To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what grants have been made available to contribute towards the repair and construction of local community and youth facilities in Wales. [25632]

A total of £472, 000 is being made available under the voluntary youth services, village halls and community centres programme for 1996–97, and a further £1.9 million from the strategic development scheme.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that these grants are a first-class investment in sustaining and promoting community life across Wales? Will he take every possible step to ensure that the public are aware of the grants?

My right hon. Friend draws attention to an important subject. Since 1994, more than £9.5 million pounds has been provided by the Welsh Office for youth and community projects. In addition, nearly £12 million of national lottery funds has been allocated to this subject. For the future, the Rural Wales White Paper confirmed that changes would be considered to existing grant schemes to assist local community facilities, and we are also studying what help and advice is available to local groups which run village halls and similar facilities.

The Secretary of State must be aware of the huge increase in crime and drug abuse that has, I am sad to say, occurred in my area. While grants are all very well, does he agree that we need regular revenue funding proposals to tackle drug abuse?

Grants are an important part of the fight against drug abuse, as are the efforts of the police throughout Wales. In addition, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary has launched a campaign against drug and alcohol abuse, and we will be working on that and providing further details in the coming weeks. I look forward to working with all authorities in Wales in pushing that campaign forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will conduct a review into the current proposals for GPs' out-of-hours services (a) in Wales and (b) in Rhymney. [25633]

The operation of the new arrangements in Wales is being monitored by the Welsh Office. My right hon. Friend and I have no plans to review the proposals for the Rhymney area as that is a matter for the local health authority.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that patients will need to travel 26 miles—possibly at the dead of night—to the new out-of-hours service? Given that Ministers are helping to fund the schemes, should not they use their influence and support the overwhelming opposition of the local community council and patients in the areas concerned to such a service, and ensure that the voices of the patients of Rhymney are heeded?

I am aware of the hon. Gentleman's concern, as he wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in March to support the community health council. I understand that the health authority is looking at the issue.

Does my hon. Friend agree that the additional flexibility of the GP fundholding system has meant that a better service is available to patients in both Wales and England?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. GP fundholders are at the forefront of our policy of primary care.

Does the Minister agree that while short-changing patients in Rhymney, Gwent health authority's top management are looking after themselves very well, such as in the recent appointments scandal? Does he agree that the recent 22.5 per cent. increase voted by the directors of the new UHW trust in Cardiff shows that our health service is a bonanza for bureaucrats while penny-pinching patients?

The hon. Gentleman, as always, is completely wrong. We are spending more than £2.2 billion on health services in Wales in this financial year, and some £2.4 million on the measure referred to by the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) My right hon. Friend and I are concerned about the problem in Gwent, and he has asked to be kept fully informed as to how the health authority proposes to resolve it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the prospects for manufacturing industry in Wales. [25634]

The Government's economic policies are delivering sustainable growth with low inflation. Wales is benefiting from this good performance. In 1995, manufacturing output in Wales grew at double the United Kingdom rate and the prospects for manufacturing industry in Wales are excellent.

May I invite the right hon. Gentleman to visit RAF Sealand in my constituency, where there are at least 1, 600 highly skilled and very productive jobs, and where the work force is highly co-operative? How can he help us defeat the predatory intentions of companies such as Brown and Root of the United States and GEC, which seek under the umbrella of market testing to get the contract for the work that RAF Sealand now does? Does he agree that in the Falklands war—he may just remember it—and the Gulf war, RAF Sealand was magnificent and that if there were to be another such challenge, RAF Sealand would need to be under RAF leadership? What we want at Deeside, and what we want the right hon. Gentleman's help to achieve, is for the in-house bid to win. Will he help us?

I remember the Vietnam war. I am older than the hon. Gentleman thinks, even if I was in short trousers. I am aware of the hon. Gentleman's concern about RAF Sealand. He has expressed it to me before. The Government believe that competition is the best way to ensure value for money. That is the reason for the market test proposals. We are conscious of the anxieties which the hon. Gentleman and others have expressed. That is one reason why the market test at Sealand is being carried out within the framework of Government ownership.

