To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers arriving at United Kingdom ports of entry during 1992 and the first quarter of 1993 were referred to port medical inspectors for examination; what are the most common diagnoses made; and how many people have been (a) refused entry (i) wholly or (ii) partly on medical grounds and for what medical reason or (b) required to report for further medical treatment after entry, for what medical reason.

Nine passengers were refused entry principally on medical grounds in 1992 and none during the first quarter of 1993. The other information requested is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were recommended for deportation with no custodial sentence during (a) 1992

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further progress has been made recently towards bringing the European Community joint criminal intelligence office, EUROPOL, on to an effective basis and towards establishing a joint anti-drugs squad.

Ministers of the Interior and Justice of the member states signed a ministerial agreement on the establishment of the EUROPOL drugs unit on 2 June 1993, in Copenhagen. The agreement will come into force as soon as a decision has been made on a site for EUROPOL by the European Council.Work is continuing under the Belgium presidency on the draft convention establishing EUROPOL. EUROPOL will exchange and analyse intelligence relating to serious crime, focusing initially on drug trafficking, but there is no intention that its officers should have any operational powers.

During 1992, 27 people were recommended for deportation by the courts with no custodial sentence and seven during the first half of 1993. The other information requested is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many decisions to make a deportation order, by nationality of the potential deportee, where there is only a right of appeal as provided under section 5 of the Immigration Act 1988, have been made in each quarter since 1 August 1988; and on what basis these decisions have been made.

The total numbers of decisions to deport affected by the provisions of section 5 of the Immigration Act 1988 in each of the quarters since 1 August 1988 are shown in the table. All these decisions were made under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971, which provides that a person who is not a British citizen is liable to deportation if, having only a limited leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, he does not observe a condition attached to the leave or remains beyond the time limited by the leave. Information about the nationality of those affected could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding immigration applications there are at Lunar house from (a) students, (b) family members in the United Kingdom applying for variation of stay, (c) settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts and (d) asylum seekers; and what are the average times applicants in each category might expect to wait before a decision.

The available information is that at the end of June 1993 there were in total about 16,700 cases in the general immigration caseworking groups— including referred entry clearance applications—the majority of which were under consideration or the subject of further inquiries, and about 46,300 cases in the asylum and special cases division.The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an application and the decision, for cases decided in caseworking groups and the public inquiry offices, in the first quarter of 1993, was one and a half months for students and 20 months for asylum applications. The latter figure reflects the increase in staffing in the asylum and special cases division which has enabled work to proceed on the resolution of older and more complex cases. Information on average waiting times for family members in the United Kingdom for variation of leave and for settlement entry clearance applications referred from overseas posts is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) British nationals and (b) holders of certificates of identity from Hong Kong have been admitted to the United Kingdom in each quarter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) single entry and (b) multiple entry visit visas were (i) received, (ii) granted and (iii) refused at each post in the Indian sub-continent, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and Jamaica in each quarter of 1992 and the first quarter of 1993; and what was the delay between application and interview for those whose applications were felt to need a

The available information for British dependent territories citizens and British nationals (overseas) from Hong Kong is given in the table. Data on admissions of holders of certificates of identity from Hong Kong are not available.second or long interview at each of the above posts in (1) June 1992, (2) January 1993 and (3) June 1993 or the nearest available date.

Only annual data are available centrally for single visit and multiple entry visit visas and the only information available on the delay between application and interview is of the number of people not interviewed on the day of application.The available information for 1992 is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions are issued to fire service authorities in dealing with fires at tyre dumps; and if he will make a statement.

The Home Office has issued detailed guidance to chief fire officers on, among other things, the need to use the most effective available techniques for dealing with fires at tyre dumps. Revised guidance on the storage of used tyres in the open air is also being prepared.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of time taken to process applications for (a) registration and (b) naturalisation; and how long those applying in both of those categories in June 1993 can expect to wait.

In June 1993 the average waiting time for certificates granted under the British Nationality Act 1981 was 19 months for naturalisation and 13 months for registration applications. It is expected that most applications made in June 1993 for naturalisation will be decided within 12 months and for registration within six to nine months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) immigration officers, (b) police officers and (c) police dogs were involved in Operation Boxer; how the officers had obtained the allegations and information on which they were acting; how many of the people detained on 24 June were found to be (i) legally in the United Kingdom, (ii) in breach of immigration conditions, (iii) alleged illegal entrants and (iv) British citizens; how many requested and were granted legal advice before interview; how many were detained for (x) one day or less, (y) between a day and a week and (z) over a week; and how many have left the United Kingdom.

Forty-nine immigration service staff, assisted by about 80 police officers, were involved in Operator Boxer on 24 June. No police dogs were used.The information on which the officers were acting was received from a number of sources. Of those people interviewed on 24 June, five were found to be legally in the United Kingdom, of whom two were British citizens. Seventeen were dealt with as illegal entrants. Thirteen were found to be in breach of their conditions of entry to this country. Of these, 10 were overstayers and three were working without permission. One person was found to be the subject of an extant deportation order.All those arrested were given the opportunity to receive legal advice and representation in accordance with the provisions of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.Of those detained, 31 were detained for one day or less, five were detained for between one day and one week, arid one was detained for over one week.Thirteen people have so far left the United Kingdom as a result of this operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to receive the report of the West Midlands police on the Birmingham pub bombings.

The investigation of these serious offences is being conducted under the auspices of the Director of Public Prosecutions to whom a report will be sent at its conclusion. It is not possible to say when the report will be ready.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will implement part II of the Charities Act 1992 to tackle fraudulent charity fund-raisers.

As indicated in the answer to a question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Westminster, North (Sir J. Wheeler) on 23 March, column 532, I intend to implement part II—control of fund-raising —by the end of March 1994. To that end I have recently issued a document on part II which includes draft regulations and guidance; a copy is being placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) fixed penalty parking tickets were issued to motorists in (i) Westminster and (ii) the remaining London boroughs during each of the past five years for illegal parking on (1) a single yellow line and (2) a parking meter; what was the average penalty levied in the case of (a) fines and (b) prosecutions; what considerations underlie the choice of penalty for such offences; and if he will make a statement.

Information is not available in the detailed form requested. A total of 7,696 non-endorsable obstruction, waiting and parking offences were dealt with by prosecution in the Metropolitan police district in 1991 and 1,844,595 by fixed penalty notice. The average fine imposed following prosecution was £31 and the standard amount imposed after a fixed penalty was £16.Fixed penalty levels are set by the Home Secretary and are reviewed periodically. They are intended to provide a penalty which is proportionate to the offence.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what records are kept of the witnesses called at a murder trial; and for how long they are retained.

All records of a murder trial in which a life sentence is imposed are preserved permanently.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements are made for the preservation of a judge's notes made during a trial for murder.

Judge's notes are retained for five years from the date of the last entry in each volume. No special arrangements exist for the preservation of judge's notes made during a trial for murder after the five-year period. Verbatim transcripts made for the appeal are kept indefinitely by arrangement with the Public Record Office.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the result of the review announced in February 1992 of magistrates' training in the criteria contained in the Bail Act 1976.

The Judicial Studies Board has reviewed the training given to magistrates on bail matters and on 31 August 1992 the chairman of the magisterial committee of the board wrote to all training officers giving advice on best practice. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellors' advisory committee on legal education and conduct intends to publish its second annual report.

The Lord Chancellor's advisory committee on legal education and conduct has today published its second annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many practising midwives there are in each grade in each region, including those in senior nurse/senior midwife grades, senior nurse grades and education and clinical grades, excluding agency midwives; how many are employed (a) full time and (b) part time; and how many student midwives there are in each region.

The information will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the number of emergency admissions to (a) Burnley health care trust and (b) the North West regional health authority for 1991–92.

In 1991–92 purchasers in the North Western region bought 331,000 non-elective admissions to hospitals. In the same year the predecessors of the Burnley health care trust provided 17,292 such admissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, further to his answer to the hon. Member for Dover (Mr. Shaw) of 21 June, Official Report, column 34, if he will list the grants so far made to voluntary organisations under the section 64 general scheme of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 in the financial year beginning 1 April.

Section 64 general scheme grants continuing into 1993–94 from previous years and new grants for which approval had been notified by 15 July 1993 total over £16.5 million. Details will be placed in the Library. The budget for 1993–94 is £19.2 million, an increase of £0.9 million over 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to establish treatment centres for elective surgery in England for (a) cataract surgery, (b) major joint surgery and (c) hernias and varicose vein surgery.

We have no plans to do so. It is for health authorities to decide whether the establishment of treatment centres providing certain surgical procedures would be in the best interests of the populations they serve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many mother and baby beds there are in psychiatric units in the country;(2) how many women-only psychiatric wards there are in England.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) male and (b) female psychiatrists are currently practising.

The available information is shown in the table. Information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures she has on the percentage of women of reproductive age who visit accident and emergency units because of domestic violence.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's policy on the provision of secure accommodation for 15 and 16-year-old offenders by social service authorities.

Secure accommodation provided in community homes is for any child being looked after by a local authority who meets the statutory criteria for restriction of liberty, whether as an offender or as a non-offender.We are working closely with local authorities to ensure that sufficient additional secure accommodation is made available to ensure that the practice of remanding 15 and 16-year-old alleged offenders to penal establishments can be abolished as quickly as practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is her estimate of the total cost of administering the internal market in the health service in each of the last two years;

The national health service reforms are now firmly in place. It is impossible to put a figure on the relative cost of services under this system compared with any particular alternative, such as the previously directly managed arrangements, but there is no doubt that the NHS is now more effective in identifying local health needs and providing more efficient health care services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from paracetamol in each of the last five years; how many recorded overdoses of paracetamol there were in each of the last five years; and what plans she has to decrease morbidity and mortality from paracetamol overdose.

The table shows the number of deaths from poisoning where paracetamol is mentioned in the deaths' records. Information on the number of recorded overdoses of paracetamol is not available centrally."The Health of the Nation" mental illness key area handbook gives guidance to professionals on how to meet the specific suicide reduction targets. The advice covers the labelling of paracetamol bottles to warn of toxicity and reviewing the storage and availability of poisonous over-the-counter medicines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses trained as specialists in paediatrics in each of the last five years.

The figures give the numbers starting paediatric nurse training and the numbers completing paediatric nurse training in England at year ending 31 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will estimate the number of (a) women and (b) men receiving ECT each year; and what is the ratio between them.

The number of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) treatments in 1990–91 was 105,466 but a patient could receive more than one treatment during the year. It is estimated that five women receive ECT for every two men.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she proposes to take following the Peat Marwick report on the financial management of Mid-Staffordshire health authority.

This a matter for the health authority concerned who are working in close conjuction with West Midlands regional health authority to resolve their financial position. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. B. Liss, the chairman of Mid-Staffordshire health authority, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to place a legal duty on social workers to investigate cases of suspected abuse against those elderly and disabled people who are unable to take decisions for themselves.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Pembroke (Mr. Ainger) on 12 July at col.385.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement outlining the progress made by her Department to date in determining an official response to the HELIOS II proposals.

The European Community's HELIOS II programme was adopted by the Council of Ministers on 25 February this year. The Department is currently consulting in the United Kingdom with other interested Government Departments and with a United Kingdom forum of voluntary bodies representing a wide range of disabilities on the content of the programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she will publish the provider waiting lists and waiting times for each Thames region of the NHS.

Provider based information on waiting lists and waiting times by trust, district health authority, special health authority and regional health authority is given in "Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England". This is published twice a year and copies are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about the level of charges for home helps; whether she will carry out an inquiry into the differences in charges between local authorities; when she plans to issue guidelines to local authorities on levels of charges; and if she will make a statement, with particular reference to the role that voluntary groups and the private sector can play in providing home helps in the Bolton area.

A number of representations have been received. Local authorities have a discretionary power to make charges for non-residential services. We have no current plans to carry out an inquiry. It is the Government's view that a full economic charge should be recovered where this can be done without causing hardship to the service user. Advice on detailed aspects will be disseminated where appropriate.One of the main objectives of the community care reforms is to encourage the development of a flourishing independent sector in the provision of domiciliary servics. It is for each local authority to identify local needs and opportunities, and their progress will be monitored. We understand that independent sector involvement in the provision of domiciliary services in Bolton is currently minimal. It is our view that such involvement should be encouraged.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to NHS trusts with regard to the specifications of contracts for ambulance and patient transport services and the minimum levels of training required for ambulance personnel.

Guidance on contracts was included in "Health Service Guidelines (HSG(91)29): Ambulance and other patient transport services—Operation, use and performance standards". Subsequent circulars FDL(92)82 and FDL(93)07 set out the finance arrangements recommended to those contracting for non-emergency patient transport services. Further guidance on these matters is to be issued very shortly. Copies of guidelines and circulars are available in the Library.The level of training given to ambulance personnel will depend on the nature of their duties. For example, ambulance paramedics must, as a minimum, achieve the standards currently set by the national health service training directorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the policy of her Department with regard to the maximum geographical area which can appropriately be covered by one ambulance service.

There is no restriction on the area for which an ambulance service may tender for service contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations have been received by her Department from groups representing private ambulance operators, with regard to the need for increased regulation or self-regulation of such operators.

Representations have been received from a number of organisations representing private ambulance services. A representative of one organisation had discussions with the Department of Health's ambulance policy advisory group earlier this year. The advisory group has agreed a code of practice for prospective purchasers and providers setting out minimum standards for non-national health service patient transport services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts in each regional health authority in England and Wales presently have one or more contracts with private operators for ambulance or patient transport services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 13 July, Official Report, column 824, when he expects to be in a position to give the cost of examiners used to invigilate and/or mark tests for English and technical studies in spring 1993 to

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives were employed (a) full time and (b) part time in each region in each year since 1988.

The information is given in the table.replace teaching staff who refused to administer the tests; and whether he will list those costs by authority which incurred them.

This information is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the ratio of schoolchildren aged between three and 19 years old to speech therapists in each local education authority in England.

The figures requested are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those schools by local education authority that have achieved grant-maintained status.

The schools which have been approved for self-governing status as of 20 July, or which my right hon. Friend is minded to approve, are as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what measures he is taking to ensure that the timetable for organising grant-maintained status ballots is sufficient for consultation purposes; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will take measures to ensure that the distribution of ballot papers on grant-maintained status occurs at the end of the consultation period rather than the middle;(3) if he will draw up a code of conduct to cover all those involved in the organisation of ballots and consultations on grant-maintained status.

The Education Bill will streamline the procedures for acquiring grant-maintained status. Both the existing and prospective statutory provisions offer scope for local consultation and debate before a ballot on grant-maintained status is initiated, in the period prior to a ballot and during the ballot period itself. Individual governing bodies are best placed to determine the most appropriate timing for a ballot in their school's circumstances, within the statutory time scale.The Department provides detailed guidance on the conduct of ballots and any significant deviation from that may lead to the Secretary of State declaring the ballot void. We are currently discussing with local authority interests the promulgation of a common code of conduct on the provision of information about grant-maintained status; this would cover the activities of the Department, local authorities and the grant-maintained schools centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers are teaching subjects they have no qualifications to teach; and what progress has been made and measures taken to reduce the numbers.

The latest information is provided by the 1992 secondary school staffing survey. The table shows the percentage of full-time secondary teachers in England who gave some tuition in a subject in which they held no post-A level qualification, and the percentage of tuition this represented. About half of this tuition was by teachers with five or more years' experience of teaching the subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers took early retirement, and for what reason, during each of the last five years.

The number of teachers from England and Wales who took early retirement and claimed retirement benefits during each of the last five years is shown in the table.The figures include teachers in FE and PCFC colleges and the independent sector as well as maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools.Retirements on grounds of efficiency or redundancy include those teachers who were over the normal retirement age of 60 when benefits were paid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what resources are being made available in 1993–94 to the Higher Education Funding Council to cover the additional costs of providing higher education in London; and if he will make a statement.

The Government do not separately identify London costs in its grant to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It is for the funding council to determine allocations for London and other institutions within its overall grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the British contribution to the European development fund is (a) being used for projects that directly benefit the poorest people in developing countries and (b) helps meet the goals established at the world summit for children.

The European Commission does not produce statistics in the form requested. The Commission and member states are currently working on a common approach to poverty alleviation, which will be presented to the Council of Development Ministers in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report, column 85, why United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cash grants for host families accommodating refugees do not apply to displaced persons or refugees accommodated in Serbia; what access these families have to additional support; what efforts are made to ensure that displaced Bosnians remain with host families in Serbia rather than seeking asylum overseas; and if he will make a statement.

