To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 73 countries whose nationals require visas for all member states of the European Community referred to in the press release issued by Ministers responsible for immigration at the conclusion of their meeting in Copenhagen on 1 and 2 June.

The nationals of the following 73 countries at present require visas for all member states of the European Community.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many and what proportion of cases in each year since 1979 he and his predecessors have exercised their discretion outside the immigration rules where, on hearing an appeal under the Immigration Act 1971 the adjudicator has upheld the Home Secretary's decision to refuse indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom but made a recommendation for the exercise of such discretion; and if he will make a statement.

The information requested is not available. All recommendations made by adjudicators receive careful consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many free copies of (a) the recent White Paper on the future of the police and (b) the report of the Sheehy inquiry have been made available to the superintendents' associations, the police federations, the trade unions and police associations representing officers in the (i) British Transport police, (ii) Ministry of Defence police, (iii) Atomic Energy police, (iv) Northern Ireland Airports police, (v) Royal Parks constabulary, (vi) Port of Tilbury police, (vii) Port of Dover police, (viii) Port of Liverpool police and (ix) Port of Bristol police;(2) how many free copies of the White Paper on the future of the police have been made available to

Twelve complimentary copies of the White Paper on Police Reform were sent to the Superintendents Association of England and Wales. Six complimentary copies were sent to both the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Police Federation of England and Wales. The proposals contained in the White Paper relate to the police service in England and Wales and are concerned primarily with reforms to police forces maintained under the Police Act 1964 and the Metropolitan and City of London police forces. The Superintendents Associations and the Police Federations of Scotland and Northern Ireland were therefore not provided with complimentary copies. Nor were the trade unions and associations representing officers in the other forces mentioned.Each of the associations and forces mentioned received two complimentary copies of the report of the Sheehy inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards. The Superintendents Association of England and Wales subsequently requested, and received, a further 60 free copies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many intending passengers for Northern Ireland have been detained for questioning at Heathrow in the past 10 years; how many were subsequently charged with terrorist-related offences; and how many have been convicted.

The information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, a search of records by the Metropolitan police reveals that in 1992 a total of 1,627 people were asked, during examination under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 at Heathrow, to complete an embarkation card in accordance with paragraph 5 of schedule 5 to the Act. One passenger en route to Northern Ireland was detained under paragraph 6 of the schedule. He was not subsequently charged with a terrorist-related offence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the weekly cost of remanding an individual in Belmarsh prison.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange a reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the chief constable for Greater Manchester; and what was discussed.

My right hon. and learned Friend has not yet met the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are now employed in regional crime squad drugs wings.

There are currently 375 police officers employed in regional crime squad drugs wings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about property-related crimes in tourist resorts.

Centrally held statistics of reported crime do not distinguish between tourist and other areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cells at Rochester Row police station are available to hold prisoners; how many people have been held in those cells for more than 24 hours during the past three months; what is the average June temperature in those cells at 5 am; whether heating pipes are, in summer, increasing the temperature in those cells; and how those cells are ventilated or cooled in summer.

There are 10 cells and 12 detention rooms at Rochester Row police station. Not more than five prisoners have been held at Rochester Row for more

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the latest totals for assets confiscated from convicted drug traffickers and assets frozen pending trials for drug trafficking offences.

For information regarding assets confiscated under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 27 May at col. 722.The 1992 data will not be available until the autumn. Information on assets frozen pending trials is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) custody officers, (b) custody sergeants and (c) rota sergeants have taken five or more days off work through stress-related illness in (i) North Wales and (b) Dyfed Powys police force areas in each year since 1990.

The information requested is not held centrally and could be collected from the forces in question only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 February, Official Report, column 743, what progress is being made on establishing a national firearms board.

My right hon. and learned Friend is currently considering whether to establish a new civilian firearms control board. A comprehensive revision of the original feasibility study which was circulated with the consultation paper last year is currently under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the incidence of (a) burglary, (b) car theft and (c) assault for each year since 1990 for (i) Hammersmith and Fulham, (ii) Leicestershire. (iii) Derbyshire, (iv) Cleveland and (v) Greater Manchester.

The available information relates to the numbers of notifiable offences of burglary and theft of a vehicle and is given in the table. Assault is now a summary offence and is not included in the notifiable offence series.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1992, Official Report, columns 104–5, if he will update the table for women homicide victims involving shotguns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the level of international art smuggling through London; and if he will make a statement.

