To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what proposals he has to eliminate the anomaly whereby grants under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 are now suspended in relation to England but not the other parts of the United Kingdom.

I have no plans to reinstate grants available under section 4 of the Development of Tourism Act 1969 in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the combat effectiveness of the armed forces requires discrimination on the grounds of sex or race.

Combat effectiveness does not require discrimination on the ground of race. Some areas of employment do, however, remain closed to service women, although the scope for extending the employment of women is under review. In order to maintain combat effectiveness, however, it is unlikely that the employment of women will be extended to all front line posts of the armed forces; such exclusions are consistent with national and European law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table setting out the ethnic composition of the armed forces at each rank in the Army, the Navy and the Royal Air Force at the latest available date.

A breakdown of the ethnic composition of each of the armed forces will be published shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House at that time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of armed forces sexual harassment policies.

I shall arrange for a copy of the Army and Royal Air Force documents on sexual harassment to be placed in the Library of the House shortly. The Royal Navy's policy document is nearing completion and a copy will be placed in the Library when it has been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the ethnic minorities are now serving in the Household Cavalry; and if he will make a statement on the progress that has been made following the investigation into recruitment practices by the Commission for Racial Equality.

It is a basic principle of ethnic monitoring in the Army that individual privacy should be maintained and that statistical data should protect that privacy. Ethnic monitoring in the Army does not therefore distinguish the units to which individual soldiers and officers belong. The Commission for Racial Equality investigation is continuing. No findings have yet been notified to my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish a table showing (a) the number and (b) percentage of women at each rank in the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force at the latest available date.

The information requested, as at 1 October 1994 the latest date for which information is available, is as follows:

Rank	Number of women in the rank	Percentage of women in the rank
Royal Naval Services
Commodore	1	2.4
Captain	5	1.4
Commander	16	1.3
Lieutenant Commander	65	2.5
Lieutenant	266	7.5
Sub-Lieutenant	131	10.8
Warrant Officer	9	1.0
Chief Petty Officer	118	1.5
Petty Officer	393	5.4
Leading Rate	985	9.5
Able Rate	1,838	11.0
Ordinary Rate/Junior	279	19.2
Army
Brigadier	3	1.5
Colonel	12	2.3
Lieutenant Colonel	45	2.7
Major	180	3.8
Captain	554	12.8
Lieutenant/2nd Lieutenant	366	11.4
Warrant Officer (Class 1)	35	1.9
Warrant Officer (Class 2)	103	2.0
Staff Sergeant	209	3.1
Sergeant	557	4.7
Corporal	1,055	5.6
Lance Corporal	1,229	6.6
Private (Classes 1–3)	1,823	5.3
Private (Class 4)/Junior	696	9.6
Royal Air Force
Group Captain	2	0.5
Wing Commander	37	2.9
Squadron Leader	163	4.7
Flight Lieutenant	554	9.0
Flying Officer/Pilot Officer	283	17.1
Warrant Officer	23	1.4
Flight Sergeant/Chief Technician	54	1.1
Sergeant	448	4.5
Corporal	1,037	6.1
Junior Technician/Senior
Aircraftwoman/Leading
Aircraftwoman	3,568	14.0
Aircraftwoman	143	30.7

This information has been extracted from the quarterly tri-service statistical return, "tri-service personnel statistics 9", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to ensure that court-martials and other judicial procedures within the armed forces comply with the terms of the convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Courts-martial and other judicial proceedings within the armed forces are provided for in the service discipline Acts approved regularly by Parliament. Their procedures are regarded as consistent with the convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the progress of the European common foreign and security policy.

I have been asked to reply.The CFSP has been in operation for a little over a year. A number of common positions and joint actions have been agreed and implemented by EU member states on a range of international issues, including support for the middle east peace process; extending the non-proliferation treaty; promotion of the stability pact in Europe; election monitoring in South Africa and Russia; and humanitarian relief in Bosnia, most notably manpower and financial support for the EU administration of Mostar.The CFSP is a relatively new tool: we are determined to use it to best effect. Already, EU member states are becoming accustomed to developing common approaches and dealing with complex and difficult international issues collectively. We welcome this progress: it is self-evidently in the interests of EU member states that they should be able to harness their collective weight in the international arena.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the operation of the joint negotiating machinery and Whitley Council agreements in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Industrial relations machinery in the Northern Ireland civil service is covered by the Central Whitley Council for non-industrial civil servants and the Central Joint Consultative Council for industrial employees. Negotiation and consultation between management and trade unions also take place at departmental and local level where this is appropriate. These arrangements continue to work well.I understand that the joint council machinery for health and personal social services staff is to be abolished from 1 April 1995. From that date, employers and staff organisations will negotiate locally the pay and other conditions of service of health and personal social services staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how the resources element of the rate support grant allocated to district councils is calculated for the 1995–96 financial year; and what was the basis for the calculation in the 1994–95 financial year.

As there is no specific rate support grant in Northern Ireland, I assume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the general exchequer grant which is payable to district councils. There are two elements: derating and resources. The resources element is calculated by subtracting the derating element, which is statutory based, from the total relevant amount available in any one year and is distributed among councils using the set formula. This was the basis used for both the 1994–95 and 1995–96 financial years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he made to (a) the Irish Attorney-General, (b) his officials, (c) other Ministers in the then Irish Government and (d) officials in the Irish Government over delays in extraditing Brendan Smyth from Ireland at any time between (i) April 1993 and February 1994 and (ii) subsequently; to whom representations were made; what was the nature of those representations; and on what date or dates representations were made.

[holding answer 18 January 1995]: None.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what research he has conducted into allegations that the Government receive a greater sum from the Department of Social Security's benefit clawback scheme for legally aided litigants than they actually pay out in civil legal aid to those people; and if he will publish that research.

The compensation recovery unit of the Department of Social Security does not record whether a person who recovers compensation is legally aided. Accordingly, it cannot say how much of the unit's recovery is attributable to legally-aided cases. We are considering how this information might be collected.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what studies his Department has done into the crisis concerning the cash limiting of the civil legal aid budget in New South Wales in late 1992 and early 1993.

I am aware of the cash limiting of the legal aid budget in New South Wales, and the consequences that this had.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has of the underspend on the legal aid budget for (a) civil legal aid and (b) criminal legal aid for the current financial year.

The latest available projections suggest that the total net cost of legal aid will be about £1.310 billion in 1994–95, £95 million below provision. Of that total, net expenditure on civil legal aid will be around £604 million, £41 million below provision, and expenditure on criminal legal aid will be about £476 million, £15 million below provision. The remaining expenditure relates to advice and assistance and the duty solicitor schemes.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps are being taken to examine the implications of the decision of the Dover magistrates court not to hear the sexual harassment case brought by the Crown Prosecution Service on behalf of a British crew member on Stena Sealink's Fantasia ferry on the ground that the alleged incident occurred on a foreign registered vessel; and if he will make a statement in respect of United Kingdom citizens employed on foreign-flagged vessels.

I understand that the case was dismissed because the court was not satisfied it had the necessary territorial jurisdiction. In general, courts will have jurisdiction for an offence committed in territorial waters, on a British ship, or if the accused is a British subject. Where the offence is committed on the high seas, the matter is likely to fall within the jurisdiction of the country with which the ship is registered.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals against a refusal of asylum on safe third country grounds were made to the Immigration Appeals Authority in 1994; and how many of these appeals were dismissed by the special adjudicator.

There were 763 appeals heard by the special adjudicators in 1994 where the Secretary of State had certified that the person's claim to asylum was without foundation. Four hundred and twelve of these appeals were dismissed by the special adjudicator under the special appeal procedures for claims without foundation. While these appeals included appeals against a refusal of asylum on safe third country grounds, the figures kept do not distinguish between the different types of cases within the overall category of those certified to be without foundation.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what sums of legal aid have so far been awarded to Mr. Bryce Taylor in respect of the action being taken against him by Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales.

No payment has as yet been made from the legal aid fund in respect of the action between HRH the Princess of Wales and Mr. Bryce Taylor. The final cost to the legal aid fund will depend on the outcome of the case, and, if appropriate, any legal aid cost will be subject to taxation by the court.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will discuss with high street retailers the practice of commissioning garments from suppliers who employ child labour in their fabrication.

As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Technology explained in his answer to the hon. Member for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) on 19 January 1995, Official Report, column 592, goods produced by unacceptable labour practices are generally indistinguishable in appearance from the same type of goods produced by other means. Moreover, the varied and complex channels of production and their distribution mean that there are severe practical difficulties in identifying their origin.The majority of high street retailers have stated that they would not knowingly source from suppliers whose garments have been manufactured using illegal child labour. My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade would be prepared to discuss this issue when he next meets representatives of the retail industry.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the trend of complaints against British Gas by gas consumers.

