To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many non-human primates are imported to the United Kingdom annually; from which nation sources; which species are involved; and what information is held about distribution throughout the country.

All species of primate are listed in the appendices to the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and are therefore subject to the import/export licensing controls contained in the convention, which is implemented throughout the European Union under regulations 3626/82 and 3418/83. In 1994, 1,999 live primates were recorded as imports to the UK under the CITES regulations. The species and countries of origin involved are shown in the table. The Department does not keep comprehensive information about the distribution of imported specimens within the UK as this is not required by CITES for most of the specimens concerned.

Species	Number imported	Country of origin
Golden lion Tamarin	2	Hong Kong
(Leontopithecus rosalia)	3	Japan
Chacma baboon	7	South Africa
(Papio hamadryas ursinus)
Olive baboon	55	Kenya
(Papio hamadryus anubis)
Crab-eating macaque	989	Mauritius
(Macaca fascicularis)	431	Philippines
	234	Israel
	40	China
Rhesus macaque	191	China
(Macaca mulatta)	40	USA
Cotton-top tamarin	4	Japan
(Saguinus oedipus)
Owl-faced monkey	1	Zaire
(Cercopithecus hamlyni)
Pileated gibbon	1	Switzerland
(Hylobates pileatus)
Black howler monkey	1	USA
(Alouatta caraya)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what are his proposals for removing the current restrictions which apply to certain local authorities in the exercise of their economic development powers; and if he will make a statement.

I have today laid before the House new regulations which will have the effect of removing from 1 April 1995 the current £10,000 limit on the amount of financial assistance which certain local authorities are able to provide to individual businesses each year under their economic development powers. All local authorities in England will now be free to decide, having regard to all their local circumstances including the resources available to them, the amount of any financial assistance which they provide to businesses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what discussions there have been with British Gas about grant aid and the development of Foleshill gas work site; if he will make a statement.

I understand that British Gas has reached agreement with English Partnerships about the grant required to develop phase 1 of the site and that a survey will be completed this month for British Gas to establish ground conditions on phase 2 of the site. A formal submission to the board of English Partnerships will be made shortly after that about the offer of a grant to British Gas.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make a submission to the European Commission under article 34 of the Euratom treaty in respect to the planned first shipment of high-level radioactive waste from Sellafield to Japan.

None. Article 34 of the Euratom treaty relates to particularly dangerous experiments which are to take place in the territories of member states. The article will not apply to shipments of radioactive wastes from the UK, which will always comply with internationally agreed safety requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in (a) Ordnance Survey, (b) the Planning Inspectorate and (c) his Department.

Line managers are required to monitor the level of sick leave taken by their staff and to take action where this gives cause for concern. Continuing failure to achieve the required standard of attendance can lead to medical retirement or dismissal. Where officers require help, the services of the welfare division are available. We can also call on specialist counselling services, and the civil service occupational health service to provide advice.The Department has also hosted exhibitions and publicised events such as the Health Education Authority's "Look After Your Heart" campaign, together with a health screening programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will permit Ofwat to make appropriate charges when asked to give advice in other countries on water privatisation and the role of the regulator; and if he will make a statement on the basis on which charges are permitted.

I understand that Ofwat, as an independent non-ministerial Government Department, follows the normal Treasury accounting guidance on charging practices for Government Departments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will oppose a review and upgrading of the bathing water directive, as proposed by the European Commission.

Our objective in the forthcoming negotiations on the Commission's proposal will be to ensure that the revised bathing water directive concentrates on essential quality and health parameters, is cost-effective, based on up-to-date science and meets the requirements of subsidiarity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the projected cost of the reference by South West Water to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, following the limits imposed by Ofwat on water charging in the south-west.

The costs of the reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission of the determinations in respect of South West Water Services Ltd. will be borne by that company, in accordance with the terms of its appointment, but these costs cannot be taken into account in setting price limits. The MMC cannot at this stage estimate with any accuracy what those costs will be.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much profit has been made by the Bank of England in each of the last four years; and what happens to such profits.

The profits of the banking department of the Bank of England for the last four years were:

	1990–91 £ million	1991–92 £ million	1992–93 £ million	1993–94 £ million
	161.8	166.2	88.3	120.2
The profits were accounted for as follows:
(i) Tax	18.1	30.9	12.1	24.4
(ii) Paid to the Treasury	81.5	67.7	38.1	48.4
(iii) Retained by the Bank	62.2	67.6	38.1	47.4

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in his Department or its agencies; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

Figures relating to the number of staff who applied for career breaks over the last five years are unavailable. The number of staff from my Departments and agencies on career breaks during the period requested is 100 men and 2,224 women.The total number of staff from my Departments who have had their employment terminated in the last five years is 438. No staff on a career break had his or her employment terminated.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects of the last three increases in interest rates on import penetration.

Import penetration depends on a variety of factors, including price competitiveness, domestic demand and capacity. Recent increases in interest rates were aimed at ensuring permanently low inflation and sustainable economic growth, thereby providing a stable climate within which British industry can compete successfully in both domestic and overseas markets.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the numbers of jobs (a) lost or (b) gained by changes in the balance of payments in tourism between 1976 and 1993.

HM Treasury has made no such estimate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to update the convergence programme produced by the United Kingdom in February 1994.

A revised convergence programme is today being submitted to the European Commission. Copies of the programme are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances it is envisaged that people receiving incapacity benefit will be taxed at source; and how many people he estimates this will effect.

[holding answer 3 March 1995]: It is estimated that there will be over 300,000 new recipients of incapacity benefit in 1995–96, of whom about 200,000 are expected to have an income tax liability. Tax will be deducted under pay-as-you-earn in one of two ways. For most recipients—who have some taxable income other than their benefit—tax will be deducted by adjusting the tax code applied to that other source. For those who do not have another source of taxable income—about 10,000 recipients—tax will be deducted from their benefit by the Benefits Agency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to the Exchequer of raising the personal allowance by an amount equivalent to the blind person's allowance for people receiving disability living allowance at a rate equal to, or greater than, the middle rate of the care component of that allowance.

[holding answer 3 March 1995]: The estimated revenue cost in 1994–95 of such a change is £20 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people currently receive (a) the married couple's allowance, (b) the additional person's allowance, (c) the widow's bereavement allowance and (d) the blind person's allowance.

[holding answer 3 March 1995]: Latest estimates are in the table:

Numbers benefiting from allowances in 1994–95
	Thousands
Married couple's allowance1	10,500
Additional personal allowance	750
Widow's bereavement allowance	120
Blind person's allowance	30
1 Number of married couples with one or both partners benefiting.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if related allowances such as the adult and child dependency allowance will be treated as part of the income of the recipient of incapacity benefit once the benefit becomes taxable; and in how many of these cases taxing the recipient of incapacity benefit will render that person eligible for income support.

[holding answer 3 March 1995]: Incapacity benefit, including age-related additions and adult dependency increases, paid to new claimants after 13 April 1995, will be liable to income tax. Child dependency increases will not be liable to income tax. It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of the number of recipients of incapacity benefit with an income tax liability who will be eligible for income support, as a result of taxing the recipient.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if all individual traders in City financial institutions are required to have individual trading position limits set by their institutions, under Bank of England regulations, or under other regulations.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: Both the Bank and the Securities and Futures Authority require the management of relevant institutions to have limits on overall trading positions and, where appropriate, to monitor and record exposures against them.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement on Barings of 27 February, Official Report, column 693, what he has to add to his statement in respect of his comment that the unauthorised derivative positions in Barings Singapore were built up in a matter of days; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: I have nothing to add to what my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House on Monday 27 February. He has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the responsibilities of Mrs. Lisa Leeson within the back office of Barings Singapore; and if they included the settlement of derivative trades undertaken by traders within Barings Singapore.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: This is a matter for Barings.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has as to the trading limits imposed upon Mr. Nick Leeson of Barings Singapore by Barings.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: None at the moment, but as my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House on Monday 27 February, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the dates on which the large unauthorised derivative positions build up recently by a trader at Barings in Singapore first became known to (a) Barings managers in Singapore, (b) Barings managers in the far east, (c) staff in the London office, (d) Barings management in London, (e) staff at the Bank of England, (f) staff at Her Majesty's Treasury, (g) the Governor of the Bank of England, (h) himself and (i) the Prime Minister.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: I do not have the information on (a) to (d). For (e) to (i) the date in each case was Friday 24 February.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) on what occasions Barings London treasury department, or any other entity within Barings London, arranged funding for any of the recent unauthorised derivative positions initiated by a trade at Barings in Singapore;(2) on what date a team of staff from Barings in London flew to Singapore to investigate the large derivative positions which were recently taken by a trade in Barings Singapore and which resulted in the collapse of the bank.

[holding answers 6 March 1995]: As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer told the House on Monday 27 February, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations exist to control the percentage of contract open interest which may be accounted for by any one trader or entity, on the futures exchanges in (a) London, (b) Tokyo, (c) Singapore and (d) Chicago; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: The answers are as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he has taken to create a more efficient, modernised civil service without demoralising the staff with job insecurity and a reduction of living standards.

[holding answer 8 March 1995]: "The Civil Service—Continuity and Change", Cm 2627, and "The Civil Service—Taking Forward Continuity and Change", Cm 2748, explain what measures have been taken, and will be taken, to create a more efficient civil service; emphasise the Government's intention to deal with staff reductions on a voluntary basis wherever possible; and make clear the Government's commitment to maintaining a predominantly career civil service, committed to the training and development of all staff, and to effective communication to maintain morale.In addition, the recent consultation paper "Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money: Resource Accounting and Budgeting in Government", Cm 2626, proposes potentially far reaching changes in the way Government Departments budget and account for all the resources they consume, and what they achieve with those resources, as part of the Government's commitment to improve the way that the public sector manages itself.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to prevent the promotion and distribution of tobacco products through distance selling; what measures are being or will be taken to publicise the penalties for engaging in this trade; and how many companies have been prosecuted for distance selling of tobacco products.

[holding answer 8 March 1995]: Distance selling, in which duty is paid in the country of destination, is a recognised legitimate activity for which provision has been made in EC legislation, which is implemented in United Kingdom legislation in the Excise Goods (Holding, Movement, Warehousing and REDS) Regulations 1992. Certain schemes which are being marketed as distance selling are being investigated by HM Customs and Excise as tax avoidance devices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on recent British initiatives to assist the peace process in Sudan;(2) when the next round in the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development talks on Sudan is expected to take place;(3) what proposals are being considered at the United Nations to increase the pressure on all sides in the Sudanese war to find a peaceful solution.

We believe that the IGADD peace initiative offers the best hope of a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. We are in regular contact with the parties involved in the initiative and are encouraging them to negotiate in good faith. Consultations between the parties are continuing. No date for the next round of talks has yet been set.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of (a) the progress of the CFE treaty implementation and (b) the prospects for implementation of all the obligations by all signatories by the November 1995 deadline.

So far, progress on CFE treaty implementation has been good, with almost all states achieving the required 60 per cent. target by 16 November 1994. We are actively addressing outstanding problems and hope that the treaty will be fully implemented by all states at November 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number and the types of CFE treaty limited equipment which have yet to be destroyed in all CFE signatory states.

The information is in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Russian request for a revision of the CFE treaty.

Russia has called for revision of article V of the CFE treaty, which sets limits on the amount of treaty limited equipment in the northern and southern flank regions. We have urged Russia to use the flexibility within the treaty to meet her security concerns. We have also, with our NATO allies, stressed the importance of full implementation of the treaty's provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences of the Belarus decision to halt the destruction of weapons requested by the CFE treaty.

We are most concerned by Belarus's announcement, which, if implemented, would have potentially serious consequences for the CFE treaty. We and other NATO allies have strongly urged Belarus to resume its destruction programme. We are also considering what assistance we might provide to help Belarus to fulfil its reduction obligations by the November 1995 deadline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the British Government will be pursuing the issue of an enhanced role for national Parliaments in contributing towards the accountability of EU institutions at the intergovernmental conference.

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in the House on 1 March:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the human rights situation in the Ivory Coast; and if he will publish the representations made to the Government of the Ivory Coast.

[holding answer 6 March 1995]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question of 10 January, column 59.Code d'Ivoire is a multi-party democracy with functioning human rights institutions. The Ivorian authorities are well aware of the importance attached internationally to full respect for human rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what measures she is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in (a) the Teachers Pensions Agency and (b) her Department.