Will the Secretary of State join me in sending good wishes for its campaign for manufacturing jobs to the Wales Trades Union Congress, which meets at its annual conference at Llandudno later this week? Is he entirely happy at the recent news that Ronson is transferring petrol lighter production from Korea to Gwent, apparently on the ground that Welsh workers can now undercut Korean workers by 20 per cent? Ronson's chief executive claims that as Korea is being transformed into a world-class economic player and home of international giants, it can now dispense with such low-wage jobs. Does the Secretary of State feel proud that after 17 years of Conservative Government, all that he can offer Wales is Korean cast-offs?

I am delighted that the TUC is launching a campaign for manufacturing jobs. Since December 1985 manufacturing employment in Wales has grown more than in any other United Kingdom region. I am sure that the TUC will want to campaign for the policies of Her Majesty's Government that have produced that particular success.

Since when?

Since 1985.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the follow-up actions he proposes to the meetings held with the hon. Member for Swansea, East, the right hon. Member for Swansea, West (Mr. Williams) and local authority leaders from the Swansea area on investment and job creation in the area. [25635]

On 17 April I welcomed the opportunity to hear the views of the local authorities on how economic development in their areas can be further strengthened. I heard the views of the hon. Member and his right hon. Friend at an earlier meeting. I will continue to encourage the Welsh Development Agency to meet the targets that I have set for securing inward investment projects in the more westerly area of Wales—south, mid and north. My Department will also do all that it can to encourage the growth of indigenous Welsh companies.

Will the Secretary of State confirm that at these two meetings the message came across loud and clear that although the representatives of west Wales are glad that Cardiff bay is prospering, there is a feeling of anger and unfairness at the imbalances that are being further financed by the Welsh Office? For example, west Wales has 25 per cent. of the population of Wales but in 1994–95 it had only 15 per cent. of the projects, 13 per cent. of the jobs and a mere 5 per cent. of the investments. What specifically is the Secretary of State proposing to do to get over this? Will he ask the Welsh Development Agency to publish the targets? What will he do about the regional benefits?

Government policy applies equally to all parts of Wales, including westerly parts of Wales. The area about which the hon. Gentleman is concerned benefits from assisted area status and other Government projects. There are a lot of specific actions that I will continue to take to try to assist the economy in the Swansea area. It is important for the Welsh Office and the Welsh Development Agency to work with the local authorities, and I was pleased with their willingness to do so at the meeting that I had with them.

Is not co-operation between the Government and local government one of the many ways in which considerable success can be achieved? What does my right hon. Friend think of the recent announcement of the Welsh Local Government Association that it will refuse to meet him in the future?

I thought that that was a rather strange and silly announcement. Last week I was surprised to see the press release from the Welsh Local Government Association, which said:

"Hague is on his own and we will boycott future meetings with the Secretary of State."

"I and other leaders of the Welsh Local Government Association are very keen to discuss your intentions for 1997–98 with you at the earliest possible opportunity. This is too important a matter to delay a meeting."

Is the Secretary of State aware that west Wales—that is, Swansea, Llanelli and the surrounding area—has considerable expertise in the car industry, particularly in manufacturing engineering? However, despite that, there has been no major inward investment in the area in the past 10 years. One belief is that the Welsh Office and the Welsh Development Agency are missing out every time to the Invest in Britain Bureau and to the Department of Trade and Industry which have managed to achieve investment in the north-east of England. What is he going to do about that?

The WDA has turned in a great achievement over the past year. As all hon. Members know, it is more difficult to persuade inward investors to go to the more westerly parts of Wales because they are geographically further away from the main centres of population in the United Kingdom. As I have already explained, there are a number of things that we can do about that—and we are already doing them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement about inward investment into Wales. [25636]

The Welsh Development Agency recorded more than 120 inward investment projects for 1995–96, which promised more than 12, 000 new and safeguarded jobs and investment of more than £970 million. These are excellent results that include Ford's £340 million expansion at Bridgend, and Newport Wafer-Fab's £230 million expansion near Newport.

Does my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree that his success in attracting new industry to Wales is due to the fact that we have not signed up to the social chapter, that we do not have a national minimum wage and that we do not have corporate taxes? Will the people of Wales not contrast my right hon. Friend's success in fostering new investment with the complaint by the shadow Secretary of State that he has been too successful in getting industry from Korea?

