To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing the executive agency within the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland to carry out the work of driver and vehicle licensing in Northern Ireland.

I am pleased to announce that the agency, which will be called Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland, will be established on 2 August 1993. It will assume responsibility for the registration and licensing of vehicles and the collection and enforcement of vehicle excise duty in Northern Ireland on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport and for licensing of drivers in Northern Ireland.I am confident that the new status as a next steps agency will produce significant improvements in the provision of this important service. I am delegating full managerial authority for the agency's day-to-day operations to the chief executive. The policy and resource framework for the agency is set out in the framework document, copies of which are being placed in the Library of the House. For 1993–94, the following targets have been set out for the agency:1. Turnaround Times

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional United Kingdom expenditure will result from the UN Security Council resolution 816; how this expenditure will be met; and what effect this expenditure will have on Government spending totals.

The additional annual operating costs of RAF aircraft engaged under UN Security Council resolution 816, which are charged to the defence budget, is currently estimated by MOD to be £20 million. The costs will not add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what figures he has for aggregate income tax payments in Yorkshire and Humberside listed by tax office and for each constituent local authority area during the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

I regret that the information requested is not available. Estimates of tax liabilities for residents of counties and regions are given in table 3.11 of the Inland Revenue Statistics 1993.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many completed 12FR tax returns were received by the Inland Revenue in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The specialised offices dealing with these tax returns recieved approximately 43, 000 completed forms 12FR in each of the years 1991–92 and 1992–93.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many completed 11K tax returns were received by the Inland Revenue in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

Separate records are not kept of the numbers of these tax returns received in tax districts which deal with them.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been paid out in civil compensation in respect of asbestos-related diseases in each year from 1988 in England and Wales; and what was the average payment in each of those years.

This information is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will meet the chairman of the board of governors and the director general of the BBC; and if he will make a statement.

I met the chairman and other governors of the BBC, and the senior managers, on 16 June and I have no plans for a further meeting in the next few weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to declassify and release to the Public Record Office Government code and cypher school decrypts of intercepted pre-war and wartime Japanese diplomatic wireless traffic.

The decrypts shown to Sir Winston Churchill when Prime Minister, referred to in the Open Government White Paper at chapter 2 and annex D, include selected translations of wartime Japanese diplomatic messages. The papers are being reviewed and it should be possible to make them available in the next nine months.Other wartime and earlier records of the Government code and cypher school will be reviewed thereafter. These records also include translations of pre-war Japanese diplomatic messages; I cannot at this time say exactly when these records will reach the Public Record Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Iranian Government on the new wave of persecution of the Baha'i community in Iran.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking in respect of current human rights violations against members of the Baha'i faith in Iran.

We regularly raise our concerns about human rights in Iran, including the treatment of the Baha'i community, with the Iranian authorities. Together with our EC partners, we sponsored a resolution adopted by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on 10 March which highlighted the position of the Baha'i community. We and our EC partners underlined our concerns during recent discussions between the EC and Iran.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking following the publication on 22 February of the final report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran by the special representative of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr. Reynaldo Galindo Pohl.

Together with our EC partners we co-sponsored a resolution tabled at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in the light of the February report of the United Nations Special Representative on Human Rights in Iran. The resolution was adopted on 10 March by a sizeable majority. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights in Iran with the Iranian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what subjects will be discussed at the NATO summit in December.

This is still under discussion, but we would expect the agenda to include the further development of NATO's relations with the countries of central and eastern Europe: the adaptation of the alliance in its new roles, including peacekeeping under United Nations and CSCE auspices: the European identity within the alliance: and non-proliferation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to persuade the Ukraine to ratify START I.

We have repeatedly urged Ukraine to fulfil its commitment to ratify START I and accede to the non-proliferation treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state. We have made clear our view that this will facilitate Ukraine's development of full and positive relations with the international community. We have acknowledged the security and economic concerns which Ukraine has raised in this context. We have made clear that we are prepared to offer security assurances to Ukraine once it has acceded to the NPT, and that we support efforts to meet its economic concerns in a way which is compatible with the non-nuclear commitments it has given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests the Atlantic Council have made to the appropriate bodies within NATO to prepare contingency plans for an appropriate military response in the event of a deterioration of the political and humanitarian situation in Kosovo.

NATO military authorities have assessed measures which might be taken in support of the United Nations to prevent spillover of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia beyond present confines, including to Kosovo. This assessment has been passed to the United Nations in confidence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice has been given to the Atlantic Council by the NATO military committee on the feasibility and advisability of air strikes against Serbia.

The NATO military committee has examined a wide range of options for the use of air power in relation to the crisis in former Yugoslavia. Airstrikes against Serbia would, however, require a fresh United Nations Security Council resolution; no consideration has been given to such a resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 972, if he will make a statement on the position of Her Majesty's Government as regards Tibet that was communicated to the Chinese Government.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised human rights issues in his meeting with Vice Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen on 8 July and specifically expressed concern about the situation in Tibet. He also handed over a copy of the report by Lord Howe's delegation on human rights in China and an updated list of cases of concern, including two Tibetans recently detained in Lhasa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government are taking with regard to proposed legal amendments in Russia which would restrict the activity of foreign religious organisations in that country.

We raised with the Russian authorities on 15 July our concern at the passing by the Russian Supreme Soviet the previous day of an amendment of the 1990 law on freedom of religion. 'We have drawn attention to Russia's international commitments under the CSCE documents in relation to religious freedom and the free passage of information and urged that the new legislation, which has not yet received the president's signature, should not be brought into force.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to pay an official visit to Stone, Kent.

I have no immediate plans to do SO.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the information bulletin on the activities of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union which has been sent to him.

I have done so today.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 July.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 July.

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make an announcement about when the Central Office of Information's annual report and accounts for the year just ended will be published.

I have pleasure in informing the hon. Member that I have today arranged for copies of the annual report and accounts to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list in the Official Report all the current citizens charters, indicating those which do not have specific reference to the needs of people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

There are 32 charters, 27 of which have specific reference to the needs of people with disabilities. The full list is as follows:

• Charter
• Benefits Agency Customer Charter
• Child Support Agency Charter
• Courts Charter
• Jobseeker's Charter
• London Underground Customer's Charter
• Parent's Charter
• Passenger's Charter
• Patient's Charter
• Tenant's Charte
• Traveller's Charter
• Contributor's Charter¹
• Employer's Charter¹
• Redundancy Payments Service Charter¹
• Taxpayer's Charter (HM Customs and Excise) ¹
• Taxpayer's Charter (Inland Revenue) ¹
• Northern Ireland
• Bus Passenger's Charter
• Charter for Patients and Clients
• Charter for Social Security Agency Clients
• Child Support Agency Charter
• Northern Ireland Charter
• Northern Ireland Tenant's Charter
• Parent's Charter
• Railway Passenger's Charter
• RUC Charter
• Training and Employment Agency Customer's Charter
• Scotland
• Justice Charter for Scotland
• Parent's Charter for Scotland
• Patient's Charter for Scotland
• Tenant's Charter for Scotland

• Wales

• Parent's Charter for Wales
• Patient's Charter for Wales
• Tenant's Charter for Wales

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the measures additional to the small grants scheme taken by the Office of Science and Technology as part of the campaign to promote the public understanding of science.

The White Paper, "Realising our Potential" (Cm. 2250), lists a number of measures which the Government intend will be part of this campaign, in addition to the public understanding of science grants scheme. These include support for the creativity in science and technology awards scheme in schools; working with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the British Association for the Advancement of Science to bring greater coherence to regional initiatives in the field; and co-sponsorship of a mobile exhibition on the theme of science for the 21st century. We shall also be discussing with organisations active in the public understanding of science the scope for encompassing within the campaign their own activities and events. I shall make further announcements on all these proposals in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to what extent the funding for the Office of Science and Technology small grants scheme is to be taken from existing budgets; and if he will list the vote subheads or budgets concerned.

The £100, 000 made available in 1993–94 to fund the Office of Science and Technology grants scheme for the public understanding of science will be financed from the provision made for Office of Science and Technology science policy studies and initiatives shown at subhead A8 of class XVIII, vote 2 of the Supply Estimates.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to Sheffield's manufacturing base; an exhibition for Sheffield's centenary year, to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 25 to 29 October.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he has received from British Nuclear Fuels plc or the Radioactive Waste Management advisory group on the range and number of movements of radioactive waste resulting from the lifetime operation of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant (a) with substitution and (b) without substitution.

The consequences, in terms of waste movements, of adopting waste substitution would depend on the nature of the scheme implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the effect on the percentage of new housing association tenants reliant on housing benefit for the payment of rent of the proposed reduction of housing association grants in 1995–96.

The Government have announced their objective of reducing the average housing association grant rate in England from the current year's level of 67 per cent. to 60 per cent. in 1994–95 and 55 per cent. in 1995–96.Final decisions will be taken when Ministers have considered all the relevant evidence, including the likely impact on rents, on housing benefit and the availability of private finance. No decisions about grant rates for 1995–96 will be taken until much closer to the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidance he issues to the Housing Corporation on the maximum housing association grant level per person for a new scheme.

Grant rates are proposed by the Housing Corporation and approved by my right hon. Friend after he has considered all the relevant information, including advice from the Housing Corporation on the implication of different grant levels on rents and the availability of private finance.Grant rates vary according to scheme type and location and represent the maximum proportion of scheme costs which will be funded by any form of public subsidy including housing association grant. They are determined by reference to the income of tenants, the unit costs of schemes in a given area and other factors such as management and maintenance costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he gives to housing associations on the appropriate level of finance from the private sector.

The Government do not give specific advice on the appropriate level of private finance to housing associations. However, our objective is to increase the proportion of private finance input to new housing association schemes in order to get the maximum output from public resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce the grant rates to housing associations; and what estimate he has made of the effect of his plans on rent levels.

Our objective is to increase the proportion of private finance input to new housing association schemes by reducing grant rates to 60 per cent. in 1994–95 and 55 per cent. in 1995–96.Final decisions will be taken when Ministers have considered all the relevant evidence, including the likely impact on rents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to allow housing association tenants the right to buy.