Sickness absence in the Department, including the Teachers Pensions Agency, is monitored and reported monthly to heads of branch. Referrals are made to personnel and welfare officers when an individual's sick leave totals give cause for concern. In addition, the Department is about to launch an initiative to (a) remind staff of the procedures to follow if they are sick and (b) encourage line managers through briefings and training to take a leading role in managing sickness absence firmly but fairly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what was the number of employees in the education department of North Yorkshire county council in each of the last 15 years.

The employment of individuals in the education department of North Yorkshire county council is a matter for North Yorkshire local education authority. The Department does not collect such information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made on the introduction of incentive prescribing schemes for non-fundholding practices; which health boards have incentive prescribing schemes already in place or definitely due to start on 1 April and how many practices and list patients will be covered.

The indicative prescribing scheme, introduced in April 1992, allows for incentive prescribing schemes to operate in each health board area. To date, no applications from health boards have been formally approved under the indicative prescribing scheme to set up incentive prescribing schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a table showing the (i) salary, honorarium or allowance payable to and (ii) number of days, or part days, on a weekly average devoted to the performance of public duties by (a) the chairman and members of Scottish Homes board, (b) the chairman and members of Argyll and Clyde health board, (c) the chairman and members of the Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS trust, (d) the chairman and members of the RAH trust, (e) the leader of Strathclyde regional council, (f) the chairpersons of committees of Strathclyde regional council, (g) other members of Strathclyde regional council, (h) the leader of Renfrew district council, (i) the conveners of committees of Renfrew district council and (j) other members of Renfrew district council; and if he will make a statement.

Details of allowances paid to individual members of local authorities are not held centrally. Each authority decides on its own scheme within the requirements of the Local Authorities Etc. (Allowances) (Scotland) Regulations 1991, as amended. Details of payments made to individuals are available for inspection by local electors at the appropriate council offices on request.The information requested for the chairman and members of the other bodies is provided in the table.

	Salary honorarium or allowance £	Estimated time commitment
Scottish Homes
Chairman	38,330	3 days per week
Members	6,600	2 days per month
Argyll and Clyde Health Board
Chairman	17,700 per annum	2-3 days per week
Non-executive members	5,000 per annum	3 days per month
Renfrewshire Healthcare NHS Trust
Chairman	19,285 per annum	2-3 days per week
Non-executive directors	5,000 per annum	3 days per month

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what items of correspondence were received by Ministers in his Department from Messrs. Ian Greer Associates in the last month.

[holding answer 28 February 1995]: None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will review the decision to keep closed until 2006 the Forestry Commission file No. F43/454 at the Public Record Office.

The file is now available for inspection by the general public at the Public Record Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many abattoirs there were in 1993 and 1994; and how many of these met European Community standards.

At the end of 1993, there were 54 licensed red meat abattoirs in Scotland, of which 27 fully met European Community standards and were approved to trade throughout the EC. Of the remainder, 17 plants were operating under a temporary derogation while upgrading towards full EC status and 10 plants were low-throughput premises.At the end of 1994, 31 of the 49 licensed red meat abattoirs were up to the full EC standard. Ten plants continued to operate under a temporary derogation and eight plants had low-throughput status.

To ask the Secretary of state for Scotland what consideration he has given to the establishment of social work trusts.

Guidance to local authorities has said that, in relation to community care, they should distinguish between their purchasing and providing functions. The establishment of social work trusts is one option which could assist social work authorities in developing their enabling functions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will issue detailed guidelines on the criteria to be used to determine whether a person is in need of health care or social care.

In his statement to the Scottish Grand Committee on 1 March, Official Report, Scottish Grand Committee, columns 1-12, my noble and learned Friend the Minister of State announced that as part of an on-going review of all aspects of continuing care and care in the community the Scottish Office has continued to refine the guidance that is available in this respect.Consistent with the approach adopted by the Department of Health, to which the Scottish Office contributed, detailed guidance on the operational aspects of arranging and funding continuing care services is to be issued from the Scottish Office.A letter issued on 1 March from the Scottish Office on this matter to directors of social work, general managers of health boards and chief executives on NHS trusts in Scotland. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what examination the NHS management executive is giving to the merger of health boards and local authorities in Scotland.

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he had to legalise the sale of salmon roe produced in Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Interested parties will be consulted shortly on proposals which would permit trade in farmed, but not wild, salmon roe.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the allocation of the European regional development fund to each of the objective 1, 2 and 5b regions in Scotland for the current programming period.

The objective 1 and 2 single programming documents were approved on 29 July and 16 December respectively. Allocations from the European regional development fund are shown in the table.Approval of the Scottish objective 5b programmes is still awaited. However, the proposed allocation for each programme from the ERDF is also shown. All allocations are at 1994 prices.

Designation	Period	Area	ERDF mecu	ERDF £million
Objective 1	1994–99	Highlands and Islands	180.000	142.068
Objective 2	1994–96	Eastern Scotland	96.000	75.770
		Western Scotland	222.910	175.935
Objective 5b	1994–99	Borders	20.400	16.101
		Dumfries and Galloway	33.900	26.756
	North and West	Grampian	28.250	22.297
		Rural Stirling/Upland Tayside	16.875	13.319

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many drug and related finds, broken down by type of drug, were made in gaols in Scotland in each year since 1990.

The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by the Scottish Prison Service. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. E. W. Frizzell, to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the proposed salaries and expenses for (a) the chairman, (b) the chief executives and (c) all other board members for the proposed new water authorities.

[holding answer 7 March 1995]: The chairman of the North and West water authorities will each receive £40,000 per annum while the chairman of the East of Scotland water authority will receive £24,000 per annum. The chief executives of new water authorities have yet to be appointed, but the salary of each will be around £80,000, plus a possible performance bonus to be settled each year. The other members of the new water authorities will normally receive £6,000 per annum. In all cases, expenses incurred on water authority business will be reimbursed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has reached a decision on the allocation to voluntary bodies of grant under the special grants (environmental) programme in 1995–96.

I am pleased to have been able to offer 51 individual grants totalling £429,930 to 46 voluntary bodies in Scotland to assist them in carrying out their valuable environmental conservation, improvement and education work. The sums available in the special grants (environmental) programme in 1995––96 represent an increase of some 12 per cent. over 1994–95. This increase demonstrates both the value that the Government place on the work carried out by the voluntary sector, and its role in taking forward the Government's environmental objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has yet determined the level of fee remission grant which will be available to parents under the assisted places scheme in school session 1995–96.

My right hon. Friend is making £10.656 million available for fee remission in 1995–96. Fifty-five schools across Scotland will participate in the scheme. This funding should enable the number of pupils currently benefiting to be maintained at slightly above 3,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the income scale which will apply to the assisted places scheme in Scotland in school session 1995–96.

For school session 1995–96, I propose to lay regulations before the House in due course providing for progressive parental contribution for one assisted pupil in relation to family income as follows:

Part of relevant income to which the specified percentage applies	Parental contribution (percentage)
That part (if any) which exceeds £9,545 but does not exceed £10,378	9
That part (if any) which exceeds £10,378 but does not exceed £11,226	12
That part (if any) which exceeds £11,226 but does not exceed £12,909	15
That part (if any) which exceeds £12,909 but does not exceed £15,494	21
That part (if any) which exceeds £15,494 but does not exceed £18,872	24
That part (if any) which exceeds £18,872	33

The relevant income scale is open ended, but the remission can, of course, be given only where the parental contribution is less than the school tuition fee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those areas of Scotland which are covered by cable television franchises.

I have been asked to reply.Fourteen franchises, covering 1,123,000 homes have been awarded in Scotland to date, in the following areas:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what complaints he has received about the non-availability of the framework document; how many copies of the document had been distributed by Tuesday 28 February; and what proposals he has to make the framework document readily available to all the people of Northern Ireland.

There was enormous public interest in this document and, as a result, there was some initial difficulty in quickly meeting immediate demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the J. Hawthorne listed as a consultant in the fair employment small firms employment scheme in his answer of 15 February, Official Report, columns 679-80, is the same person as James Hawthorne CBE, the head of the Community Relations Commission and the former controller of BBC Northern Ireland.

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many abattoirs there were in 1993 and 1994; and how many of these met European Community standards.

All abattoirs in Northern Ireland are approved in accordance with the terms of European Community directives, laying down the hygiene, operation, supervision and structural conditions of abattoirs, so that they will meet European Community standards.At the end of 1993, there were 16 approved red meat abattoirs, of which 15 were fully approved to trade throughout the Community and one was a full throughput premises with a temporary derogation. At the end of 1994,

		Spend 1993–94 £000s	Forecast 1994–95 £000s	Planned 1995–96 £000s	Planned 1996–97 £000s
A.	Probation Service	10,097	10,496	10,087	10,374
B.	Training Schools	12,017	13,173	12,316	12,540
C.	Grants to Voluntary Bodies	812	712	690	690
D.	Crime Prevention	121	239	158	165
E.	Victim Support	197	267	270	298
F.	Civil Defence	-1,154	473	368	145
G.	Civil Emergencies	-1,154	473	368	145
H.	Elections	1,243	1,255	1,254	1,232
I.	Services in support of the Security Forces (PANI non police pay expenditure plus NIO Security Responsibility Centre)	133,890	133,797	137,971	133,164
J.	Legal Services Crown Solicitor's Office	684	1,014	927	990
	Department of the Director of Public Prosecutions	7,054	7,170	7,134	7,203
K.	Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights	227	289	254	261
L.	Information Services	1,259	1,285	1,410	1,425
M.	Northern Ireland Office Administration	756,983	755,735	715,816	718,766
This includes:
a.	RUC Pay	478,139	480,198	477,913	499,768
b.	Compensation Agency Costs	106,689	95,338	65,257	45,287
c.	Prison Costs	141,130	147,485	143,813	144,365

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans there are to build a bridge linking Portaferry and Strangford village; what is the estimated cost of such a bridge; and what EU funding could be available for such a scheme.

There are no proposals to build such a bridge, which, in the absence of detailed costings, is estimated to cost between £15 million and £20 million. It is not possible to say whether European Union funding could be available without first considering a full economic and financial appraisal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent from the law, order, protective and miscellaneous services programme on (a) the probation service, (b) training schools, (c) grants to voluntary bodies concerned with the rehabilitation of offences, (d) crime prevention, (e) victim support, (f) civil defence, (g) civil emergencies, (h) elections (i) services in support of the security forces, (j) legal services, (k) the Standing Advisory Committee on Human Rights, (l) information services and (m) Northern Ireland Office administration in 1993–94 and 1994–95; and what is the estimated expenditure in 1995–96 and 1996–97.

The amount spent in 1993–94, forecast spend for 1994–95 and planned expenditure for 1995–96 and 1996–97 from the law, order protective and miscellaneous services programme are as follows:

To aks the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the amount of money spent under the law and order, protective and miscellaneous services programme on criminal damages and injuries compensation in (a) 1993–94 and (b) 1994–95; and what is the estimated expenditure in (i) 1995–96 and (ii) 1996–97.

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Compensation Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Denis Stanley. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when he expects to seek parliamentary authority for an increase in the television fee.

On 1 December 1994, Official Report, column 805, I announced that, from 1 April 1995, the fee for a colour television licence would increase to £86.50 and that for a monochrome licence to £28.50. I have today laid before the House the regulations necessary to bring these fees into force.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) what brief and limits he set for the study he has commissioned on the future of Whitehall and of its urban design consequences;(2) what is the cost of the study of the future of Whitehall and of its urban design consequences will be published;(3) when he expects the study of the future of Whitehall and of its urban design consequences will be published.

I have been asked to reply.Property Holdings commissioned a portfolio review last year to examine the scope for rationalising the Whitehall estate and for reuse of surplus space. Property Holdings with the Department of National Heritage also commissioned an urban design study of the Government estate in the Whitehall conservation area, which will provide day-to-day best practice advice to Departments carrying out maintenance and alterations affecting the external appearance of their Whitehall buildings. Copies of the reference for both studies will be placed in the Library of the House.The portfolio review is on-going and the initial report was received in October 1994. It is estimated to cost up to £75,000 plus VAT, but it will not be published as it includes market-sensitive information that could affect any property negotiations resulting from the study. The design is expected to be completed by July 1995 and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House. It is estimated to cost £40,000 plus VAT, including the printing and production costs of the guide.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which organisations he has invited to bid for funds to carry out work under his new arrangements for children's play.

I will shortly be meeting a number of organisations to discuss the new arrangements which we propose to introduce and will then invite bids for funds from these and other interested organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he has taken to ensure that all children's play activities are recognised by the Sports Council for the purposes of national lottery funding.

Under the National Lottery etc. Act 1994, it is for the Sports Council to consider the eligibility of projects submitted to it in the light of the Act and the directions which I have issued to it. I understand that the council is considering this matter in the light of the announcement which I made on 2 March about new arrangements for children's play, Official Report, column 640.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to conduct research into the effect that the introduction of an instant win game by the operators of the national lottery will have on fund raising by charities, sports clubs and other organisations, especially through the medium lotteries.

I have no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations he has had with the Director General of the National Lottery with regard to placing a limit on the first prize payable in respect of any single winning ticket.

I have had no such consultations.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what steps he takes to establish the accuracy of local claims regarding the origins of historical figures used in terms of tourism promotion; and if he will make a statement.

[holding answer 7 March 1995]: It is not my function to check the accuracy of traditional associations of historical figures with specific localities.

To ask the Attorney-General how many allegations of (a) fraudulent voting,(b) misuse of proxies, (c) breach of financial limits and (d) other breaches of election law and been (i) received by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service, (ii) investigated and (iii) prosecuted, and with what result, for each year since 1992.

The number of cases reported to the CPS with a view to investigation for election offences between 1992 and 1995 and covering both parliamentary and local government elections is a follows:

To ask the Attorney-General what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in (a) the Treasury Solicitor's Department, (b) the Serious Fraud Office, (c) Government Property Lawyers and (d) the Crown Prosecution Service.

The departments for which I am responsible are concerned about the well-being of their staff and monitor closely and investigate both individual cases and overall trends. They make every effort to control the level of sickness absences through preventive measures which include the provision of:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Minister for Overseas Development will be publishing a statement about the United Kingdom proposals for improvements in its overseas aid policy at the time of the world summit for social development.

Our objectives, policies and achievements are reviewed annually with a view to maintaining and improving the quality and effectiveness of the aid programme.The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, including the Overseas Development Administration, published its 1995 departmental report on 8 March and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures he is taking to combat sickness absenteeism in the Overseas Development Administration.

Established guidelines are in place for the management of sick absence, including welfare, medical, disciplinary and inefficiency procedures which accord with best practice as recommended by the National Audit Office.

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent changes have been made to the responsibilities of domestic committees.

Following discussions between Committees, the House of Commons Commission has now approved the following modifications to the responsibilities of domestic Committees which take account of the Information Committee's primary responsibility for the parliamentary data and video network and the latter's endorsement by the House:

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what factors are contributing to the delay in connecting hon. Members to the Internet.

The Information Committee considered the proposed experimental connection to Internet on 16 and 30 January. Before the system is operational, it is necessary to finalise and award the contract, arrange certain security measures and install a dedicated link.

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what assessment the Committee has made of whether it would be technically feasible to identify electronic mail sent by hon. Members from the parliamentary data and video network via the Internet to domestic addresses and those sent to the international addresses.

While it would be technically feasible to monitor Members' Internet e-mails, there are no plans to do so. It is a long-standing tradition of the House that hon. Members' parliamentary communications are not monitored by the House authorities. Since there are no charges for Internet e-mail, there would be no bar to Members receiving and sending either domestic or international e-mail messages.

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what facilities exist for training hon. Members on the use of word processors.

Training for hon. Members in all aspects of IT including word processors was considered by the Committee in its report "The Provision of Members' Information Technology Equipment, Software and Services"—first report, Session 1992–93, HC737—which was approved by the House on 30 June 1994. The report recommended, inter alia, the provision of a modest amount of basic on-site training which would be paid for by Members from their office costs allowance. Training in the use of the parliamentary data and video network is provided without charge to Members' office cost allowances.

To ask the Chairman of the Broadcasting Committee what are the current arrangements for parliamentary charging for the Parliamentary Channel; when these arrangements are subject to review; and if he will make a statement.

The licences from the Speaker of the House of Commons and the Clerk of the Parliaments which underpin the arrangements for parliamentary broadcasting run for five years until the summer of 1996, when they will fall due for renewal. PARBUL—Parliamentary Broadcasting Unit Ltd.—which is the company charged with producing the signals on behalf of Parliament, is funded by shareholdings from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, BSkyB and the Parliamentary Channel. Funding is on a per-channel basis and the Parliamentary Channel therefore provides one sixth of the costs of the equipment and staff involved in the creation of the signals. The original agreement between Parliament and the broadcasters, which was approved by the House, provides for the broadcasters to make a contribution, via PARBUL, of roughly 50 per cent. towards the costs of the televising operation, in return for the right to make use of the signals for broadcasting purposes. No question arises therefore of any charge being payable to Parliament by the Parliamentary Channel.

To ask the Chairman of the Broadcasting Committee what steps the Committee is taken to ensure that the Parliamentary Channel is made available free to all electors who are connected to satellite; and if he will make a statement.

The Parliamentary Channel is a cable channel and is available at no extra charge as part of the basic package of channels to all subscribers to broadband cable systems. The Select Committee on Broadcasting, in its first report of Session 1990–91 on "The Arrangements for the Permanent Televising of the Proceedings of the House", recommended that the United Artists proposals for the Parliamentary Channel offered the most promising prospect for the provision of a dedicated channel. It also noted that the proposal should not be regarded as the last word, nor as excluding or pre-empting any other proposals for a dedicated channel which might come forward in the future. I am not aware of any plans for the establishment of a dedicated Parliamentary Channel receivable by owners of satellite dishes. In any case, because of the high start-up and operating costs of such a channel, it could be provided free of charge only either at a commercial loss or on the basis of a large and continuing public subsidy.

To ask the Lord President of the Council if he will promote or fund a CD-ROM on how Parliament and British democracy works for use by schools and electors; and if he will make a statement.

I have been asked to reply.The question of a multi-media presentation is at present under discussion between the officers of the two Houses, and other interested parties. Various audio-visual resources on Parliament are already available from the education officer.

To ask the Lord President of the Council how many (a) men and (b) women applied for career breaks in his Department; and how many have had their employment terminated in the last five years.

No member of the Privy Council Office's staff has applied for a career break in the last five years.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish further information about the licences which would be granted pursuant to the Gas Bill, once enacted.

I am today publishing further information about proposed gas licences, in advance of the Second Reading of the Gas Bill next Monday. These outlines will give a clearer idea of the measures and safeguards that would be established for the operation of a fully competitive market in domestic gas supply.The principal standard conditions are likely to include:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 24 January, Official Report, columns 125-27, if he has reached any conclusions in relation to the consultation on the initial areas for domestic gas competition; and if he will make a statement.

The area for the first phase of the transition to a competitive gas market will cover some 500,000 gas consumers in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.The south-west has received by far the most support—nearly a third of all responses to our consultation document suggested the south-west as the most suitable area.The responses demonstrated widespread enthusiasm for competition in gas supply from all over the country. Local authorities and other organisations from all parts of the country—from Clydesbank to Carrick, from Devon to Dover, from Rotherham to Rugby—requested that they should be the first to benefit from competition in the domestic gas market.The south-west fulfils the criteria set out by the Trade and Industry Select Committee and the consultation document:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which EC member states permit European regional development fund grant to be accessed using wholly private sector match funding; and what are the reasons for Her Majesty's Government not permitting the same procedure.

The Government do permit European regional development fund grant to be "accessed using wholly private sector match funding"—projects to be financed by the fund and the private sector alone. I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Broadgreen (Mrs. Kennedy) on 20 February 1995, Official Report, columns 31-32.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the details of the models which the Government have developed and submitted to the Commission for facilitating objective 1 funding.

I take it that the hon. Member is referring to the Government's proposals, mentioned in the reply I gave him on 20 February 1995, Official Report, column 31, for facilitating private sector contributions to projects to which the European regional development fund makes grants.I do not intend to make these proposals public in advance of the Commission's response.They relate not only to objective 1 grants but to ERDF grants generally.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether filing arrangements in his Department include indexing under the names of individual hon. Members.

Correspondence between hon. Members and Ministers in the Department is recorded in their respective private offices in the name of the hon. Member.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether filing arrangements in his Department include indexing under named lobbying companies.