To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the members of the Legal Aid Board were last appointed or reappointed; and how many complaints he has had about the boards or their individual members since the start of 1995. [19645]

The current members of the Legal Aid Board, with their most recent dates of appointment or reappointment, are as follows:

• Sir Tim Chessels (Chairman): 4 May 1995
• Fred Collins: 1 April 1995
• John Crosby: 5 April 1994
• Jean Dunkley: 2 May 1994
• Colin George: 3 May 1994
• Kate Markus: 1 March 1993
• Steve Orchard: 1 January 1994
• Diana Payne: 2 May 1994
• Penelope Pearce: 1 July 1993
• George Pulman: 1 March 1993
• David Sinker: 2 May 1994
• Andrew Thomas 1 April 1993

My predecessor and I have received numerous letters about the operations of the Legal Aid Board since January 1995. A number of these have been critical of aspects of the board's work.In addition, there are 1,183 lawyers serving on the 13 Legal Aid Board area committees, which hear appeals on various legal aid matters. The appointment or reappointment of their members is the responsibility of the Legal Aid Board.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the practice rules relating to the Court of Protection were last revised; and if he will make a statement. [20073]

The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Public Trust Office is best placed to provide an answer. I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Commonwealth scholarships were funded by the Government in (a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96; and what is the planned number for 1996–97. [20045]

A total of 7,144 Commonwealth students were given awards to study and train in the UK in 1994–95. Figures for 1995–96 are not yet available but are likely to be broadly similar.The number of scholarships is likely to fall in 1996–97 due to reductions in the various budgets from which awards are funded and policy changes to improve the effectiveness of training within the UK's bilateral country aid projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made since the start of the National Audit Office inquiry into the management of works of art with the recovery of those works of art reported to be missing or stolen. [20566]

Since the start of the National Audit Office study in January 1995, one work of art has been recovered, in addition to the 15 that had been found before the study began. Two works of art listed as missing by the Government art collection were found to be duplicate records of works that were not missing. Four works recorded as missing by the Government art collection were found to have been returned to their lender.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the works of art belonging to the departmental art collection which are considered missing or stolen; [20561](2) if he will list the works of art on loan from the Government art collection that are considered missing or stolen. [20565]

I am placing the information requested in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions he has taken to safeguard works of art loaned to his Department. [20755]

Works of art are safeguarded by securing the rooms in which they hang, asking the staff who occupy those rooms to verify that the works are safe and by inspections by staff responsible for works of art.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female members of the Royal Navy, having served one tour on a ship at sea, have volunteered for a second tour. [20516]

Female members of the Royal Navy—in common with their male counterparts—do not volunteer for tours on a ship at sea; they are required to go to sea according to the exigencies of the service. To determine how many women have served at sea for two or more tours is not possible without incurring disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of medical staff required by the Army in conflict are reservists; and how many of these posts are manned. [20517]

The proportion of medical personnel required by the Army in conflict, who are ex-Regular reservists or members of the Territorial Army, and the number of posts to be filled by them, will depend on the nature of the operations at the time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the number of medical staff required for each brigade in a conflict. [20518]

Depending on the size of a brigade, the number of medical personnel required varies between 199 and 206.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many female soldiers have returned early from service in Bosnia because of pregnancy; and what this figure is as a percentage of the female soldiers serving in Bosnia. [20519]

My Department has no record of any female soldier returning early from service in Bosnia because of pregnancy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the Air Training Corps concerning the availability of surplus uniforms for its use; and what is his policy on the provision of surplus uniforms for use by the Air Training Corps. [20749]

No representations on this matter have been made by the Air Training Corps. It is the policy of the Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency that any part-worn or superseded items of uniform clothing are made available to cadet organisations before disposal. In addition, those Royal Air Force units which parent Air Training Corps squadrons are required to consider the needs of these squadrons before disposing of surplus uniform items.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the (a) trained and (b) untrained strength of (i) the Army, (ii) the RAF and (iii) the Royal Navy at (1) 1 April 1996 and (2) 1 April 1997 under his Department's current plans. [20751]

The forecast trained and untrained strengths for the services at the specified dates are as follows:

Army
	Trained	Untrained
1 April 1996	104,000	8,000
1 April 1997	101,000	10,000

These figures include forecast Gurkha strengths, but exclude the Royal Irish Regiment (Home Service Force).

