To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations his Department has received from (a) members of the general public, (b) hon. Members and (c) non-governmental organisations on the size of the overseas aid budget since 1 September; and what were the figures for the same period last year. [39083]

Since 1 September 1995, FCO Ministers have received over 1,000 letters from members of the public and over 800 letters from hon. Members and non-governmental organisations about the size of the overseas aid budget. This far exceeds the number received during the same period in 1994.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department for what grant-giving funds his Department is responsible, requiring a private sector contribution, where the use of national lottery funds is not allowed to count towards that private sector portion. [38603]

The Lord Chancellor's Department is not responsible for any grant-giving funds.The chief executives of the Court Service and of the Public Trust Office will write to the hon. Member on the matters for which they have responsibility.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide in respect of his plan for pay delegation submitted to the Treasury (a) a description of the staff in each bargaining unit covered by the plan, distinguishing staff in headquarters functions, agencies and agency candidates, and in other identifiable business units and (b) proposals for trade union recognition in each bargaining unit and the negotiating machinery to be put in place in each bargaining unit. [38284]

The Ministry of Defence delegation plan in respect of pay for non-industrial staff breaks the Department down into three groupings—first, those agencies that already hold delegated pay authority for non-industrial staff; secondly those agencies planning to assume such authority from 1 April 1996 and thirdly, the main core Department, including non-departmental public bodies, agencies and candidate agencies which have not yet assumed their own delegations.The figures in parts

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the class I cash limits and Defence operating costs limit for 1995–96. [40629]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the following changes will be made:

Class I cash limits
£000s
Vote	Current cash limit	Change	Revised cash limit
1	10,616,956	180,000	10,796,956
3	6,145,325	-180,000	5,965,325

These changes allow for increased expenditure on class I, vote I to reflect revised expectations of receipts from the planned sale of married quarters. The increase will be offset by lower expenditure on class I, vote 3 and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure. There is no change to the block Defence cash limit.As a result, the Ministry of Defence operating costs limit will be increased by 180 million from £16,587,218,000 to £16,767,218,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hawk 100s, and how many Hawk 200s, are to be delivered to Indonesia under current arrangements; and when deliveries will start. [37710]

Details of the commercial arrangement for the supply of 24 Hawk aircraft are confidential between the supplier and the customer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid in compensation claims in each of the last five years. [37777]

[holding answer 19 October 1995]: The amounts are as follows:

£ million
Financial year	Amount paid
1990–91	16
1991–92	14
1992–93	16
1993–94	19
1994–95	57
1 Includes compensation expenditure relating to service women dismissed on grounds of pregnancy (£5 million in 1993–94 and £35 million in 1994–95).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 3 May 1995, Official Report, column 525, what was the number of sorties flown from RAF Chivenor as part of its own training task, in addition to those sorties originating from RAF Valley, during the last two weeks of weapons task training from RAF Chivenor. [36961]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of each local education authority's budget is covered by central Government grant. [38330]

The information has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the amount of revenue support grant paid to West Sussex county council in each of the last five years to the latest convenient date, indicating the percentage movement in each year. [38581]

The available information is as follows:

West Sussex county councill
	RSG paid into general fund £	Percentage movement from previous year
1993–94	126,131,000	Not available1
1994–95	153,329,000	21.56
1995–96	142,811,000	(6.86)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will set out the amount top sliced for area cost adjustment as a percentage of standard spending assessment for each financial year since 1988–89. [38917]

[holding answer 26 October 1995]: The total of the area cost adjustment is not pre-determined as a top slice from the total of standard spending assessments. It is determined principally from the differentials in earning.The contribution of the area cost adjustment factor in the standard spending assessment was given in response to my hon. Friend the Member for Congleton, (Mrs. Winterton) on 20 October 1995,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement regarding progress on the refurbishment of Eland house. [38896]

Eland house is currently being constructed by Land Securities, which expects to be able to hand over the building within the next three weeks.Fitting-out works for Department of the Environment occupation will commence shortly thereafter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what methods English Nature uses to calculate the numbers of sites of special scientific interest damaged in England each year. [39241]

English Nature's fourth annual report, a copy of which is in the Library, sets out its methods. The report also confirms that the categories of damage to SSSIs in England are based on the "Common Standards for Monitoring" report by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (1993).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps are being taken to monitor (a) mine water pollution and (b) methane emissions from abandoned mine workings in South Yorkshire. [39033]

The answers are as follows:(a)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all test bore holes sunk in south Yorkshire in each year since 1990 to monitor mine water flows. [39034]

Neither the National Rivers Authority nor the Coal Authority is aware of any test bore holes sunk in south Yorkshire since 1990 specifically for the monitoring of mine water flows. However, a number of mine shafts and boreholes sunk for other purposes in the past are used by the Coal Authority to monitor the mine water situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment if he will seek a meeting with the chief inspector of HM factory inspectorate on the matter of liaison between HMFI and the fire brigade in preparing reports on major fires at installations covered by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations, with regard to restrictions placed on fire service personnel in respect of disclosure of information received in the course of duty, to outside bodies. [39261]

I am satisfied with liaison arrangements between the Health and Safety Executive's factory inspectorate and fire brigades in respect of incidents at major hazard sites and have no plans to meet HM chief inspector of factories to discuss this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 29, what information he has about the source of the drums containing radioactive uranium waste found at Chelveston in January; and if he will make a statement. [40164]

Investigations by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution are still under way, hut arc now nearing completion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has yet discovered the source of the depleted uranium found at Poplar farm, Chelveston on 13 January; and what action he has taken against the land owner, the source of the material and the carrier of the material. [40217]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin) earlier today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment (1) what has been the response of the Cabinet Environment Committee to the findings of the House of Lords Select Committee on Sustainable Development in paragraph 6.31 of its recent report, HL 72; and whether the Committee had integrated environmental concerns with energy policy; [38204](2) what is his response to the recommendations in paragraph 6.15 of the report from the House of Lords Select Committee on Sustainable Development, HL 72, that there should be a clear and prompt re-statement of the functions and purposes of the Government's own internal integrating mechanisms. [38205]

The Government published their full response to the Lords Select Committee Report on Sustainable Development (HL 72) on Thursday 12 October as Cm 3018. Paragraphs 66 to 68 of the response set out the position on the Energy Saving Trust—paragraph 6.31 of the report. Paragraphs 81 to 84 of the response restate the functions and purposes of the Government's own internal integrating mechanisms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment what representations and evidence he has received on the damage done to trees by cable television companies; and what action he is taking. [38206]

