To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many applicants for naturalisation, who had not been free of immigration conditions for 12 months at the time of their application, were granted British passports in 1992, 1993 and so far this year;(2) how many sportsmen and women who applied for naturalisation and had not been free of immigration conditions for 12 months at the time of their application, were granted British passports in 1992, 1993 and so far this year.

This information is not recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances an applicant for naturalisation is granted a British passport within 12 months of being granted indefinite leave to remain.

An applicant for naturalisation who is not married to a British citizen is normally expected to have been free of immigration time restrictions, but there is discretion to waive this requirement in the special circumstances of any particular case. It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of all the circumstances in which this discretion would be exercised in favour of an applicant, but we would consider doing so where the 12-months period has been missed by only a few months, provided that the other naturalisation requirements were met in full and that the applicant had well-established links with this country. We are normally prepared to overlook more than this only if there exist compelling reasons of a business or compassionate nature. We will also exercise this discretion if, at the time the application is considered and is otherwise in order, the 12-month period has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it takes to process an application for naturalisation; and what targets have been set in terms of upper time limits.

Average waiting times for certificates of naturalisation in May 1994 were 15 months. No upper time limits for completing the consideration of applications are set, but we aim to process all applications as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that the

Consultant	Privatisation	Market Testing	Management advice	Accounting	Audit	Consultancy	Other service	Total sum £
1988–1991
Coopers & Lybrand		1			1	3	3	822,331
KPMG Peat Marwick						3		303,145
Ernst and Young		1	2	1		3		614,610

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the result of the inquiry carried out by the Lancashire police force into the recent loss, and recovery in Blackburn town centre, of police revolvers; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that disciplinary proceedings are being taken against a police officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes involving the use of firearms were committed in each of the past five years.

Figures of notifiable offences recorded by the police in which firearms were reported to have been used are published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", copies of which can be found in the Library—latest edition, 1992, Cm 2410, table 3.1.Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of firearms held on certificate (a) at present and (b) one year ago.

Estimates of the number of firearms held on certificate are published in paragraph 4 of Home Office statistical bulletins "Firearm Certificates Statistics, England and Wales". Copies for 1991 and 1992 can be found in the Library.Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, (f) Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster for (i) privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services in (1) 1980 to 1983, (2) 1984 to 1987, (3) 1988 to 1991 and (4) 1992–93.

The available information on the number of contracts let by the Home Office to each listed company for the specified consultancies and the total sum paid to each company for 1988 to 1991 and 1992–93 is given in the table. Information for the years prior to 1988–89 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the reported number of racially motivated attacks by white people on non-white people within the Greater London area in each of the last five years.

Figures are not collected centrally on the ethnic origin of perpetrators of racial attacks in relation to the ethnic origin of their victims.The number of white offenders in cases where there has been an arrest and the number of non-white victims of racial attacks recorded by the Metropolitan police service in the last three years are set out in the table. It cannot be assumed that white people were the offenders in all attacks involving non-white victims.

	1991	1992	1993
White offender	90	106	88
Non-white victim	424	430	495

Attacks are classified as incidents of violence against the person.Information on the ethnic origin of offenders was not collected before 1991.

Table: Offenders born in 1953: Estimated1 percentage of the population convicted2 of six or more offences, at selected ages, and the percentage of the total number of convictions2 of those born in 1953 attributable to these offenders
England and Wales	Percentages
Offenders with six or more convictions2	Under 17	Under 21	Age under 26	Under 31	Under 36
MALES
Percentage of male population born in 1953	1	3	5	6	6
Percentage of convictions of those born in 1953	30	47	56	60	62

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the studies and research findings on which he based his decision to introduce a system of performance-related pay for senior police officers.

My right hon. and learned Friend took account of the argument in support of relating pay to overall performance contained in the report of the inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards. But the most influential factor in the Government's decision to introduce performance-related pay for all ranks in the police service was the benefit it will bring to the police service itself. Distinguishing especially good performance from the average performance provides an incentive to people to improve the effectiveness of their contribution, bringing added benefit to both the organisation and the individual, and is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment of the extent to which a small number of offenders commit a disproportionate number of offences, the percentage (a) of each age group and (b) of the total population that such a group constitutes and the percentage (i) of crime committed by the age group and (ii) of total crime committed in England and Wales that is attributable to such a group.