The detection of attempted evasions of the United Kingdom's import and export regulations are matters for Her Majesty's Commissioners

The information requested is given in the table.of Customs and Excise. The Government deplore the illegal export of works of art and other cultural goods and is working in international forums to reduce it.A recently agreed EC directive provides for the restitution of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of one member state to that of another. The Government are also participating in the drafting of a possible UNIDROIT convention on the restitution of stolen and illegally exported cultural objects.The Government welcome the initiative by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to establish an artefacts classification and identification system, which has already led to the recovery of stolen works of art, and support the continuing use of Interpol to trace stolen objects abroad.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for smuggling works of art were obtained in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

For England and Wales records held centrally from 1987 to 1989 show no prosecutions under the relevant sections of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979. Information collected centrally for 1990 and 1991 does not identify offences committed under the aforesaid Act from other summary offences.Similar information is not collected centrally for Northern Ireland and is not separately identifiable for Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legal investigation is to be carried out by his Department into the case of the Icklingham bronzes; and if he will make a statement.

After an investigation by Suffolk Constabulary the Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone with criminal offences. The question of ownership of the Icklingham bronzes is now a matter for the civil courts and not something in which the Home Office can intervene.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many copies of the report of the Sheehy inquiry into "Police Responsibilities and Rewards" were released to the press before 9 am on Wednesday 30 June.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a list of empty residential properties in the London borough of Lewisham in the ownership of the Metropolitan police and the type of accommodation available; how long each property has been vacant; and what is the intended future use.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 July, Official Report, column 635, on what date a police inquiry began into the evidence surrounding the conviction of Samuel Kulasingham and Premraj Sivalingham; when the evidence was completed; on what date it was presented to him; and if he will make a statement.

The police were asked in April 1992 to make inquiries into allegations that Samuel Kulasingham and Premraj Sivalingham had been wrongfully convicted. A report of these inquiries was received in March 1993. After considering further representations which were received on 22 June from the solicitors acting for Mr. Kulasingham and Mr. Sivalingham, my right hon. and learned Friend decided on 5 July to refer the cases back to the Court of Appeal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to publish the first report of the director of health care for prisoners and the Health Advisory Committee's commentary on the report.

The report and commentary are published today. Copies are available from the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on arrangements made to co-ordinate policy between the Departments for Education, of the Environment and of Social Security, on the encourage-ment of village communities and village life.

I have been asked to reply.The Department of Environment has overall policy responsibility for rural affairs in England and liaises with other Government Departments, including the Departments for Education and Social Security, on matters affecting the social and economic well-being of rural England, and matters affecting village communities. The Government's countryside agencies also have a statutory duty to advise the Government. In particular, the Rural Development Commission, which is sponsored by the Department of Environment, has a number of programmes directed specifically to the enhancement of village life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the names of individuals who (a) are spouses of hon. Members, (b) are members of the House of Lords, (c) are spouses of members of the House of Lords and (d) have been party candidates for Parliament, indicating for which party, who have been appointed by his Department since 1988 to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations giving, in each case, the title of the post, any salary payable, and the duration of the appointment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education in what circumstances the student loan scheme extends to European community students attending universities in the United Kingdom.

European Community students may be eligible for a student loan if they have been ordinarily resident in the British islands for three years before the start of their course; or are refugees; or have established migrant worker status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what account he took, in preparing his statement of 1 July on student unions, of the court judgment in the case of the university of Greenwich; and if he will make a statement.

In its plans for the reform of student unions, the Government took into account the scope for abuse that exists in the current arrangements, illustrated by the judgment in the case of the university of Greenwich. Our proposed reforms are intended to curb politically motivated activity and strengthen accountability by limiting the purposes for which institutions can pass public funds to their campus unions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 17 May, Official Report, column 23, if he will list the research studies from the United States of America related to the impact of class sizes which have been considered in his Department in the last four years.