In the light of widespread public concern about the effects on tree roots of cable and utility companies trenching activities, guidelines to help minimise damage were published by the National Joint Utilities Group in April. To help inform a review of the guidelines, after six months' experience of their operation, the Government have invited local authorities in particular to submit comments on how well the guidelines are working by the end of October.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people are employed with the Health and Safety Executives offshore safety division in Scotland on (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time basis. [39665]

At 1 April 1995, 116 full-time staff and six part-time staff were employed in the Health and Safety Executive's offshore safety division in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has to change his Department's cash and running costs limits for 1995–96. [40637]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the following cash limit changes will he made.The cash limit for class VII, vote 1 (housing and construction, England), covering sections B, C, D and G of that vote, will be increased by £425,000 from £111,990,000 to £112,415,000. This change reflects a transfer of provision from the Department of Social Security in respect of additional rent officer service costs arising from housing benefit changes.The cash limits for regeneration, and countryside and wildlife, will be increased by £12,283,000 from £1,482,233,000 to £1,494,516,000. The changes reflect the payment of £12,033,000 on capital projects which slipped from previous years for the city challenge programme within the single regeneration budget, the docklands light railway, Central Manchester development corporation, Plymouth development corporation, coalfield areas fund and the Victoria arena, Manchester. The increase is covered in full by take up of part of the entitlement to capital end year flexibility announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on July 13, 1995—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reconsider the policy of claiming rent back from the landlord, as opposed to the tenant, in cases where the tenant has received housing benefit subsequent to acquiring a job. [39267]

I have been asked to reply.The circumstances in which local authorities seek recovery of overpaid housing benefit are varied. Regulations are sufficiently flexible to enable authorities to exercise discretion in doing this and they are encouraged to exercise this discretion fairly. Authorities cannot recover overpaid housing benefit from landlords if the benefit has been paid to the claimant. Recovery may, however, be made from the landlord if the benefit has been paid directly to him, although local authorities are required to make landlords aware that they may be liable. to repay any overpayment before any such direct payment arrangement is introduced. There are no current plans to change these arrangements.

To ask the Prime Minister if there are any proposals to change the 1995–96 cash limit or running costs limit for the Cabinet Office: Other Service vote. [40635]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Cabinet Office: Other Services (class XIX, vote 1) will be increased by £2,999,000 from £37,749,000 to £40,748,000. At the same time the running costs limit will be increased by £2,772,000 from £40,895,000 to £43,667,000.The increases reflect the residual transfer of running costs provision for central services previously funded by Her Majesty's Treasury: administration (class XVII, vote 1) (£272,000) following the machinery of government changes announced on 16 December 1994.The vote is eligible for an increase of £2,747,000 in respect of end-year flexibility for running costs expenditure as announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 15 July 1995,

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the public appointments for which his Department is responsible in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating in each case the duration of the appointment, the date when a new appointment is due, and the salary. [39538]

There are none.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list all the non-departmental public bodies to which his Office makes appointments in the county of South Yorkshire, indicating the total annual budget and the number of appointments made or renewed for each body in each of the last four years [39428]

There are none.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on whether the CPS and the SFO should become executive agencies. [40585]

I announced on 6 December 1993 that consideration was to be given to whether the CPS and the SFO should become executive agencies under the Government's next steps initiative. Following a prior options study by an interdepartmental group, I announced on 22 September 1995 that I had concluded that it would not be right to restructure either the CPS or the SFO as an executive agency. The special character of the CPS and the SFO as independent prosecuting authorities and their well-established relationship with me as Attorney-General, which is enshrined in the statutory concept of superintendence, are best maintained by retaining their present status.However, both organisations will be introducing the principles of next steps, such as clarity of objectives, the determining of suitable performance targets, and the delegation of management responsibilities. These principles will provide the basis for further improvement in the management of the work of the CPS and the SFO in line with the approach set out in the recent civil service White Papers. Work to bring this about is under way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the implications of the introduction of the proposed nursery voucher scheme for the local management of schools formula. [38159]

The Department is considering the implications of the nursery voucher for LMS schemes. However, since LMS schemes vary, the implications will be different for each scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the evaluation of the out-of-school child care grant will be published. [38741]

I hope to publish the report during the winter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her intention with regard to future support for school-age child care; and if she will make it her policy to continue actively to support school age child care and enable local and national agencies to do the same. [38742]

Any decision on future support for school age child care will be based on a full assessment of our current out-of-school child care initiative, including costs and benefits, and on wider Government policy for public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what changes will be made to the cash limits or running costs limits of her Department for 1995–96. [40638].

Subject to parliamentary approval of the supplementary estimate the following changes will be made:

The cash limit for class V, vote 1—Department for Education and Employment: Employment programmes and central services—will be increased by £853,000 from £2,121,711,000 to £2,122,564,000.

The cash limit for class V, vote 2—Department for Education and Employment: Employment Service—will be reduced by £848,000 from £907,800,000 to £906,952,000.

The cash limit for class V, vote 1—Department for Education and Employment: Schools, research and miscellaneous services—will be increased by £12,639,000 from £722,844,000 to £735,483,000.

The cash limit for class X, vote 2—Department for Education and Employment: higher and further education and student support—will be increased by £185,000 from £5,908,377,000 to £5,908,522,000.

The cash limit for class X, vote 3—Department for Education and Employment: administration—will be reduced by £45,000 from £340,000 to £90,295,000.

The running costs limit for class V, vote 1 will be £294,401,000, the running costs limit for class V, vote 2 will be £1,023,060,000, the running costs limit for class X, vote 3 will be £86,455,000. Therefore, the overall running costs for the Department for Education and Employment will be £1,403,916,000.

The cash limit increase on class V, vote 1 is as a result of a net transfer from the Employment Service to the Department for Education and Employment in respect of personnel functions and premises costs.The cash limit reduction on class V, vote 2 is as a result of a net transfer of £887,000 to the Department for Education and Employment in respect of personnel functions and premises costs. This decrease is offset by a net transfer of £5,000 from the Welsh Office, class XV, vote 3, in respect of the accommodation costs of an office in Lampeter and a net transfer of £34,000 from class V, vote 2 in respect of manual giro reconciliation work.The increase on class X, vote 1 is in respect of the take up of the capital end-year flexibility entitlement of £1,796,000 announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 13 July 1995,

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of export promotion services in the north-west. [39607]

All companies in the north-west have access to the full range of Government export promotion services. This support includes:

• access to national network of export development and export promoters with specific country experience;
• generic and specific export market intelligence;
• identify potential overseas business partners;
• on-the ground help in overseas markets;
• award schemes to encourage good export practice.

