To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee if he will publish a list of those organisations which have used dining rooms A, B and C in the past six months.

No.

To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many hon. Members currently share an office.

One hundred and thirty-six hon. Members are accommodated in double rooms, 27 in treble rooms and 12 in rooms of four Members. Twenty-one have desks in open plan accommodation in the Cloisters.

To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will issue a questionnaire to hon. Members to discover their office accommodation needs and their level of satisfaction with current office accommodation.

It has been the objective of successive Select Committees responsible for Members' accommodation to work towards a situation where every Member who so wishes is able to have a room of his or her own. Progress towards that goal is a high priority for the Accommodation and Works Committee in consultation with the Serjeant at Arms and the Parliamentary Works Directorate. I shall therefore arrange for my hon. Friend's suggestion to be considered.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee in what circumstances the premises of the United Kingdom branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association would have to vacate its office at short notice to make way for a military guard of honour; and if he will make a statement.

Matters relating to Westminster Hall are the joint responsibility of the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Speaker and the Lord Chancellor.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

The Privy Council Office, which includes the private office of the Lord Privy Seal and Lord President as well as the Judicial Committee and Privy Council proper, spent £10,885 in financial year 1992–93 on official hospitality.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

In 1992–93 expenditure on official hospitality in the Lord Chancellor's Department was £20,697.44p.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give all details of European regional development funds which have been allocated for transport initiatives in the last 12 months and which are proposed for the next 12 months.

No ERDF funds have been allocated to specific transport initiatives, but ERDF grant has part-financed various transport measures including provision of park and ride facilities, bus routes and new passenger rail services. It is too soon to indicate what schemes or initiatives might be submitted for approval in 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

The amount spent by the Welsh Office on official hospitality in 1992–93 was £38,382.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when details of the latest programme for the valleys will be published.

Details of the new programme for the valleys, launched by my predecessor on 1 April are set out in a brochure which I have published today. Copies have been sent to those Members in valleys constituencies. I have also placed copies in the Library of the House.Under the previous programme for the valleys, launched in June 1988, 2,000 acres of derelict land were cleared in the biggest venture of its kind in Europe, 2.6 million sq ft of industrial floor-space was provided and £700 million of private sector investment was generated. In addition, 24,000 jobs were created or safeguarded.My aim for the new programme will be to build on this success, to complete the process of restoring prosperity to the valleys area and to fulfil the aspirations of its people. The new programme has five key aims:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on official hospitality in her Department in the financial year 1992–93.

In 1992–93, the Department of Health spent £246,374 on hospitality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

£535,299.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make available copies of the follow-up report of the audit review group.

I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the Government's intention with regard to the time scale for the privatisation of Railtrack.

As we said in the White Paper "New Opportunities for the Railways", Cm 2012, the Government would like to see the private sector owning as much as possible of the railway in the longer term. No target date has been set for the transfer of Railtrack to private sector ownership.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures he intends to implement in order to assess the environmental impact of the proposed Greater Manchester western and northern relief road.

If the scheme goes ahead following the public consultation, the proposals will be assessed in terms of the impact on existing communities, air and water qualities, the landscape, agriculture, nature conservation, heritage values and recreation. An environmental statement, describing those impacts and the measures we intend to take in mitigation, will be published in accordance with EC directive 85/337.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

The Department of Transport, excluding its agencies, spent £231,547 on official hospitality during 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies have been done by his Department on the linkage of asthma and bronchial disorders to exhaust pollution in London; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 October 1993]: I have been asked to repy.The Department is funding a research project which will examine the effects of the December 1991 air pollution episode in London when the highest recorded peak of nitrogen dioxide occurred.In addition, the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants which was established by the chief medical officer last year has set up a sub-group on asthma which will make recommendations on research relating to asthma and air pollution.The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 10 March at column

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

The expenditure by my Department, excluding expenditure in respect of the Prime Minister's office, on official hospitality in the financial year 1992–93 was £33,320.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements he has made for making payments to projects approved under the Office of Science and Technology's White Paper initiatives programme.

Payments associated with such initiatives began earlier this month. Parliamentary approval to this new expenditure will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Cabinet Office: Office of Public Service and Science: science vote—class XVIII, vote 2. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of up to £400,000 for agreed projects is being met by a repayable advance from the contingencies fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disturbances have occurred at Blakenhurst since it opened; and if he will provide details.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the director general of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were cautioned by the police in (a) 1990, (b) 1991 and (c) 1992, (1) in total, (2) for indictable offences, (3) for indictable only offences, (4) for either way offences or (5) for summary offences.

