Written Answers

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Written Answers To Questions

Monday 10 July 1995

Treasury

Firearms And Ammunition

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were (a) found to be illegally importing firearms and ammunition and (b) prosecuted for illegal importation of firearms and ammunition in each year since 1992. [33247]

Customs and Excise does not hold central statistics on the number of people found to be illegally importing firearms and ammunition. The table shows, for 1992, 1993 and 1994, the number of detected irregularities in firearms importations; seized firearms; and resulting prosecutions. It is customs' policy to take offence action, either by prosecution or compound penalty, when there is sufficient evidence to show that those concerned were knowingly concerned in a fraudulent evasion of United Kingdom firearms and ammunition prohibitions and restrictions. In all other cases, action is restricted to seizure of the goods. As an alternative to criminal prosecution, the compound penalty procedure is used primarily in respect of non-commercial importations of CS gas canisters or undeclared firearms held for personal security reasons by visiting yachtsmen. These factors account for the low rate of prosecutions resulting from a large number of detections and seizures.

Year	Detections	Firearms seized	Prosecutions
1992	n/a	1,427	6
1993	276	8,674	4
1994	441	6,821	12

Single Currency

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the European Commission (a) has spent and (b) is proposing to spend on propagating its proposals for a single currency and on the green paper on the subject. [28077]

Line A-3501 of the European Community budget sets out expenditure on technical preparatory work for economic and monetary union. An element of the expenditure under line B3–306 is attributable to the provision of information on economic and monetary union, while an element of the expenditure under line B5–600 covers relevant statistical information. These figures do not include Commission staff and publication costs, which are not broken down by function in the budget. Copies of the European Community budget for years to 1995, and of the preliminary draft budget for 1996, are available in the House of Commons Library.

Banknotes

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has proposed or considered arrangements under which banknotes would continue to be issued to Scottish and Northern Ireland banks under a single European currency. [30462]

By the terms of the Maastricht treaty, provided the European Central bank was prepared to authorise them to do so, Scottish and Northern Ireland banks could continue to issue their own banknotes, though they would remain without legal tender status, as is currently the situation. Article 16 of the statute of the European system of central banks, a protocol to the Maastricht treaty, expressly provides that the European Central bank shall respect as far as possible existing practices regarding the issue and design of banknotes.

Employee Share Ownership

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statistics are held on employee share ownership plans established by companies over the last five years; how many companies and employees are covered by such plans; what is the level of control and ownership established by those plans; if he can give examples of plans establishing employee control of the running of their company; and if he will make a statement. [32426]

The law provides favourable tax treatment for employee share ownership trusts or plans—commonly known as ESOPs—which meet certain qualifying conditions set out in the legislation. In addition, "case law ESOPs"—as they are often called—which do not meet all the statutory requirements, may nevertheless qualify for one of the tax reliefs available to qualifying ESOPs, following principles established in case law. There is no requirement for qualifying ESOPs to be approved in advance by the Inland Revenue, so it is not possible to say how many have been established. Information about other arrangements which may be described as ESOPs is not held centrally. The other detailed information requested is not available.

Public Sector Borrowing Requirement

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the breakdown of the public sector borrowing requirement in the last fiscal year between central and local government. [32819]

Central Government borrowing, on its own account, was £38.3 billion in 1994–95. Local authorities made a net payment of £1.1 billion and public corporations made a net repayment of £1.9 billion.

House Builders Federation

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the House Builders Federation; and when he next expects to meet it. [32816]

The Chancellor last met the president of the House Builders Federation on 22 September 1993. At present, the House Builders Federation has not requested a meeting this year.

Uncollected Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the figures for uncollected tax in 1994 for (a) PAYE, (b) capital gains tax, (c) corporation tax, (d) schedule D and (e) VAT. [32828]

The amount of value added tax written off or remitted in the year ended December 1994 was approximately £550 million. The information requested on PAYE, capital gains tax, corporation tax and schedule D tax is not yet available.

National Debt

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he estimates the national debt will reach £310 billion. [32826]

Net public sector debt is forecast to reach £310 billion by the end of March 1996, about the cyclical peak of the GDP debt ratio.

Cheque Clearing

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set a date for the implementation of the cheque clearing system as set out in the 1990 White Paper "Banking Services: Law and Practice", Cm 1026. [33143]

The Government have already said that they intend to introduce legislation as soon as an appropriate opportunity arises to allow the cheque clearing system described in the 1990 White Paper to be introduced. It is not possible to be more precise at the moment.

Charities (Vat)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the amount of irrecoverable VAT paid by charities in the last year for which figures are available; and what proposals he has to compensate charities for lost revenue. [33022]

No official figures of charities' irrecoverable VAT are kept. I am currently studying proposals for a compensation scheme recently submitted to me by the charities tax reform group.

Gilts And Bonds

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the taxation of gilts and bonds. [33978]

The Government have decided to proceed with the reform of the taxation of gilts and bonds outlined in the consultative document published by the Inland Revenue on 25 May 1995. However, these changes will not apply to the overwhelming majority of private investors.These proposals will produce a simpler and more sensible tax regime, and will pave the way for market innovations which would help to ensure that the United Kingdom maintains and enhances its competitive position in world financial markets. The introduction of a strips market will be a further important step in the development of the gilt market, widening investor choice and helping to reduce funding costs.At the same time, the Government intend to protect the interests of private investors. There will be a threshold, set at nominal holdings of £200,000, below which private investors will continue to pay tax on interest on the present basis. In addition, the Government have decided that the existing regime should continue to apply to two issues of low coupon gilts—3.5 per cent. 1999/04 and 5.5 per cent. 2008/12. These gilts are widely held by private investors. The Government have also decided that all non-equity shares—including zero-coupon preference shares—should be outside the new regime, although the position may be reviewed if serious distortions result. These decisions mean that probably fewer than 4,000 private investor—0.5 per cent. of the total—will be within the new regime. Many of those affected will on balance gain, rather than lose, from the reform.There will be special rules to ensure that gilt and bond unit trusts are not disadvantaged, and that there is tax exemption for corporate bond Personal Equity Plans.The element in the return on indexed gilts due to indexation of the principal repayment will remain tax free.Many of those responding to the Inland Revenue's consultative document have expressed the wish for more time to discuss technical details with the Inland Revenue. At the same time, the Government are conscious of the difficulties which the markets and those having to make commercial decisions are facing because of uncertainty as to whether the reform will go ahead.The Government have, therefore, decided to delay the start of the new regime until 1 April 1996 for companies, and until 6 April 1996 for the few private investors with holdings of over £200,000. In the meantime, the Inland Revenue will continue technical discussions with interested parties.The Government have decided in principle to introduce an official gilt strips facility. It has also decided that gilts strippable through any such market should be exempt from withholding tax and the quarterly accounting arrangements to be introduced in connection with gilt repo. The introduction of a strips market will not take place before the second half of 1996. In the meantime, the Bank of England will be consulting further on the details.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received to exclude zero dividend preference shares from the scope of the proposed changes to the taxation of gilts and bonds; and if he will make a statement; [33846](2) what assessment he has made of the extent to which private investors holding zero dividend preference shares will be affected by the proposed changes to the taxation of gilts and bonds; [33847](3) what steps he intends to take to avoid the potential for double taxation of gilts and bonds held by collective investment vehicles under the changes proposed to the treatment of these investments. [33845]

I refer to the answer my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor is today giving to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Banks).

Oil Companies (Decommissioning)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what information he has on the cost to the Exchequer of tax relief for decommissioning costs claimed by oil companies operating in the North sea in each financial year since 1985–86; [31226](2) what is the size of the adjustment in the forecasts of tax revenue published in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1995–96" to take account of relief claimed for decommissioning costs by oil companies operating in the North sea in 1995–96 and 1996–97 and any future years for which figures are available. [31227]

[holding answer 28 June 1995]: The cost of decommissioning North sea oil installations is one of the costs of extracting oil in the North sea. As it is the profits of North sea oil companies that are taxed, it is right that tax relief should be given for relevant decommissioning costs.There were no decommissioning costs in North sea oil and gas fields before 1991. From 1991–92 to 1996–97, deductions in tax revenues—royalties, petroleum revenue tax and corporation tax—average about £5 million per annum due to relief claimed for decommissioning costs. They are then expected to rise substantially.

Tax Relief

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue would be raised by limiting all tax relief to the basic rate of tax. [32531]

[holding answer 5 July 1995]: Based on a projection of the 1993–94 "Survey of Personal Incomes" and other survey data in line with assumptions in the summer economic forecast, the estimated full year yield at 1995–96 income levels would be about £890 million.

Bank Of England, Leeds

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the long-term viability of the Bank of England branch in Leeds. [32545]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: This is a matter for the Bank of England. The Bank has recently completed a review of its branches and agencies. The Bank concluded that the economic liaison and representation work of its nine regional agents, including Leeds, had become increasingly important and should continue. It has, however, decided to cease branch banking operations and will discuss the branches' work on note distribution with the major clearing banks.

Alcohol Taxation

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relative tax rules on spirits and other alcoholic drinks in relation to units of alcohol; and what assessment he makes of revenue maximisation in determining the level of duty imposed on spirits. [32954]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: Excise duties on all alcoholic drinks are levied at specific, rather than ad valorem, rates on the end product. Duty on spirits is levied according to the litres of pure alcohol content, whereas that on beer is charged per hectolitre per cent. alcohol by volume. Cider is also taxed per hectolitre but subject to a maximum strength of less than 8.5 per cent. alcohol by volume. Duty per hectolitre on wine varies according to the nature and strength of the product: five duty bands cover a range of strengths from 1.2 per cent. up to 22 per cent. alcohol by volume and differentiate between still, sparkling and fortified wines.My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer takes into consideration a wide range of social, economic and health factors as well as revenue considerations when setting the level of taxation on spirits.

Home Department

Drugs Misuse

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria which he applies to reschedule drug substances under the terms of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; how temazepam relates to these criteria; and if he will make a statement. [31393]

No rescheduling may occur under the 1971 Act except after consultation with, or on the recommendation of, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs; and the council is required to have regard to misused drugs which are having, or appear to them capable of having, harmful effects sufficient to constitute a social problem. The council has recommended that temazepam should be controlled under schedule 3 of the relevant regulations rather than schedule 4, the effects of which would be as the then Minister of State described in his reply of 19 April to the hon. Member, Official Report, column 196. The Government's careful consideration of this recommendation is continuing.Following consultation with the Department of Health the Home Office is taking steps to impose safe custody requirements on manufacturers and wholesalers, and the Department of Health is engaged in consultations with interested parties with a view to banning NHS prescribing by general practitioners of the soft gelatin gel-filled capsules. These measures were announced by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council on 10 May,

Official Report, column 756.

Racially Motivated Incidents

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many racially motivated attacks are estimated to have taken place within the Greater London area in each of the last 12 months. [31699]

The information requested has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and is contained in the table. The data supplied relate to the number of racially motivated incidents as per the Association of Chief Police Officers definition and excludes the City of London.

Racial incident figures: Metropolitan Police District 1 April 1994–31 March 1995
Month	Number of racial incidents
April 1994	478
May	443
June	509
July	557
August	558
September	517
October	454
November	461
December	384
January 1995	379
February	379
March	361
Total 1994–95	5,480

Association of Chief Police Officers definition: Any incident in which it appears to the reporting or investigative officer that the complaint involves an element of racial motive, or any incidents which include allegations of racial motivation made by any person.

Penile Plethysmograph Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the accuracy of penile plethysmograph tests as predictions of behaviour; what are the guidelines for the use of such tests; and what assessment he has made of the consequences of taking such tests in terms of prisoners' assumptions about one another. [32247]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what assessment has been made of the accuracy of penile plethysmograph (PPG) tests as predictions of behaviour; what are the guidelines for use of such tests; and what assessments has been made of the consequences of taking such tests in terms of prisoners' assumptions about one another.

The use of PPG by the Prison Service follows the guidelines published by the British Psychological Society and is only one element in the comprehensive assessment which forms part of the Prison Service's Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP). Its use is based on relevant research findings and advice from international experts. This research indicates that sadistic and paedophilic sexual preferences, shown up by the PPG, are common among convicted sex offenders and rare among unconvicted men. In addition, convicted sex offenders, who show these preferences to a more marked degree appear more likely to re-offend.

However, PPG assessment is not primarily used by the Prison Service to predict future behaviour. It is used with men who have already been identified as being at risk of committing sexual offences to assess one factor, sexual preferences, which may contribute to their offending.

Since the PPG is used as part of a comprehensive package of assessment and treatment, it is difficult to isolate this particular element from the effect of the SOTP as a whole. Research has shown, however, that by the end of the SOTP, when PPG assessment is included, participants typically:

accept responsibility for their offences rather than blaming other people.
are more aware of the damage and distress caused to victims.
are more aware of the factors which put them at risk of committing further offences.

have worked out ways of controlling these factors.
behave in a less aggressive and impulsive way in relation to prison staff and other prisoners.
are less emotional and angry.

A careful and rigorous evaluation of its effects on prisoners is built into the SOTP. The programme is periodically revised in the light of evaluation results.

Young Offender Institutions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the approximate start-up cost of the two proposed young offender institutions in England and Wales. [32433](2) what are the approximate costings of running experimental young offender institutions in England and Wales. [32435]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the approximate start-up cost of the two proposed young offender institutions and the approximate costings of running experimental young offender institutions in England and Wales.

The Prison Service is currently working on proposals for two new types of regime for young offenders. Information about the projected costs of these ventures cannot be given until the proposals have been approved and an announcement made.

There are no young offender institutions being run on an experimental basis in England and Wales at present.

Advertising

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on outside advertising agencies for each year since 1979; and if he will list the specific advertising campaigns undertaken by his Department, their purpose and their cost. [32482]

Expenditure on advertising by my Department for each year since 1979 is as follows:

1979–80: £2,904,671
1980–81: £1,649,605
1981–82: £1,834,476
1982–83: £1,957,304
1983–84: £2,760,681
1984–85: £3,262,700
1985–86: £3,306,391
1986–87: £5,000,000
1987–88: £4,700,000
1988–89: £5,400,000
1989–90: £5,500,000
1990–91: £5,728,000
1991–92: £7,275,940
1992–93: £7,344,635
1993–94: £9,090,222
1994–95: £10,912,000

These figures include the 1.75 per cent. commission charged by the Central Office of Information for services associated with centralised purchasing.

The specific campaigns undertaken between 1990–91 and 1994–95 were as follows:

	£
1990–91
Crime Prevention
To encourage more widespread crime prevention.	2,890,309
Electoral Registration
To encourage un-registered but otherwise eligible citizens to register to vote.	468,419
Fire Service Recruitment
To recruit retained fire fighters.	22,387
Special Constabulary
To stimulate increased applications to join the Special Constabulary.	1,176,645
Fire Safety
To encourage wider ownership, installation and maintenance of smoke alarms in domestic premises.	1,165,831
Miscellaneous Campaigns
A range of small campaigns such as Police Graduate Recruitment and advice about Magistrates' Courts.	4,409
1991–92
Crime Prevention	3,637,514
Dangerous Dogs Legislation
To inform owners of dogs included in legislation of action they must take to comply with that legislation.	262,719
Electoral Registration	627,336
Absent Voting
To advise eligible voters of absent voting rights	512,062
Fire Service Recruitment	25,773
Special Constabulary	954,705
Fire Safety	1,244,000
Miscellaneous Campaigns	11,831
1992–93
Crime Prevention	3,826,280
Electoral Registration	620,000
Special Constabulary	1,357,133
Fire Safety	1,534,522
Miscellaneous Campaigns	6,700
1993–94
Crime Prevention	4,984,722
Elections	620,000
Special Constabulary	1,459,000
Fire Prevention	2,020,000
Miscellaneous Campaigns	6,500
1994–95
Partners Against Crime
To encourage crime prevention and greater public co-operation with the police through Neighbourhood Watch, Street Watch and Neighbourhood Special Constables schemes.	6,675,313
Electoral Registration	650,000
Fire Safety recruitment	30,094
Fire Safety	757,428
Special Constabulary	2,799,165
Compaigns planned for 1995–96 are as follows:
Partners Against Crime
Electoral Registration
Fire Safety
Special Constabulary

This work is still being developed and it is not yet possible to give a precise budget for each campaign. The forest total spend for advertising in the current financial year is £7,300,000.

A breakdown by campaign subjects in the years before 1990–91 could be provided only at disproportionate cost to public funds. However, the subjects listed for the past five years are broadly the same as those covered in previous years.

Cannabis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow experiments into the use of cannabis for medical purposes. [32493]

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 makes specific provision for research relating to otherwise illegal drugs, such as cannabis, to be undertaken under license. Some licences for research into cannabis are already in existence; any future application for licences will be carefully considered as and when they are received.

Police Cautions

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage of persons cautioned for indictable, excluding motoring, offences as a percentage of persons found guilty or cautioned for each police force area in 1994. [32633]

The latest available figures, which are for 1993, are published in table 5.4 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1993". The 1994 figures will be available in autumn 1995.

Victims Helpline

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of the victims helpline since its establishment; and what number of telephone calls have been received. [32634]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jack Straw, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question about the victim helpline.

From its commencement on 5 December 1994 to 4 July this year, the Helpline had received 192 calls. The total cost over the same period is estimated to be in the region of £23,000 including the start up costs of £8,400.

Police Cells

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost of keeping prisoners in police cells in 1994. [32636]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Jack Straw, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the total cost of keeping prisoners in police cells in 1994.

The total cost for 1994 was £14,780,000.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East will receive a reply to his letter to the Minister of State for the Home Department, the right hon. Member for Penrith and The Border (Mr. Maclean), of 8 June. [32638]

I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 July.

Offences¹ and punishments² for possession of a controlled drug, Prison Service establishment, England and Wales, March-May 1995 (provisional figures)
	Number of proved offences	Confined to cell/room	Removal from activities	Forfeiture of privileges	Stoppage or reduction of earnings	Caution	Removal from wing or living unit	Extra work	Additional days awarded	Exclusion from associated work	All punishments
All Establishments	906	86	3	325	317	14	9	26	845	23	1,648
Aylesbury	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Bedford	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	2
Birmingham	25	1	—	21	7	—	—	—	25	—	54
Brinsford	17	—	—	16	8	1	—	1	12	—	38
Bristol	37	1	—	1	5	—	—	—	32	—	39
Brixton	22	3	—	3	1	—	—	—	20	2	29
Canterbury	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Castington	1	—	—	2	1	—	—	—	1	—	4
Coldingley	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Dartmoor	31	4	—	2	6	1	—	—	29	4	46
Dorchester	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Dover	4	1	—	3	1	—	1	1	4	—	11
Elmley	24	2	—	6	1	—	—	—	22	—	31
Erlestoke	10	—	—	—	—	1	—	—	10	—	11
Exeter	14	1	—	—	4	1	—	—	12	—	18
Feltham	91	7	—	62	60	3	—	2	87	—	221
Ford	21	—	—	—	6	2	—	—	21	—	29
Gartree	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1
Glen Parva	3	—	—	2	1	—	—	—	3	—	6
Gloucester	9	—	—	3	1	—	—	—	8	—	12
Guys Marsh	27	2	—	3	3	1	—	—	26	—	35
Hatfield	5	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	5	—	5
Hewell Grange	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Highpoint	5	—	—	—	2	—	—	—	5	—	7
Hindley	17	1	—	14	12	—	—	—	16	—	43
Holme House	11	—	—	3	3	—	—	—	11	1	18
Hull	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	—	4
Kirkham	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Lancaster
Farms	25	1	—	10	7	—	1	—	25	—	44
Leicester	25	2	—	2	9	1	—	—	22	—	36
Leyhill	2	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	2	—	3
Lincoln	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Lindholme	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Liverpool	49	—	—	14	19	1	—	—	48	1	83
Manchester	40	28	—	25	8	—	—	—	37	—	98
Moorland	34	5	—	16	12	—	—	—	34	—	67
Morton Hall	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	2
New Hall	3	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	1	4
Northallerton	33	5	—	19	28	—	—	—	33	—	85
Onley	24	—	3	13	20	—	4	—	23	—	63
Parkhurst	7	—	—	1	1	1	—	—	5	1	9
Pentonville	59	2	—	15	6	—	—	—	57	—	80
Portland	11	5	—	5	—	—	1	—	10	—	21

Drugs (Prisons)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the fines and penalties imposed on prison inmates for being in possession of drugs at each prison in England and Wales during the months of March, April and May. [32673]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the fines and penalties imposed on prison inmates for being in possession of drugs during the months of March, April and May.

Provisional figures for the number of offences and the number of punishments awarded for possession of a controlled drug are shown in the attached table, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House, for each Prison Service establishment where it was proved that an offence was committed.

Offences¹ and punishments² for possession of a controlled drug, Prison Service establishment, England and Wales, March-May 1995 (provisional figures)
	Number of proved offences	Confined to cell/room	Removal from activities	Forfeiture of privileges	Stoppage or reduction of earnings	Caution	Removal from wing or living unit	Extra work	Additional days awarded	Exclusion from associated work	All punishments
Preston	3	1	—	2	2	—	—	—	3	—	8
Reading	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Risley	24	5	—	6	6	—	—	—	23	—	40
Send	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Shrewsbury	10	1	—	7	—	—	—	—	9	1	18
Stafford	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	6	—	6
Stoke Heath	14	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	15	—	15
Styal	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	2
Swaleside	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	—	1
Swinfen Hall	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Thorn Cross	40	1	—	1	28	—	2	22	41	—	95
Usk/Prescoed	1	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	—	2
Wakefield	24	—	—	17	24	—	—	—	12	7	60
Wandsworth	36	6	—	26	13	—	—	—	35	5	85
Wayland	7	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	7	—	8
Wetherby	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	5	—	6
Winchester	2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	—	2
Wolds	1	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	1	—	1
Wormwood
Scrubs	21	—	—	3	7	1	—	—	13	—	24
Wymott	4	—	—	1	—	—	—	—	4	—	5
¹ Including incite or assist the possession of controlled drugs.
² The number of offences punished and the number of punishments awarded may not agree, it being the practice in some cases to award concurrently several forms of punishment for one offence.

Wheelclamping

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to introduce proposals on wheelclamping on private land. [32822]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to his question on 20 April, Official Report, column 268.

Prisoner Escape

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoner escapes from (a) establishments and (b) escorts there were in 1994–95 in (i) London and (ii) England and Wales. [32537]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me, in the absence of the Director General from the office, to reply to your recent Question about the number of prisoner escapes form (a) establishments and (b) escorts in 1994/95 in (i) London and (ii) England and Wales.

The information for the period 1 April 1994 to 31 March this year is shown in the attached tables.

London

Escapes from prison

Escapes from escort

sub total

Escapes from court escort services (previously a police responsibility)

Total

England and Wales

Escapes from prison

Escapes from escort

sub total

Escapes from court escort service (previously a police responsibility)

Total

151

202

217

Figures exclude prisoners recaptured within 15 minutes provided that no further offence has been committed.

¹ Figures for England and Wales include those for London.

Prisoners (Visits By Lawyers)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take to remedy the shortage of prison officers supervising visits to prisoners by lawyers. [32541]

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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about visits to prisoners by lawyers.

There is no general shortage of prison officers to supervise visits to prisoners by lawyers. Accommodation may sometimes become over-stretched and result in difficulty in agreeing to visits at short notice. Many prisons find that the best service can be offered by operating a booking system.

Criminal Injury Compensation

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what date he intends to backdate the option of structured settlements for victims who are awarded large sums of criminal injury compensation under the existing scheme administered by the Criminal Injury Compensation Board; and whether the qualifying date will be (a) the date of injury, (b) the date of application for compensation or (c) the date of award. [33103]

As indicated in a Commons Committee, 27 June, Official Report, column 236, before applicants under the 1990 scheme, or an earlier scheme, can benefit from structured settlements it will be necessary, first, to amend the 1990 scheme to allow payment to be made by the purchase of annuities and, secondly, to make statutory provision to ensure that income from such annuities is exempt from income tax. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Bill which is currently being considered in another place provides an appropriate vehicle for this.It will not be possible to offer structured settlements to victims whose claims have already been settled. But once the 1990 scheme has been amended and the statutory provision has been enacted, victims whose claims have not then been finally settled will, in all appropriate cases, be offered the option of payment by structured settlement.

Eds

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts his Department has with the computer company EDS. [33169]

My Department has one contract, originally set up with the Inland Revenue, with EDS. It relates to the supply of microfiche for the Home Office pay service, the annual value of which varies according to the number of copies produced. The contract value for the period July 1994 to March 1995 was £20,000, excluding VAT.

Inquests

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers a coroner has to ensure he sees all papers and documents relating to a death before him, and that all such papers and documents are placed before the relevant inquest. [31479]

A coroner has no power to order the production of papers and documents which might be likely to afford assistance in his inquiry, but he can, where he considers it necessary to do so, compel such production by means of a Crown Office subpoena. The decision as to which papers and documents should be put in evidence at an inquest is a matter for the coroner.

Probation Officers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about his future plans for probation officer recruitment and training. [32848]

My right hon. and learned Friend will make an announcement when he has completed his consideration of the responses to the consultative proposals which he published earlier this year.

Prisoners (Drug Tests)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if tests on prisoners to check for illegal drug use will include checks simultaneously for cannabis, heroin and cocaine; [32749]

(2) what evidence he has of prisoners changing from cannabis use to heroin use to avoid detection in present drugs surveillance tests; [32750]

(3) what is his calculation of the length of time residues of (a) alcohol, (b) cannabis, (c) heroin and (d) cocaine can be detected in the human body. [32751]

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

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Paul Flynn, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the drug testing programme in prisons.

All mandatory drug tests include simultaneous checks for cannabis, heroin and cocaine.

There is no evidence from the initial phase of implementation of mandatory drug testing that prisoners are changing from cannabis to heroin use to avoid detection. We are aware that heavy users of cannabis may retain the drug in their bodies for longer than light users of cannabis or users of harder drugs such as heroin. This has been taken into account in the development of the drug testing policy and we are taking a number of precautions to ensure that prisoners are not encouraged to move from cannabis to harder drugs in the mistaken belief that they are more likely to escape detection.

The period over which residues of different drugs remain detectable within the body depends not only on the drug type, but also on the metabolism and physical make-up of the individual and the frequency of and amount of drug taken. The detection period will also depend on the detection threshold set for the particular test.

The attached table provides estimates on drug retention. The figures are based on the period of time that a drug remains detectable when a urine sample is used as the basis for the drug test.

Drug type	Typical maximun detection period
Alcohol¹	12 to 24 hours
Cocaine	2 to 4 days
Cannabis ²
Single use (once a week)	1 to 4 days
Moderate use (2 to 4 times a week)	2 to 7 days
Heavy use (daily use)	7 to 14 days
Chronic use (extreme daily use)	up to 30 days
Opiates (including heroin)	2 to 4 days
¹ Tests for alcohol are not part of the Prison Service mandatory drug testing programme which covers controlled drugs only.
² The retention of cannabis in the body is highly dependent on the amount of the drug taken and the frequency of use; far more so than for other drug-types. For this reason a number of different "typical" scenarios have been provided in the table.

Mr Barry Gray

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he plans to take following the release of Barry Gray by Securicor guards after being given a prison sentence at Southwark Crown court. [32534]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: 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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the release from custody of Mr. Barry Gray.

A full enquiry by a senor governor is currently being conducted into all the circumstances surrounding Mr. Gray's release at Southwark Crown court on 19 June. Once it has been completed we will consider what further action, if any, needs to be taken.

Prison Escorts

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff are currently employed on prison escort work by Securicor in London. [32539]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: 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.

Letter from Derek Lewis to Mrs. Barbara Roche, dated 10 July 1995:

The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about the number of staff employed by Securicor Custodial Services Limited.

857 staff were employed by Securicor on prisoner escort work in London at the end of June 1995.

Prime Minister

Judicial Appointments

To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the last 10 years he has declined to pass on to Her Majesty recommendation from the Lord Chancellor's Department in respect of senior appointments. [32861]

It is on the basis of the Lord Chancellor's advice that I make recommendations to Her Majesty the Queen for appointments to the senior judiciary, but the advice from the Lord Chancellor in respect of these appointments is a confidential matter, as is the I make of it.

Bank Of England

To ask the Prime Minister in which periods since 1965 there has been a trade union leader as a member of the court of the Bank of England; what plans he has to appoint a successor to Sir Gavin Laird; and if he will make a statement. [33273]

The following trade union leaders have been directors of the Bank of England since 1965; Sir William Carron, 1963 to 1969; Sir Sidney Greene, 1970 to 1978; Mr. Geoffrey Drain, 1978 to 1986; Sir Gavin Laird, 1986 to 1994. Members of the court are not appointed to represent particular institutions or organisations. The aim is always to appoint the best people to advise the Governor and other executive directors of the bank.

Former Prisoners Of War

To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has made to the Japanese Government since his visit to Japan in 1993 about examining whether non-governmental measures would assist in the provision of compensation for British prisoners of war; and if he will make a statement. [33292]

I have been in contact with successive Japanese Prime Ministers about these matters, including my present counterpart, Mr. Murayama. Although our proposal for a non-governmental foundation did not prove to be feasible, we are pursuing our discussions with the Japanese Government about other possible approaches. Those efforts will continue.

Air Strikes (Bosnia)

To ask the Prime Minister what consideration led to the decision not to carry out air strikes to protect the UN designated safe areas including the capital of Bosnia; what agreement has been reached with the Serbians regarding air strikes and the release of UN forces; and if he will make a statement. [33114]

As I told the House on 28 June, Official Report, column 905, we certainly made no deals with the Bosnian Serbs over the release of the hostages. The UN and other Governments have stated clearly that they made no deals either. Air power remains an important option available to the commanders on the ground for protecting UN forces and enforcing relevant UN resolutions.

Ministerial Advisers

To ask the Prime Minister what part was played in the Conservative party leadership contest by advisers to Ministers; what were the official positions of such advisers; and if he will make a statement. [32838]

Special Advisers

To ask the Prime Minister what part (a) Gregor Mackay, (b) Sophie McEwen, (c) Rachel Whetstone and (d) Tim Collins have played as civil servants in the current Conservative party leadership campaign; and what restrictions apply to civil servants in these circumstances. [32839]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: The officials named are special advisers. Special advisers may take part in political activities of the sort described provided they do so during leave or in their own time in addition to fulfilling their normal duties.

Ministerial Speeches

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 26 June, Official Report, columns 445–46, if he will list all publications, published by Government Departments at public expense, which contain a collection of a Minister's speeches, in the format recently produced by the Department of Transport—"Transport, the Way Ahead". [32110]

[holding answer 5 July 1995]: "Transport: The Way Ahead" was published by the Secretary of State as a consultation document. It includes a series of six speeches by my right hon. Friend which address central issues of transport policy on which views are invited.

I am aware of two other recent departmental publications which include collections of ministerial speeches: "Progress through Partnership", published by the Department of Health in February 1995, includes four speeches by the Secretary of State for Health. "Purchasing for Health: A Framework for Action", published by the Department of Health in June 1993, includes three speeches by the right hon. Member for Peterborough (Dr. Mawhinney) as Minister of State together with one by the chief executive of the national health services.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Morocco

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Morocco's expressed intention to extend registration for the proposed referendum in Western Sahara to an additional 100,000 people. [33266]

The additional applications in question were submitted by the Moroccans last October, before the deadline for multiple application. The Security Council has endorsed a proposal by a recent mission to the Western Sahara by some of its members that the Moroccans should conduct a preliminary vetting of the 100,000. Our ambassador in Rabat has raised the matter with the Moroccan Prime Minister.

Access To Information

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures have been taken in accordance with the declaration on the right of access to information within the treaty on European Union by (a) the Commission and (b) the British Government. [33140]

We have played a leading role in developing access to information in the Community. Following the Birmingham declaration an openness in October 1992, the Council and the Commission jointly agreed a code of conduct on public access to documents, which is now in operation. A number of Council debates have been televised. Council debates are preceded by comprehensive press briefing and followed by press releases giving details of votes on legislative acts. These press releases are made available to Parliament.Since the Maastricht declaration on the right of access to information the Government have extended their own procedures to take account of the creation of the European Union, and notably the new intergovernmental pillars. Key documents are deposited in Parliament. For legislative proposals, explanatory memoranda are made available to the public through libraries and information centres.

Arms Exports

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions there have been in the EU Council of Ministers on the criteria governing arms exports agreed in June 1991 and supplemented in June 1992. [32407]

None. However, all member states of the European Union adhere to the existing criteria when considering potential arms exports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions there have been on arms exports within the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe. [32408]

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe held a seminar in Vienna on 20 and 21 June to exchange information amongst OSCE participating states about national procedures and policies governing arms exports.On the first day the seminar discussed export law, control lists, licences and enforcement practices and procedures. On the second day the seminar discussed increased transparency, improved international co-operation and combating illegal convention arms transfers.

Mr Jamal Akkas Chowdhury

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom post in Doha Qatar intends to despatch the explanatory statement explaining why Mr. Jamal Akkas Chowdhury, ref. DOH/826/94/R, was refused entry clearance to join his wife in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [33293]

I have asked the embassy at Doha for details and will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a substantive reply from the migration and visa correspondence unit as soon as possible.

Nuclear Weapons Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential environmental effects of French nuclear weapons tests at Mururoa upon the British dependent territory of Pitcairn; and whether the French Government have provided Her Majesty's Government with any assessment of the environmental consequences of its nuclear testing programme at Mururoa and Fangataufa in French Polynesia since 1966 upon British dependent territories in the Pacific. [33480]

President Chirac has given an assurance that the planned tests will not cause any harm to the environment. He also issued an invitation to experts to visit the area to verify this for themselves. The French Government have made it clear that all the tests will take place underground. We are not in a position to conduct an independent assessment; the French Government have not provided the United Kingdom with environmental impact assessments of their previous tests in the south Pacific.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requirements exist for European Union member state countries to inform (i) the Council, (ii) the Commission and (iii) Euratom over plans to conduct nuclear tests in the territories of the European Union or overseas dependent territories of the Union; and what such notifications have been made in the last year. [32887]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: There is no requirement under the treaty on European Union or the Community treaties—including the Euratom treaty—for a member state to give notification of plans to carry out nuclear weapons tests. A member state could if it wished give such notification in the context of the common foreign and security policy. None has been given in recent years.

Wilton Park

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Wilton Park executive agency performed against the targets which were agreed for 1994–95; and if targets have yet been agreed for the current year. [33656]

According to provisional figures which are subject to full audit, Wilton Park exceeded all four of the agreed targets set for 1994–95 financial year, for the number of conference participants, income, cost recovery and cost per head to the FCO overall.The Wilton Park departmental board met in April. We have agreed to the recommendation of the board that the following key targets be adopted for this financial year:

To increase overall income from £1,157K in 1994–95 to £ 1,203,000K;

To increase cost recovery from 78.2 per cent. in 1994–95 to 80.3 per cent.

To increase the target for the overall number of Wilton Park conference participants from 1,260 in 1994–95 to 1,350;

To reduce the average cost to the FCO of each participant from £237 in 1994–95 to £219;

It has also been agreed that from 1995–96 Wilton Park will aim to recover 73 per cent. of the cost of Wilton Park conference—1994–95: 64 per cent.

Government Papers

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the review of previously withheld papers for which he is responsible. [33903]

Since the review was announced in 1992, some 5,500 previously withheld papers have been released into the public domain. These represent some 80 per cent. of the total reviewed, and have included material on Rudolf Hess, the Russia Committee, the Special Operations Executive, SOE, Suez, the Cuban missile crisis and the Malayan emergency. A first tranche of papers relating to the information research department of the Foreign Office is about to be released.

Eu Council

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union. [33657]

The following is the information:MONTHLY FORECAST OF BUSINESS FOR JULY 1995The following meetings are planned:

July 10: ECOFIN
July 17/18: Foreign Affairs Council
Agriculture Council
July 24: Budget Council

The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

July 10: ECOFIN
Cannes follow-up, probably:

TENS
Employment
EMU Green Paper

Broad economic guidelines (possible adoption following Cannes discussion)
Recommendations to member states with excessive deficits
Harmonised consumer price indices (agreement of Regulation as an "A" or "false B" point)
Excise duty review (Presentation of expected Commission report by Commissioner Monti)

Possible items include:

Macrofinancial assistance to Georgia and Armenia
Cross border payments directive (political agreement)
VAT (agreement in principle on reduced rate for cut flowers, with pressure from some member states to broaden scope to other agricultural non-food products)

July 17/18: Agriculture Council

Bananas (possible)
Wine (possible)
Nectarine and peach grubbing scheme

July 17/18: Foreign Affairs Council

Agenda not yet available

July 24: Budget Council

First reading of draft 1996 Community Budget
Commission financial management (possible)

Queen's Messenger Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to end the Queen's messenger service. [30894]

None.

East European Students

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bursaries to English universities his Department is sponsoring from new eastern European democracies, at what cost to public funds; and if he will make a statement. [31156]

In 1994–95 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided over 500 scholarships and awards to enable students from eastern and central Europe to come to study at universities and other academic institutions in the United Kingdom, at a cost of approximately £2.6 million.

Transport

Cycle Parking

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the buildings occupied by his Department which have provisions for the parking of cycles. [31829]

Copies of the list of DOT buildings with cycle provision will be placed in the House Library in due course.

Br Research

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if BR Research will own as a private company intellectual property rights in innovations in railway technology developed by BR Research while in the public sector; if it will also carry liabilities resulting from litigation over any failures of such technological developments; and what compensation will he paid to other sections of British Rail which formerly had access to the use of such developments without payment of a licence fee. [32685]

The detailed terms of the disposal of BR Research, due to be agreed by the end of this financial year, will be a matter for the British Railways Board.

Catford Road Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all the properties that have been acquired so far in connection with the A205-A21 Catford town centre road scheme, with the owners of those responsible for their management pending the start of the work, and any land or properties that still need to be purchased. [32675]

This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency.I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Jim Dowd, dated 10 July 1995:

As you know, the Minister for Transport in London, Mr Steven Norris, has asked me to write to you about the question you asked in the House seeking information on the properties required for the improvement of the South Circular Road in Catford Town Centre.

I enclose, as you requested, lists showing:

(a) the properties already purchased in connection with the scheme and in the ownership of the Secretary of State with occupiers where appropriate and,

(b) those yet to be acquired, with owners and occupiers.

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvement Properties yet to be acquired in connection with the scheme

Property or part thereof

Owner or reputed owner

Occupant

Part of vault and car stand at the 'Copperfield' PH. Catford Road

Courage (Eastern) Ltd., Anchor Brewhouse, Horselydown SE1 2LL

—

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvement Properties yet to be acquired in connection with the scheme
Property or part thereof	Owner or reputed owner	Occupant
Part of public car park accessways and half width of Canadian Avenue at the Public car park, Canadian Avenue	The London Borough of Lewisham, Town Hall, Catford SE6 4RU	London & Provincial Posters Ltd, 78–86 Brigstock Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey.
		London Electricity Board, Templar House, 81–87 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NU
Part of front garden accessways to 6 Bromley Road	Mrs. Betty Irene Gillett, 17 Kingswood Avenue, Shortlands, Bromley, Kent BR2 0NT	Albert Jones, Frank Seymour, Joseph Angel, Richard Turnall
14 Plassy Road	The London Borough of Lewisham	—
10 Brownhill Road	National Bus Properties Ltd.	Aubyn Graham, 55 Henlowe Road, SE22 and Lee Laing and Neville McGee both of 494 New Cross Road, SE14
Forecourt of 8 Brownhill Road	Mrs. Mary Scott-Smith and Miss Joan Scott-Smith both of 27 Culverley Road, Catford SE6 2LD	Howard Nicholas Brennan
Forecourt of 6 Brownhill Road	Urbandale Investments Ltd., 42 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent	Tonros Heating Ltd., 42 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Forecourt & Vault of 147–149 (odd) Rushey Green	Mrs. Phylis Audrey Griffiths, Brandon Lodge, Church Road, Lyminge, Folkestone, Kent	Midland Bank Plc, 27–32 Poultry, London EC1P 2BX
Forecourt of 151 Rushey Green	Simon George Symeou and Mrs. Eleni Symeou both of 9 Newquay Road, Catford SE6	—
Forecourt of 153 Rushey Green	Donovan Rupert, Horace Levette and James Clarke	David T. Atkin, 292 Sangley Road, Catford SE6 4JT
Forecourt of 155 Rushey Green	National Westminster Bank Plc, 41 Lothbury, London EC2P 2BP	—
Forecourt of 157–159 (odd) Rushey Green	National Westminster Bank Plc, 41 Lothbury, London EC2P 2BP	—
Forecourt, vaults and accessway at 'The Black Horse' PH (167–169) (odd) Rushey Green)	Allied Breweries Ltd., 107 Station Street, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire	Ijaz Ahmed, Choudhri AOT, Leisure Ltd., 19–21 Sylvan Grove, London SEI5 1PG

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvement Properties yet to be acquired in connection with the scheme
Property or part thereof	Owner or reputed owner	Occupant
Part of accessway to 175 Rushey Green	National Travel (London) Ltd., 175 Rushey Green, Catford SE6	—
Electricity sub-station adjoining, 19 Sangley Road	Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea	London Electricity Board
105 sq mtrs part of forecourt, posts, vault and accessway to 6–12 (even) Sangley Road	Finaware Ltd., 9 Henniker Mews, London SW3	—
Forecourt and vaults of ABC Cinema Bromley Road	Associated British Picture Corp Ltd., 30–31 Golden Square, London W1	—
Forecourt and vaults of 3 Bromley Road	Robert J. Lang Ltd., 6 Wellington Street, London SE18 6PE	Jack Rochford Copeland, Richard James Pearson and John Ernest Sage
Forecourt and vault of 5 Bromley Road	Nombane Ltd., 116 High Street, Godalming, Surrey	Gino Vincendo Plado, 28 Hazelwood Road, Chudham, Kent, Barry Christopher Martin, 16 Wegall Road, Lee SE12 and David Thomas Warnock, 27 Dunstable Court, St. John's Park, London SE3
Forecourt and vault of 7 Bromley Road	Nombane Ltd., 116 High Street, Godalming, Surrey	John Faragher, 66 Coleridge Road, Ashburton Estate, Croydon, Surrey
Forecourt and vault of 9 Bromley Road	Nombane Ltd., 116 High Street, Godalming, Surrey	Steven John Coleman, 132 Dowanhill Road, Catford, SE6
Forecourt, vaults of and part of accessway to 11–13 (odd) Bromley Road	Sydney Yearing, 44 Sandford Road, Bromley, Kent BR2 9AW	Transave Ltd., 11–13 Bromley Road, Catford SE6 2TS
Advertisement hoardings and forecourt on part sites of 2l–21a-23, Bromley Road.	Brewster Estates Ltd., 40 Chastilian Road, Dartford, Kent	View Point, Advertisements Ltd., 47 Chaple Street, London NW1

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvements Properties acquired in connection with the scheme
Property or part thereof	Lessees
Owned by Secretary of Stale for Transport
10, 12 (rear only) and 14 Brownhill Road	LB Lewisham Cong, of Jehovah's Witnesses Vacant
12 Brownhill Road
1st Floor Hall
16–22 Brownhill Road
Ground Floor, 16 Brownhill Road
18–22 Brownhill Road	Lewisham Old Peoples Welfare Association
24 Brownhill Road	Hyde Housing Association
26 Brownhill Road	CHISEL
30A Brownhill Road	Vacant
30 Brownhill Road	Vacant

A205 Catford Town Centre Improvements Properties acquired in connection with the scheme
Property or part thereof	Lessees
Part of front garden, 366 Brownhill Road	Vacant
Part of front gardens, 347/355 Brownhill Road	Vacant
St. Mildred's sports ground Canadian Avenue	Vacant
Telephone Exchange, Canadian Avenue	Vacant
Land between Canadian Avenue, Bromley	Vacant
1 Engleheart Road	Vacant
3 Engleheart Road	Vacant
Land between London Road/Dartmouth Road	Vacant
2 Plassy Road	Hyde Housing Association
4 Plassy Road	Hyde Housing Association
6 Plassy Road	Hyde Housing Association
8 Plassy Road	Vacant
10 Plassy Road	Vacant
12 Plassy Road	Lewisham Family Self Help Association
16 Plassy Road	London and Quadrant Housing Association
18 Plassy Road	Vacant
20 Plassy Road	London and Quadrant Housing Association
22 Plassy Road	Private
24 Plassy Road	Private
26 Plassy Road	CHISEL
28 Plassy Road	Vacant
30 Plassy Road	Hyde Housing Association
32 Plassy Road	Vacant
34 Plassy Road	London and Quadrant Housing Association
36 Plassy Road	Vacant
201 Rushey Green	Combined (Comfort) Force Trust
203 Rushey Green	Vacant
205 Rushey Green	Vacant
1–3 Sangley Road	Vacant
1B Sangley Road	Mr. Clements
1A Sangley Road	Vacant
Land at rear of 1–19 Sangley Road	Vacant
5 Sangley Road	Vacant
7 Sangley Road	Vacant
9 Sangley Road	Mr. Clements
11 Sangley Road	Vacant
13 Sangley Road	Vacant
15 Sangley Road	Vacant
17 Sangley Road	Vacant
19 Sangley Road	Vacant
112–114 St. Mildred's Road	Vacant

Thames Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what progress has been made to increase the movement of goods by water rather than road as advocated by the Government office for London's document on Thames strategy; [32679](2) what steps have been taken to encourage the use of the Thames for commercial river-borne traffic on the lines of the Government office for London's document on Thames strategy. [32678]

The report of the River Thames working group, which I chaired and which published its report last December, identified the potential for maximising the use of the Thames for commercial transport. I have subsequently held a number of meetings with operators and potential operators on the Thames to discuss the scope for expanding freight and passenger services. This process will continue.The River Thames working group report has stimulated wider interest in transport on the river. The Thames strategy report and the Thames gateway planning framework, both published this year by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, recognise the benefits of maximising the Thames for commercial traffic and the need to safeguard essential river-related infrastructure.Financial assistance, in the form of freight facilities grant, is also available to operators to encourage the movement of goods by water or rail rather than by road.

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many properties have been purchased in connection with the development of the channel tunnel rail link; and what has been the total cost of these purchases. [32857]

Two hundred and forty properties at a total cost of £42.6 million, including home loss and disturbance payments where appropriate, have been acquired by Union Railways Ltd. for the present channel tunnel rail link project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the successful bidders for the construction of the channel tunnel rail link put in tenders which included the channel tunnel rail link with and without (a) a station at Stratford and (b) a long box at Stratford. [33243]

It was a requirement of the CTRL competition that bidders should submit a reference specification bid and a number of required alternative bids. The reference bid included only the short box at Stratford needed to accommodate a cross-over and to permit construction of a connection to the possible servicing and maintenance facilities at Temple Mills. The required alternative bids covered both an international only and a combined international and domestic station at Stratford, both of which require construction of a long box.

New Vehicles

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of current vehicles in the United Kingdom are new cars built since 1993. [32870]

The most recent available information is for licensed stock at the end of 1994. It is estimated that, to the nearest half per cent., 13.5 per cent. of current vehicles are new cars built since the beginning of 1993, 10.5 per cent. are petrol driven new cars built since the beginning of 1993.

Municipal Bus Companies

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is his current policy towards the divesting of former municipal bus companies by local authorities; what factors have led to changes in policy; and if he will make a statement. [32943]

There has been no change in our policy towards these companies: we are keen to see them move into the private sector.

Vehicle Harmonisation Directive

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on developments in negotiations on the draft vehicle harmonisation directive. [32811]

An expert working group chaired by the European Commission is currently considering the extension of the whole vehicle type approval framework directive 70/156/EEC, as amended by directive 92/53/EEC, to categories of vehicle other than cars. No target has been set for the adoption of amending proposals.

Road Pricing

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department plans to publish the full report on the feasibility of road pricing in London; and what the cost of that study is to date. [32734]

A full report on London research will be published as soon as practicable. To date the study has cost approximately £2.7 million.

Catalytic Converters

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tests have been carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory on the efficacy of catalytic converters at (a) 30,000 miles, (b) 40,000 miles, (c) 50,000 miles and (d) 60,000 miles; and if he will publish the results; [32867](2) what research has been carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory on the problem of cold start emissions from catalytic converters; [32868](3) what research has been carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory on the performance of catalytic converters in service in reducing harmful vehicle emissions. [32866]

None. However, the Government recognise that improving catalyst performance and maintaining it under all operating conditions are key factors in securing improvements in air quality. New vehicle standards already in place for 1996–97 will deliver improvements in catalyst warm-up time. As part of the EU discussions on standards for 2000, the Government have made proposals for a cold start test aimed at further reducing warm-up time to within a few seconds, a study of the case for extending durability requirements for new cars from 80,000 km to 160,000 km and the use of on-board diagnostics to monitor emissions performance throughout the life of the vehicle.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cars built since 1993 fitted with catalytic converters use super unleaded fuel. [32869]

As at April 1995, super unleaded petrol accounted for approximately 4.8 per cent. of total petrol sales. The precise number of cars using super unleaded is not known, although since October 1990 all petrol cars have had to be designed to use premium unleaded petrol, which is universally recommended by manufacturers. Moreover, very few new cars currently on sale in the United Kingdom can derive any benefit from the use of super unleaded petrol.

Driving Licence Fraud

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce driving licence fraud. [32731]

We plan to introduce a new plastic card driving licence in July 1996 incorporating a photograph of the holder. This will help to eliminate misuse of licences and impersonation at driving tests.

Orange Badge Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about councils refusing to recognise the orange badge disabled parking scheme; and what plans his Department has to ensure that the orange badge scheme is accepted throughout the country. [33223]

We receive a small but steady flow of representations about the fact that the orange badge scheme does not apply in central London, and about arrangements introduced by some local authorities elsewhere which have the effect of excluding orange badge holders along with other motorists, either absolutely or unless they have a special locally issued permit.The local authorities concerned with the central London area have, with the Department's encouragement, agreed limited parking concessions for orange badge holders and the possibility of extension is kept under review. We have issued advice to local authorities that are considering pedestrianising an area that the needs of disabled people must be fully taken into account; and we have made clear that we discourage local schemes requiring permits in addition to orange badges, although we have no power to prevent them.

Cones Hotline

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the total number of calls received by the cones hotline; and how many resulted in remedial action being taken; [32752](2) what is the total cost of the cones hotline. [33115]

The cones hotline began in June 1992 and by the end of June 1995 it had received 17,700 calls. Approximately half the calls concerned cones and traffic management, and half were requests for information about roadworks or general queries about roads, planning, policy, and so on. Where appropriate we have taken steps to alter the layout of cones, improve signposting at roadworks, review diversion routes, repaint road markings and investigate road lighting at roadworks as a result of comments and complaints from hotline callers. In five cases, this follow-up action required the complete removal of cones and traffic management measures which were no longer required. During the last financial year, 1994–95, the cost of the dedicated service line was approximately £5,000. The cost of staffing the line was met from within existing establishment and budgets.

Pollution Monitoring Centre

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pollution monitoring centres are now operating in regard to vehicle emissions in each of the largest 20 cities in the United Kingdom. [32680]

I have been asked to reply.The following table shows nitrogen dioxide, NO

₂ , and volatile organic compounds, VOCs, monitoring sites where the results are representive of vehicle emissions for the 20 largest cities in the United Kingdom:

City	Automatic NO₂ sites	Automatic VOC's sites	NO₂ diffusion tube sites
Greater London	5	2	72
Birmingham	2	1	4
Glasgow	1	—	4
Liverpool	1	—	—
Sheffield	1	—	—
Leeds	1	1	4
Manchester	1	—	4
Bristol	1	1	4
Edinburgh	1	1	4
Leicester	1	—	—
Kingston upon Hull	1	—	4
Coventry	—	—	4
Belfast	1	1	4
Bradford	—	—	4
Nottingham	—	—	4
Stoke on Trent	—	—	4
Cardiff	1	1	—
Wolverhampton	—	—	4
Plymouth	—	—	—
Derby	—	—	4

Trade And Industry

Television

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's position on the European Parliament's amendments to the draft EC directive on the use of standards for the transmission of signals. [31914]

The Government are considering carefully the European Parliament's amendments to the draft EC directive on the standards for the transmission of television.

Benchmarking

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how successful his Department has been at encouraging, the increased use of benchmarking within industry; and if he will make a statement. [33275]

My Department recognises that benchmarking provides an important stimulus to improving competitiveness within United Kingdom companies, and has a number of related initiatives in this area. Full details of our activities were published in the recent competitiveness White Paper.

The benchmarking challenge was set up in 1993 to encourage trade associations to form benchmarking clubs. Twelve successful associations were supported under the challenge and their activities are progressing. We are also collaborating with an increasing number of trade associations on the implementation of benchmarking initiatives. These activities are designed to improve the competitiveness of the association members.

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced at the CBI conference and in the competitiveness White Paper that the Department would establish a national benchmarking scheme, to provide a high-quality benchmarking service for business links and business support organisations. Discussions are taking place between the Department, CBI and business links on the introduction of such a scheme.

Consequently, demand for DTI benchmarking publications has been high, with over 40,000 publications being distributed in two years.

Teaching Company Scheme

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the proposed locations for the six extra teaching company scheme centres for small firms which his Department intends to open by the end of 1995. [33276]

Bids from universities for five TCS centres for small firms are currently being considered; decisions are likely to be announced next month.In addition, a proposal is being considered for a TCS centre for small firms on Merseyside to be assisted by the European regional development fund.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many businesses in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley are currently participants in the teaching company scheme. [33281]

One business in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley, Ice Technology Ltd. of Penistone, is currently a TCS industrial partner.

Growth Targets

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what growth targets for business investment his Department has set. [33280]

Companies, not Governments, are best placed to take decisions about business investment. The best encouragement the Government can give companies to invest is a stable economic environment based on low inflation. With inflation staying low and the recovery proceeding steadily, business investment is expected to grow by 4.75 per cent. in 1995 and by 9.5 per cent. in 1996.

Defence Industrial Base

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his Department's definition of the United Kingdom defence industrial base. [33233]

My Department has not defined the United Kingdom defence industrial base. In conjunction with the Ministry of Defence and industry, my Department has commissioned a study on the value of the defence industry to the UK economy. The first phase is due to report in July. The key conclusions will be reported to the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what percentage of the United Kingdom manufacturing output was accounted for by the defence industry sector in each of the last 10 years. [33232]

My Department has produced the following broad estimates based on figures published by Central Statistical Office and the Ministry of Defence. Figures are available only up to 1992.

Year	Per cent.
1982	9
1983	8
1984	8
1985	8
1986	8
1987	7
1988	7
1989	7
1990	7
1991	7
1992	6

Directors

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what distinction his Department draws between the role of executive and non-executive directors; and whether non-executive directors are expected to supervise the day-to-day work of the executive directors. [33013]

The distinction between executive and non-executive directors is not defined in company law. However, I agree with the recommendation in the Cadbury code of best practice that non-executive directors should bring an independent judgment to bear on issues of strategy, performance and resources, including key appointments, and standards of conduct.

Bankruptcy

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many bankruptcy orders were made in the Great Grimsby county court in each of the last three years. [32510]

The total numbers of bankruptcy orders made in the Great Grimsby county court in each of the last three years were as follows:

Year ended 31 March	Number of bankruptcy orders
1993	132
1994	134
1995	94

Company Officials (Prosecutions)

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many directors were successfully prosecuted by the Insolvency Service, indicating the relevant Act of Parliament and the section number, in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994. [32603]

	Relevant statute	1992	1993	1994
Number of directors prosecuted (total for the year)		116	81	65
Nature of offence
Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986
Undischarged bankrupt acting in the management of a company	Section 11	29	25	23
Persons acting in management of company whilst disqualified	Section 13	7	5	9
Insolvency Act 1986
Fraud in anticipation of winding up	Section 206	6	1	1
Transaction in fraud of creditors	Section 207	—	1	1
Misconduct in course of winding up	Section 208	2	1	2
Material omission	Section 210	2	2	—
False representation	Section 211	2	—	—
Use of prohibited company name	Section 216	5	4	—
Failure to cooperate	Section 235	—	—	2
Non-disclosure	Section 353	1	—	—
Concealment of property and failure to account	Section 354	—	1	—
False statements	Section 356	—	—	1
Undischarged bankrupt obtaining credit and trading under a false name	Section 360	6	3	—
Failure to keep proper accounting records	Section 361	2	1	1
Companies Act 1948
Undischarged bankrupt taking part in management of company	Section 187	2	—	—
Companies Act 1985
Failure to deliver return of allotments	Section 88	—	—	1
Public limited company carrying on business without a trading certificate	Section 177	—	—	1
Failure to keep or maintain accounting records of a company	Section 223	91	51	28
Persons acting in management of company whilst disqualified	Section 295	—	3	—
Undischarged bankrupt taking part in management of company	Section 302	3	—	—
Fraudulent trading by a company	Section 458	17	24	22
Theft Act 1968
Theft of property	Section 1	7	7	4
Obtaining property by deception	Section 15	13	7	8
Obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception	Section 16	—	1	—
False accounting	Section 17	—	4	—
Obtaining a valuable security by deception	Section 20	45	—	1
Theft Act 1978
Evasion of liability/obtaining services	Section 1	1	—	—
	Section 2	1	3	3
	Section 20	2	—	—
Perjury Act 1911
False statement by a witness	Section 1	—	—	1
Making untrue statements	Section 5	1	1	3
Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
Forgery	Section 2	1	—	—
Forgery	Section 3	—	—	3
Financial Services Act 1986
Illegal investment business	Section 4	—	—	1
Accessories and Abettors Act 1861
Aiding and abetting	Section 8	8	6	5
Criminal Attempts Act 1981
Attempted criminal act	Section 1	1	—	—
Criminal Law Act 1977
Conspiracy	Section 1	4	6	—
Conspiracy to Defraud		—	—	8

The number of directors successfully prosecuted by the Insolvency Service in the last three and details of the offences concerned are as follows:

Information for the previous year could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many bankrupts were successfully prosecuted for offences under the Insolvency Act 1986 in 1994, identifying the relevant section, by the Insolvency Service. [32587]

In 1994 a total of 66 bankrupts were successfully prosecuted by the Insolvency Service for 128 offences under the Insolvency Act 1986 as a result of the Official Receiver's report. Details of the offences are as follows:

Nature of offence	Insolvency Act 1986 relevant section	Number of convictions
Misconduct in course of winding up	208	1
Material omission	210	2
False representations	211	1
Non-disclosure	353	4
Concealment of property and failure to account	354	13
Concealment of books and papers; falsification	355	2
Material omission and false statements	356	10
Fraudulent disposal of property	357	2
Undischarged bankrupt obtaining credit and trading under a false name	360	65
Failure to keep proper accounting records	361	18
Gambling	362	10
Total		128

Astra Holdings Plc

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were his Department's findings in respect of the care exercised by Mr. James and his colleagues on the main board of Astra in advising shareholders to subscribe to a rights issue for the acquisition of BMARC. [33108]

As the opening paragraphs of the inspectors' report on Astra Holdings plc makes clear, the inspectors were asked to investigate in particular the circumstances surrounding the acquisition by Astra of PRB sa and the rights issue made in that connection. The inspectors also investigated a number of ancillary matters and reviewed the company's accounting policies. In relation to the acquisition by Astra of BMARC, the inspectors' report concentrates on the effect of this acquisition on the results of the Astra group.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will summarise the findings of his Department's inspectors concerning the manner in which the directors of Astra Holdings had performed its duties. [33050]

I refer the hon. Member to the report of the inspectors on Astra Holdings plc, published by HMSO, ISBN 0115153514, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House.

Offshore Installations

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many oil and gas platforms in the North sea are estimated to he taken out of production by 2000; and of those how many are expected to be (a) brought ashore for dismantling; (b) toppled at site and (c) removed and sunk in a deep water location. [33536]

Depending upon field performance and economic factors at the time, current estimates indicate that some 32 fixed offshore installations on the United Kingdom continental shelf could reach the end of their lives by the turn of the century. Of these, 19 are located in water depths of less than 75 m and in accordance with international guidelines will be totally removed. Their disposal will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but it is likely that they will be returned to shore. Decisions on those installations in deeper water, where under international guidelines partial removal is permitted, will be taken according to individual circumstances and in the light of a comparative assessment of the alternative options. This will have proper regard for environmental considerations and other users of the sea, as well as risk, technical feasibility and cost in order to arrive at the best practicable environmental option.

Depressive Illnesses

To ask the President of the Boar of trade if he will introduce legislation providing safeguards to prevent persons suffering depressive illnesses from being discriminated against by insurance companies, and if he will make a statement. [33048]

No. However, the Disability Discrimination Bill, currently before parliament, will give some protection to people suffering severe depressive illness.

International Atomic Energy Agency Report

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the most recent safeguards implementation report was completed by the International Atomic Energy Agency; what comments were made in the report about the application of safeguards on United Kingdom facilities and materials exported from the United Kingdom; and if he will arrange for a copy of the report to he placed in the Library. [32876]

The International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards implementation report for 1994 was issued to members of the agency's board of governors in May 1995. The detailed report is confidential to the board of governors, but its contents will be summarised in the IAEA annual report for 1994, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House when it is published. In addition, the IAEA and its board of governors have recommended publication of an executive summary to the 1994 SIR, a copy of which will also be placed in the Library of the House when it becomes available.

Post Office

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the external financing limit for the Post Office for 1995–96; and what was the figure for the two previous years. [32820]

For 1995–96, the Post Office has been set a negative external financing limit of £213 million. For the two previous years, the figures were as follows:

£ million
Year	Target	Outturn
1993–94	-181	-182
1994–95	-226	-235

Newspapers

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his oral answer of 14 June, Official Report, column 777, what response he has received from the Director General of Fair Trading regarding concerns about newspaper carriage charges. [32824]

I understand that the Office of Fair Trading is monitoring carefully the effects of the recent changes in the newspaper industry, including their impact on carriage charges. The OFT will keep under consideration whether a further reference to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission would be justified.

Ceramic Industry

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the future employment potential of the ceramic industry in north Staffordshire. [33224]

As with any other, the prospects for this sector—including employment—depend on the strength of its international competitiveness. The Department is working with the sector on competitiveness through initiatives such as a tableware strategy group, a manufacturing improvement club and regular discussions with the British Ceramics Confederation on a range of other issues which affect its future prospects.

Mrs Figoni

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department intends to seek further medical evidence in the case of Mrs. Figoni of Glan Gors Fawr Rhosybol, Amlwch, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd, before announcing his decision on the application by British Gas for a compulsory purchase order in respect of land at Glans Gors Fawr; and when the expects to announce his decision. [32658]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: Having considered the matter carefully, I do not intend to seek further medical evidence. I expect a decision to be announced shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the procedure followed in the inquiry into the application for a compulsory purchase order by British Gas relating to land belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Figoni of Glan Gors Fawr Rhosybol, Amlwch, Ynys Mon, Gwynedd; and what assessment he has made of whether proper regard was given to the objections made to the location of the inquiry. [32659]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: I am satisfied that the procedure followed at the inquiry and the opportunities afforded for representations to be made subsequently were adequate to ensure that proper consideration could be given to all matters relating to British Gas's application and that proper regard was given to the one objection made with respect to the location of the inquiry.

Deregulation

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the criteria used by his Department to identify regulations as suitable for repeal. [33279]

I have been asked to reply.Under the deregulation initiative, Departments have reviewed all their regulations which impact on business to identify candidates for repeal or amendment. In so doing, each regulation is considered on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not it still serves a useful need and whether it is unduly burdensome.

Lord Chancellor's Department

Legal Aid (Inquests)

32.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what studies have been initiated to discover the demand for legal aid in regard to inquests. [31470]

None. However, this issue is raised in the legal aid Green Paper, on which the Government would welcome views.

Court Practices

33.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will introduce legislation to modernise courts' practices. [31471]

Courts' practices are already being modernised through the increased use of information technology—for example, the use of closed circuit television links for child witnesses, lap-top computers and communication links for the judiciary, case tracking systems in various courts, infra-red hearing enhancement systems in courtrooms, and two widely used computerised bulk issue centres for summonses and warrants.

Judicial Appointments

35.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities are currently (i) high court judges, (ii) county court judges, (iii) circuit judges and (iv) chairpersons of industrial tribunals. [31474]

On 1 June 1995 there were six female High Court judges, 31 female circuit judges and eight female full-time chairmen of industrial tribunals. On the same date there were, according to the best information we have available, no High Court judges of ethnic minority origin, four circuit judges of ethnic minority origin and two full-time chairmen of industrial tribunals of ethnic minority origin. Circuit judges sitting in the county court are included in the circuit judge figures.

Disabled People

36.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his Department's policy concerning the accessibility of the judicial system to disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [31475]

Facilities for disabled people are continuously reviewed and every effort is made to improve them as necessary.

Court Service (Delays)

37.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement regarding delays in the Court Service. [31476]

While there will always be an element of delay in all court proceedings, the Court Service is taking active measures to keep it to the minimum.

Legal Aid (Eligibility)

38.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent representations he has considered about eligibility for legal aid. [31478]

I receive many representations about legal aid eligibility. Recently there have been 50 responses to the consultation paper "Legal Aid for the Apparently Wealthy".

Limitation Legislation

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to complete his review of limitation legislation. [31473]

As I informed the hon. Member on 13 March, the review is to be carried out by the Law Commission. It announced in its sixth programme that it hopes to have completed its work on limitation periods generally by the end of 1998.

Law Commission

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects the Government to publish their response to the Law Commission's report on mental incapacity. [33057]

The Government have set up an interdepartmental working group, chaired by the Lord Chancellor's Department, to consider the Law Commission report on mental incapacity. The group is to produce an initial report for consideration by Ministers by September 1 1995. The Government's initial response will he published once Ministers have had an opportunity to consider the working group's report.

Small Claims

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to implement Lord Woolf's recommendation that the small claims limit, other than for personal injury claims, should be raised to £3,000. [33111]

No timetable has yet been set for the laying of a statutory instrument before the House.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to exclude all personal injury claims valued at under £1,000 from the small claims procedure. [33112]

In his interim report on access to justice Lord Woolf recommended that, pending the introduction of a new "fast track" procedure, personal injury cases up to £1,000 should remain within the small claims jurisdiction, and the Lord Chancellor has accepted this recommendation.

Internet

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to (a) allow or (b) compel HMSO to make available statutes, other official parliamentary publications from his Department and court judgments on the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [33113]

These and related matters are kept under review but it would be premature to make a statement.

Crown Office Liaison

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what liaison arrangements exist between his office and the Crown Office in Edinburgh. [31472]

The Lord Chancellor's Department and Crown Office consult each other on matters where they share a common interest.

Overseas Development Administration

Rms St Helena

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when it is anticipated that the report of consultants on the sailing schedule of RMS St. Helena will be published. [31580]

The consultants' draft report is currently under consideration. It is hoped that the final report will be available in approximately three months' time when copies will be made available to the Libraries of the House.

Population Control (China)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the amount of funding support given to the Chinese Family Planning Association by the Chinese Government. [32016]

We have asked the International Planned Parenthood Federation whether it can obtain this information. Any information received will he placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on whether the UNFPA has changed its view on whether the Chinese population control programme is totally voluntary. [32014]

The United Nations Population Fund does not claim that the ways in which the Chinese family planning programmes are implemented are always voluntary. UNFPA has continuously voiced its concern to the Government of China over reports of coercion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the prevalence of articles encouraging coercive population control in Chinese newspapers in the 1990s. [32010]

We are not able to monitor all press publications in China. However, we understand that the press generally reflects official policy on population issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the sums given by the UNFPA to the construction of factories in China for the manufacture of intra-uterine devices; how many factories have been built; when they were completed; how many IUDs are manufactured each year; if such IUDs are inserted coercively; and if China now imports IUDs. [32018]

The United Nations Population Fund has assisted in the upgrading of five copper IUD manufacturing facilities at a cost of approximately $7 million. China has at least one other such facility. We do not have information on the completion dates of these facilities, or the number of IUDs currently being manufactured in, or imported to, China. We have received reports that IUDs have sometimes been inserted coercively, and we totally condemn such practices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the training given by the UNFPA for Chinese population control officials; and if such training is offered to officials from the national, state and prefectural levels of Chinese government; what computer hardware and software is provided by the UNFPA to (a) the Chinese State Family Planning Commission and (b) prefectural level population control offices; what systems this equipment was designed to run and to what use the equipment is now being put; and what information he has on the training offered by the UNFPA in the use of IT for population control purposes. [32006]

The United Nations Population Fund's recent training has focused on interpersonal counselling and informed consent practices for family planning and health workers at local level.UNFPA supplied computers for both the 1982 and 1990 censuses, and it has supplied computers to 22 Chinese universities for teaching population science. The computers that were provided for censuses are now used for inter-census surveys and research.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on any statements made by the IPPF or UNFPA which specifically condemn the use of coercion in population control in China. [32012]

Both the United Nations Population Fund and the International Planned Parenthood Federation make it clear in their policies and statements that they strongly oppose the use of coercion in population and reproductive health programmes. Neither organisation issues public statements criticising the population policies of any individual country. However, both have expressed their concern, in written and oral communications with the Chinese authorities, about reported incidents of coercion. We believe that both the UNFPA and IPPF are capable of making the right judgments about how best they can help towards improving population and reproductive health policies in individual countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the role played by the Chinese State Family Planning Commission in the drafting and dissemination of coercive family planning regulations to Chinese states since 1979, in organising coercive population control initiatives, and in the initiation and implementation of the responsibility system and the veto with one vote system in which cadres are judged by their results in keeping to the one child policy. [32008]

We understand that the State Family Planning Commission has overall responsibility for policy on family planning, and that provincial people's congresses, municipalities and autonomous regions are responsible for establishing their own regulations relating to family size. Responsibility for programme implementation rests with provincial family planning commissions. We have no authoritative information on the "responsibility system".

Philippines Cordillera

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the European Union agricultural assistance programme in the Philippines Cordillera; and what changes he will be seeking in the next phase of this programme. [31845]

The European Commission has not yet released the results of a recent evaluation of the Philippines Cordillera project. We understand, however, that it is likely to recommend the funding of a second phase of the project. We will seek to ensure the evaluation findings are fully reflected in the proposals for any such second phase.

Wales

Departmental Policies

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to continue with all the policies of his last two predecessors. [31451]

The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

To ask the Secretary State for Wales what changes of policy he plans. [31454]

The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

Voluntary Sector

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he intends to take to encourage the work of the voluntary sector in Wales. [31438]

We shall continue to encourage, develop and maintain a strong, vigorous and independent voluntary sector.

Caretakers

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will provide funding to improve the working conditions of caretakers in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [31439]

This is a matter for the employers involved.

Departmental Priorities

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will state his priorities for the next six months. [31441]

The Government's policies for Wales are clear and will continue.

State Nursery Schools

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has of the percentage of children of the age of three and four years currently in state nursery schools; and if he will make a statement. [31442]

Some 5 per cent. of three and four-year-olds in Wales currently attend maintained nursery schools, either full or part time. Almost another 31 per cent. attend nursery classes in maintained primary schools, and a further 36.5 per cent. attend maintained schools' reception classes, again either full or part-time.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment announced on 6 July,

Official Report, columns 517–32, our proposals to give all parents the opportunity to choose a publicly funded place in nursery education for their four-year-olds.

Official Duties

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he divides his time between his role as Secretary of State for Wales and his other official duties. [31443]

I have no other official duties.

National Health Service (Dental Services)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many representations he has received on NHS dental cover in Wales during the past 12 months. [31445]

In the past 12 months, 218 representations on the question of dental cover have been received either from or on behalf of people living in Wales. Of these, 136 were for hon. Members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what progress has been made regarding the provision of NHS dental treatment in Wales. [31453]

There are presently 850 general dental practitioners in Wales, 36 per cent. more than in 1979. Some 1.7 million patients are registered with a dentist and some £68 million was spent on NHS dentistry in 1993–94.Earlier this year the then Secretary of State announced that he was making a further £2.5 million available in Wales to improve dental services in the community and an announcement will be made soon about how that money will be spent.

Unitary Authorities

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to meet leaders of the new unitary authorities in Wales to discuss service provision. [31446]

I have already meet the leaders of two of the new unitary authorities and my colleagues and I look forward to meeting all of the other leaders in the future.

Welsh Grand Committee

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will renew the policies put forward in 1992 on the meetings and format of the Welsh Grand Committee. [31448]

It is up to the Committee to determine when and where it meets and such things are arranged through the usual channels.

Rural White Paper

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for a rural White Paper for Wales. [31450]

My right hon. Friend and I have no plans to publish a rural White Paper for Wales.

Civil Service (Jobs)

To ask the Secretary or State for Wales how many full-time civil service jobs there are in Wales; and how many he expects there to be in two years time. [31452]

There were 28,724 full-time equivalent civil servants in Wales at 1 April 1994. This figure includes part-time staff who are counted as half units. Information on full-time staff only is not held centrally. The civil service will remain a significant employer in Wales.

Welsh Development Agency (Property Sales)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what effect he expects the sale of Welsh Development Agency property to have on future investment and job creation in Wales. [31455]

Receipts from the sale of Welsh Development Agency property will be reinvested in the economy of Wales to create more jobs and more investment.

Fire Service (Reorganisation)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to visit Wales in the next month to discuss the response to the proposals to reorganise the fire service. [31457]

No, the responsibility for fire brigades and their reorganisation in Wales rests with my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary.

Countryside Council For Wales (Budget)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will reverse the recent reductions in the budget of the Countryside Council for Wales. [31459]

The most recent adjustment to the budget of the Countryside Council for Wales was an addition of up to £525,000 to enable necessary new work to be undertaken in the current financial year.

Landfill Sites

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his policy on the tipping of contaminated soil and other substances in landfill sites. [31460]

Landfill sites for the disposal of waste must be licensed by waste regulation authorities. Individual licence conditions determine the types of waste which may be deposited at a site.The Government have provided guidance to waste regulation authorities in a series of waste management papers.

Tuberculosis (Cattle)

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what advice he has received on the reason for the change in the number of positive tuberculosis tests for cattle in the last five years. [31735]

There has been an increase incidence of the disease and investigations support the contention that much of the increase is due to infection from badgers. The Government are already carrying out research into ways of avoiding transmission of disease from badgers to cattle, including studies on the effects of badger removal operations on the badger population and their impact on the subsequent spread of disease within the badger population.

A55

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the estimated cost of building the dual carriageway A55 expressway between Chester and Bangor in current prices. [32931]

The information is not available in the form requested. The improvements to the A55 between Chester and Bangor cost some £700 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the completion date of the dual carriageway from Menai Bridge to Holyhead. [32930]

Schemes to extend the A55 dual carriageway across Anglesy are included in the "programmed" pool, planned to start before April 1998, of the forward trunk road programme published in the Welsh Office's departmental report, Cm 2815, on 9 March 1995. Once started, the schemes will be completed, as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of building the Conway A55 expressway tunnel. [32933]

The cost was £228,000,000.

Housing

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he will take to encourage local authority and housing association homes for single men; and if he will make a statement. [32936]

Cm 2901, "Our Future Homes", published on 27 June, set out the Government's proposals for meeting future housing need.

Bypasses

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost of building (a) the Hawarden bypass (b) the Chester southerly bypass (c) the Norling bypass and (d) the Mold bypass in current prices. [32932]

The information is not available in the form requested. The actual cost of each scheme was: (a) Hawarden bypass, £32,000,000; (b) Chester southerly bypass, £16,000,000; (c) Northop bypass, £14,000,000; (d) Mold bypass, £18,000,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he proposes to build the Alltami bypass; and if he will make a statement. [32934]

Proposals for an Alltami bypass form part of the A494 Mold-Ewloe improvement. This scheme is included in the longer-term consideration pool of the forward trunk road programme published in the Welsh Office's departmental report, Cm 2815, on 9 March 1995.

Rail Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how he proposes to encourage passenger and freight traffic to move from road to rail; and if he will make a statement. [32929]

The Government's programme for transferring the railways to the private sector will result in improved and more attractive services. Freight facilities grants are available to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail or inland waterway where this would provide significant environmental benefits.

Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to pay interest on hill livestock compensatory allowances to farmers in the event of late payment. [32389]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Clwyd, South-West (Mr. Jones) on 27 June 1995, Official Report, column 614.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of farmers have now received hill livestock compensatory allowance payments for the current year. [32364]

Ninety-one per cent.

Agricultural Claims

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of appeals against disallowance of claims for agricultural subsidies in the last complete year for which figures are available; and how many appeals succeeded on the grounds that the applicant had made a genuine mistake in providing the information. [32363]

This information is not recorded and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nurses' Pay

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 200, if he will list the dates on which each trust and directly managed unit in Wales employing nurses made a pay offer. [33288]

This information is not held centrally.

Waiting Lists

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 3 July, Official Report, column 46, what special measures he proposes to assist those health authorities with out-patient waiting lists in excess of six months' waiting time to bring their lists into line with patients charter undertakings. [33290]

The second tranche of waiting times initiative moneys, some £6.7 million, was released to health authorities in April. All authorities have confirmed their commitment to the hospital waiting times measures in the patients charter for Wales. By the end of September it should be rare for anyone to have waited over six months for a first out-patient appointment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 3 July, Official Report, column 46, how many patients on the waiting lists of general practitioner fundholders are included within the total given for health authorities in each of the two columns listed. [33289]

The information relating to waiting lists at 31 March 1995 is shown separately for patients of health authorities and general practitioner fundholders in the table:

	Number waiting more than six months for out-patient appointment		Number waiting more than 18 months for in-patient or day case treatment
Health authority area	Health Authority lists	GP fundholder lists	Health authority lists	GP fundholder lists
Clwyd	477	224	74	—
Dyfed	1,231	63	92	17
Gwent	2,588	433	2	—
Gwynedd	315	270	11	11
Mid Glamorgan	3,091	445	184	19
Powys	206	—	—	—
South Glamorgan	2,612	1,187	132	24
West Glamorgan	1,739	1,643	65	35
Wales	12,259	4,265	560	106

National Parks

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of access agreements made in each national park in the most recent year for which figures are available. [33489]

The information is not available centrally. I will obtain the information from the parks and write to the hon. Member.

Scotland

Co-Operatives

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he is taking to ensure that Scottish Enterprise recognises the potential of co-operatives in Scotland; what joint activities it is undertaking with the Scottish Co-operative Development Committee to this end; and if he will make a statement. [32473]

The Government encourage Scottish Enterprise to work closely with other relevant organisations to create opportunities for enterprise, employment and self-employment in Scotland. Co-operatives have a role to play in this. Any joint activity involving Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Co-operative Development Committee is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked its chairman to write to the hon. Member.

Women's Aid Groups

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will increase funding and assistance to women's aid groups; and if he will make a statement. [32607]

The majority of the funding for local women's aid projects is provided by local housing and social work authorities. Housing authorities have a statutory duty to assist people who are homeless or potentially homeless, including women who are fleeing domestic violence. Under the community care arrangements, local social work authorities can contract with women's aid groups to provide support and accommodation to the victims of domestic violence. Local agencies are best placed to determine the requirement for such services in response to local needs and circumstance.A large majority of the local women's aid refuges in Scotland are affiliated to the national umbrella organisation, Scottish Women's Aid. Scottish Office grant funding to the SWA has increased by over 60 per cent. in the past three years and provides around 75 per cent. of the organisation's total income.The Scottish Office also assists local women's aid projects through the urban programme. The Scottish Office provides 75 per cent. of the urban aid grant, with local authorities meeting the balance. Urban programme funding for women's aid projects has also increased significantly in recent years.

Quality Standards

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make all companies which supply Scottish Office and local authorities meet and attain BS5750 standards; and if he will make a statement. [32606]

My Department is very conscious of the importance of a range of quality issues and gives these due weight in reaching procurement decisions. It is for the supplier to determine the quality management system to be used in providing goods or services, and my Department requires to be assured that there are such systems in place and it is normal practice to ask suppliers to describe these in their bid or at the pre-qualification stage. Accreditation to BS5750 is a helpful way for suppliers to demonstrate their quality systems, but we do not insist on this as it is not appropriate in all cases and there can be satisfactory alternatives.In relation to local authorities, it is for authorities themselves to determine the quality which they require. The question of whether or not a supplier has BS5750 accreditation is one factor which authorities may wish to take into account. For services subject to compulsory competitive tendering, we issued guidance to authorities on quality assurance in the Scottish Office Environment Department circular 13/93.

Concessionary Travel Schemes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will introduce a national concession travel scheme in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [32608]

No. Regional and islands councils have discretionary powers under section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 which allow any local authority, or any two or more local authorities acting jointly, to establish a concessionary travel scheme for eligible categories of person. After local government reform, the new councils will retain these powers and the Strathclyde passenger transport authority will have the power to establish a scheme for its area. Decisions on the extent and administration of such schemes are entirely for the local authorities to consider, taking account of local needs and circumstances. The Government see no need to introduce a national concession travel scheme in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on arrangements for concessionary travel for passengers over the age of retirement after April 1996. [32894]

After local government reform the new councils will retain the discretionary powers under section 93 of the Transport Act 1985 which allow any local authority, or any two or more local authorities acting jointly, to establish a concessionary travel scheme for eligible categories of person including passengers over retirement age. The Strathclyde passenger transport authority will also have the power to establish a scheme for its area. Decisions on the extent and administration of such schemes are entirely for the local authorities to consider, taking account of local needs and circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those local authorities that currently operate concessionary travel rates for pensioners. [32895]

All Scottish regional and islands councils operate a concessionary travel scheme, although the eligible categories and charges may vary between local authorities. The scheme operated by Orkney islands council is restricted to the inter-islands air service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the current net real cost of allowing concessionary travel schemes for pensioners in the last three years for which figures are available. [32896]

Concessionary travel schemes are provided for different categories of person and separate figures are unavailable for pensioners. Local authority net expenditure on total concessionary fares in Scotland over the last three years is as follows:

£ thousand
	Cash terms	Real terms¹
1992–93	38,868	41,960
1993–94	41,518	43,514
1994–95	45,735	47,107
¹ Calculated from Her Majesty's Treasury GDP deflators dated 28 June 1995 converted to 1995–96 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate the cost of extending concessionary fare practices to other local authority areas that currently have no concessionary schemes. [32897]

All regional and islands councils already operate concessionary fares schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to meet local government representatives, pensioner organisations and the other interested parties to discuss concessionary travel schemes for retired people; and if he will make a statement. [32898]

No meetings are planned. Decisions on the extent and administration of such schemes are entirely for the local authorities to consider, taking account of local needs and circumstances.

Farm Thefts

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the number of cases of livestock theft for each of the last 10 years; [33130](2) what was the number of cases of theft of produce from fields for each of the last 10 years; [33131](3) what was the number of burglaries on farms and farm out-buildings for each of the last 10 years. [33132]

The information requested is not collected centrally.

Travelling People

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what guidance has been given to procurators fiscal concerning action to move on travelling people from unauthorised encampments in districts where official sites are available for travelling people; and if he will make a statement on the encampment by the A198 road at Prestongrange, East Lothian. [33060]

Since 1 April 1985, the toleration of unlawful encampment by travelling people has been linked to achievement by local authorities of provision of pitch targets set by the Secretary of State for Scotland on the basis of recommendations by his Advisory Committee on Scotland's Travelling People. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate has issued instructions to procurators fiscal to the effect that, in considering the appropriateness of criminal proceedings in relation to unlawful encampment by travelling people, they need not have regard to the policy of toleration where the relevant local authority has met its pitch target. These instructions relate to the consideration of criminal proceedings where a report has been received from the police. The procurator fiscal at Haddington has yet to receive a report from Lothian and Borders police in relation to any encampment by the A198 road at Prestongrange, East Lothian.

Private Finance Initiatives

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list those projects incorporating private finance initiatives in Scotland specifying (a) the value of the private finance, (b) the region and (c) the type of industry. [29619]

[holding answer 28 June 1995]: Details of projects involving the private finance initiative which are currently under way in Scotland are contained in the table. The value of each project is estimated since the investment has come from the private sector and thus falls outwith the responsibility of the Scottish Office.

£ Million
Project	Estimated value £
Skye Bridge	23.6
Ayrshire and Arran Health Boards:
90 elderly care beds at Irvine	3.8
Lothian Health Board:
Joint Venture on siting of Clinical Genetic Service	0.8

£ Million
Project	Estimated value £
Lothian and Forth Valley Trust Consortium:
Waste collection and incineration	5.0
Northern Consortium Trusts and Health Boards:
Waste collection and incineration	5.0

The Scottish Office document, "Private Finance Partnership in Scotland", published in March 1995 identified potential projects with a total value of £2.68 billion.