Royal Air Force
	Trained	Untrained
1 April 1996	62,700	2,250
1 April 1997	54,700	2,700

Royal Navy
	Trained	Untrained
1 April 1996	45,000	3,000
1 April 1997	42,000	4,000

These figures include the Royal Marines and Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current shortfall in manpower for the Army; what action he has taken to reduce this shortfall; and if he will make a statement. [20752]

The trained strength of the Army is expected to be below its establishment by around 3,000 personnel as at 1 April 1996. The shortfall is primarily due to poor recruitment and retention.A number of measures have been introduced to make good the shortfall. These include the payment of a retention bonus to soldiers in those arms with the greatest deficits who choose to serve beyond the minimum three-year commitment. A bounty has also been offered to suitable ex-Royal Artillery, Royal Armoured Corps and Infantry soldiers who left in the last three years and who are below the age of 30 who accepted an invitation to re-enlist. A further bounty has been offered to soldiers who persuade friends to enlist, and we have substantially increased the recruiting and advertising budget. A revised programme for the closure of Army careers offices has been agreed, coupled with an initiative, launched in January, to recruit through the Employment Service network. In addition, some 400 Gurkhas who would otherwise have been made redundant will be retained for three years from 1977.Next month we are holding a conference on "Armed Forces recruiting in the 21st Century", to which members of the careers service and the Employment Service throughout the UK have been invited, with the aim of developing ways of working together to attract the young people the armed forces need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his latest estimate of the cost of the Trident programme; and if he will make a statement. [21359]

The current estimate of the total project cost of the Trident programme, with all expenditure, including payments already made, brought up to current prices and the exchange rate assumed in the long term costing of the defence programme is £12,153 million. If payments already made are expressed at the prices and exchange rates actually incurred, with future spend on constant bases, the equivalent estimate is now £9,926 million. Expenditure on the Trident programme to 31 October 1995 represented some 83 per cent. of the latter estimate.The revised estimate of £12,153 million represents an increase in cash terms of £471 million. After allowing for the effects of inflation and exchange rate variations there is a real cost increase of £112 million, or less than 1 per cent. Despite this variation since last year, the programme continues to show an overall reduction in real terms on its original 1982 estimate. This reduction, including the savings resulting from the decision to process missiles at the United States facility at King's Bay Georgia now stands at some £3.4 billion.The proportion of the estimate for work undertaken in the United Kingdom has increased from 71 per cent. to 72 per cent. reflecting the effects of the change in exchange rate, price base and volume changes in the year.I am pleased to confirm that HMS Victorious, the second of the four planned Vanguard class submarines, entered service on time at the end of last year and is now operational. The remainder of the Trident submarine programme is also still on schedule. I am, as in previous years, sending to the Chairmen of the Public Accounts Committee and of the Select Committee on Defence a more detailed report on the programme. I am also placing a copy of this report in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what policies he has introduced to increase the number of ethnic minorities in the armed forces. [20753]

The services are committed to a range of measures to increase ethnic minority recruitment. These include increased use of recruiters from an ethnic minority background, better representation of ethnic minority service personnel in recruiting literature, special training for recruiters, production of brochures in ethnic minority languages to target parents, development of contacts with ethnic minority communities and advertising in the ethnic minority press and on local radio.Each of the services' recruiting organisations has an officer responsible for making contact with ethnic minority organisations to ascertain the best approach to take to aid the recruitment of ethnic minorities.In addition, we have appointed an independent consultant, the Office for Public Management, to undertake a review of existing service and civilian equal opportunities policies and employment initiatives for ethnic minority groups and recommend any improvements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recent developments in respect of his Department's plans to enlarge the Otterburn training range. [20805]

My Department's proposals are not to enlarge Otterburn training area, which lies largely within the Northumberland national park, but to provide additional infrastructure to accommodate essential AS90 and multiple-launch rocket system training. My officials have been in discussion with the Northumberland national park authority for over two years about these proposals, with the aim of achieving an acceptable balance between my Department's training requirements and environmental concerns. While much progress has been made in this direction, I was very disappointed to learn that, at its meeting on 11 March, the national park authority resolved to object to my Department's proposals unless further scheme changes and environmental balancing measures were forthcoming. This is the first occasion that the national park authority has made its position expressly clear about each individual element of the scheme and accompanying balancing package.It is difficult to see how these further measures could be accommodated, given that my Department's proposals represent the minimum infrastructure requirements for AS90-MLRS training.My officials are, nevertheless, now considering whether it will be possible to meet the further concerns which have now been expressed by the national park authority, and it is my intention that a statement of my Department's position should be prepared for submission to the policy and resources committee of Northumberland county council when it meets on 25 April, prior to final determination by the full county council on 15 May 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many children who received support through the service boarding scheme attend (a) Finsborough school, Suffolk, (b) Quantock school, Somerset, (c) Rodney school, Nottingham and (d) Lime House school, Cumbria; and how much each school received in each of years (i) 1992–93, (ii) 1993–94, (iii) 1994–95 and (iv) 1995–96. [20793]

In the case of Quantock school, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 11 December 1995, Official Report, column 478.As at June 1995 the number of children who received support through the service boarding school allowance scheme, attending the other three schools in question, were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many incidents of racism have been investigated by his Department in each of the last five years; [20754](2) what measures his Department uses to monitor racism in the armed forces. [20804]

The armed forces are fully integrated, non-discriminatory organisations, subject to the Race Relations Act 1976. It has been made clear throughout the services that racial abuse or discrimination of any sort will not be tolerated.The three services monitor complaints involving a racial element; details of numbers of recorded cases are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the cost and number of items of equipment and furniture that have been stolen or are otherwise unaccounted for from the former Department for Education and its agencies in each of the past five years, listing by name any such items valued at £5,000 or more, and showing information technology material separately. [19413]