Complementary services are available through local chambers of commerce and other private sector organisations. Export services are increasingly accessible through business links as the network expands throughout the region.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions (a) the National Coal Board and (b) the British Coal Corporation have identified the industrial death and retirement fund separately within their annual report and statement of accounts; what interest has accrued on the assets of the industrial death and retirement fund since 7 June; what is the protected level of benefit to be paid from the fund in (i) 1996 and (ii) 2000; and on what occasions (1) the National Coal Board and (2) the British Coal Corporation had a liability to pay benefit if there were insufficient money in the fund. [40098]

This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that businesses consuming less than 100 Kw of electricity per annum enjoy similar refunds to those which have been negotiated for domestic consumers of electricity. [39965]

The regional electricity companies have agreed that, subject to the listing of the National Grid becoming effective, each of their domestic customers will received a discount of £50, inclusive of VAT.Electricity prices have fallen by an average of 6.5 per cent. in real terms since vesting to commercial and industrial customers. All customers will benefit from the further reductions in the pipeline thanks to the new distribution price control, the reduction of the fossil fuel levy when the nuclear industry is privatised and lower generation and supply costs.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of export licences are processed by his Department (a) in less than two weeks, (b) from two weeks to one month and (c) longer than two months; and what representations he has received over delays in processing. [39263]

The code of practice of the Export Control Organisation commits the ECO to aim to process licence applications within certain time scales.

Where an application has to be sent to other Departments for advice, to achieve completion within 20 working days ("circulated cases");

Where the application does not have to be circulated, to achieve completion within 10 working days ("non-circulated cases").

These targets are based on the exporter having supplied all the necessary information in support of the application, the details of which are readily available both in the ECO's notes for guidance and other awareness material. Statistics are kept to monitor performance against these targets. The compilation of other, ad hoc, statistics would involve a search of individual licence records which would divert valuable resources away from the essential task of processing export licence applications.Performance against the targets in the last three years are as follows:

	Circulate Cases Percentage	Non-circulated cases Percentage
1992	67	68
1993	61	56
1994	68	69

However, the performance in respect of cases requiring consultation with other Departments—about three-quarters of the total—has fallen in recent months, dropping to an average of 49 per cent. Ministers and senior officials have received some representations from exporters on the matter, both directly and via hon. Members. There have been a number of reasons. The discovery of circumstances where export controls seem to have failed in the past has sharpened even further the need to ensure that such controls are properly enforced. The staff in the licensing units have been reminded that while industry can expect that applications are dealt with expeditiously, there remains a need to ensure that all export licence applications are properly supported by the necessary documentation and other information. Many delays are caused by proper documentation not having been provided. In parallel with this, long-planned introduction of improved system and procedures designed, among other things, to ensure proper rigour in the consideration of applications, has tended to lengthen the process.I am mindful of the need to process applications as expeditiously and thoroughly as possible. Every effort is being made to do so.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the work of his Department since 1990. [38076]

Throughout this period, the work of the Department of Trade and Industry has been to help United Kingdom business compete successfully at home and abroad. Since machinery of government changes in July 1995, the DTI also aims, through the Office of Science and Technology, to strengthen the UK's science, engineering and technology capability and to maximise its contribution to national economic performance and quality of life.The DTI's activities and achievements since 1990 have included:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the result of the writ issued by Mr. Martyn Gregory received by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [38716]

The matter was settled on 28 July 1995 when the Department apologised to Mr. Gregory in open court and agreed to make a payment of £55,000 to him in respect of both damages and his legal costs. It was made clear that while it had not been its intention to question Mr. Gregory's integrity, the Department did not accept allegations of Government connivance contained in his television programme' and was satisfied that no contravention of export controls had occurred in respect of such matters.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number and types of (a) analogue a(b) digital mobile cellnet telephone stations or part equipments which have been stolen or lost in (i) the United Kingdom, (ii) Europe and (iii) elsewhere, if these incidents have occurred (1) at the manufacturer's premises, (2) in transport or (3) at proposed or operational sites; and what software relevant to mobile cellnet telephones has been lost, stolen or mislaid. [40143]

This information is not held by my Department. These are matters for the enforcement authorities, the telecommunications operators and the manufacturers concerned.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many people are employed by the British Geological Survey's petroleum division in Scotland on (a) a full-time and (b) a part-time basis. [39667]

Petroleum activities within BGS are carried out within the survey's petroleum geology, geophysics, and offshore surveys division. In Scotland, 51 full-time personnel who are Edinburgh-based undertake work that relates directly and indirectly to petroleum.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much additional money has been made available from his Department's budget for projects under the technology foresight programme. [38869]

In announcements made earlier this year, additional funds were made availble to underpin foresight dissemination and implementation as follows:

£3 millons to take forward foresight through the LINK mechanism:

A £40 millions foresight challenge fund spread over the next three years, all of which would be matched by industry;

£70 millions, spread over the next four years, for the rest of DTI to support innovation and foresight, part of which would be matched by industry.

Including matching sums from industry this package is worth approximately £170 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade who ordered the destruction of the records of export licence applications for goods on the military list made during the years (a) 1980, (b) 1981, (c) 1982, (d) 1983, and (e) 1984. [39285]

[holding answer 25 October 1995]: The public records, Board of Trade eighth schedule, submitted to both Houses of Parliament in June 1950, gave notice in the disposal schedule for all export licence application papers to be automatically destroyed after six years. The Public Records Act 1958 removed the need to comply with this schedule, but the then Board of Trade continued to follow the practice of destruction after six years. This continued until July 1991 when it was decided not to destroy any existing application papers. That practice has continued to date.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to impose upper limits on the (a) manufacture, (b) import and (c) export of the drug Temazepam based upon the current and projected levels of required legitimate use within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [39191]

I have been asked to reply.None. Additional controls to prevent diversion from the legitimate trade in Temazepam, including import and export licences, will shortly be introduced.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department proposes setting up training programmes for those using organophosphate products for the control of cattle warbles, and if he will make a statement. [38690]

My Department has no plans for setting up such a course. The National Proficiency Test Council already offers a certificate of competence in the safe use and handling of veterinary medicines. This covers the safe use and proper disposal of all veterinary medicines. A copy of a leaflet about the certificate is being placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the draft CAP budget expenditure published by the EU for 1996; what is the legal limit of such expenditure; and what was the actual expenditure in each of the past 10 years. [37631]

