To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by his Department in 1992–93.

On the best information currently available expenditure on external consultants in 1992–93 was £3.455 million. It is not possible to isolate management and financial consultants as our records do not identify them in this way.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 May, Official Report, column 139, what was the cost of the calls made on (a) car telephones and (b) portable telephones in 1993–94; how much this equipment cost to buy or hire; and what were the maintenance costs.

In 1993–94, the cost of calls made on car telephones was £4,621; and the cost of calls made on portable telephones was £35,023. The capital cost of this equipment was £113,547. The maintenance costs, that is, the fixed charges, for the same year were £111,644.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what evidence he has of the current extent of gazumping of house purchasers; and what plans he has to control this.

No records are kept of the number of transactions in which "gazumping" occurs. The existing law is sufficiently flexible to allow the use of a variety of procedures or devices which preclude "gazumping", and buyers and sellers are free to adopt whichever best suits their needs. There are no plans to restrict this freedom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the grounds on which an area may be excluded from a proposed special protection area under the European Union birds directive.

Judgments by the European Court of Justice indicate that member states of the European Community have a margin of discretion in the selection of special protection areas and in the determination of their boundaries. The margin of discretion has not been defined by the court. Article 2 of the birds directive—79/409/EEC —requires member states to take requisite measures to maintain bird populations while taking account of economic and recreational requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what advice he has received from English Nature as to whether the intertidal mudflats of Tipner lake within Portsmouth harbour qualify on scientific grounds for inclusion within the proposed special protection area and Ramsar site;(2) when he expects to designate Portsmouth harbour as

English Nature has advised that the potential Portsmouth harbour special protection area and Ramsar site is of special importance within the United Kingdom and the European Union for the range of wildfowl and wader species which use the site. In particular, it contains internationally important numbers of regularly occurring migratory species of wild birds, including dark-bellied brent goose, red-breasted mer-ganser, black-tailed godwit and dunlin. English Nature advises also that the area within Tipner lake which falls within the proposed SPA boundary is an integral part of that site.My right hon. Friend expects to designate an area of Portsmouth harbour as a special protection area and Ramsar site later this year after considering representations received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the results of research by the Building Research Establishment on public response to noise from clay target shooting; what further research is planned on the subject; and whether he will now approve the draft code of practice on clay target shooting under the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

Preliminary studies on response to clay target shooting noise were carried out by the Building Research Establishment, but, having regard to competing research priorities and the likely outputs from the project, it has not been pursued.I do, however, recognise that there is some concern about this issue. In July 1993 the Institution of Environmental Health Officers, the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association and the British Shooting Sports Council were asked to produce an agreed code of practice on this activity. It was made clear that if an agreed code could not be produced then the decision not to introduce further restrictions over clay, target shooting under the general development order would be reconsidered. I understand that the organisations involved hope to reach agreement on such a code in the near future. It will be for these organisations to decide whether the code is subsequently submitted for approval by the Secretary of State under section 71 of the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what discussions his Department has had with the United States authorities regarding the disposal of hazardous wastes shipped to the United Kingdom for disposal from bases of the United States armed forces in Europe;(2) if he will make a statement on the nature and quantities of hazardous wastes shipped to the United Kingdom for disposal from bases of the United States armed forces in Europe;(3) by what means hazardous wastes that have been shipped to the United Kingdom from bases of the United States armed forces in Europe are disposed of.

There have been no recent discussions between my Department and the United States authorities on the disposal of hazardous wastes from bases of the United States armed forces in Europe.Notifications for the importation into the United Kingdom of hazardous wastes from such bases were received by Torfaen borough council in March. The notifications were for the disposal at Rechem's high temperature incinerator at Pontypool of the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations, and from what organisations, the Government have received about their consultative document on access to local authority and housing association tenancies.

We have now received nearly 10,000 responses from a wide variety of organisations, including local authorities, housing associations, and bodies campaigning on behalf of specific interests, as well as from individual members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when the Government will publish their response to public representations about their consultative document on access to local authority and housing association tenancies;(2) what is the Government's response to the public representations about their consultative document on access to local authority and housing association tenancies.

I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stockport (Ms Coffey) on 18 May, Official Report, column 796.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against his Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

Two.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many local authority tenants in 1993 took legal action against their landlords for failing to satisfy the terms of the tenancy agreement; how many of these cases resulted in court action, and how many of the cases which resulted in court action were found in favour of the tenant;(2) how many local authority tenants were taken to court by their landlords in 1993 for breach of the tenancy agreement;(3) how many complaints of noise disturbance from local authority tenants went to court last year; and in how many of these cases the court found in favour of the tenant.

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much the Liverpool housing action trust has spent on consultants' fees since its inception.

This is a matter for the Liverpool housing action trust. The chief executive will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what evaluation he has commissioned of the prospective public expenditure savings arising from the announced reduction by United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. of the capacity of the planned national repository for nuclear waste;(2) what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and what interdepartmental discussions have taken place, on the cost implications of the proposed national repository for radioactive waste; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the review of the costs of the repository.

Questions relating to the sponsorship of Nirex are a matter for my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. However, the cost implications of Nirex's proposed repository will be considered in the radioactive waste management review, announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 19 May, Official Report, columns 535–36. The Department proposes to publish the preliminary conclusions of the review later in the summer, as a basis for consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the most recent meeting of Green Ministers was held; what matters were discussed; and what decisions were taken.

Green Ministers met on 18 May 1994 to discuss progress on green housekeeping. Ministers agreed to keep their departmental strategies up to date, to revise their purchasing guidance to emphasise environmental factors including the use of recycled paper in packaging, to improve energy usage, and to assess the practicality of developing environmental management systems. Ministers agreed to meet again later in the year to review progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evaluation he has made of the environmental implications of the location of the first European DNA bank at Whitehaven.

I am not aware of any environmental implications of this data bank.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received concerning the conversion of vehicles to run on natural gas; and if he will make a statement about the benefits for the environment and air pollution of natural gas vehicles.

My Department has received a number of interesting representations about vehicles fuelled by natural gas. It is clear that such vehicles can be quieter than conventional vehicles and that they can give rise to relatively low emissions of gaseous pollutants. There may be scope for them to offer a useful contribution towards environmental improvement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average cost of preparing written answers to parliamentary questions to his Department.

Parliamentary questions are answered within the financial guidelines issued by the Treasury. No records are kept of the costs incurred in answering individual questions where the amounts involved are not in excess of these limits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what performance targets he has set for the Planning Inspectorate Agency for the financial year 1994–95.

The key objectives for the agency in 1994–95 remain to preserve the impartiality and quality of the inspectorate's work while seeking further to improve efficiency. I have set the following further key targets for the agency's work in England:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what amendments he proposes to make to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order as a consequence of coal privatisation.

It is essential that the planning system should provide continuity for the privatised industry, but it is equally important that operators should take responsibility for restoring sites once mining operations have ceased. We have today published for consultation draft amendments to the GDO and associated draft guidance which will provide such a framework.Mines started before 1 July 1948 derive their planning permission from the general development order and surface development carried out at GDO mines before 1988 have no restoration conditions attached. The permission is personal to British Coal and its lessees or licensees.After privatisation, in addition to the planning permission operators will need a licence from the Coal Authority unless they have an existing licence from British Coal.As the existing GDO permission is personal to British Coal and its lessees or licensees, the GDO will need to be amended to grant permitted development rights for licensees of the Coal Authority to continue underground mining at GDO mines, otherwise there would be no planning permission for the continued extraction of coal at such sites.The Coal Industry Bill provides a power for my right hon. Friend to attach conditions to the GDO permission for underground working requiring the restoration and aftercare of the pithead surface area. We propose that the new GDO permission for licensees of the Coal Authority for continued underground mining will be subject to such conditions. These will require the operator to submit a scheme for the restoration and aftercare of the site for the mineral planning authority's approval.There are also a number of minor technical amendments needed to the GDO, broadly to change references to British Coal to the Coal Authority and to update definitions in line with the Coal Industry Bill.I believe these proposals will provide the necessary planning continuity for the industry and ensure that sites are restored to a beneficial use once mining operations cease.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether the United Kingdom intends to sign the new United Nations Economic Commission for Europe protocol on reducing sulphur emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Yes. I plan to attend the ministerial session of the executive body of the convention on long-range transboundary air pollution in Oslo on 13–14 June and to sign for the United Kingdom the new protocol on the further reduction of sulphur emissions. The text of the protocol will be published as a Command Paper and laid before Parliament in due course.Based on the concept of critical loads, which the United Kingdom played a leading part in developing, the protocol will require parties to reduce their sulphur emissions by specified amounts, depending in part on the quantity of their emissions and on the nature of their impact on the environment across Europe. The United Kingdom's obligations will be to make reductions, against 1980 emission levels, of 50 per cent. by 2000, 70 per cent. by 2005 and 80 per cent. by 2010.These are challenging targets which will substantially deal with acidification problems in the United Kingdom within the time frame of our sustainable development strategy, in addition to providing substantial benefits for other European countries affected by our emissions. The targets will provide a stable long-term framework for planning by Government and industry. While it is possible that developments in the economy at large may result in earlier achievement of the targets, our national strategy and policies will be based firmly on the targets and timescales set out in the protocol.Other key obligations in the new protocol will be for parties:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the results of the capital receipts holiday which ended on 31 December 1993 for each local authority, with the amounts raised.

[pursuant to his answer, 11 May 1994, Official Report, column 170]: I regret that one figure for the London borough of Lewisham was given incorrectly. I have arranged for a revised table to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (a) the budgeted change in balances 1993–94, (b) the revised estimated change in balances 1993–94, (c) the estimated change in balances 1994–95, (d) the level of balances of financial reserves as at 31 March 1994 and (e) the estimated level of balances or financial reserves as at 31 March 1995 for each local authority and in total; and if he will state the sources of the information.

The latest available information as reported for each local authority is given in tables which I have arranged to be placed in the Library of the House. The estimated change in balances in 1993–94 and levels at 1 April 1994 are subject to substantial amendment as authorities finalise their accounts; in general the amount actually drawn down from reserves is substantially less than suggested by local authorities' initial budgets. This is illustrated by the total figures given in the table; 1991–92 and 1992–93 figures have been added as these are the last years for which final figures are available.

Revenue reserves, all England local authorities Use of balances
	Budget (1) £ million	Revised Estimate (2) £ million	Outturn (3) £ million
1991–92	-593	-781	-171
1992–93	-580	-571	280
1993–94	-536	-447	n/a
1994–95	-775	n/a	n/a

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish a table showing the amount and proportion of general government expenditure which is (a) directly controlled by and (b) partly or indirectly controlled by institutions of local and/or regional government, in each country of the European Union, with averages for the European Union as a whole.

I have been asked to reply.Information on the degree of control is not available. However, total local government as a percentage of general government expenditure is shown in the table for the year 1991, the latest published year. The information given is under the European system of accounts definitions which allows for comparison of European Union countries on the same basis.

National currency of country
millions
Countries	Local government expenditure1 (A)	General government expenditure1 (B)	(A) shown as a percentage of (B)
Belgium	426526	3674880	11.6
Denmark	255354	622986	41.0
Netherlands	83860	368800	22.7
Greece	4—	4—	4—
Spain2 (1990)	4805.7	24156.2	19.9
France	594.3	3629.9	16.4
Ireland	4—	4—	4—
Italy	185414	887240	20.9
Luxembourg	4—	4—	4—
Germany3	150880	1273490	11.9
Portugal	4—	4—	4—
United Kingdom	67429	288796	23.3
Arithmetic average of above percentages			21
1 Defined as total within the distribution of income account and current transaction account.
2 Data for Local Government includes a figure of autonomous communities.
3 Lander are not included in Local Government, under ESA definitions.
4 No data available.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the names and companies of all the representatives of British companies who accompanied the former Prime Minister during her visit to Jordan in September 1985.

As far as I am aware, no representatives of British companies accompanied the Prime Minister on this visit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what studies his Department has undertaken into the use of porous asphalt in the United Kingdom;(2) on how many occasions in the last five years where commercial vehicles are likely to use a motorway, at the rate of over 4,000 vehicles per lane per day, permission has been given for the use of porous asphalt in the construction of the road;(3) if he will set out the criteria by which decisions have been made to use porous asphalt on motorways, or other developments, in the United Kingdom in the last five years;(4) if he will list the developments where porous asphalt was used on motorways and trunk roads in the last 10 years;(5) what EC directives or regulations relate to the use of porous asphalt on motorways or trunk roads.

These five questions concerning the use of porous asphalt relate to operational matters of the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what instructions are in force on the nationalities of crew and officers of fishing and merchant vessels registered under the national flags of (a) Denmark, (b) Italy, (c) Greece, (d) Germany and (e) the Netherlands.

With regard to merchant vessels I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Walley) on 28 April, Hansard, column 598. The Department does not collect information on manning requirements for fishing vessels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many foreign-owned merchant and fishing vessels are registered under the national flags of (a) France, (b) Germany, (c) Denmark and (d) the Netherlands.

