To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what steps he has taken to implement the proposals for developing judicial appointments procedures which were announced by the Lord Chancellor in his speech to Her Majesty's judges on 7 July 1993.

The Lord Chancellor has today published a consultation paper, "Developments in Judicial Appointments Procedures". The paper outlines the proposed arrangements for openly advertised competitions which he intends to hold later this year to fill vacancies arising in 1995–96 for circuit and district judges. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Lord Chancellor invites comments on the proposals which he has put forward in the consultation paper, further copies of which may be obtained from his Department.The closing date for responses is 30 June 1994.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy towards the creation of special drawing rights at the international financial institutions as a means of lessening the multilateral debt problems of the world's poorest countries.

The articles of the IMF prescribe that allocations of special drawing rights should be made to address global liquidity shortages. No such shortages exist at present and, in the Government's view, the case for a general allocation has not therefore been made.The world's poorest countries are eligible for and receive financial assistance on concessional terms from the international financial institutions, particularly through the IMF's enhanced structural adjustment facility and the World Bank's International Development Agency's credits. The agency's fifth dimension facility also assists the poorest countries with loan repayments. Net financial flows from the institutions to the poorest countries remain substantially positive.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals in regard to the cost of environmental protection he put to the interim committee of the International Monetary Fund during its discussions on the new World Trade Organisation at its meeting in Washington DC on 25 April; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the United Kingdom submission to the interim committee.

A number of different issues, including the World Trade Organisation, were covered by those who spoke at the interim committee on 25 April. In my speech to the committee I warned against protectionist trading practices establishing themselves under the guise of legitimate environmental concerns.Full texts of my speeches to the interim committee and development committee have been deposited in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals received tax relief on private medical insurance premiums paid by employers on behalf of employees whose earned income including benefit is less than £8,500 a year for each of the past five years in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and what was the value of tax relief on private medical insurance premiums paid by employers on behalf of employees whose earned income, including the value of benefits is less than £8,500 a year for each of the past five years in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland.

As I said in reply to the hon. Member for Bristol, South (Ms Primarolo) on 8 March 1994, Official Report, column 99, this information is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling) of 15 March, Official Report, columns 571–72, what was the expected revenue yield from premium tax in 1994–95 and 1995–96 on private medical insurance.

The expected revenue yield from insurance premium tax on private medical insurance is estimated to be approximately £10 million in 1994–95 and £50 million in 1995–96. This includes both insurance paid for by households, included in "Medical and other" in the answer to the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Darling), and insurance paid for by companies, included in "Other business" in that answer.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by his Department in 1992–93.

The Treasury's computer systems do not distinguish between management and financial consultants.The Treasury's expenditure on consultants for 1992–93 was £2,430,405 exclusive of VAT.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individuals and bodies consulted (a) before the drafting and (b) during the drafting of the VAT (Education) Order 1994; and what response was received.

The VAT (Education) Order was initiated by an internal review of the current VAT exemption by Customs and Excise. At that stage consultation was limited mainly to officials within that Department and the Department for Education. The first draft of the order was published as part of the public consultation document issued by Customs last December and publicised by a press release. About 500 copies of the consultation document were issued to a variety of bodies with interests in the educational sector including local authorities, trade and professional associations, accountancy firms, charities and individual education and training providers.Most of the responses supported the need for change, but many expressed concerns and made proposals for extending the new exemption better to preserve the status quo. The final draft of the order was modified to reflect a great many of these useful comments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to monitor the time being taken to (a) inspect properties where householders have submitted council tax appeals and (b) schedule appeals for hearings.

[holding answer 9 May 1994]: Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, I am keeping under close review the progress being made by the Valuation Office Agency and the valuation tribunals in the settlement of council tax appeals and we expect 80 per cent. of cases to be cleared by the end of 1994.Monthly returns of clearance are received in order to monitor progress, but there are no plans to monitor the time taken to inspect properties and to schedule appeals for hearings during the clearance process.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the total rent income received by registered housing associations and the proportion of total rental income of registered housing associations which is met by payments of full and partial housing benefit, for the year to 31 March 1993 and for any subsequent period for which figures are available.

The total rental income, including service charges, for housing associations registered with the Housing Corporation for 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1993 was £1.621 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the cost to local authorities of collecting the council tax in each London borough;(2) what is the cost of collection of council tax in each local authority;(3) what was the amount collected in 1993 by each London borough and local authority through the council tax.

I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's policy regarding the use of twin-wall plastic piping products for sewerage use.

This is a matter for the sewerage undertakers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many premises were inspected for compliance with fire safety regulations by staff of the Harrogate borough council in each of the last three years.(2) how many inspectors are employed by Harrogate borough council to check on fire standards.

The responsibility for compliance with the provisions of the fire safety regulations made under the Fire Precautions Act 1971 rests with fire authorities, in this case North Yorkshire county fire authority. Building control and environmental health officers employed by Harrogate borough council will, however, be involved in inspections with regard to fire safety matters under other legislation. the number of such officers is a matter for the council, and figures are not collected centrally. Likewise the number of premises inspected by these officers is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the revenue from capital receipts, by London borough, for each financial year from 1988–89 to 1993–94.

Total capital receipts were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total amount of gross capital expenditure by all local authorities in each year since 1980–81 at (a) cash prices and (b) constant prices.

The available information is shown in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 11 May, Official Report, column 170, what are the particular circumstances in Cleveland which permit a change in the structure of local government to precede local elections.

In announcing his decisions on the future structure of local government in Cleveland on 18 January my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment made clear his intention to consult the majority and minority groups on each of the four district councils and the county council about whether or not elections should be held in May 1994 with the intention of establishing the four new unitary authorities in April 1995. However, because of the judicial review case brought by Cleveland county council, it proved impossible for us to lay an order providing, inter alia, for elections to be held in May this year.Therefore we again sought the views of the majority and minority groups on the relevant local authorities and, in the light of their comments, we decided that the most practicable arrangement would be for the new unitary authorities to be established in April 1995 followed by elections in May 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the Environment Commissioner concerning the effect of the exclusion of the Lappel Bank mud flats from the Medway estuary special protection area on the negotiations with him in relation to the Cardiff bay barrage proposal and its legal status; and if he will make a statement.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning any resumption of trade in ivory.

My right hon. Friend has received a large number of letters on this issue. The present ban on trade in ivory was introduced following the seventh conference of the parties of the convention on international trade in endangered species in Lausanne in 1989. We have made it clear that the United Kingdom would not be prepared to consider supporting any relaxation of the ban without first being satisfied that this could be done without undermining the conservation status of the African elephant.We are aware of a South African Government proposal to seek agreement to the resumption of a limited trade in meat and hides only, in relation to the elephant population in their country, with the possibility of extending this to ivory at some point in the future. Before any such a proposal can be considered by the CITES conference of the parties it will have to be examined by a CITES panel of experts whose conclusions we would also take into account, together with the views of African elephant range states and other parties. We understand that the relevant CITES procedures are being put in hand. We shall certainly wish to examine the proposal and its implications with great care.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what he expects prospects for water bills to be after the announcement by the Director General of Water Services on water pricing policy.

At present average annual charges for water are around £200 per household—about 55p a day to provide high quality drinking water in unlimited amounts and to treat our sewage. The Director General of Water Services is currently reaching a view on new limits on the extent to which the companies may increase their prices over the next 10 years. He is to announce these on 28 July. He has said that he hopes that nationally it may be possible to limit overall price increases on average to between 0 and 2 per cent. above the rate of inflation. This will supersede the current average ceiling of 4 per cent. above the rate of inflation. In setting price limits he intend to assume that improvements in service are generally financed from efficiency gains, that companies will be able to deliver existing services at lower prices and that companies can both increase the efficiency of their capital programmes and finance them at a lower return on capital. This will have a significant impact on the increases in bills required to finance new obligations. In this way my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have sought to secure best protection of the environment in a cost-effective way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if radioactive waste management policy will be considered as part of the nuclear review.

In parallel with the nuclear review, details of which were announced today by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy, my Department will be heading a separate but complementary review of radioactive waste management policy.The radioactive waste management review will examine current policy in the light of changes which have taken place since the Department published its national strategy in 1984. It will range wider than the nuclear industry—covering radioactive waste management as a whole. It will not address the suitability of specific sites, this being a matter for the planning and regulatory process, or the merits of the operation of existing nuclear power stations or those in the pipeline.The Department proposes to publish its preliminary conclusions later in the summer, as a basis for consultation.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution will also be issuing for consultation a revision of the Department's 1994 publication "Disposal facilities on land for low and intermediate level Radioactive Wastes: principles for the protection of the human environment".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what targets he has set the Security Facilities executive agency for 1994–95.

For 1994–95, the following targets have been set for the agency. All of them require the agency to make further improvements in its performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the implications for traffic growth of location of (a) companies and (b) retail outlets on sites adjacent to the M25; and if he will make a statement.

My Department has made no detailed assessment in the form suggested.Planning policy guidance notes 4—Industrial and Commercial Development—6—Town Centres and Retail Developments—and 13—Transport—are all relevant. They seek to encourage new development in locations which minimuse the length and number of trips by vehicles, and protect and enhance the viability and vitality of existing centres—in both urban and rural areas—by offering a range of everyday community, shopping and employment opportunities.PPG13 also asks local planning authorities to ensure that trunk roads and other through routes, including bypasses, serve their purpose as corridors of movement and do not have their national and strategic role undermined by development which encourages their use for short local trips. The Secretary of State for Transport has the power to direct local planning authorities to refuse applications for planning permission, or to apply specified conditions, and takes the policy in PPG13 into account in deciding whether to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what agreements his office made during 1989 on the pricing structure of (a) Welsh Water plc and (b) Severn Trent Water plc in relation to an accrual of money for infrastructure purposes; what accrual is estimated to have occurred since then; and if he will make a statement.

The agreements reached at privatisation between the Government and all water companies are published in the pathfinder prospectus—a copy of which is held in the Library of the House.This matter has since become the responsibility of the Director General of Water Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the total number of notifications of tuberculosis in each year between 1987 and 1993.

The information requested is given in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the number of deaths from tuberculosis in each year between 1988 and 1993.

The number of deaths of Welsh residents from tuberculosis in each year are shown in the table:

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

Central funds provided for the reduction in junior doctors' hours in Wales have amounted to the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consideration he gave to using the recommendations of the Curriculum Council for Wales as the basis for the new National Curriculum for English Order; for what reason the recommendations of the National Curriculum Council for England were selected; what representations he has received regarding the order; and if he will make a statement.

On 31 March the Curriculum Council for Wales submitted revised proposals for English and suggested two amendments to reflect, firstly, the distinctive literary heritage of Wales and, secondly, the diverse linguistic backgrounds of pupils in Wales. My right hon. Friend considered the recommendations carefully and responded on 14 April, asking the new Curriculum and Assessment Authority—ACAC, which replaced the Curriculum Council for Wales on 1 April—to proceed to consultations. A copy of the correspondence is contained in the proposals for English issued for consultation by the authority: this is available in the Library of the House. My right hon. Friend has asked the authority to report to him on the outcome of the consultation in Wales and to make final recommendations in the light of that consultation by 30 September. My right hon. Friend will consider carefully the authority's further report and recommendations in the autumn with a view to making a new order for English jointly with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of total health expenditure in Wales was spent on (a) managerial, (b) administrative and (c) clerical costs in each year since 1991–92.

The percentages of total health expenditure in Wales spent on managerial, administrative and clerical costs in 1991–92 and 1992–93 were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what proposals he has to make disability living allowance more accessible for those with learning difficulties;(2) what proposals he has to make access to disability living allowance more equitable for those with a mental illness.

None. Entitlement to disability living allowance depends on the care and mobility needs arising from a particular condition, rather than on the condition itself. Access to DLA is available to all disabled people through the claiming process. The Benefits Agency provides support services to assist people in making a claim.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the length of time that those seeking review of refusal of disability living allowance have to wait before a hearing at a tribunal.

Information is not available in the form requested. Reviews of entitlement to disability living allowance are not dealt with at a tribunal hearing.People who are dissatisfied with the decision given on their claim for benefit may ask for it to be reviewed by an independent adjudication officer. Following this review, if they remain dissatisfied, they can then appeal to an independent appeal tribunal.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will meet members of the Retired Members Association of the Transport and General Workers Union to discuss the cost of television licences; and if he will make a statement.

I do not think a meeting would serve any useful purpose. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has written to the hon. Gentleman to explain why the Government are not prepared to introduce free or concessionary television licences for retirement pensioners, as called for by the association at its recent conference.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage 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.

In the period November 1992 to March 1993 411 questions were tabled to my Department. Of these, two questions were answered that the information was not held centrally and four were referred to agency chief executives.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will give a breakdown of his Department's estimated £23.8 million expenditure for 1994–95 on the Royal Parks Agency.

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency under its chief executive, Mr. David Welch. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received regarding the use of identification cards at sporting events.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what was the outcome of the informal EU Council of Ministers tourism meeting on 13 April:(2) who represented the United Kingdom at the informal EU Council of Ministers tourism meeting on 13 April:

The United Kingdom was represented by the head of my Department's tourism division and the United Kingdom tourism representative from Brussels. Meetings of this kind offer an opportunity for a purely informal exchange of views on matters of common interest. They have no powers to make decisions and the Council guidelines stipulate that such meetings should not reach formal conclusions. There were wide-ranging and useful discussions on subjects which included the future direction of European Union tourism policy, the tourism action plan and tourism statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the names and terms of reference of the consultancies he has commissioned to inquire into the operation of library services.

Set out is a list of consultancies currently in progress, together with their respective terms of reference:1.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many full-time and part-time employees Royal Mail intends to employ at the Barnsley depot in (a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97.

The intended number of employees at Royal Mail depots is an operational matter for the Post Office.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of full-time and part-time employees at the Barnsley Royal Mail depot in (a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93 and (c) 1993–94.

I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of full-time and part-time employees at the Barnsley Royal Mail depot were:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if Royal Mail intends to continue with two foot deliveries of mail per day in the Barnsley area for the foreseeable future.

I understand from the Post Office that it has no plans to change the mail service specification in the Barnsley area for the foreseeable future.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the 14 companies which went into receivership or liquidation in 1992–93 and caused £5,096,000 to be written off in the appropriation accounts 1992–93, class IV, vote 1.

In the 1992–93 appropriation accounts class IV, vote 1, the losses of £5,096,000 under regional development grants and regional selective assistance schemes involved 14 cases and 12 companies. A list of the 12 companies follows:

• Winchmore Knitting Factory Ltd.
• Blue Ridge Care Ltd.
• Northern Power Electronics Ltd.
• Thermostar (UK) Ltd.
• Great Northern Knitwear
• Tolag Products and Company Ltd.
• Swilynn Magnetic Industries Ltd.
• City Vehicle Engineering
• CBS Batteries Ltd.
• Danum Windows Ltd.
• Briquette Technology Ltd.
• Unibit (Holdings) plc

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will break down the miscellaneous expenditure listed under section I, international trade in class IV, vote 2, of the appropriation accounts 1992–93.

A breakdown of the miscellaneous international trade expenditure listed under class IV, vote 2, section I of the 1992–93 appropriation accounts follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will name the company included in the losses statement in class IV, vote 2, of the 1992–93 appropriation accounts where his Department paid off the debit incurred by the Expo '92 concessionaire.

The company is Lionheart Catering Ltd., which was struck off the register by the Registrar of Companies on 5 January 1993 and dissolved by notice in the London Gazette dated 12 January 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to introduce regulations permitting the use of a 35 ml spirit measure; if he will explain the reason for the delay in the introduction of the regulation; and to what extent such a delay is reconcilable with the Government's deregulation drive.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Teignbridge (Mr. Nicholls) on 10 May 1994, Official Report, columns 76–77.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made by the interconnector working party; when it is likely to report; what are the expected volumes; and to what extent the Government remain committed to open access and published tariffs as the basis of the interconnector project.

The United Kingdom-continent gas interconnector is a private sector project being developed by a group of seven oil and gas companies to build a pipeline linking the United Kingdom and Belgian gas grids. The Government welcome the widespread interest from potential users in participating in this strategic link and the progress being made towards a commitment this year to go ahead. The development of the commercial arrangements for the interconnector is a matter for the companies involved.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to seek a resolution of the issue of jurisdiction before agreeing any new treaty relating to a cross-median sub-sea pipeline; what effect he expects the pending ratification of the law of the sea convention to have on these matters; and if he will make a statement.

The Government believe it is important to resolve the application of jurisdiction to submarine pipelines crossing the continental shelf boundary between the United Kingdom and Norway if such projects are to be considered. The Government have taken no decision about accession to the United Nations law of the sea convention.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he is considering seeking arbitration at the International Court of Justice to clarify the position with regard to jurisdiction over sub-sea pipelines crossing the United Kingdom-Norwegian line.

I can confirm that we are considering the option of seeking arbitration to clarify the application of jurisdiction to submarine pipelines crossing the continental shelf boundary between the United Kingdom and Norway.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress is being made towards re-negotiation of the Frigg treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Progress has been made in a number of the areas under discussion with the Norwegian Government. The negotiations to revise the Frigg treaty are complex, however, and raise difficult issues for both Governments which it will not be easy to resolve.I do not as a result envisage that it will be possible to complete negotiations with the Norwegian Government within the foreseeable future.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the number of responses and entries to the 1994 SMART—small firms merit award for research and technology—competition.

The 1994 small firms merit award for research and technology competition generated 6,360 responses and a record 1,494 entries.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will publish a White Paper on the conclusions of the GATT Uruguay round; and if he will make a statement.

The Government have today published a White Paper "The Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations 1986–94". Copies have been placed in the Library of the House and will be available in the Vote Office.The Government warmly welcome the successful conclusion of the Uruguay round. It is something for which we have worked tirelessly over many years.Liberalisation of international trade has always been one of the most effective means of boosting world growth. An OECD/World bank study has cautiously estimated that world annual output will be boosted by over US$270 billion after 10 years as a result of the agreement.The results should offer great benefits to British business and consumers. As the fifth largest exporter in the world of goods and commercial services, the United Kingdom stands to be one of the biggest gainers from cuts in trade barriers world wide.Major reductions in tariffs will provide substantial benefits to exporters through improved access to overseas markets. For example, in the sectors where tariff barriers are to be eliminated by the EC, Japan, the United States and Canada, the United Kingdom is well placed to make gains in those markets.Cuts in the EC's own tariffs should lead to lower prices and wider choice for consumers. Consumers and taxpayers will also benefit from the reductions in farm subsidies and agricultural trade barriers which the round will bring. These represent an important basis for further liberalisation in future.Inclusion of services and trade related intellectual property rights for the first time within the multilateral trade rules is particularly important. The Government pressed for these subjects to be included in the preparations for the round in the mid 1980s. Services already account for 23 per cent. of United Kingdom trade, and trade in services is growing faster than trade in goods. The general agreement on trade in services will provide a more secure basis for the future growth of this trade to the benefit of United Kingdom service providers and the economy more widely.The agreement on trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights—TRIPS—is also a major achievement which will provide better international protection for innovative products from the United Kingdom and help to reduce tensions over trade in counterfeit goods. Stronger trade rules in areas such as subsidies, safeguards and anti-dumping will increase the stability and effectiveness of the multilateral trade system.Creation of the World Trade Organisation itself puts the system on a permanent institutional basis. The new dispute settlement system should help ease trade tensions and reduce the scope for unilateral trade sanctions.Trade liberalisation is a continuous process and no trade agreement can settle every trade dispute. But the completion of the Uruguay round represents an enormous achievement in which the world has chosen trade liberalisation rather than protectionism. The conclusions of the round provide a secure basis for future expansion of world trade and the growth and prosperity which go with it.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the terms of reference for the nuclear review.