Information relating to those appointed to our non-departmental public bodies since 1988 who are members of the House of Lords is as follows. Appointments to these bodies are made solely on the basis of the aptitude, merit and suitability of the candidates concerned. Information relating to marital circumstances or possible party candidature for Parliament is not collected and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Department has noted the findings of the STAR project in Tennessee.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many households covered by a concessionary television licence are (a) living in a residential or nursing home and (b) living in a sheltered scheme as defined by the relevant concessionary licence scheme regulations;(2) how many additional households would qualify for a concessionary television licence if the present scheme's definition of sheltered housing were replaced by the definition of sheltered housing in paragraph 10 of schedule 5 to the Housing Act 1985;(3) how many householders enjoy the benefit of a concessionary television licence due to preserved rights; and how many of these live in

I understand from TV Licensing that 490,203 households hold a concessionary television licence by virtue of meeting the criteria laid down in the current regulations (SI 1991/436). Of these, 86,582 households are in residential homes, nursing homes and almshouses, while 403,621 are in sheltered housing schemes managed by a local authority or housing association. A further 171,415 households qualify for preserved rights to a concessionary licence, although their accommodation no longer qualifies under the regulations. Statistics on preserved rights are not broken down by the type of accommodation occupied.The remaining information requested by the hon. Member is not available and could not readily be estimated.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether the licensing structure he proposes for the national lottery will require retailers or advertisers to have a licence under the Bill; and what effect those arrangements will have on the ability of Post Office Counters Limited to bid to sell tickets.

The references in the National Lottery etc. Bill to the "promotion" of lotteries relate to the running of lottery games.The Bill provides that one body may be licensed to run the lottery business as a whole, and that the same, or additional, bodies may be licensed to run lottery games which are part of the national lottery. Any body licensed to run a game must have a contract with the single main licence holder. Licences are to be issued by the director general of the national lottery. Any other company or individual which provided a service to the lottery operator, for example by printing tickets, selling tickets or producing or displaying advertisments, would operate under a contract with the licence holder, and would not be directly subject to a licence condition.However, such a company, just as anyone else in the United Kingdom, would be required to abide by regulations which the Secretary of State will be able to make under clause 12 of the Bill (for example, governing the age at which a person may sell or be sold lottery tickets).If Post Office Counters Limited [POCL] wished to enter into an agreement with a licence holder to sell lottery tickets, a licence would not be required. POCL would require the formal consent of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to compete for such work. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms confirmed on 26 November 1992 that such a consent would be forthcoming, on condition that the Bill received Royal Assent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are set down for the maintenance of workplace child care facilities for health service staff where facilities are provided for a number of different health units by one health unit if that unit acquires trust status.

This is a matter for local decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans she has to improve child care facilities for NHS staff;(2) how many day nurseries are provided for NHS staff; and what are their capacities and occupancies.

It is for individual national health service authorities and trusts to provide for the child care needs of staff in the light of local recruitment and retention needs. Detailed information on the level of provision is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the figure of £150,000 as the maximum grant available to organisations in the HIV-AIDS field was calculated; and if she will make a statement;(2) what new areas of work will now receive funding using money released by the reduction on grants previously made to HIV-AIDS organisations over the sum of £150,000.

The substantial maximum grant of £150,000 provides scope for significant help to be given to a wide range of HIV and AIDS organisations. It also allows a balance to be struck between HIV and AIDS and other health priorities for example within the mental health field. The decision should also be seen in the context of the substantial sums made available to the HIV and AIDS voluntary sector—nearly £12 million since 1985–86.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Streeter) of 14 June, Official Report, columns 429–30, what estimate has been made of the volume increase in prescribing resulting from the Department's new initiative to encourage health pro-motion by general practitioners to improve prevention of coronary heart disease and strokes and to set up asthma and diabetes management programmes; and what assessment has been made of the consequent savings in other health care costs, such as hospital treatment, as a result of these new programmes.

As part of our "Health of the Nation" initiative, some 90 per cent. of general practitioners are planning to run health promotion programmes with the aim of encouraging people to adopt healthier lifestyles and thus to reduce morbidity and mortality. It is not possible to quantify what effect this new initiative may have on prescribing or other health care costs separately from other health care improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the number of hospital operations which have been cancelled within three days of the agreed date for the operation in each of the four regional health authorities covering the Greater London area during the last 12 months.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) suicides and (b) suicides of people under 16 years involved the use of (i) shotguns and (ii) other firearms in each year since 1979.

The information is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will provide a table listing the number of deaths

The information available is shown in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of individuals who (a) are spouses of hon. Members, (b) are members of the House of Lords, (c) are spouses of members of the House of Lords and (d) have been party candidates for Parliament, indicating for which party, who have been appointed by his Department since 1988 to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations giving, in each case, the title of the post, any salary payable, and the duration of the appointment.

The information requested in points (a) to (d) is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Council of Ministers.

The following meetings are planned:

• 12 July—ECOFIN Council
• 19–20 July—Foreign Affairs Council
• 19–20 July—Agriculture Council
• 22 July—Budget Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many items of draft EC legislation, within the categories listed in the House of Commons demand form for European printed papers, are currently being progressed by the European Commission.

The precise information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the Commission's work programme for 1993–94 (SEC(93)58 final) and its legislative programme for 1993 (COM(93)43 final), deposited in the House of Commons on 18 February and 1 March respectively, show the items on which the Commission intends to bring forward proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on help given to the Tools for Self Reliance Group for Zimbabwe.

Tools for Self Reliance has not yet applied to the ODA for assistance. As I indicated in my reply to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Romsey and Waterside (Mr. Colvin) on 22 March at column 607, it is welcome to apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish the terms of reference of the review of aid and trade provision and a list of the non-governmental organisations and commercial organisations that were contracted.

The review of aid and trade provision (ATP) covered the scheme's objectives, criteria, efficiency and effectiveness, value for money and management. It also considered the relationship between ATP and export credits, and the international rules.All companies which had undertaken projects supported by ATP since the scheme began in 1977 were contacted, along with a number of other companies with outstanding applications and interested trade associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking to ensure the security of humanitarian supplies to Bosnia.

The security of humanitarian aid supplies to Bosnia is kept under continuous review in concert with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who coordinates the international community's response to the humanitarian crisis and the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) who are responsible for providing protection for the aid convoys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has towards gradual restoration of development aid to Malawi in the light of constitutional and political developments following the referendum.

[holding answer 6 July 1993]: The constitutional and political developments since the referendum are encouraging. We are reviewing our policy on aid to Malawi, taking account of these developments and progress on economic reform.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what definition of affordability for housing association rents he uses in making decisions on the level of housing association grants.

The Government do not define affordability. In setting grant levels each year, I make. a judgment based on various factors. In this I am assisted by a Housing Corporation model which enables us to calculate an affordability ratio representing the average model rent, at certain levels of cost and grant, as a proportion of earned income after tax, excluding housing benefit. The affordability ratio resulting from the grant rates set has remained unchanged since 1989–90 at around 35 per cent. of a working housing association household's net income before housing benefit.The model, however, is only a mechanism to test the impact of changes in grant rates. It is for housing associations to consider what rents are affordable taking account of all local circumstances. Outturn rents show that there is a considerable gap between the rents implied by the model and actual Sellafield rents on the ground.

To ask the Secretary of State? for the Environment what requests he has received from the European Commission on the application by British Nuclear Fuels to construct a mixed oxide nuclear fuels fabrication plant at Sellafield in regard to its requirement to be covered by a full environmental impact assessment under the 1985 EC directive.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the impact of reduced rates of housing association grant on the ability of households with incomes just above the housing benefit eligibility level to afford housing association rents.

I have received advice on this and other issues, which I am currently considering.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will consider introducing planning regulations to limit the spread of bed-and-breakfast accommodation occupied mainly by claimants of income support.

Local authorities continue to make progress in reducing their use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation. My right hon. Friend is reluctant to use the planning system to impose restrictions on where people choose to live. There are no immediate plans to amend the Use Classes Order 1987, although its operation is kept under continuous review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress of the European project priority waste streams initiative.

Six priority waste streams projects have been launched by the European Commission. In a note to members of the various project groups issued on 1 July, the Commission stated that in the light of budgetary constraints, it had been decided to concentrate efforts on the work of the groups dealing with used tyres, chlorinated solvents, end of life vehicles and health care waste. These projects had been planned to finish towards the end of 1993 and early 1994. The outcome of the projects will be evaluated and used in guiding decisions about work on the remaining projects dealing with demolition waste and electronic and electrical waste.The United Kingdom has participated fully in this work, which is aimed at devising Community-wide action to reduce the environmental impact of difficult wastes. My Department has provided the project leadership for the project on health care waste; the project group had its fourth meeting on 1 and 2 July and is accelerating its programme of work so as to be in a position to produce some results by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy for the management of radioactive waste in Britain with particular reference to spent advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel.

The latest statement of Government policy for radioactive waste management is set out in chapter 15 of the 1990 White Paper "This Common Inheritance", and updated in chapter 14 of the 1991 first anniversary report and chapter 15 of the 1992 second anniversary report. Spent advanced gas-cooled reactor fuel is not a waste but a resource which may be reprocessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to give effect by order to the recommendations of the Local Government Commission without modification.

The Local Government Commission has submitted its final report on only one area, the Isle of Wight, and the Secretary of State is still considering the recommendations. Final reports on other first tranche areas have yet to be submitted by the commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what planning conditions or consents relating to any part of the BNFL plant at Sellafield there are which assume or require operation of the proposed thermal oxide reprocessing plant;(2) how many planning conditions or consents relating to any part of the BNFL plant at Sellafield will require revision or renewal if the proposed thermal oxide reprocessing plant does not operate.

Information about planning permissions issued in respect of BNFL's Sellafield plant is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many times in the last 12 months Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has monitored airborne pollution in Barrow and Furness; and what were the results.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has not monitored airborne pollution in Barrow and Furness in the last 12 months. The monitoring of air quality is the responsibility of the local authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish equal opportunities policy guidelines to companies bidding to run Government services contracted out to the private sector.

EC Council Directive 92/50 lays down criteria for the award of contracts but prohibits the imposition of any non-commercial criteria. Nevertheless, companies invited to tender will be asked to state how equal opportunities policies would be reflected in the performance of their duties. In addition, the terms and conditions of any contract will include a requirement that the contractor shall not discriminate unlawfully within the meaning and scope of the Race Relations Act 1976 or the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from workers previously employed by local authorities who have been made redundant after their work has been contracted out to private companies; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend receives a great many representations about local authority compulsory com-petitive tendering matters, including representations from private firms which have won contracts to provide services and taken on new staff, as well as from former council employees.He also receives representations from members of the public who are grateful for the improvement in services which CCT has brought about.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider proposed regulations to make exempt from waste management licensing suppliers of automotive paints storing waste flammable solvents who hold a petroleum licence.

[holding answer 6 July 1993]: My Department issued consultation papers on waste management licensing in August 1992. These included draft regulations prescribing certain exemptions from the need to have a waste management licence. We did not then propose an exemption for waste solvents. Waste flammable solvents are categorised as "special waste" under the Control of Pollution (Special Waste) Regulations 1980, and are likely in due course to be categorised as "hazardous" under the EC Directive on Hazardous Waste (91/689/EEC). That directive constrains our freedom to exempt the management of such waste from the need to have a licence. This may only be done where the waste is destined for recovery. We have received representations from the vehicle paint spraying industry about the possibility of exempting the storage of small quantities of waste solvent destined for recovery. We will be considering their case very carefully in the context of finalising the waste management licensing regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what environmental impact assessments have been obtained in connection with the proposed third river crossing at Blackwall in Tower Hamlets.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave on 29 June at columns

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements he has made for compensation to property owners in the neighbourhood of the Blackwall tunnel, Tower Hamlets for loss of value to their properties blighted by the third river crossing proposals.

I have been asked to reply.Part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973 makes provision for compensation in such circumstances. In addition, the London borough of Tower Hamlets has been invited to consider measures to mitigate the effect of the crossing on local residents.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Government will prepare and publish a study of the alternative ways in which staff involved in the construction of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant could be re-employed on alternative cleaning up work on the Sellafield site or on work elsewhere.

No. British Nuclear Fuels plc has advised me that operating the thermal oxide reprocessing plant is expected to support some 2,000 permanent jobs in West Cumbria. This major employment benefit is in addition to the employment arising from the decommissioning programme at Sellafield which is already under way and is appropriate to the requirements of the site.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ban the sale of isobutyl nitrate poppers.

The Government continue to keep this matter under review in order to access whether measures to control the misuse of isobutyl nitrate poppers might be appropriate in the future.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the Energy Council in Luxembourg on 25 June.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 6 July, Official Report, columns 106–7.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the import quota for steel from the Commonwealth of Independent States for the European Community for 1993; what proportion of this quota has been allocated to the United Kingdom; and what is the expected United Kingdom quota for 1993.

The European Community quota of 321,000 tonnes for steel imports in 1993 from the former Soviet Union (excluding the Baltic states) covers only heavy plate, coils, other flat-rolled products, beams and wire rods. All other products are liberalised. The quota is administered in three tranches, the distribution within each of which depends on the number of licence applications made and on past trade patterns. United Kingdom importers' share in total of the first and second tranches is 15,541 tonnes. It is not yet possible to determine what the total quantities available to United Kingdom importers for the year as a whole will be.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those companies based in north Staffordshire which have received Government help with investment in research and development.

The Government offer assistance for research and development in a variety of forms from more than one Department. The details requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the citizens advice bureaux on the funding requirements of their advice service.

The funding of individual citizens advice bureaux is a matter for local authorities. The Department is responsible for the funding of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux and Citizens Advice Scotland, which provide support services to local bureaux. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms met representatives of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux twice in the past year, on 12 October 1992, when funding for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux was one of several issues discussed, and on 24 March 1993 when the issue of funding was not raised.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will estimate the percentage of the home market of electronic computers supplied by imports.

The United Kingdom production of electronic computers and parts in 1991 was £6·4 billion compared with domestic sales of £7·5 billion. Exports were £5·8 billion which accounted for 90 per cent. of United Kingdom manufacturers' sales. Imports were £6·.8 billion, of which 37 per cent. was attributed to parts. This gives an apparent import penetration of 91 per cent. It is likely that many of the imported computers were subsequently re-exported, but separate figures for re-exports are not available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what initiatives he plans for the improvement of high-technology British industries.

Our policies contribute to high technology as well as other industries. In addition, as outlined in the recent Science and Technology White Paper, and my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade's statement of 26 May, Official Report, columns 583–85, the Government are mounting a technology foresight programme, with the Office of Science and Technology in the lead and substantial assistance from DTI. This will establish priorities among generic technologies and encourage industrialists and academics to develop clear strategies for the contribution of emerging science to high technology industry. DTI will facilitate access to overseas technology and provide technology and innovation consultancy through the diagnostic and brokerage services planned to succeed the consultancy initiative.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has about United Kingdom life insurance companies proposing to transfer business to Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

The International Financial Services Centre, established in Dublin under EC state aid rules, offers certain tax incentives for financial services business conducted with non-residents. I am aware that one United Kingdom assurance company has set up business additionally in the centre. However, the benefits offered by the centre, in so far as the life assurance industry is concerned, affect only a narrow range of products, and

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out the terms of reference for his Department's inquiry into unnecessary regulations.

The seven deregulation task forces have the following terms of reference.To advise Ministers on priorities for the repeal or simplification of existing regulations and enforcement methods so as to minimise the costs on business; to advise Ministers on the best way of developing and maintaining consultation on the introduction and enforcement of new regulations including those arising from EC measures; bearing in mind the consideration of public health, safety and security which underlie the regulatory system.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he will take to ensure that the Government's 1993 nuclear review is wide-ranging and comprehensive; and if he will make a statement.

The scope, timing and format of the review of the future prospects for nuclear power are under consideration within Government. A further announce-ment will be made in due course.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what special provisions apply to the proceeds accruing to National Power or PowerGen arising from the closure of any power station subsequent to privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

All the privatised electricity companies are subject to provisions which, above certain thresholds, entitle the Government to half the gain resulting from property disposals. No payment is due from the disposal of a specialised property such as a power station as a going concern, provided that it continues in operational use until 31 March 2000.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the former Members of this House who have been appointed since 1988 by his Department to quasi autonomous non-governmental organisations; and if he will list in each case the title of the post, the salary, the duration of the appointment, and the party which the former hon. Member represented.

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to bring disqualification proceedings in the case of the move of Logic Control Systems Ltd of Clowne, Derbyshire into liquidation or to make an application under section 7(2) of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 for leave to extend the period for taking such disqualification proceedings.

On present information, it is the Secretary of State's intention to commence disqualification proceedings against the principal director of Logic Control Systems Limited (In Liquidation) by 19 July 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's policy on the proposal for a second RECHAR; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 30 June 1993] I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Easington (Mr. Cummings) on 29 June, Official Report, column 439.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions his Department has (a) rejected and (b) required amendment of corporate plans produced by BNFL.

[holding answer 22 June 1993]: My Department discusses the corporate plans produced by British Nuclear Fuels plc with the company and comments on them as appropriate.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library the report prepared by PA Consultants on the future of the Warren Spring Laboratory.

[holding answer 15 June 1993]: Yes. I have today placed copies of the report in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines his Department has introduced concerning visits by hon. Members to his Department's executive agencies.

[holding answer 29 June 1993]: Each case is assessed in the light of the particular circumstances at the time. Where appropriate, Ministers should act as host to hon. Members in order to assist on matters of Government policy.