To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 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.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 May 1994, Official Report, column 668.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to prevent unaccompanied duty-paid imports of beer.

The European Commissioner responsible for taxation policy has confirmed the United Kingdom Government's view that United Kingdom excise duty and VAT must be paid on unaccompanied duty-paid imports of excise goods. Customs are performing checks using intelligence techniques to detect individuals attempting to avoid duty payment. In this way illegal unaccompanied imports may be detected in transit, at the recipient's premises, or subsequently.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the regional distribution throughout the United Kingdom of the destination of duty-paid imports of beer.

Duty-paid beer in quantities below the indicative limits may be imported freely by private travellers for their own use. The distribution can be anywhere throughout the United Kingdom. Customs have no means of knowing the final destination of such travellers and have therefore made no estimate of their regional distribution.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the involvement of individuals with a criminal record, and of organised criminal groups, in the illegal importing and resale of duty-paid beer brought into the United Kingdom ostensibly for personal use.

Although there is evidence of petty criminals engaging in this illegal activity, there is no evidence of organised crime being involved.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to create more openness in government by publishing Government press releases and other information on a free access electronic news or bulletin board system.

I have no plans at present to provide a free access service.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government will continue to support the present VAT zero rate floor limit for refunds of goods bought in the United Kingdom by tourists from outside the European Union.

The Government support the present arrangements and have registered their opposition to the European Commission proposal for a minimum threshold before non-EC visitors can claim a VAT refund.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the change in the visible trade deficit with non-European Union countries between February and March.

[holding answer 12 May 1994]: Latest data show a visible trade deficit of £718 million in March, compared with £657 million in February.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures are in place for assessing and collecting duty from cross-channel travellers who return with opportunity purchases of alcohol for sale through businesses; what advice is given to small businesses on the procedures; and what plans he has to introduce a duty collection facility at Dover.

[holding answer 13 May 1994]: The movement of commercial consignments of excise goods between member states is subject to procedures laid down in EC legislation, and these have been reproduced by Customs in notices which are freely available to the trade and public. Customs recognise the need to facilitate purchasers who have acquired excise goods outside of the established procedures. They are examining the existing arrangements to see if greater flexibility can be introduced. This includes the possibility of duty collection points at the ports.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what specific proposals she has to ensure the labelling of all foods the production of which has involved genetic engineering; and if she will make a statement.

The Government have accepted the recommendations of the Food Advisory Committee on the labelling of foods produced as a result of genetic modification. They are that mandatory labelling rules should apply in all cases where a foodstuff:

(a) contains a copy gene originally derived from a human;

(b) contains a copy gene originally derived from an animal which is the subject of religious dietary restrictions; or

(c) is a plant or microbial material containing a copy gene originally derived from an animal.

These rules would not apply if the inserted gene had been destroyed during processing and was not, therefore, present in the food.Labelling of such foods is being considered by the EC Council of Ministers as part of a proposal on novel foods.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to make mandatory the assessment procedures for the safety of genetically engineered foods in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

We are currently at an advanced stage in negotiating mandatory procedures to apply throughout the whole of the European Union.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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; how many were referred on to an agency chief executive; and, in each case, what percentage of the total number of questions asked this constituted.

According to the POLIS database eight parliamentary questions answered by Ministers in this Department in the period 1 November 1992 and 31 March 1993 were given a response either that the information requested was not held centrally or that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost and eight were referred to agency chief executives. Both those figures represent less than 1 per cent. of all written answers given in the same period.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will list the objections she has received in response to the second consultation document of reorganisation in the milk marketing scheme; and if she will make a statement.

I am placing in the Library of the House a copy of those formal responses to the consultation exercise which the Ministry has made publicly available.My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales will consider the responses to the consultation exercise when deciding whether to approve the reorganisation scheme under the terms of the Agriculture Act 1993.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 412, if she will describe the procedures in place for prosecuting non-United Kingdom companies in breach of the Welfare of Animals During Transit Order 1992.

Acting directly or from information received from an inspector of this Department or a local authority, the police have general powers of arrest and detention under section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 in respect of non-United Kingdom nationals suspected of having committed an offence under the Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1992. These powers have been exercised on a number of occasions and offenders successfully prosecuted.If a non-United Kingdom company has an agent in the United Kingdom authorised to accept service of a summons, it would, according to the circumstances of the case, be possible to bring a prosecution against such a company for offences against the order.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 13 April, Official Report, column 180, to which local authorities statements have been given by her Department's staff with respect to possible prosecutions.

Such statements have been given to Hampshire county council.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she expects to receive from the EC its report into allegations of subsidising of pig producers and pigmeat processors by certain member states; and if she will make a statement.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: As a direct result of United Kingdom pressure on the Commission to investigate aid to French pig producers, the Commission published in its Official Journal of 15 April its intention to open proceedings under article 93(2) of the treaty against two French aid schemes.We have sent in our comments to the Commission urging an immediate decision that the schemes be declared illegal and demanding the recovery of any aid paid. If the Commission cannot take an immediate decision, we have asked that interim measures be introduced prohibiting any further payment of aid pending a final decision.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the members and dates of membership of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee and of each committee established by the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee on each major technology.

The list of members and dates of membership of the Renewable Energy Advisory Committee is as follows:

Renewable Energy Advisory Committee
Member	Oraganisation	Joined committee
Dr. C. Hicks (Chair)	DTI	March 1994
Dr. A. Wheldon	Reading University	January 1992
Mr. A. Tweedale	Energy Supplies Ltd.	January 1985
Mr. G. Leach	Independent consultant	January 1985
Mr. G. Walker	EPSRC	January 1985
Mr. I. Mitchell	Countryside Commission	March 1994
Mr. R. Morris	Portlea Ltd.	August 1989
Mr. P. White	NORWEB	August 1989

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy concerning the future of large aircraft projects.

DTI assists United Kingdom aerospace companies to participate in international collaborative projects wherever this is appropriate, and is in close contact with the United Kingdom industry on the proposed future large aircraft development.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will investigate the circumstances of the departure of the chairman of East Midlands Electricity, and the closure of the electrical contracting business.

Both issues are commercial matters for East Midlands Electricity plc.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will hold an inquiry in the joint venture of the East Midlands and the Yorkshire electricity boards on the retailing operations following the closure of the electrical contracting business operations in Ossett in West Yorkshire.

These are commercial matters for the companies concerned.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the appointment of the Director General of Electricity Supply.

I am pleased to announce the reappointment of Professor Stephen Littlechild as Director General of Electricity Supply for a second five-year term. The new term will commence on 1 September 1994. Since 1989 Professor Littlechild has played an important role in the creation of a competitive electricity market and I welcome his continuing involvement in the development of this sector of the economy.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what discussions he has had with British Coal about the proposal to contractualise the basic element of the current British Coal redundancy scheme;(2) what discussions he has had with British Coal about the proposed employment package which is currently being put to the mining unions.

Both my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade and I meet the chairman of British Coal as necessary to discuss a variety of coal industry matters.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade who will guarantee the contractualised redundancy scheme in the event of a colliery business failure after privatisation of the coal industry.

The Government, through the statutory redundancy payments scheme, ensure that all qualifying redundant employees receive a basic level of compensation. Where employers are unable to pay, for example in the case of receivership, this payment is met by the Department of Employment.Any redundancy arrangements after the privatisation of British Coal in excess of the statutory requirements will be a matter for private sector employers. Where employees are transferred to a new employer and the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 apply, the new employer will take on contractual obligations which exist at the time of transfer.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the consultation exercise his Department has been carrying out on the subject of lookalikes in the context of the Trade Marks Bill.

The consultation exercise was carried out via the Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Property, because this afforded a readily available mechanism for seeking the views of those with experience in this field. The consultation was not, however, restricted to members of SACIP, and comments were received from others, including the British Producers and Brand Owners Group and individual companies.The overwhelming majority of the views received was against taking action in the Bill. Many made the point that this is not a trade marks issue, as the main characteristic of a lookalike product is that it does not copy a trade mark. This is also the Government's view.There was a widespread feeling among those who commented that—compared with other countries—there may be an issue of unfair competition to be addressed. The Government believe, however, that the Bill, which broadens the definition of what may be registered as a trade mark and also widens the rights conferred, will improve the position by allowing shapes and distinctive packaging to be registered, and should be given a chance to work. If, once the Bill has been in force for a reasonable period, brand owners can demonstrate that there continues to be a problem, the Government would be prepared to look again at the situation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will consult the chairman of the Post Office about the circumstances in which the contents of a letter posted at Streatham High Road main post office on 29 April at 11.30 am became known to a member of Combat 18; and if he will make a statement.

This is an operational matter for the Post Office. It is, of course, a criminal offence under sections 56 and 58 of the Post Office Act 1953 to tamper with mail.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what procedures have been laid down to enable members of the public to raise complaints against the operation of cable companies installing their equipment on highways and also on private property; and whether he will make a statement.

Cable television operators are granted powers under section 10 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 to install cable systems in the maintainable highway and, with appropriate consent, on private land. Their licences include conditions designed to ensure that they operate in a responsible manner and adhere to all relevant street works legislation. Street works in the maintainable highway are subject to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and its associated regulations, which are enforced by local highway authorities. Where work is undertaken on private land, it should be with the consent of the landowner, and any complaint arising from that work is a matter for the landowner and the cable operator concerned. Many cable operators provide freephone numbers to deal with inquiries.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the progress being made in discussions between the Ukrainian Government and representatives of the G7 to eliminate the danger of radiation threat from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

A G7 mission met representatives of the Ukrainian Government on 2 to 4 May. These were exploratory talks designed to prepare the ground for consideration, at the forthcoming G7 economic summit, in the context of nuclear safety in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, of how best we might work with Ukraine to secure the G7 objective of early closure of high-risk reactors such as Chernobyl.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 March, Official Report, columns 428–29, how many consultancy contracts have been let by his Department's executive agencies in the last five years; and at what cost.

[holding answer 29 April 1994]: I have asked the chief executives of the agencies to reply to this question, as it falls into the category of day-to-day operational matters.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the markets and locations coming within the ancient statute of market overt.

[holding answer 13 May 1994]: By long-standing custom, every retail shop in the City of London is a market overt. Outside London, a market overt must be one established by charter or statute; the exact number is not known.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if spent fuel from nuclear submarine reactors will be processed in THORP.

My Department has no plans to process spent fuel from nuclear submarine reactors in THORP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on repairs to HMS Valiant during the last financial year; and what repairs to HMS Valiant will be undertaken following its arrival at Plymouth.

Around £2.4 million was spent on repairs to HMS Valiant during the last financial year.It is not our practice to comment on the nature of defects in nuclear-powered submarines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of total low flying activity took place over Wales for the last six months of 1993.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Llwyd) on 16 February, Official Report, column 818.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) of 28 April, Official Report, columns 254–55, if he will set out the criteria to be adopted to judge the disproportionate time or effort in preparing information as stated at paragraph (c) of the Cabinet Secretary's note to which he refers.

The criteria are set out in the guidance on interpretation of the code of practice on access to Government information, which has been issued to all Departments and placed in the Library of the House. The guidance states that consideration should be given to the amount of information sought in an application and the difficulties in identifying, locating or collating the information requested. The guidance goes on to say:

"In each case, the test is whether these factors would mean that meeting an access request would require an unreasonable diversion of resources or otherwise undermine the work of the department (because files are kept out of circulation for extended periods, for example, or staff have to be diverted a considerable amount of time from other more urgent work)."

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has visited the north Devon factory of Wrafton laboratories since January 1993; and what was the date and purpose of each visit.

I have made one visit, on Friday 5 February 1993, as part of a series of regional visits throughout the country.

To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to publish the report of the Cabinet Office efficiency unit on the use of outside consultants to identify savings in the civil service.

The final report of the efficiency unit's scrutiny on the Government's use of external consultants will be completed shortly. It is the normal practice for the efficiency unit's reports to be published. A decision on publishing the report will be made when the final report has been received.

To ask the Prime Minister what information has been made available to Her Majesty's Government as a result of the opening of Stasi files in East Germany about the acquisition of timing devices of the type manufactured by Edwin Bollier and Ulrick Lumpert, which featured in the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie and of the approach to Bollier and Lumpert by United States authorities on 30 December 1988.

The exchange of information with the German authorities in the Lockerbie investigation is a matter for my right honourable and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. He has repeatedly made clear that he cannot comment on details of the available evidence while criminal proceedings are pending.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make those World bank documents which are available to American non-governmental organisations available to hon. Members.

Her Majesty's Government will continue to follow the procedure that has been agreed by all members of the World bank whereby documents are made available under the bank's policy on disclosure of information. A list of those documents is available to hon. Members in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the incidence of cholera in Somalia; and what has been the international community's response.

As at 29 April, 12,444 cases, including 491 deaths, had been reported. The international community continues to respond within the framework set out in my answer of 27 April, columns 194–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contributions are being made to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the United Nations population fund and the World Health Organsiation human reproduction programme in 1994.

We have made the following contributions to the core costs of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the United Nations population fund and the World Health Organisation's progamme of research and training in human reproduction in 1994:

	£ million
IPPF	7·5
UNFPA	7·0
WHO/HRP	2·5

Additional contributions for specific programme activities may also be made during the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan) of 19 January, Official Report, column 590, regarding United Kingdom bilateral disbursements on population activities, if he can now given the total figures for 1993.

Bilateral expenditure in 1993 on population activities, including HIV/AIDS and reproductive health and the joint funding scheme, has provisionally been estimated at £16.125 million. A final figure will be produced as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what review he has conducted of the extent to which aid under the aid and trade provisions has been linked to arms sales and the implications of this for overseas aid policy.

I know of no case in which a project funded under the aid and trade provision has been conditionally linked to the sale of arms. As a matter of policy, the British Government would not countenance any such link.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will set up a review to look at the delays in the administration of justice and the cost of obtaining it.

As well as continuing to evaluate and implement the outstanding recommendations of the civil justice review and the relevant recommendations of the Royal Commission on criminal justice, we have several other reviews in hand, including Lord Woolf's work on access to justice and the departmental fundamental review.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received in the last month on the Police and Magistrates Courts Bill [Lords].

In the month since 17 April, the Lord Chancellor and I have received 45 representations from hon. Members and peers and 11 from magistrates and other members of the public.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what discussions he has had with other Law Officers with a view to election of judges.

None.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department by how many magistrates courts committees, and for how many petty sessions areas, justices' clerks have been put on (a) fixed-term contracts and (b) performance-related pay; and how many, and what proportion of, justices' clerks and petty sessions areas are currently affected by (a) or (b) or both.

The terms and conditions of individual members of staff are a matter for magistrates courts committees as employers. The Department has no record of the numbers of justices' clerks who are either on fixed-term contracts or receiving performance-related pay.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, who is responsible for deciding the overall balance of the Church Commissioners' investments; and what policy is currently being pursued.

The commissioners' assets committee is responsible for deciding the balance of the investment portfolio with general rules made by the board of governors. The commissioners' long-term aim is to achieve a diversified portfolio which bears comparison with those held by other institutions with similar responsibilities. This will mean a reduction, over a period, in the commissioners' property holdings, although, of course, this can be achieved only as market conditions allow.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the number of women currently ordained into the priesthood of the Church of England for those stipends for which the Church Commissioners are responsible.

As at 8 May, there were 146 women priests receiving a stipend through the Church Commissioners' payroll.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what is the annual cost to the commissioners of their office accommodation in London.

The commissioners own the freehold of No. 1 Millbank and the Church of England records centre at Galleywall road, Bermondsey. The cost of maintaining, heating and lighting the commissioners' office accommodation was £0.47 million in 1993.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Lambeth report.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Staffordshire, South (Mr. Cormack) on 25 April, column 13.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, representing the Church Commissioners, what are the average fees, stipends or salaries paid to ordained (a) women and (b) men; and if he will make a statement.

Clergy remuneration is linked to the category of post, with no differentiation on the ground of gender. In 1993 the average stipend for clergy of incumbent status was £12,830. The equivalent figure for assistant staff was £12,140. Both figures take account of fee income, which was on average about £750 per head. Accommodation, free of rent, is provided.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list for the first 100 sitting days of sessions (1) 1990–91, (2) 1992–93 and (3) 1993–94, (i) the average hour of rising of the House, (ii) the number of divisions, (iii) the number of Public Bills (a) passed and (b) reported from Standing Committee, (iv) the number of affirmative statutory instruments (a) debated in Standing Committee and (b) debated on the Floor of the House, (v) the number of prayers against statutory instruments (a) debated in Standing Committee and (b) debated on the Floor of the House, (vi) the number of Opposition days and (vii) the number of Bills guillotined.

The information sought is contained in the following table.

	1990–91	1992–93	1993–94
Average hour or rising of the House	11.58pm	11.27pm	11.43pm
Number of divisions	134	118	236
Public Bills passed	32	23	21

To ask the Lord President of the Council on how many and which occasions in the current Session Government Departments or Parliamentary counsel have drafted amendments for the use of Government Back Benchers in the Report stage of private Members' Bills.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rochdale (Mrs. Maddock) on 13 May, Official Report, column 259.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee how many right hon. and hon. Members have not obtained a photo-identity pass for the House of Commons.

I shall write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will consider relocating the ANZAC memorial, at present situated in the passage between the florist and the Strangers' Bar, to a more fitting location.

I have referred the hon. Member's suggestion to the Advisory Committee on Works of Art.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how many (a) portable telephones, (b) pagers and electronic bleepers and (c) car telephones are currently used by his Department; what are the annual costs of operating this equipment; and to which personnel it is made available.

The answer to the first part of the hon. Member's question is five, none and two respectively. The operating cost of this equipment, which is used only by Ministers and their private secretaries, was £5,530 in 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) whether the Funding Agency for Schools will continue to share responsibility with local education authorities in those areas where over 10 per cent. of schools have opted out but where local government reorganisation reduces the numbers of opted-out schools to below 10 per cent;(2) whether the Funding Agency for Schools will continue to have responsibility for the provision of school places in local authority areas where over 75 per cent. of schools have currently opted out but where local government reorganisation reduces the number of opted-out schools to below 75 per cent.

My right hon. Friend would need to consider this matter in the light of the individual circumstances applying in any new LEA areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make a statement about the contribution made by the Sports Council in drawing up the "Guidance for Safety in Outdoor Activity Centres".

The Sports Council was represented on the steering group which the Department established to help prepare guidance on safety in outdoor activity centres. The draft circular which the Department prepared in the light of the steering group's advice was issued on 13 May; a copy is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the budget of the Teaching as a Career unit for each year of its existence in relation to its English functions.

The Teaching as a Career unit was set up in 1987 to serve both England and Wales. The table shows the annual expenditure for running costs and publicity. The Welsh Office contributes one eighteenth of the running costs of the unit, but has a separate budget for Welsh-only advertising and publications.

Annual expenditure of the Teaching as a Career Unit
Year	Running costs (England and Wales)	Publicity
1987–88	345,611	166,988
1988–89	375,000	558,999
1989–90	400,000	553,853
1990–91	698,928	788,284
1991–92	954,139	647,500
1992–93	818,000	588,000
1993–94	751,500	312,020
1994–95 (planned)	844,000	350,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what were the budgets subvented to the Higher Education Funding Council for England in respect of teacher training in England in each year of its existence.

The Department has not earmarked amounts for teacher training within the annual grants to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. We shall determine in due course the amount to be allocated to the Teacher Training Agency for the funding responsibilities which will be transferred to it in 1995–96, subject to the passage of the Education Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what budget is proposed annually for the Teacher Training Agency in England; and what is its breakdown.

We shall determine in due course the annual budget of the Teacher Training Agency, reflecting the funding and other responsibilities which will transfer to it in 1995–96, subject to the passage of the Education Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when each of the present Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office was appointed; and on how many nights each month since their appointment they have remained overnight in Northern Ireland.

The information requested is provided in the table.

Sir Patrick Mayhew MP—Date appointed: 12 April 1992 Number of Overnights Spent in Northern Ireland Since Appointment
	Number
1992
April	9
May	14
June	8
July	10
August	7
September	15
October	19
November	16
December	13
1993
January	11
February	8
March	9
April	9
May	8
June	13
July	8
August	8
September	13
October	11
November	10
December	12
1994
January	13
February	13
March	4
April	6

Michael Ancram MP—Date appointed: 27 May 1993 Number of Overnights Spent in Northern Ireland Since Appointment
	Number
1993
May	—
June	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects Mr. John Rowe's report on the operation in 1993 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 to be available.

I have today arranged for copies of Mr. John Rowe's report to be placed in the Library of the House. I welcome this independent report which will serve as a basis for Parliament to debate the annual renewal of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991.I am most grateful to Mr. Rowe for his work in carrying out his review of the operation of the Act in 1993. His report will receive careful and detailed consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.

The number of answers given to parliamentary questions from 1990 to April 1994 recorded in the POLIS database as including a reference to part or all of the information not being held centrally or being available only at disproportionate cost was 187. As a result of computerisation and/or more effective operational systems more detailed information is now available in respect of 19 questions which are listed. However, in some cases the full information would still not be available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the average waiting time for those people waiting for their first appointment with a cardiac surgeon has increased or decreased during the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the total expenditure, including legal costs and compensation payments, incurred by each health and social services board in defending religion and sex discrimination cases over the past three years to 30 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the number of patients waiting for out-patient treatment on 31 March for each individual health authority (a) in total and (b) by main speciality for periods (i) under 12 months; (ii) 12 to 24 months and (iii) over 24 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaf people in Northern Ireland, are in receipt of ^* Attendance Allowance in each age bracket (a) under 10 years, (b) 10 to 18 years, (c) 18 to 65 years and (d) over 65 years.(

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table to show the current length of waiting lists at each acute hospital in Northern Ireland; and what are the comparable figures in each of the last 5 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information is available to indicate the number of hip replacement operations which were done privately in each of the last 3 years in National Health Service hospitals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals: (a) over 65 years, (b) physically disabled and (c) mentally disabled were receiving hospital, residential or nursing home care in each year since 1985 in each health board area in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list, for each health and social services board, the number of (a) administrative and clerical staff, by grade and (b) managerial staff by grade since 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total take-up of student loans to date in Northern Ireland by (a) institution and (b) area board expressed as a percentage of the estimated number of eligible students, and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County of Tyrone: and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County of Fermanagh; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Londonderry; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Down; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Antrim; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the official report those firms and employers which are registered with the Northern Ireland Fair Employment Commission for each District Council in the County Armagh; and if he will indicate for each such firm and employer the number of employees.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much money has been expended in the Ballymoney Borough Council area out of the various EEC funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been expended in the Moyle Council area out of the various EEC funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been expended in the Ballymena Borough Council area out of the various EEC funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total cost so far of the market-testing initiative in his Department since November 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has had from the Chechen Republic in Russia about the state of relationships with Britain, the reasons for changes and any consequent actions by the Chechen Republic.

We have no direct relations with the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, nor have we received any communication from it recently. However, I understand that it issued a public statement on 5 May denying Chechen involvement in the murder of Karen Reed and suspending links with Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the contemporary environmental conditions in Kuwait in the aftermath of the Gulf war; and what continuing involvement there is by British companies and agencies in the alleviation of those conditions.

The clean-up operations in Kuwait following the Gulf war are almost complete. There was a high degree of British participation in tackling the immediate environmental consequences, both bilaterally and through the United Nations Environmental Programme. By the end of 1991, all the oil fires were extinguished and no floating oil remained at sea.In 1992, the United States ship Mount Mitchell conducted a research cruise on the extent of contamination in the Persian gulf. Since then, we have made no recent assessment of the environmental conditions in Kuwait, although scientific research into the long-term effects of the oil fires continues. The Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment makes regionally based assessments. Meanwhile, Royal Ordnance plc continues to conduct minefield clearance operations in Kuwait.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether all British nationals who should have been evacuated from Yemen have now left the country safely.