I am now in a position to announce the terms of reference, timing and format of the nuclear review. This answer has been agreed with my right lion. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, who has responsibility for the nuclear power generating industry in Scotland.The Government believe that the future role of nuclear power in the United Kingdom's electricity supply will depend on it proving itself competitive while maintaining rigorous standards of safety and environmental protection.The coal review established that there is a sound economic basis for continuing to operate existing nuclear stations. The nuclear review will not consider whether Sizewell B should be brought on stream. Sizewell B is on course to start operating this year, subject to the receipt by Nuclear Electric of such consents as are required by law. Decisions on these consents are matters for the appropriate Ministers and authorities and are not matters for the review. The review will, however, take into account the decisions made on Sizewell B, whether the consents are granted or refused.The nuclear review will focus on the future prospects for nuclear power. It will examine the economic and commercial viability of new nuclear stations in the United Kingdom, against the background of the Government's energy policy as set out in the White Paper "The Prospects for Coal", Cm. 2235.The Government have asked the nuclear generating industry to make the commercial case for new nuclear generating capacity and to make that case publicly available. Whether any new nuclear station could be built with private sector finance will be a key test of that case. The Government would welcome comments on the industry's case, which will be published shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals have been put forward for the decommissioning of the 3MW wind turbine at Burgar hill, Orkney; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 18 May 1994]: No arrangements have been made for decommissioning as the future of the turbine is still being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what provisions have been included in the national curriculum to enable pupils with disabilities to participate in team games on an equal basis with their able-bodied counterparts; what representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

The current national curriculum for physical education, which includes games, was drafted so that specific interpretation or modification is required for as few pupils with special educational needs as possible. The aim was to ensure that all children should have the opportunity to take part in national curriculum physical education.When reviewing the national curriculum, the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority appointed a special needs advisory group specifically to ensure that the requirements of pupils with special educational needs were taken fully into account. The revised proposals for physical education, published for consultation earlier this month, include elements of the programmes of study which can be taught to all pupils in ways appropriate to their abilities. Where necessary, pupils with special educational needs will be able to gain experience of team games through activities such as wheelchair basketball, rounders and table tennis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what considerations underlay his decision to revise guidelines for staffing levels in special schools and not for educational psychology services;(2) what plans he has to introduce guidelines for the staffing levels for educational psychology services following the increase in their statutory role and functions; and if he will make a statement.

My right hon. Friend has not revised the guidance on staffing levels for pupils with special educational needs. This remains as set out in circular 11/90, "Staffing for Pupils with Special Educational Needs". There are no plans to revise it or to introduce guidelines for the staffing levels of educational psychology services. It is for each local education authority to determine such staffing levels based on local needs and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what element of funding for the Further Education Funding Council is designed to cover the cost of students' meals.

Further education funding is not separately earmarked for students' meals. Colleges have discretion if they wish to use part of their FEFC recurrent funding to support catering services for students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the figures for January 1994 for teacher numbers and vacancies; and if he will make a statement.

The Department's annual survey of teacher numbers and vacancies in maintained schools including grant-maintained schools shows that full-time equivalent teacher numbers in England rose by nearly 1,900 between January 1993 and January 1994. The vacancy rate of 0.4 per cent. equals last year's lowest-ever recorded rate. The numbers involved equate to one vacancy for every 16 schools, a four-fold improvement on the position in 1990.Provisional teacher numbers in LEA-maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools and self-governing state schools rose by 0.5 per cent. from 389,100 full-time equivalent teachers in January 1993 to nearly 391,000. The estimated overall pupil to teacher ratio was 18.04:1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what shareholding he has in the African development bank; how Britain's influence is exercised in the policymaking of the bank; and what are the size of other countries' financial contributions to the bank.

As at 31 December 1993 Britain had a 1.478 per cent. shareholding in the African development bank. Our pledge to the sixth replenishment of the African development fund, which covered commitments for the period 1991–93, was 4 per cent. of the total.We exercise influence over bank policies through our director in the bank, shared with Germany, Holland and Portugal; through bilateral contacts; and in negotiations to replenish the resources of the bank group.Details of shareholdings of other members of the bank and of contributions to the fund are contained in the bank's annual report, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what attitude he has taken to the replenishment of the African development bank's funding.

We have taken an active part in negotiations for the seventh replenishment of the African development fund, which lends on concessional terms to the poorest countries in the region. Progress was made in Nairobi, in the margins of the annual meeting of the African development bank, but a number of issues remain to be agreed relating to the way the bank's resources as a whole should be allocated. We hope the negotiations can be concluded soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Knox report on the operations of the African development bank.

We consider the report of the task force on project Quality headed by Mr. David Knox, a former vice-president of the World bank, to be a sound analysis of the operational and organisational weaknesses of the African development bank.We have urged management to prepare an action plan and to implement the recommendations in the report as a matter of urgency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what advice he has received in relation to the viability of the A64 upgrading.

The recent review of the national roads programme assessed all schemes against economic, strategy and environmental criteria. Because of their lower priority compared with other schemes nationally, the A64 York to Malton and Malton to Seamer schemes have been categorised "longer term". They will be placed temporarily in abeyance until schemes with a higher priority have been delivered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the air traffic control separation monitoring function at (a) Leeds-Bradford and (b) Humberside air traffic control centres can respond to aircraft final approach separation applied by controllers at the Leeds-Bradford and Humberside approach radar facility; what plans there are to re-programme the separation monitoring function; and if he will make a statement.

The air traffic control separation monitoring function is a facility developed and operated by the national air traffic services for use at locations where they provide the air traffic services. It is used to detect and investigate any occurrence which involves loss of aircraft separation. As Leeds-Bradford and Humberside air traffic services are provided by the airports, the NATS SMF is not available at those locations. The hon. Member may therefore wish to contact Leeds-Bradford and Humberside airports direct about their arrangements for monitoring aircraft separations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will place restrictions on night flying at Coventry airport;(2) if he will investigate night flying operations at Coventry airport.

No. Coventry airport is not designated under section 80 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 in respect of noise control, nor have we received any requests for the airport to be so designated. Currently, only Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are so designated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the names of the private detective agencies employed by his Department since April 1991.

The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the cost to date of preparation of plans for the A40/M50 road scheme from Longford to Gorsley, now abandoned, since the proposals were first introduced in 1989.

The question is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. The chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, has written to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made with the European Commission with regard to the case of the ferry company Cenargo following the most recent meeting of the Maritime Council working group.

I understand that the Commission has decided to open infraction proceedings against Spain under article 169 of the treaty of Rome in this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 25 April, Official Report, column 42, if he will make it his policy to employ only those private detective agencies which are members of the Association of British Investigators.

It is the Secretary of State's policy to financially approve and technically assess all suppliers and contractors employed by the Department. The membership of professional associations would be a factor for consideration in such evaluation, but non-membership would not rule them out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he received from the trade unions regarding the future structure of the Transport Research Laboratory; when he met them prior to his announcement on 30 March regarding privatisation of the Transport Research Laboratory; and what consideration he has given to the proposals received.

My right hon. Friend and I met the trade unions on 22 March having previously received representations from them about the plans for privatisation of the Transport Research Laboratory. The representations included a proposal that the Laboratory should remain in the public sector, but with its non-Government work separately accounted for in a commercial subsidiary. We gave careful consideration to the proposal before concluding that it was not practicable or in the best interests of the laboratory's future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the representations his Department has received on the subject of privatising the Transport Research Laboratory (a) in the three years before the announcement in May 1992 of his wish to privatise the Transport Research Laboratory and (b) since that date; and if he will give the number in categories (a) and (b) which (i) oppose privatisation of the Transport Research Laboratory, (ii) express worries about privatisation and (iii) support privatisation.

My right hon. Friend and I have, since the announcement in May 1993 that the Transport Research Laboratory could, in principle, be privatised, received 28 representations on this subject from organisations and individuals representing the motor transport industry, academic institutions, staff and other groups. We have also received correspondence from 50 right hon. and hon. Members. No representations were received on this subject prior to the announcement in May 1993.The representations received do not lend themselves to the categorisation requested by the hon. Member. A variety of views were expressed for and against privatisation. The majority of representations came from those who have concerns about aspects of the proposed sale of the laboratory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what written communication from his Department was sent to the departmental trade union side during the three months prior to the setting up of the Transport Research Laboratory Agency regarding the drafting of the framework document; what reference was made to decisions by Ministers regarding the privatisation of the laboratory; and if he will make a statement.

