To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his plans for privatisation in the courts service; what plans he has to achieve them within the terms of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill; and what plans he has to seek the repeal of section 27 of the Courts Act 1971 before the contracting out or privatising of the courts service.

There are no plans either to privatise any part of the court service in the sense of the private sector taking over responsibility for ensuring the provision of court services or to repeal section 27 of the Courts Act 1971. However, the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill would amend that section to enable the Lord Chancellor to contract with others to provide staff to carry out administrative work in the Supreme Court and county courts and hence enable him to market-test any such work where doing so was likely to improve the value for money of the services concerned and would not risk impugning the independence or probity of the judicial process. The Government have decided, however, that there will be no market testing in the courts service at least until it has been launched as an executive agency in April 1995.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the recommended period that a defendant can be held in custody before Crown court trial; if he will indicate the trend in achieving this target; and if he will make a statement.

Pursuant to the Prosecution of Offences (Custody Time Limits) Regulations 1987, the maximum period of time an individual may be held in custody between committal for trial and arraignment is 112 days—16 weeks. The table shows the trend in achieving the limit. In addition, the Department sets custody waiting time targets which are 12 weeks in London, 10 weeks in the south-eastern area and eight weeks elsewhere in England and Wales.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what rights of audience barristers directly employed by the Crown Prosecution Service have in the Crown court; and what plans he has to alter such rights.

Barristers employed by the Crown Prosecution Service have no rights of audience in the Crown court.The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct is at present considering this issue, and no decision on the rights of audience of employed barristers will be taken until the advisory committee's advice is received. This is expected later this year.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what codification of the principles of justice has taken place since 1979; and what proposals he has for further codification.

No legislation of a purely codifying nature has been enacted since 1979. However, some legislation emanating from recommendations by the Law Commission, such as the Children Act 1989, has been drafted in the context of codification of the area of the law to which it relates. The Government are considering a draft codifying Bill on offences against the person and general principles, which was published by the Law Commission in 1993—Law Com. No. 218.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many judges were (a) barristers and (b) solicitors; and if he will make a statement on the trends in appointments.

As at 1 April 1994 there were 509 circuit judges in office, of whom 449 had been barristers and 60 had been solicitors at the time of their appointment. There were 95 High Court judges of whom 94 had been barristers and one a solicitor. All other Supreme Court judges had been barristers and all Lords of Appeal had been barristers or members of the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland. By comparison, as at 1 October 1991, 46 out of the 446 circuit judges and none of the more senior judges in office had been solicitors at the time of their appointment. It continues to be the Lord Chancellor's policy to appoint to each judicial post the candidate who appears to him to be best qualified to fill it.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners how many (a) inquiries and (b) detailed applications have been made for compensation under the Priests (Ordination of Women) Measure 1993.

A total of 836 individuals have sought and received information about the Ordination of Women (Financial Provisions) Measure. Very few have given any indication of their actual intentions; 177 individuals have resigned or indicated their firm intention to do so, with a view to receiving financial provision under the Measure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of the aid and trade provision programme has been absorbed by Indonesia in each year since 1979.

The table provides details drawn from "British Aid Statistics" for the calendar years up to 1990; and for the financial years from 1991 onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid-trade projects have been awarded to Acer Engineering since 1990; and in how many other such projects Acer Engineering acted as a subcontractor or consultant.

Acer Engineering has not been the lead contractor for any project supported with aid and trade provision finance since 1990. Data are not held centrally on subcontractors or consultants employed by lead contractors under aid and trade provision-supported contracts, and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what payments of compensation have been made in connection with the Pergau dam project to the state Government of Kelantan and to local landowners; and by whom.

We understand that Tenaga Nasional Berhad—the publicly listed Malaysian Electricity Company—agreed in 1992 to pay compensation to the Kelantan State Government for the use of land and water and loss of timber revenue. This amounted to just over M$121 million—£28 million. We understand that compensation has also been paid to local landowners although we are not aware of the amount.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available the most up-to-date analyses of the environmental impact of the Pergau dam.

ODA continues to monitor the environmental effects of this project. It is not our policy to publish advisers' reports but, following a recent monitoring visit by an ODA adviser, the main conclusions were that the Malaysian environmental management plan is being effectively implemented and that the Pergau project will not have an adverse long-term environmental impact.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the cost to public funds of the specialist consultants appointed by the Overseas Development Administration to monitor progress on the Pergau dam.

We expect to spend a total of £1·035 million up to the 1996–97 financial year on technical, financial and environmental monitoring of the implementation of the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he had over the military implications of the Pergau dam project.

[holding answer 12 April 1994]: None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment he has made of the consequences of the sanctions on Iraq on the food consumption of the civilian population;(2) what assessment he has made of the consequences of the sanctions on Iraq on the repair of water purification and sewage plants that were destroyed in the Gulf war;(3) what assessment he has made of the change in the incidence of water-borne diseases and other diseases since the imposition of sanctions on Iraq;(4) what assessment he has made of the change in the incidence of infant mortality since the imposition of sanctions on Iraq.

We have made no assessments of our own. Iraq is continuing to refuse access to the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iraq and UN human rights monitors. We do, however, receive reports from UN agencies and non-governmental organisations with their assessments of needs in Iraq. It is on the basis of these assessments that we have provided some £66 million humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people since 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which refugees are leaving Burma as a result of actions of the Burmese Government.

We understand from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that at present there is no significant movement of refugees from Burma into neighbouring countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the World Health Organisation's plan for the development of health services in Somaliland will be produced; and what plans exist to make it available for public scrutiny.

The World Health Organisation has informed us that the plan is expected to be made public by the end of April. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will seek to arrange for a senior official of the Foreign Office to visit the marshlands of Iraq, in the area where the Tigris joins

[holding answer 14 April 1994]: Many international organisations and humanitarian workers have sought to visit these areas to aid civilians. However, Iraq has consistently refused to permit access, despite the fact that this is in contravention of the United Nations Security Council resolution 688.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make an analysis for each quintile of pensioner incomes for single pensioners, pensioner couples and all pensioner units similar to that published on 7 May 1993, Official Report, columns 294-98, using the most recent family expenditure survey figures available.

The information is in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consideration has been given to the publication of the collection and enforcement manual of the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to publish the child support collection and enforcement manual.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many youth training recipients have become eligible for top-up payments to bring them up to income support level and for welfare benefits since 11 April; and what will be the cost to public funds.

The information requested is not available. Many YT trainees have access to resources beyond their YT allowance—earnings from employers, for example.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what consultations he has had with the voluntary organisations specialising in halfway houses, hostels and supported housing for former residents of institutions catering for those with learning difficulties in relation to the future provision of housing benefit, inclusive of the cost of support and care.

In order to restore the existing policy intention, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has recently consulted the Social Security Advisory Committee and the local authority associations on a proposed change to the regulations relating to eligibility for housing benefit where rent includes the cost of general counselling and support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons currently hold the rank of (a) constable, (b) sergeant, (c) inspector, (d) chief inspector, (e) superintendent, (f) chief superintendent, (g) assistant chief constable and (h) deputy chief constable in each of the police forces in England and Wales other than the Metropolitan police.

The information requested is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 March, if he will list the firms of consultants employed by his Department and the number of contracts they have undertaken.

The suppliers of the consultancies are as follows; figures in brackets indicate the number of contracts to that company if more than one:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many actions have been brought for the offence of blasphemy since 1964; and how many resulted in a conviction.

Records held centrally show only one prosecution brought since 1964 for blasphemy offences. This prosecution resulted in a conviction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 29 March, Official Report, column 612, if he will make it his policy to collect centrally statistics by country on the number of visitors to the United Kingdom who overstay.

Such statistics could be collected only if there were comprehensive records of all arrivals and departures of non-European Economic Area nationals, of whom about 6·5 million are visitors to the United Kingdom each year. Maintaining such a database would not be cost-effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum received in England and Wales for (a) firearm certificates and (b) shotgun certificates during 1993 or the most recent year for which figures are available.

In 1992, the most recent year for which figures are available, the total sum received in England and Wales was £2,258,600 for firearm certificates and £2,730,200 for shotgun certificates.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentages of (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year since 1987 were for racially motivated harassment;(2) how many prosecutions there have been under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 in each year since 1987; how many convictions there have been in each year since 1987; and what were the penalties for those convicted in each case.

Information is not collected centrally as to whether an offence committed under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 was racially motivated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if the sites for the new secure training centres will be well away from residential areas;(2) when he expects to announce the chosen sites for the five new secure training centres for persistent juvenile offenders subject to a secure training order.

I hope to be able to announce a decision next week about the sites for the new centres.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the empty detention centre at Gringley near Retford, Nottinghamshire is still available for sale; and if he will consider selling the site to a consortium of local residents.

No. The site was withdrawn from sale by the Prison Service pending an assessment of its potential use as a secure training centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the reason for the closure of the former Gringley detention centre, near Retford; how many inmates it held; and how many people were employed there.

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 prisoners are currently held in police cells in the Northumbrian police force area; and why they are not held in prisons.

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 Health what assessment she has made of the financial savings of moving activity from secondary to primary health care.

The balance between secondary and primary care is for local decision taking into account local needs and resources, existing provision, and the views of local people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ethnic monitoring is undertaken by her Department within the national health service and within training providers associated with the national health service.

Information on the ethnic origin of nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff was first collected in September 1993. Results should be available in mid 1994. Ethnic origin information for the remainder of the national health service non-medical work force will be collected in September 1994.Data on the ethnic background of doctors in the hospital and community health services is also collected by the Department. The NHS executive has just set up a central monitoring programme in England and Wales to examine the outcome of NHS consultant appointments in terms of gender and ethnic origin of applicants.From later this year, the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting will collect data from approved institutions offering nursing, midwifery and health visiting qualifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 14 February, Official Report, column 623, if she will list, for each campaign that does not include advertising, the objectives and mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of the campaign and the results of such assessments.

The additional information requested has been included in revised tables which have been placed in the Library. The results of assessments for 1993–94 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical facilities in Britain have recently been offered to victims of the war in Bosnia; and what plans she has to increase these.

Since the beginning of this year 17 casualties from Bosnia have been treated for a variety of medical and surgical conditions in appropriate national health service hospitals. To date, all placements have been arranged through regional health authorities in England but the Department has maintained liaison with the other territorial health departments.It is generally accepted that the overriding need now is to build up the capacity to provide sustainable health care within the former Yugoslavia. Nevertheless, we are continuing to respond to requests for individual cases to be treated here when special need arises because of a lack of the necessary facilities locally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the provision of legal powers for professionals to intervene where an abusive situation in a domiciliary care agency cannot be alleviated by other means.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many square feet of office space her Department leases, rents or owns inside the boundary of the borough of Ipswich; and what was the equivalent area in June 1979.

The Department of Health has no office accommodation in Ipswich which it rents or owns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for the recruitment to the national health service of more junior doctors.

The new deal will further reduce hours worked by junior doctors. To help achieve these reductions, regional task forces have been given the freedom to increase senior house officer numbers where necessary, in consultation with postgraduate deans, to ensure that educational standards are maintained.The number of junior doctors will change as a result of the Government's acceptance of the recommendations of "Hospital Doctors: Training for the Future". This will introduce planned and structured training and increase the ratio of senior medical staff to junior doctors. Over the next few years, this should reduce the numbers in higher specialist training but increase the number of consultants and the proportion of care delivered by them.Copies of both documents are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to encourage the purchase and use of ambulances manufactured in the United Kingdom.

The sourcing and purchase of ambulances by competitive tender is a matter for each individual ambulance service, having regard to operational requirements, availability in the marketplace, and best overall value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will seek a report on the relationship between the incidence of birth defects and the transmission of viruses carried by sea water contaminated with sewage effluent; and if she will make a statement.

There are no known links between viral infections of any type, including viruses transmitted through sea water, and limb reduction deformities at birth. There are therefore no plans to commission a study along the lines suggested.With regard to investigations into reports of unusual occurrences of babies born with limb defects, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) on 1 March at column

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to subsidise calls made or received by general practitioners on mobile phones in the course of their duties when on call.

Expenses incurred by general practitioners in the delivery of general medical services are reimbursed to the profession in full.