To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the reasons for the failure of the launch of HMS Victorious Trident submarine at Barrow-in-Furness.

HMS Victorious' departure from Barrow-in-Furness, scheduled for Sunday 15 January, was delayed for two days due to bad weather. A combination of restricted visibility and heavy sea swell meant that the safe passage of the submarine through the shallow and extremely narrow channels at Barrow could not be assured. HMS Victorious was accepted at sea by the Royal Navy yesterday.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the cost of the Trident programme; and if he will make a statement.

The current estimate of the total project cost of the Trident programme is £11,682 million, if all expenditure, including payments already made, is brought up to current prices and a common exchange rate of £1 = $1.48, as assumed in the long-term costing of the defence programme. If payments already made are expressed at the prices and exchange rates actually incurred, the equivalent estimate is now £9,770 million. Expenditure on the Trident programme to 31 October 1994 represented some 78 per cent. of the overall hybrid estimate.After allowing for the effects of inflation and exchange rate variations, the revised estimate of £11,682 million represents a real cost reduction of £211 million compared with that announced last year. The increase in cash terms is £51 million. The reduction in real terms since the original 1982 Trident II estimate, including the savings resulting from the decision to have United Kingdom missiles processed at the United States facility at Kings bay, Georgia, now stands at some £3.7 billion.The proportion of the estimate for work undertaken in the United Kingdom has increased from 70 per cent. to 71 per cent., reflecting the effects of the change in exchange rate, price base and volume changes in the year.I am pleased to confirm that HMS Vanguard entered operational service in December 1994, achieving the in-service date set when the decision to purchase Trident II was taken in 1982, and that the remainder of the Trident programme remains on schedule. I am, as in previous years, sending to the Chairmen of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Select Committee on Defence a more detailed report on the programme. I am also placing a copy of this report in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about Defence Agency status for the defence dental services and the defence medical supply organisation.

Following my announcement in the House on 8 December, in which I confirmed the recommendations made by the "Front Line First" medical study, it has been decided that, in addition to the defence dental services, the defence medical supply organisation is also to be considered as a candidate for agency status under the next steps procedure. An entry to this effect will appear in the February 1995 market testing bulletin and I should welcome comments from interested parties. These should be sent by 10 March either to Air Vice-Marshal J. Mackey RAF, director defence dental services, Ministry of Defence, room 102 Lacon house, Theobalds road, London WC1X 8RY in respect of comments on the Defence Dental Care Agency; or to Mr. G.R. North, deputy director of medical supply, Ministry of Defence, room 134, Lacon house, Theobalds road, London WC1X8RY in respect of the Defence Health Care Supplies Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about progress in encouraging private sector involvement in the financing, acquisition, management and operation of support vehicles for the armed forces.

Very good progress has been made. A study team is considering a range of possibilities and is consulting widely in the private sector. Over 175 companies have expressed an interest. Yesterday my Department held a very successful briefing seminar for the private sector at Aldershot. The private sector has been asked for proposals, to include radical and innovative ideas, and we will be evaluating these in the coming weeks. We expect to be able to announce the selection of contractors for a number of pilot schemes by the end of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many British service personnel involved in the Gulf war were administered with the combination of vaccines for anthrax, plague and nerve agent pre-treatment sets;(2) how many servicemen refused to be administered with drugs and vaccines during Operation Granby.

Details relating to biological warfare counter-measures available to British forces remain classified. The nerve agent pre-treatment set—NAPS—tablets were widely issued to British service personnel in areas and units judged to be under threat of chemical attack during Operation Granby. Taking NAPS is a personal responsibility and no information is available on the numbers of personnel, if any, who did not do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the course requirements for junior doctors entering the RAF as junior medical officers in 1989.

The course requirements for junior doctors entering the RAF as junior medical officers in 1989 were:

a. Officer training at RAF Cranwell.

b. Initial medical officer training (administration).

c. Initial medical officer training (aviation medicine).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps is he taking to counter bullying among members of the armed forces.

My Department takes a very serious view of bullying and it has been made clear throughout the services that such behaviour will not be tolerated.Measures taken to counter bullying include the publication in July 1994 of the Navy's policy throughout the fleet to remind all ranks that there is an effective policy to deal with bullying. Officers and senior ratings were advised to be alert to the possibility of bullying, and victims were reminded of their rights of complaint.The Army has banned initiation ceremonies and has established additional posts in its training organisations to allow officers and non-commissioned officers to devote more time to their supervisory role. In 1993, the Army published a discipline and standards paper which included instructions to counter bullying.The Royal Air Force published a policy letter on bullying and initiation ceremonies in 1989, and similar letters were published in 1992 and 1994. The Royal Air Force produces orders to be read and signed annually by officers and non-commissioned officers which specifically cover bullying. The Royal Air Force's policy on bullying and initiation ceremonies is repeated in quarterly standing orders which all personnel are required to read.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration underlay the decision to post key members who have planned past RAF premier air displays at Royal Air Force Finningley to Royal Air Force Waddington for a planned air display there on 1 and 2 July; and if he will make a statement.

