To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for the last five years the locations of any coastguard stations which have been closed.

In the last five years the following coastguard rescue centres have been closed: Peterhead in 1989 and Ramsey in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what additional works would be necessary to accommodate on the Ironbridge spanning the River Lea, on the A13 at Canning Town, the eight traffic lines of the adjacent Canning Town flyover at its slip roads.

As this is an operational matter for the Highways Agency, I have asked the chief executive of the agency to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provision his Department has made in its 1994–95 budget for increased site security on its construction projects.

This question relates to the 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 action he has taken to review the regulations concerning the adequacy of the attachments between the main hulls and opening bow doors of roll-on-roll off vessels, other than those part of or related to their hinge or lifting mechanisms; and under what current International Maritime Organisation requirements such doors and their fittings are constructed.

An urgent precautionary examination of the operating, locking and securing mechanism of all bow doors on roll-on-roll-off passenger ferries is being carried out. If that evaluation or any other evidence shows that the requirements are inadequate then a review of the regulations will be undertaken. Regulations 10, 20, and 23–2 of chapter II-1 of the international convention on the safety of life at sea 1974, and regulation 1 of the international convention on load lines 1966, apply to bow doors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take action to ascertain the proportion of private cars moving on the M25, at (a) normal and (b) peak flows where overall costs are met, in whole or in part, by means other than the taxable income of their owners or drivers.

This information is not available from the Department's travel survey data in the form requested. Relevant statistical information on company assistance with travel is available from both the 1991 London area travel survey and the national travel survey. In both cases, however, information is collected from household surveys and is generally used in the form of percentages of persons or households receiving such assistance.The LATS survey results enable the identification of company car trips using the M25 during the course of the trip, but only for cars owned by London residents, who account for a third of car driver trips using the M25. This cannot be converted into proportion of M25 traffic flows. There are no current plans to collect this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the research conducted by the Transport Research Laboratory into the effectiveness of side-impact bars in motor vehicles.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: The Transport Research Laboratory presented papers on its extensive work on side impact at several conferences between 1987 and 1989. None related specifically to side impact bars but a very stiff-sided car was tested and was not found to be the best solution. I will arrange for copies to be sent to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the Government's policy in respect of maximising the underused capacity of Stansted airport.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: The Government wish to see best use made of Stansted's capacity by airlines able and willing to use the airport. There are substantial traffic rights for flights to and from Stansted, but decisions on which services to provide must be a question for airlines based on their own commercial judgment. The Government recently announced that they were opening up Stansted further to transatlantic flights by United Kingdom and United States airlines to any point in the US.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make available the consultation document entitled "Civil Enclave at RAF Northolt" and other related statements relating to the facilities and possible wider civil use of RAF Northolt to the inspector who is conducting the inquiry into the application by the British Airports Authority for an additional terminal at Heathrow;(2) if he will publish the consultation document entitled "Civil Enclave at RAF Northolt";(3) to whom the consultation document entitled "Civil Enclave at RAF Northolt" has been circulated and made available.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: The consultation document on a civil enclave at RAF Northolt was circulated to business aviation interests who expressed an interest in use of RAF Northolt, and to business aviation organisations. It was made available to all other interested parties for information and a copy of the document was placed in the House Library. The consultation period ended on 19 August.If the inspector at the terminal 5 inquiry considers it relevant, my Department will naturally provide a copy of the consultation document.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) pursuant to his answer of 6 July, Official Report, column 256, if the Minister's letter on the subject to the chief executive of Manchester airport of 14 July was drafted before the parliamentary reply; what representations there have been from Manchester airport about the Minister's letter; and if he will make a statement;(2) when he now expects to respond to the third report of the Transport Committee HC (1993–94) 47 in regard to liberalising access to Manchester airport and other airports outside the south-east of England; and if he will make a statement;(3) what further representations his Department has had from the chief executive of Manchester airport in regard to liberalising access to the airport; what action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: I have written to the right hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are currently employed by (a) the Driving Standards Agency, (b) the Vehicle Inspectorate, (c) the Transport Research Laboratory, (d) the Coastguard Agency and (e) the Marine Safety Agency; and how many jobs have been lost in each of those agencies in each year since 1979.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: Figures for manpower in each year since the agency concerned was set up are shown in table A 1.2.2 of "Transport Report 1994".