The Government do not collect these data. To obtain reliable information from other sources would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many properties have been purchased by his Department within the Bury, South constituency arising out of his proposals for the M62 relief road;(2) how many properties have been let by his Department within the Bury, South constituency arising out of his proposals for the M62 relief road; and how many of such properties have their rent paid in whole or in part out of public funds.

These are operational matters for the Highways Agency. The chief executive has written to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what was the (a) budgeted and (b) actual expenditure on the abandoned King's Cross station project;(2) what was the

I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave on 27 January 1994, Official Report, column 393. Figures for budgeted, as opposed to actual expenditure, are not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to increase the daily number of civil aircraft movements permitted at Royal Air Force Northolt; what discussions he has held on these proposals with the Secretary of State for Defence; and what consultation he has had with the local hon. Member or neighbouring residents about them.

There are no such proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will instruct the Franchising Director to include the existing sleeper services between Scotland and England in the contract with operators of the west coast main line.

My right hon. Friend has instructed the Franchising Director that his specification of minimum service levels for railway passenger services is to be based on that being provided by BR immediately prior to franchising, taking into account the existence of and justification for seasonal variations in service schedules. The Franchising Director will consult the appropriate local authorities and rail users consultative committees on his proposals for the minimum service specifications for franchised operations on the west coast main line in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to provide a long-term integrated transport and environmental strategy after consultation with the Secretary of State for the Environment.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: "Sustainable Development: the UK Strategy", which was the result of detailed discussions between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and me, set out the principles by which the Government develop their transport policies. These include the following aims:

—To strike the right balance between the ability of transport to serve economic development and the ability to protect the environment and sustain further quality of life.

—To provide for the economic and social needs for access with less need for travel.

—To take measures which reduce the environmental impact of transport and influence the rate of traffic growth.

—To ensure that users pay the full social and environmental cost of their transport decisions, so improving the overall efficiency of those decisions for the economy as a whole and bringing environmental benefits.

We are pursuing a range of policies consistent with these aims.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the closure to traffic of an area of the English channel on 5 and 6 April due to a Sea Wolf missile failing to explode during a Royal Navy exercise.

I have been asked to reply.I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 4 May,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the use of hypnosis by the police in obtaining evidence for the courts.

Methods of investigation are a matter of operational discretion for chief officers of police. In 1988 the Home Office issued guidance to the police discouraging the use of hypnosis in the investigation of offences, on the grounds that evidence obtained by this method would be likely to be both unreliable and inadmissible in court, as well as carrying a risk of harm to the witness. We have no plans to issue further guidance on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistical information his Department maintains about alcohol-related crime.

The Home Office collects information on the number of offences of driving after consuming alcohol or taking drugs. Numbers of offences of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs are included with the number of offences of causing death by dangerous driving. The figures are published in Home Office Statistical Bulletins "Motoring Offences" and "Notifiable Offences", copies of which are held in the Library.The 1988 British Crime Survey provides some evidence on how many victims of violent crime said the offender was drunk. Of all the violent incidents covered in the survey, 44 per cent. were said to involve a drunken offender. One out of two victims of street assaults cited a drunken offender, and four out of 10 female victims of domestic violence did so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a statement on the outcome of his Department's consultation paper, "Wheelclamping on Private Ground."

We are still considering the possible options for regulating wheel clamping on private land and will make our conclusions known as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people entering the United Kingdom in 1993 were detained by immigration officials; and from this figure what percentage were released without charge.

The available information relates to passengers detained overnight or longer, and there were 5,571 such persons in 1993. Persons detained under Immigration Act powers are generally not charged with a criminal offence, but on release are either removed from the country or granted leave to enter. There is no central record of how such cases are resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to his answer of 12 April, Official Report, columns 2–3, for how much longer the project licence issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 for the use of non purpose-bred greyhounds in research will be valid;(2) if any of the greyhounds used in scientific procedures in 1992 were ex-greyhound racing registered dogs;(3) if any exemptions have been granted under article 10(3) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to allow the use of non purpose-bred greyhounds since 1992–93.

The project licence in question terminates on 1 June 1994.In 1992, 10 procedures were carried out on four greyhounds which were racing registered at the time of the study. We are not aware that any of the other non purpose-bred dogs used in procedures in 1992 were ex-racing registered dogs.No exemptions have been granted since 1992–93. This would not preclude the use of non purpose-bred greyhounds under project licences previously issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) royal households and (b) special households in total attract police protection in the United Kingdom.

