To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average length of time it takes from an application being made to the Immigration Appellate Authority to the date of the determination; and if he will make a statement.

Once an application is made to the Immigration Appellate Authority, it is for the parties to signify when they are ready for hearing. The time taken to reach this stage varies between two and eight months. The first available hearing date at each of the IAA's centres as at 6 May 1994 is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private security firms were employed by his Department in (a) 1979, (b) 1985 and (c) the last year for which figures are available; and in each of these years (i) which sections of his Department employed these firms, (ii) which firms they were, (iii) what was the job for which they were employed and (iv) what was the value of the contract in each case.

I regret that there is no central record of information of private security firms employed by my Department. I refer the hon. Member to the reply to the hon. Member for Walsall, South (Mr. George) on Tuesday 26 April, Official Report, column 98, for available information in respect of security companies employed by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his specific proposals in regard to his promise of specific action to help families of murder victims which he announced in news release No. 76/94 on 20 April.

Our specific proposals were set out in the news release to which the hon. Member has referred. A copy is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 27 April, Official Report, columns 183–84, if he will publish the name of the executive search agency used to recruit the prisons ombudsman, and the amount of money that they were paid for this.

The executive search agency used to recruit the prisons ombudsman was Coopers and Lybrand Executive Resourcing, it was paid £20,332.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce pilot schemes on electronic tagging this year.

The Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill includes provision for the introduction of electronically monitored curfew orders in selected areas; and the explanatory and financial memorandum to the Bill explained the intention to conduct pilot trials accordingly. Subject to parliamentary approval of this provision, I propose to make curfew orders available to the courts on a pilot basis, starting in the new year. Manchester is one of three areas in which such trials might take place.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give full details of the arrangements he has made for publicising the new arrangements affecting those eligible to vote at the European elections in June; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question tabled by the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on 25 February, Official Report, columns 508–9. All the measures noted in that reply have now been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries and the number of police officers from each of those countries—from which police officers are being trained by police authorities at the present time in England and Wales.

Information of this nature is not held centrally and could be obtained only at dispropor-tionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from Poland have applied for political asylum since 1 April 1993.

In the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994, 86 nationals of Poland, excluding dependants, applied for asylum in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the new secure training centres for persistent juvenile offenders are to be located in north Wales.

No secure training centres are to be located in north Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many babies were born in prisons in England and Wales in each year since 1987; how many of the mothers were handcuffed at the time of giving birth; and if he will make a statement.

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 special constables were deployed in the Peterlee sub-division in each of the last five years.

The information requested is set out in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases in each of the last five years, including the current year to date, an application for renewal of exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom has been refused; and how many of these refusals were after one year's exceptional leave and how many were after four years.

Precise figures are not available, but in each of the four years 1990–93, the number of asylum applicants refused an extension of exceptional leave does not exceed a figure of the order of 15. Provisional information for the first quarter of 1994 indicates a similar annual level in 1994 to date.The available information suggests that the majority of the refusals were after one year with exceptional leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are currently being held in police cells in the north Wales police force area; and if he will make a statement.

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 what plans he has to reduce overcrowding at Cardiff prison; and if he will make a statement.

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 what members of senior prison service personnel working in the Prison Service Agency received bonus payments in 1993.

Eight senior members of the Prison Service received bonus payments linked to performance in 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the individuals and amounts paid in 1992–93 to compensate staff for the decline in house prices following transfer in public interest, with the original place of work and the new place of work which qualified each individual to the compensation.

The numbers of staff concerned and the total sums paid by way of advances of salary and special payments were given in reply to a question tabled by the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Taylor) on 25 February, Official Report, column 507. It would not be appropriate to provide details of the financial affairs of named individuals.

To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, column 127, if he will list the general and local statutory instruments made since 1 November 1993 up to the end of February according to the Ministries responsible for them.

Further disagregation of the information given in my answer of 8 March could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans his Department has (a) to utilise the Internet, (b) to make available on the Internet press releases and other departmental information which the public may wish to have access to and (c) to use the Internet as a means of increasing the openness of his Department.

The Department uses Internet to exchange information electronically with the European Commission, industry, and academic bodies involved in research. It does not use Internet as a way of putting information in the public domain, and has no plans to do so.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 4 May, Official Report, column 512, what proposals the electricity industry has made to his Department for expanding the capacity of the cross-channel electricity interconnector.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people in whole time equivalents were employed at the Atomic Energy Authority, distinguishing the police force from other employees, in each of the last three years and at April 1994.

The information is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received concerning the practice of cellular networks of charging callers for connection to their network when the recipient is unable to take the call; and if he will make a statement.

I have received no representations concerning charges made by operators for recorded messages, but I understand that the Director General of Telecommunications has received some. The Office of Telecommunications is exploring with the network operators how the level of customer satisfaction with recorded message services can be improved.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasion the European Council of Ministers last discussed the steel industry; and if he will make a statement.

I refer the right hon. and learned Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friends the Members for Basildon (Mr. Amess) and for Colchester, North (Mr. Jenkin) on 29 April, Official Report, columns 348–49.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what legislative changes he intends to propose to amend the quantities in which spirits may be sold for consumption on licensed premises.

My noble Friend Lord Strathclyde has today laid before Parliament the Weights and Measures (Intoxicating Liquor) (Amendment) Order 1994 and the Measuring Equipment (Capacity Measures) (Amendment) Regulations 1994. The order has been laid for approval by resolution of each House of Parliament. The regulations have been made before laying and are subject to the negative resolution procedure.Current legislation provides that gin, rum, vodka and whisky may be served in a quantity of ¼ gill, ⅕ gill, ⅙ gill, or 25 ml and that the three imperial quantities be phased out by the end of this year. The new legislation will allow a second metric quantity of 35 ml and thereby allow those licensees—principally in Scotland—who, at present, sell spirits in either ¼ or ⅕ gill to continue to serve a more generous measure.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements are made for the policing of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant and related installations.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: THORP and related installations are part of British Nuclear Fuels plc's Sellafield site and the policing arrangements that apply to the Sellafield site also apply to THORP.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is his policy to maintain the Atomic Energy Authority police as a public body under public control in the event of the privatisation of establishments that the force currently polices.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr. Jackson) on 17 February 1994, Official Report, columns 922–24.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what matters, subject to the Blelloch inquiry into the Ministry of Defence Police, also relate to the future structure and complement of the Atomic Energy Authority police.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: The Blelloch inquiry is concerned solely with the Ministry of Defence police and is not due to publish its full report until June 1994. Until my Department has received and studied the report I am not in a position to comment on any possible implications there might be for the Atomic Energy Authority constabulary.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what arrangements are made for the policing of UK Nirex Ltd.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: No specific policing arrangements are applied to UK Nirex Ltd.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he proposes to announce further proposals concerning the supply of newspapers; what representations he has received on his Department's final inquiry up to 31 March; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: The Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on the supply of national newspapers in England and Wales identified certain practices of wholesalers as operating against the public interest. I have therefore proposed making a statutory order prohibiting these practices. A wide range of views has been received during the period for submission of written representations on the proposed order, which ended on 31 March. My officials are now holding a final series of meetings with representative parties from the industry to discuss their representations, both on the order and on the possible alternative of an industry code of practice backed by statutory undertakings. I hope to announce my final decision as soon as possible, once I have had an opportunity to consider the outcome of the consultation process.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Manchester, Wythenshawe (Mr. Morris) of 28 April, Official Report, column 244, if he will consider the banning of traffic in Whitehall during the period of time taken on ANZAC day for the laying of wreaths and the silent tribute.

Under the terms of the sessional orders, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is required, during the Session of Parliament, to keep the streets leading to and from the Houses of Parliament free and open. Any proposal to amend the sessional orders would be a matter for this House and another place.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 May.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 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 he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which the Cabinet Office has been engaged since 1980.

[holding answer 4 May 1994]: The Cabinet Office has undertaken no privatisation since 1980 and consequently has incurred no expenditure on consultants in connection with it.

To ask the Prime Minister what have been the costs incurred by his office in (a) providing legal advice to witnesses appearing before the Scott inquiry, (b) drawing up evidence to be submitted to the Scott inquiry, (c) officials and legal advisers attending the Scott inquiry and (d) any other related costs.

[holding answer 6 May 1994]: The costs under (a) to (c) are unquantifiable. No legal or other help was provided from outside the Government. The costs therefore consisted in the time of myself and Sir Robin Butler, who appeared as witnesses, and of the officials who gave support as part of their normal duties.Under

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the extent of drought problems in Ethiopia; and what is being done by the Government and the European Union to combat these problems.

More than 6 million people are estimated to be at risk from drought. 1994 emergency food aid needs are now estimated at nearly 800,000 tonnes. Since October 1993, Britain has committed 30,000 tonnes of bilateral food aid to Ethiopia; 15,000 tonnes has already been delivered and a further 4,000 tonnes will arrive this month. The European Commission has also earmarked 130,000 tonnes; 50,000 tonnes will arrive this month. My noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development wrote to major donors in March highlighting Ethiopia's needs and urging an early response.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which United Nations or aid organisations are now visiting or operating from Dilling and Kadugli in Sudan; and what information has been gathered from their work about conditions in the Nuba mountains.

The United Nations Children's Fund have established a small base at Kadugli, supplemented by short-term visits. World Food Programme has limited access via El Obeid for its food aid programme. The Food and Agriculture Organisation seeds programme in Kordofan plans to include Kadugli.The Save the Children Fund (USA), CARE International and FAR—Fellowship for African Relief—have mandates agreed with the Government of Sudan which cover Dillinge and Kadugli but specific projects have yet to be implemented.A United Nations agencies assessment mission in February reported food aid needs around Kadugli and Dillinge of around 300 tonnes per month for about 25,000 people. Non-food needs included drinking water, supplementary feeding, blankets, medicines and education facilities. A recent nutrition survey of children in the indigenous population and displaced camps indicated worsening levels of malnutrition of up to 19 per cent. UNICEF and WFP are urgently seeking to address these needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received on the reservations of the Sudan People's Liberation Army about signing a draft agreement in Nairobi with the Sudanese Government for the distribution of humanitarian aid; and what assessment he has made of the effect of these proposals on international aid agencies, with particular reference to British based agencies.

We understand that the SPLA raised a number of objections to four of the five proposed relief routes which pass through territory controlled by its forces. Talks between the parties are still continuing and a United Nations Operation Lifeline Sudan statement is expected next week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy on the national identity of the Bakassi peninsula; and when he last had discussions on this with the Governments of Nigeria and Cameroon.

It is a matter of great concern that there should be a dispute between two countries with which we maintain close relations. We have urged both the Nigerian and Cameroonian authorities to seek a peaceful solution but made it clear that we take no position on the claims of either side.The subject was raised most recently during our high commissioner's farewell call on the Nigerian Head of State on 26 April, and with Cameroon when special envoy Ironi called on my noble friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey on 28 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the projects receiving humanitarian and development aid from the Overseas Development Administration and European Union in Somalia; and how this is distributed between the various regions of Somalia.

Information on humanitarian assistance projects funded by Britain since January 1993 and by the European Commission during 1993, showing implementing agencies and regions assisted, has been placed in the libraries of both Houses. The United Kingdom information includes food aid. Britain's bilateral development programme to Somalia was suspended in 1991.In 1993 the European Commission also provided 33,000 tonnes of food aid worth £14 million and funded rehabilitation projects worth £2.3 million across Somalia. A new European Commission rehabilitation programme for Somalia worth nearly £30 million was approved in December 1993. Specific project proposals are currently under preparation.Information on projects funded by other EU member states is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the estimate of the number of refugees from Rwanda who are now in Tanzania.

According to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, some 50,000 Rwandese refugees have remained in Tanzania following flows into that country over many years beginning in the 1950s. Some 20,000 more arrived following the events of early April and an estimated 250,000 crossed the border over a 24-hour period around 28 April. Since then, UNHCR workers report—as of 9 May—that a further 150-200 people have arrived by boat each day. Owing to the number of refugees and their emergency needs, UNHCR has not yet undertaken a comprehensive registration exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is being given by the Government and the European Union to assist Tanzania to cope with refugees from Rwanda.