Feudal Superiors

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on district councils' legal rights over feudal superiors of land on which houses are owned by district councils or the individual occupiers. [30662]

[holding answer 27 June 1995]: In general, district councils' relationship with feudal superiors in respect of land is the same as that of any other owners. District councils have, for instance, the same right as other owners to apply to a lands tribunal to seek variation or discharge of feudal rights under section 1 of the Conveyancing and Feudal Reform (Scotland) Act 1970.District councils have no legal rights in relation to feudal superiors of land owned by individual householders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what legislation has been enacted to ensure feudal superiors could not repossess council houses bought under the right-to-buy legislation; and if he will make a statement on the legal rights of feudal superiors over land on which a council house has been purchased by the occupier and on the legal rights of the occupiers of houses previously owned by the local council on the ownership of their homes in relation to their feudal superior. [30664]

[holding answer 10 July 1995]: The legal position is unclear following a decision of the Court of Session on 3 March 1995 which indicated that the right to buy does not prevail over rights of pre-emption of feudal superiors. That decision, however, did not deal with any other feudal rights and did not address the question of whether the superior could exercise a right of irritancy in respect of past right-to-buy sales in contravention of a right of pre-emption.The need for clarification of the law to protect the rights of purchasers is being considered.

Research Projects

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many research projects were commissioned by the Scottish Office for 1993–94 and 1994–95. [31890]

[holding answer 3 July 1995]: The Scottish Office commissioned 706 research projects in 1993–94 and 712 in 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will name the companies, and where they are based, which were commissioned by the Scottish Office to carry out research projects in 1993–94,1994–95 and from April 1995; what research project each company was commissioned to carry out in each period; and how much each research company was paid for each project in each period. [31893]

[holding answer 3 July 1995]: Information is not readily available in the form requested. Where appropriate, details of research projects, and those commissioned to undertake them, are published, for example in the Scottish Office central research unit's "Register of Research", a copy of which is available in the Library.Most of the Scottish Office's research is commissioned with specialist research institutes or university departments rather than with companies.

Child Care

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has for future funding of out-of-school care projects and development work (a) where there is Scottish Enterprise involvement and (b) on any other basis. [32233]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: The current out-of-school child care initiative will continue to be delivered in Scotland by the enterprise network until March 1996. As in England, any further proposals will be made in light of the final evaluation of the scheme.

Further Education (Capital Equipment)

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what examination is made of the system for disbursing capital equipment moneys following their transfer from individual further education colleges to the enterprise companies; to whom decisions on disbursement are accountable; what provision is made for publicising disbursement decisions; and what opportunities arise for students and other interested parties to influence the process. [32112]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: No funds have been transferred from individual further education colleges to local enterprise companies for disbursement to colleges for the acquisition of capital equipment.

Blood Supplies

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of blood supplies in each region was supplied to private hospitals in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will indicate the number of units involved. [32991]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: The Scottish national blood transfusion service supplies blood and blood products from five regional transfusion centres. The latest information available about the supply of blood to non-NHS hospitals is for 1993–94. This is as follows:

	Blood product units
North RTC	0
North East RTC	408
East RTC	169
South East RTC	637
West RTC	1,975
Total	3,189

The units issued to non-NHS hospitals represented less than 1 per cent. of total issues by regional transfusion centres during this period.

Nhs (Moneys In Trust)

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the value of moneys held in trust by individual NHS trusts and health authorities. [32973]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: This information is not held centrally.

National Heritage

Kensington Palace (Tours)

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage who organises and sets the admission prices of summer evening tours of Kensington palace; and who receives the proceeds. [32945]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has statutory responsibility for the funding, management and presentation to the public of the state apartments and royal ceremonial dress collection at Kensington palace. Day-to-day responsibility for admission prices, the receipt of the proceeds and opening arrangements is delegated to the chief executive of Historic Royal Palaces, which is an executive agency of the Department of National Heritage.

Advertising

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much has been spent on outside advertising agencies for each year since 1979; and if he will list the specific advertising campaigns undertaken by his Department, their purpose and their cost. [32483]

Since it was formed in April 1992, neither my Department nor the Royal Parks agency has commissioned any outside advertising agencies. However, the Historical Royal Palaces agency regularly undertakes advertising campaigns to promote the palaces for which it is responsible. The costs since April 1992 are as follows:

1992–93: £205,089
1993–94: £717,000
1994–95: £548,000

The specific advertising campaigns, their purpose and individual costs are broken down as follows:

1992–93

(i) TOWER OF LONDON

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
Cost: £92,000

(ii) HAMPTON COURT PALACE

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
Cost: £113,089

1993–94

(i) TOWER OF LONDON

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
Cost: £355,000

(ii) HAMPTON COURT PALACE

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
To increase the ratio of domestic visitors to overseas visitors.
To change the perceptions of Hampton Court palace to a place where history comes to life.
Cost: £262,000

(iii) CORPORATE SALES PROMOTION

Purpose: To launch the royal pass entitling visitors to entry to all palaces for £15.
Cost: £100,000

1994–95

(i) TOWER OF LONDON

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
To launch the re-presentation of the Crown jewels.
Cost: £370,000

(ii) HAMPTON COURT PALACE

Purpose: To increase the number of visitors.
Cost: £92,000

(iii) CORPORATE SALES PROMOTION

Purpose: To consolidate further the royal pass and develop a multi-lingual joint Palaces leaflet.
Cost: £86,000

Capital Spending

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the expected capital spending figure for his Department for 1994–95; and what is the latest budget figure. [30878]

[holding answer 28 June 1995]: The information requested is as follows:

£ million
Department of National Heritage	1994–95	1995–96
Central Government's own expenditure	167	188
Public Corporations' expenditure	155	130
Local authority expenditure	261	—
Total	583	318

There are no figures currently available giving the departmental breakdown of planned local authority capital expenditure in 1995–96. The total capital expenditure 1995–96 will not therefore be comparable with the figure for 1994–95.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Sheep Scab

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received, since I January, asserting that the incidence of sheep scab has increased since compulsory dipping was discontinued, and if he will make a statement on his policy towards (a) making sheep scab a notifiable disease, (b) making dipping compulsory on farms where scab has been found and (c) making testing for scab compulsory on neighbouring farms. [30271]

The Department has received a number of representations on the subject of sheep scab since 1 January.In response to claims early last year that the incidence of sheep scab had increased, we carried out our own investigations in March 1994 into the level of scab at markets and in flocks treated by private veterinary surgeons. Although the results were not conclusive, they indicated that the number of infested sheep had increased. In co-operation with the industry, we conducted a publicity campaign to encourage farmers to treat their sheep for scab. In addition, the official veterinary presence at markets was significantly increased; infested animals are being withdrawn from sale and treated and the owners risk prosecution under animal welfare legislation.A second state veterinary service survey has indicated that the numbers of sheep affected by scab sent to markets and sales has declined. This is an encouraging sign and should help to reduce the spread of scab.However, reports from practising veterinary surgeons suggest that the number of infected farms is increasing. The veterinary surgeons also suggest that some farmers are not treating their sheep strictly in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions. This can lead to the temporary suppression of the disease which then re-establishes itself later.The full results of this years survey and those from last year are as follows:

	1994	1995
Market visits
Number	869	867
Batches with suspected scab	177	47
Per cent. visits where scab found	20	5
Serious welfare cases	13	6
Other outbreaks of scab found by SVS
Number	53	34
Outbreaks of scab known to private veterinary surgeons
Number	254	595

The Government are concerned at the increasing spread of sheep scab and accordingly propose to carry out a publicity campaign to encourage good management practices, including the proper use of the available treatments. The newly established Meat Hygiene Service will be watching out for signs of scab infestation in sheep arriving at slaughterhouses and will report any welfare cases to the state veterinary service for follow-up action on the farms concerned. Where necessary, appropriate action will be taken under farm animal welfare legislation. We will also be continuing our increased surveillance of sheep sales and taking follow-up action in connection with any welfare problems associated with scab infestation.In addition to the initiatives above, I have asked officials to consider what other options may be available for dealing with the disease.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason the policy of compulsory sheep dipping was changed, and if he will make a statement. [31246]

The decision to remove statutory controls for sheep scab, which included compulsory dipping, was mainly based on the failure of these arrangements to eradicate the disease and the view that they were unlikely to do so in the future. Given also the substantial demands placed on the state veterinary service and local authorities, the lack of EC interest in the disease—which would make it difficult to prevent scab being reintroduced again on imported animals—and the lack of commitment shown by a substantial minority of farmers, it was decided that Government involvement in the control of sheep scab could no longer be justified.This does not mean that the Government are no longer concerned about the threat posed by scab and I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson).

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the recorded levels of sheep scab in each of the last five years. [31244]

The numbers of confirmed cases of sheep scab in Great Britain in 1991 and 1992 were as follows:

1991: 116
1992 (to 30 June): 94

The collation of official records on the number of outbreaks of sheep scab was discontinued after deregulation in 1992.The official veterinary presence at sheep markets was increased between 1 September 1994 and 3 March 1995, during which time suspected sheep scab was detected in 49 out of 2,878 market visits. In total, 364 animals had to be withdrawn from sale and treated under the Welfare of Animals at Markets Order 1990 and a further 210 animals with suspected sheep scab were sent direct to slaughter.For further information on the amount of scab discovered during surveys conducted by the state veterinary service in March 1994 and March 1995, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Nicholson).

Voluntary Oranisations

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many voluntary sector organisations his Department has (a) paid grants to or (b) entered into contracts in (i) 1993–94 and (ii) 1994–95; and what was the total value of these grants and contracts. [31314]

The information required to answer is not held centrally and can be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Milk Testing

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider establishing a national body to check standards of milk testing for British farmers. [31670]

The Intervention Board executive agency, which is responsible for administering milk quotas throughout the United Kingdom, has already commissioned the Central Science Laboratory to check standards at laboratories which are approved to carry out butterfat tests on milk.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider establishing national calibration standards in respect of testing for butter fat, protein and total bacteria content in milk. [31668]

The suggestion that a simple source for calibration standards be specified, whilst acceptable in principle to the Intervention Board executive agency and to those laboratories participating in milk testing, may be difficult to prescribe. It would, effectively, prevent those organisations currently supplying such standards from continuing to do so. In the current climate of deregulation within the United Kingdom dairy industry such action would need to be considered carefully and justified in terms of a clearly identified need.

Tuberculosis (Cattle)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received on the reason for the change in the number of positive tuberculosis tests for cattle in the last five years. [31736]

There has been an increased incidence of disease and approximately 90 per cent. of the cattle tuberculosis herd breakdowns in the south-west of England are attributed to infection by badgers after detailed epidemiological investigations. The Department is already carrying out research into ways of avoiding transmission of disease from badgers to cattle and is co-operating with university departments on studies on the effects of badger removal operations on the badger population and their impact on the subsequent spread of disease within the badger population.

Integrated Administration And Control System

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on the proposals to amend the system of field numbering on maps which are to accompany forms associated with the integrated administration and control system. [32362]

A range of farming industry organisations has been consulted on proposals which, if adopted, would involve changing the system of issuing field numbers, for the purpose of applications under the integrated administration and control system. Officials are considering comments from those who have responded and meeting with organisations where appropriate.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department has completed the exercise of standardising maps which are to accompany forms associated with the integrated administration and control system. [32361]

My Department is not carrying out an exercise of standardising maps. However, a wide range of checks is carried out on applications under the integrated administration and control system. These include detailed checks of field data and maps submitted in support of area aid applications.

Bull Calves

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to stimulate the domestic market for bull calves; if he is actively considering encouraging the establishment of alternative rearing systems or introducing tighter animal welfare systems; what help is being offered to United Kingdom farmers to assist in establishing a realistic animal friendly alternative that would help to end the continental trade in live animals for veal production; and if he will make a statement. [32425]

The United Kingdom has since 1990 banned close confinement systems of veal rearing, and we are now working hard to achieve agreement to raise the less exacting minimum standards which apply at European Union level.Only a minority of bull calves born in the UK are exported live. None-the-less a move from live exports to the value added business of producing meat in the UK makes sense in the long run. The Ministry is encouraging this through research into improving the quality of dairy bread beef, and work with the Meat and Livestock Commission to promote beef exports.We are also funding a demonstration unit on welfare friendly veal at the ADAS research centre at Rosemaund, near Hereford. The aim of this unit, which opens later this month, is to show how to produce veal under systems which conform to the UK's high welfare standards.

Fishing Incidents

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many incidents have taken place between British fishing vessels and fishing vessels of other European Union countries in each of the last three years. [32672]

Incidents between fishing vessels can take place in varying circumstances and are not necessarily reported to fishery protection vessels or to the fishery inspectorates. Comprehensive records of such incidents are not kept.

Fishing (Discussions)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to meet representatives of the fishing industry to discuss access to the Irish box and western waters. [31160]

[holding answer 6 July 19951]: My predecessor met representatives of the fishing industry on a number of occasions recently at which this issue was discussed, and I propose to do so again as the need arises.

Meat Levies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 26 June, Official Report, column 528, on meat levies, what were the total levies for (a) sheep and (b) calves in each year since 1990; and what would be the total revenue raised for the Meat and Livestock Commission for (a) sheep, and (b) calves and (c) other in each year since 1992 if animal exporters had paid the levies on each animal exported in each year since 1992. [32388]

[holding reply sent on 6 July 19951]: The information requested is as follows.

(1) Total levy receipts
£ million
	(a) sheep	(b) calves
1989–90	8.6	0.02
1990–91	9.8	0.02
1991–92	10.1	0.02
1992–93	10.0	0.03
1993–94	9.8	0.03

(2) Total levy due
£ million
	(a) Sheep	(b) Calves	(c) Others
1991–92	10.2	0.02	19.0
1992–93	10.3	0.03	18.7
1993–94	10.1	0.03	19.8

Health

Nhs Loto

To ask the Secretary of state for Health (1) what rules govern the use of the letters NHS in publicity for private companies' projects; [31353](2) what discussions have taken place between his Department and the organisers of NHS Loto to discuss

(a) the distribution of any funds generated, (b) advising on the re-launch of the NHS Loto and (c) departmental approval of the project; and if he will make a statement; [31354]

(3) what permission was sought from his Department to use the letters NHS to promote the NHS Loto. [31352]

The use of the letters NHS is not the subject of any express provisions in legislations.NHS Loto is run by the registered charity National Hospital Trust and operated on its behalf by Pascal and Co. The trustees of the National Hospital Trust sought the endorsement of Department of Health Ministers prior to the relaunch of NHS Loto on 1 June 1995. This was not forthcoming.

Centre For Epilepsy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of the Centre for Epilepsy. [31862]

I have the personal written assurance of the chairman of the King's Healthcare national health service trust, Mr. Stanley Kalms, that the trust will encourage the development of specialised multidisciplinary treatment and care for people with epilepsy and will help the centre to establish itself as the focus for this.At present, the Centre for Epilepsy is established at the Maudsley hospital site. Owing to the current reorganisation of neurosciences services at the Maudsley, the centre has recently moved into temporary accommodation. The chief executive of the trust, has assured me at a meeting on 26 June, that the centre will return to permanent accommodation within the Maudsley hospital during November this year.

Research Grants

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which members of (a) the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy, (b) the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food and (c) the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food receive research grants from his Department. [32419]

Only Dr. S. Bingham and Professor M. Marmont of the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy have research contracts funded through the Department's policy research programme or the nutrition research programme.

Sensible Drinking

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the findings of the review of the "Sensible Drinking" message; and if he will make a statement. [32815]

I expect the interdepartmental group on sensible drinking to complete its work around the end of the year.

Nutrition Task Force

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the estimated budget for 1995–96 and 1996–97 for the nutrition task force; [32720](2) what future changes are planned for the nutrition task force and if he will make a statement. [32719]

The nutrition task force, which was set up in November 1992 to bring together relevant interests and prepare a programme of action to achieve the diet and nutrition targets in The Health of the Nation" White Paper, published its programme in March 1994. The remit of the task force was extended by a further year to set in train the implementation of the programme. It will make a final report to Ministers by the end of the year. The task force's remit to develop the programme will then have been fulfilled. Action set in hand as a result of the task force's work will be completed by the relevant sectors within the wider community.

The nutrition task force does not have a specific budget. Expenses are paid to members under normal rules. A total of £250,000 has been allocated for expenditure in 1995–96 on publicity arising from the nutrition task force programme. A similar bid has been made for 1996–97.

Child Abuse

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the local authority children's homes in England and Wales where child sex abuse is known to have taken place in each of the last three years. [32859]

This information is not available centrally.

Treatments

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to ensure that additional costs of metered water for essential water intensive health treatments, including hydro-therapy and renal dialysis, do not fall on (a) the health service and (b) patients. [32711]

Since April 1994, local health authorities have been responsible for meeting the costs of water used in the course of home haemodialysis by patients whose water supply is metered by their local water company. I am not aware of other conditions which require equivalent volumes of water for treatment provided at home. These arrangements have been introduced relatively recently; there are no plans to review them at this stage.

Nutrition Monitoring

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies on monitoring nutrition his Department plans to commission over the next two years. [32721]

My Department plans to commission this year, jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the national diet and nutrition survey of children aged four to 18 years.

Elderly Patients, Wandsworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many national health service beds in hospitals in the London borough of Wandsworth are available for the nursing of elderly patients. [33107]

Information is not available centrally in the form requested.

Performance Tables

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the performance of (a) the Dorset Healthcare national health service trust and (b) the national health service as a whole; and if he will make a statement. [33699]

I would like to congratulate the Dorset Healthcare trust on its excellent performance in the national health service performance tables for the second year running. Not only has the trust improved its performance against the existing performance tables indicators but the new indicators introduced this year show that 100 per cent. of patients are seen in out-patient clinics within 13 weeks of referral by their general practitioner. Copies of the NHS performance tables are available in the Library.The tables show yet another year of achievement for the NHS as a whole. Performance has improved so that:

93 per cent. of patients are now assessed within five minutes in accident and emergency departments;

88 per cent. of patients are now seen within 30 minutes of their appointment times;

over half of hospitals admitted 95 per cent. or more of patients in the eight main surgical specialties within 12 months of going on a waiting list;

The figures for day surgery also show substantial improvement. Over 60 per cent. of arthroscopies and laparoscopies, more than a quarter of inguinal hernia repairs and a third of cataracts are now done on a day surgery basis. This is a better option for many patients who prefer not to have to stay in hospital overnight.

Information is included in the tables for the first time on the waiting time to see a consultant following referral by a GP:

82 per cent. of patients are seen within 13 weeks of referral; and
95 per cent. within 26 weeks of referral.

These figures suggest that the NHS is well on course to meet the new patients charter standard, introduced on 1 April this year, of nine out of 10 patients being seen within 13 weeks and all patients being seen within 26 weeks.

The tables also show that 64 per cent. of GP practices have produced charters for their patients.

This is an impressive record of achievement. Trusts have earned more than 3,000 five-star ratings this year. But not every trust has performed well on every indicator and action is already under way to secure even better performance next year.

Community Psychiatric Nurses

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time equivalent community psychiatric nurses were working in the NHS in each year since 1992; and how many of these CPNs have received training to implement the proposed power of supervised discharge. [32243]

The number of whole-time equivalent qualified, unqualified and "other" nursing staff—excluding agency—working in the community psychiatric nursing area of work in the national health service hospital and community health services in each year since 1992 is as follows:

1992: 4,210
1993: 4,320

Notes:

1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten whole-time equivalents.

2. Agency staff are excluded.

3. Figures are for England as at 30 September each year.

4. 1993 is the latest year for which figures are available.

Source:

PD(STATS)B Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Information on nursing staff in the community psychiatric area of work who have undertaken training to implement the proposed power of supervised discharge is not available centrally.

Contracts (Eds)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the contracts his Department has with the computer company EDS. [33175]

The Department has no contracts with EDS.

Committee Membership

To ask the Secretary of State for Health who are the present members of (a) the Committee on the Safety of Medicines, (b) the Medicines Commission and (c) the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment; by whom they are employed; what consultancies or directorships each holds with chemical or pharmaceutical companies; and which are engaged in research on behalf of chemical or pharmaceutical companies. [32899]

The information will be placed in the Library.

Junior Doctors

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's change of policy regarding the place of registrars' and senior registrars' contracts following the abolition of regional health authorities. [33227]

Subject to formal negotiation with the medical profession and following the abolition of regional health authorities, contracts for registrars and senior registrars will be held by national health service trusts with deans of postgraduate medicine overseeing their educational needs. The detail of the new arrangements has yet to be agreed but it will need to ensure that continuity and quality of training programmes are protected under the new arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures will be introduced to aid junior doctors within training rotations to negotiate new contracts every six months with NHS trusts; and if he will make a statement. [33231]

Detailed arrangements for the transfer of junior doctors' contracts to national health service trusts are being discussed with the medical profession. These discussions include a package of safeguards. The six elements of this are:

national terms and conditions of service with a degree of local flexibility;

a "lead trusts" scheme to ensure that doctors on rotations are not required to strike new employment contracts with each new posting;

continuity of service via the Health Authorities Bill, now secured;

a network of employment, educational and service-level contracts tying the deans, trusts and junior doctors into a relationship designed to safeguard educational standards and appropriate levels of training;

a review of the proportion of junior doctors' salary costs funded by the deans; and

additional training of trust personnel staff to avoid some of the problems currently arising when trusts manage house officer and senior house officer contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to ensure that NHS trusts will honour agreements on nationally negotiated packages for junior doctors with special reference to the new deal which limits their hours of work. [33226]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are planned to ensure that NHS trusts implement national agreements limiting junior doctors' hours of work when NHS trusts are responsible for their contracts; and if he will make a statement. [33230]

National terms and conditions of service continue to apply to junior doctors including the limits on junior doctors' hours under the new deal which are set out in "Terms and Conditions of Service for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff (England and Wales)". All national health service trusts are required to comply with these limits.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional staff will be required in each NHS trust to manage junior doctors' contracts when their contracts are held at trust level; and if he will make a statement. [33229]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what will be the cost nationally of each NHS trust personnel department employing at least one additional member of staff to deal with junior doctors' contracts in the event of their being transferred to trust level after the abolition of regional health authorities. [33234]

It is for individual trusts to make decisions about staff numbers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made as to whether NHS trusts' personnel departments have staff with sufficient experience and knowledge to manage the complexities of junior doctors' contracts. [33228]

We are considering what training is necessary to ensure that registrar and senior registrar contracts are managed effectively.

Contraceptives

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has given for the provision of Norplant free by family planning clinics. [33271]

A full range of contraceptive services should be available to those who wish to use them. It is a matter for local health authorities to decide how best to use their resources to provide comprehensive and accessible services that meet the needs of local users.

Nhs Pension Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average amount contributed by the NHS to their pension fund prior to retirement of (a) female and (b) male doctors; [33237]

(2) what is the average amount paid in by comparable female and male doctors into the NHS pension scheme prior to retirement and the average amount female and male doctors receive in pension after retirement; [33236]

(3) for how many years female and male doctors have put the same contribution into NHS pension schemes; and for which years payments can be taken into account in calculation of widowers' pensions. [33272]

National health service employers contribute 4 per cent. of pensionable earnings to the national health service pension scheme in respect of their employees. Female and male doctors contribute 6 per cent. of their pensionable earnings to the scheme and contribution rates in every year have been the same for both sexes. Information is not available centrally about the amounts contributed, and average pension received, by staff groups. Widowers' benefits are based upon service accrued after 6 April 1988 unless cover for earlier service has been purchased.

Nhs Appointees (Payments)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is held by his Department or the NHS executive on expenditure on trust board and health authority member's allowances. [33249]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 16 February, Official Report, column 808, which gives the latest information available centrally about payments to members of health authorities and national health service trust boards.

Tendering

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 21 June, Official Report, column 259, what information his Department or the NHS executive holds on the costs associated with (a) market testing and (b) compulsory competitive tendering in the NHS. [33158]

Information is held on the value of a large number of individual service contracts which have been notified to the national health service executive by NHS trusts and other Units. Individual contract values are not released except with the prior agreement of the two parties concerned. It is not yet possible to access the information on contract values by numbers above or below a given size without detailed scrutiny of the full list of contracts.

Nhs Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS organisations entered into contracts with either (a) Touche Ross or (b) Arthur Anderson Chartered Accountants in the period from December 1993. [33145]

The information is not available centrally.

St Bartholomew's Hospital

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he is prepared to examine proposals to keep St. Bartholomew's hospital at Smithfield open. [33504]

The recent decision on the future of St. Bartholomew's hospital was right for patients and for the future of hospital services in east London. Alternative options for the future of the Smithfield site are currently being examined by a task force chaired by Sir Ronald Grierson.

Pay Review Body

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he has appointed the new chair of the Pay Review Body for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors; and if he will list the criteria for selection. [33270]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 4 July, Official Report, column 102, on this subject. An appointment will be made in due course by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

Hip Replacement Operations

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the percentage of hip replacement operations that required (a) one revision and (b) more than one revision in each of the past 12 years. [29268]

[holding answer 21 June 1995]: The information is not available in the form requested. The information in the table shows the proportion of the total number of hip operations in each of the last six years that were revisions. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

	Hip operations	Revisions	Percentage revisions
1988–89	46,490	2,882	6.2
1989–90	50,790	3,555	7.0
1990–91	50,725	3,449	6.8
1991–92	55,642	3,895	7.0
1992–93	57,437	3,963	6.9
1993–94	58,439	3,740	6.4

Source:

Hospital Episode Statistics—Estimate from 25 per cent. sample.

Hip operation codes—shortlist code WC1 and WC3.

OPCS4R codes W37-W39, W46-W48.

Revision code—37.3, 38.3, 39.3 46.3, 47.3 and 48.3.

Northern Ireland

Voluntary Organisations

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many voluntary sector organisations his Department has (a) paid grants to or (b) entered into contracts with in (i) 1993–94 and (ii) 1994–95; and what was the total value of these grants and contracts. [31306]

The information requested is as follows:

	Voluntary sector organisations		Voluntary sector organisations
Year	Paid grants	Value of grant £	Awarded contracts	Value of contract £
1993–94	1,342	77,597,234	326	68,086,243
1994–95	1,373	71,404,810	321	69,608,550

Some payments due under the letters of offer were made in the same financial year.

Dungiven Bypass

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he now expects work to begin on the Dungiven bypass. [32447]

The Dungiven bypass is not included in the Department's current five-year major road works programme.

Bridge Strengthening

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums have been expended to date on the bridge strengthening programme; and how long it will he and at what cost before the programme is complete. [32446]

In the last three years, approximately £13.2 million has been expended on the bridge assessment and strengthening programme. Information prior to 1992–93 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The provision allocation for the 1995–96 financial year is £5 million.It is planned that the assessment programme will be completed by 31 December 1998. The cost and the timing of the completion of the associated strengthening works will depend on the volume of work identified and the availability of finance.

Limavady Bypass

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he now expects work to begin on the construction of the Limavady bypass. [32448]

Work on the first stage of the Limavady bypass is due to commence in the 1997–98 financial year, subject to the availability of finance.

Further Education

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of capital expenditure on education has been devoted to further education in each of the past 10 years. [32904]

The information is as follows:

Year	Percentage
1984–85	3
1985–86	3
1986–87	4
1987–88	5
1988–89	9
1989–90	10
1990–91	9
1991–92	6
1992–93	8
1993–94	7

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the proposed five-year building programme for further education colleges in Northern Ireland. [32906]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 June, Official Report, column 466.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which further education colleges he has visited; and if he will make a statement on the physical condition of those colleges. [32903]

I have visited Fermanagh, Omagh, Limavady, North-West, Magherafelt, North-East, Upper Bann and East Tyrone colleges.The physical condition of these colleges varies from excellent to some instances where provision is poor.

Belfast Institute Of Further Education

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will visit the Ormeau road premises of the Belfast Institute of Further Education; and what actions he proposes to take to bring its facilities up to modern standards. [32902]

I always try to respond positively to invitations to visit schools and colleges.I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 June,

Official Report, column 466.

Emergency Legislation

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he intends to start a full-scale independent review into the emergency legislation; and what will he its timetable. [32692]

The timing of the independent review of the continuing need for the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 and the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 has yet to be decided. The Government will take a number of factors into account before initiating the review and deciding upon its timetable. These will include assessing the security situation in Northern Ireland to see if confidence in a lasting peace has been clearly established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if it is his policy that internment should not feature in the proposed successor legislation to the Emergency Powers Act 1964. [32693]

Provision for the detention of terrorists—in section 34 of and schedule 3 to the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991—are currently

	Less than 24 hrs	24 hrs-47 hrs 59 mins	48 hrs-71 hrs 59 mins	72 hrs-119 hrs 59 mins	120 hrs-167 hrs 59 mins
1994
January	24	99	3	43	0
February	17	101	10	26	7
March	20	110	3	31	2
April	27	77	4	29	24
May	30	55	7	58	4
June	42	96	7	22	5
July	43	69	3	14	1
August	25	89	5	27	5
September	8	44	2	7	0
October	10	54	1	0	0
November	10	55	0	0	2
December	14	32	0	0	0

not in force. The Government will carefully consider the continuing need for such provisions in the context of preparing the successor legislation to replace the existing Act which expires next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussion he has had with the Chief Constable of the RUC on the desirability of using Police and Criminal Evidence Act powers rather than emergency legislation wherever possible; and what was the response. [32695]

Discussions between Ministers and the Chief Constable on security matters remain confidential. However, it is hoped that a changing and improving security situation will mean that the use of the powers contained in the emergency legislation will continue to decrease to the point where they are no longer needed.

Detainees

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were held in each holding centre in each month of 1994 and each month of 1995 to date. [32694]

The information requested is as follows:

1994	Castlereagh	Gough	Strand Road
January	128	37	4
February	114	44	3
March	129	35	0
April	132	22	7
May	118	32	4
June	150	15	7
July	111	17	2
August	99	39	13
September	47	9	5
October	56	6	3
November	51	13	3
December	36	9	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many detentions under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1985 were made in each month of 1994 and each month of 1995 to date; and for what lengths of time detainees were held. [32697]

The information requested is as follows:

	Less than 24 hrs	24 hrs-47 hrs 59 mins	48 hrs-71 hrs 59 mins	72 hrs-119 hrs 59 mins	120 hrs-167 hrs 59 mins
1995
January	6	26	2	0	0
February	10	40	1	0	0
March	17	26	4	2	0
April	17	19	0	0	0
May	6	21	0	0	0

Figures for June 1995 are not yet available.

Diplock Courts

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to phase in more trials with jury rather than continuing the use of Diplock courts over the coming year. [32698]

The Government have no plans to amend schedule 1 to the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991, which lists those substantive offences that are dealt with on indictment by the Crown court without a jury in accordance with section 10 of the Act. The future independent review of the legislation will address the continuing need for all aspects of counter-terrorist law.

Collegiate Court

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his response to the proposal by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights that consideration should be given to the establishment of a collegiate court pending full restoration of jury trials. [32699]

The Government are not presently persuaded that multi-judge courts are desirable to deal with scheduled offences. There is no evidence to show that a change to multi-judge courts would necessarily produce better justice, or significantly enhanced confidence in the court system. Any person convicted of a scheduled offence in a single-judge court has an automatic right of appeal to the Court of Appeal which itself comprises three judges, and there is an important safeguard in that the trial judge is required to produce a written judgment setting out his reasons for any conviction.

Private Finance Initiative

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which projects have been selected by the Water Executive for the private finance initiative; what is the estimated cost of these projects; when they were due to go out to tender; and what is the estimated delay caused by these projects being included in the private finance initiative. [32823]

The Water Executive has a major capital construction programme designed to ensure compliance with national standards, incorporating those of the EC, over the next 10 years. This programme has significantly increased the executive's capital demands and it is appropriate that we explore the use of private finance in this context. It is a normal method of funding infrastructure projects internationally, as well as in the United Kingdom, and I am anxious that the potential for its application to the Water Executive's capital programme should be tested.Government recognise that using private finance must provide genuine value for money. I have therefore agreed that, as a first step the Water Executive should select two pilot schemes to test the viability of the private sector financing, building, owning and operating such facilities on a long-term basis. In order to assist with this work a consortium comprising Mott MacDonald Ltd., and NatWest Markets have been appointed to act as a manager and financial advisor of the pilot scheme.I am presently considering the final selection of the schemes to be included in the pilot project. They will probably have a combined capital value of over £20 million and I will announce the details in due course.I do not anticipate that the private finance initiative will cause any significant delays in these schemes.

Students

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of Northern Ireland domiciled students leave to study at higher education institutions in Great Britain; and what percentage return to work in Northern Ireland. [32908]

In 1993–94, the latest year for which information is available, 24 per cent. of all Northern Ireland domiciled new entrants to higher education left to study at institutions in Great Britain, including 34 per cent. of full-time undergraduate new entrants. In the same year, 11 per cent. of Northern Ireland domiciled first-degree graduates from Great Britain universities returned to Northern Ireland to take up employment.

Electronic Surveillance

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he proposes to implement electronic surveillance of interviews with suspects in holding centres; and what form this will take. [32700]

The Government have said that they will give consideration to the introduction of an electronic recording scheme for the police offices, in the context of the successor legislation to the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1991 if it still appears necessary to do so in the light of the developing security situation.

Holding Centres

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to close any holding centres. [32701]

None at present.

Coroners Courts

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what response he has had from the Lord Chancellor to the recommendations by the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights on the reform of coroners courts in Northern Ireland. [32702]

In Northern Ireland, coroners courts and inquest procedures are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has confirmed to the Secretary of State that he has no present plans to change the current system of inquests in Northern Ireland.

Forensic Science Laboratory

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals there are for the future use of the site of the former forensic science laboratory at Newtownbreda; when he expects to make a decision; and if he will make a statement. [32994]

The former site at Newtownbreda of the Northern Ireland forensic science laboratory is no longer required by Government. In accordance with standing policy it will be sold and it is intended to arrange a public auction for this purpose as soon as possible.

Human Rights

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals he has to cease using derogation under article 5(3) of the European convention on human rights and article 4 of the international covenant on civil and political rights. [32696]

I have been asked to reply.Limited derogations under article 15 of the European convention on human rights and article 4 of the international covenant on civil and political rights cover detention by the police on the Secretary of State's authority under the prevention of terrorism Act of persons suspected of involvement in Northern Irish terrorism. The Government continue to keep the need for the derogations under review but it is too early to be satisfied that they could safely be withdrawn.

Social Security

Family Credit

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each month since December 1994 the percentage of family credit claims taking five working days to be dealt with from the time of the claim being received by his Department and the figures for each subsequent day up to 30 working days. [31678]

The administration of family credit is a matter for Mr. Ian Magee, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Ian Magee to Ms Liz Lynne, dated 6 July 1995:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the clearance of claims to Family Credit.

I enclose, at annex A, a table which details the proportion of claims cleared within 5 days and up to 30 days, from December 1994 to the end of May 1995.

I hope you find this useful.

Annex A: Clearance times for Family Credit claims—December 1994—May 1995.
Days	December 1994	January 1995	February 1995	March 1995	April 1995	May 1995
5	31.1	33.6	39.2	42.6	45.6	42.2
6	33.7	36.0	42.3	46.3	50.7	46.9
7	38.6	40.0	48.4	52.9	53.3	50.9
8	40.9	42.3	51.3	55.8	56.2	57.5
9	43.4	45.1	54.2	58.8	62.7	61.0
10	49.5	50.3	60.7	65.0	65.8	65.5
11	52.8	52.6	63.7	67.9	70.5	67.4
12	58.1	56.3	68.4	72.4	72.7	69.4
13	60.6	58.4	70.6	74.2	74.7	74.7
14	63.0	60.4	72.6	76.1	78.8	76.7
15	67.9	64.3	76.7	79.7	80.7	79.2
16	70.1	66.0	78.4	81.3	83.5	80.5
17	73.7	68.9	80.9	83.6	84.6	82.0
18	75.1	70.4	82.1	84.6	85.7	82.0
19	76.5	72.0	83.3	85.6	87.9	85.2
20	79.7	74.9	85.7	87.7	89.0	86.3
21	81.1	76.2	86.7	88.6	90.4	87.9
22	83.4	78.5	88.3	90.1	91.0	88.7
23	84.4	79.6	89.0	90.7	91.7	89.7
24	85.3	80.9	89.7	91.3	93.0	91.4
25	87.3	83.0	91.2	92.5	93.5	92.0
26	88.4	83.9	91.8	93.1	94.4	92.8
27	89.8	85.6	92.6	93.9	94.7	93.3
28	90.3	86.4	93.0	94.2	95.1	93.9
29	90.8	87.2	93.4	94.6	95.8	94.8
30	92.1	88.8	94.3	95.3	96.1	95.1

The figures provided indicate the cumulative total percentage cleared in each working day.

Mortgage Interest

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to commission further research into the exclusion of certain categories of borrowers from mortgage protection insurance policies. [32045]

We have no such plans. However, we have already worked closely with the Association of British Insurers in developing guidelines to best practice which addresses many of the concerns about existing mortgage protection insurance. We continue to have on-going discussions with the Association of British Insurers and the Council of Mortgage Lenders and, as with any new policy, we will be monitoring carefully the changes to the provision of income support help with housing costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the dates of all meetings held by himself or his Department with (a) the Association of British Insurers, (b) representatives of individual insurance companies and (c) other individuals connected with the insurance industry to discuss the reduction of mortgage interest protection by income support prior to the initial announcement of this policy. [32047]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had meetings with the Association of British Insurers. Ministers and officials in this Department have had regular, and on-going, discussions with the Association of British Insurers, representatives of individual insurance companies and other individuals connected with the insurance industry.

Habitual Residence Test

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were refused income support due to the habitual residence requirement in March; and how many of these were (a) British nationals, (b) European economic area nationals and (c) others. [32718]

The information is in the table:

	British nationals	EEA nationals	Others	Total
March 1995	492	802	730	2,024

Note:

"Others" include asylum seekers who had the habitual residence test applied to them but were paid benefit under other provisions.

State Pension

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (a) divorced and (b) widowed pensioners are receiving a full state pension based on their spouse's national insurance contribution record; and of these how many are also in receipt of (i) income support or (ii) other state benefits. [32074]

[pursuant to the reply, 3 July 1995, c. 82]: The information given was incorrect. The correct information is as follows:The figures for widowed and divorced pensioners are not available separately. The total number in March 1993 was 1,783,000. It is not possible to identify how many of these people were receiving income support or other benefits.

Source:

Retirement Pension Statistics Biannual inquiry 31 March 93.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many women are in receipt of the married women's pension of £35.25; and what is the Government's estimate of how this figure will change over the next 10 years. [32075]

[pursuant to the reply, 3 July 1995, c. 83]: The information given was incorrect. The correct information is as follows: the number of women in receipt of the married woman's pension of £35.25 at 31 March 1994 is 1,905,140.An estimate of how this figure will change over the next 10 years is not available. However, over the next 10 years the total of category BL and ABL pensioners is likely to remain approximately stable. Within this group the numbers with category ABL will rise and the numbers with category BL will fall.In the longer term, due to the effects of home responsibilities protection and the abolition of the married women's reduced rate option, more women will become entitled to a category A pension at over 60 per cent. The numbers with category A pensions will rise and the numbers with category BL and ABL pensions will fall.

Note:

Category BL pension is payable to a married woman on her husband's contributions at up to 60 per cent. of the standard Category A rate, provided she and her husband have both reached pension age.

Category ABL Pension is payable to a married woman and is a combination of Category A and Category BL. Where a married woman's own Category A entitlement is less than 60 per cent. of the standard rate, the pension is supplemented up to that level with Category BL pension based on her husband's contributions.

Social Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Benefits Agency district offices received increases in their budgets between I April 1994 and 31 March 1995 for (a) social fund loans and (b) community care grants. [32846]

All Benefit Agency districts received increases to their social fund budget allocations for both grants and loans at 1 April 1994. Details of the initial social fund budget allocations and additional allocations by district for the financial year 1994–95 are in the Library.

Income Support

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 27 April to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Streeter), Official Report, column 641, what progress has been made in implementing the joint statement of intent negotiated between his Department and the fuel and water industries concerning procedures for direct payment of fuel and water bills from income support. [32847]

The joint statement of intent aims to facilitate proper use of the direct payment scheme for fuel and water charges. Copies have been sent to fuel and water companies, the fuel and water regulators, and to all Benefits Agency district offices. It is for the Benefits Agency and the utility companies at local level to follow the agreed procedures.

State Pension Age

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he plans to increase the state pension age of women from 60 to 65 years. [33235]

Our proposal to move state pension age for women from 60 to 65 was set out in the White Paper "Equality in State Pension Age", Cm 2420, a copy of which is in the Library. The change will be phased in over a 10-year period, commencing April 2010.

Income Distribution

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the percentage contribution of social security to the incomes of those in the bottom 10 per cent. through to 50 per cent. of the income distribution, by decile. [33474]

I will write to the hon. Member shortly.

Education And Employment

Student Awards

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will publish a table showing the latest available figures for the number of students in each local authority in England and Wales undertaking courses of further education aged (a) 16 to 18 years and (b) 19 years and over; and what proportion of these age groups was not in receipt of any discretionary award. [33146]

The number of students in each LEA in England who are undertaking further education (a) aged 16 to 18 years and (b) 19 years and over; and the estimated proportion of each of these age groups who do not receive an award under section 2 of the Education Act 1962, are shown in the following table.

Numbers of FE Students by home LEA showing proportion of students not receiving grants under section 2 of the 1962 Education Act
England 1993–94
	Total Numbers of FE Students by LEA of Domicile		FE Students Not in Receipt of Section 2 Discretionary Awards Percentage of Age group
LEA	Aged 16–18	Aged 19+	Aged 16–18	Aged 19+
City of London	32	183	97	99
Camden	1,206	7,243	100	100
Greenwich	1,690	3,178	68	98
Hackney	2,654	11,757	72	99
Hammersmith	1,161	3,682	99	99
Islington	1,981	8,857	66	100
Kensington	798	6,306	46	99
Lambeth	2,463	7,107	100	100
Lewisham	1,987	5,014	71	96
Southwark	2,367	7,091	99	99
Tower Hamlets	2,579	3,879	49	99
Wandsworth	2,455	22,646	59	100
Westminster	1,061	4,424	100	96
Barking	1,296	1,539	45	91
Barnet	2,597	12,866	97	99
Bexley	2,187	2,267	92	94
Brent	2,759	7,422	100	98
Bromley	2,254	2,980	78	98
Croydon	2,766	4,065	73	99
Ealing	3,835	8,948	99	99
Enfield	2,819	9,124	79	100
Haringey	2,329	8,465	100	100
Harrow	3,657	8,772	100	100
Havering	2,623	3,622	62	92
Hillingdon	2,133	3,378	100	100
Hounslow	2,055	4,330	79	94
Kingston upon Thames	1,114	1,773	82	96
Merton	1,606	3,163	73	97
Newham	2,590	6,389	60	98
Redbridge	2,269	4,493	76	96
Richmond upon Thames	2,093	13,057	93	99
Sutton	1,658	8,480	96	99
Waltham Forest	2,027	4,756	79	98
Birmingham	11,063	26,389	87	95
Coventry	3,480	8,393	84	97
Dudley	4,501	10,368	92	99
Sandwell	3,180	6,283	98	98
Solihull	2,156	9,858	99	97
Walsall	2,295	4,483	94	95
Wolverhampton	2,641	7,249	98	100
Knowsley	1,752	3,342	68	88
Liverpool	3,524	13,603	71	94
St. Helens	2,189	5,057	74	97
Sefton	3,056	8,107	83	93
Wirral	2,806	11,579	78	96
Bolton	2,465	4,471	21	89
Bury	2,537	3,244	75	91
Manchester	3,883	11,004	38	87
Oldham	2,030	2,506	53	87
Rochdale	2,648	4,457	65	70

Numbers of FE Students by home LEA showing proportion of students not receiving grants under section 2 of the 1962 Education Act
England 1993–94
	Total Numbers of FE Students by LEA of Domicile		FE Students Not in Receipt of Section 2 Discretionary Awards Percentage of Age group
LEA	Aged 16–18	Aged 19+	Aged 16–18	Aged 19+
Salford	1,582	6,752	87	97
Stockport	1,892	4,223	46	88
Tameside	2,190	6,127	68	96
Trafford	2,645	8,870	79	98
Wigan	3,983	6,275	59	98
Barnsley	4,305	4,795	100	98
Doncaster	2,773	9,188	60	96
Rotherham	2,489	8,930	46	94
Sheffield	6,917	19,851	99	80
Bradford	5,111	21,833	99	96
Calderdale	2,100	4,489	95	97
Kirklees	4,402	14,692	35	94
Leeds	7,305	27,359	85	97
Wakefield	3,158	8,936	77	100
Gateshead	1,961	4,254	67	89
Newcastle upon Tyne	2,005	4,544	76	92
North Tyneside	1,583	3,364	58	81
South Tyneside	2,177	3,674	82	97
Sunderland	4,218	8,119	61	97
Avon	8,852	26,609	75	97
Bedfordshire	5,576	12,270	87	88
Berkshire	8,156	23,118	91	98
Buckinghamshire	6,101	9,123	94	99
Cambridgeshire	6,968	12,668	98	99
Cheshire	10,928	32,930	88	91
Cleveland	6,556	16,033	67	100
Cornwall	7,287	28,016	56	97
Cumbria	4,720	8,976	84	79
Derbyshire	11,911	19,509	83	100
Devon	11,833	15,624	83	99
Dorset	6,997	9,924	81	52
Durham	6,776	16,164	100	89
East Sussex	5,745	23,531	57	95
Essex	15,584	23,153	87	91
Gloucestershire	6,221	19,439	77	96
Hampshire	17,556	34,740	82	92
Hereford and Worcester	7,104	21,489	57	94
Hertfordshire	11,243	41,102	89	97
Humberside	9,808	19,952	80	93
Isle of Wight	1,282	3,636	100	100
Kent	15,222	16,060	55	75
Lancashire	19,921	59,776	61	99
Leicestershire	7,908	17,412	81	80
Lincolnshire	6,967	9,383	90	90
Norfolk	7,537	8,746	71	88
North Yorkshire	7,612	20,396	49	90
Northamptonshire	6,276	20,170	100	97
Northumberland	2,561	4,941	61	84
Nottinghamshire	10,789	43,615	84	98
Oxfordshire	5,973	13,010	99	98
Shropshire	4,786	17,041	93	97
Somerset	6,621	13,698	80	94
Staffordshire	11,865	25,914	90	99
Suffolk	6,490	22,790	90	97
Surrey	8,722	11,470	47	94
Warwickshire	5,871	15,716	100	100
West Sussex	6,824	11,063	45	96
Wiltshire	7,499	19.918	100	91
England total	492,317	1,205,682	78	94

16-Year-Olds

To ask the Secretary of State for Education what are the latest available figures for (a) the number and (b) the percentage of 16-year-olds in full-time education in (i) school sixth forms, (ii) sixth form colleges and (iii) colleges of further education in each local education authority. [33147]

The number and percentage of 16-year-olds in full-time education in the 1993–94 academic year in

16-year-olds in full-time education Student numbers and participation rate
	Student numbers				Participation rate (percentage)
Local Education Authority	Further education institutes	Sixth form colleges	School sixth forms	Total	Further education institutes	Sixth form colleges	School sixth forms	Total
Inner London	6,258	1,254	8,628	16,140	29	6	39	74
Barking	302	0	658	960	20	0	44	65
Barnet	631	195	1,916	2,742	19	6	59	84
Bexley	681	19	1,094	1,794	28	1	45	74
Brent	748	125	1,100	1,973	27	5	40	72
Bromley	638	20	1,840	2,498	21	1	60	82
Croydon	834	1,019	1,068	2,921	25	30	31	86
Ealing	1,113	44	1,007	2,164	38	1	34	73
Enfield	696	44	1,517	2,257	25	2	55	82
Haringey	601	68	840	1,509	30	3	41	74
Harrow	1,329	158	451	1,938	55	7	19	81
Havering	838	717	562	2,117	31	27	21	79
Hillingdon	560	25	1,283	1,868	23	1	53	77
Hounslow	564	31	1,189	1,784	25	1	52	79
Kingston upon Thames	298	105	864	1,267	22	8	65	95
Merton	407	261	558	1,226	26	17	36	79
Newham	719	694	253	1,666	28	27	10	65
Redbridge	567	9	1,674	2,250	21	0	62	84
Richmond upon Thames	702	70	448	1,220	49	5	31	85
Sutton	418	20	1,090	1,528	24	1	62	87
Waltham Forest	492	788	330	1,610	23	36	15	74
Birmingham	3,006	1,483	3,725	8,214	26	13	32	70
Coventry	839	7	1,515	2,361	25	0	45	70
Dudley	1,485	371	176	2,032	45	11	5	62
Sandwell	905	303	570	1,778	29	10	18	56
Solihull	633	868	605	2,106	27	36	25	88
Walsall	523	1	1,419	1,943	17	0	47	65
Wolverhampton	587	20	1,353	1,960	21	1	47	69
Knowsley	494	32	226	752	27	2	12	41
Liverpool	675	16	2,613	3,304	13	0	52	66
St. Helens	413	420	576	1,409	20	20	27	67
Sefton	863	351	1,362	2,576	26	11	42	79
Wirral	459	460	1,808	2,727	12	12	46	69
Bolton	661	602	736	1,999	22	20	24	66
Bury	901	354	220	1,475	44	17	11	72
Manchester	1,200	1,019	911	3,130	25	22	19	66
Oldham	572	552	606	1,730	22	21	23	65
Rochdale	890	117	392	1,399	35	5	16	56
Salford	457	857	38	1,352	19	35	2	56
Stockport	503	1,555	303	2,361	15	47	9	71
Tameside	625	736	55	1,416	26	30	2	59
Trafford	813	95	660	1,568	33	4	27	65
Wigan	1,170	598	265	2,033	33	17	8	58
Barnsley	1,069	4	93	1,166	47	0	4	51
Doncaster	551	8	1,446	2,005	17	0	44	62
Rotherham	614	395	886	1,895	21	14	31	66
Sheffield	2,276	14	892	3,182	43	0	17	61
Bradford	835	1	2,821	3,657	14	0	46	60
Calderdale	428	107	1,046	1,581	20	5	48	73
Kirklees	1,149	744	1,052	2,945	25	16	23	65
Leeds	1,489	286	3,264	5,039	20	4	43	66
Wakefield	954	334	925	2,213	29	10	28	67
Gateshead	441	0	675	1,116	21	0	32	54
Newcastle upon Tyne	409	0	1,508	1,917	14	0	53	68
North Tyneside	363	392	744	1,499	17	19	36	72
South Tyneside	721	0	120	841	45	0	7	52
Sunderland	1,413	0	432	1,845	42	0	13	54
Avon	2,166	475	4,907	7,548	21	5	47	72
Bedfordshire	1,398	805	2,809	5,012	22	12	43	77
Berkshire	2,372	63	5,098	7,533	27	1	57	85
Buckinghamshire	1,509	3	4,595	6,107	18	0	56	74
Cambridgeshire	2,137	1,008	2,713	5,858	27	13	34	74
Cheshire	2,644	1,245	4,205	8,094	24	11	38	73
Cleveland	1,558	2,181	466	4,205	23	32	7	62
Cornwall/Isles of Scilly	2,831	0	1,437	4,268	52	0	27	79

England for each local education authority are shown in the table.

16-year-olds in full-time education Student numbers and participation rate
	Student numbers				Participation rate (percentage)
Local Education Authority	Further education institutes	Sixth form colleges	School sixth forms	Total	Further education institutes	Sixth form colleges	School sixth forms	Total
Cumbria	1,088	340	2,206	3,634	20	6	40	66
Derbyshire	3,824	37	3,023	6,884	37	0	29	66
Devon	3,822	0	4,495	8,317	34	0	40	74
Dorset	2,245	0	3,411	5,656	33	0	50	83
Durham	1,858	389	1,660	3,907	27	6	24	57
East Sussex	1,645	1,426	2,364	5,435	24	21	35	80
Essex	5,287	2,362	5,343	12,992	30	13	30	74
Gloucestershire	1,743	1	2,852	4,596	29	0	47	76
Hampshire	5,955	5,291	1,901	13,147	34	30	11	75
Hereford and Worcester	1,917	968	3,224	6,109	23	12	39	75
Hertfordshire	2,864	96	7,111	10,071	25	1	62	88
Humberside	2,575	1,662	2,268	6,505	25	16	22	64
Isle of Wight	298	3	729	1,030	22	0	53	75
Kent	4,952	5	9,362	14,319	28	0	52	80
Lancashire	6,223	1,552	2,876	10,651	38	10	18	66
Leicestershire	1,997	1,417	4,339	7,753	19	13	40	72
Lincolnshire	2,218	105	2,433	4,756	33	2	36	71
Norfolk	2,439	495	3,041	5,975	30	6	37	73
North Yorkshire	2,071	842	3,213	6,126	26	11	40	77
Northamptonshire	1,678	2	3,568	5,248	24	0	51	75
Northumberland	507	0	1,811	2,318	14	0	50	64
Nottinghamshire	2,522	818	3,839	7,179	23	7	34	64
Oxfordshire	1,672	168	3,624	5,464	25	2	54	81
Shropshire	1,312	820	1,367	3,499	27	17	28	72
Somerset	2,241	410	1,727	4,378	39	7	30	77
Staffordshire	3,431	801	3,484	7,716	29	7	30	66
Suffolk	1,554	26	3,876	5,456	21	0	52	73
Surrey	2,386	2,133	4,785	9,304	21	19	42	81
Warwickshire	1,660	330	2,126	4,116	30	6	39	75
West Sussex	1,978	1,523	3,031	6,532	25	19	39	83
Wiltshire	2,493	2	2,288	4,783	38	0	35	73
England	145,852	48,572	192,015	386,439	27	9	36	72

Older Students Allowance

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to ensure that those students currently studying part-time access courses will be eligible for the older students' allowance after 1 September. [33151]

Students who are currently studying on full-time access courses will remain eligible for the older students' allowance if they undertake a follow-on course of higher education which begins on or after 1 September 1995. Students must be aged 26 or over at the start of their new course and meet the relevant earning threshold.

Health And Safety

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 21 June, Official Report, column 282, if he will give the date that the refined inspection rating system, to determine the level of priority of a workplace visit from a Health and Safety Executive inspector, is to be implemented; and if the new inspection rating system will be published. [32318]

I have been asked to reply.The refined inspection rating system has been in use in offices in the north-west region since 26 June 1995 and was implemented in offices in Wales on 3 July 1995. The system will be implemented in other offices in the near future, although dates have yet to be agreed.

There are no plans to publish details, because the system is an internal planning tool.

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 21 June, Official Report, column 281, if he will define higher risk premises and low hazard, low risk premises. [32317]

I have been asked to reply.Health and Safety Executive inspectors use their professional judgment to assess the degree of hazard and risk posed to employees and the public when they visit premises. In the field operations division this assessment is formalised in the inspection rating system, which enables premises to be compared according to the assessed hazards and risks. "Higher risk premises" are those towards the top of this scale. "Low hazard, risk premises" are those at the lower end.

Environment

Leicestershire Museums, Arts And Records Service

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to safeguard the future on a country-wide basis of the Leicestershire museums, arts and records service; and in what circumstances he will use his powers under section 21 of the Local Government Act 1992. [30669]

The decision on how best to provide services for arts, museums and records must be for the authorities concerned. On the use of section 21 of the Local Government Act 1992, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) by my right hon. Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, West (Mr. Jones) on 5 July, Official Report, columns 219–20.

Homelessness

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families with children aged 18 years or under were accepted as homeless in (i) York, (ii) North Yorkshire, (iii) Yorkshire and Humberside and (iv) England in each year since 1979. [31581]

The available data relate to homeless households with dependent children in priority need for which local authorities accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the Housing Act 1985. The table sets out the reported data for York: 1979 and 1980 data are not available. The table also gives the data readily available for North Yorkshire, Yorkshire and Humberside and England: returns are not submitted by all authorities and it would involve disproportionate cost to provide figures, including estimates for missing data, other than for the years shown.

	York	North Yorks	Yorkshire and Humberside	England
1981	310	—	—	—
1882	178	—	—	—
1983	128	—	—	—
1984	100	—	—	—
1985	138	—	—	—
1986	180	—	—	—
1987	¹104	—	—	—
1988	132	—	—	—
1989	132	—	—	—
1990	211	—	—	84,120
1991	²103	¹583	¹5,220	88,950
1992	112	720	8,900	85,300
1993	80	580	8,150	76,390
1994	53	570	6,680	69,300
¹ April to December only.
² January to June and October to December only.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people aged under 18 years were homeless (a) in 1988 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [32831]

Data on the numbers of young people for which local authorities in England accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act have been collected since the second quarter of 1991. The numbers accepted in the 12-month periods ending March 1992 and March 1995 were as follows:

	Homeless households in priority need with a vulnerable young person	Young single people not in priority need
1991–92	3.460	2,360
1994–95	3,600	2.060

Underground Car Parks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 6 June, Official Report, column 107, if the research being undertaken into the reduction of the pollutants benzene and particulates with regard to ventilation in underground car parks takes into account their relationship with unleaded petrol and catalytic convertors. [32370]

The research referred to in my hon. Friend's answer of 6 June is monitoring the actual levels of these pollutants found in car parks in use. Car park usage reflects the types of vehicles currently being driven, including vehicles using unleaded petrol and fitted with catalytic convertors.

Advertising

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much has been spent on outside advertising agencies for each year since 1979; and if he will list the specific advertising campaigns undertaken by his Department, their purpose and their cost. [32486]

Figures are readily available for the past five financial years only. To go back further would involve disproportionate costs.Campaign subjects and the advertising costs for each of the past five years are as follows:

	£
1990–91
Nil
1991–92
Duty of care—waste disposal	680,873
1992–93
Helping the earth—global warming Council tax Duty of care—waste disposal Flats above shops Right to buy Watch your waste week Eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)	5,965,992
1993–94
Helping the earth—global warming Rents to mortgages DIY self ownership Environment roadshows	4,381,914
1994–95
Wasting energy costs the earth Eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS)	3,765907

Thames Strategy

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps have been taken to encourage local authorities to adopt river-borne options for the transport of waste along the lines of the Government office for London's Thames strategy document; and how many London local authorities have contracted to move their waste by river rather than road. [32687]

The advantages of using the river for transport of bulk materials such as waste are highlighted in several items of guidance relating to both waste issues and planning. Planning policy guidance note 23 on "Planning and Pollution Control", states in 2.3 that, where waste cannot be disposed of reasonably close to its source, priority should be given to the use of rail or water transport where this would reduce the overall environmental impact and is economically feasible. "A Waste Strategy for England and Wales" published as a consultation document in January 1995 refers to the advantages of river transport for waste in paragraph 1.61. The need to safeguard relevant riverside sites is an important issue. This message is set out in the Thames strategy report, the Thames gateway planning framework and the report by the River Thames working group. Copies of these documents are in the Library. Local authorities are encouraged to take full account of environmental factors in reaching decisions on the award of waste transport and disposal contracts but such decisions are matters for authorities alone.I understand that, currently, seven London local authorities have contracts in place for the movement of waste by river.

Waste Disposal

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many landfill sites for the disposal of waste have opened in each of the last five years, and how many have closed; and if he will list this information by region; [32649](2) what guidance his Department has issued concerning consultations and investigations to be undertaken by each relevant authority in relation to applications for permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste; [32643](3) what priority he gives to each category of land use in determining the criteria for permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste; [32644](4) what was the previous use of each new landfill site for the disposal of waste created

(a) since 1 January and (b) in each of the preceding four years; [32645]

(5) what is his policy on the use for waste disposal of (a) greenfield sites, (b) agricultural land, (c) derelict industrial land and (d) contaminated land for (i) landfill (ii) other types of waste disposal; [32646]

(6) what alternative means to the landfill disposal of waste have been considered by his Department; and what conclusions have been reached on each; [32647]

(7) what is the average size of landfill sites for the disposal of waste in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region; [32648]

(8) what is the number of landfill sites for the disposal of waste in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region; and what were the numbers in each of the last five years; [32650]

(9) what is his policy on the creation of new landfill sites for the disposal of waste; [32652]

(10) how many applications for permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste have been refused in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region (i) since 1 January and (ii) in each of the preceding four years. [32654]

Policy and guidance on waste disposal operations are included in the draft waste strategy for England and Wales published earlier this year, the planning policy guidance note on planning and pollution control—PPG23—and the series of waste management papers produced by the Department.The strategy contains details of the Government's waste management policies, which are directed towards the minimisation of waste and its reuse and recovery wherever possible. It is recognised, however, that successful policies in this area will not eradicate waste. As a nation, we will continue to produce large quantities of waste for which final disposal is the only economic and environmentally sound option. The Government's policy is to set in place the necessary controls to ensure that waste disposal takes place without endangering either the environment or human health.In order to operate a landfill site in England, it is necessary to obtain planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and a waste management licence under section 35 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Planning permission for landfill sites is granted by the relevant waste planning authority. Waste management licences are granted by the relevant waste regulation authority.Guidance on the consideration of planning applications for landfill sites is contained in PPG23. More generally, circular 15/92 and appendix B of circular 9/95 provide guidance for planning authorities on publicity and consultation arrangements in respect of applications for planning permission.A proposal to establish a new landfill site for the disposal of waste may require an environmental impact assessment. Guidance on the consultations to be undertaken, and on the form of the assessment is published in the booklet "Environmental Assessment—A Guide to the Procedures" and is also provided in DOE circular 15/88. Waste regulation authorities are likely to be consulted on any environmental assessment undertaken as part of a planning authority's consideration of a planning application for a site.Decisions on planning application for landfill sites must be made in accordance with the provisions of the development plan, unless material consideration indicate otherwise. The criteria adopted by waste planning authorities in their consideration of landfill proposals will depend on the terms of the policies, and the proposals for land uses, set out in the development plan. The assessment of applications for landfill sites must also take into account the objectives of the EC framework directive on waste, insofar as these are relevant, and the Government's planning policy guidance, including the guidance on waste management facilities in PPG23. Planning policies for the countryside and agricultural land, open space and green belts are set out in PPGs 7, 17 and 2 respectively.Details of the numbers of applications for planning permission for new landfill sites in England granted and refused over the last five years are as set out in the table.Details of the previous use of new landfill sites granted planning permission within the last five years are not held centrally.The information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.The Department has published guidance to waste regulation authorities on the discharge of their responsibilities concerning waste management licensing, including consultation procedures and initial investigations on licence applications, in waste management papers 4 and 26 and in DOE circular 11/94.Under section 36 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, a waste regulation authority must consult the National Rivers Authority, the Health and Safety Executive and, where appropriate, the relevant nature conservation body, before it approves a licence application.Before an application can be determined, the applicant is required to provide to the waste regulation authority a working plan which shows how the applicant proposes to prepare and develop, operate, monitor and control pollution, and restore and complete the facility. The working plan should contain the operator's plans

Application for new landfill sites refused and granted 1991–1994 and January to March 1995¹
	1991		1992		1993		1994		January to March ²1995
	Granted	Refused	Granted	Refused	Granted	Refused	Granted	Refused	Granted	Refused
North West	22	5	51	26	43	15	16	15	5	0
Yorkshire and Humberside	13	2	23	16	30	7	25	7	65
North-East	7	4	15	5	8	1	9	2	3	0
West Midlands	47	11	23	12	22	11	5	11	6	0
East Midlands	22	14	39	9	24	7	17	6	1	1
Eastern	40	12	37	8	24	7	26	3	7	0
South-West	68	46	91	19	68	13	49	16	12	7
South-East	67	42	44	15	40	12	27	11	6	1
London	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
England	286	136	323	110	259	73	175	71	46	14
¹ From 1 April 1992, statistics related to applications decided by county councils, metropolitan districts, London boroughs, urban development corporations and national park authorities. Data for earlier periods relate to decisions by county councils only.
² Figures for 1995 are available for the period 1 January to 31 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what criteria his Department uses to assess appeals on applications for permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste; [32651](2) how many appeals he has received

(a) for the United Kingdom and (b) for each region (i) since 1 January and (ii) in each of the preceding four years concerning a decision to (1) grant and (2) refuse permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste. [32653]

There is a right of appeal to the Secretary of State against a refusal by a planning authority to grant planning permission, and also against a refusal by a waste regulation authority to grant a waste management licence for a landfill site.Section 54A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1991 requires that every planning application must be determined according to the devlopment plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. This for the management of gas and leachate and for capping and restoration.Information on the number of applications for waste management licences granted or refused in each year is not held centrally. Waste regulation authorities hold information about the number of landfill sites in their areas, and the numbers opened and closed, as well as the size of each site. The total number of licences in force for landfill sites in England for the years since 1991–92 is set out in the table:

year	Number of licences
1991–92	3,330
1992–93	3,186
1993–94	2,618
1994–95	2,541

The information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.requirement applies to local planning authorities determining a planning application, and to the Secretary of State determining a planning appeal.The first criteria for the assessment of landfill planning proposals are therefore those contained in the development plan. In particular, structure plans and waste local plans contain policies governing development for waste disposal purposes, but the policies of district local plans will also be considered.The Secretary of State gives guidance in planning policy guidance notes, PPGs and minerals planning guidance notes MPGs. Of particular relevance is part 5 of PPG23 "Planning and Pollution Control" and, where an old mineral working is to he filled, MPG7 "The Reclamation of Mineral Workings".Pollution control agencies will be consulted on every waste landfill planning application, and their advice will be an important consideration in determining planning applications and appeals.

Technical aspects of waste management are the subject of advice in waste management papers, published by the Department, parts of which may be relevant to the consideration of planning proposals for landfilling; parties to a planning appeal may refer to other published technical papers of standing, which may be material to a planning decision.

The Secretary of State has received planning appeals relating to landfill sites in England as set out in the table. The information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Landfill-related planning appeals received by the Secretary of State	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995¹
Appeals against refusal of planning permission	18	26	14	9	4
Appeals against non-determination of planning permission	0	1	3	3	1
Appeals against conditions in planning permission	0	0	1	0	1
¹ Covers period 1 January to 30 June 1995.

Section 43(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 provides specified persons with a right of appeal to the Secretary of State against a decision of a waste regulation authority to reject an application for a waste management licence. The Act, together with regulations 6 to 9 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, sets out the procedure for making and determining appeals. Guidance on the regulations is provided in DOE circular 11/94 and guidance on determining licence applications is provided in waste management paper No. 4. The Secretary of State's decision on individual cases is dependent upon the specific issues brought before him by the parties involved.

Since 1 May 1994, in England, three appeals have been made under section 43(1)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act against the refusal of a waste regulation authority to grant a waste management licence for a new landfill site. One of these appeals has been made since 1 January 1995. The appeals are before the Secretary of State for consideration. A new monitoring system was introduced on 1 May 1994 when the new licensing system came into force. Prior to 1 May 1994, the information was not kept in a form that can now provide comparable figures for the preceding four years. The information relating to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Wales and for Scotland and my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many applications for permission to create new landfill sites for the disposal of waste have been granted in (a) England and (b) each region (i) since I January and (ii) in each of the preceding four years. [33127]

I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply about landfill sites.

Local Government And Housing Act 1989

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 will come into effect; and what has been the cause of the delay. [32676]

Part V of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 has already been brought into effect, except for certain sub-sections relating to the control of minority interests in certain companies which in keeping with the principles of the private finance initiative it is not now intended to bring into force.

Energy From Waste

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consideration has been given to the promotion of energy from waste schemes in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each region in line with the national waste strategy; and what future consideration is planned. [32642]

"A Waste Strategy for England and Wales", published as a consultation document in January 1995, sets out the means by which we can aim to manage waste in a more sustainable way and, in contributing to this, the role which energy from waste can play in recovering value from waste. The draft waste strategy highlights ways in which central and local government, working with industry, can further encourage its take-up. The Government are currently considering the many responses they have received on the draft strategy, and expect to publish the final version towards the end of the year.

Stray Dogs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the requirement on local authorities to check for any microchip carried by a stray dog. [33102]

There is no requirement on local authorities to check for any microchip carried by a stray dog.

Chancery Lane Public Record Office

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement about the future use of the Chancery lane public record office. [31477]

The Public Record Office is moving to greatly enlarged premises on its Kew site at the end of 1996 and, as a result, it will vacate Chancery lane by this date.This important historic building is part of the Government estate and responsibility for its future rests with Property Holdings. Extensive discussions have been held with English Heritage and the City of London Corporation, the relevant planning authority, about its future use and a number of options are being explored, including retention for other Government purposes. If the building is not needed by Government, a number of private uses are being considered. One of these is a continuation of the legal nature of the building which would include barristers' chambers, other legal users, perhaps with some attendant residential use. It would also be suitable for educational/institutional use.Property Holdings will shortly be opening discussions with potential private sector operators who might implement one of these uses that is acceptable to English Heritage and the planning authority. Interested parties would be welcome to contact the agents, BH

₂ at their City of London offices.

National Parks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many representations he has received from members of the public in support of the amended national park purpose of promoting opportunities for quiet enjoyment and understanding in (a) March, (b) April, (c) May and (d) June of this year; and if he will place copies of these representations in the Library; [33482](2) how many representations he has received from organisations in support of the amended national park purpose of promoting opportunities for quiet enjoyment and understanding in

(a) March, (b) April, (c) May and (d) June of this year; and if he will place copies of these representations in the Library. [33481]

The following number of representations has been received:

	Organisations	Members of the public
March	13	56
April	4	11
May	1	15
June	4	7

As these representations were not made in response to a public consultation exercise, it is not appropriate to place copies in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of access agreements made in each national park in the most recent year for which figures are available. [33490]

This information is not held centrally. I have asked officials to seek details and will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is now the status of the commitment to quiet enjoyment as set out in the Government response to the Edwards report "Fit for the Future", page 26, paragraph 12.1(i), in January 1992. [33483]

We considered very carefully the consequences of introducing into the revised and updated national park purposes set out in the Environment Bill the phrase "quiet enjoyment". We concluded that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages in doing so. Subsequent debates on the Bill have reinforced our belief that this conclusion was correct.

Defence

Explosives And Propellants

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, column 682, what account was taken of the sale of explosives propellants and related end products to countries abroad in reaching the explosives, propellants and end products agreement. [32437]

One of the objectives of the EPREP agreement was to assist Royal Ordnance in becoming an efficient competitor. This objective related to both the national and international markets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 28 June, Official Report, column 682, what explosives, propellants and related end products were supplied to countries abroad under the EPREP agreement; and if he will list the relevant countries and products. [32436]

The EPREP agreement, signed on 28 July 1988, concerned the requirements of the United Kingdom armed forces. It did not cover supplies to countries abroad.

Naval Bases

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all the foreign submarines which have visited the Faslane submarine base since 1993 and the candidates on which they visited the bas. [32488]

The information requested is as follows:

Date	Vessel	Nationality
1993
8–9 January	USS BALTIMORE	USA
19–22 February	HNLMS ZELLEEUW	Netherlands
6–13 April	HNLMS TIJGERHAAI	Netherlands
19–20 April	HNLMS TIJGERHAAI	Netherlands
21–23 April	HNLMS TIJGERHAAI	Netherlands
10–17 May	USS SAN JUAN	USA
21–24 May	HNLMS ZWAARDVIS	Netherlands
25–28 May	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
27–29 May	HNLMS BRUINVIS	Netherlands
31 May-1 June	HNLMS ZWAARDVIS	Netherlands
31 May-2 June	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
2–3 June	HNLMS ZWAARDVIS	Netherlands
3 June	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
3–7 June	HNLMS BRUINVIS	Netherlands
4 June	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
20–22 August	USS ALEXANDRIA	USA
30 August	FS AMETHYSTE	France
13 September-5 October	FS AGOSTA	France
14–16 October	USS DALLAS	USA
14–18 October	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
19–22 October	USS DALLAS	USA
25–28 October	HNLMS DOLFIJN	Netherlands
31 October-1 November	USS DALLAS	USA
23–30 December	USS ALBANY	USA
1994
18–22 February	HNLMS TIJGERHAAI	Netherlands
13–17 March	USS PHOENIX	USA
31 March-1 April	HNLMS WALRUS	Netherlands
11–12 April	HNLMS WALRUS	Netherlands
23–27 May	HNLMS ZEELEEUW	Netherlands
3–6 June	KNM UTSIRA	Norway

Date	Vessel	Nationality
10–13 June	KNM UTSIRA	Norway
23–25 June	USS WHALE	USA
6–11 July	USS DALLAS	USA
16–19 August	USS DALLAS	USA
21–22 August	USS BALTIMORE	USA
1–2 September	USS BALTIMORE	USA
22–27 September	USS CINCINNATI	USA
4–7 October	HNLMS BRUINVIS	Netherlands
12–19 December	USS PHOENIX	USA
1995
16–17 February	HMCS OKANAGAN	Canada
21–26 February	USS AUGUSTA	USA
10–13 March	HMCS OKANAGAN	Canada
20–24 March	USS AUGUSTA	USA
8–12 May	USS NEBRASKA	USA
22–26 May	FS RUBIS	France

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the annual running cost of (a) RNAD Coulport and (b) CSB Faslane. [32489]

As explained in this year's "Statement on the Defence Estimates", in 1994 the Department's running cost regime was replaced by a much broader operating costs limit covering all front-line and support expenditure. The provisional outturn figures, representing total operating costs for these establishments, for financial year 1994–95 are as follows:

RNAD Coulport: £57,889,000
CSB Faslane: £107,363,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide a list of all United Kingdom and foreign submarines which have visited and the dates on which they have visited (a) Portland naval base, (b) Portsmouth naval base and (c) the naval base at Plymouth. [32491]

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Advertising

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much has been spent on outside advertising agencies for each year since 1979; and if he will list the specific advertising campaigns undertaken by his Department, their purpose and their cost. [32476]

The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Nuclear Defence Industry

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for an audit of the nuclear defence industry. [32474]

Financial and safety audit of the nuclear defence industry is a matter for the organisations concerned, together with relevant external regulatory bodies. Activities directly managed by the Ministry of Defence are additionally subject to scrutiny by the National Audit Office. There are at present no plans to augment these arrangements.

Mutual Defence Agreement

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if any information on the implementation of the 1958 Anglo-American mutual defence agreement on atomic energy matters has been withheld under sections 3(4) or 5(1) of the Public Records Act 1958. [32490]

A number of papers relating to the early years of the UK nuclear programme are closed under the Public Records Acts. It is likely that many of these involve matters relating to the 1958 UK-US mutual defence agreement, but to establish exactly what is held would involve disproportionate cost.

Trident Project (Faslane)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how and to what extent the lessons learned from the Trident project at Faslane have been implemented. [32487]

Experience gained during the Trident works programme informed the new procedures adopted by my Department in 1990 when it was untied from the Property Services Agency for new works projects. The procedures have been reviewed in the light of experience and are reflected in guidance subsequently distributed throughout Government by the Treasury.

Firearms (Sales)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many small arms, rifles and hand guns, which were no longer of use to the armed forces, have been sold (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) overseas in each of the last 10 years. [33154]

Sales records are not available for the last 10 years. In the last three years 40,000 small arms, rifles and hand guns have been sold to firearms dealers licensed under section 5 of the Firearms Act to meet overseas orders and 700 rifles have been sold on a Government-to-Government basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from chief constables on his policy for the sale of small arms no longer required by the armed forces. [33156]

I am not aware of any recent representations from chief constables about the sale of small arms no longer required by the armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on (a) the sale and (b) the destruction of small arms, rifles and hand guns, no longer of use to the armed forces. [33153]

Under current policy, sales may be made direct to an acceptable overseas Government or to a firearms dealer licensed under section 5 of the Firearms Act in the United Kingdom to meet an order from an overseas customer. MOD will sell only to a UK dealer who has a firm order from an overseas purchaser which meets end user and export control requirements. Dealers are not allowed to buy for stock. Only a small number of inquiries are received each year in either of these categories. Other surpluses for which no export market exists are fragmented first by crushing into granules and subsequently smelting. The majority of surplus weapons are disposed of in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many small arms which were no longer of use to the armed forces he has destroyed in each of the last 10 years. [33155]

Disposal records are not available for the last 10 years. In the last three years some 93,000 small arms have been destroyed and the current rate of destruction is about 90,000 small arms per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with chief constables in the United Kingdom about the sale of small arms, rifles and hand guns. [33157]

Discussions on the sale of small arms, rifles and hand guns have taken place in the past with the Home Office, who are responsible for representing the views of the chief constables. Liaison with chief constables is effected by the chief constable of the Ministry of Defence police in his operations.

Defence Statistics

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department will publish the 1995 edition of "United Kingdom Defence Statistics". [33159]

On Friday 14 July 1995.

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's aim during the negotiations for a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. [33160]

Our aim in the negotiations of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty is to establish an effective and verifiable treaty commanding universal adherence as soon as practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether Britain still has a requirement to use underground testing in order to maintain the stock of nuclear weapons. [33161]

We do not have any current plans for further underground tests of nuclear weapons. However, we are still considering what activities might be necessary to ensure the safety and reliability of our nuclear weapons under a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty.

Dog Training

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 July, Official Report, column 183, what is the number taking part for each course for the latest year available; and what is the annual cost and the location of each course. [33282]

My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Ministry Property Sales

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on former MOD houses that have subsequently been resold. [33308]

My Department does not monitor what may happen to properties once they have been sold by the Ministry of Defence, except where there is a specific reason for doing so.

Contracts

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts his Department has placed and to what value with (a) BT, (b) Rolls-Royce, (c) Alfred McAlpine plc, (d) Racal Electronics and (e) British Aerospace in the last five years. [33244]

Details of the number and value of contracts placed with individual defence companies are a matter of commercial confidentiality between the Ministry of Defence and those companies. The Department does, however, give broad information on contractors paid £5 million or more in table 1.16 of the annual publication "UK Defence Statistics" which is placed in the Library. The 1995 edition will shortly be available and the contractors listed in the question are included in those statistics.

Bmarc

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what investigations he has initiated since 18 June within his Department to locate all outstanding BMARC documents. [30520]

[holding answer 29 June 1995]: The deputy chief constable of the MOD police ordered a thorough re-sort of the seized property held by them and is now satisfied that all outstanding documents which were seized by the MOD police from Astra holdings and its subsidiaries, during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies, have been located and have been returned to their rightful owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 April, Official Report, column 1098, what investigations his Department undertook to determine which documents had been returned to the receivers of Astra in June 1993. [30050]

[holding answer 22 June 1995]: The documents returned to the receivers of Astra in June 1993 were listed on the seized property forms which related to them and these are the record of the seized property which was returned at that time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how additional documents were located by his Department's police relating to the arms companies BMARC and Astra. [30051]

[holding answer 22 June 1995]: I have nothing to add to my answer of 19 June, Official Report, column 31, to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the action taken in connection with the files referred to in Detective Inspector Berry's letter to Cork Gully of 27 January 1993. [30103]

[holding answer 27 June 1995]: No reply was received from Cork Gully by Detective Inspector Berry to his letter of 27 January 1993. After a further letter from Detective Inspector Berry, dated 15 June 1993, and subsequent telephone conversations, a large number of documents were delivered to Cork Gully. It was believed at the time that these were all of the property seized by the Ministry of Defence police from Astra holdings and its subsidiaries, during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which occasions Ministers in his Department communicated with Ministry of Defence police concerning the letter from Detective Inspector Berry to Cork Gully of 27 January 1993. [30105]

[holding answer 27 June 1995]: None before it was sent.

Portland Naval Base

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the level of expenditure over the last three financial years on (a) the Ward room, (b) tennis courts and (c) medical and dental centres at Portland naval base and HMS Osprey. [31542]

[holding answer 3 July 1995]: The information requested is as follows:

	1992–93 £	1993–94 £	1994–95 £
Wardroom	96,290	101,550	95,020
Tennis Courts	nil	nil	nil
Medical Centre¹	17,000	5,200	3,860
Dental Centre²	2,000	2,000	2,000
¹ Reducing costs reflect the rundown of the existing medical centre2 Approximate average costs for minor maintenance items which are not recorded separately.

Royal Ordnance

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 29 June, Official Report, columns 751–52, (1) what factors underlay the recent research in relation to export licences; if the research that uncovered the fact that Singapore Technologies was a consignee of exports from Royal Ordnance was conducted on pre-1992 records; and if he will make a statement on exports from Royal Ordnance to which he refers; [32912](2) what inquiries he has made regarding the onward re-export and final use of munitions exported by Royal Ordnance to Singapore since 1980; [33025](3) if he has anything further to add to his answer on Royal Ordnance and Iran to the hon. Member for South Shields (Dr. Clark), of 14 January,

Official Report, columns 345–46. [33177]

[holding answer 6 July 1995]: I have nothing to add to the answer given to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 4 July, Official Report, column 180, except to confirm that the research underlying the answer to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent on 29 June, Official Report, columns 751–52, as it relates to Royal Ordnance was based on DTI computerised records which date from 1992.

Arms Embargoes

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations his Department has made to overseas companies based in the European Union which have breached export embargoes on military equipment and weapons agreed by the European Union. [32877]

I have been asked to reply.It is not our policy to make representations to overseas companies. If we were concerned at the activities of an overseas company an approach would be made to the Government of the country in which the company was based.No such approaches have been made.

Church Commissioners

Rents

26.

To ask the right hon. Member for Selby, as representing the Church Commissioners what new proposals he has to increase rents from Church lands. [31464]

We have no new proposals to increase rents from our agricultural land.Current practice on rental increases flows from the commissioners' ownership of good agricultural land, the provision of the fixed equipment needed for profitable farming and a constructive relationship with our tenants. There are no proposals to depart from this policy.

Duchy Of Lancaster

Civil Servants

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, following his oral answer to the hon. Member for Linlithgow of 3 July, Official Report, column 15, if the civil servant in question was on paid or unpaid leave. [33297]

The gentleman in question was on paid leave.

Staff (Shareholdings)

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in his Department or its agencies have (a) declared any company shareholdings they hold or (b) been advised to dispose of shareholdings in the last five years, indicating the companies concerned. [33425]

This information is not held centrally.

Chessington Computer Centre

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what targets have been set for the Chessington Computer Centre trading fund for the current financial year. [33220]

I have set the following targets for Chessington Computer Centre in 1995–96:

(1) to achieve an operating surplus of £1.137 million;

(2) to increase pay clerk productivity by 7 per cent. over 1994–95 performance;

(3) to increase use of the on-line data capture system (SPIRE) to 85 per cent.;

(4) to maintain the minimum on line service availability at 98.5 per cent.;

(5) to improve the range of services available to customers, in particular, to meet their needs on pay delegation.

Volume 263: debated on Monday 10 July 1995

Written Answers To Questions

Treasury

Firearms And Ammunition

Single Currency

Banknotes

Employee Share Ownership

Public Sector Borrowing Requirement

House Builders Federation

Uncollected Tax

National Debt

Cheque Clearing

Charities (Vat)

Gilts And Bonds

Oil Companies (Decommissioning)

Tax Relief

Bank Of England, Leeds

Alcohol Taxation

Home Department

Drugs Misuse

Racially Motivated Incidents

Penile Plethysmograph Tests

Young Offender Institutions

Advertising

Cannabis

Police Cautions

Victims Helpline

Police Cells

Correspondence

Drugs (Prisons)

Wheelclamping

Prisoner Escape

Prisoners (Visits By Lawyers)

Criminal Injury Compensation

Eds

Inquests

Probation Officers

Prisoners (Drug Tests)

Mr Barry Gray

Prison Escorts

Prime Minister

Judicial Appointments

Bank Of England

Former Prisoners Of War

Air Strikes (Bosnia)

Ministerial Advisers

Special Advisers

Ministerial Speeches

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Morocco

Access To Information

Arms Exports

Mr Jamal Akkas Chowdhury

Nuclear Weapons Tests

Wilton Park

Government Papers

Eu Council

Queen's Messenger Service

East European Students

Transport

Cycle Parking

Br Research

Catford Road Scheme

Thames Strategy

Channel Tunnel Rail Link

New Vehicles

Municipal Bus Companies

Vehicle Harmonisation Directive

Road Pricing

Catalytic Converters

Driving Licence Fraud

Orange Badge Scheme

Cones Hotline

Pollution Monitoring Centre

Trade And Industry

Television

Benchmarking

Teaching Company Scheme

Growth Targets