The Gas Consumers Council is responsible for investigating consumer complaints and the Office of Gas Supply, Ofgas, is responsible for monitoring British Gas's activities as a public gas supplier. The number of complaints about British Gas received by these bodies in the last three years as follows:

	OFGAS	GCC
1992	1,624 (328)	25,280
1993	1,658 (329)	20,428
1994	2,192 (320)	24,359

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in the negotiations with United States authorities regarding proposals by British Nuclear Fuels plc to import radioactively contaminated nitric acid from the US Energy Department nuclear complex at Harford.

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 1 November 1994, Official Report, column 1025.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the policy position set out by EC Energy Commissioner elect, Christos Papoutsis, during the confirmation hearings before the European Parliament on 9 January, in regard to the uneconomic status of recycled commercial plutonium for nuclear fuel and the attendant problems of safeguarding plutonium.

The Government's policy on the question of whether to reprocess or to seek alternative spent fuel management options is that this is a matter for the owners of the spent fuel.With regard to the remarks referred to by the hon. Member, I am informed that Mr. Papoutsis made it clear at the time that he was speaking in a personal capacity.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the conclusions of the nuclear review.

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Sherwood (Mr. Tipping) on 19 October 1994, Official Report, column 239.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the matters discussed, and agreements reached, at the European Union negotiations with the United States Government in Washington on 10 to 12 January on the 10-year extension of the US-EURATOM nuclear co-operation agreement of 1959.

Negotiations are continuing between the European Commission and the United States aimed at developing a new agreement for nuclear co-operation to replace the existing agreement which is due to expire on 31 December 1995. A copy of the Commission's press release reporting the outcome of the latest negotiating round has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It would be inappropriate to go into the details of the negotiations while talks continue.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had from the printing industry about changes in the cost of paper over the last 12 months.

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has received no direct representations from the printing industry. Ministers and officials in the Department have regular contact with the British Printing Industries Federation and are aware of the sector's concerns about paper price increase.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what studies his Department has made into the change in the costs of paper for the printing industry in the last 12 months.

The Department is aware of the increase in paper prices over this period but has not made any specific studies into the subject.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the change in (a) the cost of paper for the printing industry, (b) the average cost of raw materials and (c) the average change in the cost of finished products over the last 12 months.

Price indices for raw materials purchased and for home sales by the printing and publishing industry can be obtained from the Central Statistical Office's "Business Monitor", MM22, tables 3 and 4, or alternatively from CSO's central shared database. Access to both is available in the Library of the House. Separate details for the cost of paper purchased by this industry are not available from official sources.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the value of exports from Barnsley and Doncaster to (a) European community countries, (b) European free trade area countries, (c) Arab League countries and (d) the rest of the world for the most recent period for which figures are available.

The information is not available since the official statistics of trade of the United Kingdom are not compiled for individual regions within the UK.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment has been made of the impact on Newcastle university of the loss of research and development resources at British Gas, Killingworth.

I understand that British Gas places research contracts with universities throughout the United Kingdom on the basis of their capabilities. The existing work programmes at Newcastle university will continue in accordance with the contracts and new proposals will be considered, along with those from other universities, in the same manner as before.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what offer of regional assistance was made to British Gas to retain employment for those persons who are employed at Killingworth.

No offer of regional selective assistance has been made to British Gas and no application for such assistance has been received.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current capacity of the United Kingdom's renewable energy supplies; what is his target for renewable generating capacity by the year 2000; and if he will make a statement.

The total electrical capacity of the United Kingdom's renewable energy supplies operational at the end of 1993 was estimated to be 1,749 MW DNC—declared net capacity—including 256.4 MW DNC of capacity under non-fossil fuel obligation arrangements.The Government are working towards a figure of 1,500 MW DNC of new electricity generating capacity from renewable energy sources by the year 2000.Figures are published annually in the "Digest of UK Energy Statistics".

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment has been made as to the impact of the closure of research and development facilities at Killingworth on developing technology and employment prospects in such technology within the United Kingdom.

I understand that much of the work carried out at engineering research station at Killingworth will be transferred to the gas research centre at Loughborough. Appropriate equipment and facilities will be moved there and the research staff are being strongly encouraged to relocate. I understand that British Gas does not believe there will be an adverse impact on the prospects for developing technology or employment in such technology.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 1995, Official Report, columns 184–85, if he will update the total of notifications of withdrawal of nuclear materials from safeguards, indicating the uses to which the materials were put and whether any withdrawals were permanent.

There have been four notifications of withdrawal of nuclear material from safeguards since my answer last year. All were permanent withdrawals and involved small amounts of nuclear material for R and D or analytical purposes, or depleted uranium for sources shielding.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he learned of the Indonesian Government's interest in setting up a plant in Europe to assemble N250 aeroplanes; and what action he proposes to take.

My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade met the Indonesian Minister for Research and Technology on 22 December 1994 when future plans for the Indonesian N250 aircraft were raised. I understand that these plans have also been discussed with UK aerospace companies. Decisions on participation will be a commercial matter for the companies concerned.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how long his Department will take to pay the £102,063 non-quota grant from the European regional development fund to the Yorkshire mining museum, once the funds are received from the European Commission; and what recompense he will make to the museum for the delay in receiving funds.

This project was not funded by the European regional development fund non-quota programmes but as a single project. The grant has been received from the European Commission and payment to the Yorkshire mining museum was made on 20 January by the Department of the Environment. There are no compensation provisions.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what type of uranium is stored at Chapelcross.

[holding answer 19 January 1995]: Depleted uranium.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates (a) formally and (b) informally in the last two days to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.

[holding answer 20 January 1995]: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions he or his Ministers met representatives of Ian Greer Associates informally in the last month and discussed matters relating to the interests of the clients of Ian Greer Associates.

[holding answer 20 January 1995]: None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in the last month he or his Ministers met representatives of Ian Greer Associates informally to discuss matters relating to the interests of the clients of Ian Greer Associates.

[holding answer 20 January 1995]: None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to invoke Crown use in relation to the use of the virus HPC; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: Crown use provisions remain available as a last resort.Although concern has been expressed concerning the supply and cost of test kits for the hepatitis C virus, the supply is adequate and continuing competition can be expected to ensure value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to remove from NI-HS approved registered lists firms or individuals involved in significant community care fraud.

National health service contracting authorities already have powers under the various public contracts regulations to exclude from tenders suppliers who have been convicted of a relevant offence or who have been guilty of gross professional misconduct. These powers are used in appropriate cases, but are matters for decision by each contracting authority in the light of the known facts of each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the absenteeism rate for the Medicines Control Agency in each year since 1991;(2) what was the absenteeism rate for National Health Service Estates in each year since 1991;(3) what was the absenteeism rate for the NHS Pensions Agency in each year since 1991;(4) what was the absenteeism rate for her Department in each year since 1991.

The absenteeism rate for 1993 for the Department of Health including the Medicines Control Agency, National Health Service Estates and NHS Pensions Agency is 9.7 working days absence per staff year. Information for the Department, excluding the three agencies, for 1993 cannot be separately identified. Information is not available for 1991 and 1992.

1. Source: Occupational health service.

2. Working days absences exclude weekends and bank holidays for staff working a "Monday to Friday" week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of (a) the cost of the organisational audit developed by the Macmillan Fund in measuring the effectiveness of cancer care services and (b) the minimum standards for breast cancer care proposed by the Macmillan Fund.

No such work has been commissioned centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many specialist breast cancer consultants there are in the NHS;(2) what is the average cost of supporting a cancer patient

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department has taken in response to the criticisms made in the Utting report of 1991.

I refer the hon. Member to the Children Act report, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with local authorities and other providers of residential child care about standards of such care; and what proposals she has made for tackling current problems.

Ministers and officials have regular discussions with representatives of local authority and independent sector organisations on a wide range of issues including that of residential care for children.For the Government's report on action in this area, I refer the hon. Member to the Children Act report, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residential child care staff there were with relevant qualifications in each year since 1980; and what information she has about the turnover rate of (a) qualified and (b) unqualified residential child care staff.

Information on qualifications and turnover of residential child care staff was collected in 1993 by the Local Government Management Board and published in "Social Services Workforce Analysis: 1993 Survey", copies of which are available in the Library. Information on qualifications and turnover of local authority social services staff is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which regional health authority and district health authorities use European Community intervention board butter (i) for patients' use and (ii) for use in hospital coffee shops; and if she will make a statement;

We are not aware of any regional or district health authorities currently buying intervention board butter. The main national health service purchasers are NHS trusts, of which the vast majority buy in the butter under national contract arrangements for use in hospitals in accordance with EEC regulation No. 2191/81, as amended. Eligible consumers within any hospital may include hospital in-patients and out-patients, and the hospital staff using the hospital catering facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will state in respect of the appointment of the chairman of the Doncaster royal infirmary NHS trust (a) the salary awarded, (b) the term of office and (c) the number of hours per week required to be devoted to the job.

Mr. Raymond Tonkinson was appointed as chairman of the Doncaster royal infirmary and Montagu hospital national health service trust for a two-year term, from 17 October 1994 until 30 November 1996. He is entitled to receive an annual remuneration of £17,145. Trust chairmen are normally expected to devote 16 to 24 hours a week to their duties.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys intends to publish the figures on standardised mortality ratios by social class derived from the 1991 census.

Standardised mortality ratios by social class are published 10-yearly. Those based on data from the 1991 census will be included in a volume in the decennial supplement series planned for publication in late 1997. The latest available information is in the occupational mortality decennial supplement 1979–80, 1982–83, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how and when the NHS executive and the mental health task force plan to review progress with local action plans to improve mental health services in London for severely mentally ill people, in accordance with the task force report on priorities for action.

Progress is being carefully monitored by the national health service executive's regional offices. The mental health task force has worked with the regional offices to review local action plans and has recently completed a programme of follow-up visits to the district health authorities in London to check progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to disallow the sale for profit of blood donated to the national blood transfusion service; and if she will make a statement.

The national blood service does not sell for profit the blood which is freely donated by our volunteer donors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to amend the wording on organ donor cards to refer specifically to skin donation after death; and if she will make a statement.

Both the organ donor card and the national health service organ donor register already include among other options a request that "any part of my body can be used for the treatment of others".

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on progress towards a national skin bank in the last three months.

The United Kingdom Health Departments have commissioned a review to look into the current arrangements for the retrieval, storage and use of tissue, including skin, in the United Kingdom. The findings are not yet complete; when they are we shall give careful consideration to what skin banking arrangements will be needed for the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the level of underdrawing on capital allocations in each of the last five years by region (a) as a cash total and (b) as a proportion of total allocation made for that year.

The information requested is shown in the table.

1989–90 Capital Underspending
Region	Cash (£'s)	As a percentage cash limit
Northern	2,205	3.92
East Anglia	4,034	11.99
Oxford	256	0.68

1990–91 Capital Underspending
Region	Cash (£'s)	As a percentage cash limit
Yorkshire	1,268	1.25
Trent	95	0.08
Oxford	141	0.30
South Western	176	0.21
North Western	111	0.11

1991–92 Capital Underspending
Region	Cash (£'s)	As a percentage cash limit
Northern	1,712	2.27
Yorkshire	4,140	6.07
Trent	175	0.13
East Anglia	8,959	17.94
North East Thames	6,865	8.81
South West Thames	2,576	5.81
Wessex	136	0.18
Oxford	356	0.72
South Western	3,196	3.53
West Midlands	2,203	1.19
North Western	195	0.16

1992–93 Capital Underspending
Region	Cash (£'s)	As a percentage cash limit
Northern	6,838	9.25
Yorkshire	1,983	3.53
Trent	269	0.25
East Anglia	2,563	5.16

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the current level of underdrawing on capital allocations in each region.

All regional health authorities currently expect to draw down all of their capital cash limits in 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the average time taken to approve new capital schemes in each of the last five years.

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was (a) total NHS expenditure, (b) current expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (c) capital expenditure on the hospital and community health services, (d) expenditure on the family practitioner services, (e) expenditure on centrally funded NHS services and (f) expenditure on personal social services in England in each year since 1974–75 giving each in (i) cash terms, (ii) adjusted using the relevant pay and prices index and (iii) adjusted using the gross domestic product deflator;(2) if she will give for each year since 1974–75 total capital spending on hospital and community health services and spending in net terms after deducting proceeds from land and property sales

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: The information will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the per capita spending on health and personal social services in cash terms and adjusted for NHS pay prices and for input volume for each year for which estimates have been made from 1989–90 to the latest available year for (a) all ages, (b) births, (c) zero to four years, (d) five to 15 years, (e) 16 to 64 years, (f) 65 to 74 years and (g) 75 years and over, giving the amount spent on (i) hospital and community health services, (ii) family practitioner services, (iii) personal social services and (iv) total in England.

Hospital and community health services 1992–93
	All ages	Births	0 to 4	5 to 15	16 to 64	65 to 74	75 and over
£'s cash	420	1,750	390	175	265	725	1,605

Family health services 1989–90
	All ages	Births	0 to 4	5 to 15	16 to 64	65 to 74	75 and over
£'s cash	105	120	80	60	95	170	240
1992–93 prices Real terms	125	145	95	70	115	205	285
1992–93 Adjusted for FHS pay and prices inflation	140	155	105	80	125	225	315

Personal social services 1989–90
	All ages	Births	0 to 4	5 to 15	16 to 64	65 to 74	75 and over
£'s cash	85	35	115	115	30	110	475
1992–93 prices real terms	100	40	135	135	35	130	565
1992–93 adjusted for PSS pay and price inflation	105	45	140	140	35	135	580

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give the most recently available estimates of the percentage changes in demand on the hospital and community health services due to demographic change for each year from 1972–73 to 1999–2000.

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: The available information is shown in the table.

Estimated percentage change in demand on the hospital and community health services due to demographic changes
Year	Increase over previous year Per cent.
Estimated
1975–76	0.1
1976–77	0.2
1977–78	0.3
1978–79	1.0
1979–80	1.3
1980–81	1.1
1981–82	0.6
1982–83	0.7
1983–84	0.9
1984–85	0.9
1985–86	1.1
1986–87	0.8

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: Estimates of spending per head by age group for the personal social services and for the family health services are no longer produced. The latest available are shown in the table.Estimates for the hospital and community health services are still produced annually, but as a result of changes in data resources, definitions and the methodology used, comparable figures for a series of years cannot be produced. The latest estimates are also shown in the table.

Estimated percentage change in demand on the hospital and community health services due to demographic changes
Year	Increase over previous year Per cent.
1987–88	1.5
1988–89	1.1
1989–90	1.0
1990–91	0.9
1991–92	0.8
1992–93	1.1
Projected
1993–94	0.8
1994–95	0.7
1995–96	0.6
1996–97	0.7
1997–98	0.6
1998–99	0.6
1999–2000	0.5

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will give for April to September 1987 and for each subsequent six month period (a) the numbers of people admitted from waiting lists to hospital for in-patient treatment, (b) the numbers of people removed from in-patient waiting lists for reasons other than treatment, (c) the numbers of people admitted from waiting lists for day case treatment, (d) the numbers of people removed from day-case waiting lists for reasons other than treatment, (e) the numbers of people on in-patient waiting lists who self deferred and (f) the numbers of people on day-case waiting lists who self deferred.

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: The information requested for admissions and self-deferrals is given in the tables. Information on the number of people removed from waiting lists for reasons other than treatment is not held centrally.

Admissions
6 months to:	Ordinary	Day case
September 1987	801,755	268,631
March 1988	924,677	347,273
September 1988	941,363	359,213
March 1989	938,864	392,646
September 1989	939,516	420,536
March 1990	934,164	454,266
September 1990	910,557	465,603
March 1991	888,291	496,554
September 1991	918,376	534,998
March 1992	938,842	601,316
September 1992	901,687	638,905
March 1993	879,834	691,201
September 1993	829,580	712,016
March 1994	800,632	768,249
September 1994	796,780	849,379

Self Deferrals
Number at:	Ordinary	Day case
September 1987	40,766	8,977
March 1988	39,115	8,361
September 1988	40,753	8,433
March 1989	37,098	8,769
September 1989	38,224	9,905
March 1990	36,441	9,735
September 1990	39,274	11,865
March 1991	36,115	11,998
September 1991	33,868	12,469
March 1992	30,965	13,151
September 1992	35,992	18,134
March 1993	35,800	19,095
September 1993	41,550	24,142
March 1994	39,189	25,185
September 1994	43,538	34,946

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures the Government will take to encourage EU partners' support for the International Monetary Fund and Paris Club proposals to grant Nicaragua further debt relief.

The Government will continue to press other Paris Club creditors at all international meetings to offer all eligible countries including Nicaragua debt relief consistent with the agreement reached by the Paris Club last December. We will also continue to press for action on multilateral debt, along the lines we proposed in Malta and Madrid, for those countries which will still have unsustainable debt liabilities to the multilateral institutions even after generous Trinidad terms debt relief.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what undertakings Her Majesty's Government retain a golden share; and in what circumstances rights relating to that golden share are to be used by Her Majesty's Government.

The table shows all the companies in which the Government holds special—or "golden"—shares. Where this is applicable, the table shows the expiry date on or before which the Government may redeem a special share. Special shares are held by—or on behalf of—the Secretary of State with policy responsibility for the privatised industry. The rights attaching to individual special shares vary and it is not possible to define in advance the circumstances in which they will be exercised.

Companies in which special shares are held
Company	Expiry dale
Cable and Wireless	—
Sealink Stena Line	—
BT	—
British Aerospace	—
VSEL Consortium	—
British Gas	—
Rolls-Royce	—
BAA	—
Eastern Electricity	31 March 1995
East Midlands Electricity	31 March 1995
London Electricity	31 March 1995
Manweb	31 March 1995
Midlands Electricity	31 March 1995
Northern Electric	31 March 1995
Norweb	31 March 1995
Seeboard	31 March 1995
Southern Electricity	31 March 1995
South Wales Electricity	31 March 1995
South Western Electricity	31 March 1995
Yorkshire Electricity Group	31 March 1995
National Grid Company	—
National Grid Holding	—
National Power	—
PowerGen	—
Scottish Power	—
Scottish Hydro-Electric	—
British Technology Group	31 March 1997
British Technology Group International	31 March 1997
Northern Ireland Electricity	—
Belfast International Airport	—

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main buildings, in which the Crown has an interest, for which there is neither buildings nor contents insurance cover; what considerations underlay the decision not to take out insurance cover; and if he will make a statement.

The Government's long-standing policy on insurance is that decisions on whether to insure commercially should be made on value-for-money grounds. Across Government as a whole, the cost of paying premiums could be expected to exceed the value of claims met by insurance companies. Therefore, use of commercial insurance, including buildings or contents insurance cover, by Government Departments and other Crown bodies is confined to a very small number of cases where special considerations apply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the levels of investment in the United Kingdom and in the United Kingdom's main international competitors; and if he will make a statement.

Information on investment levels is set out in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development annual publication, "National Accounts", available in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the European Commission's latest proposals for imposition of VAT in circumstances currently exempt under the sixth VAT directive, and its implication for charities.

Administration expenditure 1979–90 to 1993–94 at 1993–94 prices £'000
	Inland Revenue			HM Treasury
	Gross	Receipts	Net	Gross	Receipts	Net
1979–80
Budget	1,119,064	-56,672	1,062,392	23,690	-935	22,754
Actual	1,095,171	-56,672	1,038,499	23,073	-972	22,101
1980–81
Budget	1,205,609	-58,803	1,146,806	26,817	-998	25,819
Actual	1,173,089	-47,299	1,125,790	25,315	-1,106	24,209
1981–82
Budget	1,173,955	-61,536	1,112,419	31,509	-1,410	30,099
Actual	1,123,844	-61,536	1,062,308	29,252	-1,599	27,653
1982–83
Budget	1,140,582	-59,824	1,080,757	37,221	-1,537	35,684
Actual	1,134,764	-59,824	1,074,940	36,007	-1,491	34,517
1983–84
Budget	1,338,337	-66,532	1,271,805	47,572	-1,161	46,411
Actual	1,327,700	-66,532	1,261,168	46,046	-1,317	44,730
1984–85
Budget	1,342,929	-66,873	1,276,055	48,729	-1,345	47,384
Actual	1,341,829	-66,873	1,274,956	45,661	-1,628	44,033
1985–86
Budget	1,407,281	-65,555	1,341,726	48,159	-1,489	46,670
Actual	1,407,201	-65,555	1,341,645	46,772	-1,495	45,278
1986–87
Budget	1,492,638	-67,886	1,424,751	47,936	-1,767	46,169
Actual	1,491,212	-67,886	1,423,325	45,966	-1,686	44,28

The latest proposals from the European Commission which would affect the exemptions in the sixth VAT directive date from July 1992. No conclusions have been reached, and any possible impact on charities would in any case by negligible. The UK's zero rates are not affected.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are his estimates of the budgeted and actual expenditure on (a) Her Majesty's Treasury administration and (b) Inland Revenue administration, for each year from 1979 to 1994 in 1993 prices.

[holding answer 19 January 1995]: The table details the administration expenditure for HM Treasury and Inland Revenue going back to 1979–80 in 1993–94 prices. The table compares the gross voted administrative expenditure, including capital, less appropriations in aid-budget-to the outturn expenditure-actual-for the same expenditure. Over the period, there have been several significant changes to the way public expenditure is recorded. The most significant changes have been the delegation to Departments for capital expenditure on information technology in 1980–81; of accommodation costs in 1983–84 and of superannuation in 1993–94. There have also been some machinery of Government changes, including in 1992–93 the transfer of some of the DTI's regulatory functions to the Treasury. Recalculation of the figures to compensate for these changes could be done only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a tax allowance under schedule E tax, so that an individual, employed through an agency, who has to meet his or her own accommodation and travel expenses when having to work away from home under contract, is able to set such expenses against tax as in the case of an employee required to work at a remote location to his or her usual place of work.

[holding answer 20 January 1995]: This is a matter which we keep under active review, but to date it has not been possible to find a solution which does not infringe the general rule that the tax relief is not available for the normal costs of home-to-work travel.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will identify those measures in each of his last two Budgets which were specifically intended to promote home ownership; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 20 January 1995]: The last two Budgets have given general encouragement to home ownership by promoting sustained economic growth. In addition, they have included specific measures to encourage local authority and housing association tenants to become home owners.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Departments have reported an offer of employment from an outside employer since February 1993 as required under the civil service management code; and how many of these records were followed by an application to join the company concerned.

[holding answer 18 January 1995]: Eight Treasury staff have reported offers of employment from an outside employer since February 1993, one of which was followed by an application to join the company concerned.In addition, 56 staff in other Departments responsible to the Chancellor have reported offers of employment from outside employers since February 1993, 53 of which were followed by applications to join the company concerned.

To ask the Prime Minister what are the procedures that need to be followed by a hon. Member to be able to visit the MI5 headquarters; and if he will make a statement.

It is not normal practice for the Security Service to host visits to Thames house by hon. Members.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 24 March 1994, Official Report, columns 343–44, what was the outcome of the discussions with Russia on seal hunting.

The British mission in Moscow raised this issue with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in March last year, and left the Russians in no doubt of the strength of United Kingdom public opposition to the practice of seal culling. We continue to take suitable opportunities to raise this matter with the Russians.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will set up a Government inquiry into the sales of weapons of torture by British companies to states where Amnesty International has documented torture.

The Government give careful consideration to proposals for the export of weapons. In considering such proposals, special care is taken over the political and military implications of allowing consignments to go overseas. Particular attention is paid to countries with poor human "right"s records, where equipment might be used for internal repression. I do not therefore believe there is any need for a Government inquiry.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will participate in the world summit on social development on 6 to 12 March in Copenhagen.

I will make a decision on attendance nearer the date.

To ask the Prime Minister what consideration he gave to sending an official British representative to the preparatory meeting in New York sponsored by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development and the United Nations Development Programme for the world summit on social development in Copenhagen in March.

Officials from the Foreign Office, Overseas Development Administration and Department of Employment are in New York attending the final preparatory committee meeting for the world summit on social development, which will take place in Copenhagen in March. Some of those officials attended the seminar sponsored by UNRISD and UNDP, which took place in the week prior to the preparatory committee meeting.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will support the creation of a Holocaust museum in London comparable with those in other major capital cites in Europe and north America.

I understand that the imperial war museum is considering creating a new museum which would cover the holocaust and other 20th century acts of genocide. That is a matter in the first instance for the trustees of the imperial war museum to consider.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 16 January, Official Report, column 275, if he will list the Government Department next steps agencies with regional offices in the west country specifying in each case (a) its location, (b) the number of staff in each and (c) the annual cost.

The table lists next steps agencies with offices in the west country. The information requested about these offices is not held centrally. This is a matter for the next steps agencies concerned.NEXT STEPS AGENCIES WITH OFFICES LOCATED IN THE WEST COUNTRY

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place a transcript of each day's proceedings of the Nolan committee in the Library as it is published.

Publication of transcripts of each day's proceedings is a matter for the Committee on Standards in public life. I understand that copies are available from the company appointed by the committee to prepare its official transcript. The Library can, of course, subscribe to this service.

To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he has for sanctions to be available in the case of a witness who deliberately misleads the Nolan committee.

There is no reason to believe that such circumstances will arise.