To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place a copy in the Library of the list of sensitive companies maintained by the Registrar of Companies with respect to which Companies house undertakes special measures to ensure the filing of annual returns.

There is no such list, and there are no such measures. Companies house operates procedures which are intended to give all companies every opportunity to comply with Companies Act filing requirements before enforcement action is undertaken.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received in relation to the late filing of the annual returns by the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd; what consultations he has had with the Registrar of Companies with respect to the default procedure; and if he will make a statement.

I am not aware of any representations received from members of the public in relation to the overdue annual return. My office has been informed by a member of the registrar's staff that the usual pursuit action is under way in respect of the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd. There is a long-standing practice whereby my office is informed whenever, in the judgment of the registrar, pursuit action may result in publicity in a particular case.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had from the Registrar of Companies in relation to the default procedure and reminder letters to the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.

None. A member of the Registrar of Companies' staff has informed my office that the usual default procedures are under way in respect of an overdue annual return by the Association of Conservative Clubs Ltd.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what has been the cost of establishing, advertising and operating the address The Post Office, Freepost Freedom, London EC1B 1GP for those wishing to write supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom;(2) how many letters have been received at the address The Post Office, Freepost Freedom, London EC1B 1GP by those supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom;(3) what authorisation his Department gave to the Post Office to establish and advertise the address Freepost Freedom, London EC 1GP for those wishing to write supporting the Post Office case for change and commercial freedom.

These are all operational matters for the Post Office.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those individuals, organisations and companies who have made a submission to the nuclear review; and if he will place copies of these submissions in the Library.

[holding answer 19 October 1994]: In accordance with the terms of reference for the review, this information and copies of all substantive submissions are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide figures on the total debt relief resulting from the implementation of the Trinidad terms; which countries have benefited; which countries are eligible; and which of these have outstanding debts.

To date over $7¼ billion of debt has been restructured by the Paris Club under the Trinidad terms which has resulted in debt or debt service reduction equivalent to over $2¾ billion.To date, 22 countries have benefited from a reduction in the burden of their official bilateral debt under Trinidad terms. These are Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Republic, Guyana, Honduras, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.Trinidad terms are available to the world's poorest and most severely indebted countries which are following International Monetary Fund programmes of economic reform. It is not possible to say which countries might obtain debt relief under Trinidad terms in the future because the merits of all requests for debt rescheduling are considered by the Paris Club creditors on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of dividend taxation and related issues, initiated by the Financial Secretary; and when he expects to publish its findings.

A programme of discussions on the industrial finance initiative with business people and financial institutions has been completed. The initiative is continuing by analysing the ideas collected during the work to date and by examining the scope for new approaches to finance industry. There will be no single report on the initiative, but announcements on individual issues will be made in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions have taken place between HM customs and representatives of the British Medical Association on the VAT liability of dispensing by doctors; and if he will make a statement.

Officials of Customs and Excise met representatives of the British Medical Association on 3 May 1994 to discuss the VAT liability of dispensing by doctors who are authorised or required to provide NHS pharmacy services. Provisional arrangements whereby doctors can continue to treat this dispensing as a non-business NHS activity have been agreed, pending the outcome of customs' further consultations with the BMA and others.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many ordinary gaming machine licences are currently due to applicants who have paid appropriate levels of duty; and over what period of time it has not been possible to issue licences.

In the period from the beginning of April 1994 to 14 October there were 59,126 applications to the licensing centre. From these there are currently 16,606 licences which have not been despatched. It has been possible to issue licences throughout this period.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants including those in next steps agencies earn more than the current basic salary of hon. Members.

At 1 July 1994 about 15,000 civil servants.

To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his reply to the honourable Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks), Official Report, 19 July, column 91, if he will estimate the printing and publishing costs of written and oral questions and the costs of the relevant work of the Table Office.

This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the United Kingdom's bilateral aid programmes is spent on the provision of safe water.

In 1993–94 around 4 per cent.—just over £30 million out of £795 million—of United Kingdom bilateral aid which was allocable by sector was spent on the water and sanitation sector. This figure, which is at present still provisional, excludes that part of emergency aid which is spent on the provision of water and sanitation during times of crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what plans Her Majesty's Government have to reach the target for bilateral aid for basic needs recommended by the United Nations development programme;(2) if Her Majesty's Government will allocate a greater proportion of its bilateral aid to target the basic needs of poor people in developing countries.

In allocating our bilateral aid, we recognise the importance of addressing basic human needs, but do not consider it appropriate to prescribe proportional targets for expenditure on a global basis. We estimate that in 1992–93 around 10 per cent. of United Kingdom bilateral aid expenditure, excluding emergency aid, was on basic human needs, above the average for all donors. In addition we provide around £150 million of emergency aid, most of which goes to meet basic needs in times of crisis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to improve the focus of the European Union's aid programmes towards meeting the basic needs of people living in absolute poverty in developing countries.