The right to buy is already available to secure tenants of housing associations, except in cases where the association is a charity: there are no plans at present to extend this statutory right. Associations may, however, sell to tenants on voluntary terms. There is also an alternative scheme for promoting home ownership to housing association tenants—the tenants incentive scheme —under which they may be eligible to receive a grant to help them purchase a home in the owner-occupied sector. Similarly, the do-it-yourself-shared-ownership scheme is available to eligible housing association tenants who wish to pursue the shared equity route towards home ownership.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about local government corruption in Bolsover.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hectares are currently under agreement with the countryside stewardship scheme; how many hectares involved additional payments for public access in (a) England and (b) each county; and if he will make a statement.

There are 59, 836 hectares currently under agreement with the countryside stewardship scheme which is run by the Countryside Commission. Of these, 11, 596 hectares involve additional payments for open access. Payments are also being made for 190.4 km of linear access —payment for the creation of linear routes such as footpaths, bridleways and routes for those with mobility difficulties.The breakdown of the access figures by county is as follows:—

County	Open Access Hectares	Linear Access Kilometres
Northumberland	893	14.2
Cumbria	358	6.8
Durham	261	2.5

County	Open Access Hectares	Linear Access Kilometres
Cleveland	40	2.7
Lancashire	61	7.6
Derbyshire	850	5.4
Merseyside Met	0	0.0
Greater Manchester	4	0.9
Cheshire	8	2.3
North Yorkshire	1,178	24.7
Humberside	62	2.2
South Yorkshire	13	0.4
West Yorkshire Met	0	0.0
Nottinghamshire	58	0.0
Shropshire	119	0.0
Staffordshire	18	2.6
Leicestershire	369	3.7
West Midland Met	0	0.0
Hereford and Worcester	163	0.1
Warwickshire	152	0.0
Northamptonshire	678	4.3
Lincolnshire	329	12.1
Cambridgeshire	189	5.6
Norfolk	282	14.9
Suffolk	193	2.5
Bedfordshire	67	0.0
Oxfordshire	107	1.5
Buckinghamshire	258	4.1
Hertfordshire	120	0.0
Essex	219	0.6
Berkshire	81	0.0
London	45	0.0
Hampshire	136	5.4
Surrey	156	0.2
Kent	298	2.1
West Sussex	317	1.1
East Sussex	431	11.0
Isle of Wight	111	4.1
Gloucestershire	180	5.9
Cornwall	810	12.0
Devon	361	6.8
Somerset	324	3.4
Avon	220	0.5
Wiltshire	718	13.6
Dorset	359	2.6

Countryside stewardship is a pilot scheme. The Countryside Commission has reviewed arrangements for publicising access in the light of its experience in the first two years of the experiment. The answer given by the then Minister for the Environment and Countryside on 2 April,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what relative tax base the waste disposal levy is apportioned between constituent authorities in metropolitan areas; and what considerations account for the choice of this base for apportionment;(2) what account was taken of the desirability of providing an incentive to reduce the volume of waste to be disposed of in the choice of a base for apportionment of the waste disposal levy for metropolitan areas;(3) what consideration has been given to apportioning the waste disposal levy between constituent authorities in metropolitan areas according to tonnage dealt with rather than a tax base; and if he will make a statement;(4) if he will make it his policy to review the basis of apportioning the waste disposal levy in metropolitan areas in time for changes to come into effect for 1994–95.

The constituent boroughs of each statutory joint waste disposal authority are at liberty to agree among themselves the apportionment of the levy. Should they fail to agree, the levies are apportioned on the basis of the tax base in force at the time, which, under the current system of local government finance, is the tax base for the council tax.The reason for using the tax base is that the cost of providing the service then adds the same amount to the local tax in each area. This general principle applies to other statutory authorities, such as certain combined police authorities, which supply a service across more than one local authority area.Under the community charge system, the general basis of apportionment was "relevant population". As part of the preparation for the introduction of council tax, the Government sought to apply the same principle and therefore proposed to change to the council tax base—the number of Band D equivalent dwellings. This proposal was the subject of consultation with the local authority associations.The majority of constituent boroughs appear to be satisfied with the apportionment of the levy according to the tax base for the council tax and in considering these arrangements, I take the view that it is important to listen to the concerns of all those involved and to act in the best interests of the authorities' areas as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received to allow councils to continue spending capital receipts beyond the end of the current year; and if he will make a statement.

The local authority associations have asked for the temporary concession on the use of capital receipts, announced in the autumn statement, to be extended beyond 31 December 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest assessment of the total of capital receipts accruing to local authorities during the current capital receipts holiday; and if he will make a statement.

As a result of the temporary relaxation in the capital receipts rules announced in the autumn statement, local authorities are able to spend 100 per cent. of virtually all the capital receipts they receive during the period 13 November 1992 to 31 December 1993. Estimates of local authorities' capital receipts are based on information provided by authorities themselves. My Department has sought provisional outturn information for receipts which local authorities obtained between 13 November 1992 and 31 March 1993, and estimates of the receipts which authorities expect to receive between 1 April and 31 December 1993. This information will be published in due course, once authorities' returns have been received and processed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what assessment he has made of the advantages and disadvantages of the reduction in the number of indicators in changing the standard spending assessment systems of local authority grant distribution;

The system of standard spending assessments was intended to simplify the method of distributing grant to local authorities compared with previous methods. One of the main simplifications was the reduction in the number of indicators used. SSAs were also intended to be easier to understand without any reduction in fairness. We are currently reviewing SSAs and in particular the range of social factors used and the weight placed upon them. As part of the review we will consider the scope for using new indicators.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to appoint outside consultants to advise him on the review of standard spending assessments.

