To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what new proposals he has to improve the law on leases on commercial property.

As I announced in my answer on 31 March to my hon. Friend the Member for High Peak (Mr. Hendry), Official Report, column 197, the Government have, after careful consideration, decided to implement the recommendations in the Law Commission's report on Landlord and Tenant Law: Privity of Contract and Estate (Law Com. No. 174), for future leases but not for existing leases.My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning has also announced the publication of a consultation paper on upward-only rent reviews, confidentiality clauses and dispute resolution procedures in relation to new

	Number	Men	Women	1Barrister	Solicitor	Black/Asian
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary	10	10	—	10	—	—
Lords Justices	29 (+2)	28 (+2)	1	29 (+2)	—	—
Heads of Division (excludes Lord Chancellor)	4	4	—	4	—	—
High Court Judges	88 (+4)	83 (+3)	5 (+1)	87 (+3)	1 (+1)	—
Circuit Judges	491 (+9)	463 (+5)	28 (+4)	436 (+11)	55 (-2)	2
Recorders	815 (+51)	778 (+51)	37	743 (+42)	72 (+9)	8 (+2)
Assistant Recorders (excludes Assistant Recorders in training)	436 (-50)	386 (-49)	50 (-1)	359 (-48)	77 (-2)	9 (+1)
Stipendiary Magistrates	77 (-1)	68 (-1)	9	38	39 (-1)	1
Industrial Tribunal Chairmen	70 (+9)	59 (+9)	11	35 (+4)	35 (+5)	1
Value Added Tax Tribunal Chairmen	3	3	—	3	—	—
Social Security Appeal Tribunal Chairmen	29 (+4)	20 (+1)	9 (+3)	7 (+3)	22 (+1)	—
1 Or member of the Faculty of Advocates.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects a final decision to be made on the eligibility for legal aid of Mrs. J. M. Ward, 4 St. John's road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

Decisions on the grant of civil legal aid are a matter for the Legal Aid Board. I understand that the legal director of the Legal Aid Board wrote to the hon. Member on 7 July explaining in detail the background to this case and the current position.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on further discussions he has had on issues arising from the Asil Nadir case.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department further to his answer of 12 February, Official Report, column 788, what changes have taken place since 1 January in the total number of (a) Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, (b) Lords Justices of Appeal, (c) Heads of Division, (d) High Court judges, (e) circuit judges, (1) recorders, (g) assistant recorders, (h) stipendiary magistrates, and (i) full-time chairmen who are (i) men, (ii) women, (iii) barristers, (iv) solicitors, (v) black or Asian, and (vi) ex-Oxford or Cambridge; and if he will give revised figures for the average ages in each category.

The available information, as at 1 July 1993, is set out in the table, with net changes since 1 January 1993 shown in brackets. As before, the figures for black or Asian office-holders are believed to be correct, but since the formal recording of the ethnic background of applicants for judicial office began only on I October 1991, such information may be incomplete. Aggregated information is not generally kept on the university background of judges or their average ages and no new information is available in relation to these matters.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Attorney-General how many (a) witten and (h) oral representations he received from honourable Members regarding the case of Mr. Nadir before his departure from the United Kingdom.

Pursuant to my answer given on 10 June 1993, col. 334, to the honourable Member for Walsall, North, I should add to that list letters written by two honourable Members to the then Home Secretary about Mr. Nadir to which my predecessor replied on points relating to the arrest and investigation. Because of the indirect route by which they came to my office they were not recorded on the departmental register of Members' correspondence so as to be included in my original answer. The overall number of Members who have made representations to me or my predecessor is therefore eight rather than six—since the honourable Member for East Hampshire (Mr. Mates) made both oral and written representations, he figured twice in my answer of 10 June. I have not included questions tabled by honourable Members in replies relating to representations.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the proportion of Crown Prosecution Service prosecutions in the magistrates courts which are successful.

For the year ending 31 March 1993, 97·6 per cent. of cases which proceeded to a hearing in the magistrates court resulted in either a guilty plea or a conviction.

To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to reassess the constitutional and legal functions of his office.

The constitutional and legal functions of my office have an essential part to play in the administration of justice. My object is to uphold them.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about the staffing of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Crown Prosecution Service has recently completed a recruitment campaign which has resulted in a further 45 experienced lawyers being recommended for appointment. There are now very few vacancies for either legal or administrative staff.

To ask the Attorney-General what recent representations have been made to the Gibraltar authorities regarding the letter of request for information relating to inquiries into International Investments Ltd. Gibraltar, in liquidation.

Officials of the Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland have been in recent oral and written communication with Senior Crown Counsel of the Attorney-General's Chambers in Gibraltar in order to finalise arrangements for the attendance of counsel and the investigating officer from the Royal Ulster Constabulary at a judicial hearing scheduled to take place in Gibraltar on 12 July 1993. This hearing is in response to the letter of request for evidence in relation to the affairs of International Investments Ltd. (In Liquidation) issued by Belfast magistrates court on 1 November 1990 and forwarded to the Gibraltar authorities on 5 November 1990 under the provisions of article 9 of the Criminal Justice (Evidence Etc) (Northern Ireland) Order 1988.

To ask the Attorney-General how many persons of Greek-Cypriot ethnicity are employed in the Serious Fraud Office.

The Serious Fraud Office is aware of only one employee whose ethnic origins lie within the Greek Cypriot community. Ethnic survey questionnaires are issued to all staff joining the Serious Fraud Office and are completed on a voluntary basis. The categories covered are those agreed with the civil service unions for the purposes of such a survey and do not isolate Greek Cypriot origins as a separate ethnicity.

To ask the Attorney-General how many staff in his Department have as their primary function work in connection with his duty of providing advice on matters involving adherence to international law in respect of the United Nations and use of force.

One member of my Department has as his primary function work in connection with my duty of providing advice on matters involving adherence to international law.

To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what provision was made in the terms of the sale of House of Commons silverware for scrap to forbid resale or to require erasure of identifying marks or the scrapping of the material.

This is a matter for the Director of Catering Services and I shall ask her to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed. representing the House of Commons Commission, if he will make a statement on the Vote Office.

In April 1992 Vote responsibility for parliamentary printing, publications and supply services was transferred from Her Majesty's Stationery Office to the House. An interim arrangement was entered into with HMSO to ensure continuity of existing services. In May 1993, the House of Commons Commission approved in principle the establishment of new systems for the management of the printing and publishing requirements of the House. The particular aim of the changes was to bring closer together within individual Departments the management responsibility for generating House docu-ments and the financial responsibility for paying for those publications. As part of this process, the Commission has agreed the transfer of the Vote Office from the Library Department to the Clerk's Department with effect from 1 November 1993; and the creation within that Office of improved facilities for the production of certain internal House documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the market-testing programme has cost his Department since November 1992.

Since November 1992, the cost of my Department's market-testing programme has amounted to approximately £729,000 and the Department has already achieved efficiency savings in the relevant activities worth about £1 million annually. This is in advance both of the results of the majority of tenders and of calculating the gains expected from Property Holdings' programme of putting out professional services to competitive tender which is due for completion at the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whom he has consulted in regard to. miscellaneous paper 179 (1993) on the advice given by his Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee in its letter of 10 October 1992 on British Nuclear Fuels plc's proposals for the return of waste resulting from reprocessing of nuclear spent fuel to overseas utilities.

There have been no formal consultations on RWMAC's advice in its report on waste substitution. There remain a number of technical points on which we require further information from RWMAC before their advice can be considered properly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses he has received to his Department's consultation document on building regulations (conservation of fuel and power); and what proportion (a) endorsed the Government's insulation proposals, (b) wished to see a reduction in, or postponement of, the Government's insulation proposals and (c) sought an improvement in the Government's insulation proposals giving a greater reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and an improved rate of energy conservation.

A total of 170 responses have been received to the consultation document which proposed strengthening of the building regulations for the conservation of fuel and power. The proposals include improved standards of insulation for roofs, walls, floors, windows and doors together with alternative higher standards for rook and floors.To date the Department has analysed 70 per cent. of the responses. Of these:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when section 61 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 will be implemented.

The Secretary of State announced on 24 March, Official Report, columns 633–34, a review of responsibilities for contaminated land and liabilities. The duties and powers of authorities under section 61 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in respect of landfill sites form part of the subject matter of the review. The Government do not propose to bring section 61 of the Act into force while it is still the subject of that review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether the establishment of letting value under part I of the Housing and Urban Development Bill 1993 will be prevented by the absence of or withholding of estate records; and what forms of indirect alternative evidence of letting value including pre-1963 rating records there are, from which such letting values could appropriately be derived.

We have no evidence from landlords, tenants, or professional bodies that the derivation of letting values in relation to the rent test in section 4 of the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 has caused difficulties. We do not anticipate any difficulties with establishing letting values for the purposes of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Bill. Most professional valuers have the knowledge and experience to do it.Estate records are not essential to the assessment of letting values, although they might provide evidence to show that a particular lease is not at a low rent.Indirect alternative evidence includes pre-1963 rating records, calculations deduced from capital values and the experience of solicitors and valuers in practice at the relevant time. In many cases, in particular for very old leases, the rent will often be so low as to create no doubt that it is a low rent as defined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the latest efforts to attract the 2000 Olympic Games to Manchester.

