable income from £23,700 to £28,700, (d) raising the 40p in the pound rate to 45p on taxable income over £35,000 and (e) introducing a 50p in the pound rate on taxable income over £45,000.

Latest estimates of the cost or savings of each measure compared with the regime announced in the March 1993 Budget are as follows:

Direct revenue yield ( + ) or cost ( - ) in full year at 1993–94 income levels
	£ million
(a) Increasing width of the lower rate band to £2,750	-240
(b) Raising the basic rate of tax by 1 per cent.	1,500
(c) Charging 35 per cent, tax rate on taxable income between £23,700 and £28,700	-330
(d) Charging 45 per cent, tax rate on taxable income in excess of £35,000	1,000
(e) Charging 50 per cent, tax rate on taxable income in excess of £45,000	1,500

The estimates do not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and do not include capital gains tax.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for the future of Forward: Civil Service Catering.

My right hon. Friend the former Chancellor told the House on 27 March 1991, Official Report, columns 410–11, that he had decided that the Civil Service Catering Organisation—as it was then known—should be reorganised with the aim of transferring it into the private sector.Since the announcement, substantial changes have been made, including renaming the organisation as Forward: Civil Service Catering, and I believe it is now ready for privatisation. Financial advisers have been appointed to assist in this process. Parliamentary approval to this new service will be sought in a supplementary estimate for Her Majesty's Treasury vote—class XVII, vote 1. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of up to £400,000 on preliminary expenses will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.Forward is profitable and has shown its ability to win business in a fully competitive situation. Privatisation will open the way for it to compete for business outside the public sector.On privatisation, Forward staff would transfer on their existing terms and conditions in accordance with the Transfer of Undertakings (Employment Protections) Regulations 1981.There will be full consultation with the trade unions involved.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the number of pensioners above income support level who do not pay income tax.

About 4·5 million at 1993–94 levels.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 16 June, Official Report, column 613, what estimates his Department has made of the effect of the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 in terms of the level of sterling receipts; and if he will list those receipts, by European Community programme.

The level of sterling receipts which the United Kingdom will receive as a result of the depreciation of sterling against the ecu since September 1992 cannot be estimated with any precision. It depends on various uncertainties, including continuing exchange rate changes, the timing of receipts from the Community and the availability of projects providing value for money.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the direct effect on revenue in the years 1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96 of introduction of the clauses in chapter II of part I of the Finance (No. 2) Bill had they come into effect from 6 April.

The revenue yield depends on the turnover of the national lottery, which is difficult to estimate. Annual turnover in the region of £1·5 billion would provide a duty yield of £180 million. This would be broadly offset by reductions in the yield of other taxes including those on other forms of gambling.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the gross domestic product per capita for (a) Hong Kong and (b) the United Kingdom.

Figures for Hong Kong are published in the United Nations "Statistical Yearbook for Asia and the Pacific".Figures for the United Kingdom are published in table 8 of "Economic Trends". Copies of both publications are available from the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the operation of the new rules governing the calculation of excise duty on beer.

The first indications from official and trade sources are that the new beer duty system, which was introduced on 1 June, is working well. Customs is continuing to liaise closely with the trade to ensure that the new arrangements are implemented as smoothly as possible. At a late stage, the Brewers Society has claimed that the new rate is not likely to prove fiscally neutral and Customs is studying its submissions. In the meanwhile, we have no reason to alter the estimate that the change involves a shortfall of duty to the Exchequer, for 1993–94 only, of about £200 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of funding was given by the Community Relations Council to the film "Unfinished Business".

£6,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what representations he has received in connection with the proposed introduction of charges for library services;(2) what steps he will take to review article 45 from the Library Services (Northern Ireland) Order in relation to the charges for library services.

Following publication, for consultation purposes, of the draft Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, nine responses were received about article 45, together with a letter from the hon. Gentleman. For the most part, these representations sought to ensure that the basic library lending service would remain free of charge and I am happy to give that assurance.I have no plans to review article 45 at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current situation regarding additional or alternative cattle tuberculosis tests in Northern Ireland; and what steps he has taken to secure derogation powers under EC directives to use such tests.