Some external research has already taken place which will inform the review of standard spending assessments. We will appoint outside consultants to advise further on the review, if it is felt to be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the validity of area cost adjustment in the standard spending assessments for 1993–94 as a measure of the differences in providing similar services in different parts of the United Kingdom.

The area cost adjustment for 1993–94 aims to reflect variations in average employment costs facing authorities in the provision of their services in different areas. It is confined to London and the south-east because survey evidence has shown that these are the only regions facing employment costs which are consistently and significantly above the national average. We are reviewing the calculation of the area cost adjustment, in consultation with the local authority associations, as part of the wider review of standard spending assessments in progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which additional educational needs parts of the standard spending assessment reflect different needs and costs which face different local government areas.

We are considering the additional educational needs index used in standard spending assessments as part of the current review. The social factors used in standard spending assessments are selected to be representative of variation in the potential need for spending on the particular services for which different authorities have responsibility.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will consider using information on health available for the first time in the 1991 census as part of the standard spending assessment for 1994–95;(2) what assessment he has made of the validity of the use of the percentage of single-parent families in a case as a measurement of need as part of the education and social services element of the standard spending assessment system.

We are considering a range of health and social factors for use in standard spending assessments as part of the current review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with the chairman of the Local Government Commission about its work programme and timetable; and if he will make a statement.

My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Planning has met the chairman on several occasions, most recently on 14 July, to discuss these and related sums.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive Mr. David Fenton's report, following the hearing at the public inquiry into the Modbury plan, south Devon, on 13 January; what steps he is taking to expedite this report; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. David Fenton was appointed to conduct an inquiry into objections to the South Hams local plan on behalf of South Hams district council. The plan is the responsibility of the district council, and the inspector's report will be delivered to the planning authority. They are required under The Town and Country (Development Plan) Regulations 1991 to supply my right hon. Friend with a copy of the inspector's report when they publish their intention to modify or to adopt the plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment how many representations he has received alleging that the provisions of the council tax transitional reduction scheme are not in accordance with natural justice, or have given rise to anomalies.

Since the introduction of the council tax the Department has received approximately 800 queries about transitional relief. In many cases taxpayers were simply inquiring about the way in which relief is calculated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the extent to which the requirement that purchasers of houses since 31 March receive council tax transitional reduction scheme on a basis determined by the personal circumstances of previous occupants has worked fairly.

It is reasonable to expect purchasers of a property to consider all the costs involved, including the council tax applying to that property, in their decision to purchase. A transitional relief calculation which accommodated changes in the household composition would require authorities to hold detailed records of household composition which would be both costly and unpopular.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to carry out a review of the regulations governing the calculation of the council tax transitional reduction scheme, with a view to their amendment.

I have no plans to review the operation of the 1993–94 transitional relief arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish proposals for the United Kingdom's national strategy for sustainable development.

I will be publishing tomorrow a consultation paper outlining the Government proposals. I am placing copies in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the results of research into the effects of competitive tendering for local authority services.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today published the full report of a major study into the impact of competitive tendering under the Local Government Act 1988, which has been carried out for us by the university of Birmingham. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.The research shows that competition produces significant benefits for local taxpayers. Competitive tendering has resulted in fundamental service review within local authorities, leading to more efficient management, reduced costs and a sharper focus on performance and quality. In particular it shows, in the authorities studied, that an average reduction of 6.5 per cent. in the annual cost of services subject to competitive tendering has been achieved, due in large part to significant improvements in productivity. Service standards have been maintained and often raised in the process and competition has been an important spur to greater emphasis on performance, target setting and quality assurance in local authority service delivery.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have the highest rent arrears; and if he will make a statement.

I have today arranged for the information on rent arrears in all English local authorities at 31 March 1992, to be placed in the Library.At 31 March 1992, the total amount of rent arrears owing to housing authorities in England amounted to £458 million, 8 per cent. of rent roll, compared to £434 million, 8.6 per cent. of rent roll, in the previous year. Despite a small overall increase in cash terms, the latest figures bring to an end a long upward trend in local authority rent arrears.About half all rent arrears arise in London, £223 million, with eight of the 10 authorities which perform least satisfactorily found in the capital. These authorities have rent arrears totalling £163 million, equal to 36 per cent. of the national total.Closer analysis of returns from local authorities confirms a recent general improvement in rent collection rates. During 1991–92, for example, local authorities estimated that £87.2 million of rent due during the year remained uncollected at the end of the year, 1.5 per cent. of the rent roll, with 20 authorities responsible for half this total. This compares to £109.5 million, 2.2 per cent. of rent roll, of rent due in 1990–91 uncollected at the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will make an announcement on the application to turn Hams Hall power station into a channel tunnel freight terminal.

The inspector's report on this called-in planning application is being studied. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will announce a decision shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last had discussions with the London Residuary Body on plans for the disposal of county hall; what plans he expects to go ahead; what are the reasons for the delays in disposal which have occurred; what is the current state of the buildings; and if he will list the names of those various prospective purchasers which need to apply to his Department for final approval.

