To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what attempts the Home Office made to legally deprive Mrs. Naheem Ejaz of Bracknell, Berkshire, of her citizenship before moving to deport her;(2) what is the total cost to the taxpayer of the failed attempt to deport Mrs. Naheem Ejaz of Bracknell, Berkshire.

One of the requirements for naturalisation under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 is that the applicant is married to a British citizen. Mrs. Ejaz's husband has never been such a British citizen. When this came to light, Mrs. Ejaz was informed that her naturalisation was a nullity. Since her certificate on naturalisation was considered not to have been granted to her lawfully in the first place, it was not thought necessary to proceed to formal deprivation of citizenship under section 40 of the 1981 Act.It is not the practice of the immigration and nationality department routinely to record the administrative costs of individual case handling. The cost of detaining Mrs. Ejaz prior to her planned removal in September 1992 was £550. The legal costs in her case have not yet been finally determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to bring the sentences available for non-consensual buggery in line with those for rape.

The law in this area is kept under review, but there are no current plans to amend it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what foreign police personnel are at present on training programmes with police forces in the United Kingdom; and if he will list each country, the number of personnnel involved and the courses they are taking.

I regret that this information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost of the police operation against the anti-M11 link campaigners in Wanstead on 7 December.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the additional manpower costs of the operation were £97,532. Information on the cost of support services and other resources involved is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers and from which divisions were involved in the operation against MI1 link road protestors in Wanstead on 7 December.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 371 officers from all parts of the Metropolitan police district were involved in the operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many shotgun certificates were on issue at 31 December in each year from 1985 in each police force area.

Statistics of shotgun certificates on issue in each police force in England and Wales have been published annually since 1986 in Home Office statistical bulletins "Firearm Certificate Statistics"—prior to 1991, "Statistics on the operation of the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1988"—copies of which are available in the Library. Figures for 1985 are not readily available by police force area.The bulletin issue numbers are as follows: 2/88, 33/88, 18/89, 26/90, 23/91, 19/92, 23/93.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what consideration he has given to establishing projects for prisoners' work to justify a competitive wage of a nature to enable them to contribute to the costs of their keep, their families and victim support;(2) what plans there are to review paid work undertaken by prisoners in gaol.

Responsibility for these matters 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 (a) male and (b) female prison inmates held in prisons in England and Wales were over the age of 80 years as of 1 December.

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 (1) what discussions his Department has entered into with Opposition parties over the recent appointments of persons to the Horserace Betting Levy Board;(2) what are the reasons for and criteria behind his decision to reappoint Mrs. Anna McCurley to membership of the Horserace Betting Levy Board;(3) if he will list the necessary qualifications and qualities necessary for an appointment to membership of the Horserace Betting Levy Board.

We have had no discussion with Opposition parties about recent appointments of members to the Horserace Betting Levy Board. The Government-appointed members of the levy board are expected to have skills relevant to the work of the board, which this year included trying to reach agreement on the levy payable by bookmakers.Mrs. McCurley has wide experience of the board's work and her commitment to its affairs is valued by the chairman and the Home Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what analysis his Department has made of the relationship between the level of house burglaries in England and Wales and the levels of unemployment, since 1979; and if he will make a statement;(2) what analysis his Department has conducted into the relationship between the level of car crime in England and Wales and the levels of unemployment since 1979.

Work on these subjects was covered in the Home Office research study "Trends in Crime and their Interpretation" published in 1990. The study found that, once the strong effect of personal consumption growth on car crime and household burglary were taken into account, no separate relationship with unemployment could be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) after what period of detention in a bodybelt a prisoner is entitled to a review of the situation;(2) in which prisons bodybelts are allowed to be used;(3) for what length of time prisoners are allowed to be detained in a bodybelt.

Responsibility for these matters 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 whether bodybelts are used in police stations.

Bodybelts are not normally used in police stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many children aged under 18 years have accompanied a parent being deported from the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available; and what ages those children were;(2) how many people, accompanied by how many children, were deported from this country in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion of each of these categories received appropriate immunisations for the country to which they were travelling.

In the 12 months to June 1993, about 2,600 people were removed under deportation powers. The other information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 December, Official Report, column 171, what arrangements are made for immunisation to be provided for any deportee who requests it; and what steps his Department takes to inform deportees that they and any children accompanying them are entitled to the appropriate immunisations recommended for the country to which they are travelling.

Where the deportee is detained, vaccinations would be provided, if requested, by the qualified medical staff employed at the place of detention. Otherwise, the deportee would be advised to consult his or her general practitioner.There are no formal arrangements for the Department to advise deportees about immunisation, but any relevant advice given by the agency issuing travel tickets would be passed on.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what proportion of deportations in the last year for which figures are available (a) a private security firm, (b) more than one private security firm, (c) the police and (d) police and a private security firm were used;(2) what was the total cost of employing private security firms to participate in deportations from the United Kingdom in

The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the (a) average, (b) highest and (c) lowest cost to public funds of a deportation from the United Kingdom in the last year for which figures are available.

I will write to the hon. Member with the available information.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department during how many deportations in the last year for which figures are available drugs have been offered to deportees; in what proportion of those cases the drugs were accepted; what were the drugs involved; if they were administered under the guidance of a qualified medical officer; and if he will make a statement.

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is, however, not normal practice for drugs to be offered or administered to deportees.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 December, Official Report, column 275, what was the cost of police security provided for Baroness Thatcher to sign copies of her memoirs at bookshops within the Metropolitan policing area.

It is a long-standing practice not to reveal the costs of security operations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has received from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis about reorganising the senior management structure of the Metropolitan police; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. The Commissioner is, with my support, undertaking a thorough and fundamental review of the structure of the Metropolitan police. This review is also taking into account the decisions which I announced on 28 October about the recommendations of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards.A principal aim of the review is to release and apply the energy of senior staff to meeting operational needs. An early outcome is a proposal, which I have approved, to reduce the number of area commands within the Metroplitan police district from eight to five and to streamline the senior management structure.This will involve abolishing, in stages, the existing 14 deputy Assistant Commissioner posts and putting each of the five new areas under the command of an Assistant Commissioner. Only two of the existing five central Assistant Commissioner posts will remain, one to deputise for the Commissioner and carry out other functional responsibilities and a second to take overall charge of operational functions organised centrally.I shall bring forward proposals for necessary adjustments to existing legislation about Assistant Commissioners in the forthcoming Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which proposed combined lire authority Swansea will be included.

In the light of representations, I have received in response to proposals in the White Paper, "Local Government in Wales: A Charter for the Future", of advice received from the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council, and of advice received from Her Majesty's chief inspector of fire services, I have decided that it would be in the best interests of operational efficiency not to split the area of the existing West Glamorgan county fire brigade between different combined fire authorities. I propose, in drawing up combination schemes under the Fire Services Act 1947, to take effect when local government in Wales is reorganised, to include the proposed new unitary authorities of Swansea and of Neath and Port Talbot in the combined fire authority which will cover Mid and West Wales. The Mid and West Wales combined fire authority will include the following unitary authorities:

Cardiganshire (Sir Abertefi); Carmarthenshire (Sir Gaerfyddin); Pembrokeshire (Sir Benfro); Mid Wales (Canolbarth Cymru); Swansea (Abertawe); and Neath and Port Talbot (Castellnedd a Phort Talbot).

The North Wales combined fire authority will include all those Welsh unitary authorities to the north of that group; and the South Wales combined fire authority will include all those to the south.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached as a result of his examination of the circumstances surrounding the acquittal of Mr. Joseph Elliot; and if he will make a statement.

It would not be proper for me to make any statement about the particular circumstances of this case. Nevertheless, my examination provided a useful insight into some of the general issues facing the criminal justice system. In particular, it has helped to confirm my belief in the wide-ranging programme of reform on which the Government have embarked. That programme is designed to ensure that people never have cause to feel so exasperated about crime and the response of the criminal justice system that they feel driven to take the law into their own hands; that young people in particular are deterred and helped to desist from a life style of idleness and petty crime; and that the criminal justice system as a whole works efficiently and effectively, allowing courts full and prompt access to relevant evidence. It is vital that people have confidence in the system and are encouraged to come forward to help it work better.Specifically on the law on self-defence, I am satisfied that the individual should always be able to defend himself, his family and his property, as long as he only uses force that is both reasonable and necessary. I am not currently persuaded that there is a need to change the law. However, I intend to study the Law Commission's recent report on offences against the person very carefully and will be interested in the public reaction to its recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost of the risk benefit study carried out by Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd; what was the subject of its analysis; and if he will place its report in the Library.

The risk benefit study was commissioned by my Department last year at a cost of £38,000 excluding VAT. The report of the study was published by Risk and Policy Analysts Ltd. under HMSO licence and I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library.The purpose of the study was to develop a methodology for the application of risk benefit analysis techniques to the control of hazardous substances, and to demonstrate the applicability of that methodology for two particular substances.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the criteria used by regional Department of the Environment offices for determining the allocation of the discretionary part of the housing investment programme allocation.

A list of factors that Ministers will bear in mind in allocating the discretionary portion of housing investment programme—HIP—resources was published in May, as a component of the guidance to local authorities on the 1993 HIP round. I have placed a copy of this document in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action his Department is taking to publicise the review of procurement and contracting arrangements in the construction industry by Sir Michael Latham; what plans he has to extend the review; and when his Department expects to produce a response to the Latham review.

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend Member for Chislehurst (Mr. Sims) on 13 December 1993, Official Report, column 454. The construction industry and its clients are already aware of the review of procurement and contracting arrangements by Sir Michael Latham and he has received many representations from them. The terms of reference are broad and there are no plans to extend the review further. My Department will consider how best to respond to Sir Michael Latham's final report after it has been presented in July 1994, and in the light of its contents and after any necessary consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Islington, South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 30 November, Official Report, column 494, if he will set out the criteria his Department will adopt to judge the best practicable environmental option for the long-term handling of decommissioning wastes from nuclear facilities.

Decision about the management of decommissioning wastes from nuclear facilities will be taken in accordance with criteria relevant at the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest information he has on the number of families currently in temporary accommodation.

A total of 56,900 households for which local authorities had accepted responsibility to secure permanent accommodation were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 1993, the latest date for which a figure is available.This is the fourth successive quarter in which the number of households in temporary accommodation has fallen; the current figure is some 8,530—13 per cent.—less than a year earlier.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many empty dwellings there are in England and Wales.

Local authorities in England provide estimates of the number of vacant dwellings in their area in their annual housing investment programme—HIP1—returns. On the basis of these data, it is estimated that there were around 850,000 vacant dwellings on 1 April 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for a successor to the environmental protection technology scheme; what level of finance he will make available to the body; and if he will make a statement.

As my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced to the House on 7 December, there will be a new environmental technology best practice programme operated jointly by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Environment. This programme will build on earlier schemes including the joint DOE/DTI environmental technology innovation scheme, previously the environmental protection technology scheme. The budget for the new programme is £16 million over five years, shared between the Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the outcome of the Rural Development Commission's consultation on the designation of the rural development areas will be announced.

The Rural Development Commission will be announcing the new rural development areas on 15 December. Details of the new areas and copies of the maps will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has decided to take against Warrington borough council following the notice served on the authority on 10 June under section 13 of the Local Government Act 1988, in respect of ground maintenance work; and what action he has decided to take against Bradford metropolitan city council following the notice served on that authority on 10 September, under section 19A of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, in respect of highway maintenance work.

My right hon. Friend has considered carefully the responses which Warrington borough council and Bradford metropolitan city council have made to the notices served on them on 10 June and 10 September respectively, and has today given directions to both authorities. The directions, given to Warrington borough council under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988 and to Bradford metropolitan city council under section 19B of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980, require the authorities to retender the work which has been the subject of the notices and to seek my right hon. Friend's consent should they wish to reassign this work to their direct services organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish revised planning guidelines on coal extraction; and if he will make a statement.

We have today published revised planning guidelines for public consultation for England and Wales. Separate consultations are being carried out in Wales. The guidelines deal with both deep mine and opencast coal and with the disposal of colliery spoil.As foreshadowed in the announcement by my right hon. and learned Friend the then Secretary of State for the Environment, on 25 March 1993, the guidelines aim to strike a balance between the economic importance of this indigenous energy resource and the protection of the environment in a way that is fully compatible with the principles of sustainable development. The draft guidelines set tough environmental tests for the industry. I am confident that, with careful planning and a sensitive approach to local concerns, they can come forward with proposals that contribute to economic growth and provide an environmentally sound foundation for the future. The guidelines are based on three broad principles:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the United Kingdom will be requesting continued production of halons in 1995 to meet essential users.

The Government do not believe that any production of new halons will be necessary in 1995 to meet essential uses.We welcome the decision of the fifth meeting of the parties to the Montreal protocol not to allow any continued production of halon for essential uses in 1994. This decision reflects the success of halon banking, both nationally and internationally.The Government commend the work of the Halon Users National Consortium—HUNC—and would urge all halon users to join HUNC to ensure that the bank continues to be a success.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a copy of the quality status report of the North sea, prepared for the signatory states to the convention on the prevention of pollution to the North sea.

A pre-print version of the quality status report was considered at the North sea conference meeting which I attended last week. However, there is still some final editing to be done before the document is published in February 1994. Copies will be placed in the Library as soon as the final version is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and decisions taken at the ministerial meeting reviewing the convention protecting the North sea against pollution, held in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 December.

[holding answer 9 December 1993]: The third North sea conference in 1990 decided that there should be an interim meeting of Ministers to review progress on specific questions considered at that conference. This was the meeting that took place in Copenhagen on 7 and 8 December. Ministers or other representatives from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the European Commission took part. My noble Friend Earl Howe and I represented the United Kingdom. A number of intergovernmental and international non-governmental organisations were also present.The first task of the meeting was to review the report on the quality status of the North sea, which is taken to include the English channel, recently completed by the North sea task force. The Ministers congratulated the North sea task force on the successful completion of the report. We agreed to refer the recommendations in the quality status report to appropriate bodies for further consideration, but identified some areas for immediate attention—including the impact of fisheries, further controls on tributyl tin, reduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon inputs and a review of the strategy for achieving the goals set by the 1990 conference for inputs of toxic, persistent and bioaccumulative substances.The second topic was the impact of shipping. We welcomed the achievement through the International Maritime Organisation—IMO—on the initiative of the North sea states, of stricter standards worldwide for oil discharges from shipping, the work under way in the IMO on chemical discharges and the action being taken by the EC Transport and Environment Councils to improve the protection of the seas against maritime pollution. Further action was agreed on shore reception facilities, enforcement and air pollution from ships. On the initiative of the United Kingdom, the Ministers decided on joint efforts to achieve early agreement within the International Maritime Organisation to a convention on liability and compensation for damage caused by accidents involving ships carrying hazardous or noxious cargoes, and to review the question at the 1995 North sea conference in order to find other solutions if progress in the IMO is insufficient.The third topic was the input of nutrients to the North sea. The 1990 conference had called for a 50 per cent. reduction by 1995 in inputs of nutrients to areas where they were likely, directly or indirectly, to cause pollution. In the case of the United Kingdom, however, only a few estuaries in United Kingdom waters are under investigation as possible problem areas. Inputs from the continent, on the other hand, affect substantial problem areas along much of the continental coast. The meeting noted that the reductions in nitrate inputs to these problem areas by 1995 were, in general, unlikely to be achieved, mainly because of the difficulties of achieving sufficient reduction in agricultural inputs. Ministers therefore agreed on the need for the countries concerned to implement, or improve their implementation, of all the necessary measures. One promising approach was the application of the concept of balanced fertilisation. Agreement was reached on work to define this and related concepts. It proved impossible, however, to reach agreement on the form of a commitment to their application. The United Kingdom and France considered that it was premature to set a fixed date for achieving balanced fertilisation before the concept was defined and it was clear what was involved.The final topic was the effects of pesticides on the North sea. The meeting concluded that much progress had been made towards the targets for the reduction of pesticide inputs set in 1990, but that for eight substances this progress was insufficient and further efforts were required. On the initiative of the United Kingdom, Ministers confirmed that measures had to address non-agricultural, as well as agricultural, uses of pesticides. The meeting also stressed the need to address all uses of pesticides causing environmental harm and to promote environmentally friendly approaches to agricultural production; steps were agreed to take all this forward.A copy of the statement of conclusions adopted by the Ministers will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to encourage local government groups to convert unrentable city centre office space into housing; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 13 December 1993]: We aim to encourage the reuse of vacant office buildings for housing and to be flexible in the application of planning policies and standards. Our planning policy guidance note 3 and the draft explanatory note on affordable housing recommend that local authorities view such applications sympathetically.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to further reduce sulphur dioxide emissions from United Kingdom power stations; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 13 December 1993]: In December 1990, the Government published the United Kingdom's programme and national plan for reducing emissions of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen from existing large combustion plants, including power stations. Under that national plan the United Kingdom is committed to reducting sulphur dioxide emissions from existing power stations by 60 per cent. by 2003 compared with 1980 levels. A copy of the plan is available in the Library of the House. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is currently agreeing new authorisations with the generators, in accordance with the requirement of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for best available technology not entailing excessive costs to be applied to emissions from all power plant.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what savings have been achieved in the management of magistrates courts since the publication of the magistrates courts report of January 1989.

Spending on the magistrates courts service has increased every year since 1989. Neither the Government nor the service accepted the recommendation of the 1989 scrutiny of the administration of the magistrates courts that they be run as a national agency. However, the Government accepted that reform was needed and published their own proposals in the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice" in February 1992. Our objectives are to provide clearer lines of accountability, to secure maximum management cooperation with other parts of the justice system and to guarantee the judicial independence of magistrates and their legal advisers, as well as to yield improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. The level of savings made will largely depend on the decisions taken by local management on the way they implement the changes.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimated savings on magistrates courts services in London will result from the decision announced in the White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice".

The purpose of the proposals in the White Paper, including any reorganisation of the service in London, is to provide clearer lines of accountability, to secure maximum management cooperation with other parts of the justice system and to guarantee the judicial independence of magistrates and their legal advisers, as well as to yield improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of the service. As the efficiency gains which each magistrates courts committee—MCC—achieves by implementing the White Paper reforms will depend largely on decisions taken at local level, it is difficult for the Government to estimate with any accuracy the total savings to be made. However, evidence from those MCCs that have already implemented some of the White Paper's proposals suggest that, within each MCC, the resulting improvements in value for money exceed the transitional costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were employed in manufacturing industries in the Greater London area on 1 November 1979 and 1 November 1993; and if he will make a statement.

Regional employment estimates are available only for March, June, September and December of each year. The numbers in manufacturing employment in Greater London were:

Employees in manufacturing: Greater London (unadjusted)
	Number
September 1981	681,0001
September 1993	338,0002

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what tests are conducted to ascertain the safety standards of fireworks which are manufactured abroad and imported into Britain.

All fireworks that are imported into Britain are required to comply with the tests set out in British Standard 7114 on firework safety. Additionally, fireworks containing certain compositions: for example, sulphur/chlorate admixtures are prohibited under the Explosives Act 1875.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment from which countries pemission to import fireworks to Britain has been refused on the grounds of safety over the last 15 years.

No country has been banned from supplying fireworks to Britain. Refusals are not aimed at specific countries but at products, or batches of products, that fail to meet the British Standard 7114 standard or equivalent standard. The onus is on the importer to ensure that the requirements are met. The Health and Safety Executive is not automatically informed of rejected products and, therefore, comprehensive figures are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which countries are the major exporters of fireworks to Britain; what proportion of fireworks sold in Britain were manufactured abroad for each year since 1990; if fireworks that have been manufactured abroad have to meet British safety standards; and which countries which export fireworks to Britain have domestic safety standards which do not meet the safety standards for British manufactured fireworks.

On the first and the second points raised, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 6 December, at column 39, and also to the letter sent to her on 9 December by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade and Technology. All fireworks which are imported into Great Britain have to meet the British Standard 7114 or equivalent standard. We do not have detailed information on the domestic safety standards for fireworks manufactured outside Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are presently in employment due to the business start-up scheme; and of these how many places have been taken up since 16 March.

On 15 August 1993, there were 34,900 participants on the business start-up scheme in Great Britian. Over the period 28 March 1993 to 15 August 1993, 15,600 people started on the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if all the offshore oil and gas safety cases were received by the deadline of 30 November; and if he will make a statement.

Under the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations 1992, all existing fixed and mobile offshore installations operating on the United Kingdom continental shelf were required to submit a safety case to the Health and Safety Executive by 30 November. As at 1 December, all the expected 215 safety cases had been received; 214 arrived on or before 30 November; one was delayed in transit from Norway.The number of installations originally expected to be covered was 221; however, some of the safety cases received cover more than one installation; for example, unmanned installations linked to another central installation.One mobile installation was not expected to submit a safety case because it was due to leave the United Kingdom continental shelf before 30 November. Its departure has been slightly delayed because of operating requirements but it will be leaving shortly. It is not being asked to submit a safety case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to set up within the Welsh Office a separate department dedicated to heritage provision, including both human and natural heritage; and if he will make a statement.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many wind power stations there are in Wales.

There are currently five operational wind farms in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to increase the number of wind power stations in the Principality.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a monitor of continuing care provision across the country.

The need for continuing care provision is established, arranged and monitored through the local strategies for health and health plans prepared by health authorities, the social care plans prepared by local authorities and, through the Welsh strategies for the mentally handicapped and the mentally ill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will issue more detailed guidance to health authorities on future standards of continuing care and respite care for people with dementia.

Guidance has been issued to health authorities in the form of the "Protocol for Investment in Health Gain: Mental Health, the Health and Social Gain for Older People" publication and the Welsh strategy for mental illness. I have no proposals to issue further guidance to health authorities at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review and investigate those areas in Wales where no psychogeriatric continuing care beds are available.

The provision of continuing care beds for the elderly mentally ill is a matter for health authorities.All health authorities in Wales provide continuing care beds for this group with the exception of Pembrokeshire health authority which uses patient beds provided by other agencies within Dyfed.It is for each health authority to make appropriate provision in line with its own assessment of local need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the current waiting list for elective surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor; and if he will make a statement.

The latest available hospital waiting lists are for 31 March 1993, when the waiting lists for all surgical specialties at Ysbyty Gwynedd were 2,286 for in-patient treatment and 460 for day cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the average waiting time for elective surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor for the year from April 1992 to April 1993.

The median waiting time for patients admitted from the waiting list for surgical specialties in Ysbyty Gwynedd for the period April 1992 to March 1993 was 49 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if all the appeals of nurses in Wales regarding their salary grading have now been determined.

No. There are fewer than 100 cases outstanding at employing authority level; some 1,100 at the Welsh appeals committee level; and 228 cases at the national level. I am optimistic that recent discussions between both sides of the Nursing and Midwifery Staffs Negotiating Council will shortly result in new procedures for clearing all outstanding cases at the Welsh and national levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information he has as to health promotion campaigns in Wales; and how successful they have been.

Each year, I approve the operational plan of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales and the authority reports on progress at its annual reviews conducted by the Department.In addition, the authority commissions a number of regular surveys to measure changes in people's behaviour. "Plans for Action 3: The Agenda for 1992–94", published in July 1992, showed progress towards meeting the targets set out in the authority's health promotion strategy, based on surveys undertaken in 1990. A further progress report will be published during 1994–95, drawing upon the results of the 1993–94 surveys. The authority is also due to publish an evaluation report of the Heartbeat Wales initiative during 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a detailed account of the progress so far of the Oystermouth square development scheme in Mumbles and the next stages of the planning process it needs to go through.

The Secretary of State called in for his own determination the application for the Oystermouth square development scheme because it raised planning issues of more than local importance. A public local inquiry was arranged for 30 March 1993, but was postponed to permit the applicant to submit revised plans to take account of the line of a main sewer which would have made the original plans impossible to implement. The revised plans were submitted in June 1993 and were the subject of wide consultation and publicity. The public local inquiry opened on 23 November 1993 and is scheduled to be completed by the end of December. The inspector will then make his report and recommendation to the Secretary of State who will consider them before reaching his decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes in the internal structure of the Welsh Development Agency; and if he will make a statement.

The chairman of the Welsh Development Agency announced in October that he is undertaking a comprehensive review of the agency's organisation and management structure.While the issues of organisation and management are essentially matters for the agency, its senior management structure is subject to approval and the agency will be submitting its proposals shortly.Because of the chairman's close involvement in this review and its implementation I have temporarily increased his time commitment from two and a half days per week to four days per week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will commission an update of the 1985 Welsh housing survey.

The results of the latest Welsh house condition survey are expected to be published in the spring 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will discuss with the Council of the Welsh Districts the consequences of the introduction on 14 January of the new £24,000 ceiling on home renovation grants.

My officials have discussed the new upper limit for mandatory grants with representatives of the Council of Welsh Districts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list, for each separate piece of land currently owned or leased by the Forestry Commission in Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd and Powys (a) its name and (b) its area in hectares; and whether he will place a map in the Library which names and identifies each of these pieces of land.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 8 December 1993, at columns 237–

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the South Glamorgan health authority in relation to the compensation offer made to Mr. Alan Trew, former unit manager of the Cardiff Royal group of hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has had no consultations with the South Glamorgan health authority on this matter: this is an individual staffing issue entirely for the authority to resolve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he intends to publish the Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments annual report and accounts for 1992–93.

The report has been published today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about financial provision for further and higher education in Wales in 1994–95.

I intend to make £144·403 million recurrent and £15·615 million capital grant in aid available to the Further Education Funding Council for Wales in 1994–95. This is an increase of 11·2 per cent. over provision in 1993–94. Grant in aid to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales will be £199-973 million recurrent and £22·840 million capital. Total recurrent resources for the HE sector in Wales will be 6·7 per cent. higher than in 1993–94 and capital resources 6·1 per cent. higher.These increases in resources will enable the universities and colleges to provide places for substantially higher number of students than the record levels achieved this year, while maintaining the quality of course provision.I am placing in the Library of the House copies of letters which are being sent today to the chief executive of the funding councils.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what resources he will give to the Wales tourist board for 1994–95.

Additional money is being allocated to the Wales tourist board for 1994–95, which will increase the board's budget by 4 per cent. to £14·204 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy concerning health and safety.

I have been asked to reply. I am advised on health and safety policy by the Health and Safety Commission, HSC.Government policy is to create a legislative framework and supporting safety systems which protect people from workplace risks. Within that system, the primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of workers and public rests with employers and others who create those risks. The function of the HSC and the Health and Safety Executive—the HSE—is to stimulate action and to set, advise on and enforce standards. It is the Government's policy to ensure the greatest possible value for money is achieved in the work of the HSE.The HSC is also currently undertaking a review of health and safety legislation, designed to simplify, clarify and update it. The Government expect this to result in improved health and safety standards for workers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to hold records on the names of hospitals and health authorities which have ceased non-urgent surgery; and if she will make a statement.

The organisation of workload and the delivery of contracts are matters for local managers and clinicians. There are no plans to add to the burdens of managers and other staff by requiring additional statistical returns to the centre on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has in future to ensure that there are sufficient supplies of influenza vaccine when demand increases in response to advice on immunisation given by her chief medical officer.

The Department will continue to liaise with the influenza vaccine manufacturers each year, in advance of the issue of the chief medical officer's letter to doctors, to ensure that their production intentions are to total at least the previous year's usage plus an increment for year on year increases in uptake.The CMO's advice for 1993–94 was the same as for 1992–93. Doses of vaccine distributed in 1992–93 totalled just under 4-7 million. For 1993–94 they have exceeded 5 million despite the fact that a fifth of our expected supply did not become available.Copies of the letter, PL/CMO(93)13, will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the salary of each chief executive of each trust in 1992–93 and 1993–94.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she has received from the specialist independent sub-committee chaired by Professor Sir William Asscher on the effectiveness of nicotine patches in helping patients to give up smoking; and if she proposes to accept it.

A special committee chaired by Sir William Asscher was asked to advise on whether a decision to remove a particular nicotine patch product from national health service prescription should be reviewed. The committee advised that the product should be available on the NHS at a reduced price. After careful consideration of all the facts, including the advice of the committee, it has been decided that the supply of nicotine patches is not a priority for the use of the limited resources available to the NHS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations have been made in the publication "Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin", on the availability of nicotine patches on NHS prescription in order to help patients give up smoking.

The drug and therapeutics bulletin of 22 November concluded, in an article about nicotine patches, that the use of

"nicotine patches plus advice and support, should be provided by the NHS."

Copies of the bulletin are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reasons underlie the classification of Doncaster as rural for the purpose of publishing ambulance statistics.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 November at columns 461–62.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the amount spent on continence products in each year since 1988; and what is the projected spending for 1994, 1995 and 1996.

Expenditure on continence products since 1988 is shown in the table.

Calendar Year	Net ingredient cost £ million
1988	14·8
1989	14·0
1990	16·0
1991	20·7
1992	23·2

Projected expenditure forecasts for the years 1993 to 1996 are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the grounds on which she can reject recommendations by independent expert committees, including the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs and the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances so as to make decisions on the availability of NHS medicines at variance with the expert committees' recommendations.

Decisions about whether or noit products should be available on national health service prescription are made by Ministers after taking account of expert advice, including any recommendation of the Advisory Committee on NHS Drugs and the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances. The basis on which such decisions are made reflect the particular circumstan ces of individual products. The grounds for deciding to exclude a product from NHS prescription, whether or not this is in line with a recommendation of a committee, are always explained to the manufacturer who is given an opportunity to make representations before the final decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by region the maintenance backlog as at 31 March.

The information is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to call for a report on the use of Concorde flights by staff of Worcester district health authority.

We have no such plans. This is a matter for Worcester and district health authority and the hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman, Mr. A. J. Prescott, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct health authorities to ensure that their publicity on cancer screening includes a statement that those aged over 65 years are not screened routinely but can request both smear and mammography examinations.

The management of local health promotion strategies is a matter for local discussion and decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received about drug companies offering incentives to general practitioners to prescribe their products; and if she will make a statement.

We have received a number of representations following press reports.The Government deplore any attempt by drugs companies improperly to influence doctors' prescribing practice and are already taking steps to tighten controls on hospitality and other inducements offered by drugs companies. Consultation has just ended on proposed new provisions which would bring breaches of hospitality norms within the scope of the Medicines Act 1968, and render offending companies or their sales representatives liable to criminal prosecution. Regulations to give effect to these proposals will be laid before Parliament shortly.The pharmaceutical industry in this country has a strict code of practice, probably the strictest in Europe, which lays down very clear guidelines as to what is acceptable behaviour by sales representatives. The Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority, which administers the code of practice on behalf of the pharmaceutical industry, is already investigating the allegations which have been made and will report its findings to the Department's Medicines Control Agency. It will also apply appropriate sanctions where allegations are substantiated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies her Department has carried out of the effect of increasing traffic volumes on levels of asthma among children and adults.

The Department is funding a research project which will examine the health effects, including effects on asthmatics, 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 Pollution which was established by the chief medical officer last year has set up a sub-group on asthma which will investigate the relationships between air pollution and trends in asthma incidence, and 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—MRC—which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is sponsoring some research into factors contributing to the rise of asthma and has set up a working party to examine the aetiology of asthma under the chairmanship of Professor A. J. Newman Taylor. It is considering a range of possible contributory factors to current levels of asthma including air pollution. The Department is represented on the working party and on the MRC committee on toxic hazards in the workplace and the environment, both of which will consider areas of need for further research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has so far received about the consultation document issued by the Warwickshire health authority and the hospital of St. Cross in Rugby.

We have received correspondence from a number of people in the west midlands, including my hon. Friend, about this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost to the consumer in each EC country of a prescription of oral contraceptives.

There is no charge for contraceptives under the national health service in the United Kingdom. Detailed information about arrangements in other European countries is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of elderly people living in residential care homes in North Yorkshire county council are accommodated in (a) private sector homes and (b) council-owned homes.

The latest available figures are for 31 March 1992. The percentage of residents aged 65 and over in staffed residential care homes for elderly and younger physically disabled people, in the North Yorkshire local authority were, 59 per cent. in private homes and 28 per cent. in local authority homes. The remaining 13 per cent. of residents are living in homes run by voluntary bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many units of accommodation are provided by residential care homes owned by North Yorkshire county council; and how many vacancies remain.

The latest figures available are for 31 March 1992. There were 1,797 places in staffed residential care homes for all client groups, of which 267 were not occupied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is available to her on whether the secondhand magnetic resonance imaging scanner at the Brook hospital has (a) ever been given electrical safety approval and (b) been used on a patient; and whether doctors are able to clear the backlog by using another machine.

The installation and use of the MRI scanner at the Brook hospital is a matter for Greenwich Healthcare national health service trust. My hon. Friend may wish to contact Mr. Neville Thompson, chairman of the trust, for details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will now publish the proposed oral health strategy and the White Paper on dental services; and if she will make a statement.

Proposals for an oral health strategy for England and for the future remuneration arrangements in the general dental services will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she proposes to give a decision on the proposals for Newcastle hospitals submitted to her by Newcastle health authority; and whether she proposes to respond in detail to the points put to her in a letter dated 26 November from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, Central, (Mr. Cousins).

I agreed to the proposals set out in "The future of health care in Newcastle" on 9 December. On the same day I wrote to the hon. Member informing him of the decision and responding to the points he made in his letter. Copies of the proposals and my letter will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the numbers of British people suffering from haemochromatosis.

Information is not available on which to base an estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the number of publicly funded research programmes studying the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes; if she will make a statement about the results from such research; and what is the cost of programmes of research.

The Department is not currently undertaking any such studies into the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes.The main agency through which the Government conduct 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. We understand that the MRC is not currently funding any research into the connection between haemochromatosis and diabetes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she proposes to take following the inquiries by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office into the practice of non-voluntary active termination of life.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the formula used in calculating the distribution of the special transitional community care grant to individual authorities for 1994–95.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 2 December, at column 707. The methodology of the transfer is set out in LASSL(93)19, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the top 10 sales that are categorisecl as "other" in the health and personal social services statistics for England; and if she will list the income from this category for 1992 and 1993.

The components of the "other" category were not separately identified in the returns made to the Department. No information was available centrally for 1992 and 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1990 the expenditure on the purchase of health care from non-NHS bodies for (a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.

Expenditure on the purchase of health care from non-national health service bodies for years 1991–92 and 1992–93 is shown in the table. Figures for 1990–91 are not available centrally.

	1991–92	1992–93
	£000	£000
Regional Health Authorities	32,746	21,421
District Health Authorities	159,818	187,335
NHS Trusts	12,204	44,543

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year since 1990 the income from the sale of proprietary baby foods for (a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.

Income from the sale of proprietary baby foods, and so on for 1990–91 is given in the "Health and Personal Social Services Statistics for England", 1992 edition, table 2.9 as £12,657,163 In that year, only district health authorities reported an income from the sale of these goods. The information has not been collected centrally in subsequent years, in accordance with our policy of reducing the administrative burden on health authorities and national health service trusts. Copies of the health and personal social services statistics are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many general practitioner fundholders in Bolton (a) are and (b) are not overspent in the current financial year;(2) how many general practitioner fundholders in Bolton have asked that non-urgent admissions are delayed to Bolton or other hospitals; how many patients are involved; and what is the effect of this on their position on the waiting lists.

This information is not collected centrally. Regional health authorities are responsible for managing the general practitioner fundholding scheme in their areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure that no patient will suffer a lack of drugs or treatment because the fundholder is overspent.

Regional health authorities manage any general practitioner fundholder overspends from within contingency reserves and patient care is unaffected. However, where a GP fundholder overspends because of inadequate budgetary management, the responsible regional health authority will consider the suitability of the practice to remain in the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much car mileage allowance was claimed by NHS staff in (a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities, (c) trusts and(d) the NHS as a whole for 1991–92 and 1992–93.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the expenditure on management consultants for each year since 1980 for (a) regions, (b) districts and (c) trusts.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Attorney-General what was the annual cost to the Department of the car service for Ministers in 1990–91; and how many vehicles were involved.

The total cost to the Department of the Government car service for Ministers for the financial year 1990–91 was approximately £120,000. Two vehicles were involved.

To ask the Attorney-General what consideration is being given to bringing prosecutions in those cases referred to in the statement of 11 November by Mr. Richard Turner of the western European department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a letter a copy of which has been drawn to his attention, that non-voluntary active termination of life is a practice which occurs in the United Kingdom, although it is illegal; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that the letter by the official in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office referred to by my hon. Friend was misleading and that the FCO does not have any evidence suggesting the commission of offences of unlawful killing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made in collating and publishing information on the proportion of British aid directly focused on the alleviation of poverty.

My reply to the hon. Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham) on 29 November, at column 313, described the Overseas Development Administration's policy information marker system—PIMS—designed to monitor performance against the seven priority objectives announced by my noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development, in her speech at the Royal Institute of International Affairs on 18 October. Data from PIMS, including data on performance against ODA' s priority objective of direct poverty reduction, will appear in the ODA section of the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Report 1994".

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support the consortium of charities for street children launched by the Prime Minister on 18 November.

We have indicated to the consortium our willingness to provide support, subject to appraisal, and have asked them to submit a proposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives he has taken under the United Nation's convention on the rights of the child to protect the world's street children; and what estimates he has made of how many such children there are.

The United Kingdom attaches importance to promoting and protecting the rights of the child. We raise human rights abuses against children with the authorities of those countries concerned. The resolutions on street children at the Commission on Human Rights and at the United Nations General Assembly this year stem from a United Kingdom initiative during our presidency of the EU in 1992.The Overseas Development Administration supports non-governmental organisations in their work with street children in Latin America, India, the Philippines, South Africa and other parts of Africa. We have committed over £225,000 to such projects this year. We are also supporting projects in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania through the charity know-how fund.Estimates of the global numbers of street children vary according to definition. Some estimates are confined to children actually living on the street while others include those who work on the street while living partly at home. The United Kingdom has not attempted to make an independent estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list details of existing and proposed investments by the Commonwealth Development Corporation in Grenada.

The Commonwealth Development Corporation—CDC—has a single investment in Grenada. Since 1991, it has invested £1·938 million in Liberty Club Ltd. The CDC is considering possible involvement in Grenada Electricity Services Ltd.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the practice of his Department to conduct an annual opinion poll on the public's attitude to overseas aid and development; what were the results of this survey in the latest year for which figures are available; and where they can be seen.

It is not the practice of the Department to conduct an annual opinion poll on the public's attitude to overseas aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a list by country of all projects currently being funded from the British bilateral aid programme, detailing project title, expected duration and main objectives.

Nearly 4,000 projects, many very small, are currently being funded by the Overseas Development Administration from the bilateral aid programme. It would be disproportionately expensive to list for each of them the data sought by the hon. Member.Aggregated information on the main objectives of projects will be published in the "Foreign and Commonwealth Office Departmental Report 1994".Some details of the major projects in a range of countries are available in the partners in development booklets published by the ODA. These and a list of projects funded from the know-how fund for eastern and central Europe and the former Soviet Union are in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent details of long-term development projects submitted in support and evaluation of successful applications for funds from his Department are treated by his Department as confidential; and what access to this information is provided.