To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases were referred to the small claims procedure in 1991–92 and 1992–93.

The number of cases which were dealt with using the small claims arbitration procedure in 1991–92 and 1992–93 was 66,090 and 89,104 respectively.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) how many small claims cases in 1991–92 and 1992–93 were (a) personal injury cases, (b) consumer goods cases and (c) debt reclamation;(2) in how many small personal injury claims in the past year the defendant has been represented by a barrister;(3) how many proceedings were issued in the county courts in 1991–92 and 1992–93 of

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

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average level of costs charged for (a) legal expertise, (b) medical evidence, (c) ergonomics and engineering evidence, (d) police evidence and (e) witness evidence in county court personal injury cases in (i) 1990–91, (ii) 1991–92 and (iii) 1992–93.

This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will announce his conclusions on the Arts Council review.

In my statement of 21 July, Official Report, columns 355–66, I set out a clearer framework for the Government's relationship with the Arts Council of England. As part of this, I asked the council to consider ways in which its accountability could be improved, and to review the scope for savings in its administrative costs. I am now in a position to announce my conclusions on this further work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many visiting officers were available to his Department and the Benefits Agency in each administrative region in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years, together with the staff projections for the number of visiting officers that will be available in each region over the next three years.

The administration of the Benefits Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Mr. Michael Bichard. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in which parts of the United Kingdom cold weather payments have been triggered during the very cold weather during November; and if he will outline the main conditions to be met before cold weather payments are triggered.

The administration of cold weather payments is a matter for Mr. Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of national average earnings the basic state pension for a single person amounted to in (a) 1960, (b) 1970, (c) 1980 and (d) 1990.

The information is not available for 1960. The Employment Department's new earnings survey, on which the figures are based, did not start until 1970. The basic state pension for a single person as a percentage of national average earnings amounted to (a) 19·3 per cent. at April 1970, (b) 22·6 per cent. at November 1980, and (c) 17·8 per cent. at April 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals were put forward by EU member states at the Social Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 23 November.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to the hon. Member for Chingford (Mr. Duncan Smith) on 24 November 1993,

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many applications have been received from local education authorities, diocesan boards or currently operating private schools for voluntary-aided status for (a) Protestant, (b) Catholic, (c) Hindu, (d) Jewish and (e) Muslim schools since 1983; and how many applications by each denomination have been successful.

Full information dating back to 1983 is not readily available. However, in the last five years since November 1988, 23 applications have been received to establish new voluntary-aided schools. These include six Church of England schools, two Interchurch CE/Methodist and one Interchurch CE/RC, seven Catholic, five Jewish and two Muslim schools. Ten applications were successful: Two Church of England, one Interchurch CE/Methodist and one Interchurch CE/RC, four Catholic and two Jewish schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many visits abroad he has made during 1993; and what was (a) the cost to public funds and (b) the purpose of each visit.

I have made one official trip overseas in 1993. Between 7 November and 9 November, I and two officials visited Slovakia. During the visit, I met the Slovakian Education Minister and other representatives of the Slovakian Government, and visited four universities, one of which is developing close links with the Open university.The cost of the visit was approximately £2,250.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have to date (i) applied for and (ii) received approval for grant-maintained status from his Department in each of the London boroughs; and what percentage these represent of the total number of schools in each borough.

The information requested is set out in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list those local education authorities which have a single annual starting date for children starting school at age five years.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the amount of VAT which would be payable in the next financial year by schools if the tax were extended to books and periodicals, assuming unchanged patterns of expenditure.

None. I cannot comment on speculation about possible Budget measures. But local education authority schools are able to claim refunds of the VAT costs they incur on their purchases. Self-governing schools receive a special purpose grant to compensate them for their VAT costs on leaving the LEA sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will issue guidelines to schools incorporating the policies set out in the Sex Education Forum's recent publication, "A Framework for School Sex Education"; and if he will make a statement.