Preliminary plans drawn up for the purposes of consultation show that, should the decision be taken to close RAF Finningley following formal consultation, the station would not be capable of mounting a major air show in 1995. As the planning period for the air show is lengthy and complex it was decided, after careful consideration, that the air show should, for this year at least, relocate to RAF Waddington to ensure its continuance in the event of the decision being taken to close RAF Finningley. Two experienced staff from RAF Finningley have transferred to RAF Waddington, which has little experience of mounting such a complex event, to assist in the organisation of this year's show.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all of his Department's medical and health services which (a) have been or (b) are intended to be market tested; and if he will indicate the outcomes of market testing in those cases where the exercise has been completed.

At this stage a number of medical and health services are being considered for competition but none is yet completed. The Department is currently involved in garrison market tests which include health services at Catterick, Aldershot, Salisbury Plain and Colchester and of all primary and secondary health services in British forces, Germany, with the exception of the provision of primary medical and dental care at RAF main operating bases—RAF Bruggen and RAF Laarbruch—and certain other locations remote from the main garrisons. Operational Army medical units are also excluded from the exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the timetable for market testing the services provided by the RAF hospital at Wegberg, Germany.

The Department is currently in the process of market testing the provision of health services in Germany, including those provided by the RAF hospital at Wegberg, and hopes to make an announcement on the outcome of this exercise by 31 July 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the use of serving military personnel to provide security for private military, security and police exhibitions or conferences.

On occasion, service personnel may be provided to outside bodies or organisations on loan, to perform a variety of tasks. This is normally on the basis of full recovery of all the relevant costs involved. Service personnel are not normally provided for security duties at private military, security or police exhibitions and conferences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the use of serving military personnel to provide security at the recent covert and operation procurement exhibition centre held at Sandown exhibition centre in November 1994; and what costs have been reimbursed by the exhibition organisers to his Department for security provided.

I am not aware that any serving military personnel were employed on security duties at the covert and operational procurement exhibition held at the Sandown exhibition centre in November 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision or training in the use of electro-shock devices is made in respect of (a) his Department, (b) the Army, and (c) special forces; and what guidelines control the deployment and use of such devices.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has in respect of the sale or arrangement of sale of any form of electro-shock weapon or equipment from the United Kingdom to a Gulf state in the last 13 years; and if he will supply details of such transactions.

I am not aware that my Department has any such information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Aurora prototype aircraft of the United States air force are based at the Machrihanish air force base in Argyll; and for what period permission has been given for basing these aircraft in the United Kingdom.

There are no United States air force prototype aircraft based at RAF Machrihanish and no authorisation has been given by Her Majesty's Government to the United States air force, or any other US body, to operate such aircraft within or from the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what basis he formed the views expressed in paragraph l0g of his consultation paper on the proposed joint services command and staff college about the respective merits of Camberley, Greenwich and Bracknell in respect of (a) local schools, (b) medical care, (c) provision for overseas students, (d) shopping and (e) other facilities.

The basis for paragraph l0g of the consultative document was consideration of the provision of domestic support to the families of students at the proposed joint services command and staff college. The availability of common facilities which can be used by a large proportion of the students' families would help in establishing a sense of community within both the college and its associated married quarters. This would be of particular benefit to the families of overseas students.As explained in paragraph 10f of the consultative document, the married quarters serving Bracknell and Camberley are compact and relatively close to the colleges themselves and the extensive nearby facilities. By contrast, the married quarters serving Greenwich are dispersed and some distance from the college itself; the likelihood of families benefiting from common local facilities is therefore much lower.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report from Building Design Partnership on the refurbishment costs and implications of works at Greenwich necessary to accommodate the proposed joint services command and staff college.

The Building Design Partnership option study report into the siting of a joint services command and staff college contains both information that is classified and which comprises advice to Ministers. It would therefore be inappropriate to place a copy in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in undertaking the financial appraisal of options for the proposed joint services command and staff college, what assumption was made about the sale value of the Camberley site; and what figure has been included for this in the estimated costs of locating the college at Greenwich.

This information is commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the sale of Amport house.

We announced, as part of the defence costs study our intention to form a tri-service chaplains' school. A study is at present under way to determine the location of the school, and Amport house is one of the sites under consideration. No decisions have yet been made. If Amport house was not selected as the site for the school, and no alternative defence uses were identified for it, our intention would be to sell it on the open market in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions and measures his Department has implemented in support of article 1 of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The nuclear non-proliferation treaty is the cornerstone of international efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. My Department fully complies with the terms of article I of the NPT and works closely with other Government Departments to enforce export licensing procedures. This includes contributing to the work of the Zangger committee and the nuclear suppliers group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department has in respect of and in what ways it is supporting trade missions to Latin American countries in January and February; what is the involvement of such trade missions in the sale or arrangement for sale of items classified under section 5 (1) (b) of the Firearms Act 1968; and if he will list the items which are so classified.

There are no Ministry of Defence supported trade missions visiting Latin America in January or February 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his Department's decision to engage the tugboat Rotesand for use at Devonport in Plymouth.

The tug Rotesand was chartered to provide assured continuity of in-port services at Devonport during a period when two Devonport-based tugs of the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service were deployed to Barrow-in-Furness to assist the departure of HMS Victorious. The Rotesand was chartered on the open market and was the cheapest suitable tug available. The charter was originally for one week from 10 January but this was extended to 27 January after severe weather prevented the timely return of the RMAS tugs to Devonport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work has been undertaken by the tugboat Rotesand since its arrival at Plymouth; and how many times it has been used.

The tug Rotesand assisted HMS Westminster into port on 12 January. For the rest of the charter period it provided emergency cover for the safety of vessels at Devonport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the estimated total cost to his Department of hiring the tugboat Rotesand for use at Devonport in Plymouth; and if he will provide a breakdown of the costs.

The charter costs are commercially confidential.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultations he has had with the chief executive of the Atomic Weapons Establishment concerning the diversification of AWE Cardiff into production outside nuclear warhead production; and what efforts have been made in this regard.

There have been continuing discussions between my Department and the managing contractor about diversification of work at the AWE Cardiff site, and my Department remains prepared to consider proposals for alternative work there.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Government are yet in a position to respond to consultation on the White Paper, "The Civil Service, Continuity and Change", CM 2627, and to the fifth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, Session 1993–94, on the role of the civil service, HC 27; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to introduce a code of ethics concerning the operation of the civil service.

The Government are publishing today a Command Paper, Cm 2748, taking forward the policies on the civil service set out in last July's White Paper "The Civil Service: Continuity and Change", Cm 2627. The command paper incorporates the Government's response to the fifth report of the Treasury and Civil Service Committee, "The Role of the Civil Service", HC(1992–94). It also takes account of other responses to the invitation to comment on the proposals in "Continuity and Change". Comments were received from 50 individuals and organisations. Copies of the responses where confidentiality was not requested have been placed in the Library of the House.In "Continuity and Change", the Government re-affirmed their commitment to the maintenance of a permanent civil service, based on the values of integrity, political impartiality, objectivity, selection and promotion on merit and accountability through Ministers to Parliament. This commitment has been widely welcomed—and was equally emphasised by the Select Committee in its report. The Government also welcome the Select Committee's belief that

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will set out for each of the next steps agencies in his Department, whether they have acquired their own headquarters buildings and, if so, at what purchase cost or annual rental; how many support staff they have required which were not required when their operations were within his Department; how many of them published periodical journals and at what annual cost; how many have fleets of executive cars or single executive cars and at what annual cost; how many have specially designed logos and at what cost; how many have corporate clothing and at what cost; and what is the cost of specially designed and printed corporate stationery.

I am responsible for six agencies: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Central Office of Information, Chessington Computer Centre (Chessington), Civil Service College, Occupational Health Service and Recruitment and Assessment Services. The details requested concern mostly operational matters and I have asked the chief executives to reply directly.HMSO and COI are individual departments as well as being agencies. They already had their own headquarters and were self-contained for support staff.The other agencies are parts of the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service and Science. All had their own headquarters buildings and were self contained for support services or very nearly so. Four additional support posts were created when they were launched as agencies. Since that time there have been further changes in the agencies to reflect levels of business and efficiency and productivity gains.Within the Cabinet Office, excluding the agencies, there are now 25 fewer support staff than immediately prior to the launch of the first OPSS agency in 1989.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proposals he has for increasing the openness of decision making (a) in the national health service and (b) generally in 1995.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of gross domestic product was devoted to the public funding of university research in (a) Britain, (b) the USA and (c) France from 1981 to 1992; and what are the corresponding figures for each country for annual percentage growth in real GDP.

The information requested is shown in the following table.International comparisons of expenditure on higher education research are of questionable significance, because of the large structural differences in the make-up of this sector between countries.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has already consulted on a draft code of openness for the national health service, the final version of which will be published during 1995. One of the stated aims of the code is to provide people with an explanation of service changes in the NHS and give them the opportunity to influence decisions on such changes.The Government remain committed to the principles of transparency and openness laid down in the White Paper on open government. We are currently preparing a report for Parliament on Departments' experience of the first nine months of operation of the code of practice on access to Government information. This will help us to assess its impact.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department who is responsible for ensuring that court buildings are adequately accessible to disabled people.

The Lord Chancellor, through his officials, is responsible for ensuring that court buildings are accessible to disabled people. It is the Department's policy that the design of a court should enable disabled people to have access to and around the building appropriate to their functions there. Subject to resources and building constraints, every effort is made to improve access and facilities in existing courts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the cost of training and retraining (a) justices of the peace and (b) members of the professional judiciary in respect of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.

The estimate of the cost of training justices of the peace and members of the professional judiciary in respect of the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 was given in a written answer to the House on 27 May 1993, Official Report, column 658, as approximately £250,000. As subsequent training was included in the general training of magistrates and judges, the cost cannot be separately identified.

To ask the Prime Minister what meetings with the British Association of Sheep Exporters he has had since 1994.

None.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on documents made available in the United States of America following the ending of the Pan Am insurers' appeal to the Supreme Court in relation to the loss of the airliner over Lockerbie; and if he will make a statement.

The document in question quotes a source relying on

"second and third party information"

and stating that the former Iranian interior minister paid $10 million to have the Lockerbie bombing carried out. Allegations to this effect were first made early in the investigation; they were examined at the time by the competent authorities, together with a great deal of other often contradictory material, but no evidence has been found to substantiate them. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate remains satisfied that the evidence supports the charges against the two accused and that there is no evidence to establish that other persons or nations were involved.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 26 January.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 26 January.

This morning I presided at a meeting of the Cabinet and had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House, I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Hams (Mr. Steen) of 16 January, Official Report, column 275, if he will place in the Library a list of the offices of Government Departments and next steps agencies in the west country and Bristol.

A list of Government Departments and next steps agencies which have offices in the west country and Bristol has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister how many Government Departments and agencies' have regional offices in each of the standard regions of England; and how many people are so employed in each region.

Twenty-seven Government Departments and 50 next steps agencies have offices in the economic planning regions of England.Information on the number of civil service employed in each region, including their agencies, is contained in "Civil Service Statistics" 1994 edition, table 3, a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received concerning the impact of reduced activity by the Countryside Council for Wales on the commitment arising form the biodiversity convention under the Rio treaty; and if he will make a statement.

I have received two such representations. The Government remain committed to the convention on biological diversity signed in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what discussions have taken place with the authorities on the Channel Islands regarding the 50th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany;(2) if he will make arrangements as part of the 50th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany for memorials to be put up in the Channel Islands in memory of those who were deported and died as a result of the German occupation;(3) if it is intended for him and the heads of Government invited for the 50th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany to pay homage in Alderney to the memory of those who were used as slave labour and died in the camps.

As internally self-governing dependencies of the Crown, the Channel Islands are themselves taking the lead in organising celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of their liberation from war-time occupation, on 9 and 10 May. I am pleased to say that, following discussions between the relevant authorities here and in the islands, HRH the Prince of Wales will represent Her Majesty the Queen at the celebrations, and units of our armed services will take part in them.It is for the authorities and people of each island to decide on the setting up of memorials. In both Jersey and Guernsey there are already plaques commemorating those who died during the second world war, including deportees, and in Alderney there is a long-standing memorial dedicated to the memory of those prisoners who died in labour camps on the island, at which an inter-denominational service is held annually. The states of Jersey and Guernsey have each commissioned public memorials of the 50th anniversary of the liberation.It would not be feasible for me and the heads of state or Government invited to the commemorations of the 50th anniversary of VE Day in London on 6 and 7 May to visit Alderney.

To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect on his policy for the expansion of nursery education of the Government policy on the enactment of the Nursery Education (Assessment of Need) Bill of Session 1993–4; and to which provisions of the Bill Her Majesty's Government remains opposed.

There is no need for the provisions of the Nursery Education (Assessment of Need) Bill. We are already committed to providing, over time, a pre-school place for all four year-olds whose parents wish to take it up. We want to promote choice and diversity by building on the existing wide range of providers, including the private and voluntary sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make it his policy not to authorise the detention of any asylum seeker who has entered the United Kingdom illegally but whose application for asylum has not been determined; and if he will make a statement;(2) if he will instruct immigration officers that they do not have powers to compel an illegal entrant to submit to examination and to be detained for that purpose; and if he will make a statement.

These questions raise issues which are currently being considered by the Court of Appeal and the court's judgement will be given very careful consideration once it is received. In the meantime, it is not proposed to change our current general practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the contract of the Director General of the Prison Service comes up for renewal; what criteria will be used to decide whether his contract should be renewed; and who will take that decision.

The appointment of the Director General of the Prison Service was made for three years in the first instance from 6 January 1993, extendable to five years by agreement between him and the Department. It will be for me, on the advice of the permanent secretary, to take the decision on whether the director general should be offered an extension of his contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when, last year, the United Kingdom post in Islamabad requested a sponsor interview concerning the application by Mrs. Qureshian Bibi to enter the United Kingdom, GV100/25109; when a second request from the ECO in Islamabad for a sponsor interview was received; and when the sponsor is going to be interviewed.

The first request from the British High Commission in Islamabad for an interview with Mr. Rangzeb was received by the Home Office on 14 July 1994. There is no record of a further request having been received. The immigration service at Leeds Bradford airport will shortly contact Mr. Rangzeb to offer him an appointment for an interview on 5 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average time taken for (a) the Metropolitan police and (b) the London Fire Brigade to arrive at the scene following an emergency 999 call.

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that during the period of three months from October to December 1994 the average time taken by the Metropolitan police to respond to a 999 call was 11 minutes 23 seconds.In 1992, the latest year for which the information is available centrally, the average response time to fire incidents for the London fire brigade was six minutes. This information is based on response times for fires involving occupied buildings, casualties or rescues and certain other types of fire.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what permission has been given at any time to the companies (a) CAZ and (b) International Procurement Services to hold or trade in any form of electro-shock equipment in the last 15 years.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the relationship between the number of stops and searches carried out by police services and the remuneration allocated to (a) police divisions/areas or (b) individual police officers.

None whatsoever.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the criminal offences that have been introduced by regulations or directives from the European Union in 1994.

The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were killed by their parents in each year since 1984.

The following table shows the number of offences recorded as homicide in England and Wales, as at 5 August 1994, where children under the age of 16 years were killed by their parents:

Year	Number
1984	62
1985	72
1986	36
1987	55
1988	76
1989	44
1990	49
1991	68
1992	52
1993	50

Figures for 1994 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 1994, Official Report, columns 566–67, when he will reach a decision on defraying the costs of local authorities accommodating juveniles subject to court-ordered secure remands; and at what stage discussions have reached on this subject.

This work is at an early stage. I have yet to embark on discussions with interested parties. I shall make a decision once the discussions have been concluded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who provided him with the information that members of the Prison Officers Association were instructed not to co-operate with the police inquiry at Her Majesty's prison, Parkhurst; and what evidence he has that they did not do so.

I received this information, and evidence that some members of the POA did not co-operate with the police inquiries into the escapes from Parkhurst on 3 January 1995, from the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what authority or vote appropriation Her Majesty's Government made available funds to assist or defray the legal expenses incurred by the relatives of the King's Cross and Clapham disasters at the relevant inquests; and if similar provisions could be made available to the relatives of the victims of the Marchioness disaster at the resumed inquest.

I have been asked to reply.The costs of legal representation for the relatives who attended the inquests into the King's Cross and Clapham disasters were met by London Transport and British Rail respectively. Generally, relatives' costs are not met in inquests or fatal accident inquiries. The proceedings are informal and are concerned with facts surrounding a death rather than issues such as civil or criminal liability. Legal representation is usually unnecessary. We therefore do not consider that it would be appropriate, or necessary, for the Government to underwrite the legal costs of the families' attending the inquest into the Marchioness disaster.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made on the Royal Mint's review of the coinage.

The Mint has consulted the general public and organisations representing people with special interests, for example, the blind and the elderly, as well as major coin users or handlers. The formal consultation period ended on 31 December 1994 and the analysis of the results is now underway. My right hon. and learned Friend expects to be able to make an announcement on the results of the review in the spring.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated cost of extending the additional personal allowance to married women with dependent children who have husbands who are mentally incapacitated or mentally infirm.

I regret that the information requested is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to reduce the Government's inflation target of 1 to 4 per cent for the retail prices index excluding mortgage payments in RPIX;(2) what is his target for the underlying rate of inflation, RPIX, after the current Parliament; and what plans he has to specify a narrow sub-range for this target.

The Government's aim is to keep underlying inflation, as measured by the RPI excluding mortgage interest payments, in the range 1 to 4 per cent., and to bring it down in the lower half of this range by the end of the present Parliament.The Government remain committed to keeping inflation permanently low.The target for after the current Parliament will be announced in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the forward dates of his monthly monetary meeting with the Governor of the Bank of England.

The monthly monetary meetings I hold with the governor are generally held in the first week of each month, but the precise dates are only confirmed one month in advance in the monthly monetary report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines are operated by his Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within his Department and his Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances his Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.

The Treasury refers to central guidance on the use of executive search agencies. Decisions on when to recruit and the method of recruitment are taken in the light of the overall staffing requirements of the Department.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his assessment of the total net annual change in Government tax revenues as a consequence of the introduction of the national lottery.

The 12 per cent. duty rate was set so as to have no effect on tax revenues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure humanitarian aid is effectively delivered in the refugee camps in Rwanda and Zaire.

We keep in close touch with non-governmental organisations and the United Nations agencies working in the refugee camps in neighbouring countries and the camps for internally displaced within Rwanda. An ODA assessment and monitoring mission visited the region last week.Steps taken to improve effective delivery include targeted distribution of food aid to family units. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees plans a comprehensive registration exercise in early February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by what means subcontracts were allocated on the Pergau dam project; and how many British firms benefited from the allocation of subcontracts on the project.

Sub contracts were let by the main contractor, Kerjaya Balfour Beatty Cementation. A list of the main subcontractors, vendors, plant and spares suppliers and main material suppliers was presented to the Foreign Affairs Committee in connection with its inquiry into the Pergau project, Cm 271–11, pages 80 to 85. One hundred and eighty-one British firms were involved in the project.

To ask the Attorney-General what proposals he has to review the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to pursue a charge of corporate manslaughter against Fewston Transport Ltd. and H. G. Pheasey.

The evidence in relation to an incident on 6 September 1993 involving a vehicle owned by Fewston Transport Ltd. was considered by the Crown Prosecution Service at the conclusion of the police investigation and again after the inquest taking account of the evidence given to the coroner. On both occasions the Crown Prosecution Service concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute the company for manslaughter.Herbert Graham Pheasey was a sole trader who owned a vehicle involved in an incident on 22 May 1992 as the result of which the driver, Robert Edward Marsden, was prosecuted for and convicted of causing death by reckless driving. The evidence did not justify proceedings for manslaughter against Herbert Graham Pheasey.The two cases were not in any way connected.The CPS is not aware of any material which would justify further reconsideration of either case.

To ask the Attorney-General how many corporate manslaughter charges were brought against heavy goods vehicle operators in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

The Crown Prosecution Service maintains no central records of proceedings in respect of specific offences. The information is recorded on individual cases files, and a definitive answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is however the recollection of senior Crown prosecution lawyers that there have been no such cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many parliamentary questions he has referred to chief executives of next steps agencies in each year since 1992.

The information is as follows:

	1992	1993	1994	1995
Building Research Establishment	4	0	0	1
Planning Inspectorate	4	1	3	0
The Buying Agency	4	0	0	1
Ordnance Survey	4	2	2	1
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre	4	0	0	0
Security Facilities Executives	—	—	0	0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the occasions on which Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution has informed his Department in each year since 1979 of the discovery of illicitly dumped nuclear materials, giving details of locations, quantities and types of materials involved.

Approximately 900kgs of depleted uranium was discovered at Poplars farm, Chelveston, Northamptonshire in January this year. The inspectorate is carrying out an investigation of the circumstances.A review of the inspectorate's records, covering the period 1979 to date, reveals no other incidents of illicitly dumped radioactive materials.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what records and maps are kept indicating (a) the radioactive inventory, (b) nature and (c) the exact location of low level radioactive wastes disposed of on authorised landfill sites; and to what extent this information is publicly available.

Records of disposals are maintained by disposers in accordance with the conditions of authorisations granted under the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The quantities consigned for burial at those sites currently receiving such wastes are listed in the answer I gave to the Member for Lewisham, Deptford (Ms Ruddock) on 25 January, Official Report, column 206.Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is planning to extend the chemical release inventory, which is maintained by the inspectorate and is the subject of published reports, to include details of radioactive disposals.The exact location of each deposit within a landfill site is not significant in determining the radiological safety of this practice and it is not usual for such records to be kept.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at (a) Milton landfill, Cambridge, (b) ICI Ltd., Cowpen Bewley Tip, Cleveland, (c) Vickers waste ponds, Walney island, Cumbria, (d) Rolls-Royce, Hilts quarry, Derbyshire, (e) Magnesium Elektron, Swinton, Manchester, (f) Cilgwyn quarry, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, (g) Braziers landfill, Hertfordshire, (h) SCM Chemicals, site tip, Humberside, (i) Clifton Marsh, Preston, Lancashire, (j) Sefton Meadows tip, Merseyside, (k) Beighton tip Sheffield, South Yorkshire, (l) Beddingham quarry, Sussex, (m) Ryton tip, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, (n) BNFL, Drigg, Cumbria, (o) BNFL Sellafield, Cumbria, and (p) Ulnes Walton in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

[holding answer 19 January 19951: The volume of low level radioactive waste disposed at the listed sites is as follows:

Site	Volume M3	Period1
Milton Landfill	83	1993
Cowpen Bewley	52	1993–94
Vickers	less than 1	1994
Hilts Quarry	37	1994
Magnesium Elektron	1,750	1994
Cilgwyn Quarry	less than 1	1993
Braziers landfill	15	1993
SCM Chemicals	0	1994
Clifton Marsh	0	1994
Sefton Meadows	0	1994
Beighton Tip	20	1994
Beddingham Quarry	4.5	1993
Ryton Tip	0	1994
BNFL Drigg	23,185	1993
BNFL Sellafield	0	1994
Ulnes Walton	0	1994
1 These are calendar years, other than at Cowpen Bewley where the disposal figures are for the financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, what is the fare box ratio of the revenue costs of operating the docklands light railway and the appropriate level of public support and total costs per passenger mile for operating that railway in the last financial year.

The ratio between the revenue costs and the farebox of the docklands light railway was 4.3:1 in the last financial year. The total cost per passenger mile was 78p, of which 18p was supported by revenue and 60p was covered by public subsidy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the spending by Kirklees council on (a) education, (b) social services and (c) highways in relation to those functions' individual standard spending assessments in 1993–94 and 1994–95.

The information is as follows:

Kirklees Council
£ million
	1993–94 (Outturn)		1994–95 (budget estimate)
	SSA	Expenditure1	SSA	Expenditure1
Education	140.873	142.755	138.275	146.614
Personal social services	38.863	35.503	42.814	43.400
Highways maintenance	13.454	12.536	12.365	13.048
1 Net Revenue Expenditure to compare with SSA

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list Surrey county council's (a) standard spending assessment and (b) actual expenditure on social services in each year since 1991–92; and what will be (i) the standard spending assessment and (ii) the budgeted expenditure for 1994–95.

The information is as follows:

Surrey County Council
£ million
	Personal Social Services1
	Standard spending assessment	Expenditure2
1991–92	71.410	358.831
1992–93	78.371	369.467
1993–94	82.152	372.231
1994–95	94.880	489.086
1 Figures reflect the transfer of responsibilities for community care to local authorities in 1993–94 and 1994–95.
2 Net Revenue Expenditure to compare with SSA.
3 Outturn.
4 Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underlay the decision of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Sir P. Beresford), to give a detailed reply to the hon. Member for Wallasey (Ms Eagle) on 17 January, Official Report, columns 411–12, on the subject of the Merseyside development corporation rather than to wait until his Department was able to issue a Treasury minute in response to the Committee.

The question asked by the hon. Member for Wallasey referred to the position of the chairman and chief executive of the corporation. My reply addressed that issue, which was not raised in the conclusions or recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee report. It also referred to the action already taken to address shortcomings in financial management following the publication of the National Audit Office report in March 1994. Those actions are on the record and are summarised in paragraph 51 of the PAC report.The Government's response to the PAC report will be made shortly in the normal way.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the level of local government expenditure in Northumberland county council in each year since 1988.

The information is as follows. The figures are not adjusted for changes in local authority functions, of which the most significant were, in 1993–94, the loss of responsibility for further education and the addition of responsibility for community care.

Northumberland County Council expenditure1
	£ Million
1988–89	2140.44
1989–90	154.170
1990–91	161.481
1991–92	178.739
1992–93	190.553
1993–94	185.770
1994–95	191.127
1 Total expenditure 1988–89 to 1989–90. Net revenue expenditure 1990–91 to 1994–95.
2 Outturn expenditure 1988–89 to 1993–94; budgeted expenditure for 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further steps he is taking to eradicate dioxin pollution in the Bolsover and north Derbyshire area; and if he will make a statement.

The industrial processes which have been identified as the most significant potential sources of dioxin production are now either subject to control under part I of the Environments Protection Act 1990 or are about to transfer to this control from earlier legislation. These processes are regulated either by the local authorities under the local authority air pollution control procedure or are controlled by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution using integrated pollution control. Both these regulatory regimes require the application of best available techniques not entailing excessive cost — BATNEEC—to prevent the discharge of dioxins and only where that is not practicable to minimise and render harmless the discharges. For the processes controlled by HMIP, work is already progressing well to require companies to achieve substantial reductions in discharges to all media. Where appropriate, process changes are being sought to eliminate the releases.Reductions in the level of dioxin pollution already in the environment are being studied. Substantial reductions in the level of dioxin on plants in the Bolsover area have already been reported. It is expected that tighter emission controls on the industrial processes will allow this trend to continue. Dioxin already in the soil is subject to slow degradation by natural processes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the average percentage change in business rates in 1995–96 as a result of the recent revaluation of rateable values for (a) shops, (b) offices, (c) warehouses, (d) factories and (e) other premises in each region; and what is his assessment of change for all property types in each region.

The information requested is given in the tables below which show estimated average changes in rates bills both before and after the effects of the Government's transitional arrangements are taken into account. They reflect the impact of the 1995 revaluation and also of the cessation of the previous transitional arrangements from which some ratepayers were still benefitting in 1994–95.

Estimated percentage change in rate bills: 1995–96 compared with 1994–95
(a) Shops
Region	Percentage change before transition	Percentage change after transition
South West	+20	+8
Rest of South East	+15	+6
East Anglia	+22	+8
North West	+39	+10
Northern	+33	+9
East Midlands	+30	+9
West Midlands	+39	+10
Yorkshire and Humberside	+34	+9
Inner London	+4	+3
Outer London	+18	+7
All	+22	+7

(b) Offices
Region	Percentage change before transition	Percentage change after transition
South West	+22	+7
Rest of South East	-6	+1
East Anglia	+19	+8
North West	+54	+10
Northern	+53	+11
East Midlands	+40	+11
West Midlands	+62	+12
Yorkshire and Humberside	+62	+11
Inner London	-56	-3
Outer London	+1	+2
All	-25	0

(c) Warehouses
Region	Percentage change before transition	Percentage change after transition
South West	+20	+8
Rest of South East	+8	+5
East Anglia	+19	+7
North West	+49	+11
Northern	+45	+11
East Midlands	+26	+9
West Midlands	+54	+12
Yorkshire and Humberside	+41	+11

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on how many occasions in the last 12 months freight traffic has been subject to delay on the South Yorkshire navigation; and for what reasons such delays were experienced;(2) what action is being taken to ensure that freight traffic can be carried on the South Yorkshire navigation without delays due to obstruction in the waterway, inoperable locks or lack of staff.

The Sheffield and South Yorkshire navigation is in the undertaking of the British Waterways Board. These questions should be addressed to the board since they relate to management and operational matters for which the board is responsible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what guidelines are operated by his Department as regards the use of executive search agencies to fill vacancies within his Department and his Department's executive agencies; and in what circumstances his Department employs executive search agencies instead of relying fully on departmental resources to fill vacant posts.

Executive search agencies are appointed by competitive tender in accordance with the Department's rules on the engagement of consultants. They are used to assist the mandatory process of public open competition for the occasional recruitment to singleton specialist and senior posts. The agencies provide expert knowledge of the target market sector, and handle ancillary clerical tasks such as the procurement of advertising and the processing of applications, for which it would not be cost-effective to maintain stand-by resources in the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total standard spending assessment for Nottinghamshire county council for each year from 1992–93 to 1995–96; and, within the total, what was the standard spending assessment for (a) education, (b) social services, (c) police, (d) fire, (e) highway maintenance, (f) other services and (g) capital financing in each of these years.

The figures requested are as follows. They have not been adjusted for changes of responsibility.

£ million
	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	11995–96
Education	383.420	2342.430	343.437	347.054
Personal social services	93.884	95.941	107.583	120.920
Police	48.595	50.485	52.894	3—
Fire	20.482	21.087	21.612	20.848
Highway maintenance	36.575	33.168	33.109	33.344
Other services	36.979	36.095	38.449	41.271
Capital financing	32.630	32.517	29.683	26.893
Total SSA	652.566	611.723	626.766	590.331
1 1995–96 figures are those in the proposed local government finance settlement 1995–96, announced by the Secretary of State on 1 December 1994.
2 Responsibility for most further education was transferred out of local government from 1 April 1993.
3 Nottinghamshire police authority receives a police SSA of £54.380 million and a total SSA of £55.365 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, (1) pursuant to his answer of 12 December 1994, Official Report, column 436, when he expects to reach a conclusion in his considerations as to whether further measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are necessary following the decision not to increase value added tax on domestic fuel to 17.5 per cent;(2) what is his estimate of the effects on the Government's ability to meet its targets agreed to at the Rio summit on the environment of the decision to retain value added tax rate for domestic fuel at 8 per cent., rather than the previously planned rate of 17.5 per cent.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers which I gave to the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett) on 18 January 1995, Official Report, column 706. We will conclude our work on this review as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultation he has had with his opposite number in the European Union concerning the implications of reduced funding for the Countryside Council for Wales on United Kingdom compliance within Wales with the habitat and species directive and other timetabled European directives.

None: there are no such implications.

To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment what were the (a) standard spending assessment and (b) single regeneration budget bids from the London borough of Redbridge for 1995–96; what was the value of the settlement given; and how much Redbridge will receive.

The revenue support grant settlement for 1995–96 will be the subject of a report to the House. Under the proposals announced by the Secretary of State on 1 December 1994, the standard spending assessment for the London borough of Redbridge would be £176.167 million. Total external support would be £134.553 million, including £87.766 million revenue support grant and £46.786 million business rate income.No final bids were received from the London borough of Redbridge for funding from the single regeneration budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he intends to take design considerations into account when deciding whether or not to call in planning applications to be decided under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

My general approach is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of local planning authorities unless it is necessary to do so. I will therefore be very selective about calling in applications to determine myself and will, in general, only take this step if planning issues of more than local importance are involved. Each case must be considered on its individual merits. An application for development which raises significant architectural and urban design issues is one example of the type of case which may be of more than local importance. Other examples include cases which, in my opinion, could have wide effects beyond their immediate locality, which give rise to substantial regional or national controversy which may conflict with national policy on important matters, and those where the interests of foreign Governments may be involved.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to "Liverpool: Architecture and Design" to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.

I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 6 February to Friday 10 February 1995.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what changes occurred regarding the vehicle used by the Hall Keepers Lodge for collection purposes until the beginning of this year, what are the present financial arrangements for outside firms to undertake the work; and if he will make a statement.

This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment she had made of the effect of the 1995–96 standard spending assessment settlement (1) on the number of teachers employed in England; and (2) on class sizes in England.

The effect of the settlement on the number of teachers and on class sizes will depend on decisions yet to be made by individual LEAs and schools, and on the cost of the teachers' pay award.