The information requested for the years 1990 to 1992—which is provisional—is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number and percentage of people cautioned in 1990, 1991 and 1992 had (a) no previous cautions, (b) one previous caution, (c) two previous cautions, (d) three previous cautions, (e) four previous cautions, (f) five previous cautions or (g) six or more previous cautions.

The information is not available in the form requested. The latest available information on previous cautioning history of persons cautioned in England and Wales is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide a table showing for each of the years 1979 to 1992 the total number of offences in the category of theft and handling stolen goods; and how many in each year were (a) shoplifting, (b) handling and (c) other categories of theft.

The requested information is contained in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) were released on bail in (i) 1990, (ii) 1991 and (iii) 1992, (b) reoffended on bail and (c) were bailed again by the courts.

The estimated number of persons remanded on bail at magistrates courts in England and Wales is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales". Table 8.5 shows that 441,900 people were remanded in 1990: 452,500 in 1991 and 458,700 in 1992. Information on numbers offending while on bail and on those bailed again is not collected centrally.A Home Office research report—RPU report 65 "Offending while on bail; a survey of recent studies"—gives some information about recent studies relating to offences while on bail. The survey concludes that, on average, between 10 and 12 per cent. of defendants on bail are subsequently convicted of an offence committed on bail and nowhere was the figure more than 17 per cent. A copy of this report is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many notifiable offences were recorded by the police in the year ended June 1993.

The requested information is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average waiting time for asylum applications, from receipt of application to determination.

The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an asylum application and the decision, for cases decided in the second quarter of 1993, was 18 months. This figure reflects work on the resolution of older and more complex cases, as a result of the increase in staffing in the asylum and special cases division. Following the implementation of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 on 26 July, priority has been given to cases received after that date, with the aim of resolving the majority within three months. However, comprehensive information on the average decision times since implementation of the Act is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the total policing costs associated with the 1993 annual conferences of (a) the Liberal Democrats, (b) the Labour party and (c) the Conservative party.

I understand from the chief officers of the forces concerned that the estimated costs are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work his Department has undertaken to establish the number of persistent juvenile offenders; and what is his estimate of the number of such offenders at the present time.

A survey of police forces and local authority social services departments last year identified 106 juveniles who met the criteria for persistent offenders specified in that survey. It was immediately recognised that this figure was a significant underestimate: not all respondents—including two of the largest police forces —held their information in a way which allowed them to produce precise numerical data. Consequently, further research on persistent juvenile offending was commissioned by the Home Office. The report is expected to be available in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

My Department's expenditure on official hospitality in the financial year 1992–93 was £21,651.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool, North (Mr. Elletson) of 6 July, Official Report, column 85, what steps Her Majesty's Government took, before co-sponsoring United Nations Security Council resolution 816, to verify allegations of a breach of the no-fly zone over Gladovici on 13 March other than consideration of the UNPROFOR press notice.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave to his written question of 18 October, Official Report, columns 83–84. We are satisfied with the standard of United Nations reporting on the observance of the no-fly zone over Bosnia-Herzogovina, including the information provided about the breach over Gladovici on 13 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of all countries for which ivory export permits have been issued by the authorities in Hong Kong since the entering of the reservation in respect of the ivory trade; and if he will provide full details of the ivory exported.

Since the entering of the reservation and up to 14 October 1993, details of commercial ivory exported from Hong Kong are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much ivory has been confiscated by the Hong Kong authorities since 1 February 1991; and how many prosecutions for illegal export have been initiated since that date.

Between 1 February 1991 and 14 October 1993, the Hong Kong authorities confiscated 1,210.9 kg of ivory and initiated two prosecutions for illegal export.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many exports of ivory have been authorised from Hong Kong since midnight on 17 July 1990.

No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised from Hong Kong between midnight on 17 July 1990 and 14 October 1993 except for seven shipments of pre-convention specimens of worked ivory totalling 1.58 kg.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many spot checks have been made by the Hong Kong authorities of ivory holding premises since 1 February 1991; and if any irregularities were discovered.