For security reasons it would not be right to provide any details of the properties concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against his Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

There are five members of staff in the main Home Office who are currently taking legal action against the Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.I have asked the Director General of the Prison Service to write to the hon. Member about the number of such legal actions being taken in the Prison Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis on the reports of activities of a police officer, details of which have been sent to him.

I understand from the Commissioner that he is considering the paper forwarded to him by my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 9 May Official Report, columns 10–11 on leave to remain on the basis of a common law relationship, (a) how many of the partnerships had children and (b) how many of the relationships had been in existence for more than four years.

The information requested is not available in the statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present ratio of prisoners to prison officers, taking into account staff away on escort duties, in court and on sick leave.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will consider making a distinction between purpose-bred and non-purpose bred cats and dogs when compiling any future animal statistics used in licensed scientific procedures.

The Government have no plans to make the distinction suggested. However, changes which are being introduced to the statistical system will make it possible to distinguish, from 1995 onwards, between dogs and cats which have been bred at or obtained from a designated breeding establishment, and those which have been obtained from other sources.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the specialist operations at Scotland Yard together with their annual cost for the last year for which figures are available.

In the interests of security, it is Home Office policy not to reveal details, including costs, of individual special operation branches. The annual staffing cost of the branches to 31 March 1994 is around £158 million. This figure represents the average of salaries for the ranks and grades involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Commissioner of the Police of the Metropolis about the future of the obscene publications branch; and if he will make a statement;(2) what recent representations he has received from right hon. and hon. Members concerning the future of the obscene publications branch; and how many of those representations have

(1) whether it is the policy of his Department to close the obscene publications squad;(2) what plans there are for the disbandment of the obscene publications branch at New Scotland Yard; what is the reason for such action; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such a measure on the operational capability of the police, both in London and nationally.

Metropolitan police headquarters functions and specialist units, such as the obscene publications branch, fall within scope of the Commissioner's restructuring exercise, which aims to make the best possible use of resources and to place functions where they are most appropriate. My right hon. and learned Friend has discussed this matter with the Commissioner during their regular meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the maltreatment of overseas domestic workers; and what measures he is taking in response to the recent cross-party delegation on this issue.

None; but we consider representations carefully and keep the general arrangements for the overseas domestic workers scheme under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted entry clearance at posts abroad to come in to the United Kingdom as overseas domestic workers under the 1980 concession after 31 August 1993.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received regarding overseas domestic workers in the last year for which figures are available.

In the past year, my right hon. and learned Friend and I have received 22 letters from right hon. and hon. Members and noble Lords about the exceptional arrangements for the admission of domestic workers from overseas. I met a delegation led by my hon. Friend the Member for Kensington (Mr. Fishburn) and Lord Hylton. A number of letters have been received from organisations and members of the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many overseas domestic workers have applied for a visa extension since August 1993; and how many of these applications have been granted.

The readily available data indicate that some 600 overseas domestic workers were granted further leave to remain in the second half of 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's present views as to further implementation of the Sheehy committee report.

My right hon. and learned Friend announced on 28 October 1993 the Government's response to the recommendations of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what special arrangements the Government have instituted regarding the issue of entry clearance to family members of Somali nationals resident in the United Kingdom who are stranded in Yemen.

I have been asked to reply.We have no special arrangements for the issue of entry clearances in Yemen for any single nationality. Although the visa service has been suspended following the evacuation of staff last week, inquiries can be addressed to the British embassy in Sana'a which remains open.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will list for each of the past 10 years those occasions on which the Office of Parliamentary Counsel has been requested to supply amendments or new clauses to Back Benchers for use in debate on private Members Bills in which Departments have an interest.

This information is not recorded.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will institute an inquiry into the use of the Office of Parliamentary Counsel by Departments to draft amendments or new clauses for use by Back Benchers in relation to debate on private Members Bills, and the effect on the timetable for preparation of amendments to Government legislation occasioned by such use of the personnel of the office.

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to provide support for voluntary organisations funded by the European social fund who have received no payments from the fund for the financial year commenced in January.

The responsibility for the delays in payment under the European social fund rests with the European Commission. The Commission will not release money from the fund until it has approved the United Kingdom's plan for 1994 to 1999. The plan was submitted in November 1993, and despite pressure from this Department, the Commission has only just begun negotiations with us. The Government are pressing the Commission to approve the plan as soon as possible.The Department has parliamentary authority to make payments as an agent of the Commission only once the funds have arrived. We sympathise with the position in which the voluntary organisations find themselves as a result of the Commission's delays. We are considering urgently whether we can do anything to alleviate the problems they are facing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he intends to issue a consultation document on the implementation of the Council directive for a second general system to supplement the second diploma directive 89/48/EEC.

Work on implementation has begun including consultation with other Government Departments. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will consult on proposed legislation in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against his Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

Six.

To ask the Secretary of State for Empolyment what was the total expenditure on staff and training costs relating to the aborted personnel data processing system.

The total expenditure on staff and training costs in respect of the Department's personnel data system was £2.70 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to the answer of 13 May, Official Report, columns 264–65, on the moneys paid to McDonnell Douglas in respect of personnel data processing, if he will break down expenditure on other items.

Further to the written reply of 13 May, on amounts paid to McDonnell Douglas on the personnel data processing system, the expenditure on other items is broken down as follows:

	£
Project Management	159,375
Contractors	88,757
Training	33,812
Maintenance of IT Equipment	69,770

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the organisations and people, other than McDonnell Douglas, to whom payments were made in respect of the aborted personnel data processing system, together with the nature of the work done.

The following table lists the organisations and people, other than McDonnell Douglas, to whom payments were made in respect of the personnel data processing system. The table also describes the nature of the work done.

Organisation	Nature of work
ASK/INGRES	Technical Audit
Computer People North	Conversion Programming
Crow Associates	Management and Organisational review
DBI Associates	Project Risk Analysis and Evaluation Project Management
Duhig Berry	Advice on use of PRINCE
Ernst & Young	Business Analysis

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when the young workers directive is next to be considered by the Council of Ministers.

I expect the young workers directive to be considered at the next meeting of the Labour and Social Affairs Council on 22 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he is to issue strategic guidance to TECs this year; and if he will make a statement.

The Government will issue strategic guidance to all training and enterprise councils in England tomorrow.I am pleased that this year's guidance "TECs: Towards 2000" is being issued jointly with my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Education, Transport and the Home Department."TECs: Towards 2000" presents the Government's strategic agenda for TECs, and emphasises their key role in driving national competitiveness at local level. TECs are asked to address in their corporate plans the major challenges and opportunities for local economic development and regeneration in their areas.Copies of "TECs: Towards 2000" are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Government's policy on employee involvement in the United Kingdom.

We believe that, to be successful, employee involvement must be voluntary and flexible, unlike that which would be imposed by the European Commission's draft directive on European works councils. I have today published "The Competitive Edge", a new booklet which gives examples of some of the many forms of effective employee involvement practice in the United Kingdom. A copy has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the main employment benefits in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the Pacific rim countries; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 17 May 1994]: In the United Kingdom the main, statutory, employment benefits include redundancy payments, maternity leave and sick pay, as well as protection against unfair dismissal and harassment, or discrimination at work.The following table, based on information available to the Employment Department, shows that, mostly, these benefits exist in the Pacific rim countries of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan. However, coverage of the work force and the value of these benefits varies considerable from country to country.

To ask the Attorney-General what was the expenditure on management and financial consultants by the Law Officers' Departments in 1992–93.

The expenditure was as follows:

	£
Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers	Nil
Crown Prosecution Service	48,100
Serious Fraud Office	108,820
Treasury Solicitor's Department	335,000

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for the year 1993–94.

The annual report for the SFO for 1993–94 was laid before Parliament at 11.00 am today and then published. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to his answer of 11 May, Official Report, column 174, what was the cost of calls made on (a) car and (b) portable telephones in 1993–94; how much this equipment cost to buy or hire; and what were the maintenance costs.

The costs are listed in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education for what reasons the stipulations in his notes on the clauses of the Education Bill on the qualifications for members of the Teacher Training Agency in terms of experience and capacity in teaching, higher education, or teacher training were not reflected in the advertisement for the appointment of a chief executive to the agency.

The chief executive's main duty will be to manage the executive functions of the agency. He or she will be directly accountable for the control of the agency's expenditure and will have a role quite different from that of the other members of the board. This is reflected in the advertisement for the post.The Secretary of State will take into account in making all appointments to the agency the requirements of clause 2 of the Education Bill, which include not only those mentioned by the hon. Member, but experience in industrial, commercial or financial matters, or the practice of any profession.

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

The following are the numbers of students for England and Wales which are readily available:

	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93
Republic of Ireland	2,615	3,072	3,756
Other EC	17,360	21,664	25,243
Non-EC	49,194	51,177	53,422

I will write to the hon. Member with figures for the earlier years.The costs of provision for students from individual EC member states are not recorded separately. For 1991–92 the total cost to the education budget attributable to students from EC states studying in England and Wales is estimated at approximately £105 million. For 1990–91 and 1989–90, the equivalent figures for expenditure attributable to students from other EC member states were in the region of £90 million and £75 million respectively. British nationals studying elsewhere in the European Community enjoy reciprocal rights. Students from non-EC countries are expected to meet the full cost of their tuition. Income from non-EC students is credited to the host institution and not to the education budget.Balanced against these costs is the benefit to the United Kingdom economy from the money spent in this country by students from overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many teachers have sought early retirement in each of the last three years for which figures are available because of (a) redundancy and (b) illness; and if he will break the figures down by local authority and regionally for grant-maintained schools.

I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave to the hon. Member for Dewsbury (Mrs. Taylor) on 12 May, Official Report, columns 207–08.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the expenditure on consultancy of AEA Technology Ltd., the National Environmental Technology Centre and its predecessors over the last five years, distinguishing between consultancy on management, marketing and technical issues.

Consultancy work for AEA Technology is a management matter for the Atomic Energy Authority. With regard to Warren Spring Laboratory, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) on Monday 16 May 1994, Official Report, columns 302–05.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the present number of civil servants taking legal action against his Department as a result of work-related upper limb disorders.

There are no cases in the Department of Trade and Industry where proceedings have been issued.In three cases claimants are currently seeking damages from the Department through their solicitors.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the inspectors to inquire into the affairs of Dunlop Holdings Ltd. were appointed; when their inquiry was completed; what are the business connections of the inspectors; what is the cost of the investigation; how it has been disbursed to each inspector; what reports have been published; and when he will publish the final reports.

The inspectors were appointed on 25 July 1980 and made a substantial interim report on 18 December 1980, a second interim report on 10 March 1981 and a final report on 12 November 1981. Their first interim report was published on 17 February 1981 and it was decided not to publish their other reports. Both inspectors were departmental officers and the cost of their investigation is not available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had concerning the future large aircraft; and if he will make a statement on this aircraft.

My Department has received many representations on the future large aircraft programme. The decision on the replacement of the existing Hercules fleet is a matter for the Ministry of Defence and my Department is in close touch with the MoD on the industrial implications of the programme.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has yet received the consultant's report on possible CENELEC—European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation—proposals on plug and socket standards.

The report by the British Standards Institution Research Association has now been received and is being made available thorugh HMSO. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the outcome of the east-west business forum that took place in Warsaw on 5 and 6 May 1994 and preceded the west-east conference of Ministers of Economy, Industry and Trade.

The business forum drew up a business declaration which highlighted the areas of reform that needed to be addressed by the central and east European countries and areas where G7 countries could help. This was discussed by the conference which agreed that the declaration should be given wide circulation. I have placed a copy of the declaration and of the conference conclusions in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will set out (a) the terms of reference of the deregulation panel, (b) its membership and (c) the terms of appointment of the members of the panel.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on the functions of the deregulation panel before the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill receives Royal Assent;

The formation of the deregulation task force, to be chaired by the right hon. Francis Maude, was announced on 19 January 1994. A number of appointments have been made and some work has been started, but other individuals are still being approved. It would therefore be inappropriate to announce some names but not all. When the task force has its full quorum, an announcement of the membership and its terms of reference will be made.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the budget of the deregulation panel.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: The deregulation task force does not have a separate individual budget. The costs of administrative support are part of the deregulation unit budget, which is published in the departmental supply estimates.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make the minutes of the deregulation panel available to hon. Members.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: Minutes of the meetings of the deregulation task force will not be available. However, the task force will publish an annual report.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the relationship between the deregulation panel and the deregulation unit.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: The deregulation task force will work closely with the deregulation unit, which is the focal point for the deregulation initiative across Whitehall.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the relationship between the deregulation panel and the deregulation task forces.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: The deregulation task force is the successor body to the seven business deregulation task forces, whose proposals for reform were published on 19 January 1994 and the eighth charities and voluntary organisations task force, which has completed its work and is due to report shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the level of remuneration of each member of the deregulation panel.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: Individuals will not receive payment for their work as members of the deregulation task force.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the term of office of each member of the deregulation panel.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: Members of the deregulation task force will be appointed for an initial period of two years.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the criteria used to appoint (a) the deregulation panel as a whole and (b) each member of the deregulation panel.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: The purpose of the deregulation task force is to help my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade to promote deregulation which will enhance the competitiveness of United Kingdom business and the effectiveness of the voluntary sector. The criterion for membership is the ability to contribute to this purpose.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list (a) the occupations and (b) the political affiliation of each member of the deregulation panel.

[holding answer 24 May 1994]: The formation of the deregulation task force, to be chaired by the right hon. Francis Maude, was announced on 19 January 1994. A number of appointments have been made and some work has been started, but other individuals are still being approached. It would therefore be inappropriate to announce some names but not all. When the task force has its full quorum, an announcement to the membership and its terms of reference will be made. This will include the occupations of members appointed. The Department does not hold information on the political affiliations of appointees to advisory bodies. Appointments are made on the basis of the person judged best for the job; political affiliation is not a factor.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress of the teaching company scheme.

The teaching company scheme is now in its 19th year of operation; following changes made in 1986, it is now widely regarded as one of the most

Name
Professor John Goodman	Chairman: Manchester School of Management
Professor David Johns	Vice Chancellor: University of Bradford
Dr. James Kinloch	Chairman: The Kinloch Electronics Group
Professor Stan Mason	Principal and Vice-Chancellor: Glasgow Caledonian University
Professor John Midwinter	Head of Electronic and Electrical Engineering Department: University College London
Mr. Colin Mitchell	Communications and Corporate Mail Manager: ICI
Mr. William Morris	Vice-President: Short Brothers plc
Dr. A. W. Nelson	Managing Director: Epitaxial Products Ltd.

Dr. John Parnaby, managing director, Lucas Applied Technology Ltd. chairman of the LINK steering group, will join the board as an observer. DTI and the Office of Science and Technology will also be represented on the board.The board will be responsible for the successful continuation of TCS and its development to include new initiatives such as the teaching company centres and proposals to introduce the TCS concept into colleges of further education announced in the White Paper on Competitiveness, Cm. 2563.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how he proposes to ensure the funding of British Coal Enterprise after the privatisation of British Coal.

[holding answer 23 May 1994]: No decisions have been taken on the longer-term future of British Coal Enterprise Ltd. In the mean time the 1994 Coal Industry Restructuring Grants Order, approved in the House on 19 May, will enable the funding of BCE to continue for a further year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what occasions since April 1992 Ministers from his Department have (a) requested Parliamentary Counsel to assist in preparing amendments to private Members' Bills on behalf of other private Members and (b) authorised officials to instruct parliamentary counsel to prepare amendments which were subsequently passed to private Members.

I am advised there have been no such requests or instructions since April 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the level of provision made in Wales to assist those disabled by multiple sclerosis.

The provision of assistance for people with a disability, including those with multiple sclerosis, is the responsibility of health authorities and local authorities.Whilst separate analyses in relation to specific conditions are not regularly made locally, the arrangements for social care planning have identified the needs of all people with a disability. How these needs can best be met is set out in the social care plans for each county and the implications for the NHS are reflected in the local strategies for health produced by health authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will review the level of grant given to the Gwerin y Coed, Woodcraft Folk for Wales, by his Department for 1994–95.

No. The size of the grant reflects the limited extent of Gwerin y Coed's youth work in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out the reasons why his Department decided to defer notification to Care and Repair Wales of the financial grant which will be made to it for the financial year 1994–95 until June 1994; and whether he will review this decision and make available as soon as possible a definite timetable on which care and repair plans can be based.

Both Care and Repair Cymru and 16 local schemes have already been offered funding for the first quarter of 1994–95. I am now making them an offer for the remainder of 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the board members of the Land Authority for Wales, their full-time occupations and the companies which employ them; and if he will make a statement.

A list of the board members of the Land Authority for Wales which details their employment is held in the Library of the House. Those board members who have full-time occupations are employed by:

• R. P. V. Rees: Coopers and Lybrand
• R. W. S. Knight: Cooke and Arkwright
• T. J. Mahoney; Self Employed Retailer

Each of them has arrangements with their business to make the necessary time available for LAW.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what performance targets he has set for the planning inspectorate agency's work in Wales for the financial year 1994–95.

The key objectives for the agency in Wales in 1994–95 remain to preserve the impartiality and quality of the inspectorate's work while seeking further to improve efficiency. The agency's key performance targets in Wales will be: