Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Wednesday 18 May 1994

Lord Chancellor's Department

Magistrates Courts

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many amalgamations of magistrates court committee areas he has determined to make; how many committee areas (a) will be affected, and (b) will remain; and if he will list the names of the committee areas that will be affected by each amalgamation.

The White Paper "A New Framework for Local Justice", published in February 1992, announced that the Government would like to see a progressive reduction in the number of separate management units, and that we judged that something between 50 and 60 would in due course provide a good balance between the local character of the service and operational needs. The Lord Chancellor has reached no final conclusions about any specific amalgamations.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list all the magistrates court committees that he has consulted about possible amalgamation; and what plans he has to consult other magistrates court committees about amalgamation.

All magistrates courts committees were consulted during 1992 about criteria for magistrates court committee areas and were subsequently consulted on how those criteria could be met in their area. As a result of this, the Lord Chancellor published indicative conclusions as to possible amalgamations, but these do not constitute final decisions. Under the provisions contained in the Police and Magistrates Courts Bill, no order amalgamating or otherwise adjusting the boundaries of a magistrates court committee area could be made without consultation with the magistrates courts committee or committees concerned, except where they themselves had requested that such an order be made.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his oral answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 454, if he will list all the criteria by which he has decided to reduce the number of magistrates court committees.

Any decision to amalgamate or otherwise adjust the boundaries of a magistrates court committee or committees would be taken in the light of local circumstances and against criteria appropriate at that time.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list by year for the last 10 years, and for the year to date, the number of magistrates courts that have been closed.

The provision of magistrates court-house accommodation is a matter for the courts committees for the area concerned in conjunction with the local paying authority. The Department has no central record of the number of magistrates court-houses that have been closed or are scheduled to be closed. A local authority that is aggrieved by a decision of a magistrates court committee to close a court-house has the right of appeal to the Lord Chancellor. Since 1993 the Lord Chancellor has dealt with six appeals and there is currently one appeal outstanding.

Justices' Clerks

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 3 May, Official Report, column 403, if he will list all the other non-judicial functions of justices' clerks.

No definitive list of the non-judicial functions of justices' clerks is possible. Section 28(3) of the Justices of the Peace Act 1979 states what the functions of a justices' clerk include, and section 28(4) of the Act goes on to state that subsection (3)

"…shall not be taken as defining or in any respect limiting the powers and duties belonging to a justices' clerk…".

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's 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; 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.

During this period 16 questions tabled to me were not answered on the basis of disproportionate cost and nine were referred on to an agency chief executive. These figures represent 4·22 per cent. and 2·37 per cent. respectively of the total number of questions tabled to me.

Trial Waiting Times

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the current average waiting time for trial at (a) magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts for (i) defendants granted bail and (ii) those remanded in custody in (1) Doncaster, (2) Barnsley, (3) Rotherham and (4) Sheffield.

For the magistrates courts the average time from listing to completion for indictable and either way offences for the named metropolitan districts in 1993 were as follows:

	Weeks
Doncaster	7·0
Barnsley	12·0
Rotherham	7·4
Sheffield	8·6

However, the Barnsley figures are less reliable statistically than the others as only a small number of defendants was surveyed. Given the sample sizes, these figures cannot be broken down to show defendants granted bail and those remanded in custody without producing unrepresentative results.

The average time from committal for trial to arraignment or start of trial for defendants dealt with at the Crown court centre in Doncaster during four months to the end of March 1994 was 17.6 weeks for those remanded on bail and 13.5 weeks for those remanded in custody. The corresponding times for the centre in Sheffield were 24 weeks and 17.5 weeks respectively. Barnsley and Rotherham do not have Crown court centres.

Child Witnesses

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the courts, adult and juvenile, in the London area which now have screens, television equipment and pre-recorded interview facilities or other equipment for the use of child witnesses in court cases in which they are involved; and if he will make a statement.

The following courts in the London area are fitted with live television link equipment and video playback equipment for use in the presentation of evidence by child witnesses. The use of screens by child witnesses is available at all courts upon the direction of the judge.

Central Criminal Court
Crown Court at Croydon (two sets)
Crown Court at Harrow
Crown Court at Kingston-upon-Thames
Crown Court at Southwark
Crown Court at Wood Green
Crown Court at Woolwich
Thames Magistrates' Court

Home Department

Immigration

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications from foreign nationals to enter or remain in the United Kingdom on the basis of a stable and committed homosexual partnership with a United Kingdom national have been received in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not separately identified in the statistics.

Table A
Number and percentage of persons found guilty or cautioned for the indictable offence of theft of a motor vehicle¹ by police force area and age group, 1992
	10–16		17–20		All ages
Police force area	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
Avon and Somerset	20	23	28	32	88	100
Bedfordshire	56	49	33	29	115	100
Cambridgeshire	28	20	51	37	139	100
Cheshire	30	29	40	39	102	100
Cleveland	36	32	36	32	112	100
Cumbria	9	21	16	38	42	100
Derbyshire	27	29	34	37	93	100
Devon and Cornwall	22	15	57	39	147	100
Dorset	7	17	20	49	41	100
Durham	21	21	38	37	102	100
Essex	80	33	84	35	241	100
Gloucestershire	12	22	25	45	55	100
Greater Manchester	118	31	96	25	380	100
Hampshire	48	29	41	25	163	100
Hertfordshire	32	33	33	34	96	100
Humberside	69	44	38	24	157	100
Kent	142	40	119	34	352	100
Lancashire	11	14	17	22	76	100

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to allow foreign nationals to enter or remain in the United Kingdom on the basis of a stable and committed homosexual partnership with a United Kingdom national; and if he will make a statement.

No. I refer the hon. Member to the remarks that I made in reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) in the Adjournment debate on 4 May on the case of Mr. Bryan Ruppert, Official Report, columns 820–26.

Colin Ivor Dunning (Appeal)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will refer the case of Colin Ivor Dunning to the Court of Appeal under the provisions of section 17 of the Criminal Appeals Act 1968; and if he will make a statement.

The representations submitted on Mr. Dunning's behalf in February 1994, together with earlier representations, are currently being considered. My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State will determine in the light of that consideration whether it would be right to refer Mr. Dunning's case to the Court of Appeal or to take any other action in the matter.

Vehicle Crime

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list for each police authority in 1992 the number of known offenders found guilty of or cautioned for offences of (a) theft of a motor vehicle or (b) unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle; and what proportion of the total number of known offenders in total and in each category were (i) juveniles and (ii) young adults;(2) if he will list for each police authority in 1992 the number of known offenders found guilty of or cautioned for offences of theft from a motor vehicle; and what proportion of those offenders were (i) juveniles and (ii) young adults.

The information is given in the tables.

	10–16		17–20		All ages
Police force area	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
Leicestershire	34	29	45	38	119	100
Lincolnshire	9	24	14	37	38	100
City of London	—	—	1	50	2	100
Merseyside	17	18	32	35	92	100
Metropolitan Police	75	22	82	24	335	100
Norfolk	17	22	21	27	79	100
Northamptonshire	11	17	23	35	66	100
Northumbria	35	23	49	32	151	100
North Yorkshire	13	21	20	32	63	100
Nottinghamshire	77	39	63	32	197	100
South Yorkshire	106	42	74	29	254	100
Staffordshire	6	10	17	28	61	100
Suffolk	29	35	30	37	82	100
Surrey	20	30	16	24	67	100
Sussex	23	27	19	22	85	100
Thames Valley	45	24	79	41	191	100
Warwickshire	26	39	18	27	67	100
West Mercia	5	8	23	38	61	100
West Midlands	104	29	114	32	353	100
West Yorkshire	80	26	94	31	307	100
Wiltshire	10	22	14	31	45	100
Dyfed Powys	2	9	7	32	22	100
Gwent	3	6	22	47	47	100
North Wales	13	31	5	12	42	100
South Wales	26	24	39	36	109	100
England	1,510	29	1,654	32	5,216	100
Wales	44	20	73	33	220	100
England and Wales	1,554	29	1,727	32	5,436	100
¹ Theft Act 1968 Section 1.

Table B
Number and percentage of persons found guilty or cautioned for the summary offence of stealing and unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle¹ by police force area and age group, 1992
	10–16		17–20		All ages
Police force area	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
Avon and Somerset	121	33	158	43	365	100
Bedfordshire	79	33	106	44	242	100
Cambridgeshire	45	31	62	43	143	100
Cheshire	222	44	190	38	506	100
Cleveland	201	46	167	38	439	100
Cumbria	90	41	90	41	222	100
Derbyshire	127	39	133	40	329	100
Devon and Cornwall	110	29	167	45	373	100
Dorset	54	31	69	39	176	100
Durham	60	34	80	45	176	100
Essex	152	36	159	38	419	100
Gloucestershire	74	46	54	34	160	100
Greater Manchester	917	42	791	36	2,191	100
Hampshire	255	44	198	34	577	100
Hertfordshire	80	33	117	48	246	100
Humberside	248	53	157	33	469	100
Kent	80	31	107	41	259	100
Lancashire	226	38	225	38	590	100
Leicestershire	137	33	198	48	411	100
Lincolnshire	57	36	59	38	157	100
City of London	3	16	9	47	19	100
Merseyside	281	34	352	43	816	100
Metropolitan Police	941	42	737	33	2,243	100
Norfolk	87	41	90	43	210	100
Northamptonshire	38	18	114	53	217	100
Northumbria	264	35	302	41	745	100
North Yorkshire	73	36	86	42	203	100
Nottinghamshire	218	43	196	39	502	100
South Yorkshire	206	36	250	43	580	100
Staffordshire	167	40	162	39	418	100
Suffolk	57	38	51	34	152	100
Surrey	31	22	62	45	138	100
Sussex	116	36	138	43	322	100
Thames Valley	388	45	338	39	871	100
Warwickshire	38	35	46	42	110	100
West Mercia	132	42	127	40	316	100
West Midlands	592	39	621	41	1,525	100
West Yorkshire	512	36	617	43	1,420	100
Wiltshire	45	38	48	41	118	100

	10–16		17–20		All ages
Police force area	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
Dyfed Powys	19	16	58	50	117	100
Gwent	79	47	56	34	167	100
North Wales	74	37	78	39	200	100
South Wales	325	39	346	42	823	100
England	7,524	39	7,638	39	19,375	100
Wales	497	38	538	41	1,307	100
England and Wales	8,021	39	8,176	40	20,682	100
¹ Theft Act 1968 Section 12(1) as amended by CJA 1988 Section 37: being carried knowing vehicle to have been taken or driven away; unauthorised taking of a motor vehicle.

Table C
Number and percentage of persons found guilty or cautioned for the indictable offence of theft from a motor vehicle¹ by police force area and age group, 1992
	10–16		17–20		All ages
Police force area	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.	Number	Per cent.
Avon and Somerset	43	17	122	48	252	100
Bedfordshire	64	37	70	40	173	100
Cambridgeshire	59	31	88	46	192	100
Cheshire	72	33	102	47	219	100
Cleveland	128	48	96	36	267	100
Cumbria	26	31	39	46	84	100
Derbyshire	87	25	155	45	346	100
Devon and Cornwall	25	18	62	44	142	100
Dorset	40	25	62	38	163	100
Durham	69	29	105	44	241	100
Essex	169	32	238	44	535	100
Gloucestershire	61	34	75	42	178	100
Greater Manchester	390	47	273	33	824	100
Hampshire	152	27	261	46	570	100
Hertfordshire	63	22	155	53	290	100
Humberside	106	32	122	36	336	100
Kent	135	27	238	48	498	100
Lancashire	118	33	171	48	358	100
Leicestershire	139	32	187	43	432	100
Lincolnshire	32	18	100	55	182	100
City of London	—	—	3	38	8	100
Merseyside	151	47	101	31	323	100
Metropolitan Police	498	37	453	33	1,359	100
Norfolk	55	35	69	44	157	100
Northamptonshire	11	10	70	63	111	100
Northumbria	143	32	174	39	449	100
North Yorkshire	62	38	58	35	165	100
Nottinghamshire	131	30	182	42	431	100
South Yorkshire	148	30	202	40	499	100
Staffordshire	58	31	99	52	190	100
Suffolk	64	35	80	43	184	100
Surrey	46	27	77	46	169	100
Sussex	54	15	192	55	351	100
Thames Valley	182	35	231	45	515	100
Warwickshire	36	26	72	52	139	100
West Mercia	55	33	67	41	165	100
West Midlands	476	47	361	35	1,023	100
West Yorkshire	320	41	282	36	776	100
Wiltshire	37	23	67	42	159	100
Dyfed Powys	68	68	23	23	100	100
Gwent	19	17	59	51	115	100
North Wales	43	24	89	49	181	100
South Wales	119	40	118	39	300	100
England	4,505	33	5,561	41	13,455	100
Wales	249	36	289	42	696	100
England and Wales	4,754	34	5,850	41	14,151	100
¹ Theft Act 1968 Section 1.

Ethnic Minorities

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give details of the mechanism under which submissions are to be made for section 11 funding.

The matter is under consideration. I will write to the hon. Member once the position is clearer.

Police Complaints Authority

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what circumstances the Police Complaints Authority may withhold evidence in criminal proceedings.

The responsibilities of the Police Complaints Authority do not normally involve the supply of evidence. Where a police investigation discloses material which may be of relevance to criminal proceedings, either in the past or under consideration for the future, any such material would be made available to the Crown Prosecution Service by the police.

Justice And Home Affairs Council

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the agenda which has been proposed for the forthcoming meeting in Greece of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the member states of the European Union treaty on 20 and 21 June, meeting in accordance with the title U1 of the European Union treaty.

No draft agenda has yet been proposed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the results of the meeting of the Interior Ministers of the member states of the European Union, meeting in accordance with Title U1 of the European Union treaty, in Thessalonika, Greece on 6 and 7 May.

The meeting in Thessalonika on 6 and 7 May was an informal meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. As such, it did not reach any formal conclusions. Representatives of the member states continued a wide-ranging debate of the Commission's recent communication on immigration and asylum policy.

Drug Trafficking

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has now been seized as a consequence of convictions involving section 1 of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986.

Information collected centrally is given in the table:

Amount (£) recovered¹ by the Secretary of State in Confiscation orders under the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 by financial year 1987–88—1992–93 England and Wales
Year	Amount recovered £
1987–88	600,000
1988–89	600,000
1989–90²	1,375,200
1990–91²	1,448,000
1991–92	5,384,500
1992–93	5,180,900
¹ The information collected centrally is known to be incomplete as returns were not received from all petty sessional divisions.
² There was some confusion with the recording of the Drug Trafficking Offences Act 1986 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 during these two years. In consequence it is considered that data has been under-recorded for the Drug Trafficking offence Act 1986 and over-recorded for the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

Misuse Of Drugs Act

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has now been paid over to constabularies as a consequence of the provisions of section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Information is not collected centrally on the type or monetary value of property ordered to be forfeited.

Trans-Sexual Prisoners

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make available gender reassignment treatment to Kelly Denise Richards, currently serving a sentence at HM Prison, Parkhurst; 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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 May 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about gender reassignment for Kelly Richards, a prisoner currently at Parkhurst prison.

Kelly Richards, who is also known as David Cross, has been seen by a consultant psychiatrist and a doctor from the Gender Identity clinic at Charing Cross hospital. No treatment has been recommended and arrangements are currently being made for Mr. Cross to be seen by another consultant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the policy of his Department on male-to-female trans-sexuals serving sentences in male prisons; 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.

Letter From Derek Lewis to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 May 1994:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the policy on male to female transsexuals serving sentences in male prisons.

The handling of transsexuals in prisons is dificult, both in administrative and medical terms.

Any transsexual is likely to have difficulties in adjusting to prison life, and it is more often than not necessary to segregate in a vulnerable prisoner unit or prison health care centre those whose transsexuality is obvious. We prefer to treat each case individually and the principal criteria is the most obvious physical characteristics of the person concerned and their ability to integrate with other inmates. A male to female transsexual who had undergone surgery and hormone treatment would therefore be more appropriately allocated to a femal establishment. Conversely, a transsexual who had not undergone any form of treatment would be unlikely to be accepted by fellow inmates in an establishment for the gender of their choice.

Nessun Quinliven And Pearse Mcauley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps have been taken to initiate formal extradition proceedings in the Irish Republic against Nessun Quinliven and Pearse McAuley; what discussions with the authorities in the Irish Republic have taken place; and what has been the Irish Republic's response;(2) when he was first informed of the capture by the Irish Republic's authorities of Nessun Quinliven and Pearse McAuley; and whether he was officially given details by the Irish Government.