The Government are doing all they can to back Manchester's bid to stage the Millennium Games in Britain. In particular:—

We have made available up to £75 million to support the bid and the immediate construction of key facilities. Excellent progress is being made on the Olympic arena, the national cycling centre and the acquisition and clearance of the site for the Olympic stadium in East Manchester.

There has been a large number of visits by International Olympic Committee members to Manchester in recent months and over 70 members will have seen what Manchester offers by the time the IOC decide the nomination on 23 September. Minsiters are playing a full part in these discussions.

We have given full backing to Manchester's recent initiative for a $25 million Millennium Foundation to help with the training and travel cost of teams competing in the Manchester Olympic Games. This far-sighted proposal will promote equality of opportunity and provide assistance for teams who need it.

The Prime Minister welcomed members of the IOC to Downing street on 28 June; he is meeting IOC President Samaranch again this week; and he has announced that he will be going to Monte Carlo to help promote Manchester's hid at the time of the IOC vote in September.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to publish the full reports prepared by the drinking water inspectorate on all water contamination incidents.

Reports by the drinking water inspectorate will continue to be made public where its investigations of the particular incident show that there are lessons to be learnt or reveal issues of general interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, following his recent announcement on a further consultation period for THORP, he will set out the terms of reference for the consultation.

The consultation will provide an opportunity for public comment on the additional material mentioned in the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 28 June to the hon. Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson), Official Report, col. 392.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to comply with the Paris Commission resolution regarding radioactive discharges from nuclear reprocessing plants; by what dates he will supply the information detailed in the resolution; by what means he intends to consult the Paris Commission; and how this relates to the further consultation period recently announced for THORP.

I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Paris Commission recommendations 93/5. The United Kingdom did not accept this recommendation. We shall therefore be taking no specific action as a result of it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the HM IP report on draft authorisa-tions for the discharge of radioactive wastes from Sellafie!d will be published.

The inspectors' report will be made available when the further round of public consultation which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 28 June is initiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy as to the proportion of seats which should be reserved for tenant representatives on the management committees of housing associations formed to take over local authority housing stock; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Housing Corporation as the body responsible for regulating housing associations. The corporation encourages the involvement of tenants on the committees of LSVT associations but does not specify any particular proportion of seats for them.The corporation also expects committee members to have an appropriate range of financial, legal and management skills relevant to the running of a housing association.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much grant has been paid by his Department to Shelter for each of the last three years; and what proportion of the total grants budget this represents.

Shelter has received grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 of £422,000 in 1990–91; £916,500 in 1991–92, and £995,500 in 1992–93, to provide specialist homelessness advice to citizens advice bureaux outside London and an emergency homelessness telephone advice service in London. These payments represented 21 per cent., 20 per cent., and 17 per cent. of the funds allocated for section 73 schemes around the country in each of those years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to abolish local authorities' power to introduce registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation under section 346 of the Housing Act 1985.

The Department has reviewed local authorities' power to set up HMO registration schemes. We have no plans to remove this power.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report of the joint working party on the internal management of local authorities in England will be published.

The working party's report will be published tomorrow and copies will he available in the Libraries of both Houses by 11 am.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects his survey of local authorities to evaluate the impact of the code of guidance on homelessness legislation on their homelessness policies to be completed; and when he expects to publish it.

[holding answer Friday 9 July]: Research on the evaluation of the code of guidance is currently being commissioned. The study is due to start in August 1993 and is expected to be completed by the end of 1994. The Department expects to publish the results in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the Audit Commission's review of the Local Government Commission costings.

It is for the Local Government Commission to decide whether to publish any opinions provided to it by the Audit Commission. I have therefore written to the chairman of the Commission, Sir John Banham, to ask if he would write to the hon. Member with his comments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he discussed the matter of nuclear testing with his Chinese counterpart during his recent visit to China.

No. My right hon. Friend did, however, raise proliferation issues—both in relation to North Korea and the sales of Chinese M-11 missiles to Pakistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the German constitutional court to rule on the constitutional validity in Germany of the Maastricht treaty; and what is his estimate of the effect on the ratification process.

The German Constitutional Court held an oral hearing on the constitutional validity of the Maastricht treaty on 1–2 July. A ruling is not expected before the end of September. The Maastricht treaty will enter into force on the first day of the month following ratification by the last signatory state to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to enable citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to obtain in that country visas to visit the United Kingdom.

We have no plans to issue visas in Skopje at present. The office of the British Government representative in Skopje has just been set up, and is operating as a one-person post. Even when it reaches planned full strength, with two United Kingdom diplomats, it will have neither the capacity nor resources to offer such a service. Whether the post might offer a service at some time in the future would depend on both demand and the availability of resources, in the light of competing priorities.

Destination	Purpose of visit	Dates
Turkey	Bilateral	21–23 April 1992
Greece	Bilateral	23 April 1992
Portugal	Informal EC Foreign Ministers Meeting	1–2 May 1992
Spain	Bilateral	2–4 May 1992
Czechoslovakia	Bilateral	4–5 May 1992
Belgium	Foreign Affairs Council	10–11 May 1992
France	In attendance upon Her Majesty The Queen	12 May 1992
Italy	Bilateral	15 May 1992
Kuwait	Gulf Cooperation Council	15–16 May 1992
Egypt	Bilateral	16–17 May 1992
Mexico	Bilateral	26–30 May 1992
France	In attendance upon Her Majesty The Queen	9–12 June 1992
Luxembourg	Foreign Affairs Council	14–15 June 1992
Germany	Western European Union Ministerial Meeting	18–19 June 1992
Luxembourg	EC Foreign Ministers Conclave	20 June 1992
Portugal	European Council	25–27 June 1992
Germany	G7 Economic Summit	5–8 July 1992
France	European Parliament Plenary	8 July 1992
Finland	CSCE Summit	9–10 July 1992
Yugoslavia	Official Talks	15–18 July 1992
Macedonia	Official Talks	18 July 1992
Albania	Official Talks	18–19 July 1992
Belgium	Foreign Affairs Council	19–20 July 1992
Philippines	ASEAN Conference	23–26 July 1992
Hong Kong	Official Talks	26–28 July 1992

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs where is the nearest United Kingdom diplomatic point to Macedonia at which citizens of that country can obtain a visa to visit the United Kingdom.

The British embassy in Sofia is able to issue visas to Macedonians wishing to visit the United Kingdom. Macedonians may also apply for visit visas at any other British mission offering a full visa service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the effect of the multi-fibre arrangement on developing countries' economies; and if he will make a statement.

A number of hon. Members have written to me and to ministerial colleagues on this subject. The Government support a progressive and orderly phasing out of the multi-fibre arrangement. We recognise the positive impact that the removal of trade barriers can have on economic development and the eradication of poverty in the third world. Free and fair trade in textiles and clothing is a goal to which we are committed. However, the ending of the MFA must be conditional upon our trading partners elsewhere giving a commitment to open their markets to our exports and to abide more closely by GATT rules and disciplines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the destination, dates and purpose of each official overseas visit he has undertaken since April 1992.

The Secretary of State's visits are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace negotiations in the former Yugoslavia.

We fully support the continuing efforts of Lord Owen and Mr. Stoltenberg to secure a peace settlement, acceptable to all parties and based on the principles of the London conference. The latest peace proposal for Bosnia-Herzegovina is a Serb and Croat initiative which has not been endorsed by the international community. We are actively supporting the co-chairmen's efforts to encourage all three sides to engage in serious negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to raise at the next meeting of EC Ministers Croatia's response to the warning of the EC Foreign Ministers on 8 June of their obligations to co-operate with the international commun-ity in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the problems in the Krajinas and in Bosnia-Herzegovina; what is his policy towards the introduction of sanctions against Croatia; and if he will make a statement.

The meeting of EC Foreign Ministers on 19 July is likely to address how the European Community can contribute further in support of the co-chairman's efforts to achieve a peace settlement in Bosnia, including the question of further pressure on Croatia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Mrs. Naseem Akhtar and her children (REF: IMM/B7202) to join her husband in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

In the absence of any information about this case, I have asked the High Commission in Islamabad for a full report. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government have made lo the Khartoum Government over their human rights record.

Such representations have been made on many occasions, most recently by the EC troika ministerial mission which visited Khartoum on 22 June, and in which the United Kingdom was represented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will provide signs to Teesside park on the A 19 northbound and southbound in the vicinity of its junction with the A66;

It is not my policy to install such signs at the intersection of two primary routes. However, I am reviewing the particular circumstances of this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department intends to reply to a letter from Superintendent Earnshaw of Stockton police dated 21 April, Ref. DN 504726/1/01.

A reply was sent to Superintendent Earnshaw on 1 July 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will now take steps to arrange the meeting recommended in paragraph 16.33.1, on access to Nut Bank house, in the inspector's report on the public inquiry into the M66-Manchester outer ring road (Denton to Middleton section) proposals, published on 19 February.

We are in contact with solicitors acting for the owner of Nut Bank house. A meeting will be arranged as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are his Department's current plans for a major road development linking the Lancashire border to the A1; and if he will make a statement.

I have no current plans for a new major road development linking the Lancashire border to the A1. The trans-pennine study considered options for roads in the area. The consultation period on the study has only recently finished and I shall make a statement in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of installing a footbridge, together with approach ramps suitable for prams and push chairs, across the A13 Newham way near to its junction with Beckton road or Forty Acre lane.

At present, there are no plans for a footbridge at this location. However, if a bridge was to be provided typical construction costs would be of the order of £300,000 depending on circumstances at the site.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to publish a White Paper on roads.

My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to publish a White Paper on roads. He is at present consulting on his Green Paper "Paying for Better Motorways".

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which roll-on roll-off ferries operating from United Kingdom ports do not yet full conform with safety regulations arising from the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster; by what date the vessels are expected to conform; and if he will make a statement.

All roll-on roll-off passenger ferries operating from United Kingdom ports must comply with national and international safety regulations including those arising from the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the various studies he has commissioned or put out to tender to consider the need for widening the M25 beyond eight lanes and the sections of the M25 to which they apply.

Three commissions have already been let to study the need for the feasibility of providing more than four lanes on the M25. They relate to the following sections:

• Junctions 10–12 (A3 to M3)
• Junctions 12–15 (M3 to M4)
• Junctions 15–16 (M4 to M40)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to announce a preferred route for the link roads proposed alongside the M25 from junctions 12 to 15.

My right hon. Friend hopes to have completed his consideration of the issues to enable a decision to be issued soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies he has carried out to date into the effects of building link roads alongside the M25 between junctions 5 and 28 on (a) pollution including carbon dioxide emissions, (h) development pressures and (c) sites of nature conservation and landscape importance.

Each individual scheme's environmental statement includes an assessment of the impact of the proposals on both atmospheric pollution and any land to he affected. No studies have yet been carried out into development pressures resulting from M25 widening proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his powers to control the levels of tolls on the proposed Birmingham northern relief road, and on his reserve powers to take over the operation of the proposed road.

My right hon. Friend has no powers to control the level of tolls on the Birmingham northern relief road. The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 provides for a toll order to specify the maximum tolls which a concessionaire may charge only in the case of major crossings to which there is no reasonably convenient alternative.The 1991 Act provides that where a concession agreement terminates for any reason before the end of a toll period the Secretary of State shall take reasonable steps to secure the appointment of a new concessionaire; and that he may himself collect tolls pending such appointments or in accordance with an extension toll order.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide an estimate of the proportion of his Department's total expenditure, including an appropriate allocation of running costs, which is spent on (a) road transport, (b) railways, (c) aviation and (d) shipping.

Full details of the Government's expenditure plans for transport are published in the Department of Transport report 1993, Cm 2206. Over the three-year period 1993–94 to 1995–96 total planned expenditure is £18,351 million of which 53 per cent. is for national and local roads, 38 per cent. for public transport, including rail, and just over 2 per cent. for air and sea transport; the remainder is accounted for by central administration, the Department's executive agencies, and miscellaneous services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has had from the North West Regional Association about British Rail privatisa-tion; what reply he is sending; and if he will make a statement.

An official reply was sent to the secretary of the North West Regional Association on 1 July in response to its letter of 23 June. I am sending a copy of the correspondence to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 14 May, Official Report, columns 613–4, if he will provide a regional breakdown of prosecutions for acts of vandalism on rail lines.

This information is not readily available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions he has made to ensure there is no conflict of interest between the advice given by L. G. Mouchel and Partners as consultants to his Department in respect of traffic modelling and design for the A6(M) and their acting as consultants to the applicants in respect of planning applications for a superstore on Melford road, Stockport, and a superstore on Stockport road west, where his Department is a statutory consultee.

I am aware of the consultants' involvement and believe that they are acting in a proper and professional manner.The application for Melford road has been considered largely in relation to its impact on the existing road network, given its distance from the proposed bypass.My Department has formed its own view on all the evidence available in connection with the Stockport road west development and has responded accordingly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the percentage of motor vehicles on the road that are (a) unlicensed, (b) do not have a valid MOT certificate or (c) whose regular driver is uninsured; what these figures approximate to in terms of numbers of vehicles and drivers and how many prosecutions were undertaken in respect of each category in the most recent year for which figures are available.

In Great Britain there are 35 million drivers holding full or provisional driving licences and 24·8 million licensed vehicles.It is estimated that there were 1·3 million unlicensed vehicles in use on the public road at the end of September 1992. In 1992–93 over 435,000 vehicle licence evaders were penalised either by prosecution—193,000 —or through out-of-court settlement—242,000—recover-ing £37·5 million in revenue. In addition it is estimated that 180,000 evaders relicensed their vehicles as a direct result of enforcement action recovering a further £14 million.There is no reliable estimate of the percentage of motor vehicles on the road which do not have an MOT test certificate or whose regular driver is uninsured. In 1991, 253,813 persons were found guilty in England and Wales of vehicle insurance offences and in Scotland 15,816 drivers were found guilty of driving while uninsured. In the same period in Great Britain 141,450 persons were found guilty of vehicle test offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the trials of the variable speed limits outside schools are to begin; and if he will make a statement.

The first experimental site at Howick on the A5092 trunk road in Cumbria has come into operation today. This is the first of the 14 school sites on trunk roads and 100 sites on local authority roads where variable limits are being introduced on an experimental basis. The results will be monitored and, if the signs are effective in reducing drivers speeds, provision will be made to permit variable speed limits to be more widely applied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 5 July at column 8, whether the aircraft which crashed on the M27 on 26 May carried a co-pilot licensed to act as pilot in command.

I understand that the co-pilot holds a licence which entitled him to act in the capacity of a co-pilot on that particular aircraft, but not as a pilot in command.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, (1) using the new system for restricting night flights announced on 6 July, how many noise quota points would have been used up by the aircraft that operated into and out of Heathrow airport during (a) the night quota hours of the 1992–93 winter period and (b) the night quota hours of the 1992 summer period;(2) using the new system for restricting night flights an nounced on 6 July and the aircraft that have operated or are scheduled to operate into or out of Heathrow airport during the night quota hours of the 1993 summer period, how many noise quota points will be used up during this period.

More data on aircraft type, engine fit and maximum certificated landing and taking off weights are required to classify aircraft under the new night restrictions system than under the present regime. Not all this data is available for past movements, so only estimates can be given. These are (a) about 6,000 in winter 1992–93 (b) about 6,225 in summer 1992 and (c) about 6,400 in summer 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air traffic movements took place at Heathrow airport during (a) the night quota hours of the 1992–93 winter period and (b) the night quota hours of the 1992 summer period.

The total number of runway movements— that is, air transport movements and all other movements such as empty positioning flights —during the night quota periods was

(a) 3,413:1992–93 winter

(b) 3,409: 1992 summer

Of these movements at

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air traffic movements he estimates will occur at Heathrow airport during the night quota hours of the 1993 summer period on the basis of the number of aircraft that have or are scheduled to operate into and out of the airport.

In total, about the same as in summer 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to bring in legislation to require municipal authorities to sell off their bus companies; and if he will make a statement.

Our manifesto contained a pledge to privatise the remaining local authority bus companies. I am pleased that many authorities are selling their companies voluntarily. It is our intention to introduce legislation at an early opportunity to require the rest to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have spent on the proposed east London river crossing up to 7 July.

Approximately £31 million. The bulk of the expenditure has been on scheme preparation but the figure also includes some £3 million on advance works and £9 million on land and property purchase.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what consideration his Department has given to the mandatory fitment of high-intensity strobe lights to civil aircraft regularly involved in low-level flying activities such as power line and pipeline surveying and crop spraying;(2) what consideration his Department has given to the provision of air-to-air transponder equipment for civil aircraft regularly engaged in activities at low altitude;(3) what capability the civil aircraft notification procedure has for the notification of linear activities such as power line and pipeline surveying;(4) what measures have been introduced by his Department since 1988 to encourage civilian pilots and aircraft operators to make use of the civil aircraft notification procedures; and if he will make a statement as to what further measures are under consideration.

Aviation safety matters such as these are for the Civil Aviation Authority, in the first instance. I have therefore passed the hon. Member's questions to the chairman of the authority, asking him to write to the hon. Member.I am always ready to consider any proposals for changes in primary or secondary legislation which the authority may put to me.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he is making to the European Commission about German plans to increase tax concessions to the German merchant fleet.

It is our policy to urge the Commission to look into all cases of state aids in the transport sector, including aids to shipowners, in order to secure the removal of those that distort competition. I understand that what is proposed by Germany in this particular case would renew fiscal arrangements that have been in place for some time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to provide the families involved with the results of the investigation on the completion of any criminal proceedings arising from the Lancashire police force's investigation into the Stefan Kiszko case.

It is for the chief constable of West Yorkshire police and the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide what information may be disclosed to the Kiszko and Molseed families. As the Prime Minister has already informed the hon. Member, West Yorkshire police have assured both families that they will brief them fully about what happened as soon as they are free to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many thefts of shotguns there were in 1991 in each police force area (a) from domestic premises and (b) from all premises.

The following table shows, for each police force in England and Wales in 1991, the number of notifiable offences of burglary and theft in which shotguns were reported to have been stolen from domestic and all premises:

Notifiable offences of burglary and theft in which shot guns were stolen
Police force area	Domestic premises	All premises
Avon and Somerset	15	20
Bedfordshire	4	8
Cambridgeshire	9	10
Cheshire	7	13
Cleveland	3	4
Cumbria	7	8
Derbyshire	5	6
Devon and Cornwall	27	35
Dorset	2	2
Durham	21	24
Essex	14	17
Gloucestershire	4	6
Greater Manchester	4	5
Hampshire	16	20
Hertfordshire	2	2
Humberside	7	7
Kent	30	46
Lancashire	18	27
Leicestershire	7	13
Lincolnshire	6	9
London, City of	—	—
Merseyside	6	7
Metropolitan Police District	22	28
Norfolk	17	25
Northamptonshire	10	11
Northumbria	15	21
North Yorkshire	12	18
Nottinghamshire	1	4
South Yorkshire	20	26
Staffordshire	—	—
Suffolk	11	11
Surrey	17	20
Sussex	13	16
Thames Valley	21	35
Warwickshire	6	10
West Mercia	8	11
West Midlands	8	11
West Yorkshire	7	11
Wiltshire	3	5
Dyfed-Powys	3	6
Gwent	—	—
North Wales	6	10
South Wales	2	6
England and Wales	416	574

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce measures to ensure that compensation awards to persons having been falsely imprisoned are harmonised; and if he will make a statement.

It has been the long-standing practice for the amount to be paid in an award of compensation under section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, or under the related ex-gratia scheme, to be settled according to the assessment or advice of an independent assessor, currently Sir David Calcutt QC. The assessor applies principles analogous to those governing the assessment of damages for civil wrongs. I am satisfied that these arrangements result in fairness and consistency in the determination of amounts to be paid.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on his decision to place an exclusion order on Mr. John Matthews;(2) what consideration he gives to

On Tuesday 6 July I exercised the powers conferred upon me by part II of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 to exclude John Gerard Matthews from Great Britain. Before reaching a decision I carefully reviewed all the information which had been placed before me. On the basis of that information I was satisfied that the criteria set out at section 5 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act were met in this case.The decision which I am required to take in relation to exclusion orders is different in kind from that which the prosecuting authorities apply in deciding whether to continue criminal proceedings. They consider whether, on the basis of evidence which will be admissible in court, there is a realistic prospect of persuading a jury beyond reasonable doubt that a person is guilty of a specific offence. I have to be satisfied that a person is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland. In making that assessment it is open to me to consider information which would not be admissible in court. Whilst I would have regard to the fact that a person had been acquitted, or criminal proceedings discontinued, that fact would not preclude the making of an exclusion order.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifiable offences were reported in the Metropolitan police area in the first three months of 1993; and if he will give a breakdown of the figures by category of offence.

The information requested is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current timetable for the work of the Boundary Commission for England in reviewing the current parliamentary boundaries; and what will be the effect on this timetable of re-examination by the commission of the population figures on which its work has so far been based.

The Boundary Commission for England is required, by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, to make its final report by 31 December 1994. I understand that it is confident that it will be in time. The enumeration date for its review is February 1991, and the release of subsequent electoral statistics, or indeed a more recent evaluation of the accuracy of the electoral register, will not affect its timetable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Merseyside fire and civil defence authority following its consideration of the report of Her Majesty's inspector of fire services; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. and learned Friend has received from the clerk to the Merseyside Fire and Civil Defence Authority a copy of a resolution made at the authority's annual general meeting on 28 June. The resolution relates to the report of an inspection of the Merseyside Fire Brigade conducted by Her Majesty's inspector of fire services during the week beginning 25 January 1993. We shall consider the resolution carefully alongside the report of the special inspection of the Merseyside brigade which was conducted during the week beginning 5 July, once that report is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions the Prison Department has had with each training and enterprise council regarding schemes to provide employment for ex-offenders;(2) how much the Prison Department spent in

Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of the working group examining the future of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board have (a) English legal qualifications and (b) Scottish legal qualifications.

There is no working group examining the future of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. As my right hon. and learned Friend the member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke) announced on 23 November 1992, col 457, the Government have decided that the present criminal injuries compensation scheme should be replaced in 1994 by one based on a tariff of awards. The intention is to offer a better, more straightforward service to claimants.Officials are working up the more detailed proposals in the normal course of their duties under the direction of Ministers. The officials take legal advice as and when appropriate. Details of the new scheme will be set out in the White Paper within the next two or three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to accelerate the programme for the reception of Bosnian refugees and their dependants announced on 30 November.

In response to the humanitarian organisations' priorities the programme has initially concentrated on former detention camp inmates and their dependants. We have already received a total of 250 ex-detainees and 421 dependants, but there have been difficulties, particularly in securing further releases from the detention camps. In discussion with UNHCR we have made clear our readiness to consider other vulnerable individuals for inclusion in the 1,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to prevent the entry into the United Kingdom of anti-abortion protesters from the United States.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to prevent the entry to the United Kingdom of activitists from (a) Operation Rescue and (b) Rescue America.

Citizens of the United States of America are subject to immigration control and must qualify to enter under the terms of the immigration rules. My right hon. and learned Friend may direct exclusion if a person's presence would not be conducive to the public good. Consideration will be given to any evidence which would justify exclusion on this ground.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has held with the City of London Corporation on the closure of roads on security grounds; and what is the maximum time that such road closures can be maintained.

The experimental traffic scheme now in operation was introduced by the Commissioner of Police for the City of London with the agreement of the Corporation of London, under section 12 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. A scheme introduced under this section may remain in force for up to six months and may thereafter be continued for a maximum of 12 months in all. The City's proposals did not require my approval, although the City corporation and police discussed them with members of my Department before implementation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the progress of discussions on proposals to remove sex discrimination from the immigration rules; when he expects the conclusions to be implemented; and if he will make a statement.

We are currently considering these and other aspects of the immigration rules and hope to publish proposals shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the visa requirement for citizens of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis concerning (a) the attacks on women that have taken place recently in supermarket car parks in south London and (b) the consideration he is giving to crime prevention advice to shoppers and to the proprietors of supermarkets about improved security; and if he will make a statement.

All such attacks are investigated and an arrest has been made in the recent case of an attack on a women shopper returning to her car parked in a supermarket car park. There is no indication that this type of crime is increasing. Sensible precautions are promoted by the Metropolitan police and the national "Secured Car Parks" scheme operates in London. This scheme extends throughout the Metropolitan police district and is open to all car park owners and operators, including supermarket proprietors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the experience or qualifications possessed by each member of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards prior to their appointment which were considered to be of particular relevance to that appointment.

The chairman and each member of the inquiry between them possessed an impressive range of skills and experience drawn from the management of large private and public sector organisations, a practical understanding of business, and in particular effective service delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to bringing forward proposals for a rolling register whereby names can be added to the list of voters throughout the year; and if he will make a statement.

The introduction of a "rolling" electoral register is one of the matters being discussed in the post-election review. The five working groups set up as part of the review are expected to report their findings in

Recorded racial incidents in the Metropolitan police area
	Ethnic grouping
Year	White European	Dark-skinned European	Black/Afro-Caribbean	Asian	Oriental	Arabic/Egyptian	Origin unknown/Other	Total
1988	270	54	532	1,348	32	15	25	2,276
1989	384	86	558	1,616	35	25	43	2,747
1990	439	104	649	1,661	46	36	27	2,962
1991	610	114	686	1,893	36	47	2	3,388
1992	654	130	796	1,860	58	42	134	3,674

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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 is not available, apart from the following information in respect of part (b) of the question:

• Lord Belstead
• Chairman of the Parole Board
• Salary £45,060
• Appointed 3 October 1992 until 2 October 1997
• Lord Brassey of Apethorpe
• Member of the Board of Visitors, HM Prison, Gartree Expenses only
• Appointed 1981 for 3 years; reappointed on a 3-yearly basis
• Rt. hon. Lord Carlisle of Bucklow, QC
• Chairman of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
• Salary £31,350
• Appointed 1 March 1989 until 31 March 1995
• Lord Kimball
• Chairman of the Firearms Consultative Committee Expenses only
• Appointed for 5 years from 1989
• Lord Macaulay of Bragar, QC
• Member of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board
• Fee £246 per day

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 17 December 1992, Official Report, column 443, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given by ethnic group of victim, for the last five years for which figures are available.

The information given to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey can only be further broken down by ethnic group for the Metropolitan police district, and is given in the table.

• Appointed 12 January 1989 until 31 March 1995
• Baroness Masham of Ilton
• Member of Board of Visitors, HM Young Offender
• Institution, Wetherby
• Expenses only
• Appointed 1963; reappointed on a 3-yearly basis
• Lord Nathan
• Chairman of the Animal Procedures Committee
• Expenses only
• Appointed January 1990 until February 1993
• Professor Lord Soulsby of Swaftham Prior
• Member of the Animal Procedures Committee
• Expenses only
• Appointed 1985; renewed 1987 for 4 years
• Lord Swaythling
• Member of the Horserace Totalisator Board
• Salary £7,772
• Appointed 1981; reappointed for 5 terms until 1993
• Lord Wyatt of Weeford
• Chairman of the Horserace Totalisator Board
• Salary £92,000
• Appointed 1976; reappointed 1993 for 2 years.

Information in respect of the Parole Local Review Committees is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to consult Oxfam before the G7 conference about the issues to be raised there.

The conclusions in Oxfam's recent report "Africa, Make or Break" were widely considered in the run-up to the summit, and my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development met representatives of Oxfam on 8 July. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also met members of the all-party group, the "Africa Caucus", on 29 June, and discussed issues raised by the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to withhold aid programmes to India until the Indian Government allow independent observer groups from the British Parliament to visit the Indian-occupied area of Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to withhold aid programmes to India.