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to paragraph 13 of his departmental explanatory memorandum to the proposal COM (94) 106 of the Commission of the European Economic Community for a system for trans-European transport networks under which article of the treaties, under which voting rules, and in which Council of Ministers decision will be made as to the level of financial support for particular parts of the designated networks.

[holding answer 21 July 1994]: Financial support for projects on the trans-European transport network may be provided under a number of existing Community instruments, including the structural and cohesion funds, where appropriate, and via the European Investment bank and European investment fund, as well as from national Government and private sector sources. Specific provision for the funding of projects of common interest on the network was made in article 129c of the treaty on European union. Under this provision the Commission has put forward a draft financing regulation covering projects in the telecommunications and energy sectors as well as transport. This is now under consideration in the Council. As currently proposed, voting in the Committee of Member States to be established by the regulation, and where necessary in the Council, would be by qualified majority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action his Department is currently taking to survey (i) road directional signs and (ii) other road signs in relation to their condition and clarity on (a) motorways, (b) other trunk roads and (c) other roads; and if he will make a statement.

As this is now an operational matter for the Highways Agency, the chief executive will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, column 479, what is the average costs assessed by his Department of (a) building one mile of new dual carriageway trunk road, (b) building one mile of new single carriageway trunk road, (c) equipping one mile of dual carriageway trunk road with safety barriers, (d) equipping one mile of single carriageway trunk road with safety barriers, (e) equipping one mile of dual carriageway trunk road with lighting, (e) equipping one mile single carriageway trunk road with lighting, (g) a single case of serious injury requiring temporary hospitalisation caused by a road accident, (h) a single case of serious injury requiring permanent hospitalisation caused by a road accident and (i) a single case of death caused by a road accident; and if he will make a statement.

This question relates 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 if he will list those sites of special scientific interest which fall within section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in respect of which he has informed the Nature Conservation Agency of road building proposals.

This question relates to the 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 how many times repairs and works have been carried out on that section of the Al known as the Doncaster bypass during the last 10 years; and on which dates disruption to traffic flows was necessitated.

This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency and I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has (a) to modify or amend the Gas Acts that require gas undertakings to maintain a specified standard of service and safety and (b) to make changes to the standards themselves.

The Government intend, subject to the availability of parliamentary time, to introduce legislation to provide the basis for the new regulatory system for gas supply to come into operation by April 1996.We envisage requiring all gas suppliers to adhere to certain core standards of service. These would include codes of practice for providing special services for older and disabled customers, debt and disconnection procedures and the provision of energy efficiency advice. Safety procedures are separately regulated by the Health and Safety Commission.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the designated shipyards which are able to seek financial assistance by way of the European Community's seventh directive and the shipbuilding intervention fund;(2) if he will list the United Kingdom shipyards which have received financial assistance by way of the European Community's seventh directive on the shipbuilding intervention fund since 1 January 1993; what were the amounts paid to each yard; and if he will make a statement.

To be eligible for shipbuilding intervention fund assistance, a yard must be a merchant shipbuilder and have built merchant ships of 100 gross registered tonnes or more during the three years prior to the date of an application. There is no designated list of eligible yards, but certain yards designated as warship yards and sold by British Shipbuilders prior to 1987 are excluded from assistance. DTI Ministers obtained the European Commission's approval exceptionally for intervention funding for the Swan Hunter warship yard for the construction of commercial vessels.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what level of support he has offered the West of England development agency.

I am pleased to announce that in addition to the grants for the regional development organisations announced on 17 March and 17 April, I offered on 26 August £100,000 of grant in aid to the new West of England development agency for its overseas inward investment activities, covering the west of England—Avon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. The grant in aid is linked to the performance of specific inward investment promotion activities on behalf of the Invest in Britain bureau.The West of England development agency is an initiative by the West of England Partnership to establish for the first time an inward investment agency for the West of England. The centre is being set up with support from county economic partnerships of Avon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire, covering local authorities, training and enterprise councils, chambers of commerce, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trade Union Congress and the private sector, and my Department. Its aims are to attract inward investment on behalf of the five counties and to promote the west of England to enhance economic prosperity throughout the region.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set his Department's radiocommunications agency for 1994–95.

The targets I have set my Department's radiocommunications agency for 1994–95 appear on pages 13 and 14 of its annual reports and accounts for 1993–94, which were laid before the House yesterday.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what targets he has set his Department's accounts services agency for 1994–95.

On 11 February 1994, Official Report, columns 505-6, my hon. Friend, the Minister for Industry and Energy announced that the services provided to the Department by its accounts services agency were to be contracted out. To ensure that it has a range of targets to focus on whilst this process is being completed, I have set it the following targets for 1994–95. They also appear in the agency's annual report and accounts for 1993–94 which were laid before the House on 13 July 1994 (HC523):

To continue to recover its full costs from income for customer work;

To fulfil its operational commitments without calling on the Department to provide a net cash requirement in vote terms;

To achieve a 4 per cent. unit cost reduction over last year based on a mix of services that are provided. The percentage reduction achieved by 30 September to be at least two per cent.;

To make 97 per cent. of all payments within three working days of receipt of the authorisation to pay;

To bank all cheques within 36 hours of receipt by the agency, with at least 75 per cent. of cheques being banked within eight hours of receipt.

At the end of each month to ensure that all notified transactions are properly recorded on the Department's financial management information system by the start of the fifth working day of the following month; that operating statements are produced and despatched by the start of the sixth working day of the following month.

In addition, I expect the chief executive of the agency to continue to reply within 10 working days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects aimed at preventing domestic violence to be funded by the Home

	Imported Coal1		Natural Gas
	Thousand tonnes	Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent2	Million therms	Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent2
1983	471	270	83	210
1993	4,652	2,780	3,021	7,610
1These figures include an estimate of coal imported by autogenerators.
2A tonne of oil equivalent is defined as 107 kilocalories or 397 therms.

Estimates of the employment effects of fuel switching by the electricity industry between 1983 and 1993 are not available. The March 1993 White Paper, "The Prospects for Coal: Conclusions of the Government's Coal Review" noted, in paragraph 5.14:"Over time, as the economy adjusts and redundant workers find new employment, the loss of jobs from pit closures would be broadly matched by compensating developments elsewhere. New jobs might be in different industries, and to some extent in different areas, but overall employment would return broadly to its previous level".

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the sums of financial compensation paid to former members of the armed services who were judged by industrial tribunals to have been dismissed unfairly because of their pregnancies; and what was the commissioned or non-commissioned status of those women who have received these sums of money.

Up to 4 October, 121 payments totalling £3,300,000 have been made to seven officers-average Office programme development unit over the next three years; and the amount of funding to be given in each case.

Domestic violence projects currently receiving funding from the programme development unit are listed. The unit's programme for 1995–98 has not been decided.

Current projects	3-year grant
Leeds Inter-Agency Project, to November 95	£277,000
Islington Domestic Violence Matters, to September 95	£330,300
Lewisham SAVE Elder Abuse, to December 95	£106,000
Keighley Youth Education Project, to August 95	£36,000

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the amount of natural gas and imported coal respectively, expressed in units of volume or weight, and heat used in the United Kingdom in 1983 for the generation of electricity together with the amounts in 1993; and what is the estimate in respect of the difference in heat units used and the consequent loss of direct and indirect employment.

[holding answer 17 October 1994]: The amounts of imported coal and natural gas used to generate electricity in the UK are as follows:£43,665—and 114 other ranks—average £25,577—as a result of industrial tribunal decisions on compensation for dismissal on the ground of pregnancy. However, tribunal awards represent only a small proportion of the 2,745 pregnancy claims which have so far been settled at an overall average of about £10,000—all ranks.The appeals lodged previously by my Department have resulted in the issue of helpful guidance by the Employment Appeals Tribunal. The indications are that tribunals are now making lower levels of award.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the Defence Clothing and Textile Authority.

The Defence Clothing and Textile Authority, comprising some 540 staff, is currently located at seven main sites across the country. Following an examination of the business structure of the DCTA and investment appraisal, it has been concluded that collocation on a single site will allow the introduction of new business methods. The resulting efficiencies should lead to a streamlined structure and savings of up to 117 posts.I have therefore decided to accept, as the basis for consultation with the trades unions and other interested parties, the recommendation that staff from the existing sites be collocated on one site at Caversfield, Bicester, currently part of the RAF Bicester site. Final decisions will be taken only in the light of representations made during the consultation period. A copy of the consultative document is being placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) voluntary and (b) paid blood donations were made in each year since 1990; and how many in each category were used as (i) blood and (ii) plasma.

This country is self-sufficient in blood obtained from our voluntary, unpaid donors and we do not obtain supplies from other sources. The last year for which complete information is available centrally about the number and usage of voluntary donations is 1993. Complete information is not available centrally for earlier years.In 1993 there were a total of 2,312,000 donations of whole blood and 120,000 plasmapheresis donations.An individual donation may be put to a number of uses as a number of components may be derived from it. In 1993 the figures for the use of donations were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether current laws affecting the employment of children are detrimental to their education or wider social development.

I believe the existing legislative framework provides sufficient protection to children who work but if the hon. Lady has evidence to the contrary I hope that she will write to us about any example of this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate which departmental publications are currently available (a) in Braille, (b) in large print and (c) on tape; and if he will indicate what efforts have been made by his Department to inform visually impaired people about the availability of publications in alternative formats to normal print.

Publications currently available from my Department in large format print, audio tape and Braille are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to (a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information amongst visually impaired people.

For the period referred to the Department spent a total of £68,224 including VAT and all levies, on the production and distribution of public information in formats suitable for use by the visually impaired. A breakdown for each financial year is not available. This figure includes any costs associated with publicising the availability of this information through the appropriate agencies and voluntary bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent information assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the international ban on trade in elephant products, including ivory, in reducing poaching in Africa.

There is general agreement that elephant poaching declined significantly in a number of African countries following the 1989 decision to ban international trade in elephant products and that the ban made an important contribution to this decline, though it was not the only factor.The latest position appears to be less encouraging. Poaching of the rhinoceros has continued and, in some places, grown in intensity during the same period even though there is a ban on international trade in rhino products. A study being carried out in nine African elephant range states, covering all the African regions, by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources African elephant specialist group and TRAFFIC International should give the most up-to-date assessment on illegal killing of elephants. A report is expected shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response he has made to the Latham report on the construction industry; and if he will make a statement.

I refer to hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar) on 17 October, Official Report, column 19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what proposals for provisions in the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill he is bringing forward on market franchise rights.

Following the decision to withdraw the then clauses 22, 23 and 24 on market franchise rights from the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill, my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Industry expressed the hope that the Government would be able to come forward at a later stage with fresh proposals on the deregulation of market franchise rights, which enjoyed a widespread measure of support among interested parties.The Government remain of the view that the common law on market franchise rights is antiquated. Interested parties do not dispute that the law needs revision, but say that any review would need to be more considered.In view, however, of the very short time remaining for consideration of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Bill in Parliament, the Government are not intending to make changes to existing law in the context of the current Bill.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes to the memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and United States authorities in financial services have taken place following the transfer of some Government financial services functions from the Department of Trade and Industry to Her Majesty's Treasury.

The signatories to the memorandum of understanding between the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry and Securities and Investments Board considered that a revision to the procedures on communication between the United Kingdom and United States authorities was required. It was not, however, necessary to amend the MoU to accomplish this. Instead, an undertaking was made by all parties to the MoU on 29 April 1994 that the necessary procedural changes would be made and that the parties to the MoU intend to co-operate fully under the MoU.Copies of the memorandum of understanding have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the stock of United Kingdom net overseas assets and the interest and dividend income from those assets for each year since 1979; and if he will explain any sudden or large variation in these figures.

[holding answer 17 October 1994]: Figures for the stock of United Kingdom net overseas assets and the interest and dividend income from those assets are published in the CSO publication, "The Pink Book 1994", available through HMSO. They are also available from the CSO database, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library. The net figures are the difference between two very large numbers, each of which can be measured only imperfectly and are subject to a number of variations. Several factors contribute to these variations, including exchange rate fluctuations, changes in prices, interest rate movements, and domestic and overseas profitability.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make a statement on the achievements of (a) her policies and (b) her Department in helping small businesses over the last 12 months as against the previous 12 months; if she will publish the performance indicators by which her Department monitors those achievements and the statistical results of such monitoring; and if she will set out her targets to help small businesses in the next year.

The Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the United Kingdom economy. Government help small firms by keeping inflation and interest rates low and by reducing legislation and administrative burdens. They also provide direct assistance where appropriate and are currently establishing a network of business links to provide high quality business support across the country.This Department has continued to contribute significantly to the process. For example:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 11 July, Official Report, column 446, what action she is taking to ensure that the laws governing the import of live animals are rigorously adhered to.

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing animal health and welfare legislation in Great Britain in respect of imported animals. In addition, the state veterinary service is conducting a significant number of checks on imported animals at their final destinations and continues to monitor imports at south and east coast ports on a regular basis.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to (a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information among visually impaired people.

As part of its wider "Foodsense" campaign, MAFF has spent £23,000 since 1993 on producing information in' alternative formats for visually impaired

Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee
Member	Commercial interests		Non commercial interests
	Name of company	Nature of interest	Name of company	Nature of interest
Dr. D. A. J. Tyrrell, Chairmam	Reckitt and Colman	Consultant	None	None
	Smith Kiline Beecham	PEP shareholder
	Procter and Gamble	Editorial work
Dr. R. G. Will, Deputy Chairman	None	None	Department of Health	Grant Holder
			Scottish Home and Health Dept.	Grant Holder
Prof. I. Allen	None	None	Multiple Sclerosis Society	Grant Holder
Prof. F. Brown	None	None	None	None
Dr. W. D. Hueston	None	None	None	None
Dr. R. H. Kimberlin	Petfood Industry (World-wide)	Adviser	European commission	Adviser
	Pharmaceutical Industry (World-Wide)	Adviser	Meat and Livestock Commission	Adviser
			United Nations (Food and Agriculture) Dept.	Adviser
			Office International des Epizooties	Adviser
			National Governments in Europe, Americas and	Adviser
			Australasia
			World Health	Adviser
			Organisation
Mr. D. B. Pepper	Veterinary	Freelance consultant	None	None
	Pharmaceutical Industry
	Veterinary Defence Society Ltd.	Claims Consultant
Dr. W. A. Watson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether the members of the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee are required to declare their commercial and non-commercial interests;(2) if she will publish the commercial and non-commercial interests of the members of the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 17 May Official Report, column 446, for what reason members of the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee are not required to provide details of consultancies held; and how this practice differs from that applied to other advisory committees for which she is responsible.

[holding answer 19 July 1994]: Members of the spongiform encephalopathy advisory committee are appointed for their relevant experience and scientific expertise in this very specialised field. Appointments are made in accordance with the information set out in "Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NCPBs): A Guide to Departments". Members are not required to declare their commercial and non-commercial interests as this is a scientific advisory committee with no trading or financial objectives. However, in the interests of open Government the members of SEAC have been asked for this information and the interests declared are listed in the following table:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was spent in each European Union country in £ sterling, and what was the take-up in hectares, in 1993 on (a) the set-aside part of the arable area payments scheme or its equivalent and (b) set-aside measures introduced prior to the common agricultural policy reform of May 1992; and if she will make a statement.

[pursuant to the reply, 4 July 1994, c. 29-30]: I wish to clarify the figures given for expenditure on the five-year set-aside scheme. First, the payment figures, which were the latest available at the time of reply, relate to payments made between October and December 1993 and do not necessarily reflect payments made on all land set-aside under the scheme during 1993, as payments are made at different periods in different member states. Secondly, the payment figures given for five-year set-aside represent the element of member states' total payments which is funded by the EU. This is approximately 60 per cent. of total payments. Figures for total payments are not available. In the case of the arable area payments scheme, the majority of payments in all member states were made by the end of December and are 100 per cent. EU funded, so the figures given more closely reflect total expenditure. The updated figures show EU-funded expenditure under both schemes up to April 1994.

Arable Area Payments Scheme
Member State	Area Set Aside ('000 ha)	Payments 1('000 ccu)	Sterling Equivalent (rounded) (£'000)
Belgium	19	6,399	4,880
Denmark	205	57,483	43,833
Fed Rep of Germany	1,063	321,394	245,077
Greece	17	2,683	2,046
Spain	909	135,908	103,636
France	1,589	517,023	394,253
Republic of Ireland	24	—	—
Italy	207	39,973	30,481
Luxembourg	2	395	301
Netherlands	8	2,754	2,100
Portugal	78	6,435	4,907
United Kingdom	556	169,948	129,593
Total	4,674	1,260,395	961,107
1Ecu/hectare payment rates are based on historical regional yields and are different in each member states.

Five Year Set-Aside Scheme
Member State	Area Set Aside ('000 ha)	Payments ('000 ecu)	Sterling Equivalent(rounded) (£'000)
Belgium	1	195	149
Denmark	7	-2	-1.5
Fed Rep of Germany	415	83,043	63,324
Greece	1	—	—
Spain	95	6,534	4,982
France	214	9,876	7,531
Republic of Ireland	2	210	160
Italy	639	171,169	130,524

Member State	Area Set Aside ('000 ha)	Payments ('000 ecu)	Sterling Equivalent(rounded) (£'000)
Luxembourg	—	15	11
Netherlands	15	3,133	2,389
Portugal	—	—	—
United Kingdom	133	19,721	15,038
Total	1,522	293,895	224,107

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenses were incurred for security purposes during official opening of the Shannon-Erne waterway on 23 May in the presence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Foreign Affairs Minister from the Irish Republic.

The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many women aged between 60 and 65 years have had the suspension of their invalidity benefit lifted on the grounds of hardship since the Government challenged the decision made by a social security commissioner in the case of Mrs. Graham; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Social Security Agency under its chief executive Mr. Alex Wylie. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been expended in each of the last five years on (a) extensions to the water mains reticulation system, (b) improvements to the existing system, (c) new sewage treatment plants and (d) improvements to existing sewage treatment plants; what are the sums available for each such purpose in the current year; what are his projections for the next two years.

The information is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make available copies of the follow-up report of the audit review group.

I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Lord President of the Council when he expects to publish the results of the review of the Government's strategy for tackling the misuse of drugs.

With my right hon. and learned Friend and Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and for Education, and my hon. Friend the Paymaster General, I intend to publish tomorrow a Green Paper entitled, "Tackling Drugs Together". Copies will be available in the Vote Office from 10.30 a.m.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Commonwealth Development Corporation has been authorised to operate in additional countries.

Following a request from the corporation, approval has been given for the CDC to operate in El Salvador. In accordance with strategic targets agreed in the recent quinquennial review, CDC will aim to give priority to projects in the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if clients of the Child Support Agency have access to all the information kept on them.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the Child Support Agency keeps credit ratings on clients.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many persons are employed by the Independent Tribunal Service in Scotland; and what is the current Scottish caseload for (a) disability living allowance and (b) attendance allowance and industrial injury appeal cases.

I am informed by the president of the Independent Tribunal Service, his honour judge Bassingthwaighte, that he employs 103 administration and six judicial staff full time in Scotland. In addition, there are 450 tribunal chairmen and members paid on a sessional basis. It is not possible to provide separate caseload figures for disability living allowance and attendance allowance. However, I am informed that at 30 September 1994 the caseload for the two benefits combined was 2,365 and for industrial injuries was 800.

To ask the Secretary of Stale for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the annual rent of the hemicycle building rented by the European Parliament in Brussels; how often the Parliament met there in 1993; and how often it will meet there in 1994.

The European Parliament does not rent the hemicycle, which is part of a building in the Espace Leopold complex. In 1992, the European Parliament signed a contract for a long lease on a complex of three buildings to be constructed, with an option to purchase. The total estimated investment cost under the contract is approximately 1 billion ecu£775 million,—before amortisation. The lease on each building is to run 27 years from the date of its handover. For the first 20 years of the lease on each building, Parliament has to pay, in 20 equal annuities and by half-yearly instalments, the amount necessary to amortise the final investment cost over that period. For the final seven years of each lease, the European Parliament will pay 1 ecu per year. The annual budget payment for the building containing the hemicycle is 13·9 mecu—£10·5 million.The European Parliament met there three times in 1993, and will meet there four times in 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the rental of the new building being rented in Strasbourg by the European Parliament.

The European Parliament signed a contract with the city of Strasbourg authorities on 31 March 1994 for a new complex on a similar basis with option to purchase to the Espace Leopold complex in Brussels. The annual cost is estimated at 46 mecu–00A3;34·7 million—which is planned to start fully in 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to (a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information among visually impaired people;(2) if he will indicate which departmental publications are currently available

Considerable efforts are directed to making travel advice and other information available to the public on the telephone. It is not possible separately to identify the cost of those services specifically targeted at visually impaired people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Latest estimate of the number of non-Cypriots resident in (a) the Greek southern sector of Cyprus and (b) the Turkish northern sector of Cyprus.

The latest figures supplied by the Statistics Office of the Republic of Cyprus show the non-Cypriot population of the Government-controlled area to be 21,500. There are no reliable figures available for the number of non-Cypriots resident in the northern part of Cyprus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom is still a guarantor power for the Republic of Cyprus.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has concerning defence industrial production in Russia; and if he will make a statement.

Russian defence industrial production has fallen sharply in recent years. We estimate that production of light armoured fighting vehicles dropped from some 4,500 in 1989 to 300 in 1993. Production of tanks is estimated to have dropped from 1,700 in 1989 to 200 last year; of fighters and bombers from 525 to 110; and of missiles from 130 to 40. I have placed a more detailed breakdown, with figures for the intervening years, in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will make it his policy that the distribution of lottery funds by the new United Kingdom Sports Council will not be limited to applications which promote the pursuit of excellence.

We have proposed that the new English Sports Council will target its grant-in-aid more effectively in direct support to the governing bodies of sport and on services in support of sporting excellence. The purposes, on or connected with sport, to which the present Great Britain Sports Council, and, in time, its English successor, may apply national lottery funds under the National Lottery Act 1993 are unaffected by these proposals. We do not propose that the United Kingdom Sports Council should be national lottery distributor but it will offer expert advice on applications of United Kingdom importance.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage whether he now expects local authorities to promote mass participation in sport.

I would expect local authorities to continue to encourage sporting and recreational opportunities for the public at large as they always have done.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what extra resources will be allocated to local authorities to enable them to develop alternative mechanisms following the disbandment of the regional councils for sport and recreation.

Our proposal is that the present formal linkage between the regional councils for sport and recreation and the regional offices of the Sports Council should cease and we shall no longer make appointments to the regional councils. Local authorities will want to decide for the future, with other regional interests, how to develop and deliver wider regional leisure strategies and how any such future machinery should be funded.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many times during the 1993–94 Session information requested in parliamentary questions has been refused on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

My Department has declined to answer three parliamentary questions during the 1993–94 session on the ground of commercial confidentiality.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what initiatives the English tourist board has planned on sustainable tourism; and how many of these are likely to be implemented.

The English tourist board participates in various on-going local visitor management initiatives in different types of location across the country. Many of these received pump-priming funding from the English tourist board and are continuing with the support of local funding partners. One example of these is the Wiltshire project which seeks to spread the economic benefits of tourism across 'the county more evenly and ease pressure on locations like Avebury and Stonehenge. The new visitor opportunities in Wiltshire will be tailored to its special landscape and character.In addition the English tourist board regularly meets and collaborates with bodies such as Countryside Commission and the Rural Development Commission. It has supported the production of a range of publications designed to encourage good environmental practice and policies within the tourism industry. The English tourist board was one of the sponsors of the document, "Getting it Right: a guide to visitor management in historic towns", published earlier this year by the English Historic Towns Forum.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last three years to (a) produce public information in alternative formats for visually impaired people and (b) publicise the availability of accessible information among visually impaired people;(2) which departmental publications are currently available

The Department of National Heritage keeps under review the need to make information available to blind and partially sighted people.In 1992, the Department made available Braille copies of the popular version of the BBC consultation document issued by the Department. This was produced free of charge in response to inquiries.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage, pursuant to his predecessor's answer of 18 July, Official Report, column 24, when he hopes to announce the outcome of the review of the rules covering cross-media ownership of the press, including any legislative implications.

[holding answer 17 October 1994]: An announcement about the outcome will be made once the Government have determined the best way forward.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 October.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 18 October.

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on measures that his Department is taking to offer job opportunities to those areas where there have been mining closures.

The Department has made available £75 million and introduced a range of employment measures to help people in areas affected by pit closures. Over 40,000 people have been helped by the Employment Service and over 12,000 have started on special training and enterprise council programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on progress in the introduction of the new apprenticeship scheme.

Excellent progress is being made. Seventeen prototypes have been approved and 627 young people have started toward the expected number of 1,850.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what issues were discussed at the last meeting of the Council of Employment Ministers.

The United Kingdom resisted a proposal to impose compulsory paternity leave on employers; and ensured that the works councils directive will not apply to companies in Britain, thus leaving them free to determine what system of consultation best suits their circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many (a) mothers and (b) other women are now in work; what were the figures 10 and 20 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

The spring 1994 labour force survey shows the 4 million mothers and 6·8 million other women of working age with dependent children are in employment. In spring 1984 the equivalent figures were 3·1 million and 6·1 million respectively. The participation of women in the labour force in the United Kingdom is the highest of any major EU country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what estimate he has made of the effect on earnings of the abolition of wages councils.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for P'endle (Mr. Prentice).

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what percentage of lone mothers with dependent children were in work in 1979; and what percentage are currently in work.

In spring 1981, the earliest date available, the labour force survey showed that 45 per cent. of lone mothers of working age with dependent children were in employment. The current figure, for spring 1994, is 39 per cent. During the period 1981–1994 the numbers of lone mothers in employment increased from 350,000 to 440,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if the Government will introduce legislation to deal with age discrimination in employment.

The Government have no intention of introducing legislation on age discrimination; it would be ineffective as it has been in other countries and would increase the burdens on business. The Government firmly believe that the way forward is through persuasion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the latest employment figures; and if he will make a statement.

The summer 1994 labour force survey shows just over 25 million people in employment in Great Britain. The highest proportion of any major European Union country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the nature and level of representations he has received from opposition parties on the implications of a minimum wage policy; and if he will make a statement.

The Government are well aware that if the policies of the opposition parties on minimum wages were ever implemented they would destroy many thousands of jobs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from individual trade unionists arguing for the repeal of all trade union legislation introduced since 1979.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of the number of long-term unemployed.

In July 1994 there were 1,004,271 claimants unemployed for over one year; down 41,300 since April. These figures are on the unadjusted basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the Government's policy in respect of full employment.

The Government pursue policies designed to achieve high levels of employment and low inflation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the Health and Safety Executive report on the fire at Associated Octel on 1 February.

The Health and Safety Executive has completed its investigation and on 6 September announced its decision to prosecute Associated Octel under sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. HSE will publish a report of its findings, once legal proceedings have been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what assessment he has made for the work of the Health and Safety Executive on safety in nuclear power stations.

None, as general matters of nuclear safety are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend, the President of the Board of Trade.However, the Department does have responsibility for the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (IRR85). An analysis of data collected under these regulations was published by the Health and Safety Executive in October 1993. Over the period 1986-1991 it showed a 50 per cent. reduction in the average occupational exposure of workers to radiation at nuclear power stations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many work permit applications were granted and how many were rejected in respect of the employment by Scottish cricket clubs over the past seven years; and if he will make a statement.

Information about the number of work permits applications granted and rejected for employment by Scottish cricket clubs is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evidence he has regarding the link between non-wage labour costs and job creation.

In Britain the Government are careful not to impose heavy costs on business. The United Kingdom has a higher proportion of its people in work than any other major European Union country and Britain has attracted one-third of all inward investment in the European Union.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many inquiries have been made into the police service's operation and structure in Scotland since 1990; and at what cost.

The inquiry into police responsibilities and rewards, which reported in June 1993, included rank structure within its terms of reference. The Scottish Office contributed £97,000 to the cost of the inquiry. The force structure of the Scottish police service was considered as part of the consultation exercise which invited views on the future shape of local government. The service is also under continual review by H. M. inspectorate of constabulary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland from what central source funding is made available for flexible training schemes for trainee doctors wishing to pursue a career in general practice; how many places each year are made available on such schemes; how many who have completed their pre-registration year and have been selected for general practice training are on a waiting list; what proportion of these are women; and if he will make a statement.

Funding is supplied by the NHS management executive in Scotland for vocational training in general practice, including flexible training. The number of places available for flexible training is not fixed. Doctors wishing to train on a flexible basis should register with their postgraduate dean or director. There is no waiting list of doctors selected for vocational training. The management executive encourages NHS employers to offer flexible training to doctors and dentists who have well-founded reasons for working on a part-time or other flexible basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many death certificates in 1993 had (a) hypothermia, (b) pneumonia or (c) other cold-related illnesses as one of the contributory causes of death; and what were the figures for each of the four previous years in each case.

The figures requested for hypothermia and pneumonia are given in the table.Many diseases which contribute to mortality are related in some way to cold conditions. There is no generally accepted list of such conditions. It is not possible therefore to give a meaningful answer to part

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since 1 January prisoners have been held (a) two to a cell designed for one and (b) three to a cell designed for one; and if he will list those prisons which experienced these measures.

The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average cost per month of keeping someone in prison in 1993–94.

The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will give a breakdown by age of (a) all female prisoners and (b) all male prisoners at the latest available date;(2) how many

The subject of these questions relate to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell to arrange for a reply to be given.