The Metropolitan police was informed by the Irish authorities on 4 April and 9 April 1993 of the arrests in that country of Nessun Quinliven and of Pearse McAuley on those days. The Irish authorities were immediately informed of our interest in securing the return of the two men, in respect of whom arrest warrants had been issued here. But as I explained in my letter to the hon. Member of 4 August 1993, the domestic Irish proceedings against Quinliven and McAuley take precedence over requests for extradition. Nessun Quinliven was sentenced to four years' imprisonment on 7 October 1993, and Pearse McAuley to seven years on 18 November 1993, by the Dublin Special Criminal Court. These sentences of imprisonment will have to be served before they could be surrendered to the United Kingdom authorities.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Dependent Territories

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his responsibilities for the environment of Pitcairn island and other dependent territories.

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 14 February, Official Report, column 581, which outlines the FCO's responsibilities for the dependent territories.The setting of domestic policies and priorities is a matter for the dependent territories' own Governments. Environmental protection is a high priority for them. We are consulting the dependent territories on their participation in environmental agreements which are most appropriate to their particular circumstances.We take seriously the issue of environmental protection in the Pitcairn Islands. We are preparing a management plan to address conservation issues on Henderson Island. Any conservation measures will need to take into account the isolation and remoteness of the Pitcairn Islands and must be agreed by the islanders.

Multilateral Trade Negotiations

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when copies of the final Act embodying the results of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations and the agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation signed at Marrakesh on 15 April will be presented to Parliament.

Copies of the final Act embodying the results of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations and the agreement establishing the World Trade Organisation were presented to Parliament and published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office as Command Papers, miscellaneous series, on Monday 16 May.

National Heritage

English Heritage

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions, and in what circumstances, he has disregarded the advice of English Heritage on the listing of historic buildings.

The advice of English Heritage is never disregarded, but my decisions must finally be my own judgment of a building's special architectural or historic interest.Since April 1992, I have added 5,550 buildings to the statutory lists. During that period, I have decided in 55 cases not to accept recommendations from English Heritage in favour of listing. In a very small number of cases, I have decided to list buildings against the advice of English Heritage.

Outdoor Education Centres

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what contribution the Sports Council has made to developing an accreditation scheme for outdoor activity centres;(2) what support his Department has provided to the Sports Council and the English tourist board in developing a code of practice for outdoor education centres.

I refer to the answer given to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson) on Monday 16 May, Official Report, column 347.

Film Lighting

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will commission a report on competition in the film lighting supply industry; and what recent representations on this subject he has received.

I have recently received a representation from my hon. Friend on this subject. The Director General of Fair Trading is responsible for reviewing competition in markets, and any concerns that my hon. Friend has should be referred to him.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Primates

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 29 April, Official Report, column 377, if she will list those establishments which have been approved as sources of primates under directive 92/65.

No establishment has yet completed the necessary approval procedures to be a source of primates under directive 92/65.

Animal Exports

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will place in the Library a copy of the recent investigation undertaken by staff of her chief veterinary officer into alleged irregularities in the veterinary certification of the export of live farm animals.

The investigations into alleged irregularities in the veterinary export certification of farm animals are continuing. Some are being undertaken by local authorities assisted by investigation officers of the Department and prosecutions may follow. These matters are therefore sub judice and, as is normal practice, copies of the investigations will not be placed in the Library.

Scotland

Forestry Commission

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 9 May, Official Report, column 48, on what date he will publish the document which will form the basis of consultation on the Government's preferred options for the future of the Forestry Commission.

I have nothing further to add to the answer that I gave the hon. Gentleman on 9 May, Official Report, column 48.

Waste Water Treatment Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress he has made with the identification of sensitive areas and high natural dispersion areas in connection with the urban waste water treatment directive; and if he will make a statement.

The Scottish waters identified as sensitive areas and high natural dispersion areas —HNDAs —in connection with the urban waste water treatment directive are set out in the table.The general requirement of the directive is that all discharges of urban waste water from a population equivalent of 2,000 or more to freshwaters or estuaries, or 10,000 or more to coastal waters, should receive secondary treatment.In areas identified as sensitive, more stringent treatment will be required while in HNDAs, the directive permits less stringent treatment—but at least primary treatment. The adequacy of less stringent treatment to prevent adverse effects on the environment requires to be demonstrated by comprehensive studies and confirmed by subsequent monitoring.A map showing the locations of these areas has been prepared and will be forwarded to the European Commission. It will be made available for public inspection at the offices of the river purification authorities and meanwhile has been placed in the Library of the House.

Sensitive Areas

River Almond (Cramond to Whitburn)
Forfar Loch/Dean Water
South Calder Water/Strathclyde Park Loch

High Natural Dispersion Areas (HNDAs)

Eyemouth Coast
Firth of Forth
Forth Estuary (E)
Firth of Tay (E)
Angus Coast (South)
Angus Coast (North)
Kincardine Coast
Peterhead Coast
Fraserburgh Coast
Banff Coast
Buckie Coast
Moray Firth (Lossiemouth/Burghead)
Cromarty Firth (E)
Wick Bay
Thurso Bay
The String, Kirkwall
Lerwick Harbour
The Minch (Stornoway)
Oban Bay
Campbeltown Loch

Inner Firth of Clyde
Clyde Coast (Irvine/Ayr)
Clyde Coast (Girvan)
Inner Solway Firth (E)

Note:

All HNDAs are in coastal waters, except those marked (E), which are in estuaries.

Ambulance Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in what way the Scottish ambulance service becoming a trust will enable it to compete on a level playing field with the other demands on health service finance.

[holding answer 13 May 1994]: Trust status for the Scottish ambulance service would allow it to operate on the same basis as the majority of hospitals to which it provides services and which are now NHS trusts. With the exception of the London ambulance service, all ambulance services in the United Kingdom have applied for or have already been granted trust status.

Transport

Tamar Crossing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has decided to proceed with the proposal for a second crossing of the River Tamar.

The proposal for a new crossing of the River Tamar has generated much interest and more than 5,000 people visited the public exhibitions held in the summer. Although the views of the public were evenly balanced, we have also had due regard for the views of the local authorities and other interested parties, who have expressed concern about the economic effects on the local area of a new tolled crossing.Therefore, I shall be commissioning further studies into these effects as the next step forward on this important project. Officials of the south-west network management division of the Highways Agency will now contact the local authorities to discuss the precise aspects that the studies should cover.No decision has been taken about the means of financing any new crossing of the Tamar and the degree to which private finance could be involved.To choose any route corridor in such a beautiful and environmentally important area is difficult, but I am satisfied that if a new crossing of the River Tamar ultimately proceeds, the red route corridor as recommended by my consultants, and preferred by the majority of the people who have made comments on the various route options, is the least damaging in environmental terms. I have therefore decided that this route should be protected from development, but this does not mean that a decision to proceed with the project has definitely been taken: I need to see the outcome of the further studies first.

Network Southeast

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a table showing for each Network SouthEast division in each four-week period during (a) 1992 and (b) 1993 the number of incidents, including cancellations, which resulted in a headway of (1) more than 20 minutes and (2) more than one hour; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will publish a table showing (1) the number of trains which arrived more than five minutes late during peak hours on each of the Network SouthEast divisions in each four-week period during (a) 1992 and (b) 1993, and the numbers attributable to (i) train breakdowns, (ii) signal failures, (iii) track and points failures, (iv) leaves on the line, (v) staff shortages, (vi) adverse weather conditions, excluding leaves on the line and (vii) other and (2) the percentage of peak hour trains which were on time or up to five minutes late on each of the Network SouthEast divisions in each four-week period during (I) 1992 and (II) 1993;(2) if he will publish a table showing (1) the number of trains cancelled on each of the Network SouthEast divisions in each four-week period during

(a) 1992 and (b) 1993, and the numbers attributable to (i) train breakdowns, (ii) signal failures, (iii) track and points failures, (iv) leaves on the line, (v) staff shortages, (vi) adverse weather conditions, excluding leaves on the line and (vii) other and (2) the percentage of timetabled trains which did not run on each of the Network SouthEast divisions in each four-week period during (I) 1992 and (II) 1993.

The information requested has been placed in the Library and I have sent the hon. Member a copy.

Trade And Industry

Regional Assistance, East Midlands

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average size and number of regional enterprise grants awarded to companies employing fewer than 25 people in (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east midlands since the new assisted areas map was announced in 1993.

The average size and number of grants offered on applications received since 1 August 1993 to companies employing fewer than 25 people in Ashfield is £11,847 and 13; for Nottinghamshire £16,831 and 35; and the east midlands £16,418 and 60.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what is the number, average size and average effect in terms of predicted jobs created of grants awarded since the new assisted area map was announced in the east midlands to (a) companies relocating into the area and (b) companies already located in the area;(2) what is the number, average size and average effect in terms of predicted jobs created of grants awarded since the new assisted area map was announced in Nottinghamshire to

(a) companies relocating into the area and (b) companies already located in the area.

The number, average size and average effect in terms of predicted jobs to be created or safeguarded of regional selective assistance grants offered on applications received since 1 August 1993 for (a) companies locating into the area and (b) companies already located in the area is, in the east midlands (a) nine, £233,888 and 77 and (b) 16, £90,103 and 31.5 and in Nottinghamshire (a) six, £316,666 and 91 and (b) five, £52,930 and 14.

Regional Assistance/East Midlands

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many companies in the Ashfield constituency employing (a) fewer than 25 people, (b) fewer than 50 people, (c) fewer than 100 people, (d) fewer than 200 people, (e) 200 or more people have been awarded (i) regional selective assistance and (ii) regional enterprise grants since the new assisted areas map was announced in 1993;(2) how many companies in the east midlands employing

(a) fewer than 25 people, (b) fewer than 50 people, (c) fewer than 100 people, (d) fewer than 200 people, (e) 200 or more people have been awarded (i) regional selective assistance and (ii) regional enterprise grants since the new assisted areas map was announced in 1993;

(3) how many companies in Nottinghamshire employing (a) fewer than 25 people, (b) fewer than 50 people, (c) fewer than 100 people, (d) fewer than 200 people, (e) 200 or more people have been awarded (i) regional selective assistance and (ii) regional enterprise grants since the new assisted areas map was announced in 1993.

Regional selective assistance has been offered to one company in the Ashfield constituency, 11 companies in Nottinghamshire and 25 companies in the east midlands on applications received since 1 August 1993. Of the total for the east midlands, 11 were to companies employing fewer than 25 people. The remainder were spread over the other categories. For regional enterprise grants, the figures are 14, 38 and 68 respectively. All 68 employed fewer than 50 people.

Regional Assistance, East Midlands

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many companies in the east midlands have received grants since the new assisted areas map was announced; and what was the average size of grant in: primary production standard industrial classification division 0 and 1; manufacture of metals, mineral products and chemicals, SIC division 3; manufacture of textiles, SIC class 43; manufacture of footwear and clothing, SIC class 45; other manufacturing, SIC division 4; construction, SIC division 5; distribution, hotels and catering, SIC division 6; transport and communications, SIC division 7; banking, finance, insurance, business services and leasing, SIC division 8; and other services, SIC division 9;(2) how many companies in the Ashfield constituency have received grants since the new assisted areas map was announced; and what was the average size of grant in: primary production standard industrial classification division 0 and 1; manufacture of metals, mineral products and chemicals, SIC division 3; manufacture of textiles, SIC class 43; manufacture of footwear and clothing, SIC class 45; other manufacturing, SIC division 4; construction, SIC division 5; distribution, hotels and catering, SIC division 6; transport and communications, SIC division 7; banking, finance, insurance, business services and leasing, SIC division 8; and other services, SIC division 9;

On applications received since 1 August 1993, 93 offers of grant have been made to companies in the east midlands; 15 offers were made to companies in Ashfield. Sixty-eight of the grants offered —14 in the Ashfield constituency—were to companies in SIC divisions 3 and 4, with an average size of grant offered of f59,667—£13,601 in Ashfield. The remaining offers of grant were spread over SIC divisions 1, 2, 3, 45, 6, 7, 8 and 9, with an average size of grant offered of £26,618.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average size and number of regional selective assistance grants awarded in (a) Ashfield, (b) Nottinghamshire and (c) the east midlands since the new assisted areas map was announced in 1993.

As only one company in the Ashfield constituency has been offered regional selective assistance, the average amount of grant offered, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, cannot be disclosed. The average grant offered and the number of offers made are: for Nottinghamshire, £196,786 and 11; and for the east midlands, £141,866 and 25.

Dounreay

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has received from the Atomic Energy Authority for plans to reprocess (a) the core fuel pins and (b) the blanket from the prototype fast reactor at Dounreay.

The DTI has received proposals from the AEA setting out plans for the reprocessing of all remaining prototype fast reactor—PFR—fuel, including PFR breeder fuel. On the basis of these proposals, reprocessing operations are now expected to continue for between one and three years beyond the 1996–1997 closure date which was foreseen when the Government decided in 1988 that the Dounreay prototype fast reactor would close in 1994.

Konver Programme

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is his intention that the Cotswolds will continue to be included in the list of areas eligible for funding via the Konver programme.

Under the Commission's current proposals for Konver II each member state would have to prepare a map which concentrates funding in a limited number of areas which have lost or announced losses of at least 1,000 jobs in defence activities since 1 January 1990.The Government have made it clear to the Commission that they favour a more flexible approach which would allow each member state to decide which areas should benefit under the Community initiative.

Film Lighting

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will ask the Director General of Fair Trading to examine competition in the supply of lighting equipment to the United Kingdom film industry; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading, Sir Bryan Carsberg, to consider directly. Any concerns that my hon. Friend has should therefore be addressed to Sir Bryan.

Cross-Media Promotion

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in preparation of a code of practice on cross-media promotion as recommended in Mr. John Sadler's report on this subject, published in 1991.

I am pleased to announce that the newspaper and periodical industry has today published a code of practice on cross-media promotion in response to Mr. Sadler's recommendation, Cm 1436. The code, which draws on existing good industry practice, covers both the advertising and editorial content of newspapers and magazines as well as the promotion of premium-rate telephone services. It has been endorsed by the Newspaper Society, the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Periodical Publishers Association, the Scottish Daily Newspaper Society and the Scottish Newspaper Publishers Association. Copies of the code have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

Plutonium

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy on the storage of plutonium; and if he will make a statement.

It is for the owners of plutonium to make arrangements for its storage and use, subject to meeting the internationally agreed guidelines for physical protection arrangements and the requirements of the international safeguards regime. The United Kingdom's civil plutonium stock is held safely and securely, principally in purpose-built stores at Sellafield. It is expected that the material will ultimately be burnt in reactors to generate electricity.

Offshore Oil And Gas Industry

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to impose on oil exploration licences any conditions recommended by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.

[holding answer 17 May 1994]: Where blocks are offered in sensitive areas, conditions will be attached to licences which will protect those sensitivities. As in previous rounds, these conditions will be discussed with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and other bodies as appropriate.

Prime Minister

Ec White Paper

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a White Paper setting out the economic gains and losses for EEC membership since Britain joined.

The Government's White Paper on competitiveness, to be published on 24 May, will set out the United Kingdom's approach to Europe, the benefits that that has brought, and how we can enhance the performance of the European economy as a whole.

Kashmir

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 14 April, Official Report, column 264, if he has now received from the Indian Human Rights Commission its report of the incident at Bijbehara in Kashmir which took place in October 1993.

The Indian Human Rights Commission report into the incident at Bijbehara in October 1993 was published on 24 April. A copy was placed in the Library of the House of Commons on 12 May.

Correspondence

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement as to whether his office has obtained or sought to obtain a copy of the receipt and letter from the Ritz hotel in Paris referred to in the correspondence between the Prime Minister and Mr. Peter Preston, editor of The Guardian newspaper.

[holding answer 13 May 1994]: I have nothing further to add to the letter sent from my office to Mr. Preston on 29 March 1994.

Northern Ireland

Police Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of total expenditure on police services in Northern Ireland has been deemed attributable to rate-relevant expenditure for each year since 1985.

The cost of policing in Northern Ireland is funded by Government from moneys voted by Parliament. However, in order to ensure that ratepayers contribute towards the cost of services which elsewhere in the United Kingdom are provided by local authorities a regional rate is struck. In striking this rate, approximately 25 per cent. of total expenditure each year on police services is deemed attributable to rate relevant expenditure.

Neurosurgical Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is the waiting time for non-emergency neurosurgical admissions at the Royal Victoria hospital, Belfast; how many consultant neurosurgeons are employed; how many beds are available; and what are the number of operating sessions each week;(2) what hospitals in Northern Ireland provide neurosurgical facilities.

The number of patients and the lengths of time they have been waiting for admission to the Royal Victoria hospital's neurosurgery unit at 31 March 1994, the latest date for which information is available, are set out in the table.

