To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

No self-financing self regulatory authorities have been set up by my Department since 1979.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

The number of sets of rules and regulations signed by me or by previous Home Secretaries in each of the years 1991 to 1993 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions under section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948 have been undertaken in each year since 1979; in what countries the defendants were serving; and if he will make a statement.

Information on procedures instituted under section 31 of the Criminal Justice Act 1948, as amended by schedule 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 are not collected centrally by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the statutes concerning the welfare of captive animals in terms of (a) circuses, (b) zoos, (c) pet shops, (d) breeding establishments, (e) kennels, (f) residential homes and (g) other.

The Protection of Animals Act 1911, as subsequently amended, governs the welfare of all captive and domestic animals. The following statutes provide additional safeguards in the individual sectors mentioned:

• The Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925
• The Zoo Licensing Act 1981
• The Pet Animals Acts 1951 and 1983
• The Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991
• The Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the approved strength of the West Midlands police force in (a) 1979 and (b) 1993.

The establishment of the West Midlands police was 6,509 on 1 April 1979 and 6,977 on 1 April 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations Her Majesty's Government have received since 1980 from the Italian authorities to extradite suspected criminals and terrorists; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement.

Since 1980, the Italian Government have requested the extradition of 67 people from the United Kingdom, for a wide range of offences.Of these, 61 were accused of the offences for which their extradition was requested and six had been convicted. Sixteen of those sought have been returned to Italy, eight requests have been refused and 12 remain outstanding. Of the remainder, either the requests were subsequently withdrawn, or the person sought could not be traced here or was arrested in another country or was deported from this country. In one case, the person sought committed suicide before the conclusion of the proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were imprisoned for non-payment of fines and other debts who were legally represented at the hearing at which they were imprisoned in the most recent year for which records are available.

Information on the number of people legally represented at specific types of hearings is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations underlie the timing of the changeover of funding of the forensic psychiatric service in Doncaster to the Prison Service.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

One, who was recruited directly from outside the civil service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department's computer-aided facilities management systems cost; from whom they were purchased; how many person hours were required to commission them; what the estimated and actual saving has been from their operation; and to what extent the use of such systems accounts for the apparent rise in theft noted in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) of 16 February, Official Report, column 804.

The Department has no computer-aided facilities management systems in place.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make legal aid available to women appealing to industrial tribunals in cases of sexual discrimination.

There are no plans to extend full civil legal aid to any type of case before an industrial tribunal. However, legal advice and assistance under the green form scheme is available to those who are financially eligible.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many agency chief executives in his Department are currently paid more than £82,925, excluding performance-related bonuses; and whether such chief executives were recruited directly to their present post from outside the civil service.

Neither of the chief executives of HM Land Registry and the Public Record Office, the agencies for which the Lord Chancellor has responsibility, is paid more than £82,925 per annum excluding performance-related bonuses.The current chief executive of HM Land Registry was appointed from within the registry after open competition. The current chief executive of the public Record Office was formerly director of special collections at the British Library.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners have been involved in dividend stripping as distinct from any gilt stripping activities; and if he will list the gains from such activity in each of the last five years?

The amounts shown in my answers of 25 February and 4 March on the subject of gilt stripping represented the differences between interest on gilts calculated on the receipts basis and interest calculated on the accruals basis. No such alternative bases apply to dividends from equities: in common with other investment funds, the Church Commissioners account for dividends on the receipt basis and consider it impractical either to account for dividends on the accruals basis or to recalculate with hindsight what the dividends would have been if calculated on this basis.While the Commissioners continue to manage their investments with the intention of generating a high level of income, this is achieved in relation to their equities portfolio through the selection of appropriate investments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the interest currently paid on ways and means advances; and for what reason he needs to pay any interest.

Most ways and means borrowing takes the form of surplus Exchequer moneys, which are used to minimise Government borrowing overnight. No interest is paid on such borrowing, though interest must be paid at market-related rates to attract ways and means advances from other sources.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number and percentage of basic rate and higher rate taxpayers in (a) Lancashire, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) the United Kingdom for the most recent year for which figures are available.

The table provides estimates for 1991–92, the latest available year for which information can be provided below the United Kingdom level.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his Department's plans for assisting sub-Saharan countries in meeting debt repayments to multilateral agencies; and if he will make a statement.

The poorest countries benefit from the IMF's enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF), which provides highly concessional long-term assistance at an interest rate of only 0·5 per cent. in support of economic reform in the poorest countries. The United Kingdom has just announced that it will provide an extra £50 million to subsidise the interest rate of the ESAF successor facility, on top of our earlier contribution of up to £327 million; over time the United Kingdom will contribute about one ninth of the subsidy required by ESAF.These countries also benefit from concessional credits from the World Bank's International Development Association, to which the United Kingdom contributed £620 million at the last replenishment, which concentrates on lending to the poorest countries. They also have help meeting interest repayments on non-concessional loans to the World Bank through the bank's fifth dimension facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he is having with regard to future methods of paying for water.

The basis of charging for water is a matter for the water companies. It is among the topics discussed at meetings with the Director General of Water Services and representatives of water companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the standard spending assessment and revenue grant provision as proposed for the city of Liverpool in 1994–95; and if he will undertake a complete review of the city's financial situation in consultation with Liverpool city council.

Standard spending assessments are calculated on principles applicable to all authorities, taking account of each authority's social, demographic and physical characteristics. Liverpool's SSA of £419 million for 1994–95 is equivalent to £875 per head, the third highest of any metropolitan district. The total external support for Liverpool that year, which includes revenue support grant, SSA reduction grant and redistributed non-domestic rates, will be £363 million, equivalent to £758 per head, again the third highest.We look each year at the calculation of standard spending assessments. In the forthcoming round we will certainly bear in mind the points made by the city of Liverpool and by the hon. Member. It is for the city council to manage within the resources available to it: it would not be appropriate for me to intervene in the way implied in the question.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he intends to stop further categories from jumping the homelessness housing queue.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady O. Maitland).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on developments in Government policy on municipal housing.

The Government are extending the benefits of competition in the provision of local authority services to council housing management, consulting on new proposals for access to local authority and housing association tenancies and introducing important new rights for council tenants.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average increase in council tax bills for 1994–95.

The average headline council tax based on those authorities for which my Department has actual or provisional information shows an increase of 2·4 per cent. over the 1993–94 average.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the top and bottom 10 council taxes so far declared.

The top and bottom 10 headline council taxes (band C, two adults) based on actual and provisional information where available are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to introduce legislation to limit the amount that property companies and private landlords can charge in residential rents.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his current proposals for re-negotiating the EU Bathing Water directive.

We will be examining the proposal for revision announced by the EC Commission on 16 February to assess how far it concentrates on essential quality and health parameters and is a framework directive meeting the requirements of subsidiarity, up-to-date science and cost-effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his correspondence with his opposite number in the European Commission in relation to the Cardiff bay barrage and the EC Habitats Directive.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 March at column 643.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the review of local government in Staffordshire.

The Local Government Commission began its review of Staffordshire in December 1993, and interested parties have until 8 April to submit their initial proposals to it. The commission will then publish draft recommendations for consultation. In preparing its final report, the commission will take account of any representations made about the draft recommendations. The commission proposes to submit its final report and recommendations for Staffordshire to my right hon. Friend in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations were undertaken in the development of the single regeneration budget.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave earlier to the hon. Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about his plans for the application of CCT to housing management.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks) on 26 November 1993 at columns 264–65; to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 15 December 1993 at columns 733–34; and to my hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 21 January 1994 at columns 871–73.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to determine the appeal on the planning application for a new community stadium at Stoneham, Southampton.

The appeals will be decided as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many sites of special scientific interest there are in England and Wales; and how many of these were created in the last 12 months.

In England, at 3 March 1994 there were 3,775 SSSIs. This includes 45 sites notified or re-notified to date in the current financial year. I am advised by my hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, that there were 882 SSSIs, at 31 December 1993, in Wales. This includes 32 sites newly notified between 1 January and 31 December 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he intends to take to secure an independent inquiry into the comparative fairness of the standard spending assessment from one region to another; and if he will make a statement.

Standard spending assessments are calculated on a consistent basis using the same formulae for each authority. We carried out a thorough review of the SSA system for 1994–95 in partnership with the local authority associations.The Audit Commission published a study of the SSA system in May 1993. The Environment Select Committee published its own report on SSAs earlier this year. The Government will publish their response to the Select Committee's recommendations later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next plans to meet representatives of the water companies to discuss water quality.

My right hon. Friend meets regularly with representatives of the water companies to discuss a variety of issues including water quality.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on United Kingdom compliance with EU water quality directives.

The United Kingdom is committed to fulfilling its obligations under these directives.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about fraud and corruption in local government.

It is the responsibility of local authorities themselves, both members and officers, to take measures to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in their affairs. The Audit Commission's recent report on probity in the public sector concluded that

"probity in local government is generally in good order".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he has taken in relation to City Pride.

I refer the hon. Member to the oral answer I gave earlier to the right hon. Member for Salford, East (Mr. Orme).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what actions have been taken in relation to City Pride.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what actions have been taken in relation to City Pride; and if he will make a statement.

The partners in the three City Pride cities, Birmingham, London and Manchester, have all formed partnerships to take forward the preparation of prospectuses for their areas, and are making good progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many new houses have been completed with Housing Corporation funding in rural areas in each of the last three years.

The Housing Corporation's capital programme provided 98 new homes in rural areas—defined as settlements with a population of 3,000 or less—in 1990–91, 491 in 1991–92, 1,665 in 1992–93 and 1,701 this financial year up to the end of February 1994. These figures exclude completions of new homes which were approved before 1989–90, since the Housing Corporation did not collect such information on rural schemes approved prior to this date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportions of waste water in each member state of the European Union are treated.

The percentage of population in each member state served by sewage treatment works is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in which member states of the European Union there are available for public inspection analyses of water and waste water.

In England and Wales analyses of water and waste water carried out by water companies, local authorities, and the National Rivers Authority, are made available for public inspection. The drinking water inspectorate publishes annually the results of the analyses of drinking water. So far as we are aware, comprehensive information is not available on the position in other member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what financial means he will employ to encourage efficiency and conservation for domestic consumers.

My Department uses a number of financial means to encourage domestic energy efficiency.The home energy efficiency scheme provides grants for basic energy efficiency measures for vulnerable members of society. On 1 April funds for the scheme are to be almost doubled and the scheme extended to elderly and disabled people. Local authorities run substantial council housing repair and improvement programmes which include energy efficiency measures. The new single regeneration budget will incorporate energy efficiency work currently covered in the estate action programme. VAT on domestic fuel and power will also contribute to improved efficiency and conservation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment United Kingdom authorities are able to make of the health effects on battery recycle workers in industrialising third world nations which import acid batteries from the United Kingdom for recycling.

There is no requirement under present legislation for United Kingdom authorities to make assessment of the type suggested. When the EC Waste Shipments Regulation applies in May, the export of waste for recovery will be prohibited if a competent authority of dispatch has reason to believe that a shipment will not be managed in accordance with environmentally sound methods in the country of destination. Guidelines for environmentally sound recovery operations are being prepared by a working group under the Basel convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation he has made of the relevance to the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy of the report to the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection on the monitoring by the EC of the implementation of Agenda 21 of the UN Conference on Environment and Development by Mrs. Guadalupe Ruiz-Giminenez Aguilar, MEP.

None yet. The report by the Committee on the Environment was tabled in the European Parliament on 3 January and so far as I am aware remains subject to discussion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of domestic water disconnections in each London borough for 1993.

Data on disconnections by local authority district are not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to abolish the county records offices.

As my right hon. Friend considers the recommendations of the Local Government Commission in each of the shire counties, he will be looking to ensure that they enable adequate provision to be made for all existing local government functions, including records and archives.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the Government's policy on the level of public expenditure on (a) the collection and maintenance and (b) the availability locally for public inspection of local records.

These are matters for local authorities to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he proposes to allow the Energy Savings Trust to offer a lower rate of support to eligible owner-occupiers than to social housing; and if he will make a statement;(2) what plans he has to exclude low-rise flats from the Energy Saving Trust grant schemes; and if he will consider including

The Energy Saving Trust is an independent organisation. The terms of its schemes are for the trust to establish in consultation with the bodies providing the funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 7 March, Official Report, columns 38–39, if he will provide the total cost of each listed refurbishment where such figures are available, an analysis of the nature and cost of each refurbishment where it is available on an economic basis and the total cost of all refurbishments in (a) the SW1 postal district of London and (b) the remainder of the United Kingdom.

As advised in my answer of 7 March, Official Report, columns 38–39, the detailed information requested on the nature and cost of the 77 refurbishment schemes listed cannot be provided at an economic cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the reason for the proposed increase in expenditure between 1993–94 and 1994–95, on hazardous wastes, as set out in figure 10 of his annual report and expenditure plans 1994–95 to 1996–97, Cm. 2507.

The expenditure represents contributions to trust funds established under the UNEP Basel convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous waste and their disposal. Until this year, the United Kingdom made voluntary contributions of United States $50,000 to support the work of the convention. From 1994, the United Kingdom is required to make a mandatory contribution as a party to the convention of United States $119,930. The United Kingdom also makes additional voluntary contributions to the Basel technical trust fund which assists developing and other countries in need of assistance to implement the convention.Since the figures in Cm. 2507 were finalised, it has been agreed that the United Kingdom should pay its mandatory contribution at the start of the relevant calendar year. As a result the first mandatory payment will now fall in 1993–94 and total payments in 1993–94 will be £131,807.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority in Lancashire the capital receipts held by them resulting from the sale of land, property and other assets.

The available information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the future of section 16 and section 87 funding for tenant participation initiatives.

Support in the form of grants is available both directly and indirectly to tenants to encourage and develop greater tenant participation in the management of local authority and housing association housing. The powers to pay grant derive from section 429A of the Housing Act 1985—as inserted by section 16 of the Housing and Planning Act 1986—and from section 87 of the Housing Associations Act 1985 respectively.With the introduction of the right to manage on 1 April 1994, section 16 grant will be focused increasingly on the development of tenant management organisations. Grant provision of £6·4 million is available during 1994–95.Housing association tenant participation is sponsored by the Housing Corporation. In 1994–95 the corporation expects to spend £2·4 million in providing grants under section 87. The emphasis of this programme is on the establishment of tenants groups and for aid to housing associations wishing to involve tenants in the management of their homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

Information on the numbers, funding and staffing of non-departmental public bodies is published annually in "Public Bodies," copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

Only one relevant authority has been set up since 1979. The Office of Water Services—OFWAT—was established in 1989 by the Water Act.The figures for its running costs over the last three financial years are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

The number of statutory instruments laid before Parliament by my Department in each of the last three years was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many environmental health officers there were in each of the last five years; how many support staff they have; what they cost in each year; what mileage allowances were offered to environmental health officers; and whether they get cars supplied.

The information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will state (a) the location of the new integrated Government office for London and when it will commence operations, (b) the numbers of civil servants attached to, or related to, specific Government Departments to be posted to it, (c) the number of any other employees located there, (d) the date when he expects to announce the name of the services' regional controller and (e) the date that post will be taken up.

The principal regional offices of the Departments of Employment, Environment, Trade and Industry and Transport responsible for London are currently located at 236 Grays Inn road, Millbank tower, Bridge place and 2 Marsham street respectively. In the short term, the functions of the new office will continue to be performed from those offices. The Government Office for London will open for business in April, staffed by some 320 civil servants from existing regional offices and related divisions. We hope to announce the appointment of the regional director in the near future and the successful candidate should take up their post shortly thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his current planning guidance in respect of out-of-town shopping centres.

