To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of children, aged 13 years and under, who were born in the United Kingdom but do not hold British citizenship. [20512]

Such estimates are not made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 February, Official Report, columns 106–107, how many of the burglaries listed were domestic burglaries; what percentage of those who committed domestic burglary were sentenced to immediate custody; and what was the average sentence imposed. [20513]

Of the 1,135 offenders in the sample convicted of burglary on a third or greater occasion in 1993, 525 were convicted of domestic burglary and 357 were convicted of a third or greater domestic burglary.Around 55 per cent. of those convicted of a third or greater domestic burglary were sentenced to immediate custody, with an average custodial sentence of about 14 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents the fire brigades in (a) Glamorgan, (b) Gwynedd and (c) Wales attended in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990 and (iii) 1995; and if he will make a statement.[20650]

The available information is given in the following table. Data for 1995 are not available. The answer gives provisional data for 1994.

Incidents attended by local authority fire brigades in (a) Mid Glamorgan, (b) Gwynedd and (c) Wales in (i) 1980, (ii) 1990 and (iii) 1994
Year	(a) Mid Glamorgan	(b) Gwynedd	(c) Wales
19801	6,630	2,382	31,329
1990	10,857	4,080	52,180
19942	11,199	3,887	55,644
1 Includes estimates for periods of industrial action when data were not recorded.
2 Provisional data which include special services attended between April 1994 and March 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many suicide verdicts have been recorded for (a) men and (b) women aged under 25 years in each of the last 20 years. [20803]

Information on the age of persons whose deaths are the subject of an inquest is not collected centrally. The number of verdicts of suicide for males and females respectively returned at inquests held by coroners in England and Wales for the 20 years up to 1994, the last year for which figures are available, are given in the table. The information has been extracted from the annual series of Home Office Statistical Bulletins, "Statistics of deaths reported to Coroners, England and Wales", copies of which are in the Library.

	Males	Females
1975	2,178	1,539
1976	2,290	1,479
1977	2,340	1,569
1978	2,279	1,585
1979	2,539	1,606
1980	2,613	1,669
1981	2,807	1,664
1982	2,831	1,525
1983	2,778	1,464
1984	2,857	1,483
1985	2,944	1,452
1986	2,892	1,253
1987	2,840	1,147
1988	3,087	1,155
1989	2,773	984
1990	3,007	970
1991	2,968	870
1992	3,070	921
1993	2,875	865
1994	2,750	787

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in each of the last five years at Lunar house in Croydon; what were the changes in the volume of work at Lunar house over the same period; and if he will make a statement. [21531]

The number of staff in the non-immigration service directorates of the immigration and nationality department who are based in Croydon, including Lunar house, are as follows:

• 1.03.92: 1,691
• 13.12.92: 1,869
• 31.12.93: 2,102
• 31.12.94: 2,132
• 31.12.95: 2,105

Details of the volume of work considered by the Croydon offices over the same period are published in "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 1994", Cm 2935.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average elapses between the date of an offence and the date of (a) arraignments and (b) conclusion of case at High Court for the main categories of serious crime in each area for which statistics are collated. [20347]

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

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 233, what estimate he has made of the cost of the action that is being taken to reduce waiting times for pensions appeal tribunals in the case of ex-service people with attributable hearing loss. [20770]

In 1995–96 the expenditure of the pensions appeal tribunals is expected to be approximately £1.4 million, which represents a 45 per cent. increase over the financial provision for 1994–95. This increase is a result of the action being taken to reduce waiting times in all cases, with priority being given to the specific groups set out in my answer of 6 March 1996. However, it is not possible to quantify the resources allocated to hearing loss cases as the pensions appeal tribunals do not record appeals by reference to the nature of disability or injury.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the implications of the ruling by the European Court of Justice that the British Government can be sued for damages by an individual if an Act of Parliament is found to contravene European Law. [20828]

I have been asked to reply.The European Court of Justice's ruling in the Factortame case defines the conditions under which a Government can be liable in damages for breaching an individual's rights under Community law. The court ruled that such damages should be payable only where the breach of Community law has been serious and manifest. It will be for our national courts to determine in the light of the ruling whether in fact the UK Government committed a serious and manifest breach of Community law and whether any damages are payable to individuals as a result.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many persons found not guilty at trial in crown courts have been refused repayment of their legal aid contributions in the last 12 months for which he has figures. [20922]

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

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member's letter of 1 February concerning the Family Law Bill. [21230]

A reply was sent on 14 March.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the printing contracts for his Department carried out by Wilprint Ltd. [21059]

This Department has not directly entered into any printing contracts with Wilprint Ltd. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, on behalf of the Department, has one contract with Wilprint Ltd.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion and number of divorces were granted in (a) 1973, (b) 1983 and (c) 1993 on the grounds of (i) adultery, (ii) behaviour, (iii) desertion, (iv) two years separation, (v) five years separation and (vi) other reasons. [20391]

The proportion and number of divorces granted in England and Wales in 1973, 1983 and 1993 where the facts relied upon were adultery, behaviour, desertion, two years' separation, five years' separation and other reasons are shown in the table:

	Adultery	Behaviour	Desertion	Two years' separation	5 years' separation	Other reasons
1973	32,177	22,692	7,847	23,109	17,347	2,831
	30.3 per cent.	21.4 per cent.	7.4 per cent.	21.8 per cent.	16.4 per cent.	2.7 per cent.
1983	43,722	54,092	2,481	35,114	10,219	1,851
	29.6 per cent.	36.7 per cent.	1.7 per cent.	23.8 per cent.	6.9 per cent.	1.3 per cent.
1993	44,466	74,583	1,118	34,196	9,564	1,091
	26.9 per cent.	45.2 per cent.	0.7 per cent.	20.7 per cent.	5.8 per cent.	0.7 per cent.

All the figures are taken from Office of Population Censuses and Surveys statistics. "Other reasons" include annulments; any mixture of adultery, behaviour and desertion; unsound mind and presumed dead.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list those areas of executive action where he has discretion to act in respect of an individual without giving reasons for his decision. [20544]

Comprehensive records are not kept in the form requested, but no such discretions have been identified from readily available sources.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he will publish the response of the Government to the recommendations contained in the report of the interdepartmental review team into local government enforcement. [20824]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Erith and Crayford (Mr. Evennett) on 20 December 1995, Official Report, column 1217.In that reply I referred to a guide to good practice to be produced by the local authority associations. This was launched on 31 January 1996, entitled "Regulation: A Guide to Good Practice in Local Government". Copies of the guide will be placed in the Library of the House shortly. The guide takes forward a number of the recommendations of the review.I also refer my hon. Friend to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Mr. Deva) on 11 March 1996,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with Mr. Magill in respect of his role as the investigating auditor of Westminster city council. [20451]

No such discussions have taken place. An auditor's inquiries are not a matter for the Government, but for the local authority and the appointed auditor.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans Mr. Magill has to make extracts of his report available prior to publication to those he is minded to criticise in respect of his report on Westminsters city council's policy on home sales. [20461]

It is entirely for Mr. Magill, as the appointed external auditor, to determine the procedure for his investigation at Westminster, in accordance with the Audit Commission's code of audit practice for local authorities and the national health service in England and Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made in the past 12 months towards the development of statutory water quality objectives for rivers in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [20730]

The National Rivers Authority has drawn up proposals for statutory water quality objectives in seven catchments in England and one in Wales which have been chosen to test the use of these powers on a pilot basis. Consultation on these proposals will begin shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment 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. [20724]

My Department provided £3,390,134 in 1994–95, £1,780,939 in 1995–96, and plans to provide £73,576 in 1996–97 for programmes previously funded by the former Department of Employment which are now part of the single regeneration budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he is taking to ensure the prompt and effective disposal of clinical waste. [20660]

The disposal of clinical waste is already strictly controlled by existing legislation.Responsibility for the safe disposal of clinical waste rests with the waste producer. The producer is under a duty of care to ensure that waste is prevented from escaping and to transfer it only to someone who is legally authorised to accept it. Authorised persons includes waste carries registered under the Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989 and persons who hold a waste management licence issued under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.High-risk health-care waste should usually be disposed of by incineration-in a dedicated health-care incinerator. Where waste is made safe-for instance, by heat treatment-it can be landfilled.New guidance on the handling and disposal of clinical waste will be issued by the Department of the Environment in a new edition of waste management paper No. 25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the (a) contractors and (b) NHS hospital trusts involved in the disposal of medical waste which are currently being investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. [20766]

[holding answer 14 March 1997]: The Health and Safety Executive is not currently investigating any contractors or NHS trusts in connection with the disposal of clinical waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what review the Health and Safety Executive is undertaking of medical waste management procedures. [20767]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: None. This is primarily a matter for other enforcing authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the sites currently under investigation by the Health and Safety Executive where unauthorised medical waste has been tipped. [20765]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: The Health and Safety Executive has no enforcement responsibility in respect of the unauthorised tipping of medical waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the number of gallons of water (a) supplied by pipeline from Wales and (b) extracted from waterways controlled by regulating reservoirs in Wales and used by companies supplying water in England. [20012]

In 1995 an average of 550 megalitres or 121 million gallons per day were supplied by pipeline and aqueduct from Wales to England. The corresponding figures for abstractions from regulated rivers was 942 megalitres or 207 million gallons per day. However, the data for regulated rivers includes some water taken from the river Severn which was not derived from Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, Official Report, column 364, if he will publish the commission's report when the survey of how the procedures are working in practice is complete. [20850]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when a reply will be sent to the hon. Member's letter of 8 February, ref. G/66P50 3515/96. [21228]

A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 14 March 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Environment Council on 4 March. [21695]

Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, I represented the UK at the Environment Council in Brussels on 4 March.The Council discussed the Commission's proposed amendment to the leghold traps regulation. In response to UK representations, the Commission was invited to produce a fixed timetable as soon as possible for concluding negotiations that they are conducting with the fur producer countries. The Council also accepted my proposal that the import ban on furs obtained from leghold traps should come into force on 1 January 1997 unless the Community's final attempts at a negotiated agreement with the producer states on the introduction of alternative humane traps succeeds.Council conclusions were agreed on the Commission's communication on the wise use and conservation of wetlands. During the open debate, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales welcomed the conclusions and advised the Council of the extensive action already taken by the United Kingdom to conserve wetlands which are well protected by national and European legislation. My right hon. Friend also provided the Council with a comprehensive report on the latest state of play in respect of the Sea Empress incident, paying particular tribute to all those who had been involved in the clean-up, and expressing the hope that the Commission would respond favourably to his request for financial assistance.Council conclusions were agreed on the forthcoming 1996 session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and on the Community strategy for the protection of the ozone layer. I supported common positions which were agreed on the amendments to the waste shipments regulation and on the labelling of dangerous substances directive-67/548. The Council also agreed a Community negotiating mandate for a protocol to the Barcelona convention on the shipment of hazardous waste and on the Community negotiating mandate for an amendment to the Paris Commission to allow the use of hexachloroethane in certain limited circumstances.The Council discussed the annexes to the proposed biocides directive and, for the first time, considered the Commission proposal to control emissions from off-road vehicles and the Commission communication on CO2 emissions from cars. These will all be discussed further at the June Environment Council. There were brief presentations from the Commission on the recently published communication on EC water policy and on the review of the fifth action programme.I also attended a joint meeting with Environment Ministers of central and eastern Europe as part of the structured dialogue process. This showed continued enthusiasm for the environment for Europe process and indicated that most of the central and eastern countries were making good progress on the approximation of EC environmental legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action has been taken to implement the recommendation of the Select Committee on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill that an interdepartmental working party be convened to consider the problem of perceived blight. [21694]

An interdepartmental working group has been established under the chairmanship of an official from my Department. The terms of reference of the group are as follows:

To review the scope, cause and effects of blight arising during the various stage of major infrastructure projects and to consider whether any practical changes can be made to the existing arrangements for property purchase and compensation, bearing in mind the concerns of the House of Commons Select Committee on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Bill about those whose properties decline in value because of the perception of potential purchasers rather than because of any physical effects. In meeting this remit the working party will consider in particular:

—whether it is possible to define "generalised blight" in a way which would meet the concerns of the Select Committee without increasing or extending the blighting effects of major proposals;

—the extent and duration of the effects of blight on property values both in the shorter and longer term and the interaction with other local and national valuation effects;

—the scope for minimising blight by adopting a different approach to the provision of infrastructure and the selection of sites and the effect of such an approach on the existing arrangements for public consultation and participation in planning decisions;

—any relevant overseas experience;

—the likely costs of any new arrangements and their effect on the provision of infrastructure;

—any wider effects of any new arrangements on property values generally, including a comparison with the values of properties affected by other development proposals;

—if any remedy for those affected by "generalised blight" is considered appropriate, the practical application of such a remedy including the basis on which it might be determined, the eligibility of property owners, the geographical coverage in relation to the development proposals and the point at which it would be offered; and

—any implications for the existing principles of the land compensation code or for the current arrangements for discretionary purchase.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all the appointees to date to each of the new regional environmental protection advisory committees indicating the criteria by which they were selected. [21091]

My right hon. Friend has appointed the chairmen of six of the seven regional committees in England, as follows:

• Brian Alexander: North West
• Penny Perry: Midlands
• Betty Goble: Anglian
• John Ferguson: Thames
• Robert Crossett: Southern
• Dennis Mitchell: South West

Many nominations for these posts were received in response to our public invitation and candidates were assessed according to their experience and knowledge in relation to the committees' functions and regions and their ability to lead these high profile committees.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales has appointed Graham Court as chairman of the committee in Wales.Further appointments, of individual members to each committee, are matters for the agency itself in accordance with the membership schemes recently approved by my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken in respect of the training camp set up at Orsac, Bosnia; and if he will make a statement. [20744]

It is our understanding that the training camp at Orsac is no longer in operation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian Government in respect of Mr. Dhabihu'llah Mahrami, a member of the Baha'i community in Yazad, charged with apostasy from Islam; and if he will make a statement.[20798]

The Iranian Government are aware of our concern about Mr. Mahrami's situation. We understand that the death sentence imposed by the Islamic revolutionary court in Yazd has been overruled by the supreme court and that legal proceedings are continuing. We and our European partners will continue to monitor developments closely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support proposals at the forthcoming intergovernmental conference to safeguard the needs of disabled people; and if he will make a statement. [20799]

We are committed to safeguarding the needs of disabled people and have taken positive action in this area with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. We believe that the best way of effectively dealing with the problem of discrimination against disabled people is through strong national legislation of this kind.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for the ownership of the foreign reserves and bullion held by the Government of Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China; and if he will make a statement. [20826]

Hong Kong's financial reserves will in their entirety become those of the Hong Kong special administrative region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of (a) the current value of the bullion and foreign reserves held by the Government of Hong Kong and (b) its value when the sovereignty of Hong Kong will be transferred to the People's Republic of China; and if he will make a statement. [20894]

As at the end of December 1995, the value of the bullion and foreign exchange reserves of the Hong Kong exchange fund was US$57.1 billion. It is not possible to forecast the precise value of the reserves on the transfer of sovereignty, but we have every confidence that Hong Kong will maintain one of the highest levels of reserves in the world, especially in relation to the size of its population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the agency for intelligence and documentation set up by the Republic of Bosnia's Interior Ministry and of its compliance with the terms of the Dayton agreement. [20743]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what buildings are currently rented by the European Parliament; and what buildings are being built for it. [20987]

The European Parliament currently rents the following buildings:

• in Luxembourg:
• BAK building
• NHE building
• Schuman building
• Senningerberg building
• Tower building
• in Strasbourg:
• palais de l'Europe
• IPE O, IPE I, IPE II, IPE III
• in Brussels:
• Belliard I, Belliard II, Belliard III and Belliard IV
• Eastman building
• Remorqueur building
• Remard building
• Van Maerlant building
• D 1, D 2 and D 3 buildings

A new building complex is under construction in Brussels. It should be completed by May 1997.A second building is under construction in Strasbourg, and is due for completion by the end of 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the allowances payable to Members of the European Parliament in 1996. [20986]