The following table details the cost and number of items of equipment which were recorded as stolen or unaccounted for during each financial year from 1991–92 to 1995–96. Of the items recorded during this period, only one falls into the valuation category of £5,000 or more. This is a dispatch van, stolen in January 1996 and not yet recovered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what representations she received from (a) local education authorities, (b) school governors and (c) organisations representing school governors regarding the removal of minimum space requirements for teaching accommodation and recreation space during the consultation on the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981; and if she will make a statement; [20569](2) what plans she has to place the responses to

The review of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 was an internal one. Its conclusions were reported to Ministers by officials and were not intended for publication.A summary of the response to last year's consultation has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place a copy of the Department's action plan responding to the recent efficiency scrutiny into the TEC contract and management fee in the Library; and if she will make a statement. [21189]

A copy of the action plan that the Department has produced in response to the findings of the scrutiny has been placed in the Library. A copy has also been sent to all TECs.The efficiency scrutiny was a thorough and timely piece of work which should help the Department to reduce the administrative burden on TECs. We accept the vast majority of its recommendations. A number have already been implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in her Department have passed (a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what this figure is as a percentage of the total number of letters and questions received. [19428]

The information could be extracted in the form requested only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will list for each region and by distributing body (a) the number of projects that have received lottery funding and (b) the amount. [20380]

A report on the distribution of national lottery proceeds is placed in the Library of the House each month which includes information in the format requested. The February edition will be placed in the Library of the House in the coming week.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage which projects in Nottinghamshire have benefited from lottery funding; and what sums they have received. [20378]

To date, 60 awards totalling £8.9 million have been made to organisations in Nottinghamshire. They are:

National Lottery awards in Nottinghamshire
Body	Announced	Recipient	Location	Amount
Arts	6 February 1996	Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery	Nottingham	1,750,000.00
Arts	6 July 1995	Nottingham Media Centre Ltd.	Nottingham	1,320,000.00
Arts	6 July 1995	Nottingham Theatre Trust Ltd.	Nottingham	825,000.00
Sports	11 March 1996	Nottingham Squash Rackets Club	Nottingham	772,000.00
Sports	4 May 1995	Rushcliffe Leisure Centre	Nottinghamshire	540,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	The Zone Youth Project	Nottingham	250,000.00
MC	22 February 1996	St. Martha's Community Project	Nottingham	243,600.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Nottingham Black Initiative	Nottingham	208,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Ashfield Women's Centre	Kirby In Ashfield, Nottingham	200,000.00
Sports	10 January 1996	Broxtowe Borough Council	Nottinghamshire	177,943.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Anejo	Nottingham	150,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Play Centre for Children with Disabilities	Nottingham	148,430.00
Arts	6 February 1996	Gujarat Samaj—Nottingham	Nottingham	139,865.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Hyson Green Youth Club	Nottingham	135,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	DIAL Mansfield & District	Mansfield, Notts	126,146.00
NLCB	20 November 1995	Nottingham Counselling Centre	Nottingham	124,015.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service	Nottingham	104,640.00
Arts	21 September 1995	Nottingham Community Arts	Nottingham	96,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Pakistan Centre, Nottingham	Nottingham	95,000.00
Sports	11 March 1996	Nottinghamshire County Sailing Club	Nottinghamshire	89,800.00
NLCB	20 November 1995	Build Nottingham Mentor Programme	Nottingham	83,204.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Age Concern Nottinghamshire	Nottingham	81,500.00
Arts	21 September 1995	Bingham Infants Self Help Group	Nottinghamshire	80,000.00

National Lottery awards in Nottinghamshire
Body	Announced	Recipient	Location	Amount
Arts	6 February 1996	Hindu Temple Cultural and Community Centre	Nottingham	77,625.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	The Saturday Club	Mansfield, Notts.	76,440.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Broxtowe Womens Training Group	Strelley, Notts.	76,000.00
NHMF	23 November 1995	Erewash Meadows and Flashes	Notts. and Derby	75,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Path East Midlands Ltd.	Radford, Notts.	70,000.00
Sports	10 January 1996	Boughton Parish Council	Nottinghamshire	68,540.00
Sports	6 September 1995	Arnold Boys' Football Club	Nottinghamshire	59,000.00
Sports	7 June 1995	British Canoeing Union Sprint Racing Com	Nottinghamshire	57,515.00
Sports	4 May 95	Gedling Borough Council	Nottinghamshire	57,000.00
Sports	4 May 1995	Nottinghamshire County Rowing Association	Nottinghamshire	52,800.00
NLCB	20 November 1995	Nottingham Mencap	Nottingham	51,180.00
Sports	9 August 1995	Moderns Rugby Club	Nottinghamshire	47,973.00
Arts	16 October 1995	Gedling Borough Council	Nottinghamshire	41,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	St. Philips Church Top Valley	Top Valley, Notts.	40,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Rutland CAB, Grantham	Grantham, Notts	37,527.00
Sports	11 March 1996	Radcliffe on Trent Bowling Club	Radcliffe on Trent, Notts.	33,683.00
Arts	23 November 1995	East Midlands Shape	Nottingham	31,500.00
Sports	6 December 1995	Southwell Parish Council	Nottinghamshire	31,000.00
Sports	4 May 1995	Newark and Sherwood District Council	Nottinghamshire	28,000.00
Sports	8 November 1995	Lound Water Ski Club	Nottinghamshire	26,000.00
Arts	6 July 1995	Harley Foundation	Nottinghamshire	20,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Bulwell Vision	Bulwell, Notts.	18,450.00
Sports	9 August 1995	Whatton and Aslockton Parish Councils	Nottinghamshire	17,500.00
Sports	11 March 1996	Stanton by Dale Cricket Club	Ilkeston, Notts.	17,000.00
Arts	24 May 1995	CODA	Nottingham City	16,500.00
Sports	5 July 1995	Fernie Fields Sports Club (Vanaid Fc)	Nottinghamshire	10,188.00