My Department wrote to the trade unions about various aspects of the Transport Research Laboratory framework document, including consultation arrangements with the trade unions, equal opportunites, health and safety and procurement. The Department also reported on my right hon. Friend's consideration of the option of privatisation and the conclusion then reached that the laboratory should be retained as an agency subject to the future re-examination of all options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by his Department in 1992–93.

The amount spent by the Department of Transport and its agencies in 1992–93 on management and financial consultants was £19.65 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that undertakings made by him and his fellow Ministers, at the time of the passage of legislation to privatise British Rail, will be fulfilled with regard to maintaining the quality of services along the north Wales coast.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State issued objectives, instructions and guidance to the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising on 22 March. Delivery of those objectives should secure an overall improvement in the quality of railway passenger services on the north Wales coast, and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure the security of the channel tunnel and its users; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Transport has, under the terms of the Channel Tunnel (Security) Order 1994, directed the concessionaires—Eurotunnel—and other channel tunnel users to take appropriate security measures to protect the tunnel system, the trains and associated facilities, people and property against acts of violence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what authorisations for commercial operations have been given to Eurotunnel.

The United Kingdom/French Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission has, on the advice of the United Kingdom/French Channel Tunnel Safety Authority and the maitre d'oeuvre for the project, authorised Eurotunnel to bring the channel tunnel into operation for through freight trains and heavy goods vehicle shuttles. I am placing copies of Eurotunnel's application and the authorisation in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will consider relaxing his Department's policy that traffic signs should not normally be provided to direct vehicles to named commercial premises.

I am seeking views from the local authority associations and other interested organisations on proposals that highway authorities should have greater flexibility to provide signs appropriate to local needs. Any relaxation of the existing policy would be accompanied by Department of Transport guidance on the management of signing to ensure safety, clarity and continuity of signing and to prevent sign clutter.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average age of purchaser-operators of working farms in the year preceding and each year since the passing of the Finance Act 1992 giving qualification to inheritance tax relief at 100 per cent. on agricultural land.

I regret that this information is not available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what day the Government will publish their preferred options on the future of forestry in England; what form the subsequent consultations will take and over what time scale; and which organisations will be invited to take part in the consultation process.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland plans to make an announcement during the summer about our conclusions from the forestry review, and to publish a document which will form the basis of consultation on our preferred options. The form and timing of the consultation will depend on the conclusions that Ministers reach.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the number of day visits made to the Thetford forest park last year.

In the year to 31 March 1994, an estimated 1.5 million people made day visits to Thetford forest park.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what account the Government will take, in selecting their preferred options for the future of forestry in England, of the submissions received by the forestry review group from commentators opposing privatisation.

The representations made to the forestry review group are being taken into account as we consider options following the review.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her most recent estimate of the yield factor per hectare for cereal production.

My Department's most recent estimate of the average yields per hectare for the 1993 United Kingdom cereals harvest is as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what response she has received to paragraph 3.57 of the Government's paper Cm. 2428, "Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan" concerning overgrazing; and if she will now consider introducing new measures to reduce the effect on moorland and upland habitats of over grazing of sheep.

We have not received any response to paragraph 3.57 as such. However, we have already introduced upland environmentally sensitive areas and environmental restrictions under the hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme, both of which contribute in different ways to discouraging the overgrazing of moorland and upland habitats. We have also carried out consultations on proposals to introduce a moorland scheme and to attach environmental protection conditions to payments unde the sheep annual premium scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rights of citizens are specified in the treaties of the European Communities and the European Union; and what measures have been adopted to give effect to these rights.

The treaty of Rome, as amended by the treaty on European Union, confers a number of rights on citizens of the European Union. These, and the measures adopted to give them effect, include:

—the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the member states, subject to the limitations and conditions laid down in the Treaty (essentially governed by Articles 48, 52 and 59 of the Treaty of Rome and a number of Regulations and Directives, including Council Regulation 1612–68 and Council Directives 90/364 EEC, 90/365 EEC and 93/96 EEC);

—the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament in the Member State in which the citizen resides (measures were adopted in Council Directive 93/109 EC. These were implemented in the United Kingdom by the European Parliamentary Elections (changes to the Franchise and Qualifications and Representatives) Regulations 1994);

—the right to vote and to stand as a candidate in municipal elections in the Member State in which the citizen resides (implementation of these rights is still under discussion);

—the right to protection by the diplomatic and consular authorities and another Member State in foreign countries where the Member State of which the citizen is a national is not represented (subject to the Guidelines for the Protection of Unrepresented EC Nationals by EC Missions in Third Countries, which took effect on 1 July 1993);

—the right to petition the European Parliament (as set out in Article 138d of the Treaty. This right has long been accepted by the Parliament and was reflected in the Parliament's rules of procedure long before the entry into force of the Treaty on European Union);

—the right to apply to the European Ombudsman to investigate allegations of maladministration by the Community institutions (as set out in Article 138e of the Treaty and the Decision adopted by the European Parliament in September 1993 on the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties, subsequently approved by the Council in its decision on February 1994).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to use the United Kingdom's membership of the conference on security and co-operation in Europe to encourage the Minsk group to assume the leading role in seeking a resolution of the conflict which respects the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

We continue to support the CSCE's plans to convene a conference in Minsk to achieve a political settlement of the dispute. We keep in close contact with the Swedish chairman of the Minsk group and have offered a Russian-speaking British diplomat to assist his team.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in regard to the decision of the European Parliament on 26 April in respect of the release by the Council of Ministers of documents discussed at meetings of the Council.