[holding answer 15 July 1993]: My right hon. Friend has not as yet had any discussions with the London Residuary Body, but the Department is in regular contact with it. The riverside building of county hall has already been sold. Discussions are going ahead with various parties over the sale of the remaining buildings on the site. The conduct of these negotiations is a matter for the residuary body and the identity of those involved is a matter of commercial confidence. There would in fact be no need for prospective purchasers to ask my right hon. Friend for his approval. The state of the buildings is satisfactory and the residuary body ensures that planned routine maintenance is carried out to all the buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he made to the CITES standing committee in regard to the proposed new criteria for listing species on the appendices to the convention prior to the deadline date of 30 June.

[holding answer 16 July 1993]: None, but we shall submit comments shortly. I will ensure that a copy of our response is sent to the hon. Member as well as to interested organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 6 July, Official Report, column 79, how much longer it is expected to take to finalise the agreement between English Nature and Fisons to secure areas of lowland peatland of conservation importance.

[holding answer 19 July 1993]: Both English Nature and Fisons remain fully committed to this agreement. It is taking some time to complete the conveyance because of the legal complexity of the transaction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many complaints have been received by the Office of Water Services customer services committees about the water supply industry in the current year and the past year, region by region.

[holding answer 19 July 1993]: OFWAT's annual report 1992 lists the number of complaints received by each customer services committee for each individual company for the years requested, together with the companies assigned to each region. Copies of the report are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those sites where (a) BNFL, (b) Nuclear Electric, (c) Scottish Nuclear or (d) others have applied for planning permission for, or had any form of initial discussions with, his Department as to the construction of a dry store capable of taking spent AGR fuel.

I have been asked to reply.My Department has had no such applications or discussions. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has received an application from Scottish Nuclear Ltd. in respect of a proposed dry store at Torness power station. My right hon. Friend has not yet received the report following the public inquiry into this application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration Her Majesty's Government have given to the dry storage of spent AGR fuel as waste as an alternative to reprocessing.

I have been asked to reply.Management options for dealing with spent fuel are commercial matters for the owners of the fuel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration is given, in deciding whether to allow imports of spent nuclear fuel for the thermal oxide reprocessing plant, to the possible effect of the build-up of such stocks on the outcome of the further consultation process and eventual adjudication on revised draft authorisations for the Sellafield site; if he will now make it his policy to allow no further imports until a final decision is made; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.I am advised by British Nuclear Fuels plc that, under its contracts with overseas customers, some 70 per cent. of the overseas spent fuel due to be reprocessed in the first ten years of operating its thermal oxide reprocessing plant has already been delivered to Sellafield. In accordance with scheduled deliveries, this proportion is not expected to change materially in the next few months. It would be inappropriate to take an initiative of the kind proposed by the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing English local authorities' own estimates of both former and current tenants' rent arrears at 31 March (a) by cash value and (b) as a percentage of the rent roll.

[holding answer 19 May 1993]: I have now placed information in the Library on local authority rent arrears at 31 March 1992. It has not been practice in recent years to make available local authority's latest estimates of rent arrears. I shall let my hon. Friend have provisional figures for the year to 31 March 1993 later in the summer, once my officials have had the opportunity to validate the data.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many non-vocational courses open to adults were offered in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94 in (a) the local authorities sector not transferred to Government on 1 April and (b) the local authorities sector transferred to Government on 1 April.

Information about the number of further education courses for adults is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Open university students have applied for the new post-graduate certificate of education programme beginning in 1994; and how many students with Open university qualifications went on to enter the teaching profession.

To date, 586 Open university students have applied for the new PGCE programme beginning in 1994. The number who enter the teaching profession will not be known until after the first entrants complete the course in July 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Wyre (Mr. Mans), Official Report, 13 July 1993, c. 826, concerning teacher training, what additional funding for schools will be made to cover the costs of supervising trainee teachers in the proposed two thirds training time in schools; and, for the academic years 1995–96 and thereafter, what he expects to be the overall ratio of qualified and trainee teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Schools which enter into teacher training partnerships with higher education institutions will receive funding from their partner institution: the amount transferred will depend on the nature of the partnership in each case. Schools taking part in the pioneering scheme of school-centred training will receive tip to £4, 000 per student, equivalent to the full cost of a PGCE course in higher education. All student teachers have for many years spent time in the school classroom; the 56, 000 students currently enrolled on courses of initial teacher training compare with a total teaching force of 450, 000. On current plans student numbers are expected to decline from 1995–96 onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the intake into teacher training in the next decade based on the present birth rate; and what statistics and information he has available to plan for educational trends in the next two decades.

In January this year the Higher Education Funding Council for England was given planning numbers for intakes into initial teacher training courses for the period 1993 to 1996. These were as follows:

	1993	1994	1995	1996
Primary phase	14,295	12,930	12,115	10,855
Secondary phase	14,450	16,050	17,000	17,935
Total	28,745	28,980	29,115	28,790

These numbers were based on the latest projections of pupil numbers taking account of the Government Actuary's estimates of birth rates, and other indicators of teacher supply and demand such as total numbers, retirements and other wastage, and out of service teachers. The planning figures will be reviewed annually as new data become available. Estimates beyond 1996 will be made towards the end of the present planning period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what studies he has made of the effect on (a) pupils and (b) staff of his proposal that two thirds of teacher trainee time shall be in the schools with particular reference to the quality of supervision and training that might be available in smaller schools; and which such studies have been published.

The requirement that two thirds of a student's time is to be spent in school will apply, from September 1994, to postgraduate courses of training for secondary school teachers. The requirements for undergraduate courses, and proposed requirements for primary courses to take full effect in 1996, are set out in DFE Circular 9/92 and the draft circular on primary teacher training recently issued by the Department; both are in the Library. Schools able and willing to play a part in teacher training may choose to enter into partnership with higher education institutions. OFSTED will be monitoring the impact of these new arrangements on schools and students; OFSTED's "New Teacher in School" survey, published last month, noted that those with the most extended school experience felt best prepared for their first posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many adult learning centres closed in England and Wales in 1991–92 and 1992–93; what information he has on the likely closure figure for 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.

Information on the number of closures of adult education establishments in England is not collected by the Department. Information on Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many adult learning centres in England and Wales received local authority grants in 1991–92, 1992–93 and 1993–94.

In 1991–92 and 1992–93 there were, respectively, 1, 682 and 1, 562 adult education establishments maintained by local education authorities in England and recorded on annual returns to the Department. Figures for 1993–94 are not yet available. Information on Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funds are available from the European Community to enable individual students to receive funding to pursue postgraduate courses in Britain leading to qualifications in (a) speech therapy and (b) child psychotherapy.

I am not aware of EC funding specifically for post-graduate study in these areas. Within the ERASMUS programme eligible students in any discipline, including postgraduate students, undertaking an integrated period of study in another participating state as part of their home course may receive assistance towards the cost of mobility. Students from elsewhere in the EC undertaking a course in the United Kingdom are eligible for payment of their tuition fees on the same basis as home students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement on the future of the general studies A-level examination; how many students have passed this examination for each of the past 10 years; and how many students there were whose qualifications to enter university included the general studies A-level for the same period.

The future of individual GCE A-level syllabuses is a matter for the GCE examination boards to decide, in consultation with the School Examinations and Assessment Council. Information about the numbers entering universities with general studies GCE A-level is not held centrally. The Department estimates that in 1982 approximately 27, 000 candidates achieved a pass at general studies GCE A-level and figures published by SEAC show that in 1991, 52, 085, and in 1992, 53, 724 candidates achieved passes in this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what outside advice he sought or received in making his decision as to (a) the publication date and (b) the closing date of his consultation paper on student unions.

The Government's announcement of their proposals for student union reform on 1 July followed extensive consultations over the principles to be applied in student union affairs. The consultations now under way relate to the implementation of these reforms. In the light of representations received, we have decided that it would be helpful to extend the period for these follow-up consultations to four months to 1 November, to enable constructive discussions to take place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is his estimate of the average weekly non-contact time of primary and secondary school teachers for 1992 and 1993.

The latest available information on teachers' non-contact time is that provided in the reply given to the hon. Member on 3 February 1993, Official Report, column 211.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information he has on recent changes or trends in the socio-economic background of students; and if he will provide an estimate of the relative chances of entering full-time higher education among the present cohort of 18-year-olds relative to the socio-economic group of their parents.

The Department has two main sources of information about the socio-economic background of students in higher education: the youth cohort study and the higher education admissions agencies, UCCA and PCAS. The youth cohort study is a sample survey of young people at ages 16, 17 and 18. Universities Central Council on Admissions and Polytechnics Central Admissions System data cover entrants of all ages to full-time and sandwich courses of higher education, but not all applicants provide information about their socioeconomic background. PCAS collected information on socio-economic background for the first time in 1991–92. The most recent available figures are shown in the tables.The proportion of all young people entering full-time and sandwich higher education reached the record level of 28 per cent. in 1992. The Department does not have the necessary information to estimate relative participation rates for different socio-economic groups in that year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to relieve the hardship of students with dependent families over the long summer vacation.

The mandatory awards system provides dependants' allowances covering the summer vacation for eligible students. Local education authorities may make such discretionary award payments as they think fit to students on courses not designated for mandatory awards. Universities and colleges may use their access funds to give additional help to eligible students in particular need during the vacation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to increase the level of access funds for further education colleges.

The Further Education Funding Council has been allocated £4–8 million from the access funds to disburse to colleges in the further education sector in the 1993–94 academic year, an increase of 9–6 per cent. on the sum available to FE colleges in 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the former members of this House who have been appointed since 1988 by her Department to quasi autonomous non-governmental organisations; and if she will list, in each case, the title of the post, the salary, the duration of the appointment, and the party which each represented as an hon. Member.

The available information is shown in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she 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 her 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.

Of appointments to health authorities and trusts and non-departmental public bodies made by the Secretary of State for Health since 1989, when Health became a separate Department, our records show the following as spouses of hon. Members or Members of the House of Lords or spouses of members of the House of Lords or as party candidates for Parliament:

• National Health Service Authorities and Trusts Spouses of Hon. Members
• Mr. T. Shepherd, Director, King's Lynn and Wisbech Trust, 1 November 1991 to 30 November 1994.
• Mrs. S. Taylor, Chairman, Southend Community Trust, I November 1991 to 30 November 1993.
• Members of the House of Lords
• Baroness Cox of Queensbury, Director, West Lambeth Community Trust, 1 November 1991 to 30 November 1994.
• Baroness Cumberlege of Newick, Chairman, South West Thames Regional Health Authority, 1 August 1988 to 13 April 1992.
• Baroness Eccles of Moulton, Chairman, Ealing District Health Authority, 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1993; Chairman, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster District Health Authority, 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1995.
• Baroness Flather, Director, Hillingdon Hospital Trust, I December 1992 to 30 November 1996.
• Baroness Gardner of Parkes, Member, National Heart and Chest Hospital Special Health Authority, 1 April 1982 to 16 September 1990; Member, North East Thames Regional Health Authority, 26 July 1990 to 31 October 1994.
• Lord Glenarthur, Chairman, St. Mary's Trust, 1 November 1992 to 30 November 1994.
• Lord Hayhoe, Chairman, Guy's and St. Thomas' Trust, 21 March 1993 to 30 November 1995.
• Lord Jenkin of Roding, Chairman, Forest Healthcare Trust, I November 1991 to 30 November 1993.
• Lord Stafford, Director, Mental Health Foundation of Mid Staffordshire Trust, 21 December 1990 to 30 November 1994.
• Lord Wade of Chorlton, Director, Countess of Chester Hospital Trust, 4 November 1992 to 30 November 1994.

• Spouses of Members of the House of Lords

• Lady Archer, Director, Addenbrooke's Trust, 23 December 1992 to 31 October 1995.
• Mr. K. Gardner, Chairman, Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital Trust, 21 December 1990 to 30 November 1994.
• Countess of Limerick, Member, Eastman Dental Hospital Special Health Authority, 26 September 1990 to 31 March 1994.
• Lady Parkinson, Director, Barnet Community Trust, 1 November 1991 to 30 November 1993.
• Chairmen of regional health authorities are currently remunerated at a rate of £20, 925 per annum, and chairmen of district health authorities and National Health Service trusts at between £15, 125 and £19, 285 a year. Non-executive directors of NHS trusts and SHAs receive £5, 000 a year.
• Information on appointees to NHS authorities and trusts who have been party candidates for Parliament is not available centrally.
• Non-departmental Public Bodies
• Spouses of hon. Members

• Mrs. O. J. Benyon, member of Mental Health Act Commission I September 1983 to 30 September 1989 (in April 1989 members received £98 per meeting).

• Members of the House of Lords

• Baroness Cumberlege of Newick, unpaid member of United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting 1 April 1988 to 31 March 1993.
• Baroness Eccles of Moulton, member of the Unrelated Live Transplant Regulatory Authority February 1990 to 30 April 1993. Paid expenses only.
• Baroness Brigstocke, member of the Health Education Authority April 1989 to 31 March 1995. Paid £5, 000 a year.
• The Rt. Rev. William Westwood, member of the Health Education Authority October 1992 to 31 March 1995. Paid £5, 000 a year.

• Previous Prospective Parliamentary Candidates

• Mrs. W. Tumin, chair of the Secretary of State's Special Advisory Group on the Youth Treatment Service I August 1991 to 31 July 1994. Paid £10, 000 a year. Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Social Democrat Party in 1983 and 1987.
• Mr. Tom White, member of the Secretary of State's Special Advisory Group on the Youth Treatment Service I August 1991 to 31 July 1994. Paid £100 per meeting. Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Labour 1964.
• Mrs. E. Owen, member of the Mental Health Act Commission 9 November 1987 to 13 March 1992 and 13 May 1992 to 30 September 1995. Paid £132 per meeting. Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Labour 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will issue guidelines so that purchasing agencies' annual reports available to the public should show levels of their financial commitment to meeting the patients charter standards; and if she will make a statement.

Such guidelines are not considered necessary. The patients charter is about using existing resources in a more focused way to produce a higher standard of service for patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which board members of district health authorities are also board members of NHS trusts; and if he will name the trusts and authorities involved.

Chairmen of district health authorities are ineligible under national health service regulations to serve concurrently as chairmen of NHS trusts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Martin) of 26 January, Official Report, columns 701–2, if she will list the projects approved for each health authority unit or national health service trust in the Northern regional health authority in 1993–94.

The major capital schemes approved for commencement in 1993–94 in the territorial area covered by the Northern regional health authority will be placed in the Library.The list of schemes excludes minor schemes initiated by trusts and directly managed units within their delegated authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 26 October, Official Report, columns 478–80, if she will update the table on trust expenditure.

[holding answer 12 July 1993]: Updated information will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is spent per head of population on care at home by each local authority responsible for community care services.

In 1990–91, the latest year for which this information is available, annual expenditure per head of population on home care services and meals on wheels was as shown in the table.

Expenditure per head of population on home care and meals on wheels. (1990–91)
Local authority	£ per head of population
Bolton	13.3
Bury	12.2
Manchester	21.9
Oldham	15.3
Rochdale	21.9
Salford	16.6
Stockport	13.4
Tameside	19.5
Trafford	16.1
Wigan	16.2
Knowsley	9.8
Liverpool	22.4
St. Helens	20.3
Sefton	10.7
Wirral	18.0
Barnsley	16.0
Doncaster	13.9
Rotherham	16.6
Sheffield	22.2
Gateshead	15.9
Newcastle	22.4
North Tyneside	23.6
South Tyneside	14.6
Sunderland	17.1
Birmingham	23.1
Coventry	14.0
Dudley	10.2
Sandwell	16.3
Solihull	12.6
Walsall	10.5
Wolverhampton	13.9
Bradford	15.8
Calderdale	16.0
Kirklees	15.2
Leeds	20.7
Wakefield	11.3
City of London	44.6
Camden	53.8
Greenwich	25.4
Hackney	37.5
Hammersmith	26.7
Islington	26.8
Kensington	16.6
Lambeth	37.3
Lewisham	32.3
Southwark	20.0
Tower Hamlets	23.9
Wandsworth	27.0
Westminster	28.0
Barking	19.9
Barnet	9.1
Bexley	16.2
Brent	19.9
Bromley	13.3
Croydon	11.3
Ealing	10.9
Enfield	16.1
Haringey	27.3
Harrow	5.9
Havering	14.6
Hillingdon	20.8
Hounslow	14.5

Local authority	£ per head of population
Kingston	13.9
Merton	17.8
Newham	23.0
Red bridge	11.8
Richmond	20.0
Sutton	13.8
Waltham Forest	23.5
Isles of Scilly	2.5
Avon	14.6
Bedfordshire	10.0
Berkshire	9.6
Buckinghamshire	10.6
Cambridgeshire	11.5
Cheshire	9.6
Cleveland	12.7
Cornwall	10.7
Cumbria	11.9
Derbyshire	21.0
Devon	10.7
Dorset	10.3
Durham	12.4
East Sussex	10.7
Essex	12.9
Gloucestershire	9.5
Hampshire	8.3
Hereford and Worcester	10.0
Hertfordshire	11.0
Humberside	15.0
Isle of Wight	11.7
Kent	9.8
Lancashire	11.4
Leicestershire	11.6
Lincolnshire	9.2
Norfolk	15.4
Northamptonshire	9.7
Northumberland	15.0
North Yorkshire	10.9
Nottinghamshire	14.6
Oxfordshire	10.7
Shropshire	7.2
Somerset	9.2
Staffordshire	12.3
Suffolk	9.4
Surrey	7.3
Warwickshire	13.5
West Sussex	9.9
Wiltshire	9.0

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 1 July, Official Report, column 616, if she will give the number of accident and emergency departments in England.

In 1991–92 there were 238 national health service trust hospitals and directly managed units with accident and emergency departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is known to her Department about average and maximum waiting times for patients attending hospital accident and emergency units.

The patients charter requires health authorities to set a local standard for waiting time for treatment following immediate assessment in accident and emergency departments. Details of performance against this standard are not available centrally, but will appear locally in health authorities' patients charter annual reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients were treated (a) as day patients, (b) as in-patients and (c) in the community by the NHS in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The information is not available in the form requested. The number of day cases, day care attendances and in-patients is shown in the tables. Information on the number of patients receiving treatment in the community is not available.

Day case admissions, NHS hospitals, England
Year	Day case admissions (000's)
1987–88	881
1988–89	1,016
1989–90	1,163
1990–91	1,261
1991–92	1,548

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the number of emergency admissions of elderly patients to hospitals in each of the regional health authorities in England in 1990–91, 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The number of non-elective admissions purchased in each region in 1991–92 and 1992–93 for persons aged 65 and over is shown in the table. Comparable information for 1990–91 is not available.

Purchases of non-elective admissions of persons aged 65 and over
	1991–92 '000s	1992–93 '000s
Northern	93	96
Yorkshire	86	109
Trent	131	129
East Anglia	49	58

Day attendances at NHS day care facilities, England1
Year	Day care attendances (thousands)
1987–88	6,621
1988–89	6,666
1989–90	6,532
1990–91	6,687
1991–92	n/a
1 First and re-attenders.
n/a = Not yet available.

Ordinary admissions, NHS hospitals, England (All specialties)
Year	Ordinary admissions (thousands)
1987–88	6,619	Discharges and deaths
1988–89	6,586
1988–89	7,335	Finished consultant episodes
1989–90	7,477
1990–91	7,524
1991–92	7,759

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified nurses, unqualified nurses and midwives there were in special care baby units in each of the last five years.

The information is shown in the table.

	1991–92 '000s	1992–93 '000s
North West Thames	82	75
North East Thames	104	108
South East Thames	80	106
South West Thames	76	88
Wessex	80	106
Oxford	54	54
South Western	105	102
West Midlands	114	132
Mersey	80	68
North Western	116	121
England1	1,251	1,353
1 Figues may not add to England due to rounding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints against general practitioners were lodged (a) with family health service authorities and their predecessors and (b) with her Department in each of the last 10 years.

This information is not available centrally. However, figures for the number of complaints about general practitioners investigated formally by family health services authorities are contained in table 5.14 (Family Health Services) of the annual Health and Personal Social Services Statistics, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to accredit or license surgeons to use new procedures.

The Department of Health, the Medical Royal Colleges and clinical managers share the objective of enabling well-trained clinicians to offer the latest forms of health care to patients. We do not see the licensing of consultants in each new procedure as a practical means of furthering this objective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to ensure that all children's homes are registered, regardless of the numbers housed.