To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of children at (a) primary level and (b) post-primary level are in integrated education in Northern Ireland. [22559]

The percentage of children in integrated education is (a) 1.6 per cent. at primary level and (b) 1.8 per cent. at post-primary level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what sums of money were spent in each of the education and library board areas of

Education and Library Board	1992–93		1993–94		1994–95
	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary	Primary	Secondary
Belfast	44	24	69	30	82	31
Western	47	31	76	30	82	28
North-Eastern	42	45	63	39	75	30
South-Eastern	57	41	107	26	104	29
Southern	52	36	91	34	99	38

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the expenditure on education in Northern Ireland as a percentage of the total expenditure in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years. [22560]

The information is set out in the table:

Year	Department of Education, Northern Ireland expenditure1	As of NI2 expenditure (percentage)
1990–91	1,004	18.2
1991–92	1,124	18.7
1992–93	1,203	18.3
1993–94	1,248	17.6
1994–95	1,295	17.5
1Youth training programme expenditure has been excluded as responsibility for this activity transferred to Department of Economic Development from 1992–93.
2includes Northern Ireland Office expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many orders under the negative Northern Ireland on education for mutual understanding and cross-community contact in each of the last five years. [22563]

Expenditure is not available by board area. However, overall expenditure on cross-community contact in the last five years was as follows:

Financial year	Expenditure £
1991–92	391,571
1992–93	856,507
1993–94	1,265,268
1994–95	1,579,327
1995–96 (Estimated)	1,721,000

Support for education for mutual understanding as a cross-curricular theme is provided by the curriculum advisory and support services operated by the education and library boards, separate costs are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the number of (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each of the education and library board areas in Northern Ireland which have participated in the cross-community contact scheme in each of the last three years. [22562]

The information requested is as follows:resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23312]

Since January 1995, six orders—statutory rules or orders—under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day that they have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Northern Ireland social fund discretionary budget will be for 1996–97. [24345]

I am pleased to announce that the social fund gross discretionary budget for 1996–97 will be £36.71 million. Some £9.76 million will be allocated to grants; £26.85 million to loans; and £0.1 million will be held as a contingency reserve. The new allocations represent an increase nearing £5 million over the gross budget set at April 1995.Details of the individual district budget allocations, together with a note explaining the basis on which they have been made, will be placed in the Library today.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23317]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will make statement about the breach of its 1994–95 running costs limit by the Office of the National Lottery. [24289]

The gross running cost limit for the Office of the National Lottery within class XI, vote 8 will be decreased by £130,000 from £2,440,000 to £2,310,000. The decrease arises from the imposition of a penalty following the breach of the gross running costs limit in the previous year, 1994–95. Oflot did not exceed its overall cash limit. Running costs were exceeded because of the difficulty in accurately estimating the costs associated with the launch of the national lottery. The Office of the National Lottery has reported that it has reviewed its systems and procedures to prevent a recurrence of the breach.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new starts on road building have been made (a) by the Highways Agency and (b) under the design, build, finance and operate programme in each of the financial years for which figures are available. [22758]

For the two financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96 that the Highways Agency has been in existence, 13 conventionally funded schemes started in 1994–95 and one in 1995–96. No design, build, finance and operate projects were let in 1994–95 but four DBFO projects have so far been let in 1995–96.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library copies of the Railtack incident logs for incidents occurring in Staffordshire in the last six months. [23087]

Railtrack incident logs are internal documents and are not for publication. All statutorily reportable accidents and incidents are reported to the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many train-mounted cranes are currently available in Staffordshire; and what is the estimated response time of the cranes for an incident occurring at Stoke-on-Trent station. [23088]

Railtrack does not currently have any train-mounted cranes based in Staffordshire. However, the nearest crane is based at Crewe and the estimated response time for an incident occurring at Stoke-on-Trent Station is one to two hours.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what checks the Health and Safety Executive makes on the working practices of safety-critical rail staff. [23118]

Inspecting officers of Her Majesty's railway inspectorate frequently visit railway sites such as signalboxes, maintenance depots, track work and signalling installations. At such times, and when travelling in driving cabs, they consider, among many other matters, the competence of, and working arrangements for, persons carrying out safety-critical work. In addition, they look at managers' arrangements for monitoring compliance with the Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994, and provide advice and guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures are taken by Railtrack to ensure that staff carrying out designated safety-critical work, employed by Railtrack or its contractors, are fit to do so. [23119]

The Railways (Safety Critical Work) Regulations 1994 place responsibility on employers for ensuring that their employees are competent and fit to undertake safety-critical work.Railtrack has railway group standards in place which set out competence and medical fitness standards, and which apply to its own staff, staff of train and station operators and staff of infrastructure contractors, who carry out safety-critical work on the Railtrack network. Group standards require employers to monitor fitness for work on a regular basis. Periodic re-examination of medical fitness and reassessment of competence is also mandatory.Railtrack's safety and standards directorate carries out audits of compliance with group standards by the Railtrack zones, and operators and contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will set out the speed limits in respect of each type of road; and if he will make a statement. [23110]

Speed limits for all types of road are set out in the Highway Code (page 53). Realistic speed limits and sensible driving can and do make a significant contribution to road safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the new scheme to fit fire engines in Nottinghamshire with a device to switch traffic lights to green will be expanded (a) nationally and (b) to passenger carrying vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [23333]

The introduction of such facilities is the responsibility of the local highway authority and bus companies concerned. Similar schemes are already providing buses with benefits in London and other cities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of Jersey's decision to ban bull bars from cars and vans by the end of the year. [23342]

I recognise the interest in road safety which has prompted Jersey to take action against aggressive bull bars.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what circumstances (a) EU and (b) United Kingdom drivers' hours regulations apply to PCV drivers. [23340]

EU drivers' hours rules apply to drivers of vehicles with 18 or more seats on regular national services over 50 km and on non-regular services. They also apply to international journeys in vehicles with 10 or more seats. UK drivers' hours rules apply to drivers of public service vehicles and to motor vehicles—other than public service vehicles—constructed or adapted to carry more than 12 passengers, on journeys which are outside the scope of the EU regulations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in franchising the Islands British Rail line. [24285]

The franchising director has today announced the draft passenger service requirement for the Island line franchise. The draft PSR sets out the proposed level of passenger rail services the franchise operator must provide and for which subsidy will be made. The operator will have the opportunity to run additional services to those set out in the PSR to respond to passenger requirements and develop his business.Comments are invited by 24 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to change his Department's cash limits. [24346]

The cash limit for class VI, vote 5 (roads and local transport) is reduced by £1,300,000 from £512,615,000 to £511,315,000. The reduction will offset cash limited expenditure on class VI, vote 6 in relation to the clean-up operations necessary following the recent grounding of the oil tanker, Sea Empress.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23310]

None.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Housing Aid Society to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall. [24133]

I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from Monday 6 May to Friday 10 May 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many full general national vocational qualifications have been awarded in each year since their introduction at each level; and how many awardees have been taught in (i) further education and sixth form colleges, (ii) secondary schools and (iii) other. [23081]

The first five GNVQs began their pilot phase at intermediate and advanced levels in 1992. The GNVQ awarding bodies estimate that the number of full GNVQs awarded since 1993 is as follows (rounded to the nearest 100):

	1993	1994	1995
Advanced	—	2,000	15,400
Intermediate	1,800	18,600	41,700
Foundation	—	700	3,600

Information on the type of GNVQ centre attended by individual awardees is not collected centrally at present. The Department is developing a GNVQ database which will enable this information to be supplied in future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her Department's estimate of public expenditure on pre-16 general national vocational qualifications provision. [23083]

The Department has made no such estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) when her Department or its predecessor began its assessment of the need for an education lead body for the development of S/NVQs for (a) the youth service and (b) youth work; [23167](2) what are the implications of the creation of S/NVQs for

In 1994, the former Employment Department funded the National Youth Agency to commission a feasibility study by Professor Eraut of Sussex university to explore the scope for developing NVQ standards for youth and community work. He recommended that a comprehensive occupational and functional analysis of the field should be completed, together with a cost-benefit analysis. Following extensive consultation with the youth service field, including the voluntary sector, there is now general agreement that such an analysis should take place. No targets have been set for the introduction of NVQs for youth work or of a lead body for this occupational sector.The Department would fund any occupational and functional mapping exercise, a cost-benefit analysis, the development of standards and qualifications and the implementation of those qualifications. Funding is also normally available to assist with the training costs of assessment.The Government are committed to completing the NVQ framework and I am pleased to say that the voluntary sector has been generally supportive of the need to develop NVQs in the youth service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the average point scores for (a) GCSE English language, (b) GCSE mathematics, (c) both subjects and (d) all GCSEs together of each 20th group (i) of all l5-year-olds, (ii) boys and (iii) girls when ranked according to (d) indicating the average number of entries per pupil in each group and in (a) to (d), the number of pupils in each group and in total and

Year	Primary		Secondary		Special
	Mergers	Other	Mergers	Other	Mergers	Other
1993	196	62	7	16	1	19
1994	205	48	12	14	6	18
1995 (provisional)	87	41	9	17	6	17

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23307]

Since January 1995, no orders made by my right hon. Friend subject to the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day on which they were made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress Bradford and District training and enterprise council and Lancashire the average score for (a) to (d) for all such pupils (1) in England, (2) in the local education authority maintained sector, (3) in the grant-maintained sector, (4) in the whole maintained sector and (5) in the independent sector for each year from 1991 to 1995. [23346]

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the answer in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools in England have (a) closed and (b) merged for each year since 1985, giving the totals for (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) special schools. [23390]

Information on the number of maintained schools closing each year is available only from 1987 onwards. For years before 1993, full information is not available to show whether closures occurred as the result of a merger or other closure. The total number of closures recorded in each year since 1987 is as follows:

Year	Primary	Secondary	Special
1987	192	n/a	31
1988	198	176	47
1989	152	96	18
1990	265	127	31
1991	229	67	41
1992	318	108	27
1993	258	23	20
1994	253	26	24
1995 (provisional)	128	26	23

This table excludes 111 primary, 15 secondary and 21 special schools which closed during this period for which the precise closure date is not readily available.The following table breaks down closures since 1993 between those recorded as mergers and other closures.Area West training and enterprise council are making in meeting the criteria for the award of a three-year licence. [24219]

I am pleased to announce the award of a three-year licence to Bradford and District TEC and LAWTEC who have now completed the process of meeting the rigorous standards we set.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has taken a decision under the Insurance Companies Act 1982 on the authorisation of Equitas; and if he will make a statement. [24286]

I have considered carefully the proposals made by Lloyd's for the authorisation of Equitas Reinsurance Ltd. and Equitas Ltd. ("Equitas"). Lloyd's proposes to reinsure the market's 1992 and prior non-life liabilities into Equitas, and to provide matching assets together with an additional solvency margin of free assets. Equitas would be a pure reinsurer, and Lloyd's application does not seek authorisation for it to undertake any subsequent business.Lloyd's proposals are based on a thorough review of the 1992 and prior liabilities and in particular of exposure to US asbestos and pollution claims. This review has been assisted by work undertaken by a number of leading firms of consulting actuaries and chartered accountants.I have decided to authorise Equitas on the basis of Lloyd's proposals, subject to certain conditions which Lloyd's does not expect to fulfil before August this year. Of these, the most important are, first, that the contracts reinsuring names' liabilities into Equitas cannot be completed until Lloyd's can demonstrate that the assets available to Equitas are such as to ensure it has the minimum solvency margin I have required. Lloyd's statement of assets available to Equitas will be subject to independent review by Coopers and Lybrand, which is to be appointed as Equitas' auditors once the contracts are completed. Secondly, there are conditions to ensure that if developments between now and August should lead to an increase in the estimate of the overall level of liabilities, then a matching increase in the assets would have to be provided. In addition, there is a condition making any dividend to any shareholders or return premium to reinsured names subject to DTI consent. Any future proposal that Equitas should undertake further business would require DTI consent.Under section 32 of the Insurance Companies Act 1982, UK insurance companies are required to maintain a minimum margin of free assets, calculated according to a formula. The formula was not devised with circumstances such as the Equitas proposal in mind, and is likely to produce widely fluctuating requirements over the first four years of Equitas' life. I have therefore decided to exercise the discretion to which I am entitled under the Act to make a direction under section 68 to modify the normal requirements in 1996 and 1998.In reaching this decision, I have been mindful of my responsibilities under the Insurance Companies Act 1982 in relation to the authorisation of new insurance companies and the protection of policyholders in general. In this case, I have to consider whether policyholders would be better protected if Equitas is authorised than if it is not. I must also be satisfied that all the statutory requirements for authorisation under the Act have been met.The main reasons for my decision are as follows.First, policyholders will benefit from substantial additional funds which would not otherwise be likely to be forthcoming. The provisions made for 1992 and prior liabilities have been increased by more than £1.5 billion. Equitas will be funded to meet its estimated liabilities and to provide the additional margin of free assets. Some £1 billion plus of the funding is to be provided from sources which have no obligation to support 1992 and prior losses, together with approaching a further £2.5 billion deriving from new money from names, the settlement of the current litigation and from 1993–94–95 profits which would not otherwise be necessarily or immediately available to support these losses. The Equitas proposals will also ensure that the assets to cover these provisions will be fully paid, in contrast to the present position in which some £4 billion of Lloyd's assets is represented by uncalled losses or unpaid cash calls. Furthermore, subject to the division of Equitas' assets between US, Canadian and UK trust funds, the assets of Equitas will be fully mutualised and all available to support all of Equitas' liabilities to policyholders.Secondly, the creation of Equitas offers a strong prospect of lower claims handling costs and higher investment yields than would otherwise be the case, the benefits of which will accrue to policyholders in the first instance.Overall, I am satisfied that the resources available to support 1992 and prior policyholders through Equitas will be greater and more certain than without its authorisation. The Government Actuary takes the view that there is a reasonable prospect that Equitas will be able to pay off its liabilities in full as they fall due.Thirdly, if, against expectation, the liabilities of Equitas at some future point should appear to be on the point of exceeding the assets available, arrangements will have been built into the reinsurance contract with names designed to ensure that policyholders would continue to receive an uninterrupted flow of claims payments, albeit at less than 100 per cent., with the residual balance of claims falling back on to the reinsured names. These arrangements would provide a much superior outcome for all policyholders, including reinsured names, than conventional insolvency proceedings for Equitas.Fourthly, the creation of Equitas as proposed will very significantly improve the security of 1993 and subsequent policyholders at Lloyd's, by substantially removing the risk that further deterioration in the 1992 and prior liabilities would affect them.Last, if Equitas does not proceed, Lloyd's has acknowledged that there is a significant risk that Lloyd's as a whole would have to cease underwriting. In that event, the subsequent run-off would face an uncertain future. I therefore consider Lloyd's proposals are a well-judged response to this situation in the interests of existing Lloyd's policyholders, and of reinsuring names as policyholders.It is now for the members of Lloyd's to decide whether to support Lloyd's proposals as the next step before Equitas can go live later this year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what guidelines covered the provision by United Kingdom companies of computer services for the Iraqi air force immediately before the outbreak of the Gulf war; what dispensation had been (a) sought by and (b) given to the ICL company at West Gorton, Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [21295]

The provision of services to Iraq before the imposition of UN sanctions in August 1990 was not controlled and there were no guidelines.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what legal provisions prevent a proprietary company from calling itself mutual. [21253]

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received about the cost to British companies caused by the application to contracting for services of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981 and the acquired rights directive; what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in this matter; what progress is being made in securing changes to the directive; and if he will make a statement. [23589]

My Department has received a great many representations concerning the financial and practical implications of the application of the EC acquired rights directive to contracting for services. The Government do not believe that the directive was generally intended to apply to the contracting out of a service or to the transfer from one provider to another of a contract to supply services, nor is it suitable for such circumstances.Despite several rulings by the European Court of Justice, uncertainty still exists about the application of the directive. The Government believe that such uncertainty can be resolved only by amendment of the directive itself, and have sought, with the support of several other member states, changes to it. The European Commission brought froward a proposal in September 1994 to amend the directive in a number of respects. It has not been possible to reach agreement on the basis of that text but the Government will continue to press for changes to the directive. We expect the Commission to bring forward a revised proposal shortly.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23314]

One.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade 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 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. [17484]

[holding answer 1 March 1996]: The lists for the years 1992 to present have been placed in the Library of the House. Recovery of data for the years 1990 to 1992 would incur disproportionate costs. Details of the size, composition and function of each delegation would also incur a disproportionate cost. Business people accompanying Ministers are not normally paid for by public funds and the need for officials to accompany Ministers is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make clear to the Government of China during his forthcoming visit that the attempts of China to interfere by the threat of force in the democratic politics of Taiwan are unacceptable to the United Kingdom, that a programme of interference in recognised international sea and air routes by firing shells and missiles is also unacceptable and that any renewal of either of these will result in restrictions on investment in trade with China. [22207]

We have already made very clear to the Chinese Government our grave concerns about their recent military activity. We will continue, on every appropriate occasion, to urge restraint and an early resumption of dialogue with Taiwan.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he plans to HMSO's external finance limit for 1995–96. [24344]

Due to adverse trading conditions and costs associated with an on-going redundancy programme, HMSO is now expected to have a positive external finance requirement in the current year. An external finance limit will therefore be set for 1995–96 at £20,000,000. The increased requirement will be funded from the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which civil service management functions he proposes to delegate to Departments and agencies from 1 April 1996. [24343]

I have agreed that, under the terms of the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992, Ministers and office holders in charge of Departments should have delegated authority from 1 April 1996:

(a) to prescribe the qualifications (so far as they relate to age, knowledge, ability, professional attainment, aptitude and potential) for the appointment of home civil servants (with the exception of the fast stream development programme) in their respective departments; and

(b) to determine in respect of home civil servants in their respective departments the number and grading of posts outside the senior civil service and the terms and conditions of employment in so far as they relate to the following:

(i) classification of staff, with the exception of the senior civil service;

(ii) remuneration and allowances, with the exception of the senior civil service;

(iii) allowances for the senior civil service in respect of service overseas;

(iv) expenses;

(v) holidays, hours of work and attendance;

(vi) part-time and other working arrangements;

(vii) performance and promotion;

(viii) retirement age and redundancy;

(ix) re-deployment of staff within and between departments.

A revised management code, taking account of the new delegations and the creation of the senior civil service, has been issued to Departments and agencies. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require manufacturers of secondary liquid fuels to make publicly available their chemical composition. [22954]

If a cement or lime kiln is to use secondary liquid fuel, the operator sends the fuel specification to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. This specification includes the technical data that the inspectorate needs for the statutory regulation of the process at the kiln. The specification is put on the public register. Chemical analyses are provided if they are relevant. If the inspectorate decides to authorise the process, the authorisation, which includes the details of the fuel, also appears on the public register. A further requirement would impose upon industry without returning regulatory benefit to the public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date trials of secondary liquid fuel began at Barrington cement works. [23248]

Trials began on 9 November 1993, for 25 per cent. substitution of fuel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date use of secondary liquid fuel at Barrington was approved. [23246]

Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution issued a variation to the company's authorisation for the burning of secondary liquid fuel on 8 November 1995, which came into effect on 13 November 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on which criteria and within which time scale he expects to respond to reports produced by the royal commission on environmental pollution. [23063]

We have told the chairman of the royal commission that our general aim is to respond to its reports in nine to 12 months, but that a different timetable may be appropriate in particular cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number and title of the reports of the royal commission on environmental pollution to which the Government have (a) responded and (b) not responded indicating for (b) the factors underlying the absence of response. [23064]

The Government have responded to the following reports by the royal commission on environmental pollution:

• First Report.
• 2nd Report: "Three Issues in Industrial Pollution".
• 3rd Report: "Pollution in some British Estuaries and Coastal Waters".
• 4th Report: "Pollution Control: Progress and Problems".
• 5th Report: "Air Pollution Control: an Integrated Approach".
• 6th Report: "Nuclear Power and the Environment".
• 7th Report: "Agriculture and Pollution".
• 8th Report: "Oil Pollution of the Sea".
• 9th Report: "Lead in the Environment".
• 10th Report: "Tackling Pollution—Experience and Prospects".
• 11 th Report: "Managing Waste: The Duty of Care".
• 12th Report: "Best Practicable Environmental Option".
• 13th Report: "The Release of Genetically Engineered Organisms to the Environment".
• 14th Report: "GENHAZ—a system for the critical appraisal of proposals to release genetically modified organisms into the environment".
• 15th Report: "Emissions from Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles".
• 16th Report: "Freshwater Quality".
• 17th Report: "Incineration of Waste".

The Government have not yet responded to the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23313]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report of the implementation of the recommendations of the efficiency unit's scrutiny of the management of the civil estate will be available. [24288]

Following the scrutiny of the management of the civil estate, the responsibilities for property on the civil estate currently exercised by the Department of the Environment's property holdings are being transferred to departments. This transfer will take effect on 1 April 1996. I have placed in the Library of the House the final report of the scrutiny action manager on the action taken to implement the 84 detailed recommendations of the scrutiny.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the office waste minimisation strategy being adopted by his Department; and if he will list each of the targets. [23371]

[holding answer 28 March 1996]: I expect to announce the waste minimisation target for my Department shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was allocated to the Development Board for Rural Wales in (a) 1993, (b) 1994 and (c) 1995 in real terms by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [23180]

The resources allocated to the DBRW are shown in the following table. Figures are at 1995–96 prices and have been calculated using the latest GDP deflator.

		£ million
Year	Grant-in-aid	Housing subsidy
1993–94	14.506	2.588
1994–95	14.808	2.540
1995–96	7.980	2.368

The grant in aid provision for 1995–96 reflected the decision to transfer responsibility and funding for all economic and social grants to the local authorities and tourism activities to the Wales tourist board and the higher levels of self-generated receipts which have been used to re-invest in the economy of Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23308]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what amounts of money have been paid out by (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which he is accountable to Parliament, to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts in (1) the current year and (2) the two previous years. [22507]

DSS headquarters and the independent statutory bodies have made no payments in respect of equal opportunities breaches over the years 1993–94 to 1995–96. Two payments of £2,000 and £2,250 have been made by the Department's executive agencies to members of staff, both in 1994–95. Neither case proceeded to a tribunal or court.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22866]

It is not possible to say how many contracts have been awarded in each of the last three years since information on numbers of contracts is not available in the format requested. Any contracts entered into on the basis of single tender negotiated procedures are subject to regulations specified in the DSS purchasing and supply manual and the relevant EC legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23311]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) of 18 March, Official Report, column 17, what would be the estimated cost to the Exchequer of paying the age-related premium on the basic pension in a lump sum at the same fixed point in the year for all pensioners. [23603]

There would be no cost to the national insurance fund as the effect of paying some individuals in advance would be counterbalanced by the effect of paying other individuals in arrears.If the lump sum is not treated as weekly income for the purposes of calculating entitlement to income-related benefits, the timing of payment would not affect the impact on income-related benefits expenditure.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23305]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what amounts of money have been paid out by (a) his Department and (b) executive agencies, non-departmental public bodies and other organisations for which he is accountable to Parliament, to how many staff or former staff in respect of (i) alleged equal opportunities breaches which do not proceed to tribunals or courts and (ii) equal opportunities breaches which proceeded to tribunals or courts in (1) the current year and (2) the two previous years. [22506]

This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received concerning a Scottish advisory committee to the Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education in the United Kingdom; and what response he intends to make. [22429]

We have received so far 63 representations from bodies in Scotland about the composition and draft terms of reference of the Government's Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, and how the distinctive nature of higher education in Scotland should be taken into account. My right hon. Friends and I expect to announce the outcome of the consultations after Easter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what time scale he is applying to the private finance initiative for future prisons; and what estimate he has made of the capital costs and annual running costs of these prisons in each of the years of the private finance initiative; [22840](2) pursuant to his answer of 28 February,

The new prison is not expected to open before 1999 at the earliest. Early cost estimates are around £18 million to £20 million per annum. Payments would be revalued using an appropriate indicator over the contract period, which is expected to be 25 years. The Secretary of State met the Scottish Prison Officers Association on 29 September 1995, following which he has received no further representations. However, representations from SPOA have been received on this matter by the Scottish Prison Service chief executive. The option of involving Scottish Prison Service staff in a privately financed prison has not been ruled out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what allocations the new unitary councils received from the Scottish Office in their notional budgets in 1995–96 for meeting the costs of operating valuation appeals committees. [22908]

The notional amounts for each of the new mainland councils which were prescribed in the notional amounts report 1996 approved by the House on 28 February, were based on the actual 1995–96 budgets of the outgoing councils.It is not possible to identify the costs of operating valuation appeals committees within these notional amounts but the table gives details of each of the new councils notional 1995–96 budgets for both lands valuation and council tax valuation as returned to the Scottish Office by the outgoing councils.

Notional 1995–96 budgets
	Lands valuation £000	Council tax valuation £000	Total notional budget £000
Unitary Authority
Aberdeen City	455	482	202,484
Aberdeenshire	542	574	201,628
Angus	178	179	105,178
Argyll and Bute	323	123	104,552
Scottish Borders	516	232	107,026
Clackmannanshire	242	76	48,972
West Dunbartonshire	405	106	116,276
Dumfries and Galloway	431	493	152,773
Dundee City	361	360	176,033
East Ayrshire	284	104	122,900
East Dunbartonshire	284	104	97,602
East Lothian	708	10	80,196
East Renfrewshire	116	70	74,043
Edinburgh City	4,251	10	418,673
Falkirk	700	228	133,326
Fife	1,223	927	349,893
Glasgow City	1,676	618	800,138
Highland	921	691	234,571
Inverclyde	200	78	96,974
Midlothian	488	10	81,875
Moray	235	247	85,001
North Ayrshire	354	118	135,130
North Lanarkshire	649	235	327,768
Perth and Kinross	267	266	126,006
Renfrewshire	521	152	179,046
South Ayrshire	344	95	108,964
South Lanarkshire	643	231	294,836
Stirling	405	127	85,495
West Lothian	1,100	10	154,004
Total	18,822	6,916	5,201,363
1Lothian regional council was unable to disaggregate the regional assessor's budget. As a result the figure shown against lands valuation also includes registration of electors and council tax valuation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what operational expenses will be incurred by each joint valuation board in Scotland in meeting the costs of valuation appeals committees operating within their areas in 1996–97. [22907]

Responsibility for determining the costs associated with valuation appeal panels and committees drawn from them, as well as the funding of them, rests with the appropriate council or joint board as the appropriate valuation authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement indicating how many justices of the peace have been appointed by his Department in each year since 1979; how many of these appointments are permanent; and what other bodies are entitled to make nominations for justices of the peace. [22927]

Justices of the peace are appointed by either the Secretary of State for Scotland under section 9 of the District Courts (Scotland) Act 1975 or under section 11(2) of the same Act by local authorities. Appointments made by the Secretary of State are permanent unless the JP resigns or is removed by order of the Secretary of State. In making appointments, the Secretary of State takes advice from local JP advisory committees. Local authorities are entitled to nominate up to one quarter of their elected members to serve as ex officio JPs for as long as they remain a member of the local authority and retain their authority's nomination. Once appointed, ex officio JPs are governed by the same statutory provisions as JPs appointed by the Secretary of State.The table below details the total number of JP appointments in Scotland since 1983. Figures for the period 1979 to 1982 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Year	Secretary of State appointments	Ex-officio appointments
1983	95	7
1984	148	112
1985	118	6
1986	136	15
1987	88	8
1988	175	125
1989	96	1
1990	144	11
1991	134	3
1992	141	109
1993	126	6
1994	97	15
1995	110	4

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23306]

None of the orders I have made since January 1995 which have been subject to the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the same day that they were made.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assistance has been received per head of population from (a) the common agricultural policy and (b) European structural and cohesion funds since the Edinburgh conclusions by (i) Ireland, (ii) Wales and (iii) the United Kingdom. [22432]

The available information in respect of the these territories is as follows:

£ per head (provisional)
CAP expenditure in	1993	1994	1995
Republic of Ireland	361.46	317.6	320.93
the UK1 2 3	36.84	36.73	40.88
Note:
1Underlying CAP expenditure taken from the 1993 and 1994 annual FEOGA financial reports, and show our actual expenditure; 1995 figures are based on provisional estimates from the European Commission.
2 Sterling figures converted from European Currency Units (ECU's) using the exchange rates in the FEOGA reports—1993, 1 ecu = £0.78627; 1994, 1 ecu = £0.76626; 1995 (estimated), 1 ecu = £0.80802.
3 Population statistics taken from EUROSTAT: 32nd edition (published 1995) of D basic statistics of the European Union.

£ per head (estimated)
CAP expenditure in	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
Northern Ireland1 2	54.88	72.79	88.51
Wales1 2	55.03	56.99	69.89
Note:
1Underlying CAP expenditure taken from the annual departmental reports for Wales and Northern Ireland. CAP expenditure in Wales and Northern Ireland is available only on the basis of financial years. The information excludes expenditure administered by the intervention board in the UK as a whole, which cannot be identified separately.
2Population statistics taken from EUROSTAT: 32nd edition (published 1995) of D basic statistics of the European Union.

£ per head (estimated)
European structural and cohesion funds in	1993	1994	1995
Republic of Ireland1 2 3	335.95	217.45	253.55
The UK1 2 4	22.95	22.84	30.11
Northern Ireland1 2 4	109.47	81.52	139.15
Wales1 2 4	36.89	30.78	40.12
Note:
1Annual allocations made under the 1989 to 1993 and 1994 to 1999 Community support frameworks, single programming documents and Community initiatives—various Community documents. Payments in respect of the allocations are made over a period of years from the date the allocations are set.
2Sterling figures converted from ecus using the annual average exchange rates contained in the annual White Paper "Statement on the Community Budget".
3Population statistics taken from EUROSTAT: 32nd edition (published 1995) of D basic statistics of the European Union.
4Population statistics from the population estimates unit, OPCS.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact of an immediate reduction of 2 per cent. in nominal interest rates on United Kingdom (a) output and (b) employment within (i) 12 months and (ii) 24 months. [22964]

We never speculate about interest rates.Interest rates are only one of many influences on economic growth, and the impact of an interest rate reduction on the economy depends on the interaction with these other factors. The Government will continue to set interest rates at a level consistent with meeting the target for inflation of 2½ per cent. or less.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on legislation to introduce open-ended investment companies. [24218]

Following consultations in the second half of 1995, the Treasury is nearing completion of a review of the draft regulations under the European Communities Act 1972, which will permit open-ended investment companies—OEICs—to be set up in Great Britain. The Northern Ireland Department of Economic Development will prepare separate regulations, also under the ECA, to permit OEICs to be set up in Northern Ireland. The Securities and Investments Board is studying parallel responses to its draft product regulations published in October 1995. Responses to the consultations, which have been encouraging and constructive, have raised a number of important issues.In reviewing the Treasury's draft ECA regulations, my firm intention has been to maximise flexibility where possible without reducing the level of protection for investors. During the consultations, there was great interest in the corporate structure of the British open-ended investment company. After careful consideration, I have decided to allow greater flexibility than initially proposed. The revised regulations will require a minimum of one director. This will enable an oeic either to appoint a single director—provided that the director is a corporate body authorised under the Financial Services Act 1986—or to appoint more than one director. Promoters of OEICs will therefore be able to choose the structure most appropriate to their particular circumstances. The product regulations to be introduced by SIB will be relevant to the powers and duties of directors.The interests of an OEIC's shareholders will also be protected by a fully independent depositary—also authorised under the Financial Services Act. The OEIC's annual general meeting will enhance accountability to its shareholders.I am also considering a number of minor and technical amendments to the draft ECA regulations. The aim where possible is to increase flexibility, backed up by greater emphasis on disclosure. The draft ECA regulations will be laid before Parliament in draft when revision of the text is complete, probably in the early summer. I believe that this initiative will give the UK fund management industry new opportunities to compete in international markets. At the same time, UK investors will gain access to a modern flexible vehicle for pooled investment, with opportunities for access to expertise and economies of scale with the same high standards of investor protection that currently apply to authorised unit trusts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what occasions civil servants or Ministers have signed public interest immunity certificates to deny documents to the defence in the case of Inland Revenue v. Michael Allcock; what other powers are being used to deny documents requested by the defence; who authorised these actions; and if he will make a statement. [18100]

[holding answer 29 February 1996]: No such certificates or affidavits have been signed. The hon. Member's question relates to a prosecution pending at the central criminal court which is being conducted by the Crown Prosecution Service, not by the Inland Revenue, and it would not be appropriate to comment further on the case.On the general issue of public interest immunity, where a need arises for information to be withheld from the defence, the issue of whether that information should be disclosed by the prosecution falls to be determined by the trial judge. According to the circumstances such a claim may be made by means of a certificate or affidavit, or by prosecuting counsel making a direct application to the court.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which tourist information centres have been informed of the locations of countryside open to the public by virtue of conditional exemption from inheritance tax; and when it became his policy to pass such information to them. [22676]

[holding answer 25 March 1996]: The owner of land conditionally exempted from inheritance tax—or capital transfer tax—must publicise the agreed public access arrangements. The agreement may include provision for publicity through tourist information centres. This has been the position since 1975 when capital transfer tax replaced estate duty.Each case is considered individually by the appropriate heritage advisory agency, taking account of all relevant factors, including the existing level of publicity. Although the extent of public access may already be widely known, for example where substantial public access is already given, the owner will generally be required to take specific steps to publicise the public access arrangements, for example by advertising the access arrangements in a local tourist office or town hall. For new designations of scenic land in England, owners are required to display at all points of entry on to their land map boards showing the agreed public access.It is for the owner to take the necessary steps to provide the agreed form and level of publicity and, where appropriate, to inform the relevant tourist centre(s). The advisory agencies monitor owners' compliance with the agreed public access arrangements including matters relating to publicityI am unable to provide the requested information about tourist information centres as it is not held centrally. And, in any event, providing such information may help identify individual cases of tax exemption, thus compromising the normal rules on taxpayer confidentiality.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the total area of land and the number of locations in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales which have been granted conditional exemption from inheritance tax on the basis of public access having been granted. [22677]

[holding answer 25 March 1996]: The area of land exempted from inheritance tax—or capital transfer tax—and to which public access arrangements apply is around 56,000 hectares in England; 48,000 hectares in Scotland; and 2,000 hectares in Wales.The information requested about the number of locations which have been granted conditional exemption is not available. This is because in some cases, a designation may cover more than one site. However, there have been 153 designations of land for conditional exemption from inheritance tax—or capital transfer tax—in England; 28 in Scotland and eight in Wales.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the annual cost of exempting the first (a) £200, (b) £250, (c) £400, (d) £500, (e) £750, and (f) £1,000 of income from savings and investments from income tax. [22775]

[holding answer 26 March 1996]: The full-year costs at 1996–97 income levels are given in the table. The estimates do not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the introduction of such an exemption.

Exemption limit £	Cost in full year at 1996–97 income levels £ million
200	620
250	720
400	990
500	1,100
750	1,500
1,000	1,700

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will instruct the NHS executive heads to report the details of the irregular payments to the top managers of the Yorkshire regional health authority to the fraud squad of the North Yorkshire policy authority. [21722]

The police were notified of certain details concerning the former Yorkshire regional health authority. The majority of issues covered in the inquiry set up by the chief executive of the national health service were, however, not criminal in nature.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for which health service bodies each of the 17 persons in receipt of irregular payments from the former Yorkshire regional health authority now works. [22731]

The Information is as follows:

	Number
York Health Services NHS trust	1
Royal Hull Hospitals NHS trust	2
Northallerton Health Services NHS trust	2
East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS trust	1
Harrogate Healthcare NHS trust	1
Bradford Hospitals NHS trust	1
Alexandra Healthcare NHS trust	1
North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS trust	1
Trent RHA (until 31 March 1996)	1
North Yorkshire HA	1
United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust	1
Northern and Yorkshire RHA (until 31 March 1996)	1
No longer in NHS	2
Place of employment unknown	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the last chairman of the Yorkshire regional health authority was provided with a car in connection with his chairmanship; and what was the cost of such provision. [22912]

Sir Bryan Askew was not provided with a lease car in connection with his chairmanship of the former Yorkshire regional health authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the reports of the district auditor into cases of irregular severance payments to the former director of personnel of the former Yorkshire regional health authority, and to the former district general manager of Scunthorpe district health authority, to be available. [23431]

This is a matter for the auditor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many miles have been travelled on national health service business by Mr. John Greetham since he became chair of the Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority. [22894]

According to the latest information available, John Greetham travelled 29,885 miles on national health service business between April 1994 and November 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national health service appointments have previously been held by Sir John Greetham; what national health service posts he currently holds; what posts he will hold on 1 April; and if he will indicate the remuneration received for membership of each such post. [22896]

Post	From	To	Annual remuneration entitlement
Regional Chairman for the Northern and Yorkshire region of the NHS executive	1 April 1996	31 March 1998	£20,925
Chairman, Northern and Yorkshire regional health authority	1 April 1996	31 March 1996	£20,925
Chairman, St. James' University Hospital NHS trust	17 December 1990	31 March 1994	£19,285
Non-executive member, York district health authority	1990	1990	Nil
Non-executive member and later vice-chairman, Yorkshire regional health authority	1984	1990	Nil
Non-executive member, Scarborough district health authority	1980	1984	Nil
Non-executive member, North Yorkshire family practitioner committee	1978	1980	Nil

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to link electronic systems holding identifiable health information in his Department to other Government Departments. [22910]

The Department of Health's network does not handle identifiable health information, being concerned only with anonymised statistical aggregates. Identifiable health information is used by NHS organisations under strict rules set out in recent guidance from the Department of Health. Where the care and treatment of individuals is shared between NHS staff and local authority care staff, identifiable health information has to pass between the responsible clinicians and care workers. Any proposals to use the NHS networking system for this purpose have to follow the very strict controls laid down in the guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22852]

The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary. In addition, the EU procurement directives and the World Trade Organisation Government procurement agreement require most contracts above specified thresholds to be awarded following competition, subject to certain specified exceptions. The central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 40 provides an overview of best practice in the competitive tendering process.Two internal publications within the Department of Health, the "Purchasing and Supply Manual" and "Guidance Notes on the use of Management Consultants", provide guidance to staff in the Department and its executive agencies on the whole range of procurement matters.Single negotiated tenders are permissable only where: (i) when the work is an extension of a recently completed project and it can be clearly demonstrated that the value

The information requested is listed below:of staying with the same supplier outweighs any possibility of reduced costs that would occur from competitive tendering—further work must be shown to be essential to complete the project; (ii) the expertise is not available from any other source; (iii) unforeseeable circumstances that require extreme urgency of action. A trained purchaser must be involved if the contract value exceeds £50,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and its executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22867]

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will break down the figure of £159.7 million in paragraph 36 of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General in the "NHS (England) Summarised Accounts 1994–95" to show the amount of money paid in each financial year between April 1990 and March 1995 by each family health service association to enable general practitioner fundholders to meet the additional costs incurred in managing their funds; and if he will list the fundholding practices in each family health service association area which received the largest amount of money for this purpose between April 1990 and March 1995 indicating the amount of money received by each of those practices. [22991]

Information about general practitioner fundholder management allowance payments by family health services authority will be placed in the Library.Payments to individual practices are governed by a maximum level of reimbursement which is set out in guidance annually. Detailed information about practice level payments is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioner premises fall into each of the condition categories in each of the London boroughs. [23350]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the ambulance costs per mile for each ambulance authority for 1994–95. [23343]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what diseases in humans his Department classifies as associated with BSE. [23427]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons he did not alert the EEC before making a statement on the health consequences of BSE. [23758]

I understand that the Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development was informed before statements were made to the House on 20 March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what out-sourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23725]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have occurred in each of the last 10 years in the United Kingdom. [23425]

The information requested is published in the fourth annual report of the national Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease surveillance unit—August 1995—copies of which are available in the Library. The provisional figures for 1995 are 37 sporadic cases, four iatrogenic cases and one case of Gerstmann-Straussler-Schneiker syndrome.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the written technical specification which has been prepared or approved for the AT and T clearing house system for the NHS network. [23684]

The NHS-wide clearing service is a managed service provided by AT and T ISTEL under the private finance initiative. The specification of the service is the "user requirement", the details of which are contained in the invitation to offer; copies will be placed in the Library. The contract specifies rigorous acceptance trialling to ensure AT and T ISTEL's technical design fully meets the user requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking (a) to develop adequate pharmacy provision in rural areas and (b) to ensure that there is satisfactory co-operation and co-ordination between rural pharmacies and general practitioners including dispensing general practitioners. [23576]

The essential small pharmacy scheme helps to protect the income of small pharmacies in rural areas. I have recently met both the General Medical Services Committee and the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee to discuss relationships between community pharmacists and general medical practitioners in rural areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has held with the royal colleges on guidelines on the appropriateness of diagnosis and treatment of cancer; if he will list those consultations which are ongoing and with which royal college; and when he expects them to report to him on this matter. [23574]

None. The production of guidelines on appropriate methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a matter for the professions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23309]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the means by which the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects and records the creation and fate of human embryos and the reliability of any statistics produced by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. [23594]

Information about in vitro fertilisation treatment and donors is collected on forms prepared for the purpose by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and these are completed by licensed clinics. The HFEA also monitors the use of embryos in research. These arrangements are checked by the HFEA through validation of the forms and inspection of centres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what factors led to the giving of incorrect figures to his office by the Human Fertiliszation and Embryology Authority for provision of answers to parliamentary questions on the number and fate of embryos created between 1991 and 1994. [23590]

The mistakes were due to human error. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has assured me that there is no underlying problem with its database.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many embryos created before August 1991 were still in existence in August 1991; [23591](2) if he will give the number of embryos created before August 1991 used from that date until 1994 for

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many embryos frozen up to 1994 were subsequently used in (a) treatment cycles and (b) research up to 1994. [23593]

Between 1 August 1991 and 1994 inclusive the number of frozen embryos used in in vitro fertilisation treatment cycles was 22,019. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 25 March, Official Report, columns 422–23 which stated that the number of embryos donated for research in the same period was 27,524. This figure includes fresh and frozen embryos.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the report of the chief medical officer on dioxins to be available. [23429]

The chief medical officer's expert advisory Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment reported on its most recent review of dioxins last year. The report was published in the August 1995 edition of the MAFF—Department of Health food safety information bulletin.Copies of the COT' s report will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were (a) the 20 most usual causes of death in descending order and (b) the 20 least usual causes of death in ascending order; and what was (i) the number and (ii) the percentage of deaths from each cause for each of the last 10 years. [23601]

The ninth revision of the international classification of diseases categorises causes of death and disease into 17 broad chapters which individually cover diseases of the various body systems, infectious diseases, congenital anomalies, injury and poisoning.Individual causes within each chapter have their own three-digit code and most of these three-digit codes are further subdivided by a fourth digit.Ranking causes in terms of the comparative numbers of deaths can be done in terms of individual three-digit codes, four-digit codes, or groups thereof. According to which level of detail is chosen, different rankings will result.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the total number of staff on each point of the senior managers scale in the NHS pay spine; and what is the number of female staff on each spine point. [23731]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the pay of each regional chief executive of NHS regional suppliers in each of the last five years. [23420]

This information is not available centrally, as it is an operational matter for national health service supplies. Divisional chief executives of NHS supplies are paid on the same scale as a district general manager 2, which from 1 September 1995 ranges from £47,980 to £69,180.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the total remuneration for each district health authority's chief executive for 1993–94. [23554]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Don Valley (Mr. Redmond) on 16 February 1995, column 808.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the payments made in each NHS trust to (a) chairs, (b) non-executive directors, (c) chief executives and (d) executive directors in each year since 1993–94. [21562]

[holding answer 18 March 1996]: Information as extracted from the annual accounts of national health service trusts for 1994–95 will be placed in the Library. The payments listed represent remuneration in respect of the total gross salary, bonus payments, monetary value of benefits in kind, taxable expenses allowances and pension contributions in relation to the offices described rather than to an individual. They may also include remuneration in respect of services other than directorships, such as clinical duties.