We have noted the recommendation by the Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament that the Parliament should support the Dutch Government's legal challenge of the treaty base under which the code of conduct on access to information was adopted. We consider that the code was adopted under the correct treaty base, and fully support its objective of greater openness and transparency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to raise the issue of Rwanda in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

We supported the proposal for a special session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to discuss Rwanda. The session will take place on 24 and 25 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent proposals he has considered relating to improving the cost-effectiveness of the United Nations military procurement system; and if he will make a statement.

Current measures being pursued by the United Nations to improve the cost-effectiveness of United Nations procurement procedures include the development of appropriate standards and specifications for incorporation into contracts, and establishing standby contracts for the supply of common user items, material and services. An improved system for handling air transport contracts is also being introduced. These measures are based on the need to achieve a timely response while ensuring cost-effectiveness and compliance with United Nations financial regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the quantity and quality of military equipment that has been stockpiled by the United Nations at its depot in Pisa, Italy; and if he will make a statement.

The United Nations maintains a depot at Pisa, which comprises serviceable items from completed missions. As part of its efforts to improve its ability to mount new peacekeeping missions the United Nations is planning to use the depot as a logistics base where "start-up kits" will be held and maintained at readiness for deployment. The current plans call for up to five such kits which might be deployed either singly or in combination.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consideration his Department has given to policy relating to the financing of United Nations peacekeeping operations; what discussions he has had with his United Nations counterparts on this issue; and if he will make a statement.

The costs of United Nations peackeeping operations are shared among member states according to the United Nations peacekeeping scale of assessments. The United Kingdom pays 6.373 per cent. of costs on the scale. The United Nations peacekeeping scale of assessment is in need of reform, as the 1992 report by the high level expert group—Volcker/Ogata—made clear. Some limited changes were agreed at last year's general assembly. We are now working with other like-minded states to try and identify a more general solution to the problems of the scale.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to the United Nations study on a proposed International Satellite Monitoring Agency contained in United Nations document A/AC. 206.14.

The United Nations study on a proposed international satellite monitoring agency was considered by the 38th general assembly in 1983. The proposal was not adopted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent consideration he has given to article 24 of the United Nations charter; and if he will make a statement.

The changed situation of the world following the ending of the cold war has enabled the Security Council to carry out its duties more effectively than before. The council has already made arrangements to make its annual report to the general assembly more timely and readable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.

[holding answer 4 May 1994]: Estimated expenditure on studies carried out since 1987 for the Overseas Development Administration on the future status of the Crown agents for overseas Governments and administrations, and future ownership options for the Natural Resources Institute, is £208,000, net of VAT. Figures for any expenditure in earlier years are not available. The British aid programme has also paid for consultancy studies related to the privatisation programmers being pursued by overseas governments. An estimate of expenditure on these could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further efforts his Department will make to secure the return to the United Kingdom of Octav Botnar.

I have been asked to reply.The offences for which Mr. Botnar is wanted in the United Kingdom are offences against tax legislation. Because of that, they are not extraditable from Switzerland, where Mr. Botnar now is. Switzerland is one of several countries which will not extradite for such "fiscal" offences. Mr. Botnar has on several occasions indicated that he will return to this country voluntarily and I hope that he will do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are her plans for major awards for health districts which are remodelling their mental health services; and if she will make a statement.

The Department, in conjunction with the mental health task force, is contributing £319,000 over three years to an initiative organised and administered by the Sainsbury centre for mental health. The centre will award grants of between £100,000 and £250,000 to between five and eight district health authorities to help them develop their mental health services. Initial awards will be announced this autumn. The selected projects will be evaluated and the results widely disseminated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the savings to the NHS budget if NHS doctors were under an obligation to prescribe, and pharmacists to dispense, the cheaper available forms of the compound they considered most clinically appropriate for their patients.

No such estimate has been made by the Department. General practitioners are encouraged to prescribe cost-effectively and to be discriminating about the use of more expensive preparations where there is no significant clinical benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many youngsters aged under 18 years have attended hospitals in the north Yorkshire area for treatment for drug abuse over the last five years.

Monitoring substance misuse by young people in the North Yorkshire area is a matter for the North Yorkshire district health authority, to which I refer my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the progress of the negotiations with the medical profession on general practitioners' out-of-hours services.