National Lottery awards in Nottinghamshire
Body	Announced	Recipient	Location	Amount
NLCB	19 December 1995	Bulwell Community Toy Library	Nottingham, Nottingham	9,887.00
Sports	9 August 1995	Dukeries Gliding Club	Nottinghamshire	9,700.00
Arts	16 October 1995	Nottingham Trent University	Nottingham	7,750.00
Sports	4 May 1995	Worksop Cricket and Sports Club Bowls	Nottinghamshire	6,955.00
Sports	9 August 1995	Burton Joyce Tennis Club	Nottinghamshire	6,000.00
Sports	8 November 1995	Kimberley Miners Welfare Football Club	Nottinghamshire	3,700.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Ashfield Play Care Scheme	Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire	3,000.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Allsorts	Edwalton, Nottingham	2,800.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	S.P.A.C.E.	Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottingham	2,200.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	1st Blidworth (St. Mary's) Brownies	Mansfield, Nottinghamshire	1,100.00
NLCB	19 December 1995	Playwell Parent and Toddler Group	Long Eaton, Notts.	600.00
Total				8,931,256.00

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many individuals declared themselves close company men for the purposes of tax relief in each of the last three years. [18172]

Corporation tax records held centrally do not enable us to identify close companies or those with only one individual associate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the Inland Revenue calculates the personal tax liability for railway status travel passes and staff travelcards issued to former British Rail employees who now work for private railway companies; what estimate he has made of the revenue which will be raised in a full tax year as a result of tax deductions for these travel passes and cards; and what tax deductions were made for these passes and cards when issued by British Rail to its own employees. [19608]

Employees are generally liable to tax on vouchers for free or cheap travel. The taxable benefit is the cost to the employer of providing the voucher. However, there is statutory exemption from the tax charge for British Rail employees earning less than £8,500 per year. This exemption continues for people who were employed by British Rail on 11 January 1994, even if as a result of the Railways Act they are transferred to Railtrack, a train operating company, or certain other successor bodies which are engaged in the railway industry.No estimate exist of the amounts of revenue raised, now or in the past, in connection with the issue of travel passes and cards.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many smuggling operations have been broken up in each year since 1987; and what estimate he has made of the extent of smuggling. [19857]

No statistics are available for years prior to 1990. The number of smuggling organisations which have been broken up as a result of the work of the Customs and Excise investigation division in each year since then is as follows:

• 1990–91: 180
• 1991–92: 183
• 1992–93: 178
• 1993–94: 188
• 1994–95: 172

There are too many uncertainties to form any reliable estimate of the extent of smuggling of prohibited or restricted goods. Customs and Excise is at present working with the drinks and tobacco industries to improve estimates of the extent of smuggling of excise duty goods.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the net payments made to the European Union budget by the 12 member states in 1994, on a per capita basis. [20464]

The table sets out the figures. These are drawn from the European Court of Auditors' calculations of member states' total financial contributions to and receipts from the European budget published in the "Annual Report covering the financial year 1994". Net payments figures show the balance from the two sides of the budget, by deducting total receipts from the gross contribution for each member state. A minus sign therefore indicates that a member state receives more from the EU budget than it pays.The figures for net payments can only be indicative because the Court of Auditors does not allocate all Community spending by member states. In particular, administrative spending in Belgium is not fully attributed. In addition, net payments can vary significantly from year to year owing to adjustments in own resource payments and fluctuations in receipts.The Commission has committed itself to provide a detailed breakdown of member states' receipts from the Community budget on an annual basis once the new own resources decision comes into force. This, together with Commission figures on member states' gross contributions, should help provide us with more information about member states' net payments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average rate of income tax in (a) 1979, (b) 1983, (c) 1987, (d) 1992 and (e) the latest year for which figures are available for those taxpayers on (a) half average personal income, (b) average personal income and (c) twice average personal income. [20345]

Standard comparisons are based on calculating income tax liabilities with incomes at multiples of full-time male average earnings—adult rates, all occupations. These are given in tables 13.6a to 13.6c of the 1995–96 tax benefit reference manual, a copy of which can be found in the Library.Estimates for 1996–97 are given in the table.

	Multiple of average earnings1
	0.5	1	2
Single person	13.7	18.9	26.1
One earner married couple with no children	11.1	17.6	25.5
One earner married with two children under 112	1.3	12.6	23.0
1 Full time males, adult rates, all occupations.
2 Net of child benefit.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on employment of the measures necessary to meet the budget deficit criteria for membership of the European monetary union. [20336]

None. It is in any case the Government's objective to bring the public sector borrowing requirement back towards balance over the medium term. The achievement of sound public finances is a necessary condition for a sustained increase in employment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the most recent recommendations made by the European monetary committee on the progress of the United Kingdom towards achieving the Maastricht convergence criteria for economic and monetary union. [20597]

Article 109c of the treaty on European Union explains the role of the monetary committee in preparing the work of the Council. The most recent Council recommendation on the progress of the UK towards achieving the Maastricht convergence criteria was the recommendation of 12 July 1995 with a view to bringing an end to the situation of an excessive deficit in the UK.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total value of exports from Wales in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [20648]

The location of the business enterprise making an export is not held by HM Customs and Excise; only the address registered for VAT purposes is available which may be at a different location within the UK. Consequently regional analyses of the trade statistics are not produced, and information relating to the value of exports by business enterprises located in Wales is not available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons and at what level in his Department were involved in considering the Government's response to the report of the Scott inquiry. [16560]

[holding answer 22 February 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 22 February, Official Report, columns 239–40.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to publish his building societies review; and if he will make a statement. [18563]

[holding answer 4 March 1996]: I hope to publish a draft Building Societies Bill on Monday 18 March, for three months' consultation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base, and which (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [20089]

[holding answer 12 March 1996]: The School Teachers Review Body has a statutory base. Its reports, containing its recommendations to the Government, are published under a statutory requirement and laid before Parliament. Similarly, the other pay review bodies'—covering the armed forces; doctors and dentists; nursing staff, midwives, health visitors and professions allied to medicine; and senior salaries—recommendations are published and laid before Parliament, but not under any specific statutory requirement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meeting and (f) publish the minutes of meetings (i) under a statutory requirement and (ii) voluntarily. [20106]

[holding answer 12 March 1996]: The pay review bodies take evidence from the interested parties. The School Teachers Review Body does so under a statutory requirement. The other pay review bodies do so voluntarily.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the discrepancy between the originating capital debt allocated to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals national health service trust in SI No. 350 and that set out in the Treasury minute on dissolution and reconfiguration of certain national health service trusts. [20329]

I have been asked to reply.The amount of originating capital debt allocated to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals national health service trust represents the excess of the valuation of the assets over the liabilities which were transferred to it on, or in connection with, its establishment. The figure in SI No. 350—£135,395,656 split evenly between public dividend capital and interest-bearing initial loan—was arrived at by aggregating the values of land and buildings provided by the district valuer, the values of equipment taken from the asset registers and the values of debtors and creditors taken from the audited books of account of the two dissolved trusts. These values were certified by auditors appointed by the Audit Commission prior to the setting of the OCD of the new trust.The figures contained in the departmental minute on the dissolution and reconfiguration of certain NHS trusts which was presented by the Treasury on 20 February 1996 are the liabilities outstanding to the Consolidated Fund at 1 April 1995 in respect of the OCD and further long-term loans issued by the Secretary of State for Health to Royal Liverpool University Hospital NHS trust and Broadgreen Hospital NHS trust before their dissolution. These liabilities, which were transferred to Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals national health service trust, were left out of account in determining the latter's net assets for the purposes of SI No. 350.The total of £114,112,928 proposed to be remitted comprises:

	£
Royal Liverpool Hospital Trust
OCD—Initial loan	34,112,288
OCD—PDC	39,665,451
Further borrowing	7,531,600
Total	81,309,339

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy not to implement the Treasury minute on the dissolution and reconfiguration of certain national health service trusts—remission of outstanding debt, until he has published an explanation of the calculations of the basis contained therein. [20355]

The explanation is as follows:The amounts totalling £448,876,543 which are proposed for remission are the outstanding liabilities to the Consolidated Fund as at 31 March 1995 of seven NHS trusts which were dissolved on 1 April 1995. These liabilities are in respect of their outstanding originating capital debt, which is deemed under section 9(3) of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990 to have been issued out of moneys provided by Parliament, and their further borrowings and any issues of public dividend capital from the Secretary of State for Health which have been paid out of moneys provided by Parliament.The figure of £494,027,365 is the total originating capital debt of the five new trusts, which were established on 1 April 1995 from mergers of the dissolved trusts with each other or with directly managed unit. The trusts concerned are listed in paragraph 7 of the minute, and their individual originating capital debt is specified in SI 350. In accordance with section 9(1) of the National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, each new trust's originating capital debt represents the excess of the valuation of the assets over the valuation of the liabilities transferred to it on or in connection with its establishment.The difference between the newly created capital debt and the amounts being written off reflects differences in composition and valuation between the net assets of the new trusts and those of the dissolved trusts concerned.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the minute circulated on 1 August 1990 of the meeting chaired by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 19 July 1990 in regard to the changing of the 1985 Howe guidelines concerning the sale of goods to Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [20331]

This document was submitted as evidence to Sir Richard Scott's inquiry. I understand that Sir Richard Scott proposes to publish as soon as possible any documents which he considers relevant to his report, consistent with his procedures.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Thursday 14 March. [19239]

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

To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick upon Tweed, representing the House of Commons Commission, (1) what representations he has had concerning the die-stamping of House of Commons notepaper with the official stamp and portcullis crest by Wilprint Ltd. since October 1995; [20852](2) when Wilprint Ltd. won the contract for die-stamping the official stamp and portcullis crest on the notepaper of the House; and what is the duration of the contract. [20853]

I have received one representation from the hon. Member himself. Her Majesty's Stationery Office is, of course, responsible for contracts with individual firms, but I can tell the hon. Member that the contract for die-stamping House of Commons stationery was awarded by HMSO to Wilprint Ltd. in February 1995 after competitive tender. The contract will cease in October 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he has computed the figure of 80 per cent. in determining what percentage of local authority costs in meeting the needs of asylum seekers should be met by Her Majesty's Government, following the withdrawal of social security benefits. [20275]

The Government consider that it is a reasonable basis for making additional resources available to local authorities in England for this purpose for 1995–96 and 1996–97.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to provide additional financial assistance to North Lincolnshire authority similar to that which has been announced for Scottish unitary authorities; and if he will make a statement. [19985]

My right hon. Friend has already provided that some £2.182 million is to be paid to North Lincolnshire under section 88A of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to recompense North Lincolnshire district council for the income forgone as a consequence of the transitional reduction of council taxes under the Local Government Changes for England (Council Tax) (Transitional Reduction) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No. 176 as amended by SI 1996 No. 333).We have no plans to make further assistance available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what level of funding is projected for the current financial year and each financial year to the year 2000 for the Energy Saving Trust from (a) gas consumers, (b) electricity consumers and (c) other private sector sources. [20395]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 9 January 1996, Official Report, column 4, which outlined the Government's proposed funding of the Energy Saving Trust. The trust is an independent company and non-Government funding is a matter for the trust.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 5 March, Official Report, column 102, if he will list the steps taken to ensure full compliance with the Environmental Protection (Applications, Appeals and Registers) Regulations 1991 in respect of the recent variation of the authorisation to burn secondary liquid fuel granted to Castle Cement under part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. [20348]

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution issued the variation to Castle Cement on 23 January 1996 under section 10 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, and followed all the requirements set out in this and in part II of schedule 1 to the Act, which sets out how variations are to be treated. The inspectorate treated the variation as substantial for the purposes of section 10 and consulted all those prescribed in SI 507. The inspectorate put copies of all notices and other papers as required by the Act on the public registers and carefully considered all the comments it received both from statutory consultees and elsewhere before taking its decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environmental if he will list the local authorities which have sold their interests in (a) a municipal bus company, (b) crematoria and (c) airports in the current year to date. [20454]

To date, in the financial year 1995–96 no local authorities have sold their interests in municipal bus companies. Pendle borough council hopes to complete the sale of its share in the Burnley and Pendle Bus Company soon. Two airport sales have been completed in this period. Dorset county council and Bournemouth borough council sold their interests in Bournemouth International Airport plc to National Express. Mid, South and West Glamorgan councils sold their interests in Cardiff International Airport Ltd. to TBI, a local company. Information on the sale of crematoria has not been collected centrally. In September 1996–97 we propose to request information on the sale of assets which have been subject to targeted relaxations in the amount required to be set aside under the capital finance system. Bus companies, crematoria and airports are among these.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list by rank order the debt of each local authority expressed as a money sum per head of population. [20745]

I have today placed the information requested in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure that annexe D of the draft Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species regulation contains a fully representative list of species. [20758]

My Department is playing full part in the negotiations with other member states in consultation with our scientific advisors at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the royal botanic gardens, Kew.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many questions were tabled to his Department in each Session since 1987–88; how many were not answered on the grounds of disproportionate cost; what percentage of the total number of questions this represented; how many were not answered on the grounds that the information was not centrally available; and what percentage of the total number of questions this represented. [21149]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will be providing guidance on the establishment of management schemes for special areas of conservation under the EC habitats directive. [21192]

The Government are undertaking public consultation on a draft guide to implementing the EC habitats directive in the marine environment. Developed by a topic group of the Department of the Environment's coastal forum, the guide will be aimed at those authorities who would be responsible for setting up management schemes on sites covered by the EC habitats directive.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to amend the system of development plans prepared under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; and if he will make a statement. [21193]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Westbury (Mr. Faber) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 620.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will announce his decisions on the recommendations made to him by the Local Government Commission on 19 December 1995, following its review of the structure of 21 districts in England. [21404]

I can now announce my decisions on the recommendations made by the Local Government Commission following its review of the structure of 21 districts. In reaching these decisions I have considered the commission's report and the representations which I have received. I have also take account of the estimates of transitional and on-going costs, and the viability of the structures which will result—both the unitary authorities and the remaining two-tier arrangements. In each case, I am satisfied that on balance my decision will best reflect the identities and interests of local communities and will best secure effective and convenient local government.I am accepting the commission's recommendations that there should be no structural change in Basildon, Broxtowe, Dartford, Exeter, Gedling, Gloucester, Gravesham, Huntingdonshire, Northampton, Norwich, Rushcliffe and Spelthorne. I am satisfied that the case for a single tier of local government has been properly considered; I have no plans to direct the commission to carry out any further reviews of local government structure. Local authorities in all areas where there is no structural change now need to concentrate on developing and improving the delivery of services within the existing system. In most cases, local authorities have given undertakings on this; however, I shall not hesitate to intervene if it appears that those undertakings to work together are not being fulfilled.The commission made recommendations for unitary authorities to be created in nine of the districts reviewed. I have decided to accept their recommendations for the reasons set out.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will place in the Library a list of all overseas visits make by all Ministers of his Department since 1990, including (a) details of the places visited and brief reasons for the visits, (b) details of the size, composition and cost to public funds of the delegation and (c) the names of non-ministerial members of each delegation and the capacity in which each was present. [17485]

[holding answer 1 March 1996]: I have arranged for the available information about overseas visits to be placed in the Library. Providing the other information about other overseas visits that the hon. Member requests would involve disproportionate costs. I have assumed that the hon. Member does not include visits within the European Union in this category.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 229, in respect of key escrow services, who constitutes the network of trusted third parties. [20466]

As stated in my previous answer, discussions are still taking place. Nevertheless, we would expect to see an international market demand for TTP services, and as such would envisage commercial organisations meeting them.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those sections of the (a) Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, (b) Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and (c) Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993, the implementation of which are the responsibility of (i) the Department of Trade and Industry, (ii) the Department for Education and Employment and (iii) other Government Departments, specifying which. [20339]

I shall write to the hon. Member with the information requested.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of the study commissioned by his Department from the Water Research Council into the characteristics of ash from energy from waste plants; what advice he has received on the nature of this ash, and its place in the national waste classification system; if it is his Department's policy to support energy from waste plants; and if he will make a statement. [20462]

The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned the Water Research Council to report on the properties and utilisation of municipal solid waste incineration residues, at a cost of £103,000. The report recommended that greatest effort should be given to the utilisation of bottom ash as secondary aggregate; an approach successfully employed in Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Ashes from the combustion of wood, coal and wastes are expected to be included in a new category in the third stage consultation on the waste classification scheme which the Department of the Environment will publish in April. Revenue from the beneficial use of bottom ash will help to improve the competitiveness of energy from waste projects which are supported by the non-fossil fuel obligation. Energy from waste projects also have the prospect of being developed outside the NFFO arrangements.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many conversions of Crown to agency status post offices (a) have been completed and (b) are proposed in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and each of the English regions; and if he will list the affected office in each case. [20394]

I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of Crown post offices converted to agency status from March 1989 to the end of February 1996 by Post office Counters Ltd. regions are as follows:

	Number
Scotland	137
Northern Ireland	11
North East	82
North Wales and North West	105
Midlands	79
South Wales and South West	114
North Thames and East Anglia	159
South East	135

A list of these 822 offices could be provided only at disproportionate cost.I understand from the Post Office that the conversion to agency status of the following Crown post offices is currently proposed:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much money has been allocated to funding trading missions to Burma; and if he will make a statement. [20393]

The DTI has allocated £23,000 in the form of £1,000 grants to eligible UK companies which participated in the Asia Pacific advisory group trade mission to Burma between 26 February and 1 March 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his policy on the sale of goods to Burma. [20330]

Except for the European Union defence embargo, there are no restraints on the export of goods to Burma.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those persons and categories of persons who are entitled to free postage. [20522]

Royal Mail provides free postage to registered blind people, visually impaired people and individuals or organisations posting certain items to blind or visually impaired people. This service allows packets containing articles which have been specially produced or adapted for blind or visually impaired people to be sent by first class post, free of charge. Some members of the royal family receive free postage to assist them in carrying out their public duties. Petitions and addresses to Her Majesty's the Queen and either House of Parliament can also be forwarded free of postage.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of Thursday 25 January, Official Report, columns 317–18, what recent changes have been made to the list of members of the royal family and their households who receive free postage for their official mail. [20397]

[holding answer 12 March 1996]: Since 1 March 1996 the Duchess of York and her staff have ceased to receive free postage.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what funds his Department has provided to the Barnsley and Doncaster TEC in (a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96; and what amount is planned for 1996–97. [20723]

Barnsley and Doncaster TEC has received funding for the support of small and medium-sized businesses from numerous Government and European sources. The main DTI support is the enterprise budget which was £362,500 in 1994–95 and £294,000 in 1995–96 and is forecast to be £368,000 in 1996–97.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many employees currently work in firms with (a) one to 10 employees, (b) 11 to 20 employees, (c) 21 to 50 employees, (d) 51 to 100 employees, (e) 101 to 200 employees, (f) 201 to 500 employees, (g) 501 to 1,000 employees, (h) 1,001 to 2,000 employees and (i) over 2,000 employees; how many firms fall into each of these categories; and what percentage of the total number of firms is covered by each of these categories. [20854]

Figures are not available by these size classes. The most recent estimates of the number of firms by employee size class are shown in the table.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library the progress report on the technology foresight programme. [20588]

Yes. Today I have placed copies of the report in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will announce the licences for blocks under the seventh landward licensing round. [21190]

Following my announcement to the House on 18 July 1995, Official Report, column 1210, inviting applications under the seventh round of landward petroleum licensing, I am pleased to announce that the applications have now been assessed and I have decided to award 22 new licences for landward oil and gas exploration covering 74 blocks.The majority of the awards are in the east midlands and Lincolnshire basin in which a number of oil and gas discoveries have been made over many years. Other awards have been made in less well-established areas including south Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.New exploration concepts offered by companies in their applications should result in a significant increase in the exploration activity on land in Great Britain. A quarter of the applications were based on gas from coal and involve the exploitation of conventional coal bed methane, gob gas—gas collecting in old mines from de-stressed coals—and the gas which is currently vented to the atmosphere from abandoned mines for safety purposes.I have tried to strike a balance in the wards across the round as a whole to ensure that both conventional and coal bed methane resources are thoroughly explored and that the optimum exploitation of hydrocarbon resources will result.Some of the licences awarded are for blocks that straddle land and sea boundaries. I have decided to apply strict conditions in these cases to exclude any oil and gas activity below the low-water mark. Activities above the low-water mark require planning permission which will take account of any environmental impact.Although no near shore oil and gas activity has been licensed in this round, should interest be expressed in the watery areas in future licensing rounds, I will look again at the possibility of licensing them subject to satisfactory arrangements being put in place for protecting the interests of other users of the sea and the environment.I was very impressed with the quality of the applications as well as their innovative and considered approach to oil and gas exploration and development. This is an encouraging outcome in the first landward petroleum licensing round to be held for three years. It is also the first landward round to allow companies to apply for the new unified petroleum exploration and development licence that covers the full life cycle of any hydrocarbon discovery.Decisions about the awards were made on the basis of the technical work programmes offered by each applicant together with their evaluation of the exploration opportunities. I also took into account environmental and financial factors.The onshore oil and gas industry has intended to be overshadowed by the huge successes in the North sea and now west of Shetland. Nevertheless, the onshore industry has a continuing and important role to play in the UK's energy sector, particularly in the light of the opportunities from the increasingly deregulated markets for gas and electricity. We also need the flexibility and freshness of approach that small companies bring to enhance the UK's ability to meet its energy needs.These licence awards indicate the strong interest in petroleum exploration on land and underscore the broad range of licence opportunities available to the oil and gas industry across the whole of Great Britain and the United Kingdom continental shelf. I intend to build on this interest by holding landward rounds on a regular basis in future.I will place copies of this announcement in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he met or spoke by telephone to the Deputy Prime Minister on 28 February to discuss whether the contracting out of Insolvency Service casework should proceed. [19580]

[holding answer 11 March 1996]: Any discussions between Ministers are confidential.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of market-testing and benchmarking exercises within Companies House; and if he will estimate the efficiency savings arising from such exercises. [20559]

[holding answer 13 March 1996]: It will not be possible to determine the costs and savings of the Companies House contracting-out programme until the programme has been completed.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will reconsider the approval of the importing and use of orimulsion for the purpose of electricity generation. [20370]

[holding answer 13 March 1996]: No. The choice of fuel to be used in a power station is a commercial matter for the company concerned subject to the operation of the station being able to satisfy the requirements of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

To ask the Attorney-General how many cases have been referred by Doncaster police to the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last four years; how many have been prosecuted; and how many have been successful. [19643]

Cases from the Doncaster police are dealt with by the South Yorkshire branch of the Crown Prosecution Service. That branch also deals with cases referred to it from other divisions of the South Yorkshire police force and, as statistics are kept on a branch basis only, it would not normally be possible to separate the figures for one police division from others serving the same branch. Exceptionally, I am able to provide figures for the last two calender years. Figures for the years 1992 and 1993 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.The figures shown in the tables represent the number of cases received from the police and the number of defendants whose case proceeded to a hearing in magistrates courts and in the Crown court during the calendar years 1994 and 1995 and, of those, the proportion who were convicted. Convictions are inclusive of guilty pleas, as well as of contested hearings.In the magistrates court, table 1 shows: