To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on his proposals for the reform of police discipline procedures in Northern Ireland.

I issued a consultation paper on police discipline procedures on 26 August 1993. The consultation paper proposed a new system for dealing with unsatisfactory performance, as well as suggesting improvements to existing disciplinary procedures. I have carefully considered the responses which I received, the majority of which were supportive of the reforms.The changes which I have decided to make will create a more streamlined and up-to-date system for dealing with unsatisfactory performance and instances of misconduct. The reforms will take the form of new regulation-making powers on the conduct, efficiency and effectiveness of police officers and the maintenance of discipline, and will not prevent the pursuit of disciplinary action, when appropriate, if an officer has been acquitted of a criminal charge. There will be a new appeals tribunal, to replace the right of appeal to the Secretary of State. The right of officers to be legally represented when facing the most severe penalties will continue. Consistency will be maintained with Great Britain on the standards of proof for police disciplinary breaches.These changes will establish a flexible framework for reform in this important area and maintain consistency across the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will now publish the report of Mr. J. J. Rowe's fundamental review of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991; and what arrangements he has made to review the operation of the Act in 1994.

I announced on 24 May 1994 that Mr. J. J. Rowe QC would be undertaking a fundamental review of the provisions of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991. This review would assist the Government in reaching decisions about what to do when the present Act reaches the end of its life in August 1996. Mr. Rowe's report is being published in full today as a Command Paper. I am most grateful to Mr. Rowe for his valuable work.As Mr. Rowe himself makes clear, most of his work was completed before the Provisional IRA cessation of violence and it was wholly completed before the Loyalist cessation. His recommendations do not, therefore, take full account of the new situation which these events created, nor of the Government's working assumption that the ceasefires are intended to be permanent. The Government's hope is that a lasting peace will prove to be established and that the need for the exceptional powers provided by this Act will accordingly be removed. In the meantime, the Government will keep the need for such powers under continuing review.Mr. Rowe has also accepted my invitation to prepare a report on the operation of the Act during 1994. As the temporary provisions of the Act will lapse on 15 June 1995 unless continued in force by order, I have asked Mr. Rowe to submit his report in sufficient time to facilitate Parliament's consideration of the Emergency Provisions Act.At the same time, and as part of the Government's continuing review of the use of powers under emergency legislation, I have concluded on the basis of security advice that there is no longer a need to maintain those exclusion orders for which I am responsible and which are in force under the Prevention of Terrorism Acts. I have, therefore, directed the revocation of those orders. My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary will announce in due course the outcome of a review of the 56 exclusion orders for which he is responsible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what requirement there is for alterations in the number of dwellings in a planning application from that first advertisment to be advertised in the press.

There is no requirement to advertise alterations to planning applications. However, where an amended proposal would significantly alter the character or description of the original proposal, it would normally be the practice to re-advertise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many trees have been removed from the sites identified as site 8 Beechill in the document, "Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001: development of suburban housing sites: Development Control Guidance Note. DOE (NI), June 1991", since June 1991;(2) how many healthy trees identified as to be protected in site 8 Beechill in the document entitled, "Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001: development of suburban housing sites: Development Control Guidance Note. DOE (NI)", dated June 1991, have been removed.

The information requested is not immediately available. I will write to the right hon. Gentleman once it is.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what was the estimated total cost of producing the document, "Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001: development of suburban housing sites: Development Control Guidance Note DOE(NI)", dated June 1991;(2) if he will make a statement of the place of the document entitled "Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001: development of suburban housing sites: Development Control Guidance Note DOE(NI), June 1991" in the Belfast urban area plan 2001;(3) what is the legal status of the document entitled, "Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001: development of suburban housing sites: Development Control Guidance Note DOE(NI), June 1991"; and if he will make a statement.

The cost of producing the document is not available. The BUAP 2001 committed the Department to the publication of this document. The document is a material planning consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) child abuse and (b) rape allegations have been made against teachers in each of the last five years; how many cases have not been proceeded with; and in how many cases the teacher has been found guilty.

The RUC does not hold any statistics relating to allegations as there may be many which are never investigated because no formal complaint is made.In cases where a prosecution ensues, RUC statistics show persons proceeded against but, in normal circumstances occupation is not recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the policy of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on allocating grant aid as regards religious belief, what considerations underlay the questions as to the religious and political affiliation of households; and if he will ban the practice of seeking to obtain this information

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by its chief executive that completion of the religious affiliation question on the Executive's preliminary inquiry form for grants is optional and has no bearing whatsoever on either the executive's decision to accept or reject an application or the payment of any grant aid, which is made entirely on the basis of house condition and other eligibility factors. The question was introduced following a recommendation by the Standing Advisory Committee on Human Rights that the executive should monitor the impact of its policies and practices on each of the main sections of the community. The collection of this information has a valuable and important role to play in the promotion of equality of opportunity and equity for all the people of Northern Ireland. There are no questions about an applicant's political affiliation on the form.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed by the water and sewerage service in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

The information, at 31 March of each financial year, is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measure her Department is taking to reduce the number of non-urgent 999 telephone calls.

The new patients charter, launched on 18 January, advises the public on how they can help the national health service by remembering that the emergency ambulance service is there for people in the most urgent need of hospital treatment. Improvements in primary care should reduce the incidence of non-urgent calls. Further action is best taken by local initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account is taken of the closure of the accident and emergency departments at St. Bartholomew's, Guy's and other units within their operational area in the financial provisions for the London Ambulance Service recommended in the report to her from the chairman of the South Thames health authority.

The future work load and configuration of accident and emergency departments are taken into account in the forward planning of the London Ambulance Service. The funding of the LAS is a matter for the purchasers of its services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence she has that desirable standards in respect of London Ambulance services can be achieved by (a) unified and (b) fragmented service with equivalent resources.

I look to the London Ambulance Service to improve its performance to the standards achieved by other ambulance services and believe that it should remain as a single unit provided it does so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if anti-malarial tablets are available on prescription on the NHS; and if she will make a statement.

Anti-malarial tablets for prophylaxis when travelling to endemic areas are available from travel clinics or from general practitioners on private prescription. Anti-malarial drugs may be prescribed on the national health service if they are being used for the treatment of malaria or for other medical conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many girls have been admitted to hospitals in England suffering from complications following female circumcision in each year since such records were kept.

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she proposes to assist younger people suffering from Alzheimer's disease; and if she will make a statement.

Purchasers have been advised in "The Health of the Nation" key area handbook to take account of the needs of particular groups and conditions; this includes those suffering from pre-senile dementia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list by age the numbers of women who become pregnant within 12 months of abortions performed upon them in the latest year for which such figures are available.

The information requested is not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the NHS organ donor register was launched; and when the first advertisements appeared inviting potential donors to register;(2) how many people have registered with the NHS organ donor register since its launch;(3) when the NHS organ donor register will be fully operational;(4) when the registration forms for the NHS organ donor register were first available.

The national health service organ donor register was launched on 6 October 1994. Registration forms were available from that date. Over 4 million have been issued since that date and have been available in main post offices, libraries, chemists and other public places. The first advertisements appeared in the national press the following week. About 250,000 people have registered with it at present and numbers are growing rapidly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 2 February, Official Report, column 843, when she now expects to respond to the open letter from the Islington Gazette, about the planned closure of St. Bartholomew's hospital and the future of health services for the people of Islington, a further copy of which was sent to her on 10 February.

A reply from the chairman of Camden and Islington health authority was printed in the Islington Gazette on 2 February. I have nothing further to add to that reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her answer of 3 February, Official Report, column 874, what was the average prescribing costs per 1,000 patients in (a) fundholding and (b) non-fundholding practices on each of dates specified; and what comparable information she has on the prescribing costs of non-fundholding practices participating in incentive prescribing schemes at those dates.

Available information is shown in the table. Practice-based prescribing incentive schemes did not commence until 1993–94; comparable information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what are the numbers of GP doctors currently in training who are from a member state of the European Union beside the United Kingdom; how their training costs are being met; and if she will make a statement.

[holding answer 30 January 1995]: Figures are not available centrally on the number of general practitioner doctors from European Union member states training in this country. The costs of training both in the general practice setting and in hospitals are met by the national health service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will give the number of general and senior managers in (a) regional health authorities, (b) district health authorities, (c) family health services authorities, (d) trusts, (e) general practitioner practices, w the national health service executive and (g) her Department in each year since 1989–90.(2) if she will give the salary costs of general and senior managers in

[holding answer 30 January 1995]: The available information is shown in the tables.The increase in the number of managers in health authorities and trusts and therefore in costs, is largely due to the reclassification of administrative and professional staff—including many senior nurses—as general and senior managers. In family health services authorities, the increase is due to new or greater managerial responsibilities for primary care development, including medical audit advisory groups, budgetary control and health promotion monitoring, and developments in community care.Information is not available centrally on general practitioner practice managers. The national health service executive and the Department of Health do not categorise staff in terms of general and senior managers in any way which permits comparison with those defined in this way in health authorities and trusts. Numbers of general and senior managers for 1991 and 1992 cannot be provided because the figures were collected on an aggregate basis and it is not possible to identify such staff in regional and district health authorities and FHSAs separately. The number of general and senior managers in DHAs cannot be provided for 1989, 1990 and 1993 because the aggregate figures collected for those years do not identify such staff in DHA headquarters separately. Information on salary costs is not available centrally for managers in FHSAs because their accounts and financial returns do not contain any breakdown of expenditure between staff groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the main provisions of the specimen treaty produced by the K4 group of the European Union; when he approved this specimen treaty; when he intends to report his approval of the specimen treaty to the House; if he will place a copy of the specimen treaty in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

The standard bilateral readmission agreement adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council at its meeting on 30 November and 1 December 1994, provides a standard format and text as a basis for the negotiation of bilateral agreements between individual member states and third countries governing the readmission to their country of origin of those found to be illegally resident in the territories of the contracting parties. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to publish the report from Mr. J. J. Rowe QC on the operation in 1994 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989.

I have today arranged for copies of Mr. Rowe's report to be placed in the Library. The Government are considering Mr. Rowe's recommendations on the future of the legislation and will shortly be arranging for debates in both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make available the report by the Association of Chief Police Officers on firearms licensing.

A copy of the report on firearms administration produced by the Association of Chief Police Officers has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that the crew of the Rotalia are fed by the Bulgarian state while the vessel remains under Marine Safety Agency detention in United Kingdom waters in Lerwick harbour.

The provision of food for the crew of the Rotalia is a matter between them and their employers and not something in which the immigration service can become involved. However, it is my understanding that the crew are in possession of sufficient provisions on board the vessel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what inquiries he has commissioned into the circumstances which led to Mr. Neil Jones being placed on probation; and if he will make a statement.

I understand that Mr. Jones was sentenced to probation on 21 July 1994 at Chester magistrates court. It was for the court to decide on the appropriate sentence in the circumstances of that case, and I cannot comment on that decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimated date of release has been given to Anthony Charles Jeffs; when he is to be released on. licence; and what warnings have been given to him to avoid making statements after release which may be offensive to the victim's family or colleagues.

No estimated date of release has been given to Anthony Charles Jeffs. My right hon. and learned Friend has no power to consider the release of this prisoner unless the Parole Board so recommends. The next review of Mr. Jeffs's case by the Parole Board is not due to begin until March 1996.Mr. Jeffs is detained in closed prison conditions where specific attention is being paid to his attitude and behaviour towards his victims' families or their colleagues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of convicted and remand prisoners resident in Wales who were detained in prisons outside Wales in (a) 1994 and (b) 1993; if he will express (a) and (b) as a percentage of the prison population who were, prior to their incarceration, residing in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the International Labour Organisation convention on forced labour in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the technical and practical difficulties of compulsory drug testing in Her Majesty's prisons; and if he will make a statement.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to relax the press and other media advertising restrictions on licensed bingo clubs in line with recent relaxation of restrictions in the broadcast media for football pools; and if he will make a statement.

We are currently reviewing restrictions on the advertising of bingo and other forms of commercial gambling and hope to go out to consultation in May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were sentenced pursuant to (a) section 53(1) and (b) section 53(2) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 have now been notified of their tariff; how many of them have been given tariffs of (i) five years or less, (ii) six to 10 years, (iii) 10 to 15 years, (iv) 15 to 20 years, (v) over 20 years and (vi) life; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 16 January 1995]: Some 217 persons in Prison Service custody and sentenced under section 53(1) have been notified of their tariff. The details are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the functions for which further orders will be required to give full effect to structural change in Cleveland, together with when these orders will be laid before the House.

No further orders are required to give full effect to structural change in Cleveland. Depending on our decision on the county area of Cleveland, there may be further provision to redefine the county area and to address ceremonial functions, such as the Lord Lieutenancy. My right hon. Friend and colleagues in other Government Departments may wish to make regulations or issue guidance in due course in relation to the provision of services where there is to be unitary local government.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which bodies have commented on the draft Avon, Humberside and North Yorkshire (Structural Change) Orders and the Selby District (Boundary Change) Order; and if he will place copies of those comments in the Library.

My answer to the hon. Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 3 February 1995, Official Report, column 911, listed the bodies consulted on the draft orders. We have also received comments from other bodies such as parish councils as well as individuals. We will make available copies of comments from official bodies on request unless we are asked not to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the provision for a transferor authority affected by structural change under the Local Government Act 1992 to seek information from a transferee; and if he will make a statement.

We intend that the individual orders made under section 17 of the Local Government Act 1992 will provide for transferor and transferee authorities alike to co-operate with one another so as to facilitate the implementation of structural change.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether article 20 of the draft Avon Structural Change (Order) grants powers to district councils transferring functions to South Gloucestershire which it does not grant to the county council also transferring powers to the new authority.

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date he announced his decision to create new counties in Avon and Humberside.

Our decision to abolish the counties of Avon and Humberside was announced on 25 October 1994. In accordance with the Local Government Act 1972, when we abolish the counties of Avon and Humberside, we must at the same time provide for their areas to be included in other counties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what role he envisages for the Local Government Commission once the current set of reviews is completed.

The Local Government Commission is responsible, under the Local Government Act 1992, for undertaking periodic electoral reviews of local government areas in England, as well as for conducting structural and boundary reviews at the direction of the Secretary of State. I expect that, once the current round of structural reviews is complete, its main business will be with the periodic electoral reviews.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what considerations underlay his decision to appoint a serving local authority chief executive to the membership of the Audit Commission; and what assessment he has made of the impact of this appointment on the independence of the Audit Commission from those bodies it supervises.

The Secretary of State appoints to the Audit Commission those whom he considers have the most appropriate skills and experience. Mr John Foster was appointed on this basis. Members do not represent particular interests, and the independence of the Audit Commission is not affected by the appointment of a serving chief executive, any more than it has been by the appointment in the past of serving local authority members.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the latest figures for the number of council houses without tenants for each local authority in England.

Local authorities in England report the numbers of their dwellings that are vacant at 1 April in their annual housing investment programme returns. Data for individual local authorities for 1994 can be found in section A of the "1994 HIP1 All Items Print", a copy of which is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) of 13 February, Official Report, columns 514–15, what funding his Department has (a) set aside from current funds and (6) negotiated as extra funds from Her Majesty's Treasury to give to the Energy Saving Trust after it is designated under section 153 of the Environment Protection Act 1990.

I shall decide on any appropriate contribution to the costs of the Energy Saving Trust once it has reviewed its plans and discussed them with my officials.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, if he plans to make any changes to the provisional capping criteria which he announced on 1 February.

Following representations, I have concluded that the six metropolitan fire and civil defence authorities outside London face unique circumstances: as single service authorities with relatively small budgets, operating within detailed requirements governing minimum service provision, their flexibility is exceptionally constrained. I therefore propose to revise the provisional capping criteria that will apply to them.My original proposals would have limited single service fire and civil defence authorities that are budgeting above their standard spending assessment to an increase in budget compared to 1994–95 of a 0.5 per cent. I now propose to revise the provisional capping criteria that apply to the metropolitan fire and civil defence authorities. The effect of my intended criteria is:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what is the cost of legal aid awarded to Mr. Bryce Taylor.

No money has been paid on account to the solicitors acting for Mr. Bryce Taylor under legal aid, and no final bill has been received.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what steps he plans to take to ensure that every individual wishing to complain about treatment at the hands of the Legal Aid Board is automatically given the board's leaflet about its complaints procedures as soon as the complaint is drawn to the board's attention.

The Legal Aid Board does not require that complaints are lodged with it on a particular form. On receipt of a complaint—whether by telephone, letter, or on the form included in its complaints leaflet—the board takes immediate steps to resolve the problem. Where appropriate, a copy of the complaint leaflet is sent to the complainant but this would not be appropriate in every case—for example where the complaint has been satisfactorily resolved immediately over the telephone.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what mechanisms exist for setting and ensuring that Legal Aid Board staff responsible for assessing expert medical and other reports possess the necessary scientific or professional expertise.

The Legal Aid Board ensures through its quality management system, which includes detailed work allocation, supervision procedures and quality control mechanisms, that all work is allocated to' staff with the appropriate degree of training and experience to deal with it.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what mechanisms exist for setting and ensuring minimum standards for quality of expert medical and other reports in legally-aided cases.

Individual solicitors are responsible for obtaining expert medical and other reports in legal aid cases. The Legal Aid Board does not, itself, commission such reports. The board has introduced its franchising arrangements to ensure that there is a quality assured legal aid service available to clients. It is a mandatory requirement of franchising that all franchisees have documented procedures for using experts which include, among other things, clear criteria for selecting experts which must be followed and arrangements for checking opinions and reports when they are received to ensure they adequately provide the information sought.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what mechanisms exist to ensure that, where a legally aided individual makes a complaint about a particular Legal Aid Board official or office, that individual's application for legal aid will not be prejudiced.

The Legal Aid Board has adopted "justifiability of decision-making" as one of its guiding principles and seeks to ensure that all decisions are taken objectively and are uninfluenced by prejudice of any kind. To ensure that it meets this objective, it has obtained accreditation as a quality assured organisation under BS EN ISO 9002, formerly BS 5750. The board uses its quality management system—which includes detailed and comprehensive supervision, work allocation and quality control procedures—to ensure that decisions in individual cases are made objectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many employees have not given re-authorisation for their trade union membership subscriptions to be renewed, as laid down by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993;(2) if he will list the abuses of the process of employer check-off of trade union membership subscription remedied by the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993;(3) if he will issue guidance to employers regarding information that they should give to employees about whether their trade union membership has been cancelled under the terms of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 because of failure to re-authorise;(4) how much the process of seeking re-authorisation of trade union membership subscriptions under the terms of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 by trade unions has cost so far in terms of

There is no statutory requirement for re-authorisation of union membership subscriptions. Provisions in the 1993 Act require prior written consent from the worker, and renewed consent at least every three years, if an employer is lawfully to make check-off deductions from a worker's pay for union membership subscriptions.The Department has no information on how many workers have consented to such deductions since these provisions came into force.The case for changes to the law on check-off as it then stood was set out in the 1991 Green Paper "Industrial Relations in the 1990s". Paragraphs 6.18–6.27 of the Green Paper identified the potential problems which could arise for individuals, as well as particular instances of concern about the operation of check-off arrangements.Guidance on the law is given in the Department's published "Guide to the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993"—Ref: PL 945—and in the booklet "The Payment of Union Subscriptions Through the Check-off—Ref: PL 944. Both were published when the provisions came into force.How employers may have responded to these requirements, and the consequential costs that they, or trade unions, may have incurred, are matters for them. No employer is required to offer check-off facilities.If an employee does not authorise the continuance of such deductions, it will be unlawful for the employer to continue to make them.I am unaware of any complaints having been made to industrial tribunals about unlawful deduction of check-off since the provisions came into effect. This may indicate that employers are complying with the law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list by occupation, the work force in (a) full-time employment and (b) part-time employment in Islwyn in each year since 1979, also expressing the information by gender.

Occupational information is not available for Islwyn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's responsibility for ensuring that non-employed status YT trainees are paid their basic weekly allowance; who is responsible for reimbursing training providers who make such payments in advance but who are not paid by their local training and enterprise council; and if he will make a statement.

The Department contracts with training and enterprise councils for the delivery of youth training. The contract requires TECs to ensure that non-employed YT trainees are paid a regular training allowance at least to the level specified by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. The arrangements TECs make with training providers is governed by the contracts agreed between the parties. Recovery of any ensuing debts is subject to the law of contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what guidance he has issued to TEC directors about (a) their legal liability for the activities of their TEC and (b) the availability and advisability of taking out personal indemnity insurance to cover such liabilities; what information he has about the number of TECs and TEC directors who have insured themselves against such risks; and if he will make a statement.

None. Training and Enterprise Councils are private companies. It is for TEC directors to take such advice as they consider appropriate as to their liabilities and the advisability of personal indemnity insurance. The TEC operating agreement requires a TEC to take out and maintain adequate insurance against any losses and damages arising from fault or negligence on the part of the TEC including, but not limited to, employers' liability; public liability; directors' and officers' liability; professional indemnity and damage to property. Information relating to indemnity insurance is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what is the liability of the directors of South Thames TEC for the losses incurred before the official receivers were appointed; how these directors will be asked to account for their actions as directors for the year up to the appointment of the receivers; and if he will make a statement.

South Thames training and enterprise council is a private company limited by guarantee. The liability of the directors will be determined in accordance with company law. I understand that the directors are preparing a statement on the companies affairs for the receiver in accordance with the requirements of the Insolvency Act 1986.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 19 January, Official Report, column 619, what was the total number of redundancies at South Thames TEC from December 1994 to date.

I understand from the receiver that 68 employees of South Thames training and enterprise council have so far been made redundant. This include employees of Routeways, a wholly owned subsidiary of South Thames TEC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what representations he has received from hon. Members and others regarding the future of the Greenwich Training Company; and if he will make a statement.

I have received a number of representations from hon. Members and others about the future of the Greenwich Training Company. I understand that a meeting was held on Wednesday 15 February at which the directors of the Greenwich Training Company agreed to continue trading. The decision was made after the directors received assurances from South London training and enterprise council that it will contract with the company for 1995–96 if its proposals for assuming 'TEC responsibilities in the London borough of Greenwich are successful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will list the costs of legal aid made available to complaintants by the Commission for Protection Against Unlawful Industrial Action, broken down by (a) those relating to arrangements for legal aid, (b) legal representation to complainants, (c) legal advice given to inquirers and (d) sundry costs associated with cost of proceedings and preliminary activities associated with the preparing for those proceedings, for each year since 1993;(2) how many complainants provided their own legal representatives or advisers and were reimbursed by the Commission for Protection Against Unlawful Industrial Action, broken down by

[holding answers 15 February 1995]: There is no Commission for Protection Against Unlawful Industrial Action. The independent Commissioner for Protection Against Unlawful Industrial Action can provide material assistance to individuals contemplating or taking certain proceedings against trade unions.The present commissioner, Mrs. Gill Rowlands, has also, since 1988, been the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members. Prior to her appointment, she was chairman of the Liverpool and Manchester industrial tribunal from 1978 to 1988, and was for 12 years a justice of the peace on the Wirral bench. She read law at Kings college, London and was called to the Bar at Gray's Inn in 1952.The salary costs of the Commissioner for the relevant years are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what were the costs of all overseas and United Kingdom visits made by the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members for each year since 1989 broken down by individual country;(2) if he will give a breakdown of the income received by the Commission for the Rights of Trade Union Members for each year since 1989;(3) if he will list all United Kingdom visits and activities undertaken by the Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members for each year since 1989;(4) if he will list the costs of legal aid made available to complainants by the Commission for the Rights of Trade Union Members, broken down by

[holding answers 15 February 1995]: There is no Commission for the Rights of Trade Union Members. The independent Commissioner for the Rights of Trade Union Members can provide material assistance to individuals contemplating or taking certain proceedings against trade unions, their officials or trustees.Prior to her appointment, the present Commissioner, Mrs. Gill Rowlands, was chairman of the Liverpool and Manchester Industrial Tribunal from 1978 to 1988, and was for 12 years a justice of the peace on the Wirral bench. She read law at Kings college London, and was called to the Bar at Grays Inn in 1952.The salary paid to the Commissioner has been as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, what was the financial provision from grants in aid from the Employment Department's Supply Estimates to (a) the Commission for the Rights of Individual Trade Union Members for each year since 1989 and (b) the Commission for Protection Against Unlawful Industrial Action for each year since 1993.

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: The estimates provision for grant in aid, and grant in aid actually received from the Department, have been as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what backing he is giving to the development and use of mobile abattoirs.

All slaughterhouses, including mobile abattoirs, must meet the structural and hygiene standards set out in the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1992 and have to be licensed by the appropriate Agriculture Department. Officials of the State Vetrinary Service have given, and will continue to give, advice and encouragement to any project to design and establish a mobile abattoir. At present, there are no mobile abattoirs in use in England.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the fall in UK cheese production since the demise of the Milk Marketing Board; and what action he plans to take to reverse it and restore the production of quality speciality cheese.

Figures for cheese production since 1 November 1994 are not yet available. However, one of the biggest problems for cheese makers under the old milk marketing arrangements was the withdrawal of milk supplies by the MMB at short notice. They now enjoy greater security of supply for their milk.

(1) To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to travel to Hong Kong in 1995.(2) To ask the Minister without Portfolio what plans he has to travel to Hong Kong in 1995.

We have no present plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the formal notice of complaint No 95/40005 SG(95)/A/287 from the European Commission, relating to the Ayr road route M77 was received by his Department; and what response has been made.

The Government have received no formal notice of complaint from the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when was the last occasion upon which advice was received on the matter of civil eligibility for legal aid from the Scottish Legal Aid Board;(2) if he will implement advice given by the Scottish Legal Aid Board in 1991 in its response to his Department's consultation paper on eligibility for civil legal aid in Scotland to the effect that the fixed upper limit should be abolished and replaced by some other form of universal eligibility or flexible upper limit;(3) what representations he has received from the Scottish Legal Aid Board following implementation of the new financial limits for eligibility for legal aid.

My right hon. Friend has received no representations from the Scottish Legal Aid Board on the question of eligibility for civil legal aid since the advice on proposed changes to eligibility for advice and assistance referred to in my reply to the hon. Members question of 12 February 1993, Official Report, columns 849–50. In setting eligibility limits, the Government must make a judgement as to the correct level, having regard on the one hand to providing access to legal services to those unable to afford them, and on the other to the need to control the level of public expenditure. Against this background, the Government have no plans to abolish the fixed upper eligibility limit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many abortions were performed in England and Wales, on women resident in each health authority in 1993; and, of these operations, how many were performed in NHS hospitals.

The information requested for 1993 is not yet available. Information on abortions performed in England and Wales is provided by the Office of Population Census and Surveys. This data will be available within the next few months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what consultations he had with the Welsh Health Common Services Authority concerning W. S. Atkins' part in designing Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, Bangor, Gwynedd, prior to the decision to sell Scottish Health Common Services to the company;(2) what information he has concerning the level of compensation paid by W. S. Atkins and Partners in 1988 to the Welsh Health Common Services authority in cognisance of the design faults at Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital, Bangor, before his decision to sell Scottish Health Common Services to the company.

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: None. The decision to sell the building division of the Common Services Agency for the NHS in Scotland to W. S. Atkins Ltd. followed an extensive competitive tendering exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the occasions during the last five years when his Department or its agencies has taken legal action against a consultancy firm; and what were the reasons in each case.

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: On no occasion during the last five years has my Department or its agencies taken legal action against a consultancy firm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who were the members of the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Committee when Government support for HCI in Clydebank was confirmed; and what is the industrial or commercial background of those members.

[holding answer 23 January 1995]: The provision of regional selective assistance for Health Care International was considered and approved by the Scottish Industrial Development Advisory Board, first in April 1988 and subsequently in February 1990.Listed below are the SIDAB members at the relevant dates:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 14 February, Official Report, columns 552–53, if he will restate the Companies House sickness absence level on the management control basis.

Sickness absence rates, expressed as a percentage of contracted hours for each member of staff, were as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the contingent liabilities and interest generated under section 2 of the Export and Overseas Investment Guarantees Act 1978 and charged to the Consolidated Fund accounts in each year since 1981.

ECGD's liabilities under section 2 of the 1978 Act, as notified in the Department's statutory return, were as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much interest support payments from the Ministry of Defence are shown in the annual accounts of the Export Credits Guarantee Department.

The level of contributions from the Ministry of Defence towards interest support payments, as shown in the appropriation accounts of the Export Credits Guarantee Department, are as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to travel to Hong Kong in 1995.

At present I have no plans to visit Hong Kong during 1995. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade is hoping to make a trade promotion visit to Hong Kong in the autumn.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the involvement of the British Government in the promotion of British business interests in the reconstruction of central Beirut.

Working in close collaboration with the British embassy in Beirut we have, through a series of promotional events and other activities, ensured that United Kingdom business is fully aware of the opportunities arising from the reconstruction of Beirut. This has included support for trade missions, the "Rebuild Lebanon", and other exhibitions, which have the reconstruction of Beirut as one of their themes. British commercial interests have also been promoted during ministerial visits which have included business men from the UK construction sector.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on economic relations between the UK and Lebanon.

Since the end of the civil war, our trade and economic links with the Lebanon have grown steadily; in 1994 our exports reached £138 million. The Lebanese Prime Minister visited the UK in January 1994 and there are regular contacts at ministerial and official level involving economic and trade issues. I look forward to the continuing and mutually beneficial growth in these links.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much inward investment there has been in Britain by Taiwanese firms in the past five years by value, number of projects and number of jobs created; and how much has gone to Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

All but one of the manufacturing investments by Taiwanese companies in Europe are in the UK. Since 1990, four companies have set up manufacturing operations in Britain creating or safeguarding nearly 700 jobs. All these investments are located in England. Two further companies have announced their intention to invest in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.I am unable to release the figure for the value of the investments as it is commercially sensitive.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 18 January, Official Report, column 557, how many appointments to public positions have been made by his Department in the last year.

[holding answer 15 February 1995]: I am currently responsible for a total of over 630 public appointments. In 1994, a total of 212 appointments, including re-appointments were made.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total expenditure on all forms of advertising by his Department and its agencies for each year since 1979, in 1994 prices.

[holding answer 13 February 1995]: Expenditure on advertising from my Department's central publicity budget since 1979–80 at 1994–95 prices is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average spending per pupil is in secondary schools in the northern region; and what the figure was in 1978 at current prices.

The table below shows expenditure by 32 LEAs in the north of England on secondary pupils, for 1978–79 and 1992–93, the latest year for which final information is available, in 1994–95 prices. The average is an increase in real terms in 54 per cent.