The statutory requirements for sex education in schools have changed since the publication by the independent Sex Education Forum of "A Framework for School Sex Education" in 1992. We intend to consult shortly on draft guidance to schools on the new arrangements for sex education introduced under section 241 of the Education Act 1993. Following consultation, we plan to issue it to schools next spring, to help them to develop and implement appropriate policies and programmes of sex education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will publish the actual statistics of the responses received to the questions in section G of the revised order for national curriculum English referred to in paragraph 2.5 of the National Curriculum Council consultation report.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 23 November 1993, Official Report, column 24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commercial Affairs what support the Government are giving to developing countries in their efforts to tackle national and global environmental problems.

We have committed substantial resources to help developing countries with their national environmental issues including £40 million to support biodiversity projects, £150 million to about 200 forestry projects, and £86 million for energy efficiency programmes in India.We have also committeed over £40 million to the global environment facility, and $13.8 million to the Montreal protrocol multilateral fund, to meet the incremental cost to developing countries of action on the global environment to protect the climate system, biodiversity, internattonal waters and the ozone layer. We will be contributing to the replenishments of the global environment facility and the Montreal protocol multilateral fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement about the port of Tanga, Tanzania.

The Tanzanian Harbours Authority has recently advised us of revisions to the tariffs to be charged at Tanga port from 1 December. The potential effect of these changes on future traffic at the port is being examined by the consultants we engaged to review the justification for the project as orginally envisaged, about which my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development wrote to my hon. Friend on 2 November. A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make statement on progress made to date in the intergovernmental negotiating committee for desertification how many sessions of the Committee have been held; how the United Kingdom is represented; and what are the Overseas Development Administration's policies to mitigate desertification.

The intergovernmental negotiating committee has held one preparatory and two substantive sessions. The United Kingdom is represented by a delegation led by the Overseas Development Administration and including officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of the Environment. Negotiations to date have been concerned with the general scope of the convention, and will now proceed to negotiation of text.We support national plans of action of desertification, drawn up by affected developing countries. We are providing substantial support to efforts to mitigate desertification through bilateral projects, support to non-government organisations and research, and through-our contributions to multilateral institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received on funding birth control schemes for African elephants.

We have not been asked to fund birth control schemes for African elephants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure a procedure exists to investigate circumstances which suggest impropriety amongst contractors or subcontractors in respect of contracting for roads.

All tenders for road works are routinely examined for evidence of corrupt practice, and the Department's staff are regularly reminded of the need to be vigilant in reporting any suspected cases of contractual impropriety. Close links are maintained with the Office of Fair Trading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what considerations underlie the absence of provision of service stations or rest areas along the M40 motorway; what proposals he has for providing such facilities; and if he will make a statement.

My Department proposed three motorway service areas (MSAs) for the M40, intending to open them at about the same time as the road. All three schemes, however, provoked objections which led to lengthy public inquiries and substantial delays in provision. Planning clearance was eventually refused for one of the sites, but it was granted for the other two and construction is now under way both are due to open next year. In the meantime temporary facilities, open 24 hours a day, are signposted from the motorway at junction 10 and between junctions 13 and 15.Following a commitment in the citizens charter, future MSAs will be promoted by the private sector rather than the Department. I understand that at least three planning applications for further MSAs on the M40 are currently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many officials in his Department are currently working on the issues raised by the transpennine study.

No staff are working exclusively on this project. Officials from five regional offices, as well as headquarters, have been involved in the study and assessing consultation responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has a view on whether the proposed Colne-Foulridge bypass should be single or dual carriageway.

This is a Lancashire county council proposal and its design standards are for them to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the cost of extending the M65 to join the motorway network east of the Pennines.

None. The transpennine study report included a broad estimate of £120 million to £140 million for an improved route from the M65 towards the A1 via Skipton.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions are being made for the future running of the royal train.

From 1 April 1994, responsibility for the royal train will pass from BR to Railtrack. Railtrack will be responsible for the running of the royal train, including the provision and upkeep of coaches and locomotives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the estimated expenditure that will be incurred in running the new office of the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising established by the Railways Act 1993.