Article 130u of the treaty on European Union identifies the campaign against poverty in developing countries as one of the central objectives of Community aid programmes. The Development Council in December 1993 adopted guidelines to improve the poverty focus of Community and member state programmes and projects. Seven countries—Ethiopia, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Peru, Ghana, Mali and Nicaragua—have been identified for a pilot exercise in enhanced co-ordination between Community and member state efforts to combat poverty. A social development adviser from ODA is seconded to the Commission and is closely involved in this exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of his Department's total aid budget is expected to be allocated through the European Union and through multilateral channels by 1996–97.

As indicated in the memorandum submitted by the ODA to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 27 April 1994, by 1996–97 we expect, on current plans, that 34 per cent. of the aid budget will be allocated through the European Union and 18 per cent. through other multilateral channels.The figures for European Union expenditure are, however, constantly under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that all Overseas Development Administration funded aid projects are subject to assessment for their impact on different income groups or beneficiaries.

ODA's procedures for the design and appraisal of projects require assessment of projects' impact on potential beneficiaries, with particular attention to the needs of disadvantaged groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many local authorities have made representations to him about difficulties in meeting their obligations under the existing housing improvement grants policy; and if he will make a statement.

Since April 1994 my Department has received separate written representations from 53 local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the review of the improvement grant system will be completed; when proposals will be announced; and when guidelines will be issued.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, Acton (Sir G. Young) the then Minister for Housing, Inner Cities and Construction on 27 April 1994, Official Report, column, 205.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what formal projects for monitoring all pet trade-related take of wildlife imported into the United Kingdom currently exists; and if he will make a statement;(2) what scientific evaluations of natural populations of wildlife imported into the United Kingdom for pet trade purposes are made under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and if he will make a statement.

Under CITES, scientific evaluations of natural populations are primarily the responsibility of those countries in which specimens are taken from the wild. Under a process promoted by the United Kingdom, a committee of the convention monitors the means by which these countries ensure that the number of animals taken from the wild for export do not threaten the survival of the species. Remedial action may be recommended and assistance may be offered in some cases. If recommendations are not implemented satisfactorily, trade may be suspended. The European Council regulation on CITES applies stricter tests to the import of certain species and trade in these may be suspended where there is insufficient evidence that the level of exports of animals taken from the wild is sustainable.Some of the animals included in these processes will form part of the pet trade.Individual import applications under CITES, including those relating to the pet trade, are also referred to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee which advises us on any conservation implications.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what were the outstanding arrears of community charge in total and by each local authority on 31 March.

I estimate that the level of community charge arrears for local authorities in England at 31 March 1994 was between £1·5 and £1·6 billion. Authorities have, however, made provision for non-collection of £1·4 billion.There is insufficient information available centrally to make a reliable estimate for each local authority. However, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy regularly publishes estimates for individual authorities: figures for 31 March 1993 are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish details of the annual on-going compliance costs for new regulations affecting business for which his Department has completed compliance cost assessments.

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on Wednesday 19 October 1994, Official Report, columns 266-67.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when Leeds development corporation will be wound up and if he will make a statement.

Statutory orders will be laid before Parliament early next year to effect the wind-up and dissolution of Leeds development corporation. Subject to parliamentary approval, the corporation will cease to act from 1 April 1995, except for the purpose of preparing its final accounts and report and winding up its affairs. The corporation will be dissolved on 1 July 1995.Urban development corporations were set up, with finite lifetimes, to regenerate their designated areas. Since designation on 30 June 1988, Leeds development corporation, in partnership with other agencies, has made a considerable and lasting contribution to the well-being of Leeds.By the end of its lifetime, Leeds development corporation expects to have reclaimed 68 hectares of land, built 11·4 km of roads and footpaths and created 366,000 sq m. of non-housing floorspace and 561 housing units. This has led to some 8,000 jobs in new developments and levered in £317 million in private sector investment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what representations he has received about the proposed deletion of the Cutty Sark station for the docklands light railway extension plans; (2) if the provision of a station at Cutty Sark will be included as an option when the docklands light railway extension proposals are put out to tender.

[holding answers 19 October 1994]: We have received representations from a range of national and local organisations and from Members of both Houses in support of a station at Cutty Sark. We will shortly make an announcement on the next steps for the project and on the option for a Cutty Sark station.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many exemptions have been granted in each county to establishments keeping animals from provisions of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 in each year since 1982; and if he will state the reasons for these exemptions in respect of the last year for which figures are available.

	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
Avon	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—
Cambridgeshire	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Cheshire	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Cornwall	5	5	1	—	—	—	—	—
Derbyshire	—	—	—	1	—	—	1	—
Devon	—	3	3	—	1	1	—	1
Dorset	—	—	1	1	—	—	—	—
Essex	—	3	2	1	—	—	—	—
Gloucestershire	—	1	1	1	—	—	—	—
Hampshire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Herefordshire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Humberside	—	—	6	—	—	—	—	—
Isle of Wight	—	3	3	—	—	—	—	—
Kent	—	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
Lancashire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Lincolnshire	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
London	5	1	—	—	—	—	—	—
Greater Manchester	—	—	—	4	—	—	—	—
Merseyside	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
Middlesex	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Norfolk	—	1	—	1	—	1	—	—
Northamptonshire	—	2	1	—	—	—	—	—
Nottinghamshire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Northumberland	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Oxfordshire	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—
Somerset	—	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
Staffordshire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
Suffolk	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—
Sussex	—	1	—	2	—	—	—	—
Tyne and Wear	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	1
Warwickshire	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—
West Midlands	—	2	1	—	1	—	—	—
Worcestershire	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1
Yorkshire	—	3	1	3	1	1	—	—

No exemptions have been granted in 1992–1994. Exemptions from the Act are granted to collections which consist entirely of animals which are normally domesticated in Great Britain.Establishments which have been granted exemptions are not considered to meet the definition of zoo within the meaning of the Act by virtue of the fact that wild animals are not being exhibited to the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to ensure that environmental planning decisions are taken in full appreciation of their impact on human health and that adequate public health advice is provided by the national health service to joint regional offices of the Departments of Health, Employment, Transport and Trade and Industry.

I have been asked to reply.My Department does not have joint regional offices with other Departments.

[holding answer 19 October 1994]: Between 1984 and 1991 the following exemptions from the provisions of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 have been granted:It is a responsibility of regional and district directors of public health to have regard to and, when appropriate, provide advice on, all factors which may have significant impact upon the public health in their area—including those which may be associated with the consequences of planning decisions. Advice may also be obtained from the nation health service executive.Responsibility for planning matters rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment. We understand that guidance to planning authorities, and to applicants for consent to major projects, requires that impact upon human beings should be taken into account in assessing the environmental impact of development plans and projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the higher education institutions that operate the USS superannuation pension scheme which are not able to offer nurse training facilities as a result of changes to pension arrangements for nurse training staff.

Decision on whether to offer nurse training are for individual institutions. I understand that discussions about the pensions arrangements for staff transferring from the national health service to higher education institutions are taking place between the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals and the relevant pensions authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will list the non-departmental public bodies to which her Department makes appointments in the Greater London area, together with the total annual budget for each body and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last five years.

The information requested is given in the table.

Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT)
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re-appointment by the Secretary of State
1990–91	£535,000	4
1991–92	£652,000	3
1992–93	£949,000	2
1993–94	£857,000	4
1994–95	£832,000	1

Includes one appointment made by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Further Education Unit (FEU)
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re appointment by the Secretary of State
1990–91	£2,840,000	3
1991–92	£3,030,000	8
1992–93	£3,620,000	3
1993–94	£3,550,000	12
1994–95	£3,550,000	13

Further Education Funding Council (FEFC), Greater London Regional Committee Established in 1993
Year	Appointments and Re appointments by the Secretary of State
1993–94	10
1994–95	1

The FEFC Regional Committees do not have separate budgets. Their budgets are contained within the FEFC budget.

School curriculum and assessment authority (SCAA) Established on 1 October 1993
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State
1993–94	1£18,400,000	15
1994–95	2£29,600,000	15
1 Part-Year.
2 Estimated.

Special Education Needs (SEN) Tribunal Established on 1 September 1994
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State
1994–95	1£775,204	79
1 Part-year.

Appointments were made to the SEN tribunal to sit on hearings throughout England, effective from the Tribunal's creation. Whilst the Tribunal's HQ is in London, the hearings will take place across the country, as and when needed, and members will be paid on a per diem basis. Of the 79 members, 18 live in the Greater London area. These 18 members will not necessarily be assigned to hearings in the Greater London area.

Teacher Training Agency (TTA) Established on 21 September 1994
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re appointments by the Secretary of State
1994–95	1£2,000,000	211
1Budget includes the costs of establishing the Agency part year.
2To date.

University Commissioners
Year	Annual DFE Grant Aid	Appointments and Re-appointments by the Secretary of State
1991–91	£185,529	5
1991–92	£201,851	5
1992–93	£243,823	5
1993–94	£255,124	5

Costs for 1994–95 arising from residual work are being met on a contingency basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time students were registered in colleges of further education for each of the last five years, on a regional basis.

The number of full-time students by region enrolled on courses in colleges of further education, for each of the last five academic years for which date are available, were as shown in the table.

Number of Full-Time Students in Colleges of Further Education England 1988–89–1992–93
Students on FE and HE Courses
thousands
	Academic Year
Region	88–89	89–90	90–91	91–92	92–93
North	20	22	22	27	30
Yorkshire/Humberside	37	39	43	48	52
North West	56	59	64	70	75
East Midlands	27	29	32	37	41
West Midlands	41	42	46	55	61
East Anglia	13	13	15	18	20
Greater London	51	52	55	64	69
South East	72	77	83	99	108
South West	36	39	40	49	54
Total (England)	352	371	400	469	510

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many full-time students failed to complete courses in each of the last five years, on a regional basis.

The number of further education students who do not complete their courses are not centrally recorded.The wastage rates of full-time and sandwich students from first degree courses in former Universities Funding Council-funded United Kingdom universities and former English and Wales polytechnics are shown as follows:

Academic Year
	1987–88	1988–89	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92
Percentages	17	14	16	15	17

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many staff are employed by her Department; and what proportion of them are employed in each of the standard regions.

The Department currently employs 2,152 civil servants, of whom 368 are in the Teacher Pensions Agency; 41·8 per cent. of the Department's staff are based in Darlington and the remainder in London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what has been the total amount spent on official hospitality by (a) her Department and (b) her agencies for each year since 1990.

The information is as follows:

	DES/DFE £'000s	Teachers' pensions agency £'000s	Total £'000s
1990–91	57	—	57
1991–92	86	—	86
1992–93	95	1	96
1993–94	87	1	88

The cost of official hospitality in each of these years is included in the running cost expenditure for the Department which is published every year in the departmental report. Official hospitality includes the costs of teas and coffees, buffet lunches and dinners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many students are enrolled on university-validated diploma and first-degree courses and are studying in non-higher education institutions.

In academic year 1992–93, there were 91,000 home domiciled students in English FE colleges registered on degree courses and on other institutional validated certificates and diplomas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many embassy and consulate staff in Kiev speak (a) English as a first language and also Russian, (b) English as a first language and also Ukrainian, (c) English as a first language and also Russian and Ukrainian, (d) Russian as a first language and (e) Ukrainian as a first language; and what percentage speak Ukrainian.

There are 17 United Kingdom-based officers at the British embassy in Kiev; there is no separate consulate. Of these (a) two have a knowledge of English as a first language and Russian; (b) one has a knowledge of English as a first language and Ukrainian; and (c) six have a knowledge of English as a first language and both Russian and Ukrainian.The remaining eight United Kingdom-based staff are in the support grades and are not given formal language training before they arrive at post.There are 11 Ukrainian locally engaged staff, all of whom speak English, Russian and Ukrainian. Of the nine United Kingdom-based staff in speaker slots, 77 per cent. have a knowledge of Ukrainian.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking to ensure that the targets agreed by the 1990 world summit for children will be met by 2000.

The United Kingdom published in July 1992 Command Paper No. 1984 entitled "Report on the United Kingdom Implementation of the Goals agreed by the World Summit for Children". A copy was placed in the Library of the House.The report on the implementation of the world summit's goals noted a parallel initiative in the UN convention on the rights of the child, to which the United Kingdom Government have agreed to be bound. A report on the application of the convention to the United Kingdom was published in February 1994. A copy was placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Tariq Mahmood, Ref: IMM/B72,99, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mr. Tariq Mahmood. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Mrs. Najon Ul Noreen, Ref: IMM/C1222, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mrs. Najon U1 Noreen. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision is to be taken by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad on the application by Mr. Iftikar Hussain, Ref: B 1475, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

I have asked the entry clearance officer in Islamabad to let me have a report on the application from Mr. Iftikar Hussain. I shall arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people made applications for asylum to his Department in the last half of 1993 and the first half of 1994; and of these how many waited (a) less than three months, (b) between three and six months, (c) between six months and a year and (d) over a year for a decision;(2) how many people who made applications for asylum to the Home Office in the last half of 1993 and the first half of 1994 waited for a decision

In the period 1 July 1993 to 30 June 1994, 25,660 applications for asylum, excluding dependants, were lodged in the United Kingdom.As at 30 September 1994, an estimated 11,100 decisions had been taken on the 25,660 applications for asylum lodged between 1 July 1993 and 30 June 1994; of these decisions an estimated 3,600 waited less than three months for an initial decision on their asylum application; 3,000 waited between three and six months; 4,100 waited between six and 12 months; and 500 waited longer than 12 months, while an estimated 14,600 applications were outstanding.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers have been waiting for a decision on their claim for asylum for (a) over one year, (b) over two years and (c) over six years;(2) who is the longest-delayed applicant for asylum; and how long has the applicant waited for a decision on his case.

Information on the length of time applicants have been waiting for an initial decision on their asylum application or the longest outstanding case is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers detained are those who are yet to have their application refused or granted or are contesting refusal of their application (i) in 1991, (ii) in 1992, (iii) in 1993 and (iv) in 1994.

The information is not available in the form requested. However, on 14 October 1994, 658 people detained under immigration powers had sought asylum at some stage. Of these, 177 had applications still under consideration and the remainder had had their applications refused. Of these, 386 had an appeal pending.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum seekers were initially detained (a) in 1991, (b) in 1992, (c) in 1993 and (d) in 1994.

The available information suggests that less than 1·5 per cent. of people who have sought asylum are detained. Information on the percentage of asylum seekers detained in a given year can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationals of the former Yugoslavia formerly resident in the area of Kosovo and of Albanian ethnic origin who had applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom and whose political asylum applications have been refused have been returned to any part of the current Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over the past 12 months.

During the period 1 October 1993 to 30 September 1994, no nationals of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia/Montenegro, have been returned to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia/Montenegro. Information on the original residence or ethnic origin of asylum seekers is not separately identifiable in the statistics.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the provisions of the resolution on manifestly unfounded applications for asylum, agreed by the European Ministers meeting on 30 November 1992 and to be implemented by 1 January 1995, have now been incorporated into national law.

The procedures contained in the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 and the immigration rules relating to applications for asylum that are judged to be without foundation are fully consistent with the principles contained in the resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of (a) male victims of homicide and (b) female victims of homicide in 1993 were killed by their current or former spouses, cohabitees or lovers.

Provisional figures for 1993 show that 6 per cent. of male victims and 40 per cent. of female victims of homicide in England and Wales were killed by their current or former spouses, cohabitants or lovers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homicides were recorded in England and Wales in 1993; and in how many cases were the victims (a) male and (b) female.

Provisional figures for 1993 show that at 5 August 1994, 606 offences were currently recorded as homicide in England and Wales, involving 375 male and 231 female victims.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many immigrants were recommended for deportation in 1993 and how many were deported; how many appeals against deportation are currently pending; and how many such appeals were determined in 1993.

A total of 310 court recommendations of deportation were made, and 410 persons were removed under deportation powers following such a recommendation, in 1993. These figures exclude persons issued with a notice of intention to deport because of a breach of conditions of leave to enter or remain, or because their deportation was deemed to be conducive to the public good. Data on appeals against such court recommendations are not separately available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the questionnaire which has been distributed to the member states in the context of title VI of the European Union treaty on the conditions under which EU member states refrain from deporting aliens and what rights they enjoy and (b) the United Kingdom Government's responses.

No. These are working documents, which do not fall within the criteria for deposit in accordance with the Government's scrutiny arrangements for title VI matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 May, Official Report, column 280, if he will list the different forms of identification for dogs considered by the Government before the introduction of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

The methods of identification considered were tattooing, ear tagging, ear studs, collar tagging and microchips.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports have been made by marriage registrars, and from which registration areas, to the Registrar-General, that marriages are suspected to be solely for immigration purposes, in each year since 1992, to the latest convenient date; and in how many of these instances information has been passed on to his Department.

I have been asked to reply.The information will be placed in the Library. During 1993 superintendent registrars reported 361 cases to the Registrar General where they suspected that a proposed marriage had been arranged for the sole purpose of evading statutory immigration controls. Of this number, information in respect of 304 was passed to the Home Office.So far this year, to 14 July 1994, 270 reports have been received from superintendent registrars, of which 194 have been referred to the Home Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for refugee status are outstanding; how many individuals are covered by these applications; and what is the average length of time taken to determine an application.

At 30 September 1994—the latest date for which the information is available—the estimated number of asylum applications outstanding is 52,760 which comprises an estimated 69,500 principal applicants and their dependants.The estimated average length of time between the receipt of an asylum application and the decision, for cases decided on applications for asylum received since the introduction of the Asylum and Immigration Appeal Act 1993, from 26 July 1993 to 30 September 1994, was 4·7 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of the proposal of the German presidency of the European Union that visa requirements be waived for third-country nationals resident in European Union states, where such persons are seeking to travel in transit or for short stays, as soon as possible and before the entry into force of the draft convention on the crossing of external borders of the European Union;(2) if he will now place in the Library copies of the

These documents are being made available to Parliament in accordance with the arrangements for keeping it informed of work being carried out under title VI of the treaty on European Union, together with explanatory notes setting out the Government's views on each of them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all the provisions of the resolution of harmonisation of national policies on family reunification, adopted at the European Ministers meeting of 1 June 1993 and to be implemented by 1 January 1995, have now been implemented.

The immigration rules which came into effect on 1 October are fully consistent with the principles contained in this resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many claims have been made for compensation for wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution and false imprisonment for each year for the past five years for which figures are available, by police authority; how many of these claims have been settled each year, by police authority; how much compensation has been paid, by police authority, each year; how many individuals are involved; and if he will make a statement.

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he now has to bring forward measures following the publication of the consultative paper, "Wheel clamping on Private Land."

The Government are considering what action it would be appropriate to take in respect of wheel clamping on private land. The consultative paper referred to produced much useful information from interested parties. It did not, however, produce any consensus on how to ensure that any measure introduced to prevent or deter irresponsible and heavy-handed wheel clamping on private land does not prevent sensible measures from being taken to control genuine parking problems. We will make our conclusions known as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the policing costs associated with the annual conferences of (a) the Liberal Democrats, (b) the Labour party and (c) the Conservative party; and who meets the costs.

I understand from the forces concerned that the latest estimated costs of policing the 1994 party conferences are:-

		£
(a) Liberal Democrats	(Sussex)	3,500
(b) Labour Party	(Lancashire)	90,000
(c) Conservative Party	(Dorset)	2,600,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the request made by the United Kingdom post in Islamabad, when Mr. Gul Nawaz, resident in the United Kingdom, is going to be interviewed in connection with inquiries being made into the application by Nasreen Akhtar, Ref: GU100/18990, to enter the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

The Immigration Service at Leeds Bradford airport will shortly contact Mr. Hafiz Gul Nawaz to offer him an appointment for an interview within two months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the honourable Member for Deptford will receive a reply to her letters of 3 February, 12 April and 31 May concerning Mr. and Mrs. Kwabena Aidoobofour.

[holding answer 7 July 1994]: My hon. Friend the Minister of State wrote on 8 August.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government submitted to the United Nations their latest periodic report under the international covenant on civil and political rights.

The United Kingdom's fourth periodic report under the international covenant on civil and political rights was submitted to the United Nations on 7 October 1994. On the same day copies of the report were placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which third states his Department is negotiating readmission agreements regarding the return of their nationals from the United Kingdom on (a) the basis of the principles for the conclusion of such agreements which were drawn up during the Belgian presidency of the European Union and are referred to in the agenda of the German presidency and (b) any other basis.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Northern Ireland students are free to accept offers of places for courses in universities in Great Britain if similar courses are available in universities in (a) Northern Ireland or (b) the Republic of Ireland; and if grants are available to Northern Ireland students enrolled in university courses in Great Britain if similar courses are available in (a) Northern Ireland or (b) the Republic of Ireland.

Yes. Students from Northern Ireland are free to attend courses at universities in Great Britain and are eligible for awards whether or not similar courses are available in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were employed by the Northern Ireland Arts Council in each of the past three years; and how many were (a) Roman Catholic and (b) Protestant in each of these three years.

The information requested is as follows:

	January 1991	January 1992	January 1993
Number employed	105	108	102
Community Background:
(a) Roman Catholic	38	41	41
(b) Protestant	51	51	47
(c) Non-determined	16	16	14

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those areas which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and what are the principal organisational models used.

The planning, management and delivery of health and personal social services in Northern Ireland have been integrated since 1973. There are four health and social services boards and they, together with GP fundholders, are responsible for the commissioning of primary and secondary care.

To ask the Prime Minister what has been the total amount spent on official hospitality by (a) his Department and (b) his agencies for each year since 1990.

Expenditure on official entertaining by my office for each year since 1990 was as follows:

Year	£
1990–91	23,830
1991–92	40,976
1992–93	30,023
1993–94	21,793

I have asked my right honourable Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to provide information about expenditure on official entertaining by the Cabinet Office and agencies.

To ask the Prime Minister whether he has any plans to pay an official visit to Macclesfield.

As I have said before to my hon. Friend, I very much hope to be able to come to his constituency when my diary permits.

To ask the Prime Minister when the list of ministerial responsibilities after last summer's changes was delivered to the Vote Office.

The first batch of copies of the September 1994 edition of the "List of Ministerial Responsibilities" was delivered to the Vote Office on 4 October.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 October.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 20 October.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and 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 Prime Minister how many persons are attached to the intelligence unit in the Chief Whip's offices at 12 Downing street and in the House of Commons; what is the purpose of the unit; and to whom it is accountable.

There is no such unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much funding has been provided by her Department to (a) the Women's Aid Federation England and (b) the Welsh Women's Aid Federation in each of the past 10 years;(2) how much funding has been provided from central Government to Women's Aid in each of the last 10 years, listing the amount provided by each Department.

The information available is shown in the tables.

Table 1
Year	DH Funding to Women's Aid Federation (England)£	Welsh Office Funding to Welsh Women's Aid £
1985–86	Nil	*
1986–87	29,590	*
1987–88	98,000	*
1988–89	121,961	108,526
1989–90	110,000	129,693
1990–91	130,000	169,658
1991–92	144,650	212,901
1992–93	199,200	226,742
1993–94	201,020	238,687
1994–95	199,200	248,752
Figures are rounded to the nearest £.
*Figures not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will instruct the South Thames regional health authority to publish weekly the number of occasions for the preceding week when response times of emergency ambulances of the London ambulance service exceeded 34 and 45 minutes respectively,

	Number of calls responded to within 10 minutes		Number of calls responded to within 11-20 minutes.		Number of calls responded to within 21-30 minutes
April 1994	11,822	29 per cent.	24,811	60 per cent.	3,557	9 per cent.
May 1994	12,917	29 per cent.	26,806	60 per cent.	3,611	8 per cent.
June 1994	11,837	26 per cent.	26,807	60 per cent.	4,523	10 per cent.
July 1994	12,468	27 per cent.	28,024	60 per cent.	4,843	10 per cent.
August 1994	12,883	29 per cent.	26,588	60 per cent.	3,503	8 per cent.
September 1994	12,850	30 per cent.	26,297	60 per cent.	3,300	8 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the size of the population covered by (a) the London ambulance service and (b) each of the ambulance services covering larger populations.

The estimated size of populations served by the London ambulance service and larger urban and rural services is shown in the table:

Service	Population
London Ambulance Service	6,936,400
Urban
Manchester	2,601,116
Mersey	2,408,900
Surrey	1,179,400
South Yorkshire	1,297,884
West Midlands	2,619,231
West Yorkshire	2,128,421
Rural
Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire	1,515,001
Essex	1,472,397

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of calls to the London ambulance service are answered within (a) 10 minutes, (b) between 10 and 20 minutes and (c) 20 to 30 minutes.

The London ambulance service has supplied the information in the table.

Service	Population
Hampshire	1,409,803
Kent	1,532,457
Lancashire	1,398,909
Northumbria	1,432,931
Nottinghamshire	1,017,267
Staffordshire	1,046,853
Two Shires	1,187,906
West Country	1,921,567

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maintenance depots the London ambulance service operates.

Seventeen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance men and women work for the London ambulance service; and what is the average rate of absenteeism.

The latest centrally held information is that at 30 September 1992 there were 2,010—to the nearest 10 whole-time equivalents—ambulance men and women in the London ambulance service.According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service in August 1994, absenteeism in accident and emergency services was 8 per cent. and in patient transport 8.5 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paramedics are employed by the London ambulance service; and what was the comparable figure five years ago.

According to information supplied by the London ambulance service, there are 455 paramedics in the service now, compared with only seven in 1989.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulances are operated by the London ambulance service; what is their average age; and how many days the ambulances spend on average out of service.

According to figures supplied by the London ambulance service there are: 306 accident and emergency ambulances, average age of six years; and 376 patient transport service vehicles, with an average age of six years. In the current year 180 new vehicles will be delivered and put into service.Information on average time out of service is not currently available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received hospital treatment for acute breathing difficulties during (a) March, (b) April, (c)May, (d) June, (e) July and (f) August.

Acute breathing difficulties occur as a symptom of a wide range of medical conditions. Central returns do not include numbers of hospital admissions classified by symptom. The number of hospital admissions for asthma recorded for the months requested in 1991, the latest figures available, is shown in the table.

Finished consultant episodes, ordinary admissions and day cases, England:
March	April	May	June	July	August
6,086	6,346	6,791	6,695	6,782	6,197

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give a breakdown of the 6·5 million disabled people between those (a) who suffer from impaired hearing, (b) who have defective sight, (c) who suffer from immobility and (d)those with other difficulties.

The four Office of Population Censuses and Surveys surveys of disability in Great Britain, which were carried out between 1985 and 1988, found that over 6·2 million adults and 360,000 children under 16 had at least one disability. Full details are contained in report 1: "The Prevalence of Disability among Adults", and report 3: "The Prevalence of Disability among Children", copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those areas which have developed joint commissioning operations for the planning and purchasing of primary and secondary health care in their area; and what are the principal organisational models used.

Every district health authority and family health services authority is required to develop effective joint working arrangements for the management of the health care services within their area. It is for the statutory authorities concerned to determine the exact management arrangements to promote joint working, within the current legislation governing the composition and functions of those authorities, and guidance issued by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received concerning the proposals of the National Blood Authority which include the closure of Liverpool's blood transfusion unit; what her response has been; if she will as a matter of urgency study the proposals; and if she will make a statement.

We have received representations from Members of both Houses, and from other interested parties. The National Blood Authority is undertaking a detailed consultation about its proposals. The results of the consultation will be carefully considered before decisions are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) communications and (b) recommendations she has received from the North Thames regional health authority concerning the future structure and organisation of community health services in the City and east London; and on what basis and on what occasions any such conclusions were reached.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received no such communication or recommendation. Prior to 1 April 1994, representations were received from North East Thames regional health authority expressing support for a combined community and primary care trust. We have yet to reach a decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she or her Department has had with Mr. Tom Pindar, chairman of the Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust, following his remarks in the course of a mental health review meeting in January; and what plans she has to seek his resignation.

Discussions have taken place between Mr. Pindar and the chairman of Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority. I understand that Mr Pindar has apologised unreservedly for his remarks and this has been accepted by all parties. I am satisfied that he should continue as chairman of the Scarborough and East Yorkshire Health Care National Health Service Trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list those regions, areas and general practitioner practices which are participating in an incentive prescribing scheme; when the schemes started; for how long they are intended to run; and what arrangements she is making to set up an independent review of the results.

Prescribing incentive schemes were introduced on a pilot basis for non-fundholding general

List of FHSAs Participating in the 1993–94 Nationally Approved Practice based Prescribing Incentive Scheme
Northern	Yorkshire	Trent	East Anglia	North East Thames	South East Thames
Cleveland	Humberside	Lincolnshire	Cambridgeshire	Essex	East Sussex
Cumbria	North Yorkshire	Doncaster	Norfolk	Camden and Islington	Bromley
Durham	Bradford	Sheffield	Suffolk	Enfield and Haringey	Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham
Gateshead	Calderdale			Barking and Havering	Greenwich and Bexley
South Tyneside	Kirklees			City and East London	Kent
Sunderland	Leeds			Redbridge and Waltham Forest
Newcastle	Wakefield
North Tyneside
Northumberland

List of FHSAs participating in the 1993–94 nationally approved practice based prescribing incentive scheme
Oxford	South Western	West Midlands	Mersey	North Western
Berkshire	Avon	Coventry	Cheshire	Lancashire
Buckinghamshire	Cornwall	Solihull	Liverpool	Bolton
Northamptonshire	Devon	Staffordshire	Sefton	Bury
Oxfordshire	Gloucestershire	Walsall	St. Helens	Manchester
	Somerset		Wirral	Oldham
				Rochdale
				Salford
				Stockport
				Tameside
				Trafford
				Wigan

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

Information requested has been refused 11 times on the grounds of commercial confidentiality during the 1993–94 Session.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements he has made for the management and ownership of the Morriston open heart surgery unit at the completion of the first five-year period, in the event of contractors being appointed for the second five year practitioner practices in 11 of the former 14 regions during 1993–94. Around 2,000 practices participated in nationally approved schemes. The regions and family health services authorities which participated in these schemes are shown in the table. There were also a number of locally approved schemes about which information is not available centrally.The schemes are subject to annual review. Those for 1993–94 were effective in encouraging cost-effective prescribing and further nationally approved schemes are running this year in all new regions. Figures are not yet available centrally on the numbers of practices participating in this year's schemes.contract different from the owners of the facility for the duration of the first five years.

Arrangements for the operation of the new unit following the first five years will be a matter for the Morriston Hospital NHS Trust and the commissioners of the service in negotiation with the successful contractor, whether public or private. The services provided by the unit will be free at the point of delivery to NHS patients as it will remain an NHS-controlled facility meeting NHS needs whoever is the manager.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with purchasing health authorities in Wales with respect to the funding of a consortium to purchase medical genetic services.

None. Advice on contracting mechanisms, including consortium purchasing, for specialised services was set out in Welsh Office circular DGM(94)65. These are matters for health authorities and providers to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those hospital services classified as regional services which he proposes to de-designate from 1 April 1995; what representations he has had from the chairmen of Welsh health authorities concerning the de-designation of these services; and if he will publish his assessment of the effect of de-designation subregionally; and if he will make a statement.

The following protected former regional services are to be de-designated from 1 April 1995:

• Bone Marrow Transplantation Service
• Medical Genetics Service
• Pharmaceutical Service:
• Drugs Information Service
• Pharmaceutical Quality Assurance Service
• Surgical Dressings Quality Control Service
• Poisons Information Service
• Renal Transplantation Service
• Spinal Injuries Rehabilitation Service
• Transplant Tissue Typing Service
• Welsh Hearing Institute

It is open to any service provider or commissioner to argue against de-designation until April 1996. No such representations have been received to date from health authorities in Wales.