The Department of Agriculture is currently seeking to develop a blood test suitable to detect bovine tuberculosis. A pilot trial was carried out in 1990–91 with encouraging results and a larger scale field trial is now under way.This trial will be completed later this year and until the results of the trial have been fully analysed it will not be possible to seek EC agreement to the use of a blood test to detect TB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cattle were slaughtered in each of the last five years as reactors to tuberculosis testing; and if he will show how many of these were subsequently shown to actually have tuberculosis.

The information is as follows:

Year	Number of reactor cattle slaughtered	Number of cattle confirmed to have tuberculosis1
1988	1,470	731
1989	2,493	1,337
1990	3,124	1,409
1991	4,108	1,586
1992	4,601	1,653
1 Post-mortem findings and/or laboratory examination.

While all the slaughtered cattle were given a post-mortem examination, only visible lesions indicating an advanced stage of TB can be detected in this way. The presence of TB is more readily detected in live animals by the tuberculin test.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what significance is given to badgers as a factor in the epidemiology of cattle tuberculosis in Northern Ireland.

Badgers are not believed to be a significant source of TB infection in cattle in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now re-open inquiries into the death of Mr. Samuel Devenney, following information forwarded to him by the hon. Member for Falkirk. West.

This is a matter for the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, to whom I have passed the correspondence received from the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many phosphorus flares or incendiary devices have been washed up on the Northern Ireland coastline in the past year; and what action he has taken to identify the source of these phosphorus flares and to prevent more being deposited on Northern Ireland beaches.

[holding answer 14 June 1993]: I am advised that up to 7 June 1993, a total of 205 phosphorus flares had been washed up on the Northern Ireland coastline. A contract has been let to a waste disposal company for the collection and disposal of any of these flares which are identified and notified to the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland). It is believed that the majority of the flares are from private vessels and merchant shipping which have been washed or thrown overboard; in addition, a proportion may have been illegally dumped.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the number of listeners to the World Service expressed per kilowatt of transmitter power.

The latest information indicates that some 4,895 people listen to World Service direct broadcasts for every kilowatt of power transmitted. This figure does not include listeners to World Service programmes transmitted by other broadcasters under rebroadcasting arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many FCO staff working for the communications engineering department at transmitter sites in the United Kingdom and overseas have been transferred to the World Service; and what was the impact on the grant in aid of the transfer of CED transmitter sites and Ascension island services.

No FCO staff were transferred to the World Service, but four engineering and two industrial staff employed by the FCO were transferred to BBC Transmission, a separate body. The impact on the grant in aid of these and other transfers was cost neutral since, where necessary, funds to cover the costs of the additional responsibilities were transferred from the FCO to the World Service grant in aid. The total amount transferred was £6·43 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much of the World Service increase in budget since 1980 has been spent on upgrading and replacing old transmitters.

The amount spent by the World Service on such projects under the 1981–1991 audibility improvement programme was £96·4 million—at outturn costs. Between 1980–81 and 1991–92 the annual total World Service grants in aid rose from £55 million to £159·6 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on hours broadcast per employee in the World Service.

The latest information available indicates that the World Service achieved 15·3 hours of broadcasting output per employee in 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on audience figures for World Service broadcasting in (a) China, (b) eastern Europe, (c) Africa and (d) the rest of the world.

The latest audience figures for World Service broadcasts for these areas are as follows:

(a) Eastern Europe, excluding countries of the former Soviet Union: 4· million

(b) Africa (South of Sahara): 26 million

(c) Rest of the world: 93· million, of which 50· million are in the sub-continent and 12 million in the middle east and north Africa.

No data are available for mainland China.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which language services it is presently planned to cease broadcasting from the World Service.