The information in the following table is taken from a birth cohort study using the "Offenders Index":

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases United Kingdom Detention Services Ltd. has been subject to a financial penalty due to the late delivery of a prisoners or prisoners resulting in the need to accommodate prisoners elsewhere; and what was the financial penalty on each occasion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Home Office has paid United Kingdom Detention Services Ltd. for additional journeys or out-of-area journeys in respect of its contract to run Blakenhurst prison; and what was the amount paid on each occasion.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners escaped from prisons in England and Wales on each day from 17 to 20 June; and if he will list the number of prisoners involved in each escape, the prisons from which they escaped, and whether they have been recaptured.

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 make a statement on the disturbance at HMP Full Sutton on the weekend of 17–19 June; what damage occurred; what is the estimated cost of that damage; and what injuries there were to (a) staff and (b) inmates.

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 Chancellor of the Exchequer whether nature conservation orders made under section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 apply to land owned or leased by the Crown Estate Commissioners.

Section 29 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is applicable to Crown lands, including the Crown Estate, as set out in section 67 of the Act.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions taken within the last three years by the Crown Estate Commission has had

"regard to the desirability of conserving the natural beauty and amenity of the countryside"

as required under section 11 of the Countryside Act 1968.

The policies of the Crown Estate Commissioners on environmental issues are set out in their statement "Stewardship in Action". Activities associated with these policies are described in the annual reports submitted to Parliament each year by the commissioners. Copies of these documents have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much foreshore land is owned by the Crown Estate; and how much land owned by the Crown Estate is leased to (a) shooting organisations, (b) conservation bodies and (c) other bodies.

The Crown Estate owns about half the foreshore in the United Kingdom. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, this amounts to some 1,600 miles of which the shooting rights have been leased on about 130 miles, and 480 miles have been leased to conservation bodies. The remainder of leased foreshore—very little is not leased—is let, mainly to local authorities and port and harbour authorities. In Scotland there is a public right to shoot, so that no shooting rights are leased. There, 3,100 miles of foreshore are owned by the Crown Estate of which 84 miles are leased to conservation bodies and 470 to other bodies, mainly local authorities, ports and harbours.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibilities the Crown Estate Commissioners have for wildlife conservation on land that they own or lease.

The Crown Estate Commissioners have a duty under the provisions of the Crown Estate Act 1961 to maintain and enhance the value of the estate and the return obtained from it, but with due regard to the requirements of good management. Within this framework the commissioners are committed to an overall objective of balancing environmental with commercial and other needs in order to achieve effective stewardship. Strategies to support this objective are in place in each business group, but more particularly in the agricultural and marine estates, where wildlife conservation is a high priority. More specifically, the commissioners co-operate fully in the work of statutory agencies responsbible for the protection of wildlife in designated areas—for example, sites of special scientific interest and marine nature reserves. Full details of the policy of commissioners are set out in "Stewardship in Action", which can be found in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of whether United Artists is fulfilling the terms of its licence to install fibre optic cables in the Basildon area and that the criteria for siting of junction boxes is in accordance with the terms of the licence.

Regulatory responsibility for ensuring that United Artists fulfills the terms of its build programme rests with Oftel and it is content that the company is meeting its build obligations. The standard of the company's street works and the siting of junction boxes are Highway Authority matters. United Artists' licence includes conditions designed to ensure that the company operates in a responsible manner and adheres to all relevant street works legislation. Street works in the maintainable highway are subject to the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and its associated regulations, which are enforced by local highway authorities. The company's licence permits it to install junction boxes subject to certain conditions. The company is required to agree guidelines with the planning and highway authorities on the positioning of its above-ground apparatus. It is also required to inform the local authority of its intention to install apparatus and identify where they propose to place the apparatus so that the local authority have an opportunity to make conditions on the siting of the junction box. I have not received any evidence to suggest that junction boxes are not being sited in accordance with licence terms.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will visit the Royal Mail sorting office at Queensferry, Deeside, Clwyd.

I have no plans at present to visit Queensferry post office sorting office.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set the Insolvency Service for closure of files (a) before 8 July and (b) for 1994.

The majority of the Department's agencies are set annual targets. For 1994–95 the Insolvency Service has been set the target of reducing the number of its open cases to a level equivalent to approximately 12 months' input. This will result in the closure of 53,000 cases.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the effect of the increased number of insolvency completions on the detection of fraud and the prosecution and disqualification of delinquent company directors.

Although some specialist resource will be diverted to assist the process of increased case completions, the Insolvency Service still anticipates that it will devote some 25 per cent. more manpower resource to prosecution and disqualification activity in 1994–95 then in 1993–94.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much extra funding is being allocated to the Insolvency Service in the current year for (a) file closure and (b) fraud investigation.

A total of £1·831 million has been allocated to the service from my Department's running costs for 1994–95 to fund the additional work required to meet the case closure target of 53,000. The additional allocation provided in relation to fraud investigation for 1994–95 is £1 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the cost to the Insolvency Service of employing private sector secondees.

For 1994–95 the estimated cost of employing private sector secondees and/or of engaging other private sector resources on a short-term basis will be £1·12 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his policy on the investigation by the Insolvency Service of potential offences or possible areas of investigation when reviewing whether insolvencies can be completed; and what are the reasons for this policy.

The investigation of an insolvency or the consideration of possible offences can be and often is conducted independently of its administration. Where, in reviewing a case with a view to the conclusion of the administration, matters are identified which, prima facie, require further investigation those matters receive full consideration.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his assessment of how the Insolvency Service's recent investigation in the local office information system will assist (a) the mechanical processing work of the service and (b) the investigation work of the service.

The Insolvency Service's investment in LOIS—local office information system—links a relational database to office automation software. The system assists official receivers in streamlining case administration, particularly in the document production area; and it will provide management with additional information relevant to the allocation of resources and monitoring of performance.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what effect increases in the rate of closure of files by the Insolvency Service will have on checks for fraud and prosecution of fraudulent directors.

None. The additional cases to be closed in 1994–95 will already have been vetted for any requirement for further investigation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many private sector secondees are currently on loan to the Insolvency Service; and what work they are doing.

A total of five private secondees are currently in post in the Insolvency Service and a further two are due to start on 4 July 1994. Three of the secondees are working in the disqualification unit on disqualification matters and two are working in official receivers' offices assisting examiners. The two secondees due to start on 4 July 1994 will be working in the disqualification unit on disqualification matters.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Insolvency Service targets are affected by the completion of extra insolvencies in the current financial year; and to what extent.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations underlie the allocation of time in the Insolvency Service between mechanical processing work and core investigation functions.

A minimum amount of routine administration work has to be done on each insolvency. The Insolvency Service seeks to devote the minimum level of resource to such work consistent with a proper discharge of official receivers' statutory duty so that it can maximise the resource devoted to its investigative role.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps have been taken to implement the recommendations of the 18th report of 1993–94 from the Public Accounts Committee on the Insolvency Service executive agency and company director disqualifications.

The Government's response to the 18th report of the Committee of Public Accounts on the Insolvency Service executive agency and company director disqualifications will be published in due course.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many officials have been to the Insolvency Service on six-month contracts since the establishment of the service.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many disqualification proceedings are expected to be issued in the current financial year, identifying those proceedings initiated by insolvency practitioners and those by the Insolvency Service.

There is no target for the number of disqualification proceedings to be issued. On present information, it would appear likely that in 1994–95 between 750 and 800 disqualification proceedings will be commenced, of which between 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. are likely to relate to cases reported on by insolvency practitioners while the remainder will relate to cases dealt with by official receivers.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to increase the prosecution rate for inadequate accounting records by the Insolvency Service.

The allocation and deployment of additional investigative resources will enable the Insolvency Service to increase the number of reports produced identifying criminal offences, including those relating to a failure to maintain adequate accounting records.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his plans to increase the conviction rate of directors who have traded fraudulently.

Prosecutions by my Department for fraudulent trading resulted in 11 convictions in 1991–92, 24 convictions in 1992–93 and 32 convictions in 1993–94. In relation to offences of fraudulent trading, as with other prosecutions for which it is responsible, my Department's practice is to prosecute offenders wherever there is a realistic prospect of a conviction, where the other criteria in the code for Crown prosecutors are satisfied and where bringing such charges will enable the prosecution to put before the court an accurate picture of the defendant's wrongdoing as a whole.These criteria will remain the basis for prosecution decisions.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made as to the adequacy of the supply of home-produced or imported pulp and paper for packaging and production; and if he will publish a table showing (a) United Kingdom production, imports and net home disposals of pulp and paper by end-use in each month this year to date compared to 1989, (b) the rate of return on capital required to make it profitable for United Kingdom pulp and paper manufacturers to invest in new capacity in the United Kingdom at current rates of exchange and (c) the actual rates of return on replacement and historic cost in 1993.

Estimates of the supply of pulp and paper for packaging and production are a matter for industry. Official statistics on manufacturers sales, imports and exports are published annually by the Central Statistical Office in Business Monitor PAS4710. Copies of this publication are available in the Library of the House. There are no official data on rates of return, but information may be available from commercial organisations which analyse company accounts.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what transactions his Department has had with AGIP (Africa) Ltd.

My oil and gas projects and supplies office has not had any transactions with AGIP (Africa) Ltd.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what decisions his Department has taken in respect of TECs over the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's involvement with TECs over the same period.

My Department has developed an increasingly close working relationship with the TEC movement over the last 12 months. We have placed particular emphasis on their role in bringing together Business Link partnerships in each local area and the importance of completing the national Business Link network by the end of 1995.The Government's White Paper "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win" and our strategic guidance to TECs, published in May 1994, have both confirmed the importance of TECs working with other partners to agree strategies for business competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.To support this work and provide a more secure basis for planning business support services, we have decided that, from 1 April 1995, DTI funding to TECs will be for a three-year period which will be rolled forward each year. However, three-year rolling funding will be available only to those TECs which have obtained a three-year licence from the Government office in their region and which can demonstrate satisfactory progress in establishing a Business Link.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to change regulations relating to markets overt; and if he will make a statement.

A Bill to abolish the rule of market overt, which has Government support, is at present before Parliament.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had with the regional electricity companies regarding their policies on (a) standing charges in general, (b) standing charges for prepayment meters and (c) where consumption is low; and if he will make a statement.

I discuss a wide range of issues with representatives of the regional electricity companies from time to time. Electricity charges are primarily a matter for the companies themselves and for the Director General of Electricity Supply. I understand that the director general is currently considering the issue of standing charges as part of his review of the RECs' distribution price controls.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the trade figures between the United Kingdom and Pakistan over the last five years for which figures are available.

Between 1989 and 1993 the value of United Kingdom exports to Pakistan increased at an annual rate of 9·7 per cent. while imports increased by 11·7 per cent.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has concerning the current level of United Kingdom investment in Nigeria and in the Nigerian oil industry; and what steps he is taking to further the interests of British investors in Nigeria.

According to the latest available information, the book value of United Kingdom assets in Nigeria in 1992 was £476 million. The value of United Kingdom investment in the Nigerian oil industry was £324·6 million.My Department is mounting a series of seminars entitled "Opportunity Africa" in conjunction with chambers of commerce around the United Kingdom which will feature Nigeria. We also plan to publish Nigerian market reports on ports management, power generation, agriculture and mining.We continue to encourage inward British investment where there is a good prospect of repatriation of profits. There is at present a need for the Nigerian Government to provide an enabling environment for investment.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Nigeria; what were the comparable figures for each of the previous three years; and what particular steps he intends to take to encourage further improvements in United Kingdom trade with Nigeria.

[holding answer27 June 1994]: In 1993, the United Kingdom had a trade surplus with Nigeria worth £522 million. In 1991 and 1992, the trade surplus with Nigeria was worth £295 million and £455 million respectively.As one of our major markets, Nigeria receives particular attention from my department in the key sectors of oil and gas, power generation and distribution, telecommunications, agriculture/water resources, ports management, mining equipment, railway equipment and pharmaceuticals.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of the EC Industry Council held in Luxembourg on 22 June.

The Council had a general debate on the report of the Bangemann group on Europe and the Global Information Society which has been presented to the Corfu European Council. There was welcome emphasis on the role of the private sector, liberalisation and market forces in developing the information society.Preliminary conclusions were adopted by the Council on the Commission's integrated programme in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises and the craft sector. This brings together existing measures and new proposals in favour of SME's within an overall framework. The Council agreed to complete its detailed examination of the programme by the end of the year.The Council heard a report from the Commission on the progress of the OECD negotiations on shipbuilding subsidies and emphasised the importance of concluding these in July as long as the few outstanding issues could be resolved satisfactorily.On steel, the Commission gave a progress report on the implementation of the article 95 state aid decisions approved in December 1993. In response to a request from the United Kingdom the Commission agreed to a minute statement that it would not hesitate to take action where breach of the article 95 decisions was established. The Commission also reported on progress being made with the restructuring plan for the Community's steel industry and informed the Council that, using its own powers under the steel aids code, it intended to permit Italy to give aid to assist capacity reductions among its private sector producers. The majority of the Council supported the Commission's approach. The United Kingdom was among those expressing reservations about the Commission's interpretation of the aids code, but we were able to obtain agreement to tighter conditions being attached to any aid granted. Member states will be consulted on resulting aid applications from Italy on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has on the sources within the Amazon rain forest area of the mahogany provided by Brazilian suppliers to the principal British importers.

[holding answer 24 June 1994]: There are no official sources for information on the importation of Brazilian mahogany into the United Kingdom. The information has not been available since 1992 because the United Kingdom trade classification no longer separately identifies mahogany from several other non-coniferous woods.Information on United Kingdom importing companies and Brazilian exporting companies is not available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what knowledge the Government had of the activities of Mr. William Harper, Lieutenant-Colonel Eric Matson and Mr. Michael Aspin before their conviction in 1988 for illegal arms trading; and whether the Government had relevant information about these activities which was not revealed at the trial.

[holding answer 17 June 1994]: As far as can be ascertained, my Department had no knowledge of the activities of the three men.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list each area in the United Kingdom that has been designated eligible for objective 5b status.

[holding answer 27 June 1994]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Langbaurgh (Mr. Bates) on 22 February 1994, Official Report, column 173.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if the terms of reference of the inquiry into the future of the BBC include the possibility of scrapping the BBC in its present form and the creation of a new and cheaper form of public service broadcasting.

Our consultation document on the future of the BBC, published in November 1992, set out the key issues for consideration, including the range of the BBC's programmes and services and how they should be financed. I plan to publish a White Paper shortly, setting out our proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many television licences were sold in 1993; how many unlicensed television sets were estimated to be operating in 1993; and if he will make a statement;(2) what is the estimated cost, per annum, of identifying and prosecuting people who do not have a television licence; and if he will make a statement.

Television licensing records relate to the number of licences in force, rather than the number of licences sold, and to the financial rather than the calendar year.The number of licences in force at 31 March 1994 was 20·75 million. The estimated number of households with unlicensed television sets at that date was 1.61 million, and the estimated number with a black and white licence but a colour set was 570,700. The cost to the BBC of identifying and prosecuting television licence evaders in 1993–94 was £15·9 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will now make a statement on the future of the BBC charter.

I plan to publish a White Paper very shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) if he will publish for each county in Wales, for each local authority in Wales and for Wales as a whole the numbers of people (a) able to claim concessions to their television licence fee and (b) currently claiming such concessions to their television licence in respect of being registered blind or partially sighted;(2) what was the level of television licence fee for colour television users in each of the past 10 years; and what was the level of television licence fee concession paid to blind or partially blind people in the past 10 years.

[holding answer 27 June 1994]: From March 1985 to March 1988 the colour television licence fee was £58. Since then, the fee has been increased annually each April as follows:

Year	£
1988	62·50
1989	66·00
1990	71·00
1991	77·00
1992	80·00
1993	83·00
1994	84·50

The reduction in the television licence fee for registered blind people has remained at £1·25 since separate radio licences were abolished in 1971.I understand that the number of registered blind people in Wales at March 1993 was 9,595. It is not known how many of these own a television set. The number of people in Wales claiming the reduction for registered blind people is not available as records are not held in this form. Registered partially sighted people are not entitled to a reduction on their television licence fee on account of being partially sighted.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, (f) Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Ker Forster for (i) privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services since his Department was created.

Since my Department was established in April 1992, it has let contracts to the consultants listed as shown in the chart.In addition, my Department has awarded a call-off contract to Touche Ross for audit services to be provided to its sponsored bodies. It has no minimum or maximum value and payment takes place between the sponsored body and Touche Ross.

Consultancy Description	Purpose1	Value (£000's)
(a) Coopers and Lybrand
Review of Schools Library Services	vi	43·94
Innovation workshop in preparation for DNH National Seminar	vii	1·76
(b) KPMG Peat Marwick
Evaluation Review of the European Co-production Fund	iii and vi	26·14
Evaluation Review of British Screen Finance	iii and vi	48·41
Study of contracting out in English public library authorities	vi	57·68
Assistance in preparation of DNH Performance Appraisal system	iii and vi	80·00
3 separate computer projects on behalf of The Royal Parks agency	vi	50·49
(c) Ernst and Young
Review of market testing in the British Library	ii and vi	36·00
Review of facilities management in 16 museums and galleries
Phase 1	iii and vi	4·50
Phase 2	iii and vi	60·00
Audit Services	v	11·00
Feasibility study into the development of a computerised database of the statutory list of historic buildings	iii and vi	62·00
(d) Price Waterhouse
Review of the Arts Council	iii and vi	53·00
Financial audit of British Library Project following privatisation of PSA	v	131
(e) Arthur Anderson
Nil	—	—
(f) Touche Ross
TV Licence Fee consultancy to assess the BBC's revenue gains and advise on the level of fee for the next 3 years	vi	207·90
Management Review of the National Film and Television School	iii and vi	16·85
(g) Grant Thornton
Nil	—	—
(h) Robson Rhodes
Nil	—	—
(i) Parnell Kerr Forster
Nil	—	—
1 (i) Privatisation.
(ii) Market testing.
(iii) Management advice.
(iv) Accounting.
(v) Audit.
(vi) Consultancy.
(vii) Other services.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what Government resources are allocated via museum bodies to assist with annual running costs of any museum; and what policy is used to determine such allocations.

My Department's grant in aid to the Museums and Galleries Commission includes £1·02 million in 1994–95 towards the cost of supporting the Tyne and Wear museum service. My Department gives no other assistance towards the running costs of museums other than those museums it funds directly.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what decisions his Department has taken in respect of TECs over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's involvement with TECs over the same period.

My Department has taken no decisions in respect of TECs. The Department's only involvement has been to invite the appropriate TEC to attend each of the regional conferences which we are holding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions will be held shortly between the World bank and the Government of Kenya about support for Kenya.

The World bank will be meeting donors and the Government of Kenya on 20 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the task force on project quality in the African development bank.

Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the work of the know-how fund.

The know-how fund, Britain's programme of bilateral technical assistance to central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, now covers 24 countries in the region. Disbursements for 1993–94 were in the region of £61 million. A list of projects has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Somali refugees in Yemen caught up in the civil war; and what efforts are being made by the United Nations and humanitarian organisations to take assistance to the Somali refugees.

There have been reports of over 170 fatalities and many more wounded in the Al Koud camp, east of Aden. Following negotiations with both parties to the conflict, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees evacuated the remaining refugees to safe areas. There is concern for the safety of Somali refugees in Aden itself. UNHCR is discussing with the local authorities the possibility of moving them to another location in Yemen.To date the United Kingdom has responded by contributing £100,000 to the ICRC appeal and a further United States $50,000 has been chanelled through the International Organisation for Migration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his Department's involvement with TECs.

The Cabinet Office Office of Public Service and Science is involved with TECs in a number of ways.First, it has made itself known to all TECs as the recognised industry training organisation for the civil service. It has adopted this role in support of its objective to encourage and support Departments and agencies in meeting the national targets for education and training. This role is publicised to TECs through guides issued by the National Council for Industry Training Organisations, of which the Cabinet Office (OPSS) is a member.Secondly, the Cabinet Office organised seminars in London, Leeds, Cardiff and Edinburgh during 1993 as part of the programme of active support for the achievement of Investors in People across the civil service. The local TEC, or local enterprise company in the case of Edinburgh, was closely involved in the planning of each seminar, was consulted on likely local interest and supplied a speaker on each occasion.Finally, in terms of domestic involvement with TECs, different parts of the Department have or will have direct contact with their local TEC as they make progress with their own commitment to the Investors in People initiative.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what limitations are placed on individuals employed in the civil service regarding campaigning to change the Child Support Act 1991.

No specific rules or guidance have been issued on campaigning to change the Child Support Act 1991. Departments and agencies that have responsibilities under the Act may, however, require their staff to avoid public comment on Government policy in this area in accordance with chapter 4 of the personnel management section of the civil service management code.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-European Union nationals are working for the British civil service in Europe.

All officials working in the EC institutions, including those on secondment from the United Kingdom civil service, work for those institutions. There are non-European Union nationals working for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Europe and for the United Kingdom civil service in this country, but their numbers could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is the Government's policy on answering under the citizens charter questions from members of the public concerning Government policy and its effect where the information can be obtained from the Central Statistical Office databank on payment to an outside contractor.

The Government's policy under the citizens charter of extending access to official information is supported by the code of practice on access to Government information. The code does not, however, require Departments to provide information which is provided as part of an existing charged service other than through that service. Any data on the CSO databank can be obtained directly from the CSO as well as from outside contractors.

1989–90 Number of contracts per firm per category
	Gen. MGT CON.	IT.	Privatisation (Includes Market Testing)	Next steps (includes prior option studies)
Coopers and Lybrand	33	44	2	0
KPMG Peat Marwick	13	1	0	0
Ernst and Young	18	0	0	0
Price Waterhouse	24	1	1	0
Arthur Andersen	0	0	0	0
Touche Ross	24	3	5	0
Grant Thornton	0	0	0	0
Robson Rhodes	0	0	0	0
Pannell Kerr Forster	0	0	0	0
Contracts Total	112	49	8	0

Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,239,941.

1990–91 Number of contracts per firm per category
	Gen. MGT CON.	IT.	Privatisation (Includes Market Testing)	Next steps (includes prior option studies)
Coopers and Lybrand	28	29	1	1
KPMG Peat Marwick	7	1	0	0
Ernst and Young	14	1	0	0
Price Waterhouse	28	1	0	0
Arthur Andersen	0	0	0	0
Touche Ross	5	0	0	0
Grant Thornton	0	0	0	0
Robson Rhodes	0	0	0	0
Pannell Kerr Forster	0	0	0	0
Contracts Total	82	32	1	1

Total amount of spend by 9 listed Consultancy groups £2,200,062.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by county the amount of European Union arable subsidy received for the latest year for which figures are available; and what were the figures for each of the past four years.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 14 June, Official Report, columns 448–50. The arable area payments scheme was introduced in 1992 and first payments were made in 1993. There are no comparable figures for previous years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many contracts and for what total sum were let out by his Department and agencies for which it is responsible to (a) Coopers and Lybrand, (b) KPMG Peat Marwick, (c) Ernst and Young, (d) Price Waterhouse, (e) Arthur Andersen, (f) Touche Ross, (g) Grant Thornton, (h) Robson Rhodes and (i) Pannell Kerr Forster for (i) privatisation, (ii) market testing, (iii) management advice, (iv) accounting, (v) audit, (vi) consultancy and (vii) other services in (1) 1980 to 1983, (2) 1984 to 1987, (3) 1988 to 1991 and (4) 1992–93.

It is not possible to provide the information except at disproportionate cost. Figures are available, however, on a financial year basis, from 1989 under the categories of general management consultancy, information technology, privatisation—including market testing, and next steps agencies—including prior options studies, and are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the role in the Province of the obscene publications branch of Scotland Yard.

The obscene publications branch of New Scotland Yard has no operational role in Northern Ireland. Criminal investigations into breaches of the obscenity laws are a matter for the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have died from skin cancern in Northern Ireland in each year since 1979.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for the last financial year the number of spot checks carried out on heavy goods vehicles, the number of immediate prohibitions, delayed prohibitions and defect notices issued.

The table gives the information for roadworthiness spot checks.

1993–94
	Number
Heavy Goods Vehicles and HGV Trailers	134,266
Immediate Prohibitions	8,951
Delayed Prohibitions	10,068
Defect Notices	18,206

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what studies his Department has commissioned into the effect on traffic congestion of the use by heavy goods vehicles of the inside three lanes on four-lane motorways;(2) what discussions he has had with motoring organisations regarding the use by heavy goods vehicles of the inside three lanes on four-lane motorways.

I have commissioned no specific studies of the use made by heavy goods vehicles of different lanes on four-lane motorways nor have I consulted motoring organisations on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission vehicles for public transport services; and if he will make a statement;(2) what plans he has to promote the use of low or zero-emission public transport service vehicles to improve air quality in cities; and if he will make a statement.

There are no plans to promote low or zero-emission vehicles specifically for public transport services. However, the Department of Transport, in recognition of the contribution that motor vehicles make to urban pollution, will continue to set increasingly stringent emission standards for all motor vehicle categories. We are also conducting research to evaluate the role that alternative fuels and control technologies could play in minimising vehicle emissions.Last March, I announced a £1·2 million collaborative project involving the Departments of Transport, Trade and Industry, and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to trial alternative fuels. This project will compare panel vans and urban buses using compressed natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, electricity and biodiesel with conventional fuels. Sixteen buses are being converted using funds exceeding £200,000 from local authority budgets, £116,000 of which was allocated by the Department of Transport.In parallel studies, the Department is assessing the effectiveness of various emission control technologies, including particulate traps, that could also help achieve lower emissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to complete his investigation of the facts presented to him by the chief inspector of marine accidents following receipts of the evidence and footage from Oceaneering Technologies in respect of the wreck of the Derbyshire, and if he will make a statement.

It is too early to say when the examination of the material by the marine accident investigation branch will be complete to enable the chief inspector to be in a position to advise my right hon. Friend on the course of action which should be followed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received British Rail's report on automatic train protection; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Bob Reid has sent my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State a report setting out the results of the BR's work evaluating the technical trials, costs and benefits of ATP systems. No decisions have yet been taken on implementation. My right hon. Friend has asked the Health and Safety Commission and Railtrack for their views on the report. The HSC's advice is expected in the autumn.The report's findings will be made available by Railtrack in the next few weeks. Copies of the report will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what directions he has given to the Franchising Director in respect of payment of subsidy, where services do not operate.

My right hon. Friend has given no directions to the Franchising Director on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fires have occurred (a) on London Underground property and (b) in London Underground stations in each of the last 10 years; which stations they were in; and how many of them involved escalators.

[holding answer 27 June 1994]: The information is not held in the form requested. Figures are readily available only from 1990 onwards, and are not held for individual stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration his Department gives to value-for-money performance indicators for transport safety measures; and what research has been undertaken by his Department into such indicators.

[holding answer 27 June 1994]: My Department strongly supports the use of value-for-money criteria in the consideration of transport safety measures and the need for systematic assessment of costs and benefits in the introduction of safety legislation. A range of research has been commissioned by the Department into the valuation of safety benefits, particularly in relation to road safety. The public transport operators also commission research in which the Department takes a close interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions officials of his Department have had with the National Audit Office concerning value-for-money performance indicators for transport safety measures.

[holding answer 27 June 1994]: Officials from my Department participated in the National Audit Office seminar in July 1993 and have more recently had a number of informal discussions on performance measures for transport safety.