Waiting times (months)	Ordinary admissions
0–2	85
3–5	43
6–8	35

Waiting times (months)	Ordinary admissions
9–11	33
12–14	30
15–17	6
18–20	3
Total	235

There are currently four consultant neurosurgeons employed in the Royal Victoria hospital, the only hospital in Northern Ireland which provides neurosurgical facilities.

The average number of beds available during the period 1 April 1993 to 31 March 1994 was 42. In the same period the average number of operating sessions held per week was 11.

Further Education Colleges

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many further education colleges in Northern Ireland are to be amalgamated during 1994–95 following the publication of the Stewart inquiry; what study has been made of additional expenditure required to carry out the mergers; if that additional expenditure is expected to be met from colleges' own delegated budgets or from additional finance provided by the Government; and if he will make a statement.

Five mergers involving 12 colleges will be implemented on 1 September 1994, reducing the total number of colleges from 24 to 17. There was no overall study on the costs to carry out the mergers; details of additional expenditure will become available following decisions made by local management. The Department of Education will continue to review the situation with the education and library boards concerned and every effort will be made to ensure that college budgets will not be adversely affected.

Education Budget

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many third level students from Northern Ireland have enrolled in universities or colleges in (a) Eire, (b) Great Britain, (c) other European Community countries and (d) other non-European countries in each year since 1984–85; and what has been the cost or benefit, in each category, to the Northern Ireland education budget.

Available information relates to full-time undergraduate students and is as follows:

	Eire	Great Britain	Other EC¹ and non-EC
1984–85	578	5,051	—
1985–86	489	5,632	—
1986–87	462	6,185	—
1987–88	396	6,968	—
1988–89	367	7,560	4
1989–90	406	8,415	—
1990–91	424	8,970	—
1991–92	408	9,524	—
1992–93	803	10,836	11
1993–94	1,120	11,962	10

Notes:

¹ Separate data is not available.

Figures for 1993–94 are provisional.

Information on costs is not available for the years requested. However, the estimated cost to public funds during the years 1991–92 to 1993–94 for fees and maintenance awards for students from Northern Ireland attending institutions/colleges in the Republic of Ireland is as follows:

	Cost (£)
1991–92	1,530,000
1992–93	2,057,000
1993–94	3,313,000

	1984–85	1985–86	1986–87	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94
Eire	178	305	441	764	1,066	1,314	1,516	1,718	2,018	2,288
Scotland	66	94	110	114	101	95	96	75	72	64
England	534	637	629	623	560	537	596	591	575	526
Wales	22	20	27	30	26	22	18	18	17	14
Other EC	9	32	68	65	84	109	185	189	235	334
Other non EC	270	245	341	405	484	448	405	382	352	372

Information in the exact form and covering the period requested is not available. However, the estimated cost to the Northern Ireland educational budget for fees for students from the Republic of Ireland enrolled in Northern Ireland universities/colleges during the years 1991–92 to 1993–94 is as follows:

Year	Cost £
1991–92	3,800,000
1992–93	4,500,000
1993–94	4,600,000

Accommodation Addresses

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many successful prosecutions there have been in respect of the acquisition of public sector housing for the purpose of providing an accommodation address for fraudulent social security claims and on the illegal sub-letting of such property in each year since 1985.

None, since neither of these activities constitutes a criminal offence.

Stewart Report

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received from teachers' organisations concerning recommendations contained within the Stewart report; and if he will make a statement.

Representations were invited when the report was published and three teachers' organisations responded; further representations were formally made on three subsequent occasions.The main areas of concern have related to the effect and cost of college mergers and the level of capital and recurrent funding for the further education sector in general.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many third level students from (a) Eire, (b) Scotland, (c) England, (d) Wales, (e) other European Community countries and (f) other non-European Community countries enrolled in Northern Ireland universities or colleges in each year since 1984–85; and what has been the yearly cost or income, in each category, to the Northern Ireland education budget.

Available information relates to full-time undergraduate students and is as follows:

Rate Poundages

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the percentage increase during each year since 1985 in (a) non-domestic regional rate poundage, (b) domestic regional rate poundange and (c) average district rate poundage; and what is the overall percentage increase in each during that period.

(1) The information is as follows:

Year	Non domestic regional rate Per cent.	Domestic regional rate Per cent.	Average district rate Per cent.
1985–86	+8.07	+9.26	+5.61
1986–87	+9.43	+10.70	+9.76
1987–88	+2.85	+3.20	+4.98
1988–89	+7.98	+8.92	+4.25
1989–90	+12.63	+14.00	+2.38
1990–91	+7.39	+8.09	+5.52
1991–92	+11.55	-47.60	+9.45
1992–93	-7.39	-5.92	+6.16
1993–94	-8.61	-1.77	+3.52
1994–95	+6.22	+13.19	+2.73

(2) Overall percentage increases
	Per cent.
(a) Non-domestic regional rate	+59.3
(b) Domestic regional rate	-8.2
(c) Average district rate	+69.3

Health And Social Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing and midwifery staff, excluding agency staff, were employed by each health and social services board in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement.

It is for employing authorities to decide the number of nursing and midwifery staff to be employed and the appropriate skill mix to ensure the provision of a quality service to patients and clients.The information requested is detailed in the table:

Nursing and Midwifery Staffing Levels
	September 1991 WTE			September 1992 WTE			September 1993 WTE
Board	Trained Nurses	Student Nurses	Other Nurses	Trained Nurses	Student Nurses	Other Nurses	Trained Nurses	Student Nurses	Other Nurses
EHSSB	6,016	1,411	1,746	5,859	889	1,783	5,720	308	1,806
NHSSB	2,158	150	411	2,152	60	412	2,164	6	420
SHSSB	1,955	138	548	2,001	40	563	2,025	2	573
WHSSB	2,088	352	486	2,088	165	517	2,022	36	544
TOTAL	12,217	2,051	3,191	12,100	1,154	3,275	11,931	352	3,343
Notes:
1. WTE=Whole Time Equivalent.
2. Figures for Student Nurses represent Traditional Nurse Students and exclude Project 2000 Nurse Students. (Project 2000 Nurse Students are not employees.)

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many managerial staff were employed by each health and social services board in each year since 1991; and if he will make a statement.

Figures for the managerial staff group specifically are not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. The table shows the combined managerial, administrative and clerical staffing levels in whole time equivalents in the four board areas since 1991.

Board	September 1991	September 1992	September 1993
Eastern	3,555	3,720	3,621
Northern	1,325	1,395	1,490
Southern	967	1,044	1,061
Western	912	1,006	1,018
Total	6,759	7,165	7,190

The intention of the HPSS reforms is to create more effective management of the services and a consequent improvement in patient client care.

Police Complaints

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay before Parliament copies of the annual report of the Independent Commission for Police Complaints for Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

The Commission's report for 1993, which is the sixth annual report to be produced by the Commission since its establishment in 1988, has been laid before Parliament today. It provides a detailed account of the Commission's oversight of police conduct, including the supervision of complaints against the police and the Commission's role in disciplinary proceedings once a complaint has been investigated.It is essential that the community has confidence in the integrity of the police, and the Commission has a vital role in ensuring that complaints are fairly and properly investigated and that appropriate action is taken. Throughout the report, by providing detailed explanations of its work in investigating actual complaints, the Commission demonstrates the high standards and dedication which it applies to its task.I am grateful to the Commission for all its work. I have no doubt that it will continue to contribute significantly to the enhancement of public confidence in the RUC. In this it has my full support.

Duchy Of Lancaster

Telephone Inquiry Service

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many requests have been received for copies of the "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information" on the dedicated telephone line set up for that purpose; what organisations are responsible for operating the telephone inquiry and document distribution service; what required standards have been set down for timeliness of response to telephone inquiries; what is the performance of the telephone inquiry service to date; how many complaints have been received about non-delivery or late delivery of the document following a telephone request; and what has been the total cost to date of operating the service.

In all, there have been some 440 calls to the inquiry service on 0345 223242 regarding the code of practice. In addition, my own office has received a further 120 calls. Copies of the code and a leaflet explaining its operation have been sent out in response.IBM operates the service. Its contract with OPSS states that the service shall operate between 8 am and 8 pm daily; that 90 per cent. of calls received in a day—80 per cent. of calls received in any one hour—shall be answered within 10 seconds; and that 98 per cent. of all calls shall be answered within 20 seconds. The operators have consistently met their targets.I am aware of only four complaints—less than 1 per cent. of requests—of late or non-delivery, and understand that these have now been dealt with to the satisfaction of those involved.Dealing with open government inquiries was an addition to the existing service, which deals with inquiries on the 1994 charter mark scheme and the guide to the citizens charter second report, and as such incurred no start-up costs. The cost of responding to open government calls amounted by 12 May to £814.88—just under £2 per call. This figure includes the cost of posting material to callers.

Electronic Publishing

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on his assessment of the environmental benefits that could result from the electronic publishing of (a) Government press releases and (b) other Government information instead of using paper.

No assessment of environmental benefits has been carried out.

Government Information

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the current income earned by the Exchequer from, or costs charged to, the Exchequer by electronic information providers who make available (a) Government Press releases and (b) other Government documents on a commercial basis as a result of contracts or arrangements for the publishing electronically of Government information by (i) the Central Office of Information and (ii) other Government bodies.

In 1993–94 the Central Office of Information was able to offset the cost of distributing Government press releases by £35,186 earned from electronic information providers. The information providers made no charges to the Exchequer for this service.During 1993–94 the Central Office of Information also earned £14,641.49 from the electronic publication of other Government documents. The information providers made no charges to the Exchequer for this service.Income earned and costs incurred by other Government bodies are a matter for individual Departments.

Internet

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the full Internet names of the newsgroups on which the Central Office of Information makes available Government press releases and other information; and whether each of those newsgroups is available to members of the public with Internet access without additional charge.

No central list is kept of the Internet names that might be accessible through the many distributors, some of them overseas, involved in handling the Hermes files of Government press notices.All distributors charge users for access.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if his Department will instruct the Central Office of Information to make available more Government information on the Internet and bulletin board systems in order that citizens with computer and modem access can monitor Government decisions and announcements without further charges.

The Central Office of Information already makes available a large amount of information on behalf of Government Departments through on-line database files Hermes and Hermes Daily. The COI is always open to representations about demand for additional information which might be made available in this way.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will examine the feasibility of setting up a Central Office of Information electronic bulletin board system covering (a) Government press releases and (b) other Government information for free public access.

The Central Office of Information's Hermes database of Government press releases is already available to the public via a number of on-line services. Charges for access are determined by the database hosts. I have no plans to examine the feasibility of setting up a Central Office of Information bulletin board system for free public access.

Wales

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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.

Based on a text search on the POLIS database, 114 parliamentary questions answered by Ministers in this Department in the period 1 November 1992 and 31 March 1993 were either given a response that the information requested was not held centrally, or that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. This represents 6.2 per cent. of all written answers given in the same period. Five questions were referred to agency chief executives.

Housing

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the purchase by housing associations in Wales as part of the housing acquisitions initiative, of properties which were in the private sector as a result of earlier sale under the right-to-buy provisions.

Under the housing acquisition initiative in 1992–93 housing associations were asked to purchase properties from the private sector on a cost-effective basis so as to maximise the beneficial impact on the market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how much public subsidy was involved in the purchase in 1993–94 by housing associations in Wales of properties which were in the private sector as a result of earlier sale under the right-to-buy provisions;(2) how many houses bought by housing associations in Wales in 1993–94 had previously been owned and let for rent by local authorities and housing associations; and if he will make a statement.

The number of former local authority houses purchased by housing associations in 1993–94 is not available centrally.

European Agricultural Guidance And Guarantee Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether the guidance mechanism for FEOGA grants has been triggered with Wales in the current financial year.

Reimbursement of expenditure by the Welsh Office is made, usually a year in arrears, from the guidance section of the European agriculture guidance and guarantee fund on receipt of claims from the Welsh Office for the relevant calendar year.Schemes that attract reimbursement in this way, and the proportion of expenditure reimbursed by FEOGA, are as follows:

Hill livestock compensatory allowances, up to 25 per cent. reimbursed.

Capital grants (mainly the farm and conservation grant scheme), up to 25 per cent. reimbursed.

Receipts of £6.122 million are anticipated in 1994–95 in respect of expenditure incurred on these schemes in the calendar year 1993.

The marketing and processing projects scheme and grants for the restructuring of the inshore fishing industry are 100 per cent. reimbursed in-year. Total expenditure on these schemes in 1993–94 is planned to be £0.981 million.

Grant-Maintained Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) schools, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools there are in each county and in Wales as a whole;

Numbers of schools in Wales¹
	Primary	Secondary	Total
Clwyd	245	32	277
Dyfed	313	31	344
Gwent	213	33	246
Gwynedd	191	23	214
Mid Glamorgan	305	42	347
Powys	108	13	121
South Glamorgan	159	26	185
West Glamorgan	164	27	191
Total	1,698	227	1,925
¹ Number of schools as at January 1994.

Schools that have held ballots on opting out²
	Number of schools			Percentage of all schools
	Primary	Secondary	Total	Primary	Secondary	Total
Clwyd	4	6	10	1·6	18·8	3·6
Dyfed	1	1	2	0·3	3·2	0·6
Gwent	1	4	5	0·5	12·1	2·0
Gwynedd	1	0	1	0·5	0·0	0·5
Mid Glamorgan	1	0	1	0·3	0·0	0·3
Powys	1	1	2	0·9	7·7	1·7
South Glamorgan	1	3	4	0·6	11·5	2·2
West Glamorgan	0	3	3	0·0	11·1	1·6
Total	10	18	28	0·6	7·9	1·5
² Number of ballots up to 30 April 1994.

Number of schools voting to opt out LEA control
	Number of schools			Percentage of all schools
	Primary	Secondary	Total	Primary	Secondary	Total
Clwyd	2	4	6	0·8	12·5	2·2
Dyfed	0	0	0	0·0	0·0	0·0
Gwent	1	4	5	0·5	12·1	2·0
Gwynedd	1	0	1	0·5	0·0	0·5
Mid Glamorgan	1	0	1	0·3	0·0	0·3
Powys	1	0	1	0·9	0·0	0·8
South Glamorgan	0	3	3	0·0	11·5	1·6
West Glamorgan	0	1	1	0·0	3·7	0·5
Total	6	12	18	0·4	5·3	0·9

General Development Orders

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to review the process of granting licences or permission to carry out developments under long-standing general development orders or interim development orders to conform with environmental safeguards introduced during the last 20 years; what representations he has received on the efficacy of such orders; and if he will make a statement.

The provisions of the general development order are kept under continual review. My

how many schools (i) have held ballots to decide whether or not to opt out of local education authority control and (ii) decided to opt out of local education authority control; and what was (i) and (ii) as a percentage of (a), (b) and (c) for each county and for Wales as a whole.

The data requested are given in the following tables.right hon. Friend proposes to ensure that "permitted development" rights are not in breach of the habitats and environmental impact assessment directives. The Welsh Office received eight representations following public consultation on these proposals. The Planning and Compensation Act 1991 required holders of mineral permissions granted under interim development orders to apply for registration of the permissions and subsequently to apply for determination of the conditions to which the permissions are to be subject. Minerals planning guidance note 9 gives advice on the preparation and determination of such conditions, and the Welsh Office received six representations following public consultation on the draft.

Christmas Cards

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 20 January, Official Report, column 771, how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by Ministers in his Department; and how much this cost.

[holding answer 4 February 1994]: A total of 1,062 Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by Ministers in this Department, costing £1,154.93, including postage.I am very sorry for the long delay in answering. We were held up by delays in invoices and then the question did not receive the prompt attention that it should have.

Treasury

Tortoise Imports

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of tortoises and tortoise products seized at ports of entry in each of the past three years; and what were the countries of origin.

Her Majesty's Customs and Excise made 57 such seizures over the period. The details for 1991, 1992 and 1993 are as follows:

Year	Number of live tortoises	Number of derived items
1991	67	44
1992	59	3
1993	37	1

It is not always possible to determine the origin of goods, although the countries of consignment of the seized items—which in most cases are likely to have corresponded with the countries of origin—were Antigua, Argentine, Brazil, Canary Islands, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Turkey, USA and Venezuela.

Business Expansion Scheme

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the total value of funds attracted to the former business expansion scheme in each year for construction-related investments; and if he will list by category how many buildings were constructed or are still under construction;(2) how many dwellings were built in each year or are still being built, as a result of the business expansion scheme, for the provision of housing in the privately rented market.

Available information is in the table. This relates to BES investments in companies in the construction industry and the numbers of new lettings from investments in private renting companies.

Year	Investment in construction companies (£ million)	Number of new lettings¹
1983–84	7	—
1984–85	7	—
1985–86	10	—

Year	Investment in construction companies (£ million)	Number of new lettings¹
1986–87	12	—
1987–88	17	—
1988–89	2	6,400
1989–90	neg	3,100
1990–91	1	5,700
1991–92	neg	9,300
1992–93²	neg	24,000
1993–94²	neg	28,000
¹ Estimates rounded to nearest 100.
² Provisional.

Ec Anti-Fraud Funding

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money is available from the European Commission for anti-fraud work; and how much money the British Government have claimed in cash and percentage terms for each of the past five years.

In addition to the administrative resources within the Commission, the budgetary authority allocated 139.14 million ecu, £105 million, in the 1994 budget to programmes to fight fraud. This compares with an outturn of 115.285 million ecu, £87 million, in 1993, 67.245 million ecu, £51 million, in 1992, 69.626 million, ecu, £53 million, in 1991 and 50.842 million ecu, £38 million, in 1990. The budget for anti-fraud programmes includes both funds spent directly by the Commission and funds available to member states to co-finance new controls and anti-fraud mechanisms.United Kingdom receipts from the EC budget for anti-fraud programmes are included with other departmental receipts. This information is not held centrally. However, the United Kingdom does take advantage of Community financing. For example, following the introduction of the integrated control and administration system, some £2.9 million was claimed in 1993 to meet part of the cost of introducing a computer database to record details of areas and livestock numbers subject to support. An application for a further £4.5 million has been made for 1994. The United Kingdom has also taken advantage of the provision for computer systems in the CAP export refund area, where Customs have claimed £110,768 and £74,250 in 1992 and 1993 respectively. Customs have also applied for £248,993 for the same purpose in 1994.

Revaluations, North Kent

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) in how many cases of appeal in north Kent against the 1990 revaluation list, such appeal has resulted in an increase in the assessment;(2) how many representations have been received since the adoption of a different basis of zoning by the Valuation Office after the new list came into force on 1 April 1990.

[holding answer 3 May 1994]: The information requested is not available centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many council tax banding appeals have been (a) submitted to date, (b) settled without a hearing and (c) settled at appeal.

[holding answer 6 May 1994]: A total of 945,795 council tax proposals for alteration of council tax bandings in England and Wales had been received as at 31 March 1994; 107,818 have been settled without referral to the valuation tribunals and 660,384 have been referred to the valuation tribunals within six months of receipt as required by law.Of the 660,384 appeals referred to the tribunals, 189,944 have been settled without a hearing and 2,868 have been determined as a result of a hearing.

Scott Inquiry

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many current and former officials and Ministers in his Department have been asked to give written or oral evidence to the Scott inquiry; and what have been the total costs to his Department of the Scott inquiry broken down by major expenditure heading;(2) how many employees have worked on a full- or part-time basis with the Scott inquiry liaison unit set up within his Department; when the unit was established; and when its work will be completed.

[holding answer 12 and 13 May 1994]: Five current or former Treasury Ministers—the Prime Minister, the right hon. and learned Member for Rushcliffe (Mr. Clarke), Lord Howe, the right hon. Member for St. Albans (Mr. Lilley) and the right hon. and learned Member for Putney (Mr. Mellor) have been asked to give written or oral evidence to Lord Justice Scott's Inquiry. Only one of these Ministers—the right hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Major)—gave evidence in respect of his time as a Treasury Minister. One current Treasury official and 17 current and former officials of HM Customs and Excise have been asked to give written and/or oral evidence to the Scott inquiry. They have given this evidence on a personal basis and have not been supervised by the Department in its preparation. There is therefore no central record of the time spent or cost incurred in the provision of such evidence; serving officials prepared and gave their evidence as part of their official duties.The direct central cost of providing evidence and information from HM Treasury to the inquiry is estimated to be £90,800 between November 1992 and March 1994. This represents the cost of staff time spent in providing information to the inquiry and the costs of photocopying and general presentation of the information. Four officials plus clerical and secretarial staff have been involved on a full or part-time basis as required. A separate liaison unit has not been created.The total cost of Customs and Excise Scott liaison unit has been to date, £423,400 which consists of £420,000 on personnel; £2,700 on transcripts of the oral evidence, and £700 for photocopying. The Scott liaison unit in HM Customs and Excise consists of seven posts which are filled on a full or part-time basis. The unit was set up in the middle of November 1992 and its work will continue until the Department judges that it has been completed.

Education

Teacher Training

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many graduates trained as secondary school teachers at each college in South Yorkshire in the past 10 years and the subjects studied; how many new graduate teachers were employed per local authority in that time; what occupations each graduate qualifying in secondary school teaching has entered in the last 10 years; and what has been the cost of training graduate secondary school teachers in each year since 1984.

Table 1 shows the number of students entering postgraduate courses at Sheffield university and Sheffield Hallam university to train as secondary school teachers in each year from 1983 to 1993. Table 2 shows the main subjects being studied for those entering such courses in 1993. Further details of individual subjects being studied in these institutions are available from the final reports of each survey held in the House of Commons Library.

Table 1
Recruitment to Secondary PGCE courses
Year	Sheffield University	Sheffield Hallam University
1983	153	73
1984	138	77
1985	126	63
1986	118	98
1987	140	100
1988	137	112
1989	153	98
1990	138	96
1991	182	164
1992	180	155
1993	186	164

Table 2
Secondary PCGE students by subject 1993
	Sheffield University	Sheffield Hallam University
Business Studies	—	34
Design and Technology	—	28
English	36	25
Geography	28	—
History	14	—
Modern Languages	37	15
Mathematics	20	23
Biology	14	—
Chemistry	7	—
General/Integrated Science	26	39
Physics	5	—

The total number of new entrants to teaching in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools sector in England and Wales for each year from 1983 to 1992 is given in table 3. Separate information for graduate teachers is not readily available.

Table 3
New entrants to teaching in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector
Year to March	Numbers
1983	14,000
1984	13,400
1985	11,900

Year to March	Numbers
1986	12,000
1987	12,600
1988	12,500
1989	14,200
1990	15,300
1991	15,300
1992	15,800

Information on the occupations taken up by successful initial teacher training students is not centrally available, although an analysis carried out by the Department shows that about 90 per cent. of completers go on to enter some form of teaching within five years after qualifying. Information on the cost of training secondary school teachers is not available.

Schools (Harrogate And Knaresborough)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the pupil:teacher ratio in Harrogate and Knaresborough schools in each year since 1978.

Information on pupil:teacher ratios in schools in Harrogate and Knaresborough is not available centrally. The overall pupil:teacher ratio for maintained schools in North Yorkshire local education authority for the years 1978 to 1993 is shown in the table.

Overall pupil: teacher ratio in maintained schools in North Yorkshire LEA Postion in January each year
Year	Overall Pupil: Teacher Ratio¹
1978	19·5
1979	19·0
1980	18·7
1981	18·4
1982	18·4
1983	18·1
1984	18·0
1985	18·0
1986	18·0
1987	17·9
1988	17·6
1989	17·4
1990	17·3
1991	17·2
1992	17·1
1993	17·0
¹ The overall PTR is calculated using the full-time equivalent (FTE) of all teachers employed by the LEA for service in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools with the FTE numbers of pupils attending those schools.

Grant-Maintained Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will list the amount deducted for the provision of central support services by each local authority in England prior to the allocation of funds to grant-maintained schools.

Annual maintenance grant for grant-maintained schools is calculated in one of two ways. The Government have introduced a common funding formula to fund GM secondary schools in five local education authority areas in 1994–95. This takes as its starting point the education standard spending assessment, not including the fifth sub-block which relates to services provided outside the school sector.From this SSA-derived total, an amount is first deducted for the LEA's continuing responsibilities. Secondly, an amount is deducted for spending on primary schools, according to the relationship between the authority's spending on primary and secondary education in 1993–94. The remaining total forms the basis of allocations between all secondary schools within the area. The two deductions are shown in the table as percentages of the four schools-related sub-blocks of the SSA.

	Continuing responsibilities	Primary education
Bromley	13·79	39·16
Calderdale	12·41	45·10
Essex	17·41	39·92
Gloucestershire	20·00	40·06
Hillingdon	18·02	42·08

For GM schools not funded under the CFF, AMG consists of three separate sums. The first is what the GM school would have received under the local management of schools scheme of its former maintaining LEA. The second consists of an amount for school meals. The third is an amount for services which LEA schools receive free of charge but for which GM schools assume direct responsibility, and is a simple percentage of the first sum. The percentages applying, separately for primary and secondary schools, in 1994–95 in those LEA areas in which there are GM schools are as follows:

Local education authority	Primary	Secondary
Avon County Council	14·0	9·7
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham	11·0	8·4
London Borough of Barnet	13·6	9·8
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council	15·2	9·8
Bedfordshire County Council	15·3	11·6
Berkshire County Council	10·6	7·2
London Borough of Bexley	11·9	8·0
Birmingham City Council	14·5	10·2
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council	14·4	9·8
Bradford City Council	11·8	9·4
London Borough of Brent	9·4	6·7
London Borough of Bromley	13·6	9·5
Buckinghamshire County Council	16·1	11·3
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council	12·5	9·1
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council	12·0	8·4
London Borough of Camden	13·6	10·1
Cambridgeshire County Council	11·4	7·9
Cheshire County Council	12·3	8·4
Common Council of the City of London	17·2	n/a
Cleveland County Council	18·0	11·7
Cornwall County Council	10·6	7·4
Coventry City Council	15·5	10·3
London Borough of Croydon	10·4	8·3
Cumbria County Council	10·4	7·5
Derbyshire County Council	14·1	8·9
Devon County Council	10·9	7·5
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council	15·9	10·5
Dorset County Council	13·7	9·6
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council	9·1	6·6
Durham County Council	13·5	9·4
London Borough of Ealing	9·2	6·9
East Sussex County Council	15·4	10·2
London Borough of Enfield	11·9	8·4
Essex County Council	13·3	8·7
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council	16·8	11·9
Gloucestershire County Council	13·7	10·8
London Borough of Greenwich	18·1	13·9

Local education authority	Primary	Secondary
London Borough of Hackney	19·8	13·5
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham	22·1	16·5
Hampshire County Council	14·0	9·8
London Borough of Haringey	16·5	12·0
London Boroughof Harrow	13·5	9·8
London Borough of Havering	12·5	8·0
Hereford and Worcester County Council	11·5	8·8
Hertfordshire County Council	7·8	5·3
London Borough of Hillingdon	13·4	9·9
London Borough of Hounslow	11·6	8·7
Humberside County Council	15·1	10·7
The Council of the Isles of Scilly	15·0	7·5
Isle of Wight County Council	17·2	13·0
London Borough of Islington	5·9	4·7
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea	18·8	13·1
Kent County Council	15·6	10·4
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames	12·7	8·7
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council	14·9	10·2
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council	13·7	9·6
London Borough of Lambeth	16·4	11·1
Lancashire County Council	12·9	8·6
Leeds City Council	10·8	8·2
Leicestershire County Council	12·7	8·9
London Borough of Lewisham	15·3	11·2
Lincolnshire County Council	11·6	7·6
Liverpool City Council	17·1	10·3
Manchester City Council	11·3	7·1
London Borough of Merton	12·5	9·0
Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council	14·1	9·5
London Borough of Newham	11·2	7·3
Norfolk County Council	13·6	9·2
North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council	12·4	8·9
Northamptonshire County Council	11·0	7·7
Northumberland County Council	10·2	7·8
North Yorkshire County Council	15·8	10·6
Nottinghamshire County Council	16·2	12·0
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council	17·4	11·3
Oxfordshire County Council	10·8	8·1
London Borough of Redbridge	17·2	10·7
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames	15·1	11·9
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council	11·7	7·6
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	15·9	11·3
St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council	12·6	8·5
Salford City Council	10·9	7·3
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council	17·2	11·7
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council	13·7	8·8
Sheffield City Council	11·3	8·1
Shropshire County Council	12·1	7·8
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council	7·0	5·1
Somerset County Council	13·5	9·3
South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council	15·0	11·1
London Borough of Southwark	13·5	10·0
Staffordshire County Council	13·3	9·7
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council	12·2	8·4
Suffolk County Council	11·9	8·7
Sunderland Metropolitan Borough Council	13·3	9·6
Surrey County Council	14·6	10·8
London Borough of Sutton	13·5	9·4
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council	13·8	9·7
London Borough of Tower Hamlets	12·4	9·2
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council	15·3	8·7
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council	16·1	9·9
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council	13·5	9·6
London Borough of Waltham Forest	15·6	10·6
London Borough of Wandsworth	17·0	10·0
Warwickshire County Council	13·7	9·4
Westminster City Council	9·6	7·5
West Sussex County Council	14·0	9·9
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council	17·6	11·7
Wiltshire County Council	13·8	8·8

Local education authority

Primary

Secondary

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council

11·6

8·0

Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council

12·0

7·7

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) schools, (b) primary schools and (c)

Schools are parental ballots on the question of seeking grant-maintained status
LEA Area	Schools	Total Ballots	All Schools Percentage	"Yes" Votes	Percentage
Avon	429	11	2·6	2	0·5
Barking	63	0	0·0	0	0·0
Barnet	110	17	15·5	12	10·9
Barnsley	111	3	2·7	1	0·9
Bedfordshire	289	22	7·6	14	4·8
Berkshire	334	27	8·1	20	6·0
Bexley	82	10	12·2	8	9·8
Birmingham	413	35	8·5	23	5·6
Bolton	121	4	3·3	4	3·3
Bradford	253	18	7·1	13	5·1
Brent	77	19	24·7	17	22·1
Bromley	95	21	22·1	19	20·0
Buckinghamshire	335	22	6·6	18	5·4
Bury	85	2	2·4	1	1·2
Calderdale	107	17	15·9	13	12·1
Cambridgeshire	310	34	11·0	24	7·7
Camden	52	3	5·8	2	3·8
Cheshire	522	20	3·8	10	1·9
Cleveland	247	4	1·6	0	0·0
Cornwall	281	1	0·4	1	0·4
Corporation of London	1	0	0·0	0	0·0
Coventry	128	1	0·8	0	0·0
Croydon	118	16	13·6	12	10·2
Cumbria	348	44	12·6	37	10·6
Derbyshire	511	42	8·2	25	4·9
Devon	506	20	4·0	8	1·6
Doncaster	161	6	3·7	4	2·5
Dorset	256	18	7·0	15	5·9
Dudley	105	10	9·5	8	7·6
Durham	341	1	0·3	0	0·0
Ealing	99	12	12·1	10	10·1
East Sussex	253	3	1·2	0	0·0
Enfield	87	10	11·5	6	6·9
Essex	686	157	22·9	145	21·1
Gateshead	95	1	1·1	0	0·0
Gloucestershire	305	57	18·7	48	15·7
Greenwich	94	2	2·1	1	1·1
Hackney	73	2	2·7	1	1·4
Hammersmith	48	2	4·2	2	4·2
Hampshire	674	45	6·7	37	5·5
Haringey	86	0	0·0	0	0·0
Harrow	64	2	3·1	1	1·6
Havering	93	9	9·7	4	4·3
Hereford and Worcester	364	10	2·7	5	1·4
Hertfordshire	520	47	9·0	39	7·5
Hillingdon	87	26	29·9	25	28·7
Hounslow	76	3	3·9	2	2·6
Humberside	414	9	2·2	3	0·7
Isle of Wight	67	0	0·0	0	0·0
Isles of Scilly	5	0	0·0	0	0·0
Islington	66	0	0·0	0	0·0
Kensington and Chelsea	31	3	9·7	3	9·7
Kent	706	102	14·4	96	13·6
Kingston upon Thames	46	5	10·9	5	10·9
Kirklees	192	8	4·2	3	1·6
Knowsley	79	3	3·8	1	1·3
Lambeth	87	13	14·9	13	14·9
Lancashire	711	24	3·4	13	1·8
Leeds	295	6	2·0	2	0·7
Leicestershire	414	12	2·9	5	1·2
Lewisham	85	3	3·5	1	1·2
Lincolnshire	356	63	17·7	58	16·3
Liverpool	234	8	3·4	4	1·7
Manchester	202	1	0·5	0	0·0
Merton	60	4	6·7	1	1·7

secondary schools there are in England and in each county; how many schools have (i) held ballots to decide whether or not to opt out of local education authority control and (ii) decided to opt out of local education authority control; and what are (i) and (ii) as a percentage of (a), (b) and (c) for each county and for England.

The information requested is given in the table for each local authority in England.