There are no plans at present for the World Service to discontinue any language services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Kurdish information centre regarding the subject of human rights in Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office recently received a copy of a circular letter from the "Kurdistan Information Centre", a London-based organisation. The letter listed Kurdish Workers Party (PK K) conditions for an extension of its March ceasefire in Turkey.We regret the PKK's decision to end its unilaterally declared ceasefire and the subsequent escalation of violence in Turkey's southeast. We frequently make clear to the Turkish Government the importance we attach to combating terrorism within a legal framework and with full respect for human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government on the implementation of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights resolution calling for the United Nations special rapporteur on torture and extrajudicial executions and the United Nations working groups on arbitary detention and on enforced and involuntary disappearances to be allowed to conduct investigations in East Timor.

We have urged the Indonesians—most recently during the visit to Indonesia in April by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs—to co-operate with the United Nations in implementing the resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence or information his Department has received on the number of baby seals culled in the Arklane region of Russia for (a) the current year to date, (b) 1992 and (c) 1991; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 January, Official Report, column 822.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals he has to secure for Gibraltar a place on the European Committee of the Regions.

Final decisions on the allocation of seats on the European Committee of the Regions have yet to be taken. Nomination of representatives will be made in good time before the coming into force of the Maastricht treaty.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he supports the proposal for European Community assistance for inner London.

Negotiations on the Commission's proposed amendments to the current regulations of the European structural funds, including the eligibility criteria and method of selection of objective 2 areas, are unlikely to be agreed before the end of July. Only when revised regulations have been agreed by the Council of Ministers can consideration be given to the designation of particular areas for assistance in the subsequent period.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total amount invested in fuel cell research by his Department for 1993–94; and what are the totals invested in such research (i) in the European Community, and (ii) for all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members.

My Department's expected expenditure of about £0·8 million this year on advance fuel cell research provides a focus for United Kingdom activity and assists companies to participate in European programmes. Under the last EC Joule round, about £10 million of public funding was allocated to 17 projects on fuel cells recommended for support of which 10 involved at least one United Kingdom participant.The total research expenditure—industry and government—on fuel cell research is estimated to be about £50 million a year for the EEC and about £100 million a year for all OECD countries.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 21 April, Official Report, column 118, if he will make a statement on the progress of consideration by the Insolvency Service of the national Welsh bus company.

The report on the conduct of the directors of National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd. is still under consideration. The Secretary of State has until 2 January 1994 to bring proceedings should it be decided that it is in the public interest to do so.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the economic and public expenditure effects, and effects on research expertise in environmental technology in Britain, of closing Warren Spring Laboratory.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303. My right hon. Friend made a long-term assessment of all these matters and concluded that they favoured the creation of the National Environmental Technology Centre as announced on 10 June.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consideration he gave to PA consultancy group's position as a business rival to Warren Spring Laboratory at the time PA consultancy group was appointed to review the future of Warren Spring Laboratory.

The PA consultancy group was selected after a process of competitive tendering and with the knowledge that it is a company with an international reputation which could be relied upon to act with complete integrity.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff, and what present Warren Spring Laboratory functions, he proposes to transfer to Harwell.

[holding answer 15 June 1993]: My aims with regard to both the staff and the business activities of the Warren Spring Laboratory were given in my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303. The precise details and numbers are still being decided.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade ( 1 ) what plans he has for the revenue received from Glaxo for the sale of the former site of Warren Spring Laboratory in Stevenage;(2) if he will make a statement on

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for 13Iaby (Mr. Robathan), on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 22 March, Official Report, column 485, ( 1 ) if he will list those institutions currently receiving funding or other assistance from his Department for work undertaken in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will list the assistance programmes available to British institutions involved in work in eastern and central Europe;(3) what assistance his Department is currently providing to the British engineering sector involved in work in eastern and central Europe; if he will specify the nature of the assistance involved; and if he will make a statement.

