To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on how many occasions since 1992 the Secretary of State with responsibility for employment matters has visited Coventry on official business. [25168]

Twice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to increase funding for promoting awareness of dyslexia in education; and if she will make a statement; [25770](2) what plans she has to increase awareness of dyslexia among education professionals. [25773]

The Department's code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs, which came into force on 1 September 1994, offers statutory guidance to schools and local education authorities on their responsibilities towards all pupils with special educational needs. It includes a section on specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. The Department has recently funded, or is continuing to fund, four dyslexia research projects at a total cost of some £440,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures she is taking to ensure that students at teacher training colleges are made aware of the problems of dyslexia. [25774]

The Secretary of State's criteria for initial teacher training—ITT—require new teachers to be able to identify and respond appropriately to relevant individual differences between pupils. The Teacher Training Agency accredits ITT course providers to ensure that they meet the criteria. The Office for Standards in Education inspects ITT courses, and the results of the inspections are published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list, for each education authority in England, the number of (a) secondary, (b) primary and (c) special schools with a deficit in their balances, and the total deficit per authority, for each year since 1990. [25742]

This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which company has been awarded the contract to operate the schoolteachers' pension scheme; and what is the value of the contract. [25881]

I announced on 1 April that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had decided to let a contract to Capita Managed Services Ltd. The value of the contract is £72.2 million over seven years. That is in cash terms, but subject to adjustment if inflation as measured by the gross domestic product deflator exceeds 3 per cent. in any year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions her Department has held with the Capita Group about taking part in the privatisation of the student loans scheme. [25885]

My officials have held discussions with a number of companies about our plans for the provision of private sector student loans. The names of those involved are "commercial in confidence" at this stage. An announcement of those companies making successful tenders for involvement in the private loans scheme will be made in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice she has evaluated on the legal consequences of refusing to pay child care costs to unemployed women under the pilot project work scheme. [25880]

I have considered advice from officials on legal and policy aspects of the matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans her Department has to pay the child care costs of unemployed women who are unable to attend the new pilot project work scheme because of lack of help with child care. [25882]

I have no such plans. The evaluation of the pilots will cover this and all other aspects of the pilot process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the business and education board of the Devon and Cornwall TEC meetings from 1 January 1990. [25608]

No. Training and enterprise councils are private companies. This is a matter for Devon and Cornwall training and enterprise council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if she will list the members of the business and education board of the Devon and Cornwall training and enterprise council since its foundation; [25302]

[holding answer 18 April 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 16 April, Official Report, column 396. These are matters for training and enterprise councils, as private companies, and for Devon and Cornwall training and enterprise council in particular.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what arrangements have been made to allow the Office for Standards in Education to undertake preparatory work on establishing an inspection system for funded nursery education, prior to the Nursery Education and Grant-maintained Schools Bill receiving Royal Assent. [26294]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on 7 March 1996, Official Report, column 348. During the first few months of 1996–97, Ofsted will need to set up a contracting system for nursery education inspections, and to recruit, train and register the inspectors needed for inspections to begin in the autumn term.Parliamentary approval to this new service is subject to the passage of the Bill to Royal Assent. Pending that approval, urgent essential expenditure in 1996–97 estimated at £1 million will be met by advances from the Contingencies Fund, to be repaid from the 1996–97 Ofsted vote—class IX, vote 4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement about the level of parental contribution to the fees of pupils on the assisted places scheme for the next academic year. [26295]

Remission of tuition fees under the assisted places scheme is dependent on the level of fees at participating schools and the amount parents can afford to contribute. Subject to parliamentary approval of regulations to be laid in due course, the parental contribution scales will be adjusted for the school year 1996–97 to allow for inflation so that the cost to parents remains broadly the same in real terms. Where the relevant income for the appropriate financial year does not exceed £9,873, the tuition fees will be wholly remitted so that the pupil receives a free place. The new scales are set out in the table.

Percentage
Part of relevant income to which percentage applies	One assisted pupil	Each of two assisted pupils	Each of three assisted pupils
That part which exceeds £9,707 but does not exceed £10,555	9	6.75	5.25
That part (if any) which exceeds £10,555 but does not exceed £11,417	12	9	7
That part (if any) which exceeds £11,417 but does not exceed £13,127	15	11.25	8.75
That part (if any) which exceeds £13,127 but does not exceed £15,760	21	15.75	12.25
That part (if any) which exceeds £15,760 but does not exceed £19,194	24	18	14
That part (if any) which exceeds £19,194	33	24.75	19.25

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the review of the Social Security Agency. [26415]

On 19 October 1994, I announced the review of the Social Security Agency—SSA—in the House of Commons. Each next steps agency undergoes a periodic review to evaluate performance, to reconsider in a prior options study whether agency status is the best way of doing the job and to revise the framework within which it operates.I am pleased to announce that the evaluation report of the agency's performance since it was established in July 1991 has been published today. The overall conclusion of the evaluation is that, in keeping with the principles of next steps, the quality of service to the public has improved and social benefits have been delivered in a more efficient and effective way.The main conclusions of the prior options report are that the SSA should remain a next steps agency within the Department of Health and Social Services. There is no scope for abolition or privatisation, nor is there any evidence to suggest that wholesale contractorisation of its functions is at present feasible or likely to improve value for money for the taxpayer.The conclusion on wholesale contractorisation does not mean that there are no opportunities for increasing competition within the organisation. The agency is already involved with the private sector in a number of areas, such as encashment services, management training, information technology and ancillary services. In particular, it is involved as co-sponsor with the Benefits Agency and Post Office Counters Ltd. in a private finance initiative to replace existing methods of payment at post offices with a benefit card. The agency also has a market-testing strategy, which will result in its support functions being subject to the market-testing process in line with recommendations of a consultancy report.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what consultations he has had with the local authority associations and the Association of British Insurers concerning the adequacy of insurance cover against local authority negligence claims in connection with the publication of independent reports commissioned by local authorities. [25888]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if people who are given exceptional leave to remain in the United Kingdom are also given permission to seek employment. [25571]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 April, Official Report, column 365, if he will list the other organisations that were invited to tender for the contract to advise on the competences required for probation officers on appointment; who was responsible for awarding the contract to KPMG; which civil servants were involved in the evaluation of the tenders; and if the contract was awarded to the lowest cost tender. [25908]

The following firms were invited to tender for the probation officers' competences contract: Gaby Braun; Christie Associates; Shirley Fletcher Associates; KPMG; Prime Research; and Glenda Taylor Associates.Staff for the probation training unit in the then C6 division of the Home Office evaluated the tenders received. The head of the unit, with the agreement of the head of the division, authorised the award of the contract of KPMG, which submitted the lowest cost tender.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached following the review of the law of murder; and if he will make a statement. [26479]

The review has been completed and a copy of the report from the interdepartmental steering group has been placed in the Library. The steering group comprised officials from the Home Office, the Scottish Office, the Northern Ireland Office, the Ministry of Defence, the legal secretariat to the Law Officers and the Crown Office.The review's task was to consider whether there should be an intermediate verdict, between murder and aquittal, where a defendant had killed in self-defence or to prevent a crime. It was also asked to consider whether any such intermediate verdict, or any other change to the law, should apply only to members of the police and armed forces.The review came down firmly against any separate provision for the police and armed forces. It would be objectionable in principle and very difficult to achieve in practice in any defensible and coherent way. The review did not consider it desirable or practicable for guidance on the use of lethal force—the yellow card—to be given legislative status. These views were supported by those members of the police and armed forces whom the review consulted. The Government agree with these conclusions of the review.The review identified three broad options for a change in the law, but concluded that only one, a verdict of manslaughter where a defendant had overreacted and used unreasonable force, might provide a way forward. That is the option which previous studies have proposed, except that the review considered a refinement that a murder verdict could remain available for a grossly unreasonable overreaction. The review recognised that this option would not necessarily ensure better justice and did not itself come to a firm conclusion.We have considered carefully the arguments for and against the options identified by the review, but have concluded that the case has not been made that they would improve either the certainty or quality of the criminal law. The police representative associations that the review consulted did not suggest a change in the law in this area. If the option identified by the review as providing a possible way forward were adopted, the difference between a manslaughter and murder verdict would depend on an assessment of whether the defendant honestly believed that the level of force which he used was justified. Where the court or jury were satisfied that the defendant honestly believed that the force he or she used was justified, the defendant could be convicted only of manslaughter, no matter how unreasonable the force. We do not believe that this would be satisfactory. Equally, however, adopting the refinement considered by the review, and retaining a verdict of murder for those who had used grossly unreasonable force, would risk overcomplicating the law and requiring juries to draw unrealistically narrow distinctions.For these reasons, we are not persuaded that an adequate case has been made to change the law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years into (i) the military utility and (ii) the effects of land mines; what proposals he has for future research on this subject; and if he will make a statement. [12760]

My Department has commissioned a number of studies into the military utility and effects of both anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines. Future such studies will be carried out as appropriate. Recent operational analysis has not identified any weapon system which could act as an effective alternative to anti-tank or anti-personnel land mines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer the question of 29 January from the hon. Member for Leyton relating to land mines. [26268]

Today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what nuclear reporting centres have been (a) established and (b) operated in Scotland since 1970; what the purpose of each such centre is or was; and which nuclear reporting centres are currently in operation. [25544]

[holding answer 18 April 1996]: The term nuclear reporting centre is not recognised by the Ministry of Defence and I am not aware of any facility which might fit this description.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals of foreign nationality have been accepted into (a) the Army, (b) the Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force in each of the past five years other than citizens of the Kingdom of Nepal; and what steps he is taking to establish the British status of applicants before admitting them to the armed forces. [25826]

The numbers of individuals of foreign nationality who have been accepted into the Army and the RAF are shown in the table. Figures for the Army are available only for the past three years. This information is not recorded centrally by the Royal Navy and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Intake into Regular Army: Officers and Soldiers
Nationality	1993–94	1994–95	11995–96
Irish	48	40	44
Commonwealth	48	41	56
Other	3	1	6
1To end February.

Intake into Royal Air Force
Nationality	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Commonwealth	10	6	4	3	2	10
Dual nationality (UK and other)	4	6	1	2	3	2
Other	5	2	1	1	1	0

The procedures for establishing the nationality of applicants varies for each service. In essence, however, an applicant and his/her parents must at all times since birth have been a Commonwealth citizen—British, British dependent territories, British subject under the British Nationality Act 1981, or citizen of a country which is, or then was, an independent Commonwealth country—or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. A waiver of these requirements may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Additionally, applicants must have resided in the UK for more than five years. An applicant's birth certificate and passport are checked at the application stage and nationality is recorded on the application form. Nationality is recorded again on the security questionnaire when appropriate. Any applicant holding dual nationality is required to surrender his/her alien nationality.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the response to the invitation of indicative bids for the married quarters estate. [26293]

We have had a substantial and encouraging response from a large number of bidders. We are now evaluating those bids with a view to selecting a smaller number of bidders who will be invited to proceed to the next round of the sale process. It remains our aim, subject to achieving satisfactory price and terms, to complete the transfer of the estate to the private sector on the basis of final offers to be submitted this summer.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total value of regional development grants paid to the British Steel Corporation in each year between 1979 and 1988. [25822]

Information relating to regional development grants over £25,000 paid to BSC was published quarterly in "British Business", copies of which are held in the British library.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the value to United Kingdom steel exporters since autumn 1992 of the devaluation of the pound; and if he will make a statement. [25823]

It is not possible to isolate the effects of currency movements from other influences on the price and quantity of United Kingdom steel exports since the autumn of 1992. The quantity and value of the United Kingdom's annual steel exports since 1992 are given in the table.

United Kingdom exports of all steel products 1992 to 1995
Year	Value £ million	Tonnes (000s)
1992	2,874.6	8,346.6
1993	2,955.1	8,203.5
1994	3,419.8	8,825.5
1995	4,141.4	8,807.3

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions he has had since autumn 1992 regarding the value of the pound and exports with (a) British Steel plc and (b) the British Iron and Steel Producers Association; and if he will make a statement. [25824]

Since 1992, DTI Ministers have had numerous meetings with both British Steel and the British Iron and Steel Producers Association—BISPA. Issues discussed have included international trade and competitiveness. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy met BISPA officials and industry representatives, including British Steel, in December 1995. In addition, my officials have very frequent contact with both British Steel and BISPA.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many vehicle batteries are imported into the United Kingdom each year. [25740]

The information is published by the Office of National Statistics in business monitors MM20 and MQ20, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Vehicle batteries are found in section 778.12 of the standard international trade classification.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many car and other vehicle batteries are manufactured in the United Kingdom each year. [25752]

In 1994, 2.7 million car and vehicle batteries¹ were manufactured in the UK.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list what financial assistance has been given since 1980 by his Department to (a) Moderntask Ltd., Redruth, (b) Digitize Ltd., Truro, (c) Thimbles Ltd., Redruth, (d) South West Leisure Products Ltd., Redruth, (e) Van Pieters plc, Pewsey, (f) Pan Atlantic (UK) plc, Birmingham, (g) CSL Group by (i) type of grant and (ii) date. [15775]

[pursuant to his reply, 29 February 1996, c. 676]: I regret that the figure for regional development grant made to Moderntask Ltd. should have stated £78,288, not £78,228. Additionally, my answer should have referred to consultancy assistance of £2,399 given to the same company in 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when Her Majesty's Government plan to ratify the European convention on the protection of the archaeological heritage; and if she will make a statement. [25626]

The United Kingdom supports the principle of a convention to provide a standard for the protection of archaeological sites throughout Europe, and the UK ratified the first European convention on the protection of the archaeological heritage on 20 April 1971. A revised convention was signed in 1992 and its ratification is currently under consideration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the charitable purpose served by the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust. [25451]

As with any Scottish charity, the hon. Gentleman can obtain information about the West Sutherland Fisheries Trust by applying to it directly for its explanatory document. This describes the nature of the body and its charitable purposes.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Treasury (a) received up to the end of the 1995–96 tax year and (b) has estimated it will receive in 1996–97 from (i) duty on sales of national lottery tickets and (ii) other taxes paid in respect of lottery activities; and if he will make a statement about the use to which these additional tax revenues have been applied. [25868]

In the financial year 1995–96, the total amount of lottery duty received by HM Customs and Excise was £612 million. The projection of lottery ticket sales in the Budget forecast implies receipts of lottery duty of £660 million in 1996–97.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the different methods of analysis of gross domestic fixed capital formation used by (a) the Treasury and (b) the Central Statistical Office in the national accounts. [25551]

The breakdown of the whole economy gross domestic fixed capital formation used by the Treasury in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report"—FSBR—and the "Summer Economic Forecast" documents seeks to remove discontinuities arising from privatisation and other asset sales or sectoral transfers. The Government intend that year-on-year comparisons based on the FSBR should compare like with like, and so be more meaningful. Table 3.2 of the 1996–97 FSBR shows the Treasury breakdown into business investment, investment in private dwellings and land, and general Government investment. Business investment includes public corporations' investment, except national health trust hospitals, and so is unaffected by privatisations, while general Government investment is defined to exclude net purchases of land and existing buildings so as to remove the effect of asset sales, including sales of council houses. National health trust hospitals are grouped with general Government investment. In contrast, standard national accounts breakdowns of whole economy investment by industry or sector are affected by such transfer of ownership.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer upon what grounds his Department has given clearance under section 703 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 for the use of special dividend payments in takeover bids. [24185]

[holding answer 16 April 1996]: Clearance from the anti-avoidance provisions at section 703(a) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 in respect of a specified transaction is considered by the Inland Revenue in response to a formal application. Clearance is given only if it is satisfied that the transaction will not give rise to a tax advantage as defined in the Act or that any such tax advantage is an accidental by-product of transactions which have a genuine commercial purpose and that the way in which they have been carried out is not motivated by the wish to obtain a tax advantage.All applications for clearance, including cases of special dividends in takeover bids, are subject to detailed scrutiny by the Inland Revenue, who decision will be based on the facts and circumstances of the individual case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list all the protection orders in force under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976, indicating in each case the names of all the rivers and lochs covered by the order; [25501](2) what is the total length of rivers and of banks and the total surface area of lochs which are subject to protection orders under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976. [25502]

The following protection orders made under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976 are currently in force:

• The Rivers Tweed and Eye Protection Order 1980
• The Upper Spey and Associated Waters Protection Order 1982
• The River Lunan Catchment Area Protection Order 1983
• The River Tummel Catchment Area Protection Order 1983
• The River Tay Catchment Area Protection Order 1986
• The West Strathclyde Protection Order 1988
• The River Earn Catchment Area Protection Order 1990
• The River Don Catchment Area (Part) Protection Order 1990
• The Loch Morar and River Morar Protection Order 1992
• The Loch Awe and Associated Waters Protection Order 1992
• The River Clyde Catchment Area (Part) Protection Order 1994
• The North West Sutherland Protection Order 1994
• The River Arkaig, Loch Arkaig and Associated Waters Protection Order 1995

Naming all the rivers and tributaries, including detailing their lengths as well as calculating the surface areas of the lochs involved, could be done only at disproportionate cost. Detailed maps of the area covered by each order are held, and are available for inspection in the Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department, Pentland house, Edinburgh for anyone wishing to make such estimates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sales of forestry commission lands have taken place (a) in Scotland and (b) in England and Wales in each of the last three years; and how many of these included public access agreements. [23994]

[holding answer 1 April 1996]: The subject of the question relates to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its chief executive, Mr. Neil McKerrow, to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to the UN Commission on Human Rights in respect of human rights in Turkey. [25447]

We have contributed to the presidency statement at the UN Commission on Human Rights which will convey to the Turkish Government the depth of our continuing concern about a number of human rights issues in Turkey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has recently received from independent human rights organisations regarding human rights violations in Turkey. [25448]

We receive regular reports from Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations, both in the UK and elsewhere, working in the field of human rights. Many of these organisations make representations to us on the situation in Turkey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Turkey's human rights record. [25446]

We remain concerned about the human rights situation in Turkey. During 1995, there were some welcome reforms, but much remains to be done. We are encouraging the Turkish Government to sustain progress, in accordance with the international agreements to which they are a signatory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many local authorities have withdrawn the war widows pension disregard from housing benefit calculations. [24924]

None. All local authorities must disregard the first £10 of a war widow's pension in housing benefit and council tax benefit calculations. In addition, the whole of any war widows supplementary pension, currently worth £51.71, is also disregarded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list all Network SouthEast Stations which are inaccessible to wheelchair users. [23188]

Twelve operating companies—TOCS—serve the former Network South East area. There is no detailed information available centrally about the accessibility of individual stations.However, following the restructuring of the railways, as a condition of their licences, the TOCs are required to seek the Rail Regulator's approval for their disabled persons protection policies, which should contain a description of the current facilities, both for stations and for rolling stock. The Rail Regulator plans to use that data to form the benchmark against which station and rolling stock improvements will be measured.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he has taken to ensure that Railtrack does not levy financial penalties on train operating companies if train services are late due to disabled passengers requiring extra assistance. [25483]

None. I have no reason to believe that meeting the needs of disabled passengers causes significant delays to services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new starts he expects to be made on national road schemes in the financial year 1996–97; and if he will list each of these schemes indicating which will be managed by the Highways Agency and which through design, build, finance and operate arrangements. [24776]

For the financial year 1996–97, the Highways Agency plans to start work on 13 schemes. Of these, eight will be conventionally funded and five, subject to tenders representing value for money, will be managed design, build, finance and operate projects.These are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates for Railtrack's maintenance work, other than that referred to in his answer of 13 March, Official Report, column 609, were made available to W. S. Atkins; and if he will make a statement. [25456]

Railtrack prepared an initial desktop assessment of its asset maintenance plan for track and route structures for the preparation of its 1994–95 annual report and accounts. W. S. Atkins reviewed this estimate and concluded that it had been professionally prepared in a responsible manner and with reference to both long-term and recent experience of the operation and maintenance of the assets.Since this initial assessment was prepared, Railtrack has undertaken further extensive investigations into the condition of these assets, based on statistical analyses of data gained from sample surveys and the application of techniques which update and refine the asset maintenance plan as more data become available. This work has given rise to the central estimate for the 10 years from 1 April 1994 of £3,250 million at 1994–95 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the total value of commercial orders placed by his Department with British Steel plc in each year from 1988 to 1995. [25817]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the HSS—high-speed ship—Stena vessel that is due to operate from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire has been subjected to a safety case assessment; and if he will make a statement. [25392]

I have asked the chief executive of the Marine Safety Agency to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the current guidelines on the supply of (a) cow beef and (b) prime beef for use in (i) school meals, (ii) meals on wheels, (iii) NHS hospitals supplied by in-house caterers, (iv) NHS hospitals supplied by private caterers, (v) old people's homes and (vi) private nursing homes. [25165]

The latest guidance on the safety of beef for human consumption is provided in statements to the House on 20 March, Official Report, columns 375–96, on 25 March, Official Report, columns 709–37 and on 28 March, Official Report, columns 1229–90.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with the chairmen of national health service trusts and health authorities concerning the carrying over into 1996–97, under year-end flexibility arrangements, unspent money from the 1995–96 budget; if those national health service trusts and general practitioner fundholders who underspent their 1995–96 allocation will receive the same budget allocation in 1996–97; if he will list the general practitioner fundholders and national health service trusts concerned; and if he will make a statement. [24920]

I have not had any consultations with the chairmen of national health service trusts or health authorities concerning the carrying over of unspent money from the 1995–96 budget into 1996–97 under year-end flexibility arrangements. National health service trusts do not receive an allocation. Instead, they receive their income from contracts with health commissioners. Arrangements have been made for trust which underspend on capital in 1995–96 to carry forward the amount to 1996–97. The allocation to general practitioner fundholders in 1996–97 is not affected by planned savings in previous years. I am unable to list those general practitioner fundholders or NHS trusts that have underspent in 1995–96 until final accounts for the year are produced and audited.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) children, (b) adults and (c) people in total were registered with dentists in each family health services authority in (i) February 1993, (ii) July 1993, (iii) February 1994, (iv) July 1994, (v) February 1995, (vi) July 1995 and (vii) February 1996. [25223]

The information is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to respond to Flintshire county council's proposals for future funding of Theatr Clwyd, Mold; and if he will make a statement. [25827]

My right hon. Friend wrote to the leader of Flintshire county council about the package of support proposed for Theatr Clwyd on 19 April 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he (a) has issued and (b) plans to issue to local authorities on the quality of insurance cover required by them to cover negligence claims arising from the compiling and publication of independent reports commissioned by them. [25890]

Number of cases by county and year of notification
County	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	Total
Dairy herds
Clwyd	1	11	59	163	280	399	451	303	184	19	1,870
Dyfed	12	70	215	486	1,075	1,680	1,465	902	479	47	6,431
Glamorgan Mid	0	4	9	33	35	27	26	22	15	0	171
Glamorgan South	1	8	28	20	52	94	88	49	26	3	369
Glamorgan West	0	1	1	7	9	24	12	8	6	0	68
Gwent	2	21	45	73	127	227	207	113	81	11	907
Gwynedd	1	5	16	13	46	84	69	56	29	8	327
Powys	0	8	25	53	113	229	242	182	104	14	970
Total	17	128	398	848	1,737	2,764	2,560	1,635	924	102	11,113

I have issued no such guidelines and have no immediate plans to do so. However, in the light of the recent developments in north Wales, I have asked my officials, in collaboration with those of other Government Departments, to look at this issue further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer on 2 April, Official Report, column 207, (1) if he will list the numbers of cattle affected by each outbreak of BSE, broken down by (a) year, (b) county and (c) type of herd; [25404](2) if he will list the figures for BSE outbreaks by cases and farms affected by

Figures for the number of herds and number of cases of BSE by old county names and year of notification are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 2 April, how many visits members of his social services inspectorate made to children's homes in Clwyd (a) during the period covered by the John Jillings report and (b) thereafter. [25405]

The social services inspectorate for Wales—until 1989, the social work service—made 37 visits to childrens' homes in Clwyd between 1974 and 1995. The visits covered a range of matters, including premises, staffing and the homes' daily routine.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he received the amended version of the John Jillings report into child sex and physical abuse in north Wales children's homes; what further independent advice he has sought; and what further actions he proposes to take to assess its contents. [25891]

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Mr. Bottomley) on 18 April, Official Report, columns 592-93. My Department received an amended version of this report on 1 April 1996. I am seeking legal advice on a range of issues relating to this report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning (a) the placing in the Library of the John Jillings report commissioned by Clwyd county council into child abuse, (b) its publication in a full or expurgated form and (c) the conducting of an inquiry under the terms indicated by the Welsh Office ministerial press release of 7 September 1992. [25889]

Since 22 March 1996, there have been 15 letters to the Department calling for publication of the report of the independent panel of inquiry chaired by Mr. John Jillings. In three of these letters, parliamentary publication in some form was suggested. One further correspondent was not in favour of the report being published, but supported the holding of a public inquiry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the average annual cost for a child in local authority care; and what is the average annual cost of a child in a foster home. [24815]

The average annual gross cost of a child looked after by a local authority is £14,800. For a child in a foster home, the figure is £8,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what in-year financial data his Department will publish on trusts and health authorities. [25879]

In-year financial data are not subject to audit and are used for internal management purposes only. They are not therefore suitable for publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data his Department (a) collects and (b) will publish on extra-contractual referrals. [25886]

Information on the number of extra-contractual referrals—ECRs—has not been collected centrally.Figures for total expenditure on ECRs by health authority are collected on a "management in confidence" basis as a prompt for investigation if necessary and are not suitable for publication.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 2 April, Official Report, column 174, if he will itemise each termination payment made by each trust and health authority. [25907]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations his Department has received on the impact of the advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines relating to third generation oral contraceptives on the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions which have occurred since last October and which are forecast for the future; and if he will make a statement; [25610](2) what assessments his Department has made of the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions which have occurred since last October and which are forecast for the future, following the advice from the Committee on Safety of Medicines relating to third generation oral contraceptives; and if he will make a statement; [25611](3) what estimates his Department has

Official figures on any increase in the number of abortions and unplanned pregnancies since October 1995 are not yet available. It is not possible to estimate the financial costs that might be involved or the impact that the findings of the recent epidemiological studies on the safety of third generation oral contraceptives have had on the number of pregnancies and abortions.