LEA Area	Schools	Total Ballots	All Schools Percentage	"Yes" Votes	Percentage
Newcastle upon Tyne	102	2	2·0	0	0·0
Newham	81	1	1·2	1	1·2
Norfolk	448	37	8·3	29	6·5
North Tyneside	87	5	5·7	3	3·4
North Yorkshire	451	5	1·1	1	0·2
Northamptonshire	335	37	11·0	26	7·8
Northumberland	204	3	1·5	1	0·5
Nottinghamshire	508	11	2·2	4	0·8
Oldham	119	1	0·8	0	0·0
Oxfordshire	284	3	1·1	1	0·4
Redbridge	71	2	2·8	1	1·4
Richmond upon Thames	47	0	0·0	0	0·0
Rochdale	90	13	14·4	8	8·9
Rotherham	133	1	0·8	0	0·0
Salford	106	4	3·8	1	0·9
Sandwell	132	5	3·8	2	1·5
Sefton	116	1	0·9	0	0·0
Sheffield	196	25	12·8	21	10·7
Shropshire	250	12	4·8	12	4·8
Solihull	83	3	3·6	2	2·4
Somerset	266	8	3·0	5	1·9
South Tyneside	69	0	0·0	0	0·0
Southwark	90	10	11·1	10	11·1
St. Helens	79	2	2·5	1	1·3
Staffordshire	497	16	3·2	9	1·8
Stockport	124	2	1·6	0	0·0
Suffolk	332	1	0·3	0	0·0
Sunderland	122	0	0·0	0	0·0
Surrey	423	39	9·2	36	8·5
Sutton	57	13	22·8	11	19·3
Tameside	100	6	6·0	3	3·0
Tower Hamlets	89	2	2·2	1	1·1
Trafford	94	6	6·4	4	4·3
Wakefield	169	2	1·2	2	1·2
Walsall	125	14	11·2	9	7·2
Waltham Forest	77	3	3·9	2	2·6
Wandsworth	82	13	15·9	10	12·2
Warwickshire	281	16	5·7	12	4·3
West Sussex	287	4	1·4	1	0·3
Westminster	50	1	2·0	0	0·0
Wigan	146	1	0·7	1	0·7
Wiltshire	338	45	13·3	34	10·1
Wirral	127	4	3·1	2	1·6
Wolverhampton	121	7	5·8	5	4·1
England	22,533	1,486	6·6	1,116	5·0

Primary schools
LEA area	Schools	Total ballots	Percentage	"Yes" votes	Percentage
Avon	369	6	1·6	0	0·0
Barking	55	0	0·0	0	0·0
Barnet	89	6	6·7	2	2·2
Barnsley	96	1	1·0	1	1·0
Bedforshire	218	3	1·4	3	1·4
Berkshire	275	10	3·6	7	2·5
Bexley	65	4	6·2	3	4·6
Birmingham	334	11	3·3	6	1·8
Bolton	105	1	1·0	1	1·0
Bradford	165	9	5·5	7	4·2
Brent	64	5	7·8	5	7·8
Bromley	78	7	9·0	6	7·7
Buckinghamshire	290	11	3·8	8	2·8
Bury	71	2	2·8	1	1·4
Calderdale	91	6	6·6	5	5·5
Cambridgeshire	267	9	3·4	7	2·6
Camden	41	0	0·0	0	0·0
Cheshire	454	9	2·0	6	1·3
Cleveland	203	1	0·5	0	0·0
Cornwall	250	1	0·4	1	0·4
Corporation of London	1	0	0·0	0	0·0
Coventry	109	1	0·9	0	0·0
Croydon	98	5	5·1	3	3·1
Cumbria	306	29	9·5	22	7·2
Derbyshire	450	16	3·6	9	2·0

LEA area	Schools	Total ballots	Percentage	"Yes" votes	Percentage
Devon	442	10	2·3	2	0·5
Doncaster	127	5	3·9	4	3·1
Dorset	200	2	1·0	1	0·5
Dudley	83	1	1·2	1	1·2
Durham	298	0	0·0	0	0·0
Ealing	87	4	4·6	4	4·6
East Sussex	219	1	0·5	0	0·0
Enfield	70	4	5·7	1	1·4
Essex	581	79	13·6	73	12·6
Gateshead	82	0	0·0	0	0·0
Gloucestershire	262	21	8·0	18	6·9
Greenwich	79	1	1·3	1	1·3
Hackney	63	1	1·6	1	1·6
Hammersmith	38	1	2·6	1	2·6
Hampshire	580	21	3·6	18	3·1
Haringey	77	0	0·0	0	0·0
Harrow	54	0	0·0	0	0·0
Havering	74	2	2·7	0	0·0
Hereford and Worcester	288	2	0·7	0	0·0
Hertfordshire	432	15	3·5	12	2·8
Hillingdon	72	11	15·3	11	15·3
Hounslow	62	0	0·0	0	0·0
Humberside	354	5	1·4	3	0·8
Isle of Wight	46	0	0·0	0	0·0
Isles of Scilly	4	0	0·0	0	0·0
Islington	57	0	0·0	0	0·0
Kensington and Chelsea	27	2	7·4	2	7·4
Kent	570	27	4·7	25	4·4
Kingston upon Thames	36	1	2·8	1	2·8
Kirklees	158	3	1·9	0	0·0
Knowsley	68	0	0·0	0	0·0
Lambeth	77	8	10·4	8	10·4
Lancashire	605	7	1·2	4	0·7
Leeds	249	3	1·2	1	0·4
Leicestershire	335	2	0·6	0	0·0
Lewisham	72	1	1·4	1	1·4
Lincolnshire	293	32	10·9	28	9·6
Liverpool	198	0	0·0	0	0·0
Manchester	174	0	0·0	0	0·0
Merton	49	1	2·0	0	0·0
Newcastle upon Tyne	80	1	1·3	0	0·0
Newham	67	0	0·0	0	0·0
Norfolk	396	21	5·3	17	4·3
North Tyneside	61	2	3·3	1	1·6
North Yorkshire	392	3	0·8	1	0·3
Northamptonshire	271	16	5·9	12	4·4
Northumberland	143	0	0·0	0	0·0
Nottinghamshire	426	1	0·2	0	0·0
Oldham	104	0	0·0	0	0·0
Oxfordshire	240	1	0·4	1	0·4
Redbridge	56	0	0·0	0	0·0
Richmond upon Thames	39	0	0·0	0	0·0
Rochdale	76	9	11·8	6	7·9
Rotherham	115	0	0·0	0	0·0
Salford	88	0	0·0	0	0·0
Sandwell	112	0	0·0	0	0·0
Sefton	94	0	0·0	0	0·0
Sheffield	165	17	10·3	15	9·1
Shropshire	213	5	2·3	5	2·3
Solihull	70	1	1·4	1	1·4
Somerset	227	5	2·2	3	1·3
South Tyneside	58	0	0·0	0	0·0
Southwark	76	5	6·6	5	6·6
St. Helens	67	1	1·5	1	1·5
Staffordshire	412	5	1·2	4	1·0
Stockport	110	0	0·0	0	0·0
Suffolk	255	0	0·0	0	0·0
Sunderland	105	0	0·0	0	0·0
Surrey	372	23	6·2	21	5·6
Sutton	43	5	11·6	3	7·0
Tameside	82	1	1·2	0	0·0
Tower Hamlets	74	0	0·0	0	0·0
Trafford	78	0	0·0	0	0·0
Wakefield	131	2	1·5	2	1·5
Walsall	104	3	2·9	2	1·9
Waltham Forest	61	1	1·6	0	0·0
Wandsworth	72	5	6·9	3	4·2
Warwickshire	244	7	2·9	4	1·6

LEA area	Schools	Total ballots	Percentage	"Yes" votes	Percentage
West Sussex	246	1	0·4	1	0·4
Westminster	42	0	0·0	0	0·0
Wigan	125	0	0·0	0	0·0
Wiltshire	294	21	7·1	18	6·1
Wirral	106	0	0·0	0	0·0
Wolverhampton	101	1	1·0	0	0·0
England	18,879	589	3·1	450	2·4

Secondary Schools
LEA Area	Schools	Total Ballots	Secondary Schools Per cent.	"Yes" Votes	Per cent.
Avon	60	5	8·3	2	3·3
Barking	8	0	0·0	0	0·0
Barnet	21	11	52·4	10	47·6
Barnsley	15	2	13·3	0	0·0
Bedfordshire	71	19	26·8	11	15·5
Berkshire	59	17	28·8	13	22·0
Bexley	17	6	35·3	5	29·4
Birmingham	79	24	30·4	17	21·5
Bolton	16	3	18·8	3	18·8
Bradford	88	9	10·2	6	6·8
Brent	13	14	107·7	12	92·3
Bromley	17	14	82·4	13	76·5
Buckinghamshire	45	11	24·4	10	22·2
Bury	14	0	0·0	0	0·0
Calderdale	16	11	68·8	8	50·0
Cambridgeshire	43	25	58·1	17	39·5
Camden	11	3	27·3	2	18·2
Cheshire	68	11	16·2	4	5·9
Cleveland	44	3	6·8	0	0·0
Cornwall	31	0	0·0	0	0·0
Corporation of London	0	0	0·0	0	0·0
Coventry	19	0	0·0	0	0·0
Croydon	20	11	55·0	9	45·0
Cumbria	42	15	35·7	15	35·7
Derbyshire	61	26	42·6	16	26·2
Devon	64	10	15·6	6	9·4
Doncaster	34	1	2·9	0	0·0
Dorset	56	16	28·6	14	25·0
Dudley	22	9	40·9	7	31·8
Durham	43	1	2·3	0	0·0
Ealing	12	8	66·7	6	50·0
East Sussex	34	2	5·9	0	0·0
Enfield	17	6	35·3	5	29·4
Essex	105	78	74·3	72	68·6
Gateshead	13	1	7·7	0	0·0
Gloucestershire	43	36	83·7	30	69·8
Greenwich	15	1	6·7	0	0·0
Hackney	10	1	10·0	0	0·0
Hammersmith	10	1	10·0	1	10·0
Hampshire	94	24	25·5	19	20·2
Haringey	9	0	0·0	0	0·0
Harrow	10	2	20·0	1	10·0
Havering	19	7	36·8	4	21·1
Hereford and Worcester	76	8	10·5	5	6·6
Hertfordshire	88	32	36·4	27	30·7
Hillingdon	15	15	100·0	14	93·3
Hounslow	14	3	21·4	2	14·3
Humberside	60	4	6·7	0	0·0
Isle of Wight	21	0	0·0	0	0·0
Isles of Scilly	1	0	0·0	0	0·0
Islington	9	0	0·0	0	0·0
Kensington and Chelsea	4	1	25·0	1	25·0
Kent	136	75	55·1	71	52·2
Kingston upon Thames	10	4	40·0	4	40·0
Kirklees	34	5	14·7	3	8·8
Knowsley	11	3	27·3	1	9·1
Lambeth	10	5	50·0	5	50·0
Lancashire	106	17	16·0	9	8·5
Leeds	46	3	6·5	1	2·2
Leicestershire	79	10	12·7	5	6·3
Lewisham	13	2	15·4	0	0·0
Lincolnshire	63	31	49·2	30	47·6
Liverpool	36	8	22·2	4	11·1
Manchester	28	1	3·6	0	0·0

Secondary Schools
LEA Area	Schools	Total Ballots	Secondary Schools Per cent.	"Yes" Votes	Per cent.
Merton	11	3	27·3	1	9·1
Newcastle upon Tyne	22	1	4·5	0	0·0
Newham	14	1	7·1	1	7·1
Norfolk	52	16	30·8	12	23·1
North Tyneside	26	3	11·5	2	7·7
North Yorkshire	59	2	3·4	0	0·0
Northamptonshire	64	21	32·8	14	21·9
Northumberland	61	3	4·9	1	1·6
Nottinghamshire	82	10	12·2	4	4·9
Oldham	15	1	6·7	0	0·0
Oxfordshire	4	2	4·5	0	0·0
Redbridge	15	2	13·3	1	6·7
Richmond upon Thames	8	0	0·0	0	0·0
Rochdale	14	4	28·6	2	14·3
Rotherham	18	1	5·6	0	0·0
Salford	18	4	22·2	1	5·6
Sandwell	20	5	25·0	2	10·0
Sefton	22	1	4·5	0	0·0
Sheffield	31	8	25·8	6	19·4
Shropshire	37	7	18·9	7	18·9
Solihull	13	2	15·4	1	7·7
Somerset	39	3	7·7	2	5·1
South Tyneside	11	0	0·0	0	0·0
Southwark	14	5	35·7	5	35·7
St. Helens	12	1	8·3	0	0·0
Staffordshire	85	11	12·9	5	5·9
Stockport	14	2	14·3	0	0·0
Suffolk	77	1	1·3	0	0·0
Sunderland	17	0	0·0	0	0·0
Surrey	51	16	31·4	15	29·4
Sutton	14	8	57·1	8	57·1
Tameside	18	5	27·8	3	16·7
Tower Hamlets	15	2	13·3	1	6·7
Trafford	16	6	37·5	4	25·0
Wakefield	38	0	0·0	0	0·0
Walsall	21	11	52·4	7	33·3
Waltham Forest	16	2	12·5	2	12·5
Wandsworth	10	8	80·0	7	70·0
Warwickshire	37	9	24·3	8	21·6
West Sussex	41	3	7·3	0	0·0
Westminster	8	1	12·5	0	0·0
Wigan	21	1	4·8	1	4·8
Wiltshire	44	24	54·5	16	36·4
Wirral	21	4	19·0	2	9·5
Wolverhampton	20	6	30·0	5	25·0
ENGLAND	3,654	897	24·5	666	18·2
Notes:
1. Numbers of schools shown are of maintained primary and secondary schools, eligible for GM status, currently recorded in the DFE Index of Educational Establishment.
2. The numbers of ballots are as 10th May 1994. They may change daily.
3. A small number of schools have held more than one ballot.

Special Educational Needs

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children at each grant-maintained school in 1993 had a statement of special educational needs.

A table giving the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs in each of the 337 grant-maintained schools operating in January 1993 has been placed in the Library.

Funding Agency For Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if the meetings of the Funding Agency for Schools and its committees and sub-committees will be open to members of the public; if the reports discussed by the agency and its committees and sub-committees will be available to members of the public; and if he will be represented at meetings of the board.

My right hon. Friend wrote to the chairman of the Funding Agency for Schools, Sir Christopher Benson, on 11 April setting out a framework of accountability for the agency. In that letter he made it clear that it would be for the agency itself to develop a strategy for making itself publicly accountable. My right hon. Friend has chosen not to exercise his right to be represented at board meetings at the present time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education which grant-maintained schools, under section 93 of the Education Act 1993, have been transferred from one former maintaining local education authority to another for the purpose of the calculation and recovery of annual maintenance grant by the Funding Agency for Schools; what were the local education authorities in each case; and what was the effect on the annual maintenance grant of each school concerned.

Only one operating grant-maintained school has been affected by section 93 of the Education Act 1993. All Hallows RC school, formerly maintained by Hampshire local education authority, is located within the boundaries of Surrey. The Funding Agency for Schools is currently considering the basis for the determination of the school's grant for 1994–95.

Overseas Development Administration

Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new initiatives he has taken on aid to Zimbabwe.

We will be providing £15 million of balance-of-payments assistance this financial year to support Zimbabwe's economic structural adjustment programme. In addition, we are launching a £9 million project to help strengthen Zimbabwe's health services and access to them for the poor.

Sierra Leone

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution is being made or is planned by the Overseas Development Administration and the European Union to family planning work in Sierra Leone.

Our bilateral contribution is approximately £0.217 million over four years via Marie Stopes International. We are also contributing £7 million in 1994–95 to the United Nations Population Fund worldwide. Its programme includes a $3.5 million programme for Sierra Leone. Our share of EC spending on family planning in Sierra Leone is approximately £80,000 over three years.

Liberia

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the current British and European Union distribution to humanitarian work in Liberia; and what is being done to rehabilitate child soldiers.

Since 1 January 1993, we have provided more than £1.6 million in bilateral humanitarian assistance. In the same period, European Community humanitarian assistance has totalled almost £7 million.The United Nations Children's Fund has done much towards rehabilitation of child soldiers: 133 counsellors have been trained in delivering war trauma counselling services to children; in addition, local community-based rehabilitation activities, integrated with the supply of water and sanitation and health care facilities have been established to assist demobilised child soldiers.

House Of Commons Commission

Attendants

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to his answer of 5 May, Official Report, column 601, if he will make a statement explaining why the number of attendants has been reduced.

[holding answer 17 May 1994]: Following a staff inspection of the attendant grades throughout the House in 1992 and a detailed review of attendants' posts in the Serjeant at Arms' Department in the first part of 1993, the House of Commons Commission agreed that the Department's staffing level of attendants should be reduced by three. This reduction was subsequently achieved by natural wastage. The current staffing levels are being kept under review by the Department and the staff inspector will be reviewing them formally at the end of this year.

Defence

Defence Accounts Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he has undertaken over the proposal for market testing of the Defence Accounts Agency in Liverpool.

Normal and wide-ranging consultation has taken place and regular meetings have been held with both local trade unions and staff. In addition, national trades unions, trade associations and the agency's "customers", among others, have been consulted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation he has undertaken concerning questions of national security in the proposal for market testing of the Defence Accounts Agency in Liverpool.

All security considerations will be taken fully into account when reaching a decision on the proposal to market-test the Defence Accounts Agency, Liverpool.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make a decision over market testing of the Defence Accounts Agency in Liverpool; and if he will make a statement.

I am currently evaluating the findings of the feasibility study into the possible market test of the Defence Accounts Agency, Liverpool. I am conscious of the need to end uncertainty and I will announce a decision as soon as I am in a position to do so.

Directorate Of Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what costs were incurred in moving the Directorate of Contracts from Liverpool and Harrogate to Huntingdon.

Collocation of the related staff of the Directorate of Contracts at RAF Brampton and RAF Wyton will improve the efficiency with which the RAF's support management business is handled and follows a detailed investment appraisal. The Harrogate contracts posts are due to transfer in 1995 and the majority of the Liverpool posts in the RAF's Support Management Group in 1996. The costs incurred in these moves can be assessed only when the number of staff moving is known.

Eu Security Links

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reductions in defence preparedness and defence expenditure will be made following the decision of the EU to establish closer security links with nine additional nations in eastern Europe.

No such reductions are planned.

Parliamentary Questions

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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.

Based on figures available from the House of Commons POLIS system, of 1,304 written parliamentary questions answered by my Department between 1 November 1992 and 31 March 1993, full answers could not be given to 34 because of disproportionate cost or because information was not held centrally; and 29 were referred to an agency chief executive for answer.

Low Flying

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date Royal Air Force Tornadoes first carried out instrument low flying, using automatic terrain following radar, from Goose Bay, Labrador.

In October 1983.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities were provided to UK-based United States air force F111 units to maintain an instrument low flying capability prior to the establishment of the highlands restricted area.

Prior to the introduction of the highlands restricted area in 1981 there were no facilities for flying in instrument meteorological conditions within the United Kingdom low flying system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects US air force F15E aircraft to commence using the highlands restricted area for instrument low flying training.

United Kingdom-based USAF FI5E aircraft began using the highlands restricted area for instrument low flying training in January 1994.

Canadian Forces Base, Goose Bay

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deployments of forward air control personnel have been made to Canadian forces base Goose Bay in each year since 1990; and what was the purpose of each deployment.

There have been no deployments of RAF forward air controllers to Goose Bay.

Coulport Armaments Depot

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the nuclear accident exercise which took place at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport on 22 March.

The purpose of the exercise was to test the procedures that would be employed in the unlikely event of an accident involving the reactor of a nuclear-powered submarine while berthed at RNAD Coulport. It was part of a programme of routine exercises held each year to test the effectiveness of the MOD's nuclear accident response organisation.

Public Bodies

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who are the members currently appointed to the United Kingdom Polar Medal Assessment Committee.

To ensure that the advice from members of honours committees is fair and impartial, and to avoid lobbying of members, it is Government practice not to publish details of the composition of committees responsible for the awards of honours. This particular committee is made up of a small group of scientists and academics associated with work in the Arctic and Antarctic.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who are the members currently appointed to the National Employer Liaison Committee.

[holding answer 28 January 1994]: Members of the National Employers Liaison Committee for the Reserve Forces are as follows:

Sir Alexander Graham, GBE (Chairman)
Sir Michael Angus
Professor J. S. Bridgeman
Sir Dermot de Trafford, Bt
Mr. A. J. Gooding, OBE
Mr. F. C. Graves, OBE
Mr. N. A. Johnson, OBE
Mr. D. A. C. Lambert
Mr. D. M. Middleton, CBE
Mr. J. Miller, CBE
Baroness O'Cathain, OBE
Mr. P. D. Orchard-Lisle, CBE
Mr. D. G. C. Webster

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who are the members currently appointed to the Defence Scientific Advisory Council and committees.

[holding answer 28 January]: The members of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council are as follows:

Professor G. G. Roberts (Chairman)
Dr. D. S. Aldwinckle
Dr. A. D. Appleton
Professor A. Bailey
Mr. D. R. Barron
Professor A. C. Baynham
Dr. A. R. Begg
Dr. L. Bennett
Mr. K. P. Blair
Professor D. Bloor
Professor R. K. Burcher
Dr. D. Butler

Dr. I. L. Buxton
Professor J. A. Carruthers
Professor J. E. Castle
Professor P. C. Chatwin
Mr. G. M. Churchhouse
Professor P. J. Clarricoats
Professor R. Coats
Professor E. C. Cocking
Professor R. B. Cundall
Mr. D. J. Daniels
Professor K. E. Davies
Dr. A. A. Denton
Professor G. B. Donaldson
Dr. D. Driver
Professor H. A. Dudley
Professor P. E. Dyer
Professor C. S. Easmon
Professor R. Eatock Taylor
Professor B. G. Evans
Professor J. Ferguson
Dr. J. E. Field
Mr. P. D. Forrest
Professor J. H. Freer
Professor G. S. French
Professor D. Gardner
Mr. P. N. Goddard
Professor B. T. Golding
Professor F. A. Goldsworthy
Dr. J. E. Green
Professor R. L. Grimsdale
Professor K. B. Haley
Mr. F. R. Harris
Professor R. M. Harrison
Professor P. J. Heggs
Mr. J. R. Hennessy
Professor C. Hilsum
Mr. J. Hough
Professor C. I. Howarth
Dr. I. M. Hutchings
Professor K. R. Jennings
Professor D. J. Jeffries
Dr. D. M. Jones
Professor N. Jones
Dr. A. J. Keane
Dr. A. J. Kearsley
Professor L. J. King
Dr. R. H. King
Professor J. F. Scott
Professor M. H. Lader
Dr. I. Levack
Professor A. G. Lockett
Professor J. B. Long
Professor M. V. Lowson
Mr. M. Meek
Professor J. Melling
Dr. J. F. Miles
Mr. M. H. Mills
Professor D. V. Morgan
Dr. R. D. Mulligan
Dr. P. O'Brien
Dr. M. H. Ogle
Professor R. M. Ogorkiewicz
Professor T. F. Page
Dr. D. J. Price
Professor W. G. Price
Dr. S. Primrose
Professor B. Randell
Dr. B. M. Richards
Professor M. W. Roberts
Mr. P. C. Ruffles
Dr. S. J. Rushforth
Dr. J. W. Scadding
Professor N. Shadbolt
Professor K. S. Sing
Sir Joseph Smith
Dr. L. L. Smith
Mr. P. J. Stein
Mr. T. Truman
Mr. R. V. Turner
Professor M. J. Underhill

Professor R. Voles
Professor I. M. Ward
Professor K. Warwick
Professor R. G. White
Dr. D. P. Wilkinson
Mr. M. R. Williams
Dr. N. Williams
Professor S. Williamson
Professor J. Yarwood

There are 14 further members of the DSAC who have asked to remain anonymous as they are associated with sensitive areas of research. Those involved are all members of the scientific and academic community.

Employment

Workfare

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evaluation he has made of the options for introducing a workfare system for unemployed people aged between 18 and 24 years.

"Workfare" is usually taken to mean large-scale, all-embracing compulsory work schemes. The Government do not believe that there can be a single approach to meeting the needs of unemployed people and therefore they reject "workfare" schemes. The more effective approach is to target the individual needs of particular groups and help them back into work. That is why the Government introduced in April two new pilot schemes designed to help 18 to 24-year-olds who have been unemployed for over a year to get back to work. The pilots are: Workwise, a four week personal development and jobsearch course; and 1–2–1, a series of individual advisory interviews. Both pilots are mandatory for people who have declined all other offers of help.

Film Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are currently employed in the United Kingdom film industry.

The latest reliable information is from the 1991 census of employment. In September 1991, there were 24,200 jobs in the United Kingdom in film production, distribution and exhibition—activity heading 9711 of the 1980 standard industrial classification.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (I) what steps he is taking to improve the training of technicians within the United Kingdom film industry;(2) how many trainees are currently undergoing apprenticeship courses related to the skills of technicians in the film industry; and if he will make a statement;(3) what is his policy on the maintenance of the technical skills base for the British film industry;(4) what assistance is made available by Her Majesty's Government for training technicians for the film industry.

Oversight of training in the broadcast, film and video industry is the responsibility of Skillset, the recognised industry training organisation. In partnership with the Open university, Skillset has already developed nine national vocational qualifications at levels 2 to 4 covering camera, lighting and sound, and is working with the BBC, ITV and training and enterprise councils to implement them.

The results of a joint Employment Department and Skillset project on training needs in the industry will be announced at ITV Network in London on 19 May 1994. Officials will be working closely with Skillset on their implementation. We are already supporting an industry database of information on training courses.

There are currently 60 trainees on a film and television scheme. I am also hoping that the film industry will shortly be developing, with Government support, a modern apprenticeship model scheme to include technician training for introduction in September 1995.

Training And Enterprise Councils

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the undertakings sought from training and enterprise council secondees in (a) England and (b) Wales, in relation to the obligation to retire early, for those civil servants applying for his Department's voluntary early retirement scheme.

[holding answer 13 May 1994]: There is no specific form of undertaking to place in the Library. Regional directors were instructed that training and enterprise council secondees would qualify for early retirement only if they intended to return to the Department at the end of their secondment. Secondees were required to confirm their intention in writing and our guidance required our regional offices to send a letter to the TEC telling it of the secondee's intention to return to the Department at the end of their secondment.

Unemployment Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in each region were in receipt of unemployment benefit only (a) in total and (b) who had been unemployed for more than six months at the latest available date.

[pursuant to her reply, 12 April 1994, c. 57]: I regret that my reply to the hon. Lady of 12 April was incorrect. The information requested is available for Great Britain, and is given in the following table. The figures relate to 11 November 1993.

Number of Unemployed Claimants
	Receiving Unemployment Benefit only	Receiving Unemployment Benefit only for more than 6 months (thousands)
South East	148	56
East Anglia	17	5
South West	37	13
West Midlands	47	19
East Midlands	33	12
Yorkshire and Humberside	44	13
North West	52	17
North	34	10
Wales	22	6
Scotland	49	14
GREAT BRITAIN	483	165

Sources: DSS Quarterly Analysis of Unemployment Claimants.

DSS Half Yearly Analysis of Unemployed Claimants.

Environment

Single Regeneration Budget

19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been allocated to the east midlands in the first year of the new single regeneration budget; and how much was allocated to the same areas under the urban programme over each of the last five years.

Planned expenditure in the east midlands through the single regeneration budget in 1994–95 is £68 million. Under the urban programme, the east midlands was allocated £11.4 million in 1989-90, £11.5 million in 1990–91, £11.7 million in 1991–92, £11.2 million in 1992–93 and £7.5 million in 1993–94.

Air Pollution

20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to reduce harmful levels of air pollution.

The quality of air in the United Kingdom is generally good and it is improving. Our recent discussion paper "Improving Air Quality" set out for consultation proposals for maintaining and extending this improvement.

Greenhouse Gases

21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the currently envisaged time scale for the stabilisation of emissions of greenhouse gases.

Under the United Nations framework convention on climate change, the United Kingdom and other developed countries are committed to taking measures aimed at returning emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2000. The adequacy of the convention's commitments is due to be reviewed by the conference of parties to the convention in 1995 and again by 1998.

Local Government Finance

22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he last met representatives of the local authority associations to discuss capping regulations.

The local government associations have made representations on capping on a number of occasions during the course of the annual cycle of consultations on the local government finance settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what percentage of local authority revenue accounts is received from central Government grants; and what were the comparable figures for 1980–81 and 1986–87.

Comparable figures are not available at an England-only level for years prior to 1981–82.The available information is as follows:

England	¹Revenue Expenditure £ million	²Government Grants £ million	Government Grants as percentage of Revenue Expenditure
1981–82	20,106	11,234	56
1986–87	26,630	13,402	50
³1993–94	42,654	23,582	55
¹In 1981–82 and 1986–87 local authority expenditure is taken to be "relevant expenditure" plus expenditure on certain non-relevant items such as net expenditure on mandatory student awards. It represents spending to be financed by rate support grant, relevant specific grant, rates and balances. This measure of expenditure is net of sales, fees and charges, interest receipts etc. For 1993–94 local authority expenditure is "revenue expenditure to compare to TSS" which is expenditure to be met from revenue support grant, specific and special grants inside Aggregate External Finance, Non-Domestic Rates, council tax and appropriations from reserves.
²In 1981–82 and 1986–87 Government Grants comprise Aggregate Exchequer Grant and Rate Rebate Grants. In 1993–94 Government Grants included Revenue Support Grant, Specific and Special Grants in Aggregate External Finance, Council Tax Benefit Grant and Council Tax Transitional Relief Scheme Grant.
³Budget data.

Local Government Contracts

23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many councils he has instructed to re-tender for contracts in the last three years.

Twelve councils have been required to re-tender 14 contracts since January 1991.

M25

24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards the development of motorway service areas on green-belt land adjoining the M25 motorway; and if he will make a statement.

Approval should not be given for a motorway service area within a green belt except in very special circumstances.

Deregulation

25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his Department's contribution to the deregulation programme.

My Department is taking substantial deregulation action to reduce unnecessary controls on business while maintaining environmental standards and public safety. We have identified several repeals and simplifications, two of which are included on the face of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill and others which are suitable for the general power if enacted. We have also indentified several changes in secondary legislation. We are also taking administrative action aimed at clarification and simplification of bureaucracy, particularly in integrated pollution control and waste management.

Mineral Planning Guidance

26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the new opencast guidelines, MPG3, will be published.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Morley and Leeds, South (Mr. Gunnell) earlier today.

Beaches

27.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the cleanness of beaches.

Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are under a duty to keep amenity beaches, down to high water mark, clear of litter and refuse. The Tidy Britain Group has surveyed the amenities and cleanliness of all British resort beaches and will shortly publish a league table to highlight which are the best and which are the worst.

Tower Hamlets Council

28.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has instituted into the way in which Tower Hamlets council is run.

None. Its internal management arrangements are a matter for the local authority working within the statutory framework.

Homelessness

29.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring forward proposals to change the current homelessness legislation.

36.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to bring forward proposals to change the current legislation regarding local authority obligations in respect of housing the homeless.

I hope to announce the Government's conclusions before the summer recess.

Radiation

30.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new proposals he has to reduce the public's exposure to radiation.

It is already the Government's policy that exposure of the public to radiation from man-made sources should be as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account.

Environment Agency

31.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to establish the United Kingdom Environment Agency.

The Government are committed to establishing an Environment Agency for England and Wales and a Scottish Environment Protection Agency as soon as possible. Paving provisions were announced in the Queen's Speech and we will introduce a Bill shortly.

Construction Industry

32.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what specific steps he is taking to lift burdens of over-regulation from the United Kingdom construction industry.

The Government are taking substantial deregulation action to reduce unnecessary controls on the construction industry in the United Kingdom. We have identified several repeals and simplifications, such as the proposed changes to building regulations and waste regulations, which are included in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill. We are also responding positively to the recommendations on construction set out in "Deregulation Task Forces—Proposals for Reform".

Subsidiarity

33.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to apply the principle of subsidiarity to local government.

The Government have consistently made clear their commitment to the principle of subsidiarity, both between central and local government and beyond; subsidiarity does not stop at the local authority but continues to whatever level is most consistent with competence, practicality and cost-effectiveness.

River Doe Lea

34.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he is taking to ensure that the River Doe Lea is cleaned up.

The National Rivers Authority is responsible for ensuring that river quality is protected and for dealing with water pollution problems.

Water Privatisation

35.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps his Department is taking to monitor the effects of water privatisation.

Since their privatisation in 1989, the monitoring of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales has been the responsibility of the Director General of Water Services, who has a duty to ensure that the companies can finance and carry out their statutory water supply and sewerage functions. He is also responsible for the protection of customers' interests, ensuring that services are provided economically and efficiently, and facilitating competition. The director general publishes an annual report which is presented to Parliament.

Local Authority Services

37.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action is being taken to improve the quality of local authority services.

As part of the citizens charter initiative, local authorities are required, starting this year, to publish details of their performance against a wide range of performance indicators. For the first time, citizens will be able to make effective judgments about the quality of services provided by their local council compared to other local authorities of a similar background, and over successive years. Many local authority services are also subject to compulsory competitive tendering. This has led to better services at lower costs, and CCT is now being extended to a wide range of further services, including housing management, legal, finance, IT, personnel, architectural, engineering and property management services.

Local Authority Capital Receipts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what was the total accumulated local authority housing capital receipt from the sale of council housing in England at 31 March, by local authority and by Department of the Environment region;(2) what is the projected total accumulated local authority housing capital receipts at 31 March 1995, by local authority and by Department of the Environment region.

The total discounted values of all council dwellings sold between April 1980 and December 1993, as reported by each local authority in England, are in the table. The information shown includes reported data on receipts from large-scale voluntary transfers. No estimates have been made for those periods where data have not been supplied by a local authority or were incomplete. Actual cash receipts for the period will depend on the extent to which sales had been financed by loans from the authorities. Data are not yet available for the period January to March 1994.No estimates are available by local authority or by Department of Environment regions of projected capital receipts during the calendar year 1994 or the financial year 1994–95.

Property Services Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 3 May, Official Report, column 443, what guidelines his Department issues in relation to quality and technical competence when contracts are being considered by Government Departments for work which was formerly undertaken by the Property Services Agency.

The DOE issues a range of relevant guidance, dealing with the contracting process, standard forms of contract, managing building works, client requirements for Government office buildings, the special needs of historic buildings, and how fire standards and precautions should be approached. When selecting contractors and consultants for particular works projects, Departments have access to computerised DOE pre-qualification systems that assess the technical and financial standing of contractors and consultants seeking Government work. The Treasury's central unit on procurement has also issued guidance on particular aspects of works procurement, including quality assurance and the selection of works contractors.

Housing Subsidy

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have a negative housing subsidy entitlement.

Crawley
Dacorum

Daventry
Forest Heath
Isles of Scilly
Mid Bedfordshire
North Dorset
Runnymede
South Northamptonshire
St. Edmundsbury
Stratford-on-Avon
Tandridge
Wansdyke
West Oxfordshire

All claims are subject to revision and to external audit validation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have a negative housing entitlement for housing revenue account subsidy purposes in the latest financial year; and what is the cash value of this negative entitlement.

We have not yet received all the first claims from local authorities for the current financial year. However, from the claims received up to now—excluding the 30 authorities which have conducted large-scale voluntary transfers of their stock—290 authorities have indicated that they will have a negative entitlement on the housing element of their housing revenue account subsidy. In total this amounts to £889,671,987. All the claims are subject to revision and to external audit validation.As soon as I have complete list of the authorities and the sums involved I will write to the hon. Member with the details.

Local Government Staff

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people served on (a) rural, (b) urban, (c) borough and (d) metropolitan county boroughs and county councils in 1964; and how many currently serve on (i) district, (ii) London borough, (iii) county and (iv) other councils.

In 1964 the numbers of councillors in England and Wales were:

	¹Numbers
Rural districts	14,633
Urban districts	9,368
County boroughs	5,056
Metropolitan boroughs	1,738
Municipal boroughs	8,445
Counties	5,346
Parish councils (England only)	57,000
¹ Separate figures for England and Wales are not available.

In 1994 the numbers of councillors in England are:

	Numbers
District councils	13,459
London boroughs	1,914
County councils	2,998
Metropolitan districts	2,481
Parish councils	71,600

In 1994 the numbers of councillors in Wales are:

	Numbers
County councils	502
District councils	1,475

Figures are not available for councillors serving on community and town councils in Wales.

Housing Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of (a) housing association tenants on assured lettings and (b) secure housing association tenants were in receipt of (i) full housing benefit and (ii) partial housing benefit on 31 March 1993, and at any subsequent date for which figures are available.

An estimated 60 per cent. of housing association tenants on assured lettings and also 60 per cent. of secure housing association tenants were receiving housing benefit in 1993. A breakdown between full and partial benefit is not currently available.The proportions are provisional estimates from the "Survey of English Housing" for the period April to December 1993.

Rent Assessment Panels

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total cost of administering rent assessment panels in the last year for which figures are available.

The provisional figure for cost of the rent assessment panels in England for 1993–94 was £5,446,000.

Council House Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total number of council houses sold to tenants of Harrogate borough council.

Harrogate borough council has reported the sale of 2,300 dwellings to sitting tenants between April 1980 and December 1993. Information is not available on the number of these sales before 1980–81.

Living-Over-The-Shop Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority (a) the address, (b) the date of approval by his Department's officials, (c) the overall scheme cost, (d) the date of withdrawal, (e) the level of subsidy, (f) the date of completion and (g) the letting date of each completed property for which a supplementary credit approval has been agreed under the LOTS—living-over-the-shop— initiative since its inception.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 December 1993, Official Report, column 1097. Details of the allocation of 1993–94 flats-over-the-shops supplementary credit approvals will not be available until the final claims have been received from local authorities. They have six months after the end of the financial year in which to submit claims.

Eco-Labelling

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much money has been spent in the United Kingdom on setting up and running the Eco-Labelling Board; how many products have received an eco-label; and how many items of each labelled product have so far been sold.

Total expenditure, to date, in setting up and running the United Kingdom Eco-labelling Board amounts to £1.7 million. This expenditure covers the costs of setting up the board, promoting the scheme nationally, assisting the European Commission in developing ecological criteria and processing applications from United Kingdom manufacturers.To date, the eco-label has been awarded to seven models of washing machine in Hoover's "New Wave" range. We do not have any information on the number of eco-labelled products sold.

Waste Water Treatment Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to identify sensitive areas as required by the urban waste water treatment directive; and if he will make a statement.

Following discussions with appropriate bodies, the Secretary of State for Wales and I have today placed in the Library of the House, a map of the 33 areas in England and Wales that we have identified, on advice from the National Rivers Authority, as sensitive areas on the basis of the eutrophic status—SAs(E). We have also placed in the Library a list of these areas along with the sewage treatment works at which the installation of phosphorus removal plants will be required in SAs(E) by the end of 1998 in accordance with the directive. These decisions will make a significant contribution to safeguarding our fresh waters.We have accepted the NRA's advice that further monitoring is needed in the case of at least 20 other sites to establish whether they meet the criteria for identification as SAs(E). We have also concluded that current data do not support the case for the identification of nine other candidate SAs(E) proposed by the NRA, and that, before reaching a decision in these cases, further monitoring should be carried out. These cases, along with the 20 areas recommended by the NRA, will be reviewed within the four-year period prescribed by the directive. A list of these areas has also been placed in the Library of the House.The map and lists will also be available for inspection at NRA headquarters and their main regional offices.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to identify high natural dispersion areas, less sensitive areas, as required by the urban waste water treatment directive; and if he will make a statement.

Following discussions with appropriate bodies, the Secretary of State for Wales and I have today placed in the Library of the House a map showing those areas in England and Wales which we have identified as high natural dispersion areas. The map shows all 58 areas around the English and Welsh coastline which the National Rivers Authority has advised meet the criteria in the directive. On the basis of available information, the NRA believes that the provision of primary treatment for the named discharges into these areas will be sufficient and that no further environment benefit will accrue from the provision of additional levels of treatment. We have accepted this advice.

Comprehensive studies will now be carried out at each location. The NRA must be satisified, before they issue a discharge consent, that the study demonstrates that the proposed discharge of primary treatment effluent will not adversely affect the environment.

The NRA is also preparing maps defining the outer boundaries of estuaries as required by the directive. In all cases except for the Humber, the Severn and Swansea bay the boundaries are the same as those used by the NRA for other purposes.

Our decisions will ensure that sewage discharges are properly treated; that the quality of our coastal waters and estuaries will continue to improve, and that costs to water charge payers are kept within acceptable limits.

The map will be available for inspection at NRA headquarters and their main regional offices.

Waste Deposits, London

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records are kept, and by whom, concerning toxic or other chemical waste deposits on former industrial sites in the Greater London area.

The information requested is not held centrally. It is for the owner of any site to decide what records to hold in order to meet its needs or legal obligations. It is for public authorities—including, in particular, the London waste regulation authority, London borough councils and the Common Council of the City of London—to decide what records to hold in connection with the exercise of their pollution control or planning powers, which could impinge on the type of site described.

Energy Conservation Bill

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many amendments and new clauses tabled at report stage of the Energy Conservation Bill were drafted by parliamentary counsel.

Seven new clauses and 216 amendments tabled at Report stage of the Energy Conservation Bill were drafted by Parliamentary Counsel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many hours of civil servants' time, and at what cost, was spent in drafting amendments and new clauses to the Energy Conservation Bill.

This information is not available. Civil servants carried out work on the Bill in the course of their normal business and no records are kept of the time spent on individual tasks.

Housing Management

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of whether authorities which will be restructured following the local government review will have sufficient time to implement the compulsory competitive tendering of housing management.

I am keen that local authorities in the shires should press ahead with their preparations for housing management CCT without delay. Where they can, authorities should let contracts before reorganisation. Where they cannot, their preparatory work will not be wasted but will stand restructured authorities and their tenants in good stead.

However, as I said in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 15 December 1993, Official Report, columns 733–34, I recognise that restructured authorities will need some extra time to complete the competition process. In my answer, I confirmed the arrangement whereby such authorities will benefit from an exemption of 18 months following reorganisation to complete the first round of competitive tendering. This should give most authorities sufficient time, having regard to the time that their predecessors will have had to prepare.

Some restructured authorities may, nevertheless, have difficulty in completing the process in the 18-month period. I have therefore decided to extend the exemption to 24 months in certain limited circumstances. The authorities which will benefit from this extension will be those which inherit more than 1,000 dwellings from an outgoing authority which is below the proposed de minimis threshold—and does not, therefore, have to prepare for housing management CCT—and those with a total housing stock of more than 15,000 dwellings. This extension will be granted automatically to restructured authorities meeting one or both of those criteria.

Nitrates

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the designation of nitrate-vulnerable zones under the EC nitrate directive.

My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales and I issued today a consultation document giving details of the areas in England and Wales which it is proposed to designate as vulnerable zones under the terms of the EC nitrate directive. Following proposals from the National Rivers Authority, 72 zones, with a total area of about 650,000 hectares, have been identified in accordance with criteria laid down in the directive.The designation that we are proposing represent the latest stage in a broad package of measures that the Government are taking to control nitrate pollution from agriculture. Four years ago, we established 10 nitrate sensitive areas and we expect to open a further 22 such areas to applicants very shortly. At the national level we have already anticipated the requirement in the nitrate directive to publish and promote a code of good agricultural practice to help farmers reduce nitrate pollution in water. The Government also maintain a substantial programme of nitrate research and development which helps to provide the basis for a comprehensive range of advice to farmers on sensible nitrate practice through such publications as the Ministry of Agriculture's fertiliser recommendations. A fully revised and updated edition of this publication will be available next week.The designations that we are proposing today reflect the fact that the problem of nitrate pollution in England and Wales is largely confined to a number of discrete areas. In due course the directive requires us to introduce measures in these areas to control certain agricultural activities with the aim of reducing nitrate pollution. Considerable care has been taken to ensure that the zones are as precise as possible, thereby ensuring the measures will be effectively targeted and produce the desired environmental benefit. The consultation document provides a preliminary indication of the type of measures that might be introduced in the zones.

The measures must be established by December 1995 and come into effect at a date to be decided between then and the end of 1999. The resulting reductions in nitrate leaching in vulnerable zones will add to reductions already taking place because of recent changes in agriculture and voluntary application of the code of good agricultural practice for the protection of water issued by MAFF and Welsh Office Agriculture Department.

I am placing copies of the consultation document in the Library.

Council Tax

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what criteria it is determined whether a property occupied by a disabled person should receive a one-band reduction for the purposes of assessing council tax payments.

[holding answer 16 May 1994]: Disabled persons may be entitled to a one-band reduction in council tax if they need extra rooms or more space as a result of their special needs. Reductions apply to dwellings where any one of the following special features is present; an additional kitchen or bathroom, or special room required because of a resident's disability, or extra floorspace where a wheelchair is required to be used indoors. Reductions are determined in accordance with The Council Tax (Reductions for Disabilities) Regulations 1992, SI 1992/554.

Benzene

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received regarding levels of benzene in vehicle exhaust emissions.

I have received several representations, from hon. Members and others, about the benzene content of petrol and levels in vehicle emissions.

Community Charge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the number of changes to the community charge register in England and Wales in the latest available year; and what was the estimate of the level of under-registration for the community charge.

This information is not available centrally. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has published an estimated percentage turnover on the community charge register in England and Wales for 1992–93 in the results of its "Revenue Collection Statistics 1992/93 Actuals" survey published in January 1994. From a response of 305 out of 403 local authorities in England and Wales, CIPFA gives an estimated percentage turnover on the community charge register for England and Wales of 34 per cent. This represents the total number of additions to, plus deletions from, the register in the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993, expressed as a percentage of the number on the register at 1 April 1992.

Health

Nhs Trusts

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 20 April, Official Report, column 541, regarding trusts failing to meet their capital return targets, by what percentage and sum each such trust failed to meet its three financial targets.

The information requested for the years 1991–92 and 1992–93 will be placed in the Library. Information for 1993–94 will not be available until the annual accounts of trusts for that year have been audited.

Cosmetic Surgery

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgeons have been struck off the British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons register in each of the last five years.

This is a matter for the British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what qualifications are required for a person to carry out a liposuction operation.

It is not illegal for an unqualified person to perform cosmetic surgery procedures as such, as long as that person does not falsely claim to be a doctor or carry out any procedures without the patient's permission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints her Department has received related to liposuction surgery in each of the past five years.

In the year ending 30 April 1994 there have been three complaints; in the four preceding years there were none.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received alleging negligence during liposuction surgery.

None. Complaints of medical negligence are a matter for the General Medical Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to regulate the advertising of cosmetic treatment by private cosmetic surgeons.

Restrictions on advertisements are already in force and regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority and the Office of Fair Trading.

Hiv/Aids

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment she has made of the effect of changes in NHS funding in respect of the voluntary sector, with particular reference to groups assisting those with HIV/AIDS;(2) what asssessment she has made of the effect of changes in local authority funding on voluntary groups assisting those with HIV/AIDS.

National health service funding for HIV and AIDS increased from £214 million in 1993–94 to £225 million in 1994–95, and local authority funding from £14.9 million to £15.4 million. Changes in allocating these funds came into effect only from 1 April. It is too soon to assess any effect that this may have on the voluntary sector.

Health Education Authority Publications

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Health Education Authority titles have been withdrawn from circulation.

The Health Education Authority has withdrawn "Your Pocket Guide to Sex" in the light of ministerial advice.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made by her Department of the provision of services for people suffering obsessive compulsive disorder; and if she will make a statement.

It is for each district health authority to decide what range and type of services to provide based on their assessment of local needs. This will include services for people suffering from obsessive compulsive disorders.

Immigration Control

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for increased medical checks or medical screening on people subject to immigration control and travellers entering United Kingdom airports and ports for the detection of tuberculosis, cholera and typhoid; who will be subject to these measures; on what basis people will be chosen; what diseases or conditions will be checked; under what authority these checks will be made; what will be the outcome for persons found to be suffering from any of the prescribed conditions or diseases; what changes there will be in statutory instruments and immigration rules; and what co-operation there has been with the Home Office on the immigration implications of increased screening and checks.

Current policy is that new immigrants from countries with a high prevalence of tuberculosis entering the United Kingdom for six months or more are screened for tuberculosis. The aim of this policy is not only to identify those with active disease so that they can be referred for further investigation and treatment, but to be able to offer the protection of BCG immunisation where appropriate. The Department, in consultation with the Home Department and within the remit of the inter-departmental working group on tuberculosis, is reviewing the procedures in order that the policy may be more effectively implemented.The Department has no plans to screen travellers or new immigrants to the United Kingdom for cholera or typhoid.

Breast-Feeding

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the amount spent on promoting breast feeding; and if she will make a statement.

The Department of Health continues to support breast-feeding as the best way of feeding a baby. Spending on the promotion of breast-feeding, including grant aid to voluntary organisations, publicity, surveillance and research, reached £118,000 in 1993–94 and is expected to increase to £125,000 in 1994–95.

Hospitals, London

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of, and how many, patients treated in London teaching hospitals had their main place of residence outside Greater London in the last year for which figures are available.

Information is not available in the precise form requested.

Caesarean Births

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list for each year for the last 10 years the number of Caesarean births.

The estimated figures for England for the years 1982 to 1985 and 1988–89 to 1991–92 are shown in the table. These figures relate to deliveries in hospitals and not to the number of babies born.Data are unavailable for the years 1986 to 1987–88 because of changes to the data collection system.

Year	Estimated Number of Deliveries	Estimated Number of Caesarian Section	Percentage by Caesarian Section
1982	574,620	58,110	¹10.1
1983	578,300	58,370	¹10.1
1984	586,110	59,140	¹10.1
1985	605,120	63,270	¹10.5
1988–89	642,000	64,000	²10.0
1989–90	643,000	77,000	²12.0
1990–91	659,000	86,000	²13.0
1991–92	649,000	84,000	²13.0

Source:

¹ Hospital in-Patient Enquiry.

² Hospital Episode Statistics (These estimates are based upon incomplete data, and are rounded to the nearest 1,000).

Newly Qualified General Nurses

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses completed their registered general nurse qualification in 1993; and how many of them are now employed by the national health service.

The number of admissions from England to the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting register for the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 is shown in the table. The total figure represents an increase of 3 per cent. on the previous year.

	Number
Part 1—First level nurses trained in general nursing	15,042
Part 12—First level nurses trained in adult nursing (Project 2000)	635
TOTAL	15,677

Information relating to nurses qualifying in particular years and employed by the national health service is not available centrally.

Wandsworth Health Authority Chairman

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the yearly salary of the chairman of Wandsworth health authority.

It is £19,285.

Junior Doctors

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the cost of measures taken to reduce hours worked by junior hospital doctors in each year since 1991–92.

Annual figures, since 1991–92, for the central funds spent on measures to reduce junior doctors' hours of work are shown in the table. Action taken includes creating 750 extra senior doctor posts and other local projects to reduce hours and improve living conditions.

Year	£
1991–92	6,202,000
1992–93	24,466,000
1993–94	37,048,000
1994–95	50,015,000
TOTAL	117,731,000

Note: Figures at cash for each year.

In addition, authorities and trusts will have devoted their own funds to local measures to reduce hours. Information on the level of such local funding is not available centrally.

In Vitro Fertilisation

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health authorities purchase IVF treatment;(2) what plans she has to ensure that those health authorities which are currently not purchasing IVF treatment are able to offer the same service to patients as those health authorities which have decided to purchase IVF treatment.

Information on the number of health authorities that provide IVF treatment is not available centrally.The national health service provides a wide range of treatments for sub-fertility. Decisions about the resources to be made available for these services must be left to individual health authorities as they are in the best position to determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances. Advice is available to health authorities and clinicians in two publications drawn to the attention of the national health service in 1992:

(a) The Effective Health Care Bulletin on management of subfertility, published for the NHS Management Executive by a consortium of Leeds and York Universities and the Research Unit of the Royal College of Physicians.

(b) The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists publication "Infertility—Guidelines for Practice".

Copies of these publications are available in the Library.

Stomach Ulcers

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated for stomach ulcers in each of the last three years; and what percentage of these patients were treated with maintenance therapy.

The information shown in the table relates to finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was for gastric ulcer. Details of medication given to individuals are not available centrally.

Year	Number
1989–90	24,717
1990–91	23,469
¹1991–92	24,075
¹ Preliminary estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research her Department has undertaken into the cause of stomach ulcers and the link with the bacteria helicobacter pylori;(2) what research her Department has undertaken into the use of triple therapy through the use of antibiotics as a means of treating stomach ulcers.

The Department of Health has not undertaken any research on either topic.The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The MRC is an independent body deciding what research to do on its own expert judgment. The council is always willing to consider for support soundly based new scientific proposals in competition with other applications.In 1992–93 the MRC spent £1.44 million on research into the gastro-intestinal tract, and a further £9 million on research which may have some relevance to the gastro-intestinal tract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the NHS drugs bill is accounted for by the prescribing of Tagamet and Zantac; and how much the NHS spends on these drugs per year.

The information cannot be published in the form requested because of commercial confidentiality.

Market Testing

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April, Official Report, column 396, what areas have been selected for internal charging; what system of charging is proposed; and how the transaction costs of internal charging will be allocated.

The Department's internal management consultancy unit's services were fully internally charged from 1 April 1993 and the unit competes with commercial management consultancy firms. In addition, for a number of services now contracted out, such as printing and travel, expenditure is charged out within the Department to the point of consumption. For services being market-tested, and any provided to other Government Departments or

	Total is £	Average real value of benefit at April 1993 prices over the period £	Equivalent value of benefit at April 1993 prices at date of uprating £	As a percentage of all adults average earnings %
April 1988	79.10	102.19	104.26	36.2
April 1989	84.80	103.86	106.12	35.4
April 1990	89.65	102.39	105.51	34.1
April 1991	96.90	103.86	105.10	34.0

executive agencies under service level agreements, a system of overhead allocation has been developed. The Department is considering further developments in internal charging in areas where this makes management sense, and where the benefits of introduction clearly outweigh the costs of implementing and maintaining the internal charging systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April, Official Report, column 396, what was the outcome of the market-testing programme for 1993–94.

The Department's 1993–1994 market-testing programme runs from October 1993 to September 1994 and was published in the citizens charter second report 1994, copies of which are available in the Library. To date the following market tests have been completed:

Reprographic service on the London estate—contract awarded to Libra Business Services.

Building management in certain Department of Health buildings—contract awarded to Procord Facilities Management.

Survey of infant feeding practices—contract awarded to Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for City of Chester (Mr. Brandreth) of 18 April, Official Report, column 396, what areas the market-testing programme for 1994–95 will cover; and what are the personnel consequences.

The Department will shortly be agreeing its 1994–1995 programme with the efficiency unit of the Cabinet Office.

Social Security

Unemployment Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish figures similar to those in his answer to the hon. Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) of 25 January, Official Report, column 186, on unemployment benefit, showing the value of income support for a couple with two children under the age of 11 years giving figures for April and using estimates for April prices.

The available information is in the table. It shows that, since 1988, the level of income support as a proportion of full-time adult earnings has fallen but that its value in real terms has risen. In the period covered by the table, average earnings have risen faster than prices. Similar information on supplementary benefit is not readily available.

	Total is £	Average real value of benefit at April 1993 prices over the period £	Equivalent value of benefit at April 1993 prices at date of uprating £	As a percentage of all adults average earnings %
October 1991	98.15	102.98	103.62	33.4
April 1992	105.00	107.47	108.13	34.5
April 1993	108.75	107.99	108.75	34.3

Notes:

1. Source: Abstract of Statistics for Social Security Benefits and Contributions and the Indices of Retail Prices and Average Earnings; Social Security Statistics.

2. Earnings are derived from the Employment Departments New Earnings Survey estimates of all adult, full time, earnings.

3. Real value comparisons have been made using the Retail Prices Index of all items excluding certain housing costs (ROSSI).

4. Income Support was introduced in April 1988. Estimates for entitlement to Supplementary Benefit (which was replaced by Income Support) are difficult as assessment varied with personal circumstance. For example, in addition to the ages of any children, household status, accommodation type, health and other factors were all relevant.

Benefit Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish estimates of the average numbers receiving benefits at any one time on the same

Figures are shown in thousands (000s)
	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
Retirement pension	10,094	10,056	10,073	10,122
Widows benefit	335	331	328	324
Unemployment benefit	620	625	623	558
Sickness benefit	142	142	142	142
Invalidity benefit	1,536	1,702	1,691	1,578
Maternity allowance	11	11	11	11
Non contributory retirement pension	28	28	28	28
War pension	304	281	281	281
Attendance allowance	1,244	1,371	1,493	1,618
Invalid care allowance	227	262	294	324
Severe disability allowance	311	318	326	333
Disability living allowance	1,401	1,606	1,772	1,954
Disability working allowance	5	9	12	14
Industrial injuries disability benefit	204	204	204	204
Reduced earnings allowance	157	157	157	157
Other industrial injuries scheme	2	2	2	1
Industrial death benefit	23	22	21	20
Income support	5,426	5,605	5,777	5,982
Child benefit—Number of children	12,718	12,930	13,139	13,336
Child benefit—Number of families	6,948	7,048	7,146	7,237
One parent benefit	903	950	999	1,047
Family credit	410	448	491	521
Housing benefit—rent allowance	1,439	1,432	1,483	1,536
Housing benefit—rent rebate	3,117	3,186	3,230	3,279
Council tax benefit/Community charge benefit	5,252	5,365	5,455	5,519

Note:

The forecasts are based on economic and unemployment assumptions published in the Financial Statement and Budget Report 1994–95.

Housing Benefit Cases

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the estimated costs in 1994–95 and 1995–96 of increasing disregarded earnings for housing benefit purposes for single people to £10 per week and for couples to £25 per week; and how many claimants would benefit from such a change.

The cost in 1994–95 is estimated to be £120 million and would benefit some 370,000 claimants. There is insufficient information to calculate figures for 1995–96.

Source:

The reply is based on the Family Expenditure Survey data from

basis as table 6 of the Social Security departmental report giving figures for (a) 1993–94, (b) 1994–95, (c) 1995–96 and (d) 1996–97.

The information is in the table.1989, 1990 and 1991, uprated to 1994–95 prices and caseloads. Figures are rounded down to the nearest £10 million and 10,000 cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the estimated costs in 1994–95 and 1995–96 of reducing the housing benefit taper to 50 per cent.; and how many claimants would benefit from such a change.

The estimated cost in 1994–95 is £730 million and it is estimated that 1,955,000 housing benefit recipients would benefit from such a change. Figures for 1995–96 are not available.

Source:

Estimate uses data drawn from the 1989-90–91 Family Expenditure Surveys and modelled at 1994–95 prices and benefit levels. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million and numbers of claimants rounded to the nearest 5,000.

Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions he or Ministers in his Department or their parliamentary private secretaries had with the hon. Members who tabled amendments for consideration at the Report stage of the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill prior to and following the tabling of those amendments.

My ministerial colleagues and I meet hon. Members from time to time on matters relating to our departmental responsibilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to the answer of 12 May, Official Report, columns 212–13, on what date the Minister for Disabled People authorised his Department to instruct Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting of the amendments tabled to the Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill by five hon. Members on 3 May.

On 20 April 1994, I authorised my officials to instruct Parliamentary Counsel to draft amendments.

Child Support Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many absent parents whose cases were taken on by the Child Support Agency during 1993–94 were on income support; of these how many were (a) exempt from the £2.20 deductions made from income support in lieu of child maintenance, (b) subject to the £2.20 deductions; and how many of the maintenance assessments calculated using the child support formula issued by the end of March were (i) nil assessments, other than those for absent parents on income support and (ii) minimum assessment of £2.20 a week, as opposed to deductions from income support.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about benefit deductions.

Not all of the information you have requested is available. To the end of March 1994, 40,446 assessments involved cases where the absent parent was in receipt of income support.

I understand that for the quarter ending 28 February 1994, the Benefits Agency had made deductions from income support in 16,413 cases.

In addition to those cases involving an absent parent on income support, a further 6,981 assessments resulted in the absent parent being assessed as unable to pay more than the minimum contribution which is now £2.30.

I am sorry that this reply is not more helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases dealt with by the Child Support Agency in 1993–94 the alleged absent parent disputed paternity; how many of these cases have been resolved without reference to court and in how many of these paternity was established; how many disputed paternity cases have been referred to court by the agency; how many cases have been heard to date and in how many paternity has been established by the court; and how many disputed paternity cases are unresolved to date.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adan Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about disputed paternity cases. I am grateful to you for raising the matter of disputed paternity again as I was about to write to you on the subject, following further information which has now come to light.

When I wrote to you on 31 March in response to Question 1482, Official Report column 1026, I inadvertently provided incorrect figures. I am sorry that the information quoted, which was based on computerised information, was not accurate. We are undertaking immediate action to rectify the error.

The current position based on clerical checks is that from April 1993 to the end of March 1994, the absent parent disputed paternity in 3,006 cases. Of these, 657 cases were resolved without reference to court and 80 were withdrawn as paternity investigations were progressing. Information is not available on the establishment of paternity in those cases which were resolved without reference to the courts.

At the end of March 1994, 2,269 cases remained to be resolved and some 23 cases have been referred to the courts but none has yet completed a full hearing.

I hope this reply is helpful and I apologise again for providing incorrect information earlier.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many section 18 and section 17 reviews of child support officers were requested during 1993–94; how many of each were outstanding at the end of the financial year; in how many of those resolved in each case the decision had been revised; and what is the average number of weeks that the outstanding reviews have been awaiting decison in each Child Support Agency centre.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about child support reviews.

Not all of the information you have requested is available. I can however tell you that during 1993–94 the Agency processed 20,211 Section 17 reviews. The assessment was revised in 19,952 of those. I am also able to provide you with some of the information about Section 18 reviews. During 1993–94 there were requests for 25,013 such reviews of which 13,281 were cleared leaving 11,732 reviews outstanding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the maintenance application forms issued by the Child Support Agency during 1993–94 have been issued to (a) non-benefit claimants, (b) family credit claimants, (c) new income support claimants and (d) existing income support claimants; and how many have been issued to absent parents.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the issue of maintenance application forms.

During the period from April 1993 to the end of March 1994, a total of 858,000 maintenance application forms were issued. Of these, 29,600 were issued to clients who do not receive any of the prescribed benefits; 223,800 were issued to parents with care in receipt of either Family Credit or Disability Working Allowance; 320,400 were issued to new and repeat applicants for Income Support and 284,200 were issued to parents with care in receipt of Income Support before 5th April 1993.

Information is not recorded on the number of application forms issued to Absent Parents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 1026, if he will make a statement on the relationship between deductions from earnings orders issued by the Child Support Agency by the end of February and the number of accounts in arrears.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the deductions from earnings orders which have been issued by the Child Support Agency, and the number of client accounts in arrears.

I regret that validated data on accounts in arrears is not currently available. The Child Support Computer System is being upgraded to provide additional information. The Agency had however issued an estimated 1,400 deductions from earnings orders by the end of February 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the maintenance assessments issued by the Child Support Agency during 1993–94 were interim assessments; how many of these interim maintenance assessments have been subsequently replaced by final maintenance assessments, and how many interim assessments remained in force at 31 March; whether the final maintenance assessment for cases where an interim assessment is originally made appears in the monthly Child Support Agency statistics as another assessment made, and whether the monthly statistics could differentiate interim and final assessments; and when he will be able to give a breakdown of the number of category A interim assessments and category B interim assessments.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about interim maintenance assessments.

From April 1993 to the end of March 1994, 73,300 interim maintenance assessments were issued, of which 25,000 were converted to final maintenance assessments. 48,300 interim maintenance assessments remained in place at the end of the period. A breakdown of these figures by category is not available.

When an interim assessment is included in statistical reports it is excluded on conversion to a full maintenance assessment. Total assessments reported for statistical purposes therefore refer to the number of cases where initial assessments have been made.

Information on the number of interim maintenance assessments issued will be included in future monthly reports placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 31 March, Official Report, column 1025, regarding the Child Support Agency, in how many section 6 cases the issue of the requirement to co-operate has been considered by the Child Support Agency during 1993–94; in how many of these cases he agreed that the parent with care need not be required to co-operate; in how many of these cases the agency accepted that there was a risk of harm or undue distress, and what was the range of other reasons accepted for not requiring co-operation; how many parents with care subsequently gave the authorisation or information; how many reduced benefit directions were issued in 1993–94; and when the agency will begin to monitor the number of applicants who have given authorisation but subsequently seek to withdraw it.

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

Letter from Ros Hepplewhite to Mr. Adam Ingram, dated 17 May 1994:

I am replying to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the requirement to co-operate.

During the period April 1993 to March 1994, the requirement to co-operate was considered in 64,800 cases. After investigation, good cause not to co-operate was accepted in 31,700 cases. Of these, 8,400 were cases where the parent with care was unable to name the parent of the child; 15,800 were cases where there was a risk of violence and 7,500 were cases where other reasons such as emotional distress, mental illness or concern for the welfare of the child were accepted. After interview, 14,200 parents with care subsequently provided their authorisation or the necessary information.

In the same period, 627 Reduced Benefit Directions were referred to the Benefits Agency for implementation.

The Agency keeps its management information systems in this area under review. At this stage there are no firm plans to record routinely the number of applicants who provide authorisation and subsequently withdraw it.

Volume 243: debated on Wednesday 18 May 1994

Written Answers To Questions

Lord Chancellor's Department

Magistrates Courts

Justices' Clerks

Parliamentary Questions

Trial Waiting Times

Child Witnesses

Home Department

Immigration

Colin Ivor Dunning (Appeal)

Vehicle Crime

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Drug Trafficking

Misuse Of Drugs Act

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Nessun Quinliven And Pearse Mcauley

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Primates

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Regional Assistance, East Midlands

Dounreay

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Plutonium

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Prime Minister

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Further Education Colleges

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Duchy Of Lancaster

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Revaluations, North Kent

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