My Department provides a comprehensive range of services to assist the very many United Kingdom companies and other bodies which are interested in the region, including support for outward missions—sometimes led ministerially—and participation in overseas trade fairs as well as the provision of general and specific information about the markets and the opportunities in them. Information about export and consultancy projects under bilateral, EC and multilateral-funded assistance programmes is also available and my Department encourages United Kingdom bodies to exploit such opportunities.The major reorganisation of the DTI's export services which was recently announced by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade will enhance the service provided by the Department.A detailed list of all DTI assistance for exporters is included in the latest British Overseas Trade Board annual report 1992–93. A copy of the report has been placed in the House of Commons Library.A large number of British engineering companies are already active in central and eastern Europe and avail themselves of the services already mentioned.Information on the number of individual British institutions which receive funding or assistance from the Department is not available, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's latest estimate of total electricity generating capacity for the year 2000.

The Department does not prepare estimates of future generating capacity. The National Grid Company is required by its licence to prepare each year a statement known as the seven-year statement. The most recent statement includes an assessment of electricity demand up to the year 2000 and several scenarios of generation capacity.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of current United Kingdom imports of timber is of softwoods.

In 1992, 76·5 per cent. of United Kingdom imports of timber were softwoods.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the total value of United Kingdom exports to Saudi Arabia for each year from 1980, broken down into civil and defence-related exports.

Information on United Kingdom visible trade is published in "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics", a copy of which is available in the Library.For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it has been the consistent policy of successive Governments not to disclose particulars of defence trade with other countries. It is therefore not possible to provide a breakdown into civil and defence-related exports.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what monitoring his Department is doing into the extent of bilateral trade agreements by individual EC member states with the United States of America; if he will make it his policy to enter into such agreements separately from the European Commission negotiating rounds; and if he will make a statement.

There is an annual decision by the Council of the European Community listing previous bilateral agreements between individual member states and third countries which remain in operation to the extent that their provisions do not conflict with Community law. The European Commission is responsible for negotiating the Community's trade agreements—in consultation with the member states, which approve the outcome—since such matters fall within the Community's common commercial policy. The United Kingdom cannot deviate from Community law in this respect.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish his Department's response to the fourth report of the Agriculture Select Committee of the current Session on the "Effects of the Beer Orders on the Brewing Industry and Consumers", HC 402; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is considering this report carefully and intends to respond to the Agriculture Select Committee within the usual two-month period, that is, by 20 July. It will be for the Committee to decide whether to make that response public.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the ability of the Atomic Energy Authority at Harwell to provide a full environmental intergrated research service covering physical, biological, chemical and engineering subjects.

[holding answer 15 June 1993]: I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's pursuant reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) on 10 June 1993, Official Report, column 303. I expect the new National Environmental Technology Centre to provide such services.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will arrange for the publication of an interim report of his Department's investigation of the pub leasing policies and practices of Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. as soon as possible, and thereafter consider initiating a full and public inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 14 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade and I have received a number of representations about Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. pub leasing arrangements. My Department has been looking into the specific points raised and I expect replies to be sent shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 7 June, Official Report, columns 161–62, what investigations he has initiated into the Inntrepreneur scheme operated by Grand Metropolitan Enterprises within the brewery industry; upon what basis these investigations were begun; who is being consulted; to whom evidence can be submitted; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 10 June 1993]: My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I have received a number of representations about Inntrepreneur Estates Ltd. pub leasing arrangements. My Department has been looking into the specific points raised and I expect replies to be sent shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action his Department is taking to ensure that United Kingdom companies do not breach the UN embargo on Libya by training Libyan technicians to maintain airframes, engines and avionics which have significant military as well as civil potential.

[holding answer 17 June 1993]: The Libya (United Nations Sanctions) Order—"the order"—1992, which came into effect from 15 April, prohibits the provision of any technical advice, assistance or training related to the supply, delivery, manufacture, maintenance or use of any goods specified in part A of Schedule 1 to the order to any persons connected with Libya except under the authority of a licence granted by the Secretary of State.Any applications to undertake training courses or seminars for Libyan nationals whether within the United Kingdom or elsewhere are considered on a case by case basis. It is not our practice to disclose details of licence applications.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when his Department expects to publish their report on the Atlantic and B and C companies.

[holding answer 18 June 1993]: Inspectors were appointed on 15 June 1990 under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of Atlantic Computers plc and Atlantic Computer Systems, plc, both major companies in the British and Commonwealth group. The inspectors are in the final stages of their investigation but have not yet submitted their report; I will consider publication when it is received.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further plans there are to provide aid for the people of the Western Sahara.

We have no plans to provide bilateral aid for the people of the Western Sahara, but continue to contribute finance and personnel to the United Nations mission responsible for organisation and conduct of the referendum which we hope will take place this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on aid to Vietnam.

We have committed some £8 million in aid to Vietnam since our programme resumed in 1990. It is focused on reintegration of the returning migrants and support for economic reform. We are sending a mission to Vietnam next month to discuss an expansion of technical co-operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what limitations have been placed on humanitarian aid to Bosnia following the Washington agreement.

The joint action programme agreed in Washington on 22 May 1993 has placed no limitations on humanitarian aid to Bosnia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on the forestry implications of aid projects.

We have received representations on the forestry aspects of the aid programme from Members of Parliament, agencies and individuals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are taken by his Department to ensure that its aid projects are environmentally sustainable.

All Overseas Development Administration projects are subject to environmental assessment according to the guidelines and procedures described in the Overseas Development Administration's "Manual of Environmental Appraisal".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what additional resources he plans to make available to combat the spread of AIDS in Africa.

To date, over £16 million has been spent in support of programmes in Africa to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS. We have committed a further £2 million this year and we are ready to do more. Other initiatives are being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what United Kingdom assistance has been given to the construction of Abuja, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.

No United Kingdom assistance has been given to the construction of Abuja.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the amount of aid granted to (a) Indonesia and (b) Tanzania in each of the last 10 years; and what proportion was used to finance the purchase of British goods.

United Kingdom gross bilateral aid to Tanzania and Indonesia from 1983 to the end of the financial year 1991–92 was as follows:

£'000
	Tanzania	Indonesia
1983	30,384	12,358
1984	33,033	28,292
1985	17,967	33,649
1986	12,715	8,898
1987	28,789	12,223
1987–88	33,617	14,660
1988–89	31,956	17,366
1989–90	20,060	21,616
1990–91	41,403	24,600
1991–92	32,454	34,425

The basis on which these figures are recorded was changed from calendar to financial years with effect from 1992; the previous four financial years have been included above for ease of comparison.Statistics on the proportion used to finance the purchase of British goods and services are not available on a country basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent initiatives have been taken by the overseas development administration to assist countries of the former Soviet Union in cleaning up environmental contamination.

The know-how fund has financed two projects in Ukraine; the first to study environmental clean up priorities in the Kiev region post Chernobyl; and the second to provide equipment and training to help measure radioactivity levels in food products in the Kiev region.In May 1993, we financed a study visit to Britain by Russians involved in radioactive waste management. The know-how fund hopes to begin several further environmental projects in Russia in the coming months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the United Kingdom's contribution to the international relief effort in south Sudan; and if he will make a statement.

Britain has committed almost £21 million in humanitarian assistance to southern Sudan since the international relief effort, Operation Lifeline Sudan was established in 1989. More than £2 million of this has been committed this year.A senior ODA official is participating in an EC troika visit to the area from 18 to 23 June to assess the situation and consider how further help can best be provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list all the market tests that have taken place in his Department since November 1992 and indicate, in each case, whether the result was the maintenance of in-house provision, or whether the service was contracted out.

Since November 1992, my Department has contracted out a range of new central services, including mailroom services, minor maintenance, office cleaning, reprographics, security, central typing and secretarial cover. The Department has also contracted out the provision of computer equipment and new associated services.Subject to a tendering exercise, the Historic Royal Palaces agency will contract out unskilled ground maintenance work at Hampton Court palace. The manning of vehicle entrances, ticket checking and security control room at the Tower of London has been contracted out and staff redeployed.The other agency, the Royal Parks, is currently market testing building works services and estates management and an announcement on the outcome will be made shortly.