Since 6 April 1994, Britain has committed £3.35 million bilaterally of humanitarian assistance for Rwandan refugees in the region, of which £1.75 million is for those in Tanzania. Other EU countries and the European Commission have announced nearly £2 million-worth of assistance so far for Rwandan refugees in the region, including Tanzania.EU Development Ministers discussed the situation in Rwanda on 6 May and have asked political directors to consider, at their meeting today, the possibility of an EU mission to the countries bordering Rwanda to examine the problems caused by the flows of refugees.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment he has made of the new shift hours and arrangements for staff in the Members' Smoking Room from 11 July; and if he will make a statement.

In accordance with established practice I shall ask the Director of Catering Services to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee, what changes are proposed in the hours of opening of the Members' Smoking Room; and if he will make a statement.

The Catering Committee has agreed to endorse the proposal made by the Refreshment Department that the Members' Smoking Room should continue to open at 11 am and should normally close 15 minutes after the rising of the House, rather than one hour after the rising of the House as at present. If the House rises after midnight, the Smoking Room will close when the House adjourns. This change reflects the pattern of usage experienced over a considerable period of time, but will be subject to further review as necessary.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, as representing the House of Commons Commission how many personnel and in which departments within the Palace of Westminster have taken the House authorities to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal; and how many cases have been won and at what cost to the Exchequer in each year since 1989.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Paisley, South (Mr. McMaster) on 14 April Official Report, column 259 which describes the one case since 1989 concerning a member of staff of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he visited the minefields during his recent visit to the Falkland islands and what is his assessment of the practicability of the mines being removed by current technology.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary did not visit a minefield during his visit.Following the Argentine offer to pay for mine clearance, we are still looking at the practical aspects to see if the means exist to clear the mines to an acceptable level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which European Community countries have been fined for not complying with directives or regulations and have not yet paid the fine.

There have not yet been instances of member states being fined for failure to comply with European Community directives or regulations. The power of the European Court of Justice to impose such fines is a new one, introduced in the Maastricht treaty following a British initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 3 May, Official Report, column 427, which firm of consultants was joined by a civil servant from his Department in 1990; and how many contracts they have undertaken for his Department.

In 1990 a retired civil servant from my Department joined Market Access International as an independent consultant. Neither the diplomatic wing nor the Overseas Development Administration has awarded any contracts above £10,000 to this firm since 1990. No central records are kept for contracts below £10,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place between the United Kingdom and (a) the United States and (b) Mexico on guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Belize.

We have made it clear to the Belize Government that we stand ready to participate in any consultations that they may request on Belize's future security, and that we are prepared to play our part in any consultations that would lead to an appropriate response should the security of Belize be threatened in the future. It would not be right for me to comment on any discussions with other countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what arrangements have been made in the forthcoming European elections for the people of Gibraltar to be represented in the European Parliament.(2) if he will make a statement on the electoral representation of the people of Gibraltar in the European Community.

Annexe II of the EC Act on direct elections of 1976 limits to the United Kingdom itself the franchise for elections to the European Parliament. It follows that Gibraltar will not be formally represented in the new European Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Ministry of Defence and the Government of Gibraltar on the effect of proposed cuts in military and defence personnel in Gibraltar.

There are frequent and close consultations at ministerial and official levels with the MOD and the Government of Gibraltar. We are conscious of Gibraltar's economic difficulties and of the need to develop alternatives to the MOD presence. We have therefore established a joint economic forum with a remit to explore the possibilities. It met for the first time on 15 March, and included FCO, MOD and Government of Gibraltar representatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS estate code was last revised; and what plans she has to update it.

The latest revision of the estate code series of documents was published in October 1993. These were, "Strategic Asset Management", "Estate Investment Planning", "Analysis of Estate Performance" and "Asset Maintenance". Copies of the documents will be placed in the Library.Detailed guidance of this kind frequently requires updating and supplementary advice is issued from time to time for that purpose.Further documents are planned to be issued later this year on:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the number of (a) old peoples homes in the ownership of North Yorkshire county council, (b) people which can be accommodated in these homes, (c) places occupied and (d) shared bedrooms; and what was the cost for each resident in each of the last three years.

The information available centrally is shown in the table. Information is not available centrally to enable the costs of residential placements in local authority homes situated within North Yorkshire to be calculated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the total percentage of savings in 1991–92 of general practitioner fundholders used for (a) clearing waiting lists, (b) providing equipment and (c) improving practice premises.

Regional health authorities are responsible for the general practitioner fundholding scheme in their areas, including ensuring that efficiency savings are used to improve services for patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the trends in mortality of the 10 per cent. and 20 per cent. of most deprived and most prosperous electoral wards for the latest 10 years for which information is available.

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) of 18 April, Official Report, column 399, if she proposes to invite the social surveys division of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys to include income and socio-economic status questions in the 1994 and 1995 health surveys for England.

The 1994 health survey for England has been running continuously since January and, as in previous years, is collecting information relating to a range of socio-economic indicators such as social class, employment, housing, marital status, household type and ethnic group. These indicators currently meet data needs within the limited space available for such questions.The 1994 and 1995 surveys are being carried out by Social and Community Planning Research in conjunction with University college, London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the national health service has spent on counselling in each of the last three years.

The cost of counselling of staff on patients is not calculated separately on a national basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 28 March, Official Report, column 600, if she will now publish the information on medical negligence claims for 1992–93.

The available information supplied by national health service bodies on the number of cases settled and on the total costs of damages awarded together with legal costs is shown in the table. The information is incomplete because not all NHS bodies have submitted returns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether hospital trusts that manage area hospitals are fulfilling their responsibilities over follow-up monitoring and necessary after-care of patients who have undergone surgery.

None. It is for individual health authorities and, where relevant, general practitioner fundholders, who purchase health care, to ensure they have effective arrangements in place to monitor health services in accordance with the terms of contracts, including monitoring the adequacy of out-patient clinics, and patients' progress following surgery, and the provision of community services to meet the needs of discharged patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors are contracted for more than 83 hours per week in each hospital in each of London's regional health authortities; and how many have regularly worked more than 83 hours per week since 1 January 1993.

At 31 March 1994, the number of junior doctors and dentists in London regional health authorities, contracted to work for more than an average of 83 hours a week, was reported to be:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many district nurses, community psychiatric nurses, health visitors and hospital nurses there were in Birmingham in each of the last 10 years.

The information available is shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the key business targets for the National Health Service Pensions Agency for 1994–95.

I am pleased to announce that I have approved the National Health Service Pensions Agency key business targets for 1994–95. These challenging targets covering customer service are shown in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has of the age of a patient being taken into account by a general practitioner or a general practitioner practice when determining whether to accept a new patient on to their lists; and if she will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health

South Birmingham health authority was responsible for consulting on the proposal to close the Birmingham accident hospital and the Royal orthopaedic hospital and the consequential transfer of services elsewhere within the South Birmingham acute unit. In seeking the agreement to the reconfiguration proposals, South Birmingham health authority prepared a paper analysing responses to the consultation exercise for the board of the west midlands regional health authority.This was considered at a meeting held in November 1992. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. Bryan Baker, Chairman of the West Midlands regional health authority, for specific details.We have received a number of letters from various organisations about the closure of the Birmingham accident and Royal orthopaedic hospitals. In October 1992, a petition was received by the Department opposing the closure of the Royal orthopaedic hospital.The Department of Health agreed the closure of these hospitals on 1 February 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the status of the letter dated 24 March sent by Tom Luce of her Department to inspection unit managers on the regulation of residential care and nursing homes.

Consultative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make available the latest figures on the cost of registering and inspecting residential care and nursing homes for each local authority in England.

The information is not available in the detail requested. Local authorities have provided returns showing their gross costs of registering and inspecting residential care homes run by private or voluntary organisations under the Registered Homes Act 1984 in 1991–92—the latest year for which data are available. The data do not cover children's homes. Local authorities do not register or inspect nursing homes. Local authorities do not provide separate returns on the cost of inspecting local authority-run homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average cost of a tribunal under the Registered Homes Act 1984; and what is its average duration;(2) what provision is made to compensate local authorities for the cost of tribunals under the Registered Homes Act 1984.

The average duration of Registered Homes tribunal cases in 1992 and 1993 was just over four days. Information which would show the average cost of such hearings is not available centrally. However costs to local authorities in relation to such appeals are included in the cost of their duties under the Registered Homes Act 1984 reported to the Department. The level of fees payable by home owners will therefore take into account the cost involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals she has to modify the requirement for the inspection of residential care and nursing homes, except small homes, at least twice a year.

We have at present no specific proposals. We shall consult more widely if we decide to bring forward proposals to improve existing arrangements, while retaining safeguards for vulnerable residents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Barnes) of 22 March, Official Report, column 125, what evidence has been drawn to his attention within the NHS of the existence of a two-tier health system.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her policy in respect of the treatment by national health service chiropodists of the residents of independent sector residential and nursing homes.

It is the responsibility of the national health service to provide chiropody to people who need it irrespective of where they live.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what consideration he has given to the potential conflict of interest created by the appointment of Mr. Gummer as chairman of the Arts Council national lottery advisory panel, in the light of the appointment of Shandwick Communications as advisers to a bidder for the national lottery franchise;

Mr. Gummer is a chairman and chief executive of Shandwick Communications, a public relations company which is advising one of the companies that have applied to run the National Lottery.The operation of the lottery and the distribution of lottery funds are entirely separate and distinct functions. The successful applicant to run the lottery will have no function in the distribution of lottery funds; the Arts Council, supported by its national lottery advisory panel, as a distributor of the national lottery proceeds, will play no part in the running of the national lottery. There is therefore no real or potential conflict of interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what instructions he has given to the Director-General of the Office of the national lottery to disqualify bids from companies where there is prima facie evidence of conflicts of interest involving their directors or advisers.

None. The Director General of Oflot has a statutory duty under section 4 of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 to ensure fitness and propriety in the running of the national lottery and must take account of any matters he deems appropriate to fulfil that duty.In addition, section 5(4) of the Act states that the Director General of Oflot shall not grant a licence to run the lottery unless he is satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper body, and section 6(4) states that he should not grant a licence to a body to promote a lottery that forms part of the national lottery unless he is satisfied that the applicant is a fit and proper body.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 425, what is his estimate of the amounts spent in the United Kingdom on motor sports advertising and promotion.

These figures are not available. The sponsorship figures provided under the terms of the current voluntary agreement do not include the international sponsorship of motor racing which benefits this country.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 425, what was the maximum amount in cash terms of allowable expenditure on sports sponsorship by tobacco manufacturers under the terms of the voluntary agreement in each of the years given in the table; and what are his projections of the maximum amounts allowable for the next five years.

The maximum expenditure by tobacco manufacturers on sports sponsorship allowed under the current voluntary agreement is based on the expenditure in 1985–86, increased in line with inflation. The values, rounded to the nearest £1,000, are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 425, if he will publish the full returns submitted to his Department by the tobacco manufacturers.

The full returns, submitted on behalf of the Tobacco Advisory Council, are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 425, what definition of expenditure on sports sponsorship the Government use when requiring tobacco manufacturers to provide information under the terms of the voluntary agreement.

Paragraph 7 of the voluntary agreement clearly defines the information that tobacco manufacturers are required to provide. A list of recognised sporting activities is at appendix 2 to the agreement. Any doubts over the interpretation of the voluntary agreement would be resolved between the tobacco industry and the Minister for Sport.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, Official Report, column 425, what is his estimate of the total expenditure on sports sponsorship in the United Kingdom for each of the years listed in his table.

Estimates of the overall size of the sports sponsorship market are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his answer of 19 April, OfficialReport, column 425, what verification the Government require of the returns submitted by tobacco manufacturers under the terms of the voluntary agreement.

The figures from the tobacco manufacturers are verified by their own auditors, and the aggregate figures are supplied by a firm of chartered accountants.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to meet the Bishop of London to discuss the future of St. Ethelburga's church, Bishopsgate; and if he will make a statement.

I am always happy to meet the bishop, but it is for the diocese to consider the various options for St. Ethelburga's and put forward proposals in due course. Any firm proposals would be likely to involve a need for a faculty or planning permission, or both.