The UNHCR finds it impractical at present to operate a system of cash grants for host families who accommodate displaced people in Serbia. Instead it provides food and other essential humanitarian supplies to displaced people through the Serbian Red Cross and the EC family parcel programme.UNHCR provided over 35,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies for displaced people in Serbia in the first six months of 1993. These measures are designed to help to meet the basic humanitarian needs of displaced people so as to enable them to remain in Serbia, as close as possible to their homes in Bosnia-Herzegovina, until such time as they are able to return.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to publish before the end of the year criteria by which Her Majesty's Government will judge their performance on targeting aid at the reduction of poverty and meeting basic needs.

The overall aim of our aid programme is to promote sustainable economic and social development, in order to improve the quality of life and reduce poverty, suffering and deprivation, in developing countries. Our six priority objectives for the aid programme support this overall aim. They are:

• to promote economic reform and longer term economic growth;
• to promote good government;
• to help developing countries to define and carry out poverty reduction strategies;
• to promote human development, including better education and health, and children by choice;
• to promote the social, economic, legal and political status of women in developing countries; and
• to help developing countries tackle national environmental problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to secure a balance of bilateral and multilateral expenditure on oveseas development aid.

Our aid allocations through both bilateral and multilateral channels are kept under regular review. Most of our multilateral aid commitments result from negotiated agreements covering several years ahead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been Her Majesty's Government's response to the United Nations appeal for US $226 million to fund relief and emergency work in Angola.

[holding answer 20 July 1993]: We have allocated 3,000 tonnes of food aid and up to £2 million of humanitarian assistance. The food aid is now being shipped to Angola through the world food programme, and some £800,000 of humanitarian assistance has already been committed to support proposals by Save the Children Fund and CARE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of prison camps currently understood to be operated by (a) Bosnian-Croats, (b) Bosnian-Muslims and (c) Bosnian-Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if he will indicate the size of each and publish the names of those prisons where the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or other international agencies have been unable to gain access.

The International Committee of the Red Cross—ICRC—regularly visits 2,200 people held by Bosnian Croats in six places of detention, 1,023 held by Bosnian Muslims in 15 places of detention and 1,023 prisoners held by Bosnian Serbs in eight places of detention. The ICRC suspects that further places of detention in unknown locations may exist.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the economic and diplomatic sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro on the infant mortality rate in those republics; and if he will make a statement.

None. Supplies of essential humanitarian relief, including medical supplies and foodstuffs distributed by the international humanitarian aid agencies are exempted from United Nations sanctions imposed on Serbia and Montenegro under United Nations Security Council resolution 820 of 17 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 14 July, Official Report, column 455, if he will place a copy of Dr. Karadzic's letter to the Prime Minister of 31 March in the Library together with the Prime Minister's reply.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing) on 14 April at column 542 about Dr. Karadzic's letter. I do not plan to elaborate further; it is important to maintain the confidentiality of such correspondence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions the United Kingdom has made to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for its activities in former Yugoslavia since the beginning of the year; and what contributions have been made by other major donors.

Since January 1993 the United Kingdom has given £27.8 million in cash and kind to UNHCR for its work in former Yugoslavia. On 12 July we announced a further £12..5 million for projects directly in support of UNHCR plus £6 million in kind for the world food programme. This makes Britain the leading bilateral donor to UNHCR's programmes in the former republics this year. We are aware that, as winter approaches, there must be a major effort by the international community to meet the needs of the people of Bosnia. Contributions by major donors for 1993 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on new ethnic cleansing of Muslim women and children by Croats in Mostar; what is the effect of these developments. on his policy towards Croatia's exemption from economic and diplomatic sanctions; and if he will make a statement.

There are continuing reports of ethnic cleansing by all sides. European Community Foreign Ministers agreed to consider withdrawing Croatia's preferential trading benefits with the European Community, in view of continued Croatian involvement in the conflict in Bosnia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much British Government finance has been given to the Fundacion Collegio de Inglaterra in Bogota, Colombia, in the past five years; for what purpose; and from what budget heading.

None directly.The British Council has provided books and equipment to the school over the past five years to a total value of £30,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 1 December 1992, Official Report, column 86, if the university scientists working on the research projects mentioned have been able to publish the results of these projects in open scientific literature.

As made clear in the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to the hon. Member on 1 December 1992, at column 86, the research commissioned is confined to unclassified subjects. We retain proprietary rights over the research, but the results may be published by the relevant academic institution, if it wishes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the prevailing economic situation in Armenia; and what recent discussions he has had to resolve matters.

The Armenian economy continues to suffer from the disruption of links with the other republics of the former Soviet Union, and from the economic blockade resulting from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The United Kingdom has contributed over £1 million bilaterally, and the EC over £3 million, to alleviate suffering in Armenia in the last year. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met the Armenian Prime Minister, Hrartt Bagratian, during his visit to London in May and urged him to seek a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict so that the process can begin of rebuilding the Armenian economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how United Kingdom diplomatic links with Armenia are organised; and if he will make a statement.

We are in full diplomatic relations with Armenia, which we recognised on 31 December 1991. Sir Brian Fall, who resides at Moscow, is accredited as Her Majesty's ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. He has presented his credentials in Yerevan and both he and his staff visit Armenia frequently. We are keeping the possibility of opening an embassy in Yerevan under review. The Republic of Armenia opened an embassy in London last year. The Armenian ambassador, Dr. Armen Sarkissian, presented his credentials to Her Majesty the Queen in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if the United Kingdom supported the removal of the UNAVEM II mandate in Angola when it was debated by the Security Council; and if he will make a statement; (2) when Her Majesty's Government last held talks on the Angolan war with other members of the Security Council.

[holding answer 20 July 1993]: The Security Council discussed Angola and adopted Security Council resolution 851 on 15 July. The resolution, which the United Kingdom helped to prepare, extends the mandate of UNAVEM II until 15 September. The Security Council will consider appropriate action against UNITA if an effective ceasefire is not in force in Angola by that date. Meanwhile, we shall continue to support efforts by the United Nations to persuade UNITA to agree with the Government a peaceful negotiated settlement to the tragic conflict in Angola.We shall also continue to support humanitarian relief operations. In response to the most recent United Nations appeal we have pledged up to £2 million of emergency assistance and, through the world food programme, 3,000 tonnes of food aid.

To ask the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made towards peace in Angola; and what initiatives Her Majesty's Government have taken in this area.

[holding answers 20 July 1993]: The new United Nations Secretary-General's special representative, Mr. Beye, who replaced Miss Margaret Anstee last month, met President dos Santos on 5 July and the UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi on 8 July to discuss the resumption of peace talks under United Nations auspices.We took an active part in preparing Security Council resolution 851, which the Security Council adopted on 15 July. This extends the mandate of UNAVEM II and provides for the Council to consider taking action against UNITA if an effective cease-fire is not established by 15 September.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the report on the detailed allocation of responsibilities between the new research councils will be completed; and if he will make a statement.

I asked Sir David Phillips to conduct this study acting as if he were fulfilling the role of the new director general for the research councils. He has now submitted his report and copies have been placed in the Library. I have accepted all of Sir David's recommendations and, I have invited him to continue to oversee the further work of the Office of Science and Technology designed to effect a smooth transition to the new research council system by 1 April 1994.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster who is to be the new director general of research councils.

[pursuant to the reply, 19 July 1993, c. 42]: In the recent White Paper "Realising our Potential" I announced my intention to appoint a new director general of research councils to support me in the exercise of my statutory functions in so far as they relate to the research councils.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for separating the banking regulation and supervisory roles of the Bank of England from its banking functions.

I have no such proposals at this time.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland the (i) highest, (ii) lowest and (iii) average weekly and annual income of (1) per household, (2) per wage or salary earner and (3) per capita and indicate for each country the percentage of each category below the official poverty line.

The figures are derived from the 1991 family expenditure survey. The information is available only on a weekly basis. The average weekly income (1) per household, (2) per wage or salary earner and (3) per capita for each country is given in the table. There is no officially defined poverty line in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 April, Official Report, column 572, what was the average equivalised disposable income at (a) current and (b) April 1993 prices for 1979, 1987, 1990 and 1991 of (i) single-parent households, (ii) two-parent households with (1) one child, (2) two children and (3) three or more children and (c) other households with children by quintile groups of households.

The figures are available only at current prices and are as follows: