To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1987, in 1994 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in.

Information is not available for the full period covered by the question. According to the best information available, our total expenditure on external consultants in 1992–93 was £3.531 million at 1993–94 prices.Consultants are used in a variety of activities designed to produce different benefits. Much of their work is linked to the requirements of Government programmes such as training and designing IT systems, rather than simply cost-cutting exercises. In addition, consultants are often only one of a number of contributory elements in projects that may produce savings. In these circumstances, it is not possible to quantify the annual savings which have resulted from the use of consultants.The Lord Chancellor is responsible for three agencies: Her Majesty's Land Registry, the Public Record Office and the Public Trust Office. As the question concerns specific operational matters on which the chief executives of the three agencies are best placed to provide answers, I have accordingly asked the chief executives to reply direct.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the actual annual expenditure on Government legal departments in each year since 1979, in 1994 prices; and if he will provide the breakdown of such expenditures between (a) courts services, (b) legal aid, (c) magistrates courts and (d) salaries of the judiciary; and if he will provide similarly tabulated data showing expenditures on the Public Record Office.

The readily available figures for the Lord Chancellor's Department are those published in the Government's expenditure plans. They are set out in table 1. Column (a) is net of receipts and includes court building. To allow comparisons between years, the figures have been adjusted to include superannuation contributions, inter-departmental transfers and the transfer of responsibility for magistrates courts from the Home Office in 1992.Figures for the Northern Ireland court service are set out in table 2. The Northern Ireland court service took over responsibility for legal aid in April 1982 and before that figures are not available. Column

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the housing implications for local authorities of the care in the community programme.

The impact of care in the community on local housing policies was raised with my Department by a number of local authorities during meetings to discuss the 1995–95 housing investment programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many houses in Sandwell are in a condition qualifying them for repairs or renovation grants; and what is the average cost per household and grants.

The only data on condition available are Sandwell's estimates of the number of private sector unfit dwellings which, subject to the household test of resources, would be eligible for a mandatory renovation grant. The authority estimated that there were 13,600 dwellings in this category at 1 April 1994. The average mandatory renovation grant payment in England is £8,600; this relates to grants where final payment was made during the financial year 1993–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further consideration he has given to introducing a system of dog licensing in England and Wales similar to the scheme operating in Northern Ireland.

The Government have no plans to introduce dog licensing in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many letters his Department has received calling for a wide public inquiry into the Nirex rock characterisation facility.

About 340 letters have been received by the planning inspectorate requesting a wide-ranging inquiry into UK Nirex's planning appeal against Cumbria county council's refusal of permission for the rock characterisation facility.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many responses his Department has received to its consultation on the radioactive waste management review.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. member for Surrey, East (Mr. Ainsworth) on Tuesday 29 November, Official Report, column 647.

To ask the Secretary of State for line Environment if he has yet discovered the source of the depleted uranium tailings found at Poplar farm, Chelveston.

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution is investigating the origins of the depleted uranium swarf found in a field at Poplar farm, Chelveston, Northamptonshire. It has uncovered evidence which may point to the likely source of at least some of the material. However, the investigation is continuing and at this stage it would be premature to release information until all the evidence has been fully substantiated and future action decided.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will issue directives to enforcing agencies to ensure that the deadline of 1 October set out in guidance note PG5/1 relating to clinical waste incinerators is enforced in a rigorous and timely manner;(2) if he will make it his policy to remove any disparities of environmental standards imposed on clinical waste incinerators of differing sizes by guidance note PG5/1 and regulations IPR5/2.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) by the Under Secretary of State for the Environment on 19 January 1995, Official Report, column 659.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if local planning authorities have an obligation to protect the local community from the effects arising from opencast mining sites and other large land obligations.

Mineral planning guidance note 3 advises mineral planning authorities to take into account the effect of opencast coal mining on local communities, together with any steps that the operator proposes to take to minimise these effects, before deciding whether planning permission should be granted for opencast coal proposals. Where permission is granted, appropriate planning conditions should be attached to the permission to protect the interests of local communities. In addition, the Coal Industry Act 1994 imposes an environmental duty on the coal industry, and mineral planning authorities are required to have regard to the extent to which the operator has complied with the duty.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy in respect of the obligation of bonds imposed by local planning authority on the owners of opencast mining sites and other large land obligations for the restoration of such sites.

It is Government policy that sites used for opencast mining should be properly restored to a beneficial use when extraction has ceased. This policy objective should normally be achieved through implementation by the mineral operators of appropriate planning conditions attached to the permissions. Therefore local authorities should not usually have to require a bond to secure site restoration, in addition, through a planning agreement or obligation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1987 in 1994 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in.

The information requested is not held centrally by my Department and is obtainable only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the purposes to which the provision for credit liabilities may be applied.

Amounts set aside by local authorities as provision for credit liabilities under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 may be applied to meet liabilities in respect of borrowing and credit arrangements. Such amounts may also be applied to meet capital expenditure, subject to the use of a credit approval. However, authorities with no long-term debt and negative credit ceiling may spend or transfer their provision for credit liabilities in accordance with regulations under the 1989 Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what response was received to the consultation paper on the appointment of members of valuation tribunals in England; and if he will make a statement.

The list of responses received has been placed in the Library of the House; copies of individual responses may be obtained from my Department's Library. In addition, one response was submitted by an individual on a confidential basis. Amendments to regulations will be introduced shortly to give effect to the following measures: the limit on billing authority members to one third of the total membership is to be extended to include county councillors; to extend the period of membership of a chairman at the end of his or her appointment until a replacement has been re-elected; the president, on election, is to fill the post of one of the chairmen; tribunals may elect a deputy president from one of the chairmen; employees may not be appointed as members; and the president may apply to the Secretary of State for a case to be heard by a different tribunal if it involves a former member or employee.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to provide exemptions from waste management licensing for the recovery of scrap metal and the dismantling of waste motor vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

On 8 November 1994, I published a consultation paper setting out our proposals for exemptions from waste management licensing under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 for the recovery of scrap metal and the dismantling of waste motor vehicles. We have considered the responses to that consultation exercise and have now laid before Parliament the Waste Management Licensing (Amendment etc.) Regulations 1995, S.I 1995 No. 288.The Government's policy is that the controls applied to waste should be proportionate to the risks involved and the benefits to be obtained and should not impose unjustifiable or disproportionate burdens on those subject to control, especially small businesses. The scrap metal and waste motor vehicle dismantling industry plays an important role in the recovery of waste.The aim of the exemptions from licensing provided in the regulations is to encourage the recovery of scrap metal where the industry's activities do not pose a threat to the environment or human health. To ensure that this aim is fulfilled, the exemptions we have provided specify the types and quantities of waste and the conditions under which the industry's activities will be exempt. Any scrap metal or waste motor vehicle dismantling yards which do not meet these conditions will be subject to waste management licensing.Our consultation paper invited comments on whether the fragmentisation of scrap metal and waste motor vehicles should be the subject of an exemption. We have considered the comments made on this issue. Our conclusion is that it would not be appropriate to provide an exemption for fragmentisation and that this activity should remain subject to licensing.The main purpose of the regulations is to provide exemptions for scrap metal recovery, but they make certain other provisions. These provisions include an extension of the transitional arrangements which exempt certain people from the requirement to demonstrate technical competence when applying for a waste management licence. The new exemptions will apply to people who have managed waste facilities authorised under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and managers of facilities which did not need a licence under the Control of Pollution Act 1974. The regulations also extend the list of equipment prescribed as mobile plant for the treatment or disposal of waste.

To ask the Prime Minister what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1987, in 1994 prices, for his Department; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in.

There has been no expenditure by my Office on external consultants, including management consultants, since 1987.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 9 February.

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

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the pay of permanent secretaries.

The Government announced in Cm. 2748 presented to Parliament on 26 January that they intended to introduce new arrangements for the pay of Permanent Secretaries from 1 April, and that they would make a further announcement in conjunction with its response to the report of the senior salaries review body. The Government have now considered the recommendations of the review body.As foreshadowed in the Command Paper, a remuneration committee will be established to advise Ministers on where individual permanent secretaries should be placed within the pay range. The full terms of reference are given.The final decisions on the pay of individual permanent secretaries will be for the Government, who expect normally to accept the recommendations of the committee.There will be five members of the committee—three members of the review body, the head of the civil service and the head of the Treasury. The chairman of the review body will normally chair the committee.The three external members will, sitting alone, make recommendations to the Government on the salaries of the Heads of the civil service, the Treasury and the diplomatic service.Sir Michael Perry, who will succeed Lord Nickson as chairman of the review body in April, has agreed to chair the committee. Mr. Gordon Hourston and Ms Yve Newbold, both members of the review body, have agreed to serve on it. I am grateful to all of them for undertaking this important additional task.The review body proposed a pay range of £90,000-£150,000. The Government accept this recommendation. The salaries of individual posts will, be published in £5,000 bands once each year in the following annual report of the review body. Parallel arrangements will be made for the most senior ambassadors.TERMS OF REFERENCE OF 'THE REMUNERATION COMMIT ITEE

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the review body reports.

The 1995 reports of the review bodies on the pay of schoolteachers, senior civil servants. the senior military, the judiciary, the armed forces, doctors and dentists, nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and the professions allied to medicine have now been published. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House. The Government are grateful to the members of the review bodies for the time and care which they have put into the preparation of the reports.The Government's policy is that increases in pay must be fully met from existing budgets. Pay increases for public sector staff therefore have to be paid for by greater efficiency or by other economies. This position was reaffirmed in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement on public sector pay on 14 September 1994, and in the Government's evidence to the review bodies. It is fundamental to the Government's response to their recommendations.The review bodies have made the following recommendations:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Algeria concerning their policy on the needs of the Saharawi refugees resident in that country.

We have held no discussions with the Government of Algeria on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what aid has been provided (a) directly by the United Kingdom and (b) through bilateral procedures to the Saharawi people who are victims of floods at their refugee camps.

The United Kingdom has provided no aid directly or through bilateral procedures to the Saharawi people. However, we provide support for refugees through UNHCR on a regular basis and in response to special appeals from them and other interactional agencies. UK contributions to UNHCR in 1994–95 so far amount to over £20 million. In 1994, UNHCR earmarked £4 million for assistance to Saharawi refugees in Algeria and have earmarked a further £4 million this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements exist in the United Kingdom for monitoring and evaluating overseas development programmes of the European Union.

The primary responsibility for the monitoring and evaluation of European Community development assistance rests with the Commission. Monitoring is undertaken by in-country delegations and staff in Brussels administering the various programmes, supported as required by consultants. The evaluation unit in directorate general VIII of the Commission has a wide-ranging work programme covering EC assistance to Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. Evaluation systems have been established to cover the more recent Poland and Hungary assistance for economic restructuring and Tacis programmes in eastern and central Europe and humanitarian aid—ECHO.The United Kingdom has pressed successfully for the findings of mid-term reviews to be discussed by member states in management committees. We participate in the regular meetings of heads of evaluations services from the Commission and member state aid administrations. We play an active role in joint evaluations of EC and member state assistance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reproductive health programmes are currently being funded by the European Union for developing countries.

The European Community is currently supporting at least 50 population and reproductive health programmes in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. These seek to improve maternal and child health, access to family planning services and contraceptive supplies. In some programmes, these activities are undertaken as elements of broader health care initiatives.We continue to encourage the Commission to develop strategies for increasing support to population and reproductive health activities following the 1994 Cairo conference on population and development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to fund reproductive health activities in Botswana.

At present, there are no plans to support reproductive health programmes in Botswana. The Government of Botswana have agreed that British aid should focus on education, natural resources and public sector financial management. Support for health services is provided by other aid donors and from Botswana's own resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the breakdown of spending on education projects within the Overseas Development Administration in the year 1993–94; how much of the total is allocated to (a) basic education for children, (b) literacy for adults, (c) secondary and tertiary education, (d) buildings, for educational purposes, and (e) other services to education beyond a basic level.

[holding answer 7 February 1995]: Total ODA spending on education projects during 1993–94 amounted to just over £117 million. The figures include all project aid and technical co-operation as well as the ODA's grant to the British Council.The categories given correspond as closely to those in the question as the ODA economic sector codes covered by education allow.

To ask the President of the board of Trade what assessment he has made of the reasons for the relative rates of sickness of staff (a) at Companies House and (b) the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.

My Department's agencies are assessed against a range of measures and have good records of meeting targets and improving their performance from year to year. I am, however, looking into the issues raised by my hon. Friend's question.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's policy on the level of shipbuilding intervention funding during 1995.

I have decided that the United Kingdom's maximum level of support for large ships from 1 January 1995 shall continue to be 9 per cent., including shipbuilders' tax relief of 2 per cent. This follows a decision of the European Commission, notified to member states on 27 January 1995.I have similarly decided that the maximum level of support for small ships from 1 January 1995 shall continue to be 4.5 per cent., including shipbuilders' tax relief at 2 per cent.Those levels are at the maximum permitted by the EC shipbuilding regime.This is the last year in which shipbuilding intervention will be available for new contracts. The OECD agreement respecting normal competitive conditions in the commercial shipbuilding and repair industry prohibits direct subsidies from 1 January 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, in his answer to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) of 28 February 1994, Official Report, column 541, in respect of exports to Iraq, what licences were (a) required for the exports referred to and (b) issued for such exports in the 10 years prior to 1986.

The agents referred to were not subject to export control before July 1985.From 1985 to 1992, the toxicological agents were licensable only if adapted for use in war. The agents became licensable in their own right by virtue of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1992.Records prior to 1986 are not available except at disproportionate cost, and even then are unlikely to be complete.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he consulted local government planning authorities when preparing the restructuring scheme in the Coal Industry Act 1994;(2) what considerations he gave to the interests of local planning authorities when including schedule 2 in the Coal Industry Act 1994; and if he will make a statement.

When the Bill was introduced, the Department made widely available to interested parties, including to all those mineral planning authorities which expressed an interest, general guidance on its privatisation proposals.The restructuring powers under the Coal Industry Act 1994 provide for the transfer of existing property, rights and liabilities of British Coal to successor companies to enable privatisation to take place. The powers are general in nature to deal with many different forms of property, rights and liabilities which had to be transferred.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if Clydesdale district council made representations to Her Majesty's Government before the Coal Industry Act 1994 in respect of the dangers of transferring personal planning consent to the new coal owners without first referring it to the local planning authority.

Her Majesty's Government received no such representation before or during the passage of the Act. Representations on the matter were made to my officials by the district council in October 1994.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what considerations led Her Majesty's Government to allow full discretion of schedule 2 to the Coal Industry Act 1994 to treat the transferee as the same person in law as the British Coal Corporation; and if he will make a statement.

To ensure that the ongoing operations of British Coal could continue without disruption on transfer to a successor company, it was necessary for the transferee to be treated as the same person in law as the British Coal Corporation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the Trade and Industry Minister in the House of Lords, Lord Strathclyde, was explaining Government policy when he said on 3 May 1994, Official Report, column 1056, that if a coal owner became bankrupt the Coal Authority would be responsible for any costs of restoring the site; and if he will make a statement.

My noble Friend made two salient points on a number of occasions: he drew attention to the important duty of the Coal Authority to secure so far as practicable, that operators are able to finance their operations and the discharge of associated liabilities, and he noted that where the Coal Authority is the owner of land, underground workings or coal reserves the associated responsibilities fall on its lessees or, where there is no lessee, on it.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade who will be responsible for the cost of restoration to opencast mining sites in the event of the new owners going into liquidation.

The obligation to restore a site of opencast coal extraction generally falls on the owner of the surface. Its enforceability during and following an insolvency would depend on the relevant facts.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will begin an investigation into the running of the Rom Data computer firm in Falmouth.

The company is in liquidation. The Department will consider any information regarding the affairs of Rom Data Ltd. forwarded in the usual manner.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from hon. Members in connection with the Rom Data computer firm in Cornwall.

One. I had a meeting with the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Mr. Coe) on 23 January 1995.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total amount in grants given to the Rom Data computer firm by his Department and if he will make a statement about his Department's funding of Rom Data.

The total grant paid to Rom Data Ltd. was £825,000. This grant was made under the criteria for regional selective assistance, which is a grant available to projects which create or safeguard employment in the assisted areas.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if it is his intention, when contracting out the functions of the Official Receiver's Insolvency Service, to include the local office information system; and if contractors will have to bid for this.

In the absence of any decision to contract out the functions of official receivers, the question of whether the local office information system, LOIS, will be included in any contract specification has not yet been considered.Consultants have been engaged by the Insolvency Service to work up a specification, bid documentation and evaluation criteria and will consider matters such as this as part of their work.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which countries or destinations were subjected to additional export licensing procedures from April 1991 for dual-use or other technologies.

The following countries are currently subject to special licensing procedures:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Brazil
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria
• Burma (Myanmar)
• China
• Croatia
• Cuba
• Egypt
• Estonia
• Georgia
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Latvia
• Libya
• Lithuania
• Macedonia
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• North Korea
• Pakistan
• Romania
• Russia
• Slovenia
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Ukraine
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent offers of regional selective assistance have been made to Amoco Fabrics in relation to jobs created at Consett, County Durham.

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the severance payments made to special advisers in each of the last five years, indicating (a) the amount and (b) the date.

[holding answer 1 February 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Treasury on 6 February 1995, Official Report, column 69.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report column 396, if he will list the qualification of those engineers engaged in the servicing of domestic gas appliances; and what assessment he has made of the consequences for safety standards if no other engineers were employed in gas maintenance.

I have been asked to reply.The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1994 require anyone who works with a gas fitting, including servicing of a domestic gas appliance, or a gas storage vessel to be competent. The Health and Safety Commission's approved code of practice, "Standards of Training in Safe Gas Installation", published in 1988, provides practical guidance on the scope of training necessary for those engaged in gas installation work.No assessment has been made of the consequences for safety of a shortfall in the availability of competent gas fitters to undertake gas maintenance work, because I cannot foresee circumstances in which such a shortfall would arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when application forms for financial instrument for fisheries guidance grants will be made available for the period 1994 to 1999; and for what reasons application forms are not available in January.

The United Kingdom fisheries sectoral plan under Council regulation No. 3699/93 was not approved by the European Commission until 29 December. It will be necessary to introduce secondary legislation to provide the UK national or regional aid required to trigger EU aid and advise interested parties when the scheme is open for application. We are proceeding with the implementation as quickly as possible, including the preparation of application forms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why he has not yet provided the information about next steps agencies requested by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton in his question of 20 January.

Because of the number of next steps agencies involved, the information took some time to compile. It was, however, provided to the right hon. Member on 7 February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans are presently under consideration at the Department of the Environment for the creation of agencies to carry out its functions; and if he will list (a) the areas identified, (b) the expected work force within each agency, (c) the stage which each agency proposal has reached and (d) what consultation has taken place with elected Northern Ireland members.

[holding answer 7 February 1995]: There are already four next steps agencies in the Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland) covering rate collection, driver and vehicle testing, Ordnance Survey and driver and vehicle licensing.On 19 July 1994, my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) announced that the Public Record Office would become a next steps agency from 1 April 1995 and that the Water Executive would become an agency from 1 April 1996—

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many licences were issued for mink factory farms for each county of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

[holding answer 8 February 1995]: There has only ever been one licensed mink farm in Northern Ireland. It was situated in County Down and was issued with an annual licence in 1990 and 1991. No licences were issued in 1992, 1993 or 1994.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the extent to which appropriation in aid was taken into account in his answer of 28 October 1994, Official Report, columns 895–96, in relation to the Crown Prosecution Service's cash and running cost limits for 1994–95.

The revised running costs limit of £224,392,000 reported in my earlier answer took account of appropriations in aid of £91,000. Gross expenditure without such deduction determines the gross running costs limit. Following the transfer of £80,000 to the Department of Social Security, the Crown Prosecution Service's running costs limit will therefore now be £224,483,000.

To ask the Attorney-General what was the actual annual expenditure on (a) the Treasury Solicitor's Department, (b) the Crown Prosecution Service, (c) the Serious Fraud Office and (d) the legal secretariat to the Law Officers, in each year since 1979, in 1994 prices.

The gross expenditure is given in the table in 1994 prices. Superannuation contributions have been included from 1987–88 although until 1992–93 these were borne centrally.

To ask the Attorney-General what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1987, in 1994 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in.

The expenditure is given in the table in 1994 prices. Such consultants were engaged primarily to advise on matters of management or to develop new systems and, while their advice is considered to have contributed very significantly to efficiency, it is not possible to quantify the annual cost savings attributable to this expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effects on existing council tenants of the wholesale transfer of council housing stocks to housing associations; and what further assessment he has made of the effects of such transfers following local authority reorganisation and of the influence such activity will have on the ability of new authorities to provide housing services to all districts within their jurisdiction.

There has, as yet, been no wholesale transfer of council housing stock to a housing association in Scotland. However, there has been a steady flow of smaller scale transfers with over 15,000 council houses having transferred to the private sector, mainly to locally based housing associations.While transferring tenants change from secure to assured tenancy agreements, they generally continue to enjoy at least the same rights as before on a contractual basis, including the right to buy their home. Furthermore, tenants are also usually offered a rent guarantee for at least the first few years after transfer. As investment in the transferred stock no longer counts as public expenditure, tenants can also expect to benefit from accelerated investment in improving the stock. Tenants also often have the opportunity to become directly involved in the management of their housing through participation in the activities of the housing association and representation on its management committee.The wholesale transfer of housing stock will enable local authorities to concentrate on their strategic and enabling role in meeting housing needs in their area, free from the day-to-day burdens of acting as a landlord. Part of any receipt arising from the stock disposal can, with the consent of the Secretary of State, be used to support new housing investment and the establishment of nomination rights with the acquiring landlords will enable authorities, and their successors after reorganisation, to perform their statutory duties in ensuring that the housing needs of the area are met.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many responses he has received on his consultation on the boundaries of the Strathclyde passenger transport authority and executive following local government reorganisation in Scotland; how many supported (a) map 1 in his consultative document, (b) map 2 in his consultative document and (c) the whole of the present Strathclyde region; if he will list the organisations which supported each of the three options; and if he will make a statement on how he now proposes to proceed.

Although the consultation period ended on 31 January 1995, responses are still being received from organisations which had difficulty in responding within the deadline. The responses have come from a wide variety of sources including local authorities, community councils, voluntary and representative bodies, Members of Parliament, councillors and individuals, and have covered a range of issues including the options contained in the consultation document. The responses will be carefully assessed before any decision is taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many homes in Scotland were in negative equity for each of the past three years for which figures are available.

We do not hold this information centrally. Recent studies have shown that the problem of negative equity is less pronounced in Scotland than in any other region of the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much money has been spent on health education programmes in schools designed specifically to dissuade children from smoking cigarettes in each of the past five years in (a) Strathclyde and (b) Scotland.

In Scottish schools the management and content of the curriculum in matters relating to health education, including the effects of smoking policy, are the responsibility of education authorities and headteachers. The information sought is not held centrally by the Scottish Office. In Strathclyde, the life skills approach to drug, alcohol and smoking education will continue to be the core of education programmes rather than a focus on individual substances like tobacco. No separate allocation of money is therefore spent to dissuade children from smoking cigarettes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the performance of the

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what were the number of house repossessions for mortgage default in Scotland in each of the past five years.

We do not currently hold this information centrally. Figures supplied by the Council of Mortgage Lenders suggest that, in 1993, 2,330 properties were taken into possession in Scotland. This represents 0.29 per cent. of the total number of properties with mortgages outstanding, which is around half the proportion for the United Kingdom as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many warrant sales have been conducted in Scotland in each year since 1987 in each sheriffdom; and if he will list for each sheriffdom, the numbers instigated by (a) local authorities, (b) Government Departments, (c) private firms and (d) private individuals.

Figures for the number of warrant sales reported to the Sheriff courts from 1987 to 1994 are set out by sheriffdom in the table. The figures for 1994 are provisional only. A breakdown of the numbers by (a) local authorities, (b) Government Departments, (c) private firms and (d) private individuals is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.Scottish Agricultural Science Agency against its targets for 1994–95 and the setting of targets of 1995–96.

The agency is on course to meet the key performance targets for 1994–95 which I set out in my answer of 2 March 1994, columns 777–78.For 1995–96 I have set the agency the following key performance targets:fulfilment of the service level agreement with the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department within the running costs voted to the agency for 1995–96;recovery of full economic costs on average for charged services;formal consultation with all major customers on the quality of the work done by the agency in 1995–96;completion of 90 per cent. of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescales set by customers;increase by 1 per cent. in the proportion of the agency's full cost attributable to scientific activities rather than support services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what records, maps and other data are maintained showing (a) the radioactive inventory, (b) the nature and (c) the precise location of low-level radioactive wastes disposed of on authorised landfill sites; and to what extent this information is available to members of the public.

[holding answer 6 February 1995]: Details of low-level radioactive wastes disposed of by controlled burial in landfill sites are held by the operator of the landfill site, usually the local authority. Operators are not required to publish this information. However, a request for such information to the operator would be considered within the framework of the Environmental Information Regulations 1992.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions in the last three years his inspectors have supervised, examined or monitored the slaughter of factory farm mink and Arctic fox; and by what method killings were carried out.

[holding answer 8 February 1995]: During the period in question, a veterinary officer was present at the killing of Arctic foxes at one farm. The method used was injection of pentobarbitone. There are currently no fur farms in operation in Scotland.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what arrangements have been made for the visit of Mr. Gianfranco Fini to the House; which hon. Member was responsible for inviting him; and if he will make a statement.

I am unaware of any such invitation to Mr. Fini.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases the Child Support Agency has applied for a liability order; how many cases have been heard to date; and what has been the outcome of these hearings.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions section 2 of the Child Support Act 1991 has been applied to reduce the amount of child maintenance paid by an absent parent.

I have recently written to my right hon. Friend in reply to his letter to me on this matter. The information that the right hon. Member requires is not available. The law used in making decisions should be recorded on individual files, and notified to the client, but there is no requirement to keep or collate records centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for replacing provision for the care and mobility needs of disabled people, currently made through disability living allowance, with private insurance against long-term disability.

We have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total sum paid as family credit for each year since 1989.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Croydon, North-West (Mr. Wicks) on 12 December, Official Report, column 534.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will break down the amounts recovered by the compensation recovery unit in cases of industrial disease and illness by the disease or illness suffered, for each of the last five years.

This is a matter for Michael Bichard, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many British (a) women and (b) men aged (i) 24 to 35 years, (ii) 35 to 55 years and (iii) 55 years and over have been denied benefits under the habitual residence rule;(2) how many British citizens with children

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Secutiry what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1987, in 1994 prices, for her Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in.

The information is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the value of unemployment benefit, in actual and 1994 terms, for each of the years 1964, 1974, 1984, and 1994.

The information is set out in tables 5.3a and 5.3b of the "Abstract of Statistics for Social Security Benefits and Contributions, and the Indices of Retail Prices and Average Earnings—October 1994", a copy of which is in the Library.