Parliamentary approval to the administrative and other expenditure of the director and his Office will be sought in a new estimate to establish a passenger rail services vote—class VI, vote 7. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £350,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the number of school minibuses in (a) Great Britain and (b) Lancashire which are not fitted with seat belts.

None. This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the orders required for the fixing of a date for the public inquiry into the proposed route of the West End, Bisley and Knaphill bypass.

A date for a public inquiry into this scheme cannot be fixed until the council has submitted revised orders occasioned by the deficiencies found in its original application.

	6 months to 31 March 1992	6 months to 30 September 1992	6 months to 31 March 1993	6 months to 30 September 1993
South West England
Cornwall	61	63	64	72
Devon	44	60	23	16
Dorset	3	5	6	9
Gloucester/Avon	27	81	54	40
Somerset	0	0	0	34
Wiltshire	35	26	23	27
Elsewhere in England
Cumbria	0	1	11	1
Durham/Tyne and Wear/Cleveland/Northumberland	0	1	1	0
Hereford/Worcestershire	0	0	1	1
Humberside	0	0	1	0
Kent/East Sussex	2	0	0	0
Leicestershire	0	1	1	0
Lancashire/Greater Manchester/Greater Merseyside	0	1	1	0
North Yorkshire	2	2	1	0
Staffordshire	0	0	5	0
Warwickshire/West Midlands	3	0	0	0
Wales
Dyfed	15	22	28	14
Glamorgan Gwent	4	2	0	16
Powys	0	3	0	0
Scotland
Ayr	0	0	0	51
Elgin	0	2	0	0
Galashiels	0	0	2	0
Stirling	0	1	0	0

In the light of the worsening disease situation in the south-west of England we are reviewing the current badger control strategy and hope to make an announcement shortly after careful consideration of the views expressed by the consultative panel on badgers and bovine tuberculosis at its meeting on 18 November.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations she has received on the level and scope of funding for organic farming in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Since the Minister made her announcement of the proposed organic aid scheme, she has received 244 letters on the level and scope of funding of organic farming. The vast majority of these were from producers who said that they already followed organic methods. The Minister also had a meeting on 15 November with

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest figures for the numbers of cattle infected with tuberculosis shown by county, and the figures for six months, one year and 18 months ago; and if she will make a statement.

Information on the number of cattle found to be infected with tuberculosis is not available in the form requested. Such information is collected quarterly from each animal health office and relates to herds in administrative areas which may cover an area greater than one county.The numbers of confirmed cases in each animal health office administrative area were as follows:representatives of the organic movement, and agreed that there would be further discussions with officials and another meeting with the Minister in the spring. This meeting would be to discuss the role of organic farming in relation to common agricultural policy reform.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she has reached a decision concerning the future of the potato marketing scheme; and if she will make a statement.

I have now completed my consultations with the various interests concerned, and am consulting colleagues on our response. I hope to make an announcement soon.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many confirmed cases of BSE were reported between 1 January and 30 September 1993, from each county in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The numbers of suspected cases of BSE which were reported and placed under movement restrictions during the period 1 January to 30 September, and which have since been confirmed, are set out. These figures are correct up to 24 November but will change as further cases reported in that period are confirmed by laboratory examination.

County	Number
England, Scotland and Wales
Avon	436
Bedfordshire	56
Berkshire	102
Borders	106
Buckinghamshire	216
Cambridgeshire	82
Central	49
Cheshire	1,060
Cleveland	43
Clwyd	427
Cornwall	1,507
Cumbria	891
Derbyshire	640
Devon	2,140
Dorset	1,270
Dumfries	452
Durham	117
Dyfed	1,328
Essex	130
Fife	69
Glammorgan Mid	36
Glamorgan South	76
Glamorgan West	22
Gloucestershire	424
Grampian	271
Gwent	178
Gwynedd	119
Hampshire	524
Hereford and Worcestershire	441
Hertfordshire	102
Highland	61
Humberside	152
Isle of Wight	99
Kent	304
Lancashire	956
Leicestershire	460
Lincolnshire	177
London	24
Lothian	51
Manchester	74
Merseyside	19
Norfolk	634
Northamptonshire	174
Northumberland	192
Nottinghamshire	160
Orkney	24
Oxfordshire	300
Powys	409
Shropshire	672
Somerset	1,800
Staffordshire	720
Strathclyde	327
Suffolk	299
Surrey	175
Sussex East	250
Sussex West	450
Tayside	96
Tyne and Wear	9
West Midlands	23

County	Number
Warwickshire	256
Wiltshire	926
Yorkshire North	1,183
Yorkshire South	110
Yorkshire West	176
Northern Ireland
Antrim	79
Armagh	23
Down	45
Fermanagh	22
Londonderry	72
Tyrone	65

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total value of wine imports into Britain in 1992 and the total value of exports of Scotch whisky in 1992.

Wine imports into the United Kingdom in 1992 were valued at £997·4 million. Scotch Whisky Association statistics show that in 1992, Scotch whisky exports—which include one Northern Irish distillery —were £1,958·9 million.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what requests she has received from her counterparts in the European Union regarding the effect of acid rainfall on continental Europe arising from discharges of sulphur dioxide from British plants.

I have been asked to reply.The Government have received one representation from the Environment Minister of the Netherlands requesting further reductions in the United Kingdom's total sulphur emissions, in the context of the negotiations for a second sulphur protocol currently being discussed within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much he will spend in the lead-up to the European and local elections next year on promoting the use of postal and proxy votes by sick, disabled and absent voters; what arrangements are in place for this exercise; and if he will make a statement.Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Provision has been made in the planning of expenditure for 1994–95 to cover the cost of a publicity campaign in Scotland to inform electors who cannot vote in person at the 1994 European parliamentary elections of how they may apply for postal or proxy votes. The precise figure has still to be determined. Arrangements for the campaign have not yet been finalised but it is likely to involve advertising in the press.In accordance with past practice, the Scottish Office intends to issue a news release to the national press drawing the public's attention to the need to apply early for absent voting facilities at the 1994 regional elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland by what date he expects financial guarantees to be in place which will allow the order for rolling stock placed by Strathclyde passenger transport authority with Hunslet TPL to proceed.

[holding answer 25 November 1993]: Financial arrangements to allow the Strathclyde passenger transport executive rolling stock order to proceed are a matter for Strathclyde regional council, in conjunction with the parties to any financing agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the volume of local traffic making journeys of 25 miles or less on the B 1348 and B 1361 roads west of Prestonpans; and what proportion of the total traffic at those points is represented by such local traffic.

[holding answer 25 November 1993]: This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost to each education and library board and to his Department of third level students from Northern Ireland studying in Great Britain.

Financial year	Belfast £ million	North-Eastern £ million	South-Eastern £ million	Southern £ million	Western £ million
1990–91	0·771	0·977	0·766	1·024	0·866
1991–92	0·954	1·131	0·934	1·264	1·047
1992–93	1·014	1·233	1·009	1·362	1·166
1993–941	1·008	1·284	1·068	1·654	1·234
1Provisional.

Information is not readily available on the sums paid in discretionary awards to students from the EC, by individual country and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost to (a) his Department, (b) Northern Ireland education and library boards and (c) other United Kingdom education authorities of those students from (i) Northern Ireland, (ii) Great Britain, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other EC countries.

The total costs of making provision for students is not available in the form requested.The table shows the estimated costs of student awards held by all Northern Ireland students and the cost of tuition fees for students from EC countries at Northern Ireland institutions during the financial year 1992–93.

	Northern Ireland Students £ million	EC Students £ million
Department of Education	5·550	0·053
Education and Library Boards

The estimated cost to the Department of Education and to each of the five education and library boards of third-level students from Northern Ireland studying in Great Britain for the financial year 1992–93 is as follows:

	£ million
Department of Education	2·297
Education and Library boards
Belfast	6·063
North Eastern	10·627
South Eastern	8·796
Southern	9·611
Western	8·168

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table indicating for each education and library board in Northern Ireland the total sums expended in each of the last three years and the current year on discretionary grants for students and the sums paid in discretionary grants to students from each EC country for each of those years; and in each such category; and if he will show the number of students and the total sums for each EC country.

The table shows the total cost incurred by the five Northern Ireland education and library boards over the period 1990–91 to 1993–94.

	Northern Ireland Students £ million	EC Students £ million
Belfast	15·320	1·163
North Eastern	25·357	3·126
South Eastern	23·562	—
Southern	26·000	0·007
Western	21·873	0·237

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action is being taken to encourage health boards to offer midwife-only beds and midwife-only care to low risk pregnant women in all maternity units.

The Department of Health and Social Services would wish to encourage health and social services boards to make full use of the skills and expertise which the midwifery profession can offer. It will be considering the implications for Northern Ireland on how best the role played by midwives in the care of low risk pregnant women can be enhanced. The Department has also recently established its own study group to consider the scope for developing maternity units led by midwives and/or general practitioners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons killed since January 1988 by loyalist paramilitaries using weapons smuggled into Northern Ireland with the knowledge of the military intelligence officer Brian Nelson have been compensated by Her Majesty's Government.

It is not possible to determine that anyone has been killed under the circumstances described.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next plans to visit HMP Welford Road, Leicester.

My right hon. and learned Friend has no plans at present to visit HM prison, Welford Road, Leicester.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons he has visited since his appointment.

My right hon. and learned Friend visited four prisons and one young offender institution since becoming Home Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much he will spend in the lead-up to the European and local elections next year on promoting

Notifiable offences of theft and handling stolen goods recorded by the police—12 months ending March 1993
Metropolitan police district						Number of offences
Borough/District	Theft or unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle	Theft from a motor vehicle	Theft of pedal cycle	Theft from shops	Handling stolen goods	Total theft and handling
Broxbourne	565	937	230	267	36	2,758
Enfield	2,016	3,615	506	546	250	10,389
Epping Forest	894	1,143	141	127	62	3,313
Haringey	2,594	4,599	485	1,019	299	12,098
Islington	2,438	5,340	899	582	223	14,913
Redbridge	3,247	3,025	486	979	169	10,536
Waltham Forest	2,909	3,555	491	771	294	11,301
Welwyn Hatfield	4	32	0	0	0	45
Barking	2,167	2,811	386	518	139	7,688

We provide posters and leaflets to let elderly and disabled people know about their right to vote by post or by proxy. It is our practice before a general election to undertake a publicity campaign to tell people how to apply for an absent vote and to let them know the closing date. We do not undertake a similar campaign for local government or European parliamentary elections where the timetable is known well in advance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times to date since May 1990, Mr. Amanullah Khan, a Pakistani national, has been interviewed by immigration officials, police, or representatives of other United Kingdom agencies within United Kingdom jurisdiction; on which such occasions Mr. Khan was (a) detained and (b) allowed as a transit passenger to continue his journey outside United Kingdom jurisdiction; and what action United Kingdom authorities took to notify other countries of Mr. Khan's travel arrangements.

Mr. Khan arrived at Manchester international airport on 15 October 1993 while in transit from Islamabad to Amsterdam. He was spoken to by police officers in the normal course of their port duties. As a transit passenger, he had no contact with any immigration officials or with any other United Kingdom agency. He was not detained and was allowed to proceed with his journey. The Dutch and Belgian authorities were aware of Mr. Khan's arrival on their territory. This is the only occasion since May 1990 on which Mr. Khan is known to have been within United Kingdom jurisdiction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes recorded by the Metropolitan police within each borough in the category of theft and handling stolen goods were recorded as (a) theft of a motor vehicle, (b) theft from a motor vehicle, (c) theft of a pedal cycle, (d) shoplifting, (e) handling stolen goods and (f) any other major categories, in the year ended June.

The latest available information relates to the 12 months ending March 1993 and is given in the table: