To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the cost of legal aid in connection with actions by council tenants under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and relevant predecessor legislation.

It is not possible to identify actions specifically involving council tenants. Nor is it possible to identify actions taken specifically under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act, or any relevant predecessor legislation, since the information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Where a private individual brings a prosecution under section 82 he would not qualify for legal aid. An individual defending an action may be granted criminal legal aid provided that it was considered to be in the interest of justice and his means are such that he requires assistance.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what variation is permitted within the laid-down guidelines regarding (a) awarded costs and (b) expedited costs in (i) civil and (ii) criminal cases; and if he will make a statement.

Departmental targets for the payment of costs in criminal proceedings and recent performance against those targets were referred to in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 11 January 1994 at columns 66–68. There are no permissible or formal levels of variation from target. The targets represent realizable but challenging aims for taxing authorities and are used as a means of monitoring and discussing levels of performance. Monitoring is undertaken regularly at various managerial levels in the court service and resources redeployed if necessary to meet fluctuations in workload.Payment of costs in civil proceedings is a matter for the parties, rather than the courts. Where the court orders payment of costs within a specific period, it is open to either party to apply to vary the time for payment. Whether the application is granted, and on what terms, is a matter for judicial discretion and will depend on the individual circumstances of each case. Enforcement of the order to pay costs is also a matter for the parties to take forward.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many instances (a) costs and (b) expedited costs were paid within the standard laid down by charter; in how many cases payments were made (i) only after six months and (ii) only after a year or more in each of the past three years; how much money was involved in each case; and if he will make a statement.

The information sought is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total cost of (a) construction, (b) maintenance and (c) improvements to the M25 in each year since construction commenced at both current and constant 1992–93 prices.

:(a) ConstructionThe cost of building the M25 was nearly £1000 million. It was constructed over a period of 14 years between 1972 and 1986 giving an average cost per year of £71.42 million. These are actual costs.

£ million
(b) Maintenance
1990–91	10·63
1991–92	30·73
1992–93	24·36
1993–94	130·58
(c) Improvements
1990–91	9·31
1991–92	14·82
1992–93	16·39
1994–94	110·70
1 Estimated spend at current prices.

Information on spend on maintenance and improvements is not collected for particular routes. The figures given have been collated from a number of different sources and some components have been estimated. Reliable information for the years before 1990–91 is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list each scheme relating to the M25 in his Department's current trunk roads and motorways programme with the total cost in each year since construction began up to estimated completion, at both current and constant 1992–93 prices, for (a) junction improvements, (b) increasing capacity and (c) other improvements.

There are three M25 schemes in the roads programme which are currently under construction. The actual and estimated spend for these schemes are listed in the table:

	£ million
Junctions 15–16
1992–93	7·1
1993–94	122·9
1994–95	15·3
Junctions 10–11
1993–94	11·5
1994–95	133·5
Junctions 7–8
1993–94	11·0
1994–95	130·0
1995–96	115·0
1Estimated spend at current prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration has been given to installing automatic roadside speed cameras as a means of reducing the number of road deaths.

Automatic roadside speed cameras are already in use at sites with a history of speed-related accidents and are proving to be very effective at reducing deaths and injuries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of evidence from abroad as to the effectiveness of the installation of automatic roadside speed cameras as a means of reducing the number of road deaths.

The use of automatic roadside cameras in other countries was one of the factors that led to the change in road traffic law in 1991 permitting their use in Britain.However, it is difficult to translate overseas experience to Britain because of the different social attitudes and enforcement practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the British Medical Association urging the installation of automatic roadside speed cameras as a means of reducing the number of road deaths.

There is no record of any formal representation from the BMA about the introduction of speed cameras.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a study of the installation of automatic roadside speed cameras as a means of reducing the number of road deaths.

Such a study has already been commissioned. The Transport Research Laboratory is monitoring the effects of speed cameras on both speed and accidents. Early results from the pilot project in west London suggest that accidents have fallen by 25 per cent. and the number of people killed or seriously injured by over 40 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 22 February, Official Report, column 118, what traffic surveys have been carried out to establish demand for a means of access from the M45 to the A5 in Warwickshire.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) to what extent and on what occasions since the beginning of 1985 Ministers or representatives of Government Departments have been involved in discussions with the Government of Malaysia, and the Malaysian airline MAS, about increasing the availability of slots for that airline at Heathrow airport;

No discussions have been held with any of these parties concerning the availability of slots at Heathrow airport. Slot allocation is a matter for the independent co-ordinator at the airport.Governmental talks concerning air services arrangements at which both MAS and British Airways were represented were held with the Malaysian Government in July and September 1985, March and August 1989 and March 1993. In 1985 liberal air service arrangements were concluded involving increases in capacity and amendments to routeing and traffic rights for both sides. For the outcome of the 1989 talks I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Williams) on 15 Febraury. No further rights were agreed at the talks in 1993 and no dates for further discussions have so far been agreed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax regime applies to payments from share dealings in the United Kingdom received by a person who is resident in the United Kingdom for less than 90 days per year.

All purchases of shares completed within the United Kingdom attract stamp duty. Gains realised on the disposal of shares are liable to capital gains tax if the holder is either actually resident or ordinarily resident within the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the maximum fine for evading duty of £20,000 on imports of wine and tobacco.

In the magistrates court the maximum penalty for evading duty is the greater of £5,000 or three times the value of the goods. In the Crown court the penalty is unlimited and offenders can be imprisoned. The word "fine" is not used in the Customs and Excise Acts. A penalty is to all intents and purposes the same as a fine.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the rules or procedures concerning bridging loans for permanent transfer expenses and assistance to staff facing serious financial hardships.

Departments are responsible for setting the rules on the expenses that may be paid to members of staff who permanently transfer to another office and who move their homes as a result. The framework of principles under which Departments can determine those rules are set out in the transfer section of the "Civil Service Management Code", a copy of which is in the House Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions have been received by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise from commission auditors in respect of the examining of food exports entered at any particular port; and if he will make a statement.

Commission auditors produced a report following their visit to United Kingdom Customs in January 1993. Although satisfied with the number of examinations carried out on food exports, they were not satisfied with the depth and rigour of examinations. After considering the auditor's report, Customs issued more detailed guidance to staff on the standards to be observed when carrying out CAP examinations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the reasons for the practice of Her Majesty's Customs requiring 5 per cent. of goods exported under the common agricultural policy and clearance through ports have to be examined by completely offloading the goods from the container; what ports this applies to; what consultations have been held with food exporters in this and what delays are imposed by it; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 1 March 1994]: In a move to combat fraud against Community funds, all EC Customs authorities are required under Council regulation 386/90 to examine a minimum of 5 per cent. of goods on which a claim to common agricultural policy export refunds is made. This procedure applies to all ports.Officers must satisfy themselves as to the description, quality and quantity of the goods by checking representative parts of the load. Goods need be offloaded from the container only when they are packed in such a way that officers cannot otherwise gain access to all parts of the load. In their 1993 report, Commission auditors criticised Customs for failing to carry out export examinations in sufficient depth.To guard against the risk that export refunds might in future not be reimbursed from EC funds customs recently reviewed their guidance to officers on the standard of examinations. This has led to the prospect of more goods being offloaded for examination than was the case last year. If exporters wish to reduce the likelihood of goods being examined at ports, they may apply for authorisation for local export control, under which the 5 per cent. examinations are undertaken at the exporter's own premises.Consultation with trade representatives on procedures for the control of CAP export goods takes place on a continuing basis. I have agreed to meet trade representatives to discuss their concerns over the more rigorous examination procedures.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what charges are made by customs at Felixstowe and other ports for mandatory examination of food passing through the ports under the common agricultural policy; and how many sailings have been missed at Felixstowe because of this requirement since its introduction.

[holding answer 1 March 1994]: Customs make no charges at Felixstowe, or any other ports, for mandatory examinations. The question of recovery of costs incurred in customs examinations is between the port authority and the exporter. Up to 11 February, six consignments are said to have missed their boat at Felixstowe in 1994 because of Customs examinations. In each case customs had notified that the consignment was required for examination within four hours of receipt of the documents. Subsequent delays in production of the consignment to customs—in one of the cases amounting to seven days—may have contributed to missed sailings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations EC auditors made on their recent visit to examine the process of mandatory examination of food exports under the common agricultural policy; what representations he has made about these recommendations; and how he intends to implement them.

[holding answer 1 March 1994]: As part of the European Community fight against fraud, Commission auditors check that member states are properly carrying out their obligations under Community regulations. If they are not satisfied they may prevent the reimbursement from Community funds of refunds paid by member states to exporters. In the case of the United Kingdom, the auditors made it clear following their 1993 audit that significant disallowance would follow if customs' examination standards were not immediately improved.I am advised that the auditors' findings in the United Kingdom were reflected elsewhere in the Community and, as a result, the Commission has reminded all member states of the standards that should be achieved. Customs have reviewed their guidance to officers in order to improve the quality and depth of CAP export examinations.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the United Kingdom tax arrangements for business and commerce conducted in Brecqhou; and what tax regime exists for its residents.

United Kingdom-resident individuals or companies conducting business and commerce in Brecqhou are liable to United Kingdom income tax or corporation tax on profits earned from such activities.No direct taxes are imposed on Brecqhou on either residents or non-residents. The only taxes are a nominal charge on the value of property and import duties, chiefly on liquor and tobacco.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a list of the equipment stolen from his Department in the last three years for which information is available; and what was the approximate value of each item.

[holding answer 16 February 1994]: The list provides the information which is available within each of my Departments. The values given are approximate and are not the replacement value.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many proposals to amend council tax valuations have been received by each valuation office in England; how many of these have been settled to date; what percentage this represents of the total; and what is the number and percentage of settled proposals which have involved an amendment to the original valuation banding.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will produce a table to show the total expenditure of the EC institutions, including their predecessors and components parts, in pound sterling for each of the last 10 years and for that forecast for the current year and that planned for the next five years and the percentage annual increase in real terms for each of those years.

[holding answer 1 March 1994]: Administrative expenditure for each of the Community institutions and the percentage annual increase in real terms for the last 10 years are as follows:

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 17 February, Official Report, column 967.Details of the percentage of settled proposals which have involved an amendment to the original valuation banding and those which have been withdrawn by the proposer are not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the membership of his Department's working group into peat and related matters and their occupations.

The current membership of the working group into peat and related matters is as follows:

• Mr. R. C. Mabey—DOE Minerals Division (Chairman)
• Miss A. E. Ward—DOE Minerals Division
• Dr. T. Simpson—DOE Minerals Division
• Mr. R. Bunce—DOE Directorate of Rural Affairs
• Mr. S. G. Fulton—Scottigh Office Environment Department
• Mr. P. Samuel—MAFF Land Use Planning Unit
• Ms A. Corbishley—MAFF Horticulture Division
• Dr. J. Blackman—MAFF Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
• Mr. D. M. Ellis—Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
• Mr. S. Gorman—Cumbria County Council
• Mr. S. Shorthose—Humberside County Council
• Mr. R. Moon—Somerset County Council
• Mr. D. Henderson—Howat-Forestry Authority
• Mr. D. Stroud—Joint Nature Conservation Committee
• Ms J. Heap—English Nature
• Dr. B. Johnson—English Nature
• Mr. R. Lindsay—Scottish Natural Heritage
• Dr. M. Smith—Countryside Council for Wales
• Mr. R. Woolmore—Countryside Commission
• Dr. B. Wheeler—Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
• Mr. R. Stockdale—Chairman, Peat Producers Association
• Mr. R. Bond—Peat Producers Association
• Mr. A. Robertson—Peat Producers Association
• Mr. R. Sykes—DOE Minerals Division (Secretary)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, columns 733–34, what was the budgeted and actual cost of each public information campaign listed.

Following is the information required:

• Helping the Earth Begins at Home
• The budget for this campaign is £6,383,520·65.
• Actual contracts awarded to 25 February 1994 are £6,242,032·08.
• Rent to Mortgage
• The budget for this campaign is £411,434·23.
• Actual contracts awarded to 25 February 1994 are £408,543·18.

These figures cover all TV, press and radio advertising costs and promotional items.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the advice available and research undertaken into the removal of chewing gum from brick pedestrian precincts for local authorities.

The Department has not issued any advice or undertaken any research into methods of removing chewing gum. This is a matter for local authorities in view of their responsibilities for street cleansing. I am aware, however, that Westminster city council is currently testing equipment aimed at dealing with this problem.

	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Foundation staffing and support costs	360,000	418,350	711,256	1,261,503	1,544,950
Trusts' running costs	1,039,000	1,170,025	1,292,407	1,622,319	1,521,017
Projects	54,000	70,000	76,353	390,721	1,145,766
Computer systems	0	0	0	283,772	199,037
Training	0	18,000	37,790	181,183	272,230
Total grant allocation	1,453,000	1,676,375	2,117,806	3,739,498	4,683,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he determines that a proposed Groundwork trust will not adversely affect existing environmental charities in the area.

The proposal for Groundwork trust is worked up by local people in partnership. A steering group is formed comprising members of the. local authority, business community and voluntary organisations and community groups in the area. The Groundwork Foundation gives guidance to the steering group working up a proposal and seeks to ensure that the trust will work in partnership with, and complement the work of, existing environmental agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if Groundwork trusts have paid money to other environmental charities to advance projects under Groundwork's remit.

Yes. Groundwork trusts work in partnership with other environmental organisations and

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations his Department has received from the Health and Safety Executive regarding work-related upper limb disorders in the construction industry.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what suggestions have been made during his Department's internal review of Groundwork as to how links between Groundwork trusts and existing environmental charities could be improved with particular reference to funding arrangements.

As part of the Department's internal review of its sponsorship of Groundwork, officials are currently carrying out consultations with a number of Groundwork's partners and customers, including environmental organisations. The present funding arrangements for Groundwork will be considered as part of the review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 732, if he will provide a breakdown of spending of the grant-in-aid given to the Groundwork Foundation for each year from 1988–89 to 1992–93 using the same categories as he used in his previous answer.

The table shows the breakdown of spending of the grant-in-aid allocated to the Groundwork Foundation for each year from 1988–89 to 1992–93.community groups in undertaking projects and will assist them in putting together the most appropriate funding package. Groundwork trusts may also themselves provide funding to assist other environmental groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what limits he sets on the spending of a Groundwork trust.

None. The Department makes a contribution to the running costs of Groundwork trusts. Trusts may also apply for relevant grants for projects in competition with other organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he gives to Groundwork trusts to help them avoid adversely affecting existing environmental charities.

The Groundwork Foundation is responsible for managing the network of Groundwork trusts. One of the criteria the Department advises the foundation to adopt in considering the case for a new trust is that it will complement the work of existing local organisations. Once established, trusts are encouraged to work in collaboration with such organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment who appointed the members of the advisory group to which the Merseyside development corporation refers its public art initiatives; and how often they meet.

The advisory group which provides informal advice on the Merseyside development corporation public arts initiative is drawn from a wide range of arts organisations on Merseyside. Representatives from these organisations have been invited to join the group by Mrs. Paula Ridley, MDC board member and chairperson of the group. The group meets four times a year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the names of the advisory group to which the Merseyside development corporation refers its public art initiatives, their qualifications and place of birth.

The membership of the advisory group on Merseyside development corporation's art initiative is drawn from Merseyside art institutions. It is an ad hoc body with no statutory responsibilities and as such my Department does not keep records of names, qualifications and places of birth.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what housing capital receipts are held by each London borough council as at 31 March 1993.

Information on total usable capital receipts held at 31 March 1993 is given in the table. No comparable information is available for housing receipts alone, since local authorities are not required to account separately for such receipts.

	£ thousands
Barking and Dagenham	21,587
Barnet	22,428
Bexley	4,560
Brent	1,269
Bromley	30,230
Camden	2,060
City of London	20,220
Croydon	nil
Ealing	10,059
Enfield	13,274
Greenwich	nil
Hackney	17
Hammersmith and Fulham	1,317
Haringey	5,576
Harrow	17,221
Havering	7,450
Hillingdon	20,923
Hounslow	6,163
Islington	792
Kensington and Chelsea	2,486
Kingston upon Thames	1,960
Lambeth	804
Lewisham	2,200
Merton	nil
Newham	nil
Redbridge	8,372
Richmond upon Thames	14,631
Southwark	nil

	£ thousands
Sutton	2,860
Tower Hamlets	4,194
Waltham Forest	4,077
Wandsworth	14,819
Westminster	22,787

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment by what authority the London Docklands development corporation funds voluntary organisations for three years only.

The London Docklands development corporation has delegated authority from the Department to take their own decisions about support for individual voluntary sector projects which are consistent with their regeneration objectives. The Department's own policy is that such grants should not normally exceed three years in the first instance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the financial reserves held by each London borough council as at 31 March 1993.

The latest available information, as reported to the Department by the local authorities, is as follows:

Estimated General Fund reserves at 31 March 1993
£ thousands
City of London	184,989
Camden	-146
Greenwich	1,583
Hackney	2,516
Hammersmith and Fulham	0
Islington	1,367
Kensington and Chelsea	12,401
Lambeth	-10,032
Lewisham	3,009
Southwark	7,225
Tower Hamlets	14,096
Wandsworth	32,064
Westminster	24,301
Barking and Dagenham	0
Barnet	14,835
Bexley	7,830
Brent	-1,235
Bromley	59,369
Croydon	29,939
Ealing	26,051
Enfield	16,084
Haringey	10,939
Harrow	21,242
Havering	15,387
Hillingdon	5,536
Hounslow	7,023
Kingston upon Thames	3,933
Merton	9,952
Newham	14,391
Redbridge	7,688
Richmond upon Thames	6,522
Sutton	7,982
Waltham Forest	6,726

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a decision on the Commission's report on the future of local government in Gloucestershire.

I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend's reply of Tuesday 1 March to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Knapman), Official Report, column 643.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to appoint the senior regional director for London; and what are the terms of reference and duties which he intends to give to that person.

We hope to announce the appointment of the regional director for the Government office for London in the near future. The duties of the regional director will be those set out in my earlier reply to the hon. Gentleman, Official Report, 8 February, column 146.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost to local authorities of actions by council tenants under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the relevant predecessor legislation for each year since 1989.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking over allegations of curruption and irregular property dealings in Hertsmere district council.

This is not a matter for the Government. Allegations of corruption by local authorities should be made to the district auditor or the police for them to investigate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contributions have been made by the Commission for New Towns towards promotional activities in each local authority convered by a former new town development corporation since 1988.

The information is as follows:

Local authority area	Contribution £ thousands
1988–89
Corby D.C.	100·0
Peterborough C.C.	80·5
West Lancashire D.C.	122·0
1989–90
Easington D.C.	5·0
Peterborough C.C.	169·0
Warrington B.C.	6·0
West Lancashire D.C.	100·0

Local authority area	Contribution £ thousands
1990–91
Easington D.C.	5·0
Halton B.C.	68·5
Peterborough C.C.	132·0
West Lancashire D.C.	50·0
1991·92
Halton B.C.	158·5
Peterborough C.C.	100·0
Warrington B.C.	75·0
West Lancashire D.C.	25·0
The Wrekin	76·5
1992–93
Halton B.C.	166·0
Milton Keynes B.C.	2,500·0
Peterborough C.C.	72·0
Warrington B.C.	75·0
West Lancashire D.C.	25·0
The Wrekin	170·0
1993–94
Halton B.C.	165·0
Milton Keynes B.C.	1,450·0
Peterborough C.C.	40·0
Warrington B.C.	75·0
West Lancashire D.C.	25·0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters responding to the draft and final report of the Local Government Commission were riot considered by the commission as they were ruled to have arrived after the deadline for representations in relation to the commission's proposals for Humberside; in what circumstances letters sent in response to earlier consultations by the Local Government Commission in relation to Humberside were ignored after deadlines; and if he will give a breakdown of letters received in terms of support for the various options put forward by the commission in response to both the draft and final report in relation to proposals for Humberside.

This is a matter for the Local Government Commission and I have written to it today asking it to reply direct to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further action is needed in the United Kingdom to implement Council regulation (EEC) No. 259/93, the waste shipments regulation.

I announced on 7 February that the United Kingdom had ratified the Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal. The waste shipments regulation, which comes into operation on 6 May, provides the legal framework for implementing the obligations of the convention in the European Community.Most of the regulation is directly applicable throughout the Community, but domestic regulations are required to give full effect to a number of provisions. The Government have just issued a draft statutory instrument for consultation, accompanied by a draft circular giving guidance on the implementation of the EC regulation in the United Kingdom. Copies of both documents have been deposited in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, columns 733–34, if he will place in the Library the results of market research relating to the advertising campaigns; and how many coupon/telephone responses were received to each campaign in this financial year.

My Department will place copies of market research relating to the "Helping the Earth Begins at Home" and rent-to-mortgage campaigns in the House of Commons Library.Coupon/telephone responses for these campaigns in this financial year, to 25 February 1994, are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of public appointments made by his Department in 1993 were of women; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 28 February 1994]: Women accounted for 29 per cent. of all public appointments made by my Department in 1993 to non-departmental public bodies and nationalised industries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on the plans for the National Criminal Intelligence Service to investigate the extent of organised crime within the toxic waste industry in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.There is currently no evidence to suggest that organised crime has infiltrated the United Kingdom's toxic waste industry.The National Criminal Intelligence Service is in touch with relevant agencies elsewhere in Europe and the United States and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill [Lords] on referrals from the private sector to the Insolvency Service for investigations leading to prosecution under the proposed involvement of the private sector in mechanical processing work of the Insolvency Service.

It is not apparent that the provisions of the Police and Magistrates' Courts Bill will have any affect on the possible involvement of the private sector in the work of the Official Receiver.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much the Insolvency Service executive agency spent on consultants in total for each financial years since 1991–92 and in the current financial year to 31 January.

The total amounts spent on consultants employed by or engaged in work for the Insolvency Service were:

	£
1991–92	659,480
1992–93	698,930
1993–941	790,800
1 To 31 Januaiy 1994.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many staff were dismissed from the Insolvency Service executive agency in the years 1991, 1992 and 1993; and if he will give the reasons.

The following numbers of staff were dismissed during the relevant years:

	Number
1991	2
1992	5
1993	6

Dismissal was for a variety of reasons.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many private consultants were employed by the Insolvency Service in each financial year since 1991–92 and in the current financial year to 31 January.

The following numbers of private consultants were employed by or engaged in work for the Insolvency Service:

	Number
1991–92	16
1992–93	18
1993–941	20
1 To 31 Januaiy 1994.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the report of the pre-operational safety review team mission to Sizewell B will be published.

Copies of the report of the pre-operational safety review team mission to Sizewell B have been received from the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and placed in the Library of the House. In October and November 1992, the team conducted a review of the operational safety arrangements at Sizewell B at the invitation of Her Majesty's Government, following a suggestion from Nuclear Electric, the operators of Sizewell B. As I informed the House on 16 December 1992, Official Report, column 237, the review team concluded that Sizewell B is a well-managed nuclear plant.It is normal practice for a pre-OSART review to be in two stages. A follow-up visit, with a smaller team, took place on 14 to 18 February.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will indicate the level of exploration drilling on the United Kingdom continental shelf last year and the number of those wells successful in locating hydrocarbons; and if he will make a statement on the trend revealed.

Fifty-one exploration wells were drilled last year, a figure lower than in recent years but still comparing favourably with the late 1970s and early 1980s when levels were lower. Thirteen significant discoveries were made in 1993, giving a one in four success rate. The average since exploration began in 1964 is about one in 4·5.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects manufacturing output to exceed the levels of 1990.

Latest official forecasts of manufacturing output were published in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994–95", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 15 February, Official Report, column 741, what assessment he has made of the extent to which transfer of control of other firms from the United Kingdom to other countries will increase the living standards of the British people.

The effects of any particular acquisition must be judged on a case-by-case basis. However, in general the Government believe that open markets will be beneficial to economic growth.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations the Government have made to the European Commission on the decision of a public sector consortium led by the Bremen regional government to purchase and maintain the Klockner Werke steel plant.

Following representations made by my officials on 4 November I raised our concerns regarding public sector participation in the restructuring of Klockner Werke directly with Commissioner van Miert on 9 December and wrote to him about them on 15 December.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations the Government have made to the European Commission on the issue of declaring a state of manifest crisis in the European steel industry.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes it is proposed to introduce in relation to fire safety in the regulations in relation to children's nightwear; and if he will make a statement.

The Nightwear (Safety) Regulations 1985 regulate for fire safety in children's nightwear. These regulations are being considered as part of the overall review of legislation under the deregulation initiative. I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) on 21 January 1994, Official Report, column 882.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of public appointments made by his Department in 1993 were of women; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 28 February 1994]: A total of 239 public appointments were made by this Department in 1993. Forty-seven of these appointments-24·5 per cent.—were women. This Department is fully committed to equal opportunities for women in public appointments, and has set itself a goal to increase the number of women in DTI public appointments to 30 per cent. by 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the European Commission's proposals for RECHAR 2.