To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants in his Department applied in each year since 1986, through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment (a) as an independent consultant, (b) with a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

For staff below grade 5 the Department has received one application through the business appointments system. The application was made in 1994 under (c) other employment, and was not referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. Information on staff at grade 5 and above could not be collected in the time available.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the judicial functions of justices' clerks.

Although justices' clerks are not judges, they do, however, perform certain functions of justices which have been devolved to them by virtue of section 28(1) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979. These functions are contained in the Justices' Clerks Rules 1970, as amended, the Magistrates' Courts (Attachment of Earnings) Rules 1971, the Family Proceedings Courts (Children Act 1989) Rules 1991, and the Family Proceedings Courts (Matrimonial Proceedings etc.) Rules 1991.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will publish a table showing the number of (a) civil actions and (b) criminal prosecutions using the powers of (i) the Insolvency Acts, (ii) the Theft Acts and (iii) the Banking Acts in each of the last four years.

(a) civil actions. This information is not available for the Insolvency Acts and Theft Acts and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The number of civil actions carried out by the Bank of England using the powers of the Banking Acts were as follows:

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee when the minutes of the proceedings of his Committee dealing with access of journalists to the Terrace will be available.

The minutes of proceedings of the Administration Committee are produced periodically. The volume containing the decision taken up to the Easter recess is expected to be available on 9 May—HC 374-i to ix.

To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee in what circumstances applications of right hon. and hon. Members to use the Upper Waiting Hall for exhibitions are not decided by ballot: and if he will make a statement.

Applications for exhibitions of a parliamentary nature to be exempted from the ballot are considered individually by the Administration Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many civil servants in his Department applied in each year since 1986 through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment (a) as an independent consultant, (b) with a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

The following table sets out the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total cost involved in appointing the prisons ombudsman since the post was readvertised in November 1993; and how this sum is broken down;(2) how prisoners will be informed of their rights to complain to the prisons ombudsman and of the procedures involved;(3) what will be the procedure to be followed by prisoners wishing to make complaints to the prisons ombudsman; and if he will make a statement;(4) what budget is to be allocated to the office of the prisons ombudsman for the year 1994–95; and how this is broken down;(5) How many

The total cost of appointing the prisons ombudsman since the post was readvertised in November 1993 was £55,200. This sum consists of a £20,332 fee for the services of an executive search agency, £20,086 for the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment and Assessment Services and £14,781 for advertisements placed in the national press.Prisoners will be informed of their rights to complain to the prisons ombudsman through a revised Prison Service leaflet on requests and complaints, the next reissue of the prisoners' information pack and any means the prisons ombudsman may decide appropriate. The procedures to be followed by prisoners are set out in the document "The Prisons Ombudsman: A Note on Arrangements", a copy of which is available in the Library.For 1994–95 the allocated budgets are £462,000 for salaries, £15,000 for travel and subsistence, and £400,000 for the costs of establishing and operating the office.There were 352 male and 50 female applicants for the post of prison ombudsman. Six candidates, all male, were shortlisted and interviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has received a report from the Police Complaints Authority concerning the death of Leon Paterson in Stockport police station.

No. Any report is entirely a matter for the Crown Prosecution Service, the chief constable and the Police Complaints Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the change in the arrangements this year for the use of Whitehall by vehicular traffic during the ANZAC day ceremony.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration was given to closing Whitehall to vehicular traffic during the ANZAC day ceremony on 25 April; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes were made in the arrangements for vehicular traffic in Whitehall during the Cenotaph ceremony on ANZAC day, 25 April, as compared with previous years; what consultations there were about the changes; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to a question from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) on 28 April, at column 244–45.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parliamentary questions, in the period November 1992 to March 1993, were answered with the response that the information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost; and how many were referred on to an agency chief executive.

The number of answers given to questions to my Department in the period November 1992 to March 1993 which the POLIS database has been able to identify as fitting the hon. Member's criteria is 72. During the same period, the POLIS database has been able to identify seven questions to my Department where agency chief executives were asked to arrange for replies to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many different types of drugs have been found in each Her Majesty's prison, Her Majesty's remand centre and Her Majesty's detention centre in (a) South Yorkshire, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) West Yorkshire and (d) Humberside in each year since 1989;(2) how many visitors have been found in possession of illegal drugs at each Her Majesty's prison, Her Majesty's remand centre and Her Majesty's detention centre in

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to allocate sniffer dogs to each prison to help combat the problem of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement;(2) what plans he has to ensure sniffer dogs inspect all prisons on a regular basis throughout the year to help combat the problem of illegal drugs; and if he will make a statement.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will refer back to the Local Government Commission proposals to split Humberside police with an instruction to consult the police, the police authority and the public.

I have nothing to add to the answers I gave to the hon. Member and to the hon. Member for Warwickshire, North (Mr. O'Brien) on 21 April, at columns 1021–22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement in respect of the operation in which armed Metropolitan police officers were at the scene of an incident on 16 April at approximately 1015 hours, at the northern end of Shaftesbury avenue, London.

I understand from the Commissioner that the Metropolitan police have no record of any incident or police operation in Shaftesbury avenue on 16 April, and that no authority for the issue of firearms in the Metropolitan police district was given on that day.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what considerations led to the title Operation Barnard; and if he will make a statement.

I understand from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police that "Operation Barnard" was a name chosen by the local divisional commander.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to expand the network of United Kingdom passport offices, with particular reference to Scotland.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the United Kingdom Passport Agency. I have asked the chief executive to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of the relief and allowances against (a) inheritance tax and (b) capital gains tax in the current financial year.

The cost of the inheritance tax nil rate band for transfers not exceeding £150,000 in 1994–95 is estimated to be £4.4 billion. This figure is particularly tentative and subject to a wide margin of error.Estimates of the costs of other reliefs and allowances against capital gains tax and inheritance tax for 1994–95 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, estimates for 1993–94 were published in table 1.6 and in appendix B of an Inland Revenue publication "Inland Revenue Statistics 1993". A copy of this was placed in the Library. Updated figures for 1994–95 will be published later in the year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were (a) the tax revenues received from, (b) the subsidy provided to and (c) the net cost or revenue of the nationalised industries in each of the five years to 1979.

The information is not available in the format requested. However, the total external financing provided for the nationalised industries in the years 1975–76 through to 1978–79 was as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total profit made by formerly publicly-owned companies in the five years prior to their privatisation; and if he will provide a breakdown of this sum by company.

The table shows the profits made, or estimated to have been made, by privatised companies in the five years prior to privatisation where this information is held centrally and can be obtained without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much each valuation office received from the relevant regional health authorities for valuation of surplus NHS properties for each year since 1987.

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average length of time between the receipt of a proposal to alter the valuation list and the decision on the proposal for each district valuation officer.

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many council tax cases were awaiting inspection and discussion at the Valuation Office at 1 April.

The number of appeals received during the initial banding period in England and Wales and outstanding as at 31 March 1994 was 614,000. The number awaiting inspection and discussion could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he estimates to be the total cost in 1994–95 of relief from inheritance tax for (a) agricultural property, (b) business property, (c) heritage property and maintenance funds and (d) exemption of transfers to charities on death.

[holding answer 28 April 1994]: Provisional estimates for the total cost of reliefs and exemptions from inheritance tax for 1994–95 are:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Inland Revenue approved executive share option schemes currently exist; what proportion are linked to approved savings-related share option schemes; and what are the respective values of both schemes.

[holding answer 29 April 1994]: Up to 31 March 1994, 5,680 discretionary—executive—share option schemes had been approved by the Inland Revenue; 3,981 of these schemes are believed to be currently in operation. In 1991–93, the latest year for which relevant figures are available, some 2 per cent. of discretionary schemes were granted options at a discount, under the linkage provisions introduced in the Finance Act 1991, because they also had an approved savings-related share option scheme. The total initial value of shares over which options were granted in 1992–93 under approved discretionary share option schemes was £1.6 billion; the corresponding figure for approved savings-related share option schemes is £1.88 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on corporation tax receipts in 1994–95 and 1995–96 of the introduction of pay and file.

[holding answer 29 April 1994]: The introduction of pay and file is not expected to have a significant effect on total receipts of corporation tax in 1994–95 and 1995–96.

To ask the Attorney-General how many civil servants in his Departments applied in each year since 1986 through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment (a) as an independent consultant, (b) in a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many were referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

Since 1986 two applications have been received by the Crown Prosecution Service under the business appointments rules, one in 1990 and one in 1992. Neither related to an appointment as a consultant or with a firm of consultants. One of the applications required and obtained the approval of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. The other application was approved by the Department. There have been no such applications in the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, the Treasury Solicitor's Department or the Serious Fraud Office.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the UN about sanctions against Libya.

Ministers and officials are in regular contact on the question of the Lockerbie bombing and sanctions against Libya, both with the United Nations secretariat and other members of the Security Council. I last discussed this matter with the United Nations Secretary-General during his visit to London in July 1992.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 3 May.

This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Prime Minister if the contract to Sir Tim Bell to advise on the celebrations and commemorations of the D-day landings was awarded by means of a competitive tender.

Yes.

To ask the Prime Minister what changes there have been since 28 November 1991 in the definition of executive duties carried out by chairmen or vice-chairmen of a political party which would disqualify that person from holding a similar role or office in any public body; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, column 389, what were the final costs of his Department's contribution to Expo '92, including the costs of settlement with Joanna Bickerton Associates.

The final costs have yet to be settled. I will write to the hon. Member when they are.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the names of consultants employed in reviews of structure and organisation for each of his Department's laboratories and agencies since April 1992, the periods of the appointments and the date of their reports; and whether the reports have been placed in the Library, together with the total sums expended on the reviews of such laboratories and agencies in the financial years 1992–93 and 1993–94.

The position on the use of consultants in connection with the reviews of the DTI laboratories and other agencies is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many individual export licences were awarded to cover the £6,000 million of defence exports in 1993, to which preference is made at paragraph 442 of the statement of the Defence Estimates 1944, Cm 2550.

The sum of £6,000 million refers to the value of contracts placed with the United Kingdom in 1993 and not to the value of exports.In 1993 there were issued 10,635 individual export licences in respect of all goods prefixed "ML"—munitions list—in the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992, as amended. Not all these licences relate to exports in 1993 as licences are valid for two years. The issue of a licence does not necessarily lead to an export being made.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Members for Blaenau Gwent on 8 March, Official Report, column 204 and for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling), of 31 March, Official Report, column 1012, if he will now make it his policy to organise the central record keeping of public interest immunity certificates.

I have now made arrangements for a separate record to be kept in the Solicitor's Office of all public interest immunity certificates signed by or on behalf of myself or any of the other Ministers in the Department.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has concerning the number of pirate radio stations which currently broadcast on a regular basis in the United Kingdom; and what assessment he has made of the impact of those illegal broadcasts on the future development of community radio.

There is no regular pattern to pirate radio broadcasts, but the Department's Radiocommunications Agency made 611 raids on pirate stations in 1993. The agency will sustain its efforts against pirates so as to prevent radio interference and maintain fair competition for all legal broadcasters.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the contribution of the music recording industry to the United Kingdom economy.

The United Kingdom has a large and internationally important recorded music industry which makes a substantial contribution to the economy through both product sales and royalty earnings.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what help and assistance his Department is giving to the fortress study group in its "Defence of Britain" survey; and if he will make a statement.

My Department is currently considering an application from the Council for British Archaeology, on behalf of the fortress study group, for a contribution towards funding this project.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what information he has concerning those FM frequencies which are to be reserved by the Radio Authority to provide for the future development of community radio.

It is for the Radio Authority to determine how to use the new FM frequencies, in the band 105–108 MHz, which become available from the end of 1995. I understand no decisions have yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what plans he has to encourage the development of community radio; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will make a statement about the extent to which the Radio Authority is seeking to encourage franchise bids from community radio broadcasters.

The priorities and procedures for developing the independent radio sector, including community radio, are determined by the Radio Authority; the Government do not seek to influence the authority's judgment.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what recent representations he has received concerning community radio; and if he will make a statement.

Following the publication of the Radio Authority's consultation document on the "Future Use of 105–108MHz", I have received a number of letters from both hon. Members and members of the public in support of community radio and other forms of radio services. I have explained that it is for the Radio Authority to determine how best to use the new frequencies for the development of independent radio.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he last met the Community Radio Association to discuss the future of community radio; and if he will make a statement.

I have not met the association, but officials keep in touch with its representatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make a statement setting out his policies for the future management of the radio spectrum; and if he will indicate specifically which elements of the spectrum will be utilised to facilitate the development of community radio.

The Government's policy is to increase diversity and choice for listeners and to promote competition in the provision of services.The Government are allocating further FM spectrum, from 105 MHz to 108 MHz, to the Radio Authority from the end of 1995, or earlier if possible. It is for the Radio Authority to decide the use of this spectrum and it has issued a consultation document to seek views on this.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what information he has concerning the number of (a) hospital radio stations, (b) community radio groups, (c) student radio stations and (d) radio stations catering for the inmates of institutions for young offenders which currently broadcast in the United Kingdom; and what projections he has made of the growth of broadcasters in each of those categories over the next 10 years;(2) what information he has concerning the number of restricted service licences which have been awarded since 1990 by the Radio Authority for experimental broadcasts by community groups; and how many of those licensees have subsequently been granted full franchises to broadcast as community radio stations.

I suggest the hon. Member asks the Radio Authority for this information, since it is responsible for licensing services.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) whether the proposal for the nationwide introduction of community radio contained in the 1987 Green Paper "Radio: Choices and Opportunities", Cm 92, remains the policy of Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement;(2) whether the indication in the Green Paper on "Radio: Choices and Opportunities", Cm 92, on the possible number of community radio stations remains the policy of his Department; and if he will make a statement.

The Green Paper was a consultative document. In the subsequent White Paper, and during the passage of the Broadcasting Act 1990, the Government took the view that community radio did not need to be distinguished from other independent radio services. It is for the Radio Authority to determine its priorities and procedures for developing the independent radio sector in accordance with requirements of the Broadcasting Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many civil servants in his Department have applied through the business appointments system to take up an outside appointment (a) as an independent consultant, (b) in a firm of consultants and (c) in other employment; how many have been referred to the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments; and how many were granted.

The Department of National Heritage has been in existence only since April 1992. To date no civil servants in the Department have applied through the business appointments system to take up appointments outside the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 388, what changes have been made in the timetable for the availability of figures for the actual attendance at national museums and galleries since April 1993; and if he will make a statement.

I provided provisional attendance figures for 1993–94 in my reply of 14 February at column 578. The actual attendance figures are now being collected on a financial year basis and we hope to make them available in July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about the recent functioning of the Narmada dam in India and the consequences for international funding and the local people.

We have seen reports about the recent closure of the sluice gates, but we are not aware of any consequences for international funding. We understand that the Indian authorities are examining the resettlement aspects connected with this action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 29 March, Official Report, column 615, what have been (a) the number and (b) the value of management consultancies awarded under the aid programme.

[holding answer 29 April 1994]: The number of contracts awarded to management consultants under the aid programme for 1992–93 was 38 and the total value £10,602,735. The consultants concerned have been engaged at the request of overseas Governments to provide a wide range of advice and expertise which cannot be funded from their own resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the role of the Commonwealth Development Corporation.

The Government's response to the report on the Commonwealth Development Corporation by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission was reported to the House on 25 March 1993, Official Report, columns 653–54. A quinquennial review of CDC has also been completed. Copies of the review report have been placed in the Library of the House. The Government have endorsed its conclusions and recommendations.CDC makes an important and distinctive contribution to Britain's overseas development programme. Its primary role is to promote productive investment in the private sector and to support privatisation programmes. It will continue to concentrate its new investments on the poorest countries, where financial markets are undeveloped and private sector capital is still scarce. Its strong asset base and returns from previous investments now allow it to finance future growth in new investments at a lower cost to the British aid programme. In 1993, CDC's investments and commitments increased to over £1.6 billion; £217 million of gross new investments were made, an increase of 24 per cent. on 1992. Over the next five years, a rising level of internally generated resources, and a limited programme of other borrowing on concessional terms, starting with a £25 million loan approved by the European Investment bank on 22 March 1994; is expected to allow further increases in the annual level of investment.As previously announced, the Government have decided to retain CDC in the public sector. As a consequence, no fundamental changes are proposed in CDC's capital structure at present. However, to allow for the planned expansion of activities the Government intend, subject to parliamentary time, to legislate to increase the ceiling on CDC's outstanding borrowing power. It is also proposed that new legislation should include powers to enable the Government to waive interest payable by CDC on aid programme loans. As an interim measure from 1 April 1994 the Government have reduced the interest rate on these loans to 0.75 per cent.The Government have agreed new targets with CDC. At least 70 per cent. of board approvals for new investments each year will be in the poorest countries. CDC will focus on countries which are important to Britain, and at least 80 per cent. of board approvals for new investments each year should be for private sector projects. CDC will aim to invest the remainder only in support of privatisation strategy. This continues the significant shift in emphasis from public to private sector investment which CDC has been pursuing for some years. The Government also intend to consider with CDC how best to associate its work more closely with other aspects of the British aid programme.By 1996, 25 per cent. of approvals should be in the form of equity or quasi-equity; and CDC's catalytic role in attracting additional private foreign investment and local capital should be enhanced.The target rate of return on capital employed will be 8 per cent. nominal for the next two to three years and will be reviewed thereafter. CDC's administrative efficiency, which is praised by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, will continue to be further improved. For 1994, the ratio of gross operating costs to year end investments and commitments will be 1.15 per cent. A review of this target for later years is to be completed before the end of 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the latest estimate of the annual total of maintenance payments resulting from assessments made by the Child Support Agency in the financial year 1993–94.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will breakdown the building schemes included in the sums to be spent by the Child Support Agency in 1994–95 on minor new works on furniture and fittings as listed in the estimates, class XIII, vote 4, section F3(1) and (3);(2) if he will break down the sum spent on minor new works furniture and fittings, and £602,000 on major new works by the Child Support Agency in 1993–94 as listed in the estimates, class XIII, vote 4, section F3;(3) if he will list and give details of the expenditure by the Child Support Agency on

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total expenditure of the CSA in (a) 1992–93, when it was operating as a shadow agency and (b) 1993–94; and what is the estimated total expenditure in 1994–95.

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for Ros Hepplewhite, the chief executive. She will write to the hon. Member.