The Hong Kong authorities have made 778 spot checks on ivory holding premises between 1 February 1991 and 14 October 1993. No irregularities were discovered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current stock of all ivory known to be held in Hong Kong; and on what date it was last assessed.

The total commercial ivory stock held in Hong Kong on 17 July 1990 was 463 tonnes, to the nearest tonne. No commercial exports of ivory, except pre-convention specimens of worked ivory, have been authorised since then.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current number of possession licences issued to holders of ivory stocks in Hong Kong.

As at 14 October 1993, there were 899. possession licences held by commercial ivory stock holders in Hong Kong.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department, including the Overseas Development Administration, in the financial year 1992–93.

Expenditure on official hospitality by both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1992–93 is estimated at £6,946,298.In addition, the FCO availed itself of part of the £1,141,600 grant-in-aid to the Government hospitality fund, but the exact figure is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of items from endangered species seized by the Hong Kong authorities in the years 1991, 1992 and the first half of 1993; and what prosecutions arose from the seizures.

The Hong Kong authorities made 276 seizures of items from endangered species in 1991, 256 seizures in 1992 and 120 seizures in the first half of 1993. A total of 341 prosecutions for the two and a half year period arose from these seizures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give details of the ivory exported from Hong Kong since 25 March 1991 in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species requirements.

No commercial exports of ivory have been authorised by the Hong Kong authorities since 25 March 1991 except for six shipments of pre-convention specimens of worked ivory totalling 1.48 kg.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to release the records of the wartime Special Operations Executive.

I said in my answer on 26 November 1992, Official Report, column 766, that work had started on reviewing the SOE archives. A first batch of files, covering SOE activities in the far east have been transferred to the Public Record Office and will be available to the public from 21 October. The next batches will cover Scandinavia and Africa and will be released as soon as possible after mid-1994.

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

We have agreed to commit £10 million of bilateral development assistance to support projects in Ethiopia in the period 1993 to 1995. In addition, during her recent visit to Ethiopia, my right hon. Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey agreed to provide £5 million balance of payments support during United Kingdom financial year 1993–94 to support Ethiopia's economic reform programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about recent discussions between the Natural Resources Institute and the university of Greenwich.

The Natural Resources Institute —NRI—has been reviewing the scope and orientation of its work in the light of a changing market for its services and of the White Paper on science and technology, Cm 2250. The institute has concluded that it has surplus accommodation on its Chatham maritime site. At the same time, it wishes to strengthen links with centres of higher education and research.The NRI has, therefore, agreed with the university of Greenwich that its school of earth sciences will be based at Chatham from the autumn of 1994. The university is considering whether to relocate other operations—notably its school of engineering—to Chatham as part of a wider plan to rationalise its estate and to expand the provision it offers in Kent. The NRI and the university intend to develop substantive links in research, teaching and consultancy. This association between NRI and the university is a welcome and constructive initiative, which will also give added impetus to the development of the Chatham maritime site and the Medway towns and will make an important contribution to the regeneration of the east Thames corridor.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the percentage fall in the volume of book purchases if VAT at 17.5 per cent. were imposed on books and (b) on the consequential loss in corporation tax, income tax and national insurance contributions.

Research carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests that imposing the standard rate of VAT on books would reduce book sales by approximately 10½ per cent. The consequential loss in corporation tax, income tax and national insurance contributions would depend on the behaviour of individual companies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated effect on the retail prices index of the imposition of VAT at 17.5 per cent. on books.

Imposing VAT at the standard rate would increase the RPI by around 0.08 per cent., assuming the tax is fully passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates would be raised if VAT at 17.5 per cent. were applied to books.

The Treasury publication "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs" shows the estimated cost of applying a zero rate of VAT to books, newspapers and magazines as being £1,100 million in 1993–94. Revenue from books alone would be around 30 per cent. of this figure. This estimate makes no allowance for the likely behavioural response to applying VAT at the standard rate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

Expenditure on official hospitality in 1992–93 was £287,195. This is significantly higher than expenditure in 1991–92 reflecting two large one-off events; the annual conference of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions for which the United Kingdom was host in July 1992; and the informal ECOFIN meeting in September 1992 which was held as part of the United Kingdom presidency. If these two items are excluded, expenditure was £84,904.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 July, Official Report, column 876, in respect of No. 11 Downing street, on what floor and room the old carpet was relaid; where the carpet already in that room is now located; what adjustments had to be made to the old carpet before it was relaid; and if he will make a statement.

The old carpet was relaid on the back staircase between the ground and second floors. The carpet had to be cut to fit this previously uncarpeted staircase.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the co-ordinating committee on multilateral export control was notified of the United States decision announced on 26 August to lift existing restrictions on export of computer equipment to China and eastern European countries; and if he will make a statement on the implications of the decision on British export policy for computers to these countries.

My officials were present at the meeting of COCOM—the Co-ordinating Committee for Multilateral Strategic Export Controls—on 30 September 1993 when the US delegation presented its proposals for amending the agreed level of controls on computer equipment by all COCOM members including the US to proscribed destinations, including China and eastern Europe. Agreement to decontrol was reached at a further meeting held on 5 October.Like our counterparts in the US and other COCOM member states, we are considering the practical issues of implementing in the United Kingdom this more relaxed export control policy. We expect to introduce new measures soon.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

My Department spent £526,447 on entertainment in the 1992–93 financial year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with British Aerospace concerning launch aid for the Jetstream plant at Prestwick; what action he has taken as a result; and if he will make a statement.

British Aerospace has had initial discussions with officials about launch aid for Jetstream. No application has yet been made.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations his Department has received from the nuclear installations inspectorate concerning the safety of computer software to be used in the Sizewell B power station.

I have received no such representations. I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate has not yet completed its assessment of Nuclear Electric's safety case for the computerised primary protection system proposed for Sizewell B.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he plans to announce the timetable and the terms of reference of the 1993 nuclear review.

The terms of reference and the format of the forthcoming review of the future prospects for nuclear power in the United Kingdom are under consideration within Government. It remains the Government's intention, as set out in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", to make an announcement later this year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he plans to publish his Department's renewable energy strategy document.

I expect to publish a new and renewables strategy document this year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when potential bidders will be informed whether they have been successful in obtaining support under the third renewables order of the non-fossil fuel obligation.

The Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency expects to be able to inform bidders whether they have been successful around October 1994.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made to enable funds to be allocated to Merseyside as a result of its designation within objective 1 status; what is the total amount to be allocated; what changes have taken place in the allocated amount; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 October 1993]: The objective 1 funds to be allocated to Merseyside are 840 mecu at 1992 prices, as I announced in my written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Sir J. Hannam) on 27 July, Official Report, column 948.A regional development plan is currently being prepared by the Government in consultation with local interests as required by the regulations and will shortly be transmitted by the Government to the Commission.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to obtain the approval of the European Commission to the making of intervention funding available for merchant shipbuilding at Swan Hunter.

[holding answer 19 October 1993]: Following my initial approach to Vice President van Miert in May, applying for the shipbuilding intervention fund for British warship yards, I have submitted to the Commission a detailed case in writing. Since then I have met with Mr. van Miert in Brussels to urge approval of our application and I have pursued this in correspondence and on the telephone, most recently today. Negotiations between officials continue to take place and a further official level meeting is scheduled for Monday 25 October. I will continue to maintain a close involvement in this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

In the financial year 1992–93, my Department spent £4,950,000 on official entertainment and refreshments, and on protocol entertainment. This figure includes expenditure incurred by the Ministry of Defence itself, by formations and establishments of the armed forces at home and abroad, and by individual officers occupying command and international appointments for which entertainment allowances are payable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance is given to Benefit Agency officers regarding the period of notice given to claimants when the sick note reminder form BF6OB is sent out.

The issue of form BF6OB is a procedural matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available and a copy will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many official cars are currently at the disposal of his Department.

There are currently 2,188 official vehicles in use on the Department's business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent by his Department on travelling abroad by (a) Ministers and (b) officials in each of the last three financial years; and which countries were visited.

Information for financial years prior to 1992–93 is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.The sum spent in the financial year 1992–93 on the cost of travelling abroad was £403,600. Countries visited in that period were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three financial years on costs for officials travelling to France.

Information on costs for officials travelling to France in years prior to 1992–93 is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The sum spent in the financial year 1992–93 on the cost of travel to France by officials was £26,735.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

Departmental expenditure on official hospitality in the financial year 1992–93 was £175,901.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many application forms were received after the deadline for sheep annual premium; how many were accepted late; what were (a) the reasons for late applications and (b) the percentage of applications received by the deadline; what his Department regards as exceptional circumstances; how many applications were accepted because of exceptional circumstances; if he will give details of each case; and if he will make a statement.

Thirty-eight applications were received after the closing date for applications for the 1993 sheep annual premium scheme. The EC regulations which govern the scheme provide that only those late applications which can be attributed to "force majeure" can be accepted. For this purpose, on the basis of guidance from the European Commission, "force majeure" means abnormal or unforeseeable circumstances beyond the control of the applicant. The 38 applications in question were late for a variety of reasons, but none of them fell in the "force majeure" category.A total of 17,027 applications—99.8 per cent.—were received by the deadline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements he proposes for the election, operation and financing of community councils in his plan for reorganisation of local government in Scotland.

Our White Paper, published last July, "Shaping the Future—The New Councils" restated our commitment to community councils. We are currently examining responses and will announce our conclusions in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representation his Department will have at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre meeting on training and education for business and the environment, to be held in Seville on 8 to 12 November.

The Joint Research Centre's Eurocourse on business and the environment, originally planned for November in Seville, has been postponed until some tune next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment by what methods a journalist or newspaper editor may challenge or apply to vary a restricted reporting order made under the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993.

None, unless they are a party to the case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

In 1992–93, the amounts spent on official entertainment by the Employment Department, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, the Health and Safety Executive/Commission, the Employment Service and the Office of Manpower Economics were £39,000, £8,000, £20,000, £21,000 and £10,000, respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans Her Majesty's Government have to reduce United Kingdom consumption of non-renewable raw materials.

The consumption of non-renewable raw materials will be one of the issues raised in the United Kingdom strategy for sustainable development, which the Government are currently preparing.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are Her Majesty's Government's policies for sustainable development.

The United Kingdom has taken a leading role in establishing the world strategy on sustainable development. We shall be publishing our strategy in the very near future, following the wide consultation which we have already undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about eco-labelling.

The eco-labelling scheme was formally launched by the European Commission at the end of June 1993. The Commission has also approved the first ecological criteria, those for washing machines and dishwashers which were developed by the United Kingdom Ecolabelling Board. Manufacturers of these products are now able to apply for an ecolabel for products which meet the published environmental criteria and we expect the first labels to be awarded at the turn of the year. We hope that agreement will soon be reached on a range of other criteria including those for light bulbs, hairsprays, tissue products and soil improvers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the services which councils may put out to tender.

Local authorities can voluntarily put out to tender any services they think it appropriate. An increasing number of councils recognise the benefits of competition and, in addition to the services already subject to compulsory competitive tendering, have their own voluntary tendering programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in his plans to extend CCT to a council's professional services.

We are continuing to consult the local authority associations and professional institutions on all aspects of the Government's proposals for extending CCT to local authority professional services, and have made considerable progress. Secondary legislation for legal and construction-related services, the first services to be introduced in the phased programme, will be circulated in draft for consultation in December and laid before Parliament thereafter. Legislation for the other services will follow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his review of the formulae for calculating grants to local authorities.

Work on the review of standard spending assessments for 1994–95 is now complete. I discussed the findings of the review with the local authority associations at the Consultative Council on Local Government Finance last week. Proposals for 1994–95 will be announced later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress he has made to alter, amend and improve standard spending assessments.

Work has now finished on the review of standard spending assessments for 1994–95. The primary aim of the review was to incorporate data from the 1991 census into the underlying standard spending assessment formulae. Proposals for 1994–95 will be announced later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to develop energy conservation projects both in domestic and business buildings; and if he will make a statement.

To encourage energy efficiency at home so as to reduce the threat of global warming, my right hon. Friend will tomorrow launch the Helping the Earth week.At the same event, the Energy Saving Trust will launch a pilot trial of local energy advice centres which is partly funded by the Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that councils repair properties promptly.

We are introducing an improved right to repair scheme from 1 April 1994 which will ensure that council tenants have a simple and reliable way of getting urgent repairs carried out promptly and paid for by the council.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what change has occurred in the current rent for council houses and flats in England between 1979 and the most recent date for which figures are available.

The estimated average weekly unrebated rent for local housing authority dwellings in April 1979 was £6.41. In April 1993, it was £33.50.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what resources have been made available under the estate action scheme since its introduction.

Provision for estate action, from the inception of the programme to 1993–94, amounts to over £1.5 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implementation of his policies in relation to allowing local authorities to spend capital receipts from past sales of council houses.

We have recently widened the scope for debt-free local authorities to spend their reserved capital receipts. Other authorities can spend their reserved receipts provided that they use a credit approval. We have no plans to alter these arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many public and private sector properties are currently standing vacant in Liverpool.

Local authorities report the number of their own dwellings which were vacant and estimates of the numbers of vacant dwellings owned by housing associations, by other public sector landlords and in the private sector in their annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns. "Other public sector" includes dwellings owned by another local authority.The latest available figures, for 1 April 1993, are shown in columns A71, A72, A73 and A74 respectively of Liverpool city council's HIP1 return, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet representatives from North West Water plc to discuss bathing water cleanliness; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited North West Water earlier this month to learn of progress on their schemes to improve bathing water quality at Southport, Blackpool and elsewhere. He has no immediate plans for further discussions, but he will continue to take a close interest in the improvements now under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has received or plans to make concerning de-designation of any area currently within the statutory curtilage of the London Docklands development corporation.

Detailed discussions have been taking place between the London Docklands development corporation and the London boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Southwark about the progressive withdrawal of the LDDC from parts of the urban development area. The Department has been kept in touch with the progress of these discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many council houses have been sold to sitting tenants in England since May 1979.

Between April 1979 and June 1993, about 1.35 million tenants bought their homes from English local authorities and new towns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for the improvement of home ownership opportunities for those living in council homes.

The new rent-to-mortgage scheme came into operation on 11 October. It provides a new route into home ownership for council tenants who pay full rent and are financially secure, but who find the full right-to-buy purchase price is still beyond their reach.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his current urban policies.

The Government will continue to support the regeneration of urban areas through their main programmes and special measures. These measures include bringing together English Estates, derelict land grant and city grant into a single Urban Regeneration Agency which will be a major engine of renewal; supporting the urban development corporations which have already attracted some £12 billion in private investment; and encouraging local regeneration through city challenge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to come to a decision on the commissioning of THORP.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have granted British Nuclear Fuels plc's existing authorisations to discharge liquid and gaseous radioactive wastes from Sellafield, to permit the testing of the company's thermal oxide reprocessing plant with natural and depleted uranium. The variations came into effect on 2 September 1993.The grant of the variations is without prejudice to consideration of the company's main applications for authorisation to operate THORP, currently being undertaken by the Secretary of State for the Environment and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. If the decisions on the main applications do not permit THORP to operate, the variations would require the company to stop testing and decontaminate the plant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, column 388, if he will set out the technical areas in which RWMAC has been asked to do further work and the timescale set for it to submit its report.

Last year, the Radioactive Waste Management Advisory Committee—RWMAC—produced a first report on the proposals by British Nuclear Fuels plc —BNFL—to offer waste substitution to those foreign customers with whom its contracts provide for the return of waste. Under its proposals, BNFL would return an equivalent amount of high-level radioactive waste in place of intermediate and low-level waste arising from the reprocessing of their spent fuel.British Nuclear Fuels plc has proposed the integrated radiological toxic potential—ITP—system for comparing the radiological equivalence between different waste streams. I have written to the chairman of RWMAC requesting the advice of the committee on whether ITP is a suitable basis for determining radiological equivalence, whether there are any limitations to its application and whether, in the committee's opinion, BNFL's proposals are on this basis broadly neutral. The committee has also been asked to identify the environmental implications resulting from substitution and to advise in what circumstances these may be significant.The committee's advice is expected early next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were accepted as homeless in the most recent two quarters for which figures are available.

The number of households accepted as homeless by local authorities in England in the quarter ending June 1993 is estimated at 34,410. This is some 1,700–5 per cent.—less than the 36,120 accepted in the previous quarter.This is the fourth quarter in succession in which the number of homelessness acceptances has fallen.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action the United Kingdom is taking to phase out the production of substances damaging the ozone layer.

Under the EC regulation that implements the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, United Kingdom production of halons must cease at the end of this year, chlorofluorocarbons and carbon tetrachloride at the end of next year and 1,1,1 trichloroethane at the end of 1995. Controls on hydrochlorofluorocarbons—HCFCs—and methyl bromide were added to the protocol last year, and a new regulation which would apply them within the EC is currently under discussion. In those discussions, the United Kingdom is pressing for the Community to agree to tighter controls than the protocol contains on both HCFCs and methyl bromide.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has relating to provision of local authority accommodation for single mothers; and if he will make a statement.

In my answer today to the hon. Member for Greenwich (Mr. Raynsford), I have indicated that we will be consulting interested organisations in due course about our proposals to reform the homelessness legislation, with the aim of ensuring fairer access to permanent social housing for everyone who needs it. I will consider what further accommodation provision may be needed for single mothers in that context.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of multiple occupation houses are classed as (a) unfit for human habitation and (b) substandard.

The 1991 English house condition survey found 28 per cent. of multiple occupation houses, defined as dwellings in which facilities are shared by more than one household, unfit under section 604 of the Housing Act 1985, as amended by schedule 9 to the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. Information on the percentage unfit under section 352 of this Act is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bow and Poplar (Ms Gordon) of 26 July, Official Report, column 580, when he intends to make an announcement on the construction of the docklands light railway extension to Greenwich and Lewisham.

An announcement will be made soon, once the structure of the project has been fully assessed to take into account the interests of both the public and the private sectors. Studies are under way to scrutinise the capital costs of building the railway's extension to Lewisham and to assess the best means of providing for private financing of its construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the implications for Her Majesty's Government's policy on global warming and climate change of the findings of the Natural Environment Research Council's terrestrial initiative in the global environmental research project released on 31 August; and what further funding will be made available to the project to follow up the research findings published to date.

Work under the Natural Environment Research Council's terrestrial initiative in global environmental research—TIGER—will help to improve predictions of climate change and its impacts. The results will be part of the scientific evidence supporting the implementation of the framework convention on climate change under which the United Kingdom will be committed to take actions aimed at returning CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000.Funding of the programme is a matter for the Natural Environment Research Council. The Department will continue to support TIGER by facilitating joint work with the Hadley Centre climate prediction programme and through the climate impacts link project at the climatic research unit, university of East Anglia.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to issue further guidance, and to amend existing guidance, to relevant authorities under the powers contained in section 71 of the Housing Act 1985.

The Government have consulted local housing authorities and other interested parties on proposals (a) to revise the third edition (1991) of the "Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities" in the light of the Court of Appeal's judgment in the case of R-v-Secretary of State for the Environment ex parte London borough of Tower Hamlets, and (b) to supplement the code by providing guidance on the housing provisions of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993. I intend to issue a revision of the code and a supplement to it in due course, taking account of the consultation responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to use his powers under section 59(2) of the Housing Act 1985 to vary the categories of persons defined as having a priority need for accommodation.

We have no plans to amend section 59(2) of the Housing Act 1985 by order.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce new measures that will help first-time home buyers; and if he will make a statement.

The most important way in which first-time buyers, and indeed all home buyers, will be helped is through continued improvement in the general economy. Measures that my Department is taking to encourage home ownership include the new rent-to-mortgage scheme, which will enable secure tenants of local authorities and certain other bodies to buy their homes on a mortgage that costs no more than their rent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to meet representatives of (a) the Business Council for Sustainable Development and (b) the World Industry Council for the Environment to discuss their respective programmes in regard to United Kingdom environmental policy.

None. Officials are, however, in touch with both organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the total accumulated capital receipts held by local authorities which are not available for investment.

Local authorities are not required to account for the reserved part of capital receipts separately from other amounts set aside as provision to meet credit liabilities—PCL.At 31 March 1992, the total balance held by local authorities as PCL was around £6.5 billion. Amounts held as PCL may be used to repay debt, to meet liabilities in respect of credit arrangements, or, with the authority of a credit approval, to meet capital expenditure. In the interim, such amounts would generally be represented by financial investments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of activity in the building and construction industry since last year's autumn statement to date.

Total output in the building and construction industry in Great Britain fell by 2.5 per cent. between the third quarter of 1992 and the second quarter of 1993. This change is at constant 1985 prices and adjusted to exclude normal seasonal variation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils have put services out to tender on a voluntary basis.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much was spent on official hospitality in his Department in the financial year 1992–93.

Total expenditure by my Department, including the Building Research Establishment agency, the Planning Inspectorate agency, the Buying Agency and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre agency, was £138,000 in 1992–93.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made by Government Departments towards their 15 per cent. energy efficiency target.