Planning policy guidance note 6 contains our current policy. It encourages retail development that respects town centre vitality and viability, in locations that are accessible by a choice of means of transport and which encourage economy in fuel consumption. PPG 13, published yesterday, underlines the importance of these policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the funding of Bradford's city centre project; what funding applications from the project he has received in the past year; how many have been (a) approved, (b) refused and (c) how many are still being considered; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 15 March 1994]: The Department is currently funding the Bradford city centre project under the urban programme and under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985. We have received no representations about the project's funding. The Department has offered BCCP section 73 grant to expand the organisation's outreach scheme in 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the reasons for the dates of approval of individual aid and trade provision projects not being given in the list to which he referred in his answer to the right hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham) of 28 October 1993, Official Report, column 732; and if he will now make it his policy to provide the approval dates to Parliament.

The aid and trade provision scheme was established in 1978 and has been successful in securing over 270 overseas projects for Britain. In many of these projects the extended period of negotiation has meant that the project has been submitted for approval on more than one occasion. The list of successful ATP projects placed in the Library of the House is based on the dates when the formal Government-to-Government agreements or exchanges were signed for each project; this is the operative date for project commencement. Details of the dates of each individual approval is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. There are no plans to maintain such records centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answers of 3 March, Official Report, column 800, on what basis the payment to Antah Biwater JV is consistent with his answer on payments to Malaysian companies.

My answers in the Official Report, column 800 are consistent. The status of the rural water supply project had changed from that of a proposed project to that of a project formally agreed between the two Governments before the payment referred to was made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the ODA appointed a temporary rock expert to the Pergau design review panel; what is the cost likely to be of further steel lining for the power tunnels; what assessment the ODA has made of whether the contractors had an adequate geological evaluation of the cost of the project when they were given the work; if he will place in the Library the relevant documents explaining the geological reasons requiring an increase in Balfour Beatty—Cementation costs; and if he will make it his policy that any extra cost should be borne by the contractor.

ODA appointed a rock mechanics expert for 2 weeks in early 1993 to advise Tenaga Nasional Berhad Malaysian power authority and ODA whether the design of the power tunnel and power cavern proposed by the contractor would ensure long term satisfactory and safe operation of the completed project. The cost of the additional steel lining in the power tunnel is the subject of a claim by the contractor for extra payment; this is currently being discussed by the contractor and Tenaga Nasional Berhad. Geological information available to the Contractor was taken into account in the price submitted to DTI and ODA in March 1989 and at the time of contract signature in 1991. Under the terms of the contract it is the contractor's responsibility to deliver the completed project for a fixed basic price subject only to (i) the application of agreed indices for cost escalation of certain items and (ii) for specified geological risks, the cost of which is to be shared between the Contractor and the client. The geological reasons for the likely cost increase for further steel lining are the concern of the contractor and Tenaga Nasional Berhad. ODA is not a party to the contract between them. ODA will not meet any of the additional costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which international relief organisations have been forced to evacuate their humanitarian activities and in which locations in Sudan; and what representations he has made to the Sudan Government.

Information provided by Operation Lifeline Sudan indicates that a number of agencies have been affected by the fighting. World Vision has reduced numbers in Thiet; GOAL and AICF have taken people out of Ame, Aswa and Atepi camps, as has IRC; and AAIN has been forced to reduce its staff in Maridi and evacuate its staff from Mundri, as has Oxfam from Mundri. Relief workers have also withdrawn from Ulang, Kier and temporarily from Akobo.The United Nations has, with our support, made direct representations to the Government of Sudan about the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the effects of the hostilities on the distribution of relief aid.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of United Kingdom gross national product was spent on overseas aid in each year since 1979.

The figures are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the cost of receptions held by Ministers in his Department in 1993–94.

The cost of such receptions is included in the running costs for my Department, which are published in the annual report.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many bottles of (a) whisky and gin and (b) sherry and port were consumed by his private offices in 1993–94.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what was the cost of new furniture for his private office during the year 1993–94.

Such purchases are included within my Department's overall administration expenditure, which is published every year in the annual report.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action he proposes to take over the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts current management difficulties; and if he will make a statement.

The Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts—ABSA—is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. As part of its activities, ABSA administers on behalf of my Department the business sponsorship incentive scheme. In that regard, my Department maintains a close working relationship with ABSA. I am not aware of any current management difficulties related to the scheme which would require action on my part.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assessment he has made of the management arrangements at the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts in respect of handling Government grant aid; when the organisation was last evaluated; and if he will make a statement.

In July 1993 the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts reported to my Department on the outcome of an independent, external review of its financial and management arrangements for the Government-funded business sponsorship incentive scheme. In the light of that detailed review, I am satisfied that efficient and effective systems are in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what instructions have been given to the Director General of OFLOT about how he discharges his responsibilities under section 5.6 of the invitation to apply to run the national lottery; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) whether the article by Mr. Richard Branson in the Sunday Times of 20 February, constitutes a breach of section 5.6 of the invitation to apply; and if he will make a statement;(2) what constitutes a breach of section 5.6 of the invitation to apply to run the national lottery; and if he will make a statement.

This is an operational issue and therefore a matter for the director general of the national lottery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago.

The information which my hon. Friend seeks is contained in "Public Bodies 1993" and previous editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last three years.

The Department passed 91 statutory instruments in 1993, 115 in 1992 and 100 in 1991. A significant proportion of these set fees and charges only.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information is available to his Department about the range of costs of fitting seat belts to minibuses and coaches.

The diversity of vehicle types and the way in which they are constructed are such that it is not possible to estimate the full range of costs involved in fitting belts to individual vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport into which vehicle licensing category mechanical organs fall which are permanently fixed to the vehicle and used for display purposes only.

Vehicles used to transport mechanical organs for solely private purposes, for example use at charity events, fall to be licensed in the private and light goods—PLG—tax class. The HGV rate would apply only where there was a commercial purpose.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the names of those consulted in respect of proposals on passengers and goods vehicle operating licences circulated on 27 May 1993.

I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 14 December 1993 at column 592. In addition the Department sent copies of the consultation document to a wide-ranging number of bodies and individuals with an interest in operator licensing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to implement the proposals for continuous "O" licensing included in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill; how the annual fee for the renewal of the "O" licence is to be paid and collected; what provision

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1979; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; what is the current staffing establishment; and what it was last year and two years ago.

Four relevant authorities have been established since 1979.The Rail Regulator was appointed and the office of the Rail Regulator was established as a non-ministerial Government Department on 1 December 1993. However, the majority of the Rail Regulator's statutory functions will not be exercisable until the remaining provisions of the Railways Act are commenced at the beginning of April 1994. The Rail Regulator's running costs for 1994–95 are estimated to be £5·2 million. The average planned staffing establishment for 1994–95 is 55.The executive agencies of the Department of Transport listed in the table have regulatory functions and are required to recover total costs through fees and charges. Information given is taken from agencies' annual reports.there will be to bring to the attention of the licensing authority any misdemeanour committed by an operator during the previous year; how and how often the licensing authority will check an operator's licence; on what basis the licensing authority will decide to hold a public inquiry following objections to an "O" licence proposal or transfer; and if he will make a statement.

Continuous operator licensing will be introduced as soon as possible after Royal Assent, consistent with the need for a smooth transition from the current system. Details of changes to fee arrangements are currently the subject of separate consultation. Any further changes as a consequence of continuous licensing will also be the subject of prior consultation. The enforcement of the requirements on vehicles subject to operator licensing will be unaffected by the change to continuous licensing. Checks on the details of an operators business will continue to be made at the same five year intervals as provided by the present five year licensing system and operators will continue to be required to notify the licensing authorities about changes whenever they occur. The licensing authorities will continue to hold public inquiries as at present when they need to be satisfied about a matter arising out of an application for a licence or a variation of a licence. In addition, at the five-yearly review point, they will also be able to hold inquiries to consider objections to the operating centre of an operator.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect the proposal to end the requirement for "O" licence operators to prove to the Traffic Commissioner that they have adequate maintenance facilities for their vehicles, set out in his Department's 1993 consultation document, will have on (a) road safety and (b) general vehicle maintenance standards.

This proposal is not being taken forward. Operators will continue to be required to satisfy traffic commissioners that they have adequate maintenance arrangements for their vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public inquiries have been held in each traffic region in each of the last three years in respect of (a) HGV operator licences and (b) PSV operator "O" licences; and, in each case, if the operator licence was revoked or retained; and, in the latter case, what conditions were applied.

The appendices to the annual reports of the licensing authorities and traffic commissioners published for the last three years, 1990–91 to 1992–93, contain information on the number of public inquiries held in each traffic area. Specific information about disciplinary inquiries is in the main text of each licensing authority's report.Of those cases heard at public inquiry, the number of goods vehicle and public service vehicle operator licences revoked or retained, or where conditions were applied to PSV operator licences is in some instances mentioned in the reports and appendices to the reports. More detailed information on the action taken by each traffic commissioner and licensing authority against operator licences could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Copies of the "Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities" and "Annual Reports of the Traffic Commissioners" are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his estimate of the current capacity of combined road-rail transport operations.

Table 5.14 of Transport Statistics Great Britain 1993 contains statistics on "other traffic" which includes intermodal road-rail traffic. A copy of this publication has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what documentary evidence will be required relating to the destination of the loading unit used in a combined transport operation from or to a rail terminal; and what enforcement measures will be implemented.

The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 1994, which were laid in the House on 25 February exempt from the 38 tonne maximum weight limit a vehicle carrying a loading unit as part of a combined transport operation either (a) to a railhead pursuant to a contract for the transport of that unit by rail, or (b) from a railhead to which the unit has been transported by rail. The regulations require a document to be carried in the cab of the vehicle which specifies, in the case of (a), the railhead, the date of the relevant contract and the parties thereto or, in the case of (b), the railhead and the date and time at which the unit was collected from the railhead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will give details and locations of the rail terminals he has identified for use by 44-tonne lorries in combined road-rail transport operations.

Any rail terminal with facilities for the transhipment of containers and swap-bodies will qualify as a railhead for the purposes of the relevant regulations. It will also be necessary for the loading units in question to travel, or to have travelled, by rail on a network operated by British Rail or under a network licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to replace the limitless journey travel card with a stored-value ticket limiting the number of journeys that can be made; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have made clear their commitment to continuation of the London travel card and have no plans to replace it by a stored-value ticket. The stored-value ticket which London Transport will shortly be introducing as part of its current trial of smart card technology on buses in Harrow will be in addition to, not a replacement for, the present travel card.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with existing traffic area staff about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

Traffic area office staff have been kept informed about the proposal for executive agency status and will be consulted as proposals are developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held between his Department and the Council on Tribunals about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies; and whether agreement to such a proposal would need to be given by the Council on Tribunals.

The Council on Tribunals views will be sought before any decision is taken on whether to give the traffic area network executive agency status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the future responsibilities of traffic commissioners under his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies;(2) what will be the relationship as regards decision making at traffic area office level between the traffic commissioner and the chief executive if his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies are implemented.

The responsibilities of the traffic commissioners for the licensing and disciplining of operators and drivers would remain unchanged if it were decided to establish a traffic area network executive agency. The chief executive or director of the executive agency would be responsible for the management and performance of the traffic area offices, whose staff would continue to provide support for the traffic commissioners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with the road haulage industry about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

The proposal for executive agency status is concerned with improving management and will not affect the operator licensing regime; nevertheless, any views expressed by the road haulage industry will be given careful consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consultations have been held with traffic commissioners about his proposals to turn the existing traffic areas into executive agencies.

Traffic commissioners are being consulted through the senior traffic commissioner and are represented on the steering group that has been established to develop the proposals for agency status.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air misses there have been in each of the last four years involving aircraft (a) taking off and (b) landing at (i) Leeds-Bradford and (ii) Humberside airports.

The responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority—CAA.All air miss reports in United Kingdom airspace, involving civil or military aircraft, are investigated initially by the joint air miss section of the National Air Traffic Services, which is a joint CAA/Ministry of Defence organisation. They are then examined by the joint air miss working group—JAWG—an independent committee drawn from a wide cross-section of responsible aviation bodies.The records held by the joint air miss section, of air miss reports submitted by pilots show that for the period in question, no air miss reports were submitted for Leeds airport, while for Humberside airport only two such reports have been submitted. The first incident occurred on 23 May 1991 and involved a civilian aircraft in the final descent phase of its flight, which came into conflict with a military aircraft. The second incident took place on 13 October 1992 and also involved a loss of separation between a military aircraft and a civilian aircraft. The latter was in the landing phase of its flight. In both cases the incidents were subsequently judged by the JAWG to have involved no risk of collision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Shettleston (Mr. Marshall) of 21 February, Official Report, column 83, if he will set out the terms of reference of the sociological study of hard-core drink-drivers being carried out with the assistance of the Portman Group; and if he will make a statement.

The study is designed to give a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding drinking and driving offences. The contract for this research was let by the Portman Group, which is funding the study, and it would be for it to decide whether to release any details at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce a discount for those purchasing in advance electronic tags for crossing the Severn bridge.

Discounts of 20 per cent. for cars and light vans and 10 per cent. for heavy vehicles are already available on electronic tags valid for one month or three months, based on the assumption of 22 and 66 return trips respectively. These are the only discount requirements on the concessionaire, Severn River Crossing plc, under its concession agreement with the Secretary of State. Any further discounts are a matter for SRC's commercial judgment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what information he has about the sinking of the fishing vessel Copia; what consideration he has given to recovering the ship and crew; what representations he has received on the subject; and if he will make a statement;(2) where responsibility lies for the recovery of bodies on fishing vessels sunk in inland waters; what arrangements are made for such a recovery in the case of the Copia; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 15 March 1994]: The marine accident investigation branch inquiries into the accident are in progress. No representations have been received by this Department on the subject, other than the letter of 7 March from the hon. Member.The Department will not contemplate salvaging a wreck except where there are firm grounds for surmising that raising a wreck would establish the nature and cause of the accident and there are no other means of achieving this.There is no general requirement on the part of any official organisation to recover bodies in such circumstances. Nevertheless, immediately after the accident when police divers located the wreck they looked for the bodies of the crew, but unfortunately without success.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the representations he has received for Liverpool to be the base for a national open register of shipping; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 14 March 1994]: Since the Baltic Exchange's proposals for a British open register for shipping were received in early December, the Liverpool chamber of commerce and industry has written to reaffirm its support for it and for the proposal that the registry should be located in Liverpool.As I explained to my hon. Friend the Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 24 January,

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to franchise local roads; and if he will make a statement.

We have no such plans.

'To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many self-financing regulatory authorities his Department has set up since 1992; what was the annual running cost of each of the self-financing regulatory authorities in each of the last three years; and what was the staffing establishment at the latest available date, last year and two years ago.

There are no self-financing regulatory authorities in the departments for which the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has responsibility.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the number of quangos for which he is responsible; how much in public funds has been given to each quango in each of the last two years; what is the current staffing establishment of each quango; and what it was five years ago for the comparable bodies.

Such information is contained in the publication "Public Bodies 1993" and earlier editions of the same publication. Copies of all editions are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many rules and regulations his Department has passed in each of the last two years.

Rules and regulations made by my Department during this period are as follows:

• Chessington Computer Centre Trading Fund Order (1993)
• Race Relations (Prescribed Public Bodies) Regulations (1994)
• Research Councils (Transfer of Property etc) Order (1994)

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will give a full report of progress on the citizens charter since the publication of the first report in November 1992.

"The Citizen's Charter Second Report: 1994" setting out progress in fulfilling citizens charter commitments across the public service is published today. Copies of the report have been placed in he Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department's computer-aided facilities management systems cost; from whom they were purchased; how many person hours were required to commission them; what the estimated and actual saving has been from their operation; and to what extent the use of such systems accounts for the apparent rise in theft noted in his answer to the hon. and learned Member for Fife, North-East (Mr. Campbell) of 16 February, Official Report, columns 884–85.

The Welsh Office does not have a computer-aided facilities management system. However, a computerised system holding information relating to the Department's information technology assets is in place and a project is under way to provide by the end of the year a system which will cater for the Department's real estate, property management and asset inventory requirements.The existing system was purchased from Workgroup Systems at a cost of £7,500 and commissioning is estimated to have taken 150 person hours. It was installed in order to provide a secure record of assets rather than in the expectation of direct savings. There is no evidence to suggest that it has influenced the level of reported theft and losses.