The following allowances are available to MEPs in 1996:

• >Travel-within the EU, 0.76 ecu or £0.64 for every km up to 400km, and 0.38 ecu or 0.32 for every km thereafter. Outside the EU, the cost of the return fare by the most direct route.
• Subsistence on official travel-within the EU 219 ecu or £184.05 per day. Half this amount, plus hotel costs, outside the EU.
• General office expenses-3,099 ecu or £2,604.40 per month.
• Secretarial assistance-8,937 ecu or £7,510.65 per month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs that representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Moroccan Government over the sentence imposed on Kelthoum Ahmed Labid El-Ouanat from Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. [21006]

The Guardian article of 9 March drew our attention to this case. We have now raised it with the Ministry of Human Rights in Morocco.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded in each of the last three financial years by his Department and its executive agencies after competitive tendering; and what was the total combined value of these contracts. [21029]

The number of contracts competitively tendered and their value for each of the last three years is not centrally available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out each article of the consolidated "Treaties of the European Communities and Union"-cm 3151-which provide for decisions of its Council of Ministers to be determined by unanimity or common accord, stating the purpose of each and the category of the power so bestowed relating to (a) appointment of persons, (b) the execution of principal duties or obligations laid down in the treaties, (c) decisions concerning future use of qualified majority or other forms of voting for specific purposes, (d) requirements for unanimity to prevent action by others, (e) approval of conventions under treaty powers and (f) other. [21157]

I refer the hon. Member to the European Commission report to the intergovernmental conference study group on the operation of the treaty on European union which was deposited in the House on 12 June. 1995. Annex 7 of the report contains a list of treaty articles subject to unanimity. Unanimity is generally reserved to areas of particular sensitivity. It is not objectively possible to classify articles subject to unanimity on the basis requested by the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates and at what locations the Council of Ministers of the European Communities decided under the terms of article 236 of its treaty to convene intergovernmental conferences on (a) economic and monetary union and (b) political union. [21158]

The European Council meeting in Strasbourg in December 1989 convened an intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union. The June 1990 European Council in Dublin convened a second intergovernmental conference on political union.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions in each of the last 10 years the judgment of the full European Court of Justice has been contrary in principle to that of the advocate general. [21024]

The EC treaty lays on advocates general the duty to assist the European Court of Justice by making reasoned submissions on cases brought before the court, acting with complete impartiality and independence. The ECJ is not bound to follow an opinion. In any given case, it may agree or disagree with any of the legal arguments in the opinion. Notable examples of cases where the court has disagreed strongly with the Advocate General include the recent Graham ruling on invalidity benefit and the Faccini Dori, case, where the court ruled out the possibility of horizontal direct effect for directives. An attempt to make a comparison of the kind requested by the hon. Member would inevitable oversimplify reality. Judgments can of course be contrary to elements of an opinion without overturning it entirely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has (a) requested and (b) received about Indian security forces erecting a fence on land within the United Nations line of control in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [21518]

We are aware of recent press reports that the Government of India are erecting fending in the vicinity of the line of control. We have not requested information about this. We remain concerned about the situation in Kashmir and continue to urge restraint by all concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the sources from within the European Commission from which CSV Media receives financial support, indicating in each case the level of funding. [20510]

[holding answer 12 March 1996]: CSV Media received the following funding from the European Commission for 1995–96:

• £752,247: European social fund
• £63,690: European regional development fund
• £50,000: European Commission campaign on race
• £145,000: Play Safe in Europe campaign

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the duties of the hon. Member for Monmouth (Mr. Evans) in respect of the city of Bristol. [20601]

My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth is helping to promote local regeneration in his role as sponsor Minister for Bristol.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) what has been the total cost of answering questions to the Prime Minister in each Session since 1989–90; [21175](2) what was the cost of answering

The information as requested is not available.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a list of Ministers who have requested prior assent from the Prime Minister under "Questions of Procedure for Ministers", paragraph 74, for payment from public funds to meet the expenses of spouses accompanying Ministers on overseas visits; and if he will indicate which requests were granted and which were refused for each year since 1990. [17494]

[holding answer 1 March 1996]: Complete records of such requests prior to 1995 have not been retained. The following Ministers were accompanied by their spouses on overseas visits at public expense in accordance with "Questions of Procedure for Ministers" from 1995 onwards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social security what data-matching exercises the Benefits Agency has carried out on its own employees; and how many employees have subsequently been discovered to be involved in (a) breaches of confidence and (b) illegal benefit claims. [19488]

In 1994, a limited clerical exercise involving three offices was undertaken to check staff national insurance numbers against records held in the departmental central index. The aim was to protect the interests of staff by checking that their national insurance number was not being used by other persons for fraudulent purposes. The exercise complied fully with Data Protection Act 1984 requirements, including appropriate authorisation, registration and the handling of data. The appropriate trade union side was kept informed.No cases of benefit fraud nor any breaches of confidence were found.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people who have been examined for the all-work test of incapacity have been found capable of work (a) in total and (b) during each month since April 1995, for each of the 11 medical services centres. [20180]

The information is not available in the format requested. National figures for the number of claimants disallowed following examination are in the table.

	Number
April 1995	10
May 1995	28
June 1995	1,087
July 1995	3,680
August 1995	5,015
September 1995	5,987
October 1995	7,281
November 1995	8,540
December 1995	5,716
January 1996	9,966
Total	47,310

These figures do not include clerically processed cases, credits-only cases or severe disablement allowance cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many IB50 all-work questionnaires have been issued by his Department in each of the months since April 1995; how many have been returned in the time allowed; and how many people failed to return the questionnaire without good cause in each of the 11 medical services centres. [20174]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the tables:

IB50 Questionnaires issued
	Number
April 1995	59,382
May 1995	140,929
June 1995	114,244
July 1995	87,020
August 1995	77,729
September 1995	93,976
October 1995	115,600
November 1995	124,295
December 1995	96,639
January 1996	156,319
Total	1,066,133

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many appeals (a) have been lodged to date against a decision that the claimant is capable of work and (b) have been heard; how many and what percentage were found in the claimant's favour; and how many claimant were represented. [20176]

Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available as at the end of January 1996, is in the table:

Vote number	Vote title	Original revised	Summer	Winter	Spring
1995–96
Class XIII, Vote 1	Central Government Administered Social Security Benefits and Other Payments	33,232,636	-	-	1,151,000
Class XIII, Vote 21	Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Payments into the NI Fund and Payment into the Social Fund, IRO Regulated Expenditure	12,236,830	-	-	Token IK
Class XIII, Vote 32	Housing Benefit Administration and Council Tax Benefit Administration, Payments into the Social Fund IRO Discretionary Expenditure and other Grants	403,139	-	14,566	1,550
Class XIII, Vote 42	DSS Administration and Miscellaneous Services	2,676,396	-	-	19,355
1Vote title changed to housing benefit subsidies, council tax benefit subsidies, payments into the national insurance fund and payments into the social fund in respect of regulated expenditure, in Spring supplementary estimate.
2This vote is subject to a cash limit, the figures quoted above represent the NET provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the estimated cost of converting the 25p per week age allowance to pensioners on their 80th birthday into an annual £13 lump sum payment; and if he will make a statement. [21020]

The cost to the national insurance fund of converting the 25p per week age allowance to pensioners on their 80th birthday into an annual £13 lump sum payment is estimated to be £2 million per annum.If the lump sum payment is not treated as weekly income for the purposes of calculating entitlement to income-related benefits, it is estimated that there could be income-related benefit costs of £9 million per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department from the introduction of incapacity benefit. [20181]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley) on 26 January 1996, Official Report, column 274.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 1996, Official Report, columns 808–82, if he will set out as much of the information on Supply estimates and supplementary estimates for the DSS votes as is available for 1995–96. [20769]

The table sets out the original 1995–96 estimate provision and the changes secured in the summer and spring supplementary estimates for each of the votes accounted for by the Department of Social Security. Outturns for each of the votes will be published in due course in the Department's annual appropriation accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what guidance he plans to issue in respect of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and what monitoring will be undertaken of its provisions. [21539]

A brief guide to the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 was issued in November 1995 and further information material on the provisions of the Act will follow. There will be statutory guidance related to the definition of disability. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment will be issuing a code of practice relating to the employment provisions in the Act. The National Disability Council is currently consulting on its proposals for a code of practice relating to the rights of access to goods, facilities, services and property, which will be published by the Secretary of State in due course. All these items will be published in time to allow employers and service providers to prepare themselves for the introduction of the new rights and duties.The Government will monitor the effectiveness of the Act by a range of measures, including research. The National Disability Council is also under a specific duty to advise the Government on the operation of the Act, and can recommend changes if necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what gross budget will be set for the discretionary social fund in 1996–97. [21641]

I am pleased to announce that the social fund gross discretionary budget for 1996–97 will be £419.5 million-£97 million will be allocated to grants, £321.5 million to loans and the remaining £1 million will be set aside as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase of £13.5 million, or 3.3 per cent. over the total gross budget for 1995–96.This represents a prudent increase, especially at a time when it is essential that every aspect of public expenditure is looked at very carefully. I am pleased that we have once again sustained our record in increasing the social fund budget each year since it began.The recycling of loans means that we are able to give more help to more people and the loans system is being widely used. For example, between 1 April 1995 and 29 February 1996, over 1.8 million non-repayable grants and interest-free loans were made.The increase from April 1996 will allow even more people to be helped.Details of individual district budget allocations have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the average size of loans from the discretionary social fund for additional funeral expenses since June 1995. [19881]

[holding answer 12 March 1996]: The information is set out in the table:

Average size of applications (excluding Northern Ireland)
(£)
Application type	Average application for flowers/wreath	Average application for funeral expenses	Average application for other expenses	Average size of all applications
Community care grant	32.20	499.42	50.00	136.95
Budgeting loan	38.83	383.87	80.94	188.05
Dual application	34.69	434.85	113.64	150.69
Crisis loan	40.49	250.17	50.00	98.23

Average size of applications (excluding Northern Ireland)
(£)
Application type	Average application for flowers/wreath	Average application for funeral expenses	Average application for other expenses	Average size of all applications
Sub-total loans + DAs	36.42	395.59	93.31	153.84
Total	34.96	420.10	86.47	148.66

1. Applications may result in an award of a different payment type. Dual applications are applications for both a community care grant and a budgeting loan.2. The information covers applications in the period between 5 June and 1 August 1995. It includes help with flowers, wreaths, funeral directors fees and other expenses.3. Funeral expenses covered by the regulated scheme were specifically excluded from the discretionary fund from 2 August 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what percentage of pensioners receive an income equal to or above the median income of all pensioners; what has been the change in this figure since 1979; and if he will give a regional breakdown. [20021]

The definition of median is the income value which divides a population, when ranked by income, into two equal-sized groups. Thus it is always the case that 50 per cent. of pensioners receive an income equal to or above the median income of all pensioners.

To ask the Attorney-General what recent representations he has received on the operation of public interest immunity certificates. [19409]

As I have told the House, representations have been invited on the use of public interest immunity certificates and the consultation remains open until 1 May.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which it would be correct for a judge to allow a disclosure contrary to a PII claim. [17793]

A judge may order disclosure of any documents covered by a PII claim where he judges this to be in the overall public interest. Since Conway v. Rimmer, 1968, it has been for Ministers to advance a PII claim for documents falling with a PII class, and for the court to weigh the public interest in non-disclosure against the public interest in disclosure for the purpose of doing justice.Following the decision of the House of Lords in ex parte Wiley, 1994, it is now open to a Minister to make voluntary disclosure of documents falling within a PII class if he concludes that this is the overall public interest. Where a Minister is not satisfied that disclosure should be made the court remains the ultimate decision-maker and must balance the competing public interests and rule on disclosure.

To ask the Attorney-General what new proposals he has to improve the accountability of his Department to Parliament. [19410]

I am accountable to Parliament for the work of each of my four Departments, namely the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and my own secretariat. The nature and extent of my future supervision of export control prosecutions by Customs and Excise is under careful consideration.

To ask the Attorney-General what plans he has to improve the resources available to the Serious Fraud Office. [19411]

In accordance with the recommendations of the Davie report, the division of resources between the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service is kept under review following the issue of new criteria for the allocation of cases between them.

To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received urging improvements in liaison between the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. [19412]

No formal representations have been received. The CPS and the police are working closely together on a number of initiatives, including co-ordinated training, greater use of information technology and a scheme involving CPS lawyers giving on-the-spot legal advice in busy police stations.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make it his policy to impose a ceiling on fees paid to lawyers working for the Crown Prosecution Service; and if he will make a statement.[19686]

Fees paid to barristers and solicitors in private practice who are instructed by the Crown Prosecution Service to advise or prosecute are negotiated, for the most part, on an individual case basis and have regard to the work actually and reasonably performed.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects the Director of Public Prosecutions to make a decision on whether to bring charges in the case of Mr. Shiji Lapite. [17743]

The Crown Prosecution Service has requested transcripts of the evidence given at the inquest into the death of Mr. Lapite together with copies of any documents produced to the jury. It is expected that that material will be delivered to the service within the next few days. That material, together with the evidence available prior to the inquest, will then be carefully considered and, subject to any further inquiries that may prove necessary, the Crown Prosecution Service will then decide whether or not to institute criminal proceedings.

To ask the Attorney-General (1) if he will seek to prosecute companies, a list of which has been sent to him, as being involved in the production and export of electro-shock batons; [21564](2) if the inquires by the Ministry of Defence police and Strathclyde police into allegations made by two "Despatches" programmes about electro-shock batons are now complete; and if he will make a statement. [21565]

I have not received any such list. With regard to any prosecution in relation to the "Despatches" programme, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office, to the hon. Member for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) on 13 March 1996, Official Report, column 603, and also to my answer to her of 31 January 1996, Official Report, column 771.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each of the past five years Ministers in his Deaprtmetn 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. [19421]

The number of hon. Members' letters to Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments which were passed to agencies for response in each of the last five years are as follows:

• 1991: 36
• 1992: 44
• 1993: 188
• 1994: 215
• 1995: 223

It is not possible to give a percentage figure as all the necessary information is not held centrally.Responses to individual questions is a matter of public record, but composite information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grant applications there were to the Northern Ireland tourist board for the provision of a new hotel accommodation in the borough of Ards in each of the last three years; and how many of these applications were refused. [20465]

Since the beginning of 1993 the number of applications received by NITB for financial assistance to develop the provision of hotel accommodation in the borough of Ards is as follows:

• 1993: Nil
• 1994: 1
• 1995: 1

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many buildings in each constituency in Northern Ireland are listed (a) grade I and (b) grade II; and what was the corresponding number in 1990. [20217]

Listed buildings in Northern Ireland are graded as grade A, B+ and B2 rather than grade I, II etc. The attached table gives the number of buildings currently listed as grade A and grade B+ in each constituency in Northern Ireland.On 31 December 1990 the total number of buildings listed as grade A was 153 and the total number listed as grade B+ was 263. It is not however possible to provide a breakdown of these figures by constituency in the time available. I will therefore write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy in the Library when the information becomes available.

Constituency	Number of Grade A buildings	Number of Grade B+ buildings
Foyle	6	15
East Londonderry	7	27
North Antrim	7	19
East Antrim	9	6
Mid Ulster	14	38
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	21	69
Upper Bann	3	14
Newry and Armagh	37	56
South Down	13	36
Strangford	6	11
Lagan Valley	9	14

Year	(a) items1 stolen		(b) items unaccounted for
	Number	Cost £	Number	Cost £	Items value at £5,000 or more	IT items2 (included in previous figures)
1990–91	38	20,597	-	-	Lorry	-
1991–92	83	16,454	336	6,557	-	-
1992–93	71	20,579	216	6,398	-	10 items totalling £5,260
1993–94	203	27,802	247	4,435	Van	3 items totalling £860
1994–95	282	24,861	107	3,970	-	10 items totalling £8,099
1Figures do not include DOE items valued at less than £500 as their inclusion would incur disproportionate costs.
2 An IT Notebook valued at £2,500 was also stolen, but the year cannot be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospitals in Northern Ireland have intensive care units; how many beds there are in each of the units; and what is the annual cost per intensive care bed in each hospital. [20216]

The information in the table shows the number of intensive care beds by hospital which were available during the year 1994–95.

	Number
Royal Victoria hospital	11
Antrim hospital	8

Constituency	Number of Grade A buildings	Number of Grade B+ buildings
North Down	11	13
South Antrim	15	18
Belfast North	2	13
Belfast West	24	21
Belfast South	8	18
Belfast East	1	9
Totals	193	397

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list by date and department the presentations made in 1995 by civil servants of the Northern Ireland civil service to the Anglo-Irish secretariat in Maryfield and the subjects so covered. [11683]

To ensure that the Government's policies in relation to Northern Ireland are effectively communicated to the Irish side of the secretariat, Irish officials are frequently briefed on a wide range of subjects which come within the scope of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Details of such briefings and presentations are not, however, available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the cost and number of items of equipment and furniture that (a) have been stolen and (b) are otherwise unaccounted for from his Department 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. [19038]

The information requested in respect of the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland Departments and their agencies is as follows:

	Number
Belfast city hospital	6
Craigavon area hospital	6
Royal Belfast hospital for sick children	6
Altnagelvin hospital	5
Ulster hospital	4
Erne hospital	3
Mater Infirmorum hospital	3
Coleraine hospital	2
Tyrone county hospital	2

The information requested about the annual costs of intensive care beds is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a list of all overseas visits made by all Ministers of his Department since 1990, including (a) details of the places visited and brief reasons for the visit, (b) details of the size, composition and cost

Overseas visits made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and other NIO Ministers in 1995
Date	Place	Visit Reason	Delegation	Cost (£)
5–6 February	Brussels	Trade mission	Baroness Denton and private secretary	1,053
12–18 March	Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco	Trade mission	Baroness Denton and private secretary	9,023
26–29 March	Tokyo	Trade mission	Baroness Denton and private secretary	11,476
11–12 April	France	To promote Her Majesty's Government policy on Northern Ireland	Secretary of State, private secretary and one official	8,563
30 April–2 May	Boston	Trade promotion event	Baroness Denton and private secretary	5,988
21–31 May	Boston, Washington, New York and Chicago	White House Investment Conference, Supporting IDB's Inward Investment Chicago Team and to provide Her Majesty's Government policy on Northern Ireland	Secretary of State, Baroness Denton, Malcolm Moss, three Private Secretaries, four Officials and two Police Officers	36,633
11–12 June	Milan	Trade mission	Baroness Denton, private secretary and press officer	1,500
14 June	Paris	Paris air show/meeting Bombardier	Baroness Denton and private secretary	1,053
3–6 September	Chicago	Support IDB's inward investment team	Baroness Denton and private secretary	7,803
7–8 September	Washington	To brief national security adviser, senators and press on Her Majesty's Government policy on Northern Ireland	Michael Ancram and private secretary	8,024
17–24 September	Atlanta, Denver and Phoenix	Support IDB's inward investment drive in USA	Baroness Denton and private secretary	10,285
18–28 September	Australia and New Zealand	To provide Her Majesty's Government policy on Northern Ireland	Secretary of State, private secretary, Lady Mayhew, two officials and two police officers	33,152
27–29 September	Vienna	Keynote speech, International New Towns Association conference	Malcolm Moss, private secretary and two officials	1,230
2–4 October	Rome	Meeting with Italian Government on criminal justice and security matters	Sir John Wheeler, private secretary and one official	1,644
3–6 October	Boston and New York	Trade mission and ICC USA annual dinner	Baroness Denton, private secretary and press officer	8,500
17–21 October	Dallas	Trade mission	Baroness Denton and private secretary	6,057
12–14 November	Singapore	Trade mission	Baroness Denton and private secretary	4,313
20–21 December	Brussels	Fisheries Council of Ministers meeting	Baroness Denton, private secretary and two officials	676

Non-ministerial members of the delegations have not been named as it is not normal policy to do so. They were in attendance to provide support for Ministers.

to public funds of the delegation and

[holding answer 1 March 1996]: The requested information for 1990 to 1994 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, a list of visits made during 1995 is available and is as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the world to be unable to feed its population, given present trends in population growth and food production. [21003]

Given sensible free market policies, I see no reason why the world should not be able to continue to feed is population.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list at current and constant prices in respect of arable farming for each of the last 15 years for (i) wheat and (ii) barley the (a) cost of input with special reference to seeds, chemicals and fertiliser, (b) cost of contracting and machinery, (c) total variable costs ((a) + (b)),(d) average yield per acre, (e) average sale price per ton, ex farm at standard moisture, (f) average income per acre and (g) average margin before rent and overheads, interest and capital ((f) - (a) + (b)). [20912]

The information is not readily available in the form requested. However current price estimates of the gross margin of wheat and barley production in England and Wales between 1986 and 1993 are contained in "Farm Incomes in the United Kingdom 1993–94" which was published last March. Copies are available in the Library of the House. Updated information, including some revisions to previous years will be contained in the 1994–95 edition which will be published on 19 March 1996. The estimates are compiled from occasional farm surveys together with information from a range of sources on prices and quantities of inputs and outputs for the intervening years. The yield per hectare, price per tonne and costs are based on the results from the sample of farmers included in the survey; prices are not converted to a standard moisture basis. Estimates in constant prices are not available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what tests and certification procedures have been carried out by his Department into the toxicity of those dispersants used on oil from the Sea Empress and their effect on the marine environment; [20808](2) what tests and certification procedures have been carried out by his Department into the toxicity of those dispersants used on oil spilt from the Sea Empress and their effect on human health. [20809]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: The Department is responsible for the testing and approval of all products used to disperse oil at sea. Following a recent review, it has been confirmed that dispersants should continue to be tested for their efficacy and toxicity using agreed scientific protocols. These tests ensure that the products work and are no more toxic to marine life than the oil itself. Use of dispersant products in Great Britain is also subject to legislation enforced by the Health and Safety Executive. A copy of the review was placed in the Library of both Houses on completion earlier this year.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which dispersants sprayed on oil from the Sea Empress have been banned by which (a) European and (b) North American countries. [20760]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: All dispersants are tested for efficacy and toxicity before they can be approved for use in UK waters by the Department. The Ministry holds no information on which dispersants have been approved or banned by European and North American countries. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the proportion of each chemical which constitutes the dispersants known as (a) Finasol OSR 51, (b) Slickgone LTSW, (c) Slickgone NS, (d) Dispolene 345, (e) Correctsit 9500, (f) Annersperse 9538 and (g) Super 25. [20764]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: The chemical constituents of dispersants and the proportion in which individual chemicals occur in products are confidential to the manufacturer. I listed all active ingredients of dispersants sprayed on oil from the Sea Empress in a recent answer. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Ceredigian and Pembroke, North (Mr. Dafis) on 4 March 1996, Official Report, column 83. The Department does not recognise Dispolene 345, Correctsit 9500 and Annersperse 9538 as dispersant products and has not approved products with these names.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when (a) Finasol OSR 51, (b) Slickgone LTSW, (c) Slickgone NS, (d) Dispolene 345, (e) Correctsit 9500, (f) Annersperse 9538 and (g) Super 25 were tested and approved for use on oil spills; and which department approved them. [20761]

[holding answer 14 March 1996]: Dispolene 345, Correctsit 9500 and Annersperse 9538 are not approved dispersant products. All the remaining dispersants listed have been approved by the Department following successful completion of efficacy and toxicity tests.The approval dates are as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations have been made to him on behalf of small-scale riding stables about problems arising from the cost of implementing regulations. [20215]

I have been asked to reply, in view of the Home Office's responsibilities for the Riding Establishments Acts.The Home Office has received no recent representations from this sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what costs her Department incurred in the production of the document "Employers Guide to Stress". [20548]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funds her Department provided to Barnsley and Doncaster TEC in (a) 1994–95 and (b) 1995–96; and what amount is planned for 1996–97. [20721]

Information on Barnsley and Doncaster training and enterprise council's budget for 1994–95 and 1995–96 was published in a written answer of 1 November 1995, Official Report, column 364, to the hon. Member. The budget for 1996–97 is at present being negotiated by officials from the Government office for Yorkshire and Humberside and representatives from the TEC.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the budget for the Equal Opportunities Commission in each year since its inception (a) in cash, (b) in real terms and (c) as a percentage change on the previous year. [20739]

The information is set out in the following table:

Year	Grant in aid cash terms	Percentage change on previous year	Grant in aid 1994–95 prices	Percentage change on previous year
1976–77	850,430	0	3,220,000	0
1977–78	1,460,699	71.8	4,869,000	51.2
1978–79	1,644,650	12.6	4,924,000	1.1
1979–80	2,146,109	30.5	5,517,000	12
1980–81	2,520,270	17.4	5,478,000	-0.7
1981–82	2,911,000	15.5	5,764,000	5.2
1982–83	3,046,000	4.6	5,630,000	-2.3
1983–84	3,168,000	4	5,597,000	-0.6
1984–85	3,387,000	6.9	5,702,000	1.9
1985–86	3,434,000	1.4	5,477,000	-4
1986–87	3,538,000	3	5,477,000	0
1987–88	3,716,000	5	5,457,000	-0.4
1988–89	3,810,000	2.5	5,248,000	-3.8
1989–90	3,894,000	2.2	5,012,000	-4.5
1990–91	4,579,000	17.6	5,458,000	8.9
1991–92	4,864,000	6.2	5,459,000	0.02
1992–93	5,282,000	8.6	5,692,000	4.3
1993–94	5,794,000	9.7	6,067,000	6.6

Year	Grant in aid cash terms	Percentage change on previous year	Grant in aid 1994–95 prices	Percentage change on previous year
1994–95	5,949,000	2.7	6,114,000	0.8
1995–96	6,429,533	8.1	6,429,533	5.2

1. Between 29 December 1975 and 31 March 1976, while the commission was in the process of being established, its expenditure was met directly by the Home Office and other Government Departments.2. The amount of grant in aid for 1995–96 includes the supplementary grant of £273,533 recently agreed by the Department to cover expenditure on information technology equipment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the budget for the Equal Opportunities Commission for 1996–97; and what are the planned budgets for future years. [20740]

The grant in aid for the Equal Opportunities Commission for 1996–97 is £5,820,650. Grant in aid for each of the financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99 is £5,792,150.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the future of the Equal Opportunities Commission. [20741]

The Government are fully committed to the work of the Equal Opportunities Commission. Many thousands of people have cause to thank the commission for its work over the last 20 years and its success in changing attitudes. I have recently paid tribute to that work.The Government have no plans to seek changes to the legislation which defines the EOC's responsibilities and duties.