To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the numbers of law students embarking on the final year legal practice course in order to qualify for the profession of solicitors; how many he estimates were unable to obtain discretionary grant funding; and what assessment he has made of the effect that the availability of discretionary grant has had on the number of people entering the legal profession.

The award of discretionary grants is a matter for individual local authorities, and policy on postgraduate grant funding is a matter for the Secretary of State for Education. The Lord Chancellor's Department has therefore made no assessment of the numbers of law students embarking on the legal practice course, of those unable to obtain discretionary funding, or of the effect this may have had on numbers of entrants to the legal profession. However, I understand from the Law Society that numbers embarking on the course have risen steadily in recent years. There will be about 6,500 students commencing the 1994–95 course, compared with about 6,000 for 1993–94.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to the answer of 31 March 1993 to the hon. Member of High Peak (Mr. Hendry), Official Report, columns 195–96 what representations he has received concerning the date when reforms of privity of contract should take effect.

Since 31 March 1993, representations have been received from the British Retail Consortium and from several members of the public.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much legal aid was given to Mr. Ernest Saunders, formerly of Guinness plc.

Lawyers representing Ernest Saunders in the first Guiness trial received legal aid payments totalling £1,342,465. This figure includes VAT and covers all legal representation at the Crown court and the Court of Appeal.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many applications there were for legal aid in 1993–94; how many staff are employed in total to check the financial data presented with each claim; how many staff on average check the financial data presented with such claims; and how many prosecutions there were for fraudulent claims in 1993–94.

In 1993–94, there were 413,728 applications for civil legal aid. Civil legal aid means assessments are carried out by trained specialist staff of the Benefits' Agency legal aid assessment office. The office has 134 assessment officers whose duties are to check and assess legal aid applications. In 1993, there were 606,041 applications for criminal legal aid. Applications are dealt with by magistrates court or Crown court centre staff. Prosecutions for fraudulent claims by applicants for legal aid are matters for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. In 1993–94, the Legal Aid Assessment Office referred 15 cases to them.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department to whom high sheriffs and under-sheriffs are accountable; and what are the procedures for an individual citizen to pursue a claim against an under-sheriff whom he believes to have acted in an oppressive manner.

A complaint about a sheriff s officer should, in the first instance, be made to the under-sheriff. If the matter is to be taken further, a complaint should go to the high sheriff. High sheriffs are appointed annually by Her Majesty the Queen and are independent of Government.In addition, complaints can be made to the Under-Sheriffs Association. and the Sheriffs Officers Association. Although the associations have no statutory authority to act on their findings or to punish an offending member, together the two associations are able to investigate and resolve justified grievances. There is no professional requirement for appointment as an under-sheriff, but in practice all are solicitors and a complaint can also be addressed to the Law Society.The final recourse for a person who wishes to pursue a grievance is to issue legal proceedings against the high sheriff. The high sheriff would be in a position to issue a third party notice to the sheriffs officer.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what efforts he is making to ensure that the magistrates bench throughout England and Wales is politically balanced.

The Lord Chancellor and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster seek, through their local advisory committees, to encourage applications from suitable people of all walks of life and political affiliations by means of press notice and articles, posters and leaflets, court open days and contact with local organisations and employers. Appointments are made from those considered to be suitable having proper regard to the various balancing factors, including political affiliation, so that each bench broadly reflects the community it serves.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the political balance of the magistrates bench in (a) the London borough of Brent and (b) England and Wales, broken down into petty sessional areas.

(a) The political affiliation of magistrates in the London borough of Brent, based on the latest information available, is as follows:

Conservative	79
Labour	43
Liberal/Democrat	18
Green	8
Independent/Not Known	18

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of meetings of the Cabinet the Lord Chancellor has attended for each year since 1970.

It is not Government policy to release details concerning meetings of the Cabinet. The Lord Chancellor is, however, guided, as are all Cabinet Ministers, by paragraph 20 of Questions of Procedure for Ministers, which states:

"Cabinet meetings take precedence over all other business except meetings of the Privy Council."

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what figures he has concerning the percentage of working time spent by (a) the current Lord Chancellor and (b) Lord Chancellors since 1964 on their three respective roles as head of the judiciary, Speaker of the House of Lords and head of the administration of the civil justice system; what figures he has on the number of hours each has spent sitting as a judge and as Speaker of the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement.

The information is not available in the form requested and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Information is available on the number of days which Lord Chancellors since 1964 have spent sitting judicially in the House of Lords and in the Privy Council, and is set out in the table. The Lord Chancellor spends a significant proportion of his time carrying out his duties as Speaker of the House of Lords, for which 14 per cent. of his official salary is paid by the House of Lords. The great majority of the Lord Chancellor's time is spent on his combined duties as head of the judiciary and as a Cabinet Minister with a wide range of responsibilities for the administration of justice.

Lord Chancellor	Period of Office	Number of days* House of Lords	Number of days* Privy Council
Lord Gardiner	1964–70	4	9
Lord Hailsham of St. Marylebone	1970–74	28	10
Lord Elwyn-Jones	1974–79	8	—
Lord Hailsham of St. Marylebone	1979–87	53	15
Lord Havers	1987	—	—
Lord Mackay of Clashfern	1987–94	60	7
* ie 4·5 hours.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken by his Department to promote the smoky vehicle hotline; what assessment he has made of how many individual members of the public are aware of its existence; and what additional steps he is prepared to take to publicise its existence.

The procedure under which members of the public can report excessively smoky heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles to the Vehicle Inspectorate is explained in detail in a leaflet published in August 1993. I have placed copies in the library.Copies of the leaflet were sent to local authorities, libraries, citizens advice bureaux, motoring organisations, environmental groups and other interested bodies. The leaflet is currently available on request from both the Department of Transport and the Department of the Environment. The reporting procedure is also explained in a leaflet which has been sent out with all vehicle excise licence renewal notices since February 1994.The Vehicle Inspectorate received almost 3,000 hotline calls between April 1993 and March 1994. We are committed to continuing to run the hotline and to encouraging people to make good use of it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to take into account the surveys carried out by the Association of London Authorities and the London Research Council in reviewing public transport fares; and if he will make a statement.

I am aware of the results of these surveys. In reviewing operators' proposals for public transport fares, we take all relevant factors into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage above inflation increases in fares represent for the period 1984–85 to 1993–94 in respect of (a) London Buses, (b) London Underground and (c) Network SouthEast.

The following is the information:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has a record of the number of accidents caused through motorists not being able to identify other vehicle headlamps at night.

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the survey in 1993 of the wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery.

A very thorough survey of this dangerous wreck was completed in September 1993 and delivered to the Coastguard Agency, which has responsibility for the wreck. The wreck is surveyed on a biennial basis to monitor its condition. A hydrographic survey of seabed area surrounding the wreck was also completed by the Port of Sheerness Ltd. The port authority is under contract to the Coastguard Agency to guard the wreck.The survey revealed that there was no evidence of any major change to the wreck since the previous survey in 1991, although it continues to deteriorate slowly and may be expected to begin to break up within the next few years. No dangerous material was found during the survey, although a substantial quantity of munitions remain on board. The silt surrounding the site was shown to be mobile with a deep scour under the wreck itself which is expected to accelerate the deterioration of the hull and eventually lead to the disappearance of that part of the wreck still visible above the surface.In the light of the survey findings, I have decided that the site of the wreck should remain a prohibited area under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 and that no attempt be made to clear it or its cargo. The wreck will continue to be monitored and another survey undertaken in due course.I have placed in the Library a report by the Coastguard Agency summarising the result of the 1993 survey, and the steps taken over the years to contain the danger from the munitions on board.I am sending a copy to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will name those flag states which, according to the 1993 annual report of the marine accident investigation branch, leave the investigation of accidents involving vessels bearing their flag to other administrations; and what representations he has made to those countries.

A definitive list is not available. No direct representations have been made, but the United Kingdom is working through IMO to encourage those flag states to fulfil their obligations under the various conventions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement outlining Her Majesty's Government's policy with regard to the provision of rail sleeper services between London and Scotland; and if he will make it his policy that existing services will be guaranteed for the foreseeable future.

The provision of sleeper services between London and Scotland is at present a matter for British Rail. In future it will be for the operator to decide on the level of such services in the light of the minimum service specification set by the franchising director. The objectives, instructions and guidance given to him by the Secretary of State made it clear that for the initial letting of franchises minimum service specifications should be based on the level of services being provided by British Rail immediately prior to franchising, taking into account the existence of and justification for seasonal variations in service schedules.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to promote the inclusion of the west coast main line route in the proposed trans-European railway network currently under consideration by the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

The west coast main line is already included in the draft trans-European railway network. We have proposed adding the modernisation of the line to the list of priority projects which is being developed by the Christophersen group, and have provided the Commission with full briefings on its scale and significance. We are optimistic that the group will recognise the importance of this project to the trans-European railway network in the report which it is due to present to the European Council in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cubic metres of soil are being removed to make the cutting for the M3 at Twyford Down; and how much would need to be removed if an additional runway were to be constructed at Gatwick as suggested by the RUCATSE working group.

I understand that some 1·8 million cubic metres of soil were removed to make the cutting for the M3 at Twyford Down. The RUCATSE working group estimated that, at Gatwick, some 18 million cubic metres of soil would need to be removed in constructing the northern runway option that was subject to detailed study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has undertaken the further study, referred to in the report of the RUCATSE working group, into the possibility that the construction of a runway at Gatwick in a deep cutting would create turbulence.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if he will list the non-departmental public bodies to which his 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 shown in the chart.

Name of Body	Gross Expenditure (£million*)	Number of New Appointments and Appointments Renewed
EXECUTIVE BODIES
Arts Council of England		17A
1989–91	155·5	4N 1R
1990–91	175·792	1N 2R
1991–92	206·365	2N 2R
1992–93	206·365	5N 1R
1993–94	225·6	2N
British Film Institute		20A
1989–90	22·98	5N 3R
1990–91	24·14	3N 4R
1991–92	26·82	2N 4R
1992–93	30·369	7N 2R
1993–94	27·178	3N 2R

Name of Body	Gross Expenditure (£million*)	Number of New Appointments and Appointments Renewed
British Library		14A (includes 3 ex-officio appointments)
1989–90	77·05	2N 2R
1990–91	80·49	1N 1R
1991–92	80·49	3N
1992–93	96·71	1N 2R
1993–94	105·123	2N 2R
British Museum		25A
1989–90	31·120	4N 2R
1990–91	34·531	1N 3R
1991–92	38·351	2N 3R
1992–93	42·68	1N
1993–94	44·32	2N 4R
British Tourist Authority		6A
1989–90	37·9	1N 5R
1990–91	39·8	1N 1R
1991–92	43·51	1N 4R
1992–93	45·08
1993–94	48·0	3N 3R
Broadcasting Complaints Commission		5A
1989–90	0·259	1N
1990–91	0·340	1N
1991–92	0·482	1N 1R
1992–93	0·417	2N
1993–94	0·537	2N
Broadcasting Standards Council		8A
1989–90	1·080
1990–91	1·243
1991–92	1·343	1N
1992–93	1·263	1N 1R
1993–94	1·465	4N 1R
Crafts Council		14A
1989–90	3·26	2N 3R
1990–91	3·49	5N
1991–92	3·83	2N 3R
1992–93	4·11	3N 1R
1993–94	4·6	2R
English Tourist Board		7A
1989–90	19·15	2N 5R
1990–91	24·5	1N IR
1991–92	18·95	1N 4R
1992–93	20·8	1N 1R
1993–94	18·9	2N 4R
Football Licensing Authority		9A
1989–90	—
1990–91	0·110	6N
1991–92	0·766
1992–93	0·8
1993–94	0·9	3N 5R
Geffrye Museum1		12A
1992–93	0·971	1N
1993–94	1·195	4R
Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (English Heritage)		14A
1989–90	87·0	4N 2R
1990–91	90·2	3N
1991–92	102·857	5N 1R
1992–93	114·257	3N 3R

Name of Body	Gross Expenditure (£ million*)	Number of New Appointments and Appointments Renewed
1993–94	114·264	2R
Horniman Museum1		10A
1992–93	2·895	4R
1993–94	2·477	1R
Imperial War Museum		15A (+6 Commonwealth Commissioners)
1989–90	16·464
1990–91	14·588	3N 2R
1991–92	17·262	1N 2R
1992–93	17·415	2N 1R
1993–94	17·975	1N
Millennium Commission2		9A
1993–94	0·082	9N
Museum of London		18A
1989–90	6·233	3R
1990–91	7·233	4R
1991–92	8·258	1N 4R
1992–93	12·989	5R
1993–94	13·631	3N
Museums and Galleries Commission		15A
1989–90	6·95	1R
1990–91	10·439	1R
1991–92	11·676	3N 2R
1992–93	9·123	3R
1993–94	9·364	3N 3R
National Film Development Fund		3A
1989–90	0·35
1990–91	0·24	1N 1R
1991–92	—	1N
1992–93	—
1993–94	—	2R
National Gallery		12A
1989–90	17·328	2N 1R
1990–91	22·953	3N
1991–92	21·976	—
1992–93	22·871	1N 1R
1993–94	26·1	3N 1R
National Heritage Memorial Fund		13A
1989–90	17·6	1R
1990–91	17·9	1N 1R
1991–92	15·811	3N 2R
1992–93	12·292	3N 1R
1993–94	10·558	2R
National Maritime Museum		12A
1989–90	11·109	2N
1990–91	12·461	1N 1R
1991–92	12·468	1R
1992–93	12·468	3N
1993–94	11·608	2N
National Portrait Gallery		14A (+2 ex officio appointments)
1989–90	4·93	1R
1990–91	5·97	1R
1991–92	6·691	2N 2R
1992–93	11·031	3N
1993–94	11·402	1R

Name of Body	Gross Expenditure (£million*	Number of New Appointments and Appointments Renewed
Natural History Museum		12A
1989–90	29·1	2N
1990–91	32·552	1N 2R
1991–92	38·115	2N
1992–93	39·509	1N
1993–94	41·208	1N 4R
Royal Armouries		11A
1989–90	4·0	2N
1990–91	4·2	1N
1991–92	4·35	1N 1R
1992–93	6·031	2R
1993–94	6·641	1N 2R
Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts		17A
1989–90	0·62	3N
1990–91	0·79	3N
1991–92	0·81	1N
1992–93	0·81	2N
1993–94	0·947	2R
Science Museum (National
Museum of Science and		15A
Industry)		1N
1989–90	29·099	2N 1R
1990–91	22·186	1N 3R
1991–92	22·722	2N 2R
1992–93	25·148	2R
1993–94	26·233	—
Sir John Soane's Museum		9A
1989–90	0·33	—
1990–91	0·73	—
1991–92	1·029	1N 1R
1992–93	0·892	2N 1R
1993–94	0·994	1N 2R
South Bank Theatre Board		3A
1989–90	0·017	2N
1990–91	0·017
1991–92	0·004	1N
1992–93	0·001	1N
1993–94	0·003
Sports Council		14A
1989–90	49·7	3N 2R
1990–91	55·9	2N 1R
1991–92	51·7	1N 6R
1992–93	51·7	2N 8R
1993–94	53·955	5N 20R
Tate Gallery		12A
1989–90	12·973	2N 1R
1990–91	15·067
1991–92	21·709	3N
1992–93	21·709	1R
1993–94	21·829	4N 1R
Victoria and Albert Museum		17A
1989–90	17·392	2N
1990–91	31·939	3N 3R
1991–92	32·082	5R
1992–93	35·6
1993–94	32·938	2N 4R
Wallace Collection		7A
1989–90	1·26	1N
1990–91	2·104	1N 2R
1991–92	2·181	1R

Name of Body	Gross Expenditure (£million*	Number of New Appointments and Appointments Renewed
1992–93	2·319
1993–94	2·164
ADVISORY BODIES
Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites		9A
1989–90	0·091
1990–91	0·165
1991–92	0·001
1992–93	0·001
1993–94	0·001
Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection		7A (4 ex-officio)
1989–90	0·001
1990–91	0·001	1N
1991–92	0·001	1N
1992–93	—
1993–94	—	1N 1R
Library and Information Services Council		20A
1989–90	0·034	5N 1R
1990–91	0·037	4N
1991–92	0·023	4N 6R
1992–93	0·023	3N 3R
1993–94	—	4R
Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art		8A
1989–90	0·014	1N 1R
1990–91	0·093	1N 2R
1991–92	0·012	2R
1992–93	0·012	2N 1R
1993–94	0·014	1N 3R
Royal Fine art Commission		18A
1989–90	0·395	2R
1990–91	0·513	2R
1991–92	0·61
1992–93	0·655	1N 8R
1993–94	0·69	1N 1R
Theatres Trust		15A
1989–90	0·015	3N 2R
1990–91	0·016	1N 3R
1991–92	0·063	2N 2R
1992–93	0·059	2N 3R
1993–94	0·052	5R
REGIONAL COUNCILS FOR SPORT AND RECREATION
London Council		7A
1989–90	—	2N 1R
1990–91	—	1N
1991–92	—	2R
1992–93	—	3N 1R
1993–94	—	1R

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations he has received from the British Chess Federation concerning the recognition of chess as a sport; and if he will make a statement.

We have received several representations from the British Chess Federation concerning the recognition of chess as a sport. However, my Department's responsibility is for physical sport and recreation. The Government's interest in intellectual

	Department of National Heritage	Historic Royal Palaces Agency	Royal Parks Agency
1992–93	£22,037	£17,690	£1,032
1993–94	£18,278	£16,374	£8,541

The figures for the years prior to the establishment of my department, in April 1992, are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what arrangements he intends to introduce to ensure that all persons licensed to provide Channel 3 services will continue to share transmission and distribution costs in such a manner as to maintain the viability of regional services beyond the end of 1996.

As required under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1990, I have given my approval to the arrangements proposed by the Independent Television Association for sharing the transmission costs for Channel 3 for the period 1994–1998. These arrangements have the unanimous approval of all the Channel 3 licensees.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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 hospitality by my Department—including Property Holdings—was approximately £67,000 in 1990–91, £63,000 in 1991–92, £98,000 in 1992–93 and £75,000 in 1993–94.Expenditure on hospitality by the Department's agencies was £15,000 in 1990–91, £29,200 in 1991–92, £41,000 in 1992–93 and £32,000 in 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans the Government have to introduce transitional relief for authorities which will be adversely affected by the new rating list coming into effect on 1 April 1995.

My Department issued a consultation paper on 3 October setting out proposals for transitional arrangements to phase in the effects of the 1995 revaluation. Copies have been placed in the Library. We expect to announce our decisions by the end of November. The arrangements would apply to local authorities, in respect of rate bills on the properties they occupy, in the same way as to other ratepayers.

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

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library copies of his speeches to (a) the Conservative and Unionist party conference and (b) the Tory green initiative fringe meeting on matters for which he has departmental responsibility at Bournemouth on 13 October.

In responding to the environment and planning debate I did not use a pre-prepared text. However in the course of my speech I confirmed that the Government had begun work on a major White Paper on the countryside; I announced that the Government intended to legislate to secure a dramatic increase in recycling of packaging waste; I announced the publication of draft legislation for the creation of the new environment agency in order to maintain this country's lead in developing methods of integrated pollution control; and I emphasised the importance of raising the quality of new development and the quality of the built environment generally.At the fringe meeting of the Tory Green Initiative I discussed the outstanding record of the Conservative party in government in taking practical and specific action to deal with environmental issues and I emphasised the responsibility which falls to a party of government not to pretend that high environmental standards can be achieved without anyone anywhere having to meet the bill. I pointed to the fundamental inconsistency of the Opposition, who demand higher environmental standards while attacking the necessary means of delivery, in particular VAT on fuel, the sensible extension of water metering and additional taxation in petrol.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will be making an announcement on the method it is proposed to use to ensure that the National Rivers Authority new main and new second fund will be fully able to meet all its liabilities.

Section 173 of the Water Act 1989 puts beyond any doubt my right hon. Friend's obligation to meet any deficit. The method and timing of any action necessary under the section will ensure that pension liabilities are met in full, while minimising the burden on the taxpayer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the public appointments for which he is responsible (a) in the west midlands region and (b) in Shropshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary.

The information requested is as follows:(a) West Midlands Region

Appointment	New Appointment Due	Salary
Birmingham Heartlands Development Corporation
Chairman	8 March 1995	£26,700
Deputy Chairman	8 March 1995	*£9,060
Up to 11 other	22 June 1995(9)
Board members	31 October 1995(1) One vacancy	£5,300
Black Country Development Corporation
Chairman	14 May 1997	£26,700
Deputy Chairman	15 April 1996	**£18,120
Up to 11 other	4 April 1995
Board members	21 June 1995
	31 December 1995
	31 January 1996
	21 June 1996
	31 July 1996(3)
	31 August 1996
	Two vacancies	£5,300
Castle Vale Housing Action Trust
Chairman	30 June 1996	£26,700
Deputy Chairman	30 June 1996	£9,060
Up to 10 other	30 June 1996 (10)
Board members		£5,300
Black Country Limestone Advisory Panel
Chairman	Open - ended appointments	Fee based on attendance at meetings
5 other members
* based on one day per week
** based on two days per week

(b) Shropshire None

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what criteria will be used in the appointment of the head of the environment agency.

In appointing the chairman and other members of the environment agency, my right hon. Friend will have regard to the desirability of appointing persons who have experience of, and have shown capacity in, some matter relevant to the functions of the agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will indicate the time frame he intends to adopt in directing existing waste regulation authorities to submit schemes for the transfer of property, rights and liabilities to the environment agency, as required under paragraph 3(3) (a) and (b) of the Environment Agencies Bill.

Timing will depend upon passage of the necessary legislation. If this is enacted by the summer of 1995, it is the Government's intention to invite authorities shortly thereafter to submit transfer schemes and for the Secretary of State to complete the approval of schemes in time for the agency to be vested on 1 April 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contracts have been awarded by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution for the monitoring of releases from sectors controlled by integrated pollution control.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution—HMIP—has awarded the following contracts for the routine monitoring of releases from processes regulated by Integrated Pollution Control—IPC:

Contract	Contractor
1. Emissions to Atmosphere—National Power Sites	BCRA Scientific and Technical Services Ltd.
2. Emissions to Atmosphere—Powergen Sites	TBV Science
3. Releases to Water—National Power Sites	National Rivers Authority
4. Releases to Water—Powergen Sites	Yorkshire Environmental Ltd.
5. Releases to both Atmosphere and Water from Chemical Waste Incinerators	Fugro Environmental Ltd.
6. Releases to Atmosphere in the Midlands and South West of England	EA Technology

In addition, ad-hoc/reactive monitoring of IPC controlled processes is carried out under the following contracts:

Contract	Contractor
7. Releases to Water and Effluent Streams	National Rivers Authority
8. Releases to Atmosphere in the NW and NE Regions of HMIP	Entec Cremer and Warner Ltd.
9. Releases to Atmosphere in Wales, the Midlands and South West Regions of HMIP	CRE Group Ltd.
10. Releases to Atmosphere in the Anglian and Southern Regions of HMIP	AEA Technology

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many enforcement notices have been served on British Nuclear Fuels plc under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993 since it came into force; and what actions have been taken by British Nuclear Fuels plc to comply.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has served one enforcement notice on British Nuclear Fuels plc under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. This was served on 20 June 1994 and related to its Sellafield site.British Nuclear Fuels plc confirmed compliance with the requirements of this notice within the specified time in a report submitted to HMIP on 1 September 1994.

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

As at 1 October 1994, there were 6,340 non-industrial staff in my Department, excluding PSA Services. These staff were employed in each of the regions as follows:

Region	Staff employed as percentage of total
Eastern	1·1
East Midlands	1·6
London	61·9
North West	7·9
Northern	2·0
South East	4·0
South West	13·1
West Midlands	3·0
Yorkshire & Humberside	3·4
Scotland	1·1
Wales	0·9

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the rules governing profit-related pay in relation to local authority direct labour organisations; and what changes he proposes to make.

Subject to the statutory requirement for local authority direct services organisations —DSOs—to meet the prescribed financial objective for the service in question, and to the normal rules of financial propriety and regularity, local authorities have discretion to structure DSO pay in whatever way they think appropriate, including linking it to financial surpluses achieved. My right hon. Friend has no plans to introduce rules on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has received on the two odour pollution incidents at the Global Environmental plant in Leeds in August; and what steps have been taken to avoid future discharge from wet air oxidation waste processing plants.

The global environmental waste disposal site in Leeds is subject to waste management licensing under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Enforcement of environmental regulations at the site is therefore a matter for the West Yorkshire waste regulation authority. The authority is investigating the incidents referred to and will decide what action, if any, should be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to introduce primary legislation to amend the homeless persons legislation contained in part III of the Housing Act 1985; and what administrative action he will be taking to further the proposals contained in the consultation document "Access to Local Authority and Housing Association Tenancies" pending the introduction of such legislation.

We will introduce legislation when parliamentary time permits. Meanwhile we will be encouraging local authorities to pursue such proposals as developing advice services, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of their allocation systems, working in partnership with the private rented sector, and examining the potential to develop common housing registers with housing associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to announce the granting of enterprise zone status to areas within the district of Easington.

The designation of the proposed East Durham—Easington—enterprise zones is contingent on satisfactory arrangements being in place to ensure that EC sectoral restrictions on aids to industry can be enforced. As soon as these arrangements have been finalised, the United Kingdom statutory procedures will be initiated and these normally take about six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment under what sections of which planning legislation planning enforcement action may be taken against individuals in the area now covered by the Broads Authority.

As the local planning authority, the Broads Authority has the following discretionary enforcement powers under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, as amended by the Planning and Compensation Act 1991:

(1) to issue an enforcement notice (section 172);

(2) to serve a stop notice (section 183);

(3) to serve a breach of condition notice (section 187A);

(4) to apply to the Court for an injunction to restrain a breach of planning control (section 187B); and

(5) the right of entry on to land for enforcement purposes (section 196A)

Guidance to planning authorities on the use of these powers is given in DOE circulars 21/91 and 17/92, copies of which I am sending to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish a list of proposed special areas of conservation.

I expect to be able to publish a list of candidate special areas of conservation for consultation by Christmas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has the authority to require power stations fitted with flue gas desulphurisation plant, electrostatic precipitators or low oxides of nitrogen burners to use that plant across the whole range of power output.

Yes, if it is not excessively costly to run the abatement equipment.A condition may be included in an authorisation granted under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to require an operator to run an abatement plant when the authorised process is being operated, provided that it is not excessively costly to do so and provided that there is not some other preferable technique, having regard to cost and efficacy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many cases the European Commission has started against the United Kingdom for non-compliance with directive 76/464/EEC; and what sites are involved.

There have been a number of exchanges with the Commission about directive 76/464/EEC in recent years. Details of proceedings under article 169 of the treaty are kept in confidence between the Commission and the member state Government.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what correspondence he has received on the withholding from publication of his Department's report on the allegations of insider dealing by Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

There is no provision in the Financial Services Act 1986 for inspectors reports to be published and it follows that it would be inappropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House. I have received several letters from Members of the House and others on the subject.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the dates on which his Department communicated with the inspectors who conducted the inquiry into allegations of insider dealing involving Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare, showing the purpose of each communication.

It is normal practice for officials of my Department to keep in regular contact with inspectors during the course of their inquiries. Details of those contacts are confidential.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the (a) budgeted and (b) total cost of the inquiry into the allegations of insider trading involving Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare.

The total cost, including inspectors' fees, disbursements and VAT, of the investigation into alleged insider dealing in the shares of Anglia Television Group plc was £213,767. Individual inquiries are not subject to separate budgets.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action he has taken to obtain the consent of Lord Archer of Weston-super-Mare to releasing the report on alleged insider dealing in relation to the MAI purchase of Anglia Television.

I have taken no such action.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a copy of the interview he gave to the Los Angeles Times in the summer.

No.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what environmental protection conditions cover the loan by the European Investment bank to BHP Hamilton Oil for its development of oil and gas fields off the Welsh Coast.

Before the loan was granted environmental impact assessments—EIAs—were carried out in accordance with directive EEC/85/337 on all on-shore and off-shore elements of the project. The project has also met all the environmental requirements of the United Kingdom authorities, following their separate EIA on the off-shore installations. A 500m shipping exclusion zone and a 1,000m development zone will operate around each offshore structure; radar coverage from Liverpool will be extended to include these structures.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the circumstances in which, as a matter of policy, persons other than departmental staff are engaged to investigate allegations of insider dealing under the Financial Services Act 1986.

There is no laid down policy: decisions are made on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the use of postal codes or addresses by credit reference agencies and other institutions in assessing credit worthiness.

The matter was assessed in 1992 by the then Director General of Fair Trading. He concluded that the use of such information was legitimate provided that it was not capable of outweighing all other factors. I have no plans to initiate a further assessment.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from Ford or Jaguar cars about investment by his Department for the development of a new model to be built in Coventry by Jaguar.

Ford and Jaguar have discussed with my Department the scope for possible selective financial

Public Body	Title of Appointment	Duration	Date appointment expires	Salary
Public appointments in the West Midlands Region
Office of Electricity Regulation	Director General of Electricity Supply	5 years	31 August 1999	£100,000 pa
West Midlands	Chairman	2 years	31 December 1995	None
Industrial	Member x 5	2 years	31 December 1994	None
Development Board	Member x 5	2 years	31 December 1995	None
Persons Hearing	Panel	No fixed period for appointments		None
Consumer Credit	Member x 3
Licensing Appeals
Persons Hearing	Panel	No fixed period for appointments		None
Estate Agents	Member x 3
Appeals
Public appointments in Shropshire
Persons Hearing	Panel	No fixed period for appointment		None
Credit Licensing Appeals	Member

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many inquiries into alleged insider dealing his Department has undertaken under the Financial Services Act 1986 in the past three years; what period of time elapsed between the decision to commence an inquiry and its completion in each case; and on how many occasions persons other than departmental staff have been used as investigators.

In the last three years inspectors have been appointed to investigate alleged insider dealing under section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 on 10 occasions as follows:

Case	Date of appointment	Date of report	Inspectors
A	19 December 1991	31 July 1992	Internal
B	21 February 1992	Not yet reported	Internal
C	6 July 1992	31 December 1992	Internal
D	13 May 1993	30 September 1993	Internal
E	8 September 1993	26 August 1994	Internal
F	1 November 1993	Not yet reported	External
G	28 January 1994	26 April 1994	Internal
H	8 February 1994	19 July 1994	External
I	20 April 1994	Not yet reported	Internal
J	4 May 1994	Not yet reported	Internal

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions the Government have taken part in with the European Union on the imposition of a assistance for a new Jaguar model, codenamed the X200. No application has yet been made.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the public appointments for which he is responsible (a) in the west midlands region and (b) in Shropshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary.

The information is as follows:droit de suite levy on works of art; what position it has taken; and whether he proposes to introduce such a tax.

The Government decided against the introduction of droit de suite, or "resale right", in the United Kingdom when this was considered during the process of review leading up to the present copyright legislation, the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, since it was not convinced that this right, which entitles artists to a share in the proceeds of the second and subsequent sales of their work, is either justified or satisfactorily workable in practice. There are no plans to reverse this decision, but the Commission is studying droit de suite as part of its working programme in the copyright field announced in 1991, since several other EC states already provide a right of this kind in their copyright laws. So far as the Government are aware, however, the Commission has not yet decided whether to bring forward any proposals for harmonisation in this area. It has not sought the views of member states on the matter, but has nevertheless been made aware of the United Kingdom's general reservations on the principle of droit de suite.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the current salaries of the chairman and chief executive of the Post Office; and what has been the average increase over a three-year period in the salaries of chairmen and chief executives of newly privatised companies.

The chairman's basic salary is £101,500 per annum and the chief executive's £182,700. The figure of the average increase over a three-year period in the salaries of chairmen and chief executives of newly privatised companies is not available as no information on these salaries is held centrally.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the engagements of the Minister for Energy and Industry for 10 September 1993; what means of transport was used to attend these engagements; and who provided or paid for it.

[holding answer 21 October 1994]: I had a number of engagements in my office on 10 September 1993 and travelled by ministerial car to Heathrow airport to commence an overseas visit on behalf of the Government.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions he or his ministerial colleagues have used transport provided by Mr. R. Budge or R.J.B. Ltd.

[holding answer 21 October 1994]: I am not aware of any occasion on which any Minister whilst serving in this Department used transport provided by Mr R. Budge or RJB Ltd.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines exist about the offers or use by transport provided by companies with which his Department has dealings.

[holding answer 21 October 1994]: The relevant guidelines are contained in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what is the estimated cost of extending mandatory fee support to part-time first degree students.

The cost would depend upon the decisions taken about eligible courses, future student numbers, the maximum fee entitlement and the account to be taken of the personal circumstances of potentially eligible students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children were excluded from school in the last academic year.

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the quality of the inspectors' reports on failing schools.

This is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the independent office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what evidence there is to suggest that staff at grant-maintained schools wish to return to local education authority control.

There is none of which the Department is aware. Recent suggestions that some grant-maintained schools in Hillingdon wish to return to LEA control are completely unfounded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what funding she (a) has made and (b) intends to make available for Chinese students, with particular reference to translators, to study English.

None. However, Chinese students will receive nearly £1·4 million of Government funding in the 1994–95 financial year from FCO, ODA and the British Council scholarship schemes for overseas students. It is not possible to identify how much of this funding will benefit students who wish to study English with the aim of becoming translators.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what evidence exists to suggest that there has been a substantial change in the numbers of further education students in the last 12 months;(2) what has been the change in the numbers of further education students in the last 12 months; and what subjects and what geographical areas are most affected.

The number of students on further education courses at institutions of further or higher education, including sixth form colleges, increased by about 3 per cent. between the 1992–93 and 1993–94 academic years. In terms of full-time equivalents the increase was about 6 per cent.All regions showed an increase of some magnitude, but that in Greater London was particularly pronounced. Most main subject group1s also showed an increase. The largest increases were for subjects allied to medicine, education and mathematical and computing sciences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Korean nationals are currently studying at United Kingdom institutions of higher education.

In the academic year 1992–93 there were 596 students from Korea studying at institutions of higher education in the United Kingdom–572 students from South Korea and 24 students from North Korea. Data for the academic year 1993–94 is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she has made of the annual costs of implementing the school teachers' pay and conditions document 1993 in relation to teacher salary re-assessments; and if she will make a statement.

The Department estimated that the overall cost of implementing the school teachers' pay and conditions document 1993 would be 1·5 per cent. across the profession as a whole. Costs will have varied from teacher to teacher for a number of reasons when salaries were re-assessed on 1 September 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps she proposes to take to safeguard the future of village primary schools.

My right hon. Friend will always consider very carefully, and on their individual merits, any statutory proposals involving village schools which come to her for decision.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many staff are employed by his Department; and what proportion of them are employed in each of the standard regions.

The information covers all permanent staff employed by the Department, including agencies, at 1 October 1994. Part-time staff are counted as one.

Total staff in Department 10,307
Percentage of staff by MAFF Region	Per cent.
Headquarters staff	55·8
Anglia	6·6
East Midlands	3·2
North Eastern	3·8
Northern	5·1
North Mercia	5·3
South Eastern	6·0
South Mercia	3·6
South Western	5·4
Wessex	2·6
Wales	2·6
Total	100·0

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now publish figures for how much the United Kingdom contribution to the common agricultural policy costs the average British family per week.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East (Mr. Brown) on 15 March, Official Report column 601–2.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current estimate of the cost of the common agricultural policy in (a) 1994 and (b) 1995; and what was the cost in (i) 1992 and (ii) 1993.

The Commission has proposed a supplementary and amending budget for 1994 which would reduce the common agricultural policy budget from 36,465 mecu—£28,143 million— to 34,787 mecu—£26,848 million. The 1995 draft budget has been set at the level of the agricultural guideline of 36,994 mecu—£29,056 million. Expenditure in 1992 and 1993 was 32,109 mecu—£22,722 million—and 35,095 mecu—£27,571 million—respectively.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the public appointments for which he is responsible (a) in the west midlands region and (b) in Shropshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due and the salary.

The south mercia and north mercia regional panels cover the west midlands region and Shropshire respectively. The regional panels are advisory non-statutory bodies consisting of between eight and 10 members. The members are appointed for an initial period of up to three years, normally from 1 April, and can serve for a maximum of six years. The panel chairman and members receive no salary, but can claim travel and subsistence expenses.Agricultural wages committees for each of the regions have two independent members appointed by the Minister, whose terms of appointment end on 31 December 1994, together with additional members appointed by other organisations. Members are appointed for a period of up to two years and receive a daily fee for attending meetings of £68. If elected chairman of the agricultural wages committee, they are entitled to a fee of £86 per day.The Minister appoints the chairmen of the agricultural dwelling house advisory committees for the two areas for up to three years. Most of these appointments are due for renewal on 31 December 1994. The chairman receives a daily fee of £86.The Severn-Trent regional flood defence committee of the National Rivers Authority covers most of the specified area. The Minister is responsible for the appointment of a chairman and seven members; these appointments are for three years and new ministerial appointments will be made on 1 July 1997. Other members are appointed by local authorities and the National Rivers Authority. The chairman receives a salary of £11,200 per annum; members receive expenses.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each of the last five years for which figures are available, and broken down into the constituent counties within the United Kingdom, the number of cases of application for sheep annual premium which have been rejected because the application date was missed by the applicant; and what percentage that number constitutes of the total number of SAP applications made in that county for that year.

The number and percentage of sheep premium claims rejected because they arrived after the last date for receipt, in respect of each agriculture department for each of the last five years, are set out in the table. I will write to the hon. Member to provide the breakdown by county.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider making a case to the European Commission to allow national discretion in a limited number of circumstances to enable sheep annual premium applications to be deemed to be received by the due application date where sheep producers have a bona fide reason for not lodging the necessary application forms on time; and if he will make a statement.

Member states have discretion under the sheep annual premium scheme to accept claims lodged after the final date for receipt where the reasons for late lodgement constitute force majeure, which covers the most exceptional of circumstances. Wider discretion to accept late claims would carry the risk that the retention period, which is a fundamental requirement of the scheme, could not be effectively enforced.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his predecessor's answer of 20 April, Official Report, column 562, if he is now able to provide the information requested for 1994 concerning changes in hill livestock compensatory allowance payments.

There remains a small number of payments to be made under the 1994 hill livestock compensatory allowances scheme. The information requested is therefore not yet complete. I will write to the hon. Member in January 1995 when the information will be available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will ask the Council of Ministers to increase current precautionary nephrops total allowable catches in the North sea to take into account increased catches from Fladden bank;(2) what proposals he has to introduce separate precautionary total allowable catches for nephrops on the Fladden bank in the North sea;(3) what steps he is taking to prevent current nephrops quota being reduced before the end of the current year.

Following representations from the fishing and processing industries, my Department is approaching the European Commission with a request for an increase in the current precautionary total allowable catch for North sea nephrops. I shall be considering the case for treating the Fladden ground separately. In the meantime, strict controls are being maintained in order to keep this year's fishery open as long as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ban twin prawn trawls.

EC technical conservation rules permit fishing for nephrops with a minimum mesh size of 70 mm in the North sea and allow fishing for cod and other white fish with a minimum mesh size of 100 mm. Since August 1993, with the agreement of the United Kingdom industry, it has not been possible for United Kingdom fishing vessels to use twin or multirig fishing gear in the North sea, except on the Fladen ground, unless the minimum mesh size has been 100 mm. There are no current plans to change this.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes he proposes to make in his Department's functions and organisation following the management review of the animal health and veterinary group.

On 16 March 1993, my right hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer), announced a review of the Ministry's Animal Health and Veterinary Group with a view to improving the use of the Ministry's resources in this area. The review team reported earlier this year and a consultation document is now being sent out to interested organisations and placed in the Library of the House which sets out the initial conclusions which I have reached in consultation with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales, who share with me policy responsibilities in this area.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the future of ADAS.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I are anxious to press ahead with the privatisation of ADAS as soon as possible. However, it is necessary to have regard to financial aspects, competition policy and the need for any privatised body to avoid unacceptable conflicts of interests. Accordingly, we have now instructed officials to look into the possibility of privatising part of the organisation while avoiding these potential problems. The expectation is that the privatised body will include the whole of the commercial consultancy and commercial research and development arms and some other work. Some functions presently located within ADAS would probably remain within the departments after privatisation. I will make a further statement in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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.

My Department has spent a total of £6,000 in the last three years producing and publicising public information material in Braille, large print and on audio tape.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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.

The following Welsh Office publications are currently available in formats other than normal print:

Council Tax - A guide to the New Tax for Local Government in Wales (available in Braille, large print and on tape)

Council Tax - Valuation and Banding (Braille, large print and tape)

Council Tax - How to Appeal (Braille, large print and tape)

Council Tax - Liability, Discounts and Exemptions (Braille, large print and tape.

An Inspection of Services for the Visually Impaired in Gwynedd (large print and tape)

Published Information for Users and Carers and General Public—

A Guide to Good Practice (large print)

Keep Warm, Keep Well (tape)

Details of material produced in alternative formats is publicised through information releases to the media and through direct contact with relevant organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what specific analysis his Department has conducted on the cost and efficiency of introducing performance-related pay to clinical grades in the national health service.

Local managers are in the best position to devise local pay schemes for clinicians linked to the needs of the hospital. The assessment of the cost and efficiency of any such schemes would also be for local determination.

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

The amounts spent by the Welsh Office and its agencies on official hospitality were:

	Welsh Office	Cadw
Year	£	£
1990–91	45,419	632
1991–92	35,982	481
1992–93	38,382	1,955
1993–94	26,818	2,248
1994–95 (to 30 September 1994)	12,938	244

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average maintenance grant paid by Welsh local education authorities to students for the 1994–95 academic year; and what the figure was for (a) the 1993–94 academic year and (b) the 1979–80 academic year.

The average net maintenance grant paid as part of a mandatory award by local education authorities in Wales was £1,540 in the academic year 1989–90, £1,620 in 1991–92 and £1,690 in 1992–93. This is fully reimbursed by central Government.Discretionary student awards are funded entirely from LEAs' own resources. The average net maintenance grant paid as part of a discretionary award by LEAs in Wales was £620 in the academic year 1989–90, £670 in 1991–92 and £440 in the academic year 1992–93.1992–93 is the latest academic year for which information on LEAs' expenditure on either mandatory or discretionary awards is available. Similar information for the years prior to 1989–90 is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish an up-to-date list of all the (a) chairs and (b) non-executive directors of each tourist board, indicating the gender and occupation of each individual.