[pursuant to his reply, 20 October 1995, Official Report, c.408]: The 1996 draft budget for common agricultural policy expenditure has been set at the level of the guideline—the legally binding ceiling on CAP expenditure—of 40,828 million ecu or £34,069 million. Initial indicators are that 1995 expenditure will be about 35,000 mecu—about £28,000 million—some 3,000 mecu—£2,418 million—below the guideline. Expenditure in 1994 was 32,970 mecu—£25,264 million—some 3,495 mecu—£2,678 million—below the guideline. Details of expenditure on the common agricultural policys in previous years are contained in the annual financial reports on the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund, guarantee section, copies of which have been deposited in the Library of the House. The latest available report relates to 1993.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what changes are proposed in his Department's cash limits for 1995–96. [40630]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class III, vote 4 (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food: departmental research, advisory services and administration, executive agencies and certain other services) will be increased by £8,338,000 from £322,070,000 to £330,408,000. The vote 4 supplementary estimate will give effect to the end year flexibility entitlement of £6,778,000 for running costs and £60,000 for capital announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns776–82. The supplementary estimate also reflects a £3,000,000 reduction in appropriations in aid and a £1,500,000 reduction in running costs for the Meat Hygiene Service due to transitional relief given to fresh meat plants.The Intervention Board executive agency is eligible for an increase of £2,791,000 in respect of end year flexibility arrangements for running costs expenditure. At this stage it is proposed to take up £1,266,000 of this entitlement and increase the agency's running costs limit from £32,400,000 to £33,666,000.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Luxembourg on 24 and 25 October; and if he will make a statement. [40632]

The Council adopted by qualified majority an amended Commission proposal enabling member states to pay national aids, under defined conditions, to farmers who had experienced considerable income losses as a result of significant currency depreciation in other member states. The original proposal was opposed by the United Kingdom, Italy and Sweden—comprising 24 votes—which meant it could not be adopted if a member state invoked the Council decision reflecting the agreement reached at Ioannina in Greece on 27 March 1994. I invoked this decision, thereby requiring the Council to seek a basis for agreement involving at least 65 votes, that is with fewer than 23 votes opposing or abstaining. As a consequence of this, the proposal was amended, in particular to require aid payments to be reduced or cancelled if currency depreciations were subsequently reversed. Although this was a significant and welcome improvement, it went less far than I would have liked. I therefore abstained on the vote. Italy voted against and Sweden in favour.The Council also discussed reform of the rice regime and held a first discussion of the Commission's proposal to reform the fruit and vegetables regime. On the latter, I welcomed the proposed steps towards reducing the role of intervention and urged the Council to commit itself to eventual abolition of intervention in this sector. I stressed the importance of focusing support on a wider range of organisations than the narrowly defined traditional producer co-operatives proposed by the Commission.Under other business, I expressed concern about the Commission's decision to reduce malt exports refunds and effectively shorten the period for which export certificates were valid. Several other Ministers supported. The Commissioner undertook to reflect and if necessary adjust the measures in the light of experience.I also pressed the Commission to retain provision for guaranteed set-aside, so that the important environmental benefits of these arrangements could be preserved. I argued that any proposal setting limits of nitrate in lettuce must reflect the scientific advice. I drew attention to the lack of any health risk to UK consumers, the need to promote consumption of vegetables and the devastating effect which unduly restrictive rules would have on the UK glasshouse industry. I therefore argued that there was no justification for the setting of such limits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 1995–96 cash limits within his responsibilities. [40680]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class VIII, vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, probation and other services, England and Wales) will be increased by £3,419,000 from £4,436,657,000 to £4,440,076,000. The increase is the net effect of: a transfer £38,000—running costs—from the Department of Environment in respect of section 11 grant administration; a transfer of £250,000 from the Welsh Office in respect of expenditure related to police force reorganisation in the Rhymney valley; a reduction of £1,160,000 in the local authority non-voted HO/LACAP cash limit from £116,333,000 to £115,265,000 for the development of the national probation service information systems strategy and police information technology; a transfer from offender programmes of £275,000 to the Department for Educationa and Employment and Welsh Office in respect of additional cost of places for Home Office sponsored students; a transfer from equal opportunities and general of £4,000—running costs—to the Department of Environment in respect of transfer of responsibility for countryside byelaws; the take-up of £250,000 from the reserve—running costs—for special constables; and the take up of £2,000,000 from the reserve for temporary protection for war victims from former Yugoslavia. There is also a diminution of police and probation capital grants by £1,740,000.In consequence of these changes, the Home Office gross running cost limit will increased by £284,000 from £1,740,331,000 to £1,740,615,000.The increase will be offset by savings, transfers or charges to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to present to the Deregulation Select Committee proposals under the Betting, Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 relating to amusement machines with cash prizes. [39976]

We hope to present a draft order containing our proposals shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to meet the Lord Chief Justice; and what issues he will seek to discuss with him. [39756]

My right hon. and learned Friend meets the Lord Chief Justice from time to time to discuss issues of mutual concern. The next such meeting has not yet been arranged.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been (a) the increase in Government funding for the police in Dorset and (b) the inflation rate since (i) 1979 and (ii) 1990; and if he will make a statement. [38971]

Expenditure on the police in Dorset has increased since 1978–79 by 515 per cent. and since 1989–90 by 46 per cent. Estimated rates of inflation over the periods in question are:

(i) 1978–79 to 1995–96: 200 per cent.

(ii) 1989–90 to 1995–96: 29 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his policy on the provision of after-care services for women leaving refuges; which services are being provided with national coverage; and what funding has been made for after-care services for women leaving refuges in each of the last five years and the current financial year; [38464](2) how many women are taken care of by women's refuges; and what estimates he has made of the extent of unmet need. [38470]

I understand from my right hon. Friends at the Departments of Health and of the Environment that the information requested is not currently available. Consideration is, however, being given by the official and ministerial groups on domestic violence to improving the collection of data on the range of services and facilities available to those suffering from the consequences of domestic violence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the work of his Department since 1990. [38075]

A wide range of actions have been taken:

• to strengthen the police service in England and Wales;
• to tackle crime through legislation, crime prevention, action on juvenile crime, and improving the efficiency of the probation service;
• to enable the Prison Service to meet the demands on it;
• to improve immigration control;
• to develop co-operation with other European Union members.

The police service in England and Wales has undergone a major programme of reform since 1990. The main vehicle for the reforms is the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 1994. Its aim is to bring up to date the management, organisation and funding of the police service. The Act also introduced reforms to promote effective police performance and increase local accountability. It set up new free-standing police authorities which now include independent members. I have given up detailed controls over police staffing numbers and capital expenditure, and within cash limits it is now for police authorities and chief constables to decide how to spend their money. I set key objectives for policing in England and Wales to focus on major public concerns. Police authorities are required to consult the local community about the priorities for policing in their area, and to report back each year on how their force has performed. Police rank structure and remuneration have been revised and adapted to support the new structures.A Metropolitan police committee consisting of a chairman and 11 members was established this year to advise and support me in my role as police authority for the Metropolitan police.The number of police officers in England and Wales increased to 127,222 in March 1995, and the service is expected to grow by a further 500 officers this year. The number of officers of constable rank in the service has increased by 1,825 since 1990. Additional funding will be provided to enable chief constables to recruit an additional 5,000 officers over the next three years. Action has been taken to reduce administrative burdens on the police to free police time for core duties, and since 1990 some 3,500 officers have been released for operational duties through civilianisation.A new police national computer has been installed to deal with increasing numbers of transactions. It was enhanced in May this year by the launch of Phoenix, the criminal justice record service, giving the police instant computer access to the national collection of criminal records. The police national network, a state of the art telecommunications highway of the police service, has been set up and the first ever national strategy for police information systems adopted.The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 provided for the setting up of a computerised database of DNA samples taken from persons charged or reported for a recordable offence. The database went live in April 1995.The Criminal Justice Acts 1991 and 1993 strengthened the range and effectiveness of community penalties and provided a new statutory framework for sentencing. Courts are able to take into account previous convictions when passing sentence, and to impose longer sentences where necessary to protect the public from dangerous offenders. Powers have been introduced to enable unduly lenient sentences to be reviewed and increased. Maximum penalties have been increased for many offences including causing death by dangerous or drink driving, possession or distribution of prohibited weapons and making obscene or malicious telephone calls. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 contained a wide range of measures designed to tackle crime and protect the public, including restrictions on bail and allowing the courts to draw inferences from the silence of defendants in certain circumstances. Comprehensive national standards for the supervision of offenders in the community by probation and social services in England and Wales were introduced in 1992 and revised in 1995. A Green Paper "Strengthening Punishment in the Community" was published in March 1995 proposing that sentencers should have greater choice and flexibility in community sentencing, through the creation of a single, integrated community sentence. Separate programmes of action have also been taken to develop, implement and co-ordinate policies for tackling drugs misuse and domestic violence.Legislation has also been passed to enable the United Kingdom to participate more effectively in international co-operation against crime; to combat money laundering and confiscate the proceeds of crime; to ratify the United Nations convention against the illicit traffic in drugs; to improve extradition arrangements within the European Union and between our Council of Europe partners.Legislation has been passed to strengthen the law on obscenity, child pornography and video classification and to provide measures for dealing more quickly and effectively with squatters; to deal with so called "joyriders"; to improve the efficiency of the magistrates courts; to strengthen the powers of the Courts of Appeal in England and in Wales; to establish a Criminal Cases Review Commission to investigate and refer possible miscarriages of justice to the courts; and to give courts jurisdiction over offences of murder, manslaughter or culpable homicide committed as violations of the laws and customs of war in Germany or German-occupied territory, during the second world war, by those who at the time of their offences were not British, but who subsequently became citizens or residents in the United Kingdom. A bill has also been introduced to pave the way for a new scheme for compensating the blameless victims of crimes of violence.There have been important developments in crime prevention. In 1993, the Home Office issued a practical guide to crime prevention for local partnerships which helps local communities to develop their own strategies for tackling crime. In September 1994, the Government launched the partners against crime campaign to increase the contribution of individuals in the fight against crime through membership of neighbourhood watch and the special constabulary. In September 1995, I announced a new grant fund for the special constabulary to help forces to increase their numbers of special constables.The Government have encouraged the greater use of closed circuit television in the prevention and detection of crime. In 1994–95, £5 million in Government money levered in a further £13.8 million to fund over 100 new CCTV schemes across the country. In October 1995, the Government announced further financial support for CCTV schemes to provide 10,000 new cameras over three years.In October 1995, I announced the establishment of a national crime prevention agency to bring together the key bodies in the promotion of crime prevention.Steps have been taken to combat juvenile crime. Legislation has been passed to give the courts wider powers to deal with serious and persistent juvenile offenders, including provision for a new secure training order which will be available for 12 to 14-year-olds who persistently offend. Action is in hand to establish five secure training centres in which those sentenced to the order will serve the first half of their sentence. We have also acted to stop the inappropriate use of cautioning. In October 1995, I announced plans to set up a ministerial group on juveniles to consider ways of strengthening measures to prevent those children who are most at risk of offending from becoming involved in crime.An efficiency scrutiny of probation service in-house training began in 1991 has been completed and implemented, and new arrangements for qualifying training and the recruitment of probation officers were announced this year. A major efficiency programme, backed by the introduction in 1994 of key performance indicators and the establishment of a national information system strategy, is on-going and will produce significant cash savings while maintaining a high quality of service delivery.In addition, action has been taken to secure better co-operation among all criminal justice agencies and the legal professions. Acting on the recommendations of the Woolf report into the prison disturbances in 1990, the Criminal Justice Consultative Council was established in January 1992 and 24 local area criminal justice liaison committees some months later.In the Prison Service, the largest new prisons building programme this century has continued with 13 new prisons opening since 1990. Competition has been introduced as a stimulus to better performance in the Prison Service, with four prisons now being operated by the private sector. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 put industrial relations in the Prison Service on a new footing by clarifying the legal position of prison officers and governors under employment law, confirming that these groups of staff have the same employment rights as other crown servants, while also confirming that it is illegal for them to be induced to take industrial action. The Act also allows for associated changes to be made to pay determination arrangements for the staff affected.Since the Prison Service became an executive agency on April 1993, it has reduced the rate of escapes by 76 per cent., ended the practice of holding three prisoners in cells designed for less than that number; provided 24-hour access to sanitation for 95 per cent. of prisoners; and increased the amount of purposeful activity being undertaken by prisoners. A new system of release on temporary licence which came into force on 25 April 1995 has reduced temporary release failures by over 75 per cent. compared with the same period last year. A programme of mandatory drug testing in prisons and a new national framework of incentives and earned privileges, linking incentives to prisoners' behaviour, have both been introduced during 1995.There have been a number of important improvements to the immigration control. The Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993 has enable the average decision time for the asylum applications to be halved; further proposals for dealing with undeserving applications will be announced shortly.The extension of visa regimes to nationals of a number of countries, the development of Carriers' Liability Act procedures, the increase in forgery detection rates and the introduction of a computerised suspect index have all strengthened the control. Revised shift patterns and the introduction of service standards at ports of entry have enabled the Immigration Service to cope with significant increases in both casework and passenger arrivals which rose from 47 million in 1990 to 63 million in 1994. Since November 1993, some 240 additional places have been provided in purpose-built accommodation for immigration detainees and a further 125 places will shortly be made available at a new centre at Gatwick.Since 1990, close co-operation has continued with our partners in the European Union in tackling a range of common problems in the area of justice and home affairs. Before 1992, such work took place in a number of working groups such as those on immigration, the Trevi groups on police co-operation, the European committee to combat drugs and the judicial co-operation working group. This work resulted in a significant body of agreements and, particularly in the areas of police and customs work, the development of highly effective procedures for operational co-operation by member states. The third pillar of the treaty on European Union, which came into force in November 1992, brought this work within a unified framework and has enabled the tradition of intergovernmental co-operation on justice and home affairs issues to continue successfully. Four major conventions have been signed, covering extradition arrangements, fraud against the Community budget, Europol and the customs information system, together with a large number of important instruments particularly in immigration and asylum policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) violent crimes and (b) sexual assaults took place against (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) in total for (1) 1993 and (2) 1994 at major railway stations and on London Underground. [37526]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 23 October, Official Report, column 467.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he discussed the new boundaries for Northern Ireland constituencies with the

Year	Organisation	Survey topic	Consultants	Cost consultant fees(ex VAT) £	Civil service expenditure £
1991	NICS Service-Wide	Current management practices and how they are perceived by staff	KMPG Management Consulting	43,530	12,000
1992	Industrial Development Board (IDB)	Internal areas of strengths and weaknesses	PA Consulting	13,500	10,300
1992	Social Security Agency (SSA)	Staff attitudes in relation to four key business themes of SSA	Design Partnership	13,900	—
1992	DHSS	Gauging staff attitudes across a wide range of Personnel Issues	Development Partnership	5,131	—
1993	DOE	Staff attitudes in to: communication, performance management, career development, line management, stress, organisation	Research and Evaluation Services and Queen's University	9,400	5,500
1994	Industrial Development Board	Internal areas of strengths and weaknesses	PA Consulting	9,600	8,500
1994	DHSS	Standards of service provided by Personnel management branch	Price Waterhouse	7,469	—
1994	NICS Service-Wide	Research into the organisational culture in the senior grades in the NICS	KPMG Management Consulting	25,832	—

No

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people answered the Irish language question in the affirmative at the last census; if he will arrange that in the next census the questions on the Northern Ireland census form relating to speaking and understanding the Irish language are printed in Irish and that it will require a positive written answer in the Irish language for an adult individual or family to be counted as Irish speaking; and if he will consider a similar question for speakers of the Ulster-Scots language. [38484]

The number of people who answered the Irish language question in the affirmative at the last census was 142,003. The number and form of questions to be included in the 2001 census has not yet been determined. Those finally decided on will be as a result of consultation, testing and review. The suggestions put forward by the hon. Gentleman will be considered as part of this process. A census order including the proposed questions will be laid before Parliament in 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the staff attitude surveys carried out in the Northern Ireland civil service over the last five years, the particular topic investigated, which consultants were employed and at what cost in consultants fees and civil service expenditure. [38481]

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by district council area those apparently sectarian attacks necessitating the issue of Chief Constable's certificates, or requests for same, since 1 January 1990 made upon (a) Catholic Church property, (b) Protestant Church property, (c) state schools, (d) Catholic schools and (e) Orange halls. [38485]

The information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people pay the cost of their nursing home care (a) in full and (b) in part; and how many have their costs entirely met through (i) income support and (ii) their local authority. [40186]

At 31 March 1995, health and social services boards, under their community care responsibilities, were meeting the care costs of 2,822 nursing home residents.Information about the numbers of nursing home residents in receipt of the preserved rights rate of income support or who are self-financing is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of (a) doubling and (b) trebling the present £8,000 capital disregard for nursing home fees. [40190]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him earlier today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the number of people who have had to sell their homes to fund the cost of their long-term stay in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes in each of the last five years. [40178]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average length of time a person spends in full-time nursing care. [40182].

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what telephone call rates for people living within the area served by Kingston Communications are charged when using the Child Support Agency's advice telephone service; what monitoring of these rates is conducted by his Department; and in what circumstances his Department will pay compensation for telephone users that have been charged at a higher rate than for local telephone call service. [38729]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will revise the guidance given to family credit claimants in the claim form and information leaflets to ensure that they are aware of the circumstances in which delaying their claim for the purpose of obtaining pay slips or other documents will result in loss of one or more weeks' benefit. [39657]

The administration of family credit is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with such information as is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he expects to decide on the legal responsibility for paying housing benefit to tenants of the Greenwich hospital. [38582]

The issue of the status of Greenwich hospital, for housing benefit purposes, is being reviewed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will relate the £1.4 billion a year cost of social security fraud he announced in July to the annual total of £558 million published by his Department in January 1994; and if he will make a statement. [39076]

The figure of £1.4 billion refers to the estimated annual loss to income support from fraud, indicated by the results of a survey into the extent of benefit fraud and error on income support and unemployment benefit undertaken in late 1994. These results were announced in July 1995. The figure of £558 million is the amount of fraud detected and stopped in 1992–93. The amount of fraud detected and stopped has risen to £717.6 million in 1994–95.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many reduced earnings allowance claims are currently outstanding for each of the benefit offices covering the Doncaster and Mexborough postal districts; [39038](2) what is the average time taken to process a PD4 claim at

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proposals he has to change the cash limits of his Department for 1995–96. [40211]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XIII, vote 3 will be increased by £14,566,000 from £403,139,000 to £417,705,000.The revision takes account of the new scheme for private sector tenants from 2 January 1996 and provides for subsidies to local authorities in respect of discretionary spending on rent allowances—£2.5 million—above the maximum rent; for subsidies to housing and local authorities towards the cost of administering the housing benefit scheme and for subsidies to charging and levying authorities towards the costs of administering the council tax benefit scheme—£12,066,000.The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many applications for the ILF were outstanding on 1 September; and how many of these had been outstanding for more than six months. [38110]

The information requested is not available in the format requested and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am informed by the director of the independent living funds that there are currently 455 applications to the independent living (1993) fund outstanding where no decision has been made. Nine of these have been waiting for more than six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total number of asylum seekers receiving income support at the discounted rate of 90 per cent. for the latest available date and for the equivalent date in 1992, 1993 and 1994. [39878]

The information is set out in the table.

	Number of cases
November 1993	40,000
November 1994	42,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost to the national insurance fund of allowances given in respect of private pension insurance for each of the last five years. [39879]

The information is in the table.

Paid in the year	Contracted-out rebate	2 per cent. Incentive	2 per cent. Addition	Total £ million
1990–91	1,462	512	—	1,974
1991–92	1,739	598	—	2,337
1992–93	1,897	644	—	2,541
1993–94	2,051	690	—	2,741
1994–95	1,719	17	220	1,956

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the total subsidy paid to the national insurance fund for each of the past five years. [39880]

The treasury grant to the national insurance fund was £7,589 million in 1993–94 and £6,280 million in 1994–95. There was no such payment into the national insurance fund for the preceding three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the Government's policy on flying the union flag from Government and other public buildings. [39847]

The regulations for flying flags on Government buildings are issued by the Department of National Heritage in consultation with the Lord Chamberlain's Office. Under Her Majesty's command, flags are flown on 20 appointed dates. Flags may also be flown additionally by special command of Her Majesty. There are no regulations for the flying of flags on other buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what discussions she has had with Government legal officers on the status of the Football Association report into financial dishonesty in football. [39795]

None. This is an internal matter for the football authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is the annual cost of the drug testing programme run by the Sports Council. [39785]

In 1994–95, the Sports Council's expenditure on doping control was £819,301. In addition, the Sports Councils in Wales, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland spent a total of £87,952 on doping control.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans her Department has for the development of sports coaching at national level and school level. [39790]

The Department of National Heritage will continue to assist in the development of sports coaching at national and school level through its funding of the GB Sports Council. In particular, the Government's sports policy statement, "Sport: Raising the Game", published on 14 July, also outlines the Sports Council's intention to spend an additional £1 million on providing opportunities for trainee and serving teachers to gain coaching qualifications.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what changes she proposes to make to her Department's cash limits for 1995–96. [40636]

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limit for class XI, vote 1 will be increased by £23,776,000 from £993,273,000 to £1,017,049,000. This is to increase provision for assets accepted in lieu of tax, for the British library St. Pancras project and for compensation payments in respect of the concessionary television licence scheme. The increase will be met partly by recovery of overpayment of compensation payments made in previous years under the concessionary television licence scheme, by a reduction in the capital provision for the Historic Royal Palaces agency, from savings on provision made for commemorations to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of world war 2, and by a charge to the reserve. The increase will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what assistance her Department is giving to the restoration of the 18th century chapel at Cusworth hall, Doncaster; and if she will make a statement. [39073]

Government funding for repairs to historic buildings is channelled, through English Heritage, which contributed £25,000 towards repairs to Cusworth hall, including its painted chapel, between 1988 and 1993. Further repairs to the chapel may be eligible for additional grant aid from English Heritage.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list, by location, buildings of historical importance that are currently being renovated in Humberside and in each of the three counties of Yorkshire; and if she will make a statement. [39001]

This information is not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. The numbers of grade I and II buildings in these counties in receipt of repairs grants from English Heritage, for instance, number in excess of 100 in 1994–95 and 1995–96 to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what action she is taking to save from demolition the world war pill-box attached to the grade II listed structure Great hall at Merchant Taylor's school, Rickmansworth; and if she will make a statement. [38963]

None. I understand that, following an application from the owners, consent for the demolition of this grade II listed pillbox has been granted by the local planning authority, Three Rivers district council. Arrangements have been made for the structure to be recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list the guidelines which determine the exclusion of projects receiving lottery money from access to the public funds they would normally receive. [38346]

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) pursuant to her answer of 27 June to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North, (Mr. Howarth) Official Report, column 598, what further guidance has been issued with respect to matching national lottery awards with public funds; [39145](2) what principles govern the definition of partnership funding from the public sector that is eligible to match awards of funding from the national lottery. [39122]

[holding answer 24 October 1995]: The Government have always made it clear that the partnership funding required for national lottery-supported projects could come from any source. We have also made it clear that applicants for lottery support who intend to seek partnership funding from other public sector sources, be they central Government, local authority or European funds, should ensure that the scheme in question allows for other funds toward the project to come from other public sector sources. There are a number of grant schemes which are specifically designed to lever funds from non-public sector sources. Lottery proceeds are clearly public sector funds and could not, therefore, count as private sector partnership funding to such grants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will encourage initiatives in Wales in parallel with those of the National Farmers Union and the British Medical Association in running seminars on the hazards of organophosphorus toxicity; and if he will make a statement. [38620]

The National Farmers Union and the British Medical Association arranged a conference earlier this year to discuss organophosphorus sheep dips. I understand that they have no plans for any further seminars on this subject. Advice on the safe handling and disposal of sheep dip is available in various forms, including a leaflet produced jointly by the Health and Safety Executive, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment. This was distributed to all farmers in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what methods the Countryside Council for Wales uses to calculate the number of sites of special scientific interest damaged in Wales each year. [39240]

The definitions used in categorising damage to sites in Wales are set out in the annual report of the Countryside Council for Wales, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish information on the cost on the series of conferences organised by the Grant Maintained Schools Foundation for Wales for head teachers and chairs of governors on grant-maintained status between September 1995 and June 1996. [38541]

The cost of these seminars is a matter for the foundation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people pay the cost of their nursing home care (a) in full and (b) in part; and how many have their costs entirely met through (i) income support or (ii) their local authority. [40184]

Nursing homes in Wales reported that of their 10,661 residents on 31 March 1994:

• 1,845 were wholly privately supported;
• 5,128 were supported in whole or in part by the Department of Social Security;
• 1,322 were supported in whole or in part by both the local authority and the Department of Social Security;
• 933 were supported in whole or in part by the local authority;
• 45 were supported by the health authority;
• 1,388 residents did not disclose their means of financial support.

Separate figures are not collected centrally to show the proportions of fees that are met by individuals. Almost all residents placed in nursing homes by local authorities will make some contribution towards the costs from their income, such as pensions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the cost of (a) doubling and (b) trebling the present £8,000 capital disregard for nursing home fees. [40188]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him today by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what is his estimate of the number of people who have had to sell their homes to fund the cost of their long-term stay in (a) residential and (b) nursing homes in each of the last five years; [40176](2) what is the average length of time a person spends in full time nursing care. [40180]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what percentage and how many primary school pupils were in classes of 40 or more in each local education authority in Wales and in total; and what was the actual and percentage change in numbers from January 1994 in each Welsh local education authority and in total; [39983](2) what percentage and how many primary school pupils were in classes of 36 or more in each local education authority in Wales and in total; and what was the actual and percentage change in numbers from January 1994 in each Welsh local education authority and in total; [39984]

	Indicative SSA £ million	Position at July 1995 Disaggregated budget requirement £ million	Implied band D council tax £	Indicative SSA £ million	Position at October 1995 Disaggregated budget requirement £ million	Implied band D council tax £
Anglesey	58.5	59.3	341	59.1	59.3	320
Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire	101.0	107.7	466	102.9	107.7	422
Aberconwy and Colwyn	86.9	86.6	300	86.6	85.9	292
Denbighshire	76.9	80.5	418	75.4	81.4	491
Flintshire	111.9	115.4	378	109.7	115.6	426
Wrexham	95.8	97.9	371	95.4	97.5	367
Powys	110.4	112.8	370	111.4	112.8	348
Cardigan	57.7	63.6	561	57.2	63.8	590
Pembrokeshire	96.9	98.6	369	96.4	98.3	372
Carmarthenshire	142.9	151.2	473	144.8	151.3	443
Swansea	190.3	191.2	324	188.5	191.2	348
Neath and Port Talbot	115.4	125.9	558	117.2	125.9	515
Bridgend	105.6	109.5	408	106.2	109.5	392
The Vale of Glamorgan	93.9	94.2	316	92.5	94.2	346
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	199.3	214.4	530	202.0	214.4	490
Merthyr Tydfil	53.1	56.2	500	54.2	56.2	435
Caerphilly	139.8	145.7	433	140.9	145.7	407
Blaenau Gwent	61.7	67.1	591	63.0	67.1	524
Torfaen	75.5	77.3	370	76.0	77.3	351
Monmouthshire	62.4	59.7	231	62.0	59.7	242
Newport	115.3	111.5	226	114.4	111.5	246
Cardiff	243.7	245.1	325	238.9	245.1	371
Wales	2,394.6	2,471.5	392	2,394.6	2,471.5	392

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he proposes to make to the cash limits for his Department and the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools in Wales for the current financial year. [40633]

Information about class sizes in Wales is collected centrally only in respect of the number of classes, not the number of pupils in classes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make available the latest 1995–96 indicative standard spending assessments and disaggregated budget figures for unitary authorities. [40631]

The figures, along with those issued by the Welsh Office on 19 July, are set out as follows. They show the funding the new authorities would have received if they had taken up their responsibilities on 1 April 1995. The figures will be discussed by the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 16 November.

Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimates, the cash limit on class XV, vote 1 will be reduced by £5,000,000 from £29,557,000 to £24,557,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 2 will be increased by £14,481,000 from £645,453,000 to £659,934,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 3 will be increased by £7,749,000 from £553,941,000 to £561,690,000; the cash limit on class XV, vote 6 will be reduced by £2 million from £2,266,342,000 to £2,264,342,000 and the cash limit on class XV, vote 7 will be increased by £275,000 from £8,471,000 to £8,746,000.Running costs limits for the Welsh Office and the office of Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools which were not spent in 1994–95 have been carried forward under the normal end-year flexibility arrangements into 1995–96, increasing the running costs limits by £486,000 from £75,412,000 to £75,898,000 and £250,000 from £3,281,000 to £3,531,000 respectively.The local authority capital cash limit—WO/LACAP—will be increased by £15,019,000 from £500,514,000 to £515,533,000. The Housing for Wales cash limit WO/HFW will be increased by £2.3 million from £103,210,000 to £105,510,000.The decrease in the cash limit for vote 1 arises from lower forecasts of the amount required to meet claims for agricultural grants and measures.The increase in the cash limit for vote 2 is mainly in respect of (i) an additional £11,009,000—including £6,247,000 take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement—to meet additional demand for payments of regional selective assistance; (ii) an increase in the Welsh Development Agency's grant in aid and public dividend capital of £1,400,000 (offset by a corresponding decrease in WDA's non-voted provision); (iii) an additional £750,000 for grant maintained schools—take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement—for essential backlog maintenance.The increase in the cash limit for vote 3 allows mainly for the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement for the central Government road programme—£2,288,000—the National Library of Wales—£1,700,000—and secure accommodation—£3,250,000.The decrease in the cash limit for vote 6 reflects mainly a reduction in the provision for shadow authorities' special grant in respect of the proportion of the grant that will not be claimed until 1996–97. Of the £2,000,000 decrease, £1,750,000 has been transferred to WO/LACAP and the remaining £259,000 has been transferred to class VIII, vote 1 as a contribution towards the costs involved in the reorganisation of police authorities in Wales.The increase in the cash limit for vote 7 results mainly from the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement£250,000—and a transfer of £25,000 from class XV, vote 2 in respect of payments to the Welsh Joint Education Committee for examination data.The increase in the non-voted cash limit WO/LACAP comprises (i) £1,750,000 transferred from class XV, vote 6, and (ii) the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement of £13,269,000—mainly for information technology for local government reorganisation and the strategic development scheme.The increase in the Housing for Wales cash limit reflects the take-up of end-year flexibility entitlement.None of the proposed changes will add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide in respect of his plan for pay delegation submitted to the Treasury (a) a description of the staffing each bargaining unit covered by the plan, distinguishing staff in headquarters functions, agencies and agency candidates, and in other identifiable business units and (b) proposals for trade union recognition in each bargaining unit and the negotiating machinery to be put in place in each bargaining unit. [38276]

The Department plans to take pay delegation as a single bargaining unit. Delegation will cover all administrative and professional staff at grade 6 and below. A procedure agreement detailing arrangements for trade union recognition and for the negotiating machinery is under discussion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the management costs (a) in cash terms and (b) as a proportion of their total income for each district health authority and each family health services authority in England in (i) 1992–93, (ii) 1993–94 and (iii) 1994–95. [38381]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was (a) the per capita expenditure of each (i) district health authority and (ii) family health services authority on (b) the management costs for each authority for each year since 1993–94; and what are the planned costs for the current and next financial years. [38108]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State shall publish information on district health authority and family health services authority costs shortly.