My hon. Friend is right—and he made his point so well that he even drew a cheer from the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner). That must be something of a first in this context.

I apologise for my late arrival, which was again due to problems with trains.

The hon. Gentleman did the Welsh Office and the Welsh Development Agency a bit of an injustice in saying that we had enjoyed a "modicum" of success. The figure that I have announced today—12, 000 new and safeguarded jobs last year—exceeds the target set for the WDA, and we should all congratulate it.

Why, under the present Government, has there been no inward investment in Neath?

The hon. Gentleman will have heard me refer to the huge inward investment that has taken place in many parts of Wales. I am sure that, as the hon. Member for Neath, he will want to portray an image of this country and his constituency that is as friendly as possible to enterprise and the promotion of business, and no doubt that will be of great help.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many general practitioner fundholders there are in Wales; and what percentage this figure represents of all general practitioner fundholders. [25637]

Fifty per cent. of Welsh general practitioners are fundholders, covering about 52 per cent of the population. That involves 863 practitioners in 210 practices. The Welsh Office does not hold information on comparative English, Northern Ireland or Scottish data.

I congratulate my hon. Friend on that record, but does he agree that the Government's purpose in Wales should now be to press further and harder in their attempt to make more practices fundholding? Fundholders have achieved success both in the delivery of service to patients and, more particularly—we hear complaints from the Opposition about this—in reducing expense and bureaucracy by striking tougher contracts, causing trusts to reduce their costs. Does my hon. Friend agree that we should now trumpet the idea that the Labour party will get rid of fundholders and destroy the advances that we have made?

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. GP fundholders are at the forefront of quality, improvement and new services, in particular in reducing waiting times and improving outreach services—for example, the provision of consultants. He is also correct to draw attention to the dangers of Labour party policies. New Labour is no more than a wooden horse called Tony the phoney pony, whose mission is to deceive the British people into believing that the marauding socialists have disappeared.

As I am sure the Minister knows, in Blaenau Gwent we have some of the worst health problems that have been experienced in any parliamentary constituency in England or Wales. We want more doctors rather than fewer. Would the Minister care to comment on Gwent health authority's decision to remove one of the only two doctors in Cwm, and will he support the local community in demanding that the health authority reverse that decision and, if it refuses, that its members resign?

We are aware that Gwent health authority is about to remove a doctor which, of course, is a matter for it. The number of general practitioners in Wales has gone up by 28 per cent. since 1979. In the hon. Gentleman's constituency, between 31 December 1994 and 31 December last year, the number of people waiting more than sixth months for a first out-patient appointment fell by 90 per cent. and the number waiting more than 12 months for in-patient day case treatment has fallen by 17 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total spending by central Government on roads in Wales since 1979; and how many miles of motorway and trunk road have been laid since that year. [25638]

Since 1979, total spending by central Government on the roads programme in Wales is more than £2.9 billion, including £510 million transport grant. Twenty-eight miles of motorway and 167 miles of trunk road have been completed or improved. Eight major improvement schemes totalling another 28 miles are under construction.

Does my right hon. Friend agree that considerable progress has been made in improving the motorway and trunk road network in Wales since 1979 and that that has been of great help in attracting inward investment to Wales?

My hon. Friend is right. One of the additional attractions for inward investors, on top of the flexible labour market, the work of the Welsh Development Agency and the lower non-wage labour costs to which I referred, is the improving infrastructure in Wales. We have done much to improve the strategic east-west routes in Wales. That work is continuing with the proposals that I have published for the M4 and for the A465 Heads of the Valleys road. It makes a tremendous difference.

Does the Secretary of State recognise the chronic traffic congestion on the A470, the main north-south route in Wales, especially at its most southerly point, where the Coryton interchange is subject to constant long traffic jams that do nothing for the competitiveness of industry in Cardiff or my constituency? Can he confirm that the Welsh Office has plans to bypass that interchange and say which route the bypass will take?

I have no announcement today for the hon. Gentleman, but I will, of course, consider his representations—and all representations—on the subject. We plan to start one scheme on the A470 in the coming year but I shall be happy to give him further details in writing if he wishes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to clarify road warning signs in Wales; and if he will make a statement.[25639]

Road warning signs are covered by the Traffic Signs (Welsh and English Language Provisions) Regulations and General Directions 1985 and the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994. The Welsh Office is developing proposals for public consultation on the updating of the 1985 regulations.

My hon. Friend will know that I am a frequent visitor to the land of my mothers. Indeed, I was there on Saturday night when I had the honour of addressing the dinner of the Welsh National Young Conservatives. I shall be visiting Wales on many other occasions, as I received several invitations after that. Is my hon. Friend aware that my and other visitors' journeys to Wales are jeopardised by the warning road signs on Welsh roads? When one approaches such signs quickly, it is often difficult to see information in Welsh or English. As he has said that he is reconsidering the format of signs and having English signs in one colour and Welsh signs in another, will he be consistent in having one language above the other, whichever way round it might be?

The Bowen committee in 1970 concluded that there was no evidence that bilingual road signs adversely affect road safety. I had heard from the national press that my hon. Friend had found his way past the bilingual signs to Cardiff and made a brilliant speech to a galaxy of young Conservatives. We are looking forward to having them with us after the next general election instead of the deadwood of the Opposition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what talks he has had with representatives of the farming and meat industry in Wales concerning BSE; and if he will make a statement.[25640]

My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, the hon. Member for Cardiff, North (Mr. Jones), and I have met representatives of the farming and meat industry on a number of occasions and my hon. Friend met representatives of the abattoir industry and Welsh Food Promotions Ltd. on 17 April. My hon. Friend is today attending the Agriculture Council in Luxembourg with my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Will the Secretary of State confirm that, even though the carcase disposal scheme for cull cattle was due to start today, there are as yet no licensed abattoirs and there are no designated centres for collection yet? The farmers in Wales are confused and angry that the Government's inaction and incompetence are clearly the main reasons why the beef ban still remains. Three weeks after the European Union agreed to pay for the scheme, there is no sign of it being implemented.

The 30-month scheme will start this week, as was intended—it is likely to start around the middle of the week. It has been necessary to have an extensive consultation process—the industry would not have wanted it any other way. It is a complicated scheme and it is important that it commands confidence and general support. Our priority is to restore market confidence at home and abroad, and we shall continue to do that, in frequent and close consultation with the industry in Wales.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that many farmers who are privileged to be Welsh use Oswestry market? Is it his judgment that the Government's slaughter programme—covering cull cows and other categories—consigns to death and incineration an enormous number of cattle that show no sign of BSE? How does he think that that will restore public confidence in beef eating?

My right hon. Friend will know that many of the actions that the Government are taking are based on scientific recommendations. In the case of the scheme that my right hon. Friend mentioned, the Government are going further than the scientific recommendations—indeed, that is the cause of his anxiety. It is clear from what scientists have said to us that BSE is most likely to occur in older cattle, so the removal from the food chain of cattle of 30 months and older is a confidence-building measure—it was specifically asked for by the National Farmers Union.

I congratulate the Secretary of State on acceding to representations from Opposition parties for a Welsh Office ministerial level representative to attend today's meeting of the Council of Ministers in Luxembourg, which is good news. Farmers are extremely worried about the delay in the implementation of the slaughter policy scheme.

I take the hon. Gentleman's point about the need for farmers and others in the industry to know further details of the schemes as soon as possible. However, I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will understand that it is better for the schemes to be introduced properly than to be introduced in such haste that they do not work properly. Officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Welsh Office are working hard, in consultation with the industry, to ensure that all the information for which the hon. Gentleman asks is given as soon as possible. They will continue working extremely hard until that information is available.

The Secretary of State's answers have no credibility. He said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones) that the scheme would be operating mid week. He has just said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys MÔn (Mr. Jones) that he hopes to be able to make the announcements. How can he expect the agricultural industry and associated industries in Wales to respond to a scheme that is due to start on Wednesday or Thursday this week if he has not even taken the basic steps of identifying the collection centres and licensing the abattoirs? His answers have no credibility.

It is a bit rich for Labour Members to criticise the Government over the BSE issue when the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman) did so much wanton damage to the beef industry. The group that is greeted with the most derision and distrust by farmers comprises one or two Opposition Members who have performed in the same way as the hon. Lady.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to encourage a fully integrated public transport system in Wales; and if he will make a statement.[25641]

Planning policy guidance to be issued soon will encourage local authorities to develop public transport facilities. I will also publish a transport policy statement later in the year.

That is, at least, a fairly encouraging answer. The Minister referred earlier to the £2.9 billion that is to be spent on roads in Wales. Would not some of that money be better spent providing a fully integrated public transport system? When, if ever, will the Government take notice of the Welsh Affairs Committee report, which suggested that investment should be pumped into the railways to enable someone to travel from the north to the south of Wales in three and a half hours? When will we have a proper transport authority in Wales in order to ensure that the public transport system is attractive—the current system is no use to anyone?

It is clearly important to continue to develop transport infrastructure in Wales. It is important also that, wherever possible, people have a choice of means of transport. As we have discussed already this afternoon, we have improved road infrastructure and we have provided substantial assistance to the railways throughout our time in office. Air transport—at least at Cardiff Wales international airport, with its enhanced passenger throughput—has also improved in recent years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to curb the growth of large out-of-town retail developments.[25642]

I shall issue shortly planning guidance recognising the importance of town centres, including a strong retail base, and encouraging development within town centres rather than at out-of-town sites.

In welcoming that statement, I express my gratitude to my right hon. Friend for visiting Cowbridge and for making an excellent speech at the Bear hotel on Saturday. During his visit, my right hon. Friend no doubt walked around Culverhouse Cross and saw for himself the congestion that is caused by out-of-town retail developments. I ask him to bear that in mind in bringing forward his proposals.

I have seen a great deal of Culverhouse Cross and I was pleased also to visit the Bear hotel on Saturday. We shall set out a sequential test for new development in the new guidance: town centre sites where available, then edge-of-centre sites and, only when those sites are unavailable, out-of-town sites. We shall also state that out-of-town food stores should not be allowed if they are likely to lead to the loss of general food retailing in the centres of smaller towns.

I thank the Secretary of State for his reply, but we shall withhold our full congratulations until we have seen the details. Can he tell us the reason for the wasted years of the Wokingham regime? Was the change of mind due to his own policy initiative or has he sacked someone in the Welsh Office?

I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is withholding his full congratulations, but I look forward to receiving them in due course. In pursuing and putting together the planning policy guidance that will be published shortly, I have been developing the thinking of my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (Mr. Redwood) and largely continuing what he originally intended. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will welcome the guidance when it is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the net effect on local employment in Pembrokeshire if orimulsion is used as proposed in the production of power.[25643]

None.

Well, I suggest that the Minister should. Will he reflect on the fact that, if the current plans for an orimulsion plant in Pembrokeshire—which I understand are waiting for one final authorisation—go ahead, although the prospect is presented as advantageous because it may produce a few jobs, there is a wide general view that the disadvantages environmentally and in terms of tourism of that beautiful part of south-west Wales having at its heart an orimulsion plant will grossly outweigh any short-term small employment advantages? Will the Minister undertake to carry out a full proper employment and environmental assessment on the economy of Pembrokeshire?

The application for consent to burn orimulsion at the Pembroke power station is still under consideration by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. Until my right hon. Friend has received the views of all the regulatory authorities, no decisions will be made, including whether there is a need for a public inquiry.

Surely everyone recognises that orimulsion is one of the dirtiest fuels that is available for combustion in power stations and contains an enormous amount of heavy metal toxic material compared with other fuels. In view of the recent disaster that has halved the income of the people of Pembrokeshire from tourism—reducing it by some £100 million—what proposals do the Government have to compensate people for that loss? What proposals do they have to cut the pollution caused by the burning of that dirty fuel?

My understanding is that the hon. Gentleman was referring to the Sea Empress disaster, in which case I cannot possibly comment until the report of the marine accident investigation branch is published.

May I emphasise that, unlike the Labour party in Pembrokeshire, my party supports the demand for a full public inquiry into the orimulsion application? As well as urging the President of the Board of Trade to set up a public inquiry, the Welsh Office should consider what longer-term employment opportunities might be created in Pembrokeshire through a proper energy conservation programme. Is not that the way ahead? What is the Welsh Office doing to ensure that the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995 is implemented in Wales as soon as possible so that the jobs can be created and environmental gains made?

As I said a moment ago, the decision on a public inquiry will not be made until all the facts are available. With regard to jobs in that part of the world, the hon. Gentleman knows that I and my right hon. and hon. Friends have taken a close interest in the west Wales task force which, I believe, was set up by my right hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, West (Mr. Hunt). We are conscious of the particular economic problems of the area and are doing our utmost to attract new investment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the figure for male unemployment in Newport and Wales at the latest available date and expressed in percentage terms.[25644]

In March 1996, the unadjusted number of males on the claimant unemployment count in the Newport travel-to-work area was 5, 977. That is 10.6 per cent. of the male work force. The corresponding figures for Wales were 83, 039 and 11.2 per cent.

Is the Minister concerned about the huge disparity between male and female unemployment inasmuch as many more men are out of work because the jobs lost in heavy industry were never replaced? Does not that suggest that the Government's jobs policy, far from being the success that they claim, is a huge disaster?

On the contrary, most of the jobs in the traditional heavy industries of south Wales have been replaced. In the hon. Gentleman's own constituency, unemployment fell by 221 in the 12 months to March this year. Since 1990, 11 plants have opened in the hon. Gentleman's constituency with 502 jobs gained. There are 10 foreign-owned manufacturing plants in the hon. Gentleman's constituency employing 1, 875 people. I wish that the hon. Gentleman would stop being a Job's comforter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on out-patient and in-patient waiting lists (a) in Wales and (b) in the Cynon Valley.[25645]

Hospital waiting lists have fallen significantly in Wales recently. In the calendar year 1995, the number of out-patients waiting for a first appointment fell 14 per cent. while the number waiting for admission for treatment in hospital fell 9 per cent.

That is not quite as splendid as it sounds. More than 2, 000 people in the Merthyr and Cynon Valley area have been waiting more than one year for admission to hospital, and some of them are in considerable discomfort and distress. Is that situation due to the fact that 2, 500 beds have disappeared from Wales since 1990 and that hospital consultants spend much of their time re-admitting people to hospital who should never have been discharged in the first place—but were, because beds were not available?

I wish that the hon. Lady would stop knocking the national health service—just as her colleagues do—thereby trying to undermine morale in the NHS. Of all Opposition Members, the hon. Lady probably knocks most. I wish also that the hon. Lady would give the new North Glamorgan NHS trust a chance, given that it has been in existence only a few days and I have only recently appointed a chairman.

To ask the Attorney-General what prosecutions have been initiated against alleged breaches of export control law regarding sales to Iraq or Iran since the publication of the Scott report.[25661]

I am informed by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise that no prosecutions have been commenced in relation to export licence violations to Iran or Iraq since the publication of the Scott report.

Will the Minister comment on the statement on page 851 of volume II of the Scott report:

"If it is right, and I think it is, that Government policy on exports to Iraq was to some extent undermined by the use of Jordan as a diversionary route, the decision that that was a price that was worth paying in order to preserve the political advantages"—

Order. I had not realised that the hon. Gentleman was quoting. In Question Time, hon. Members should not quote directly, but paraphrase. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman will do so—or give an indication of the matter to which he is referring—and I am sure that the Minister will respond.

Does the Minister think that it is right that third countries should be used by military exporters to circumvent the rules on arms exports?

No, that is most unlikely to be right—but the part that it plays in any individual prosecution will depend on the facts.

To ask the Attorney-General how many appeals he has made against unduly lenient sentences.[25662]

Since 1989, 294 cases have been referred in England and Wales, and 15 have been referred in Northern Ireland. Twenty-two of those cases were subsequently withdrawn. Of the cases heard to date by the Court of Appeal, 85 per cent. have resulted in an increase in sentence.

May I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for that answer, which demonstrates the irresponsibility of those who opposed the introduction of that power? His answer will be warmly welcomed by the many people who believe that some judges no longer sit on this planet.

To convert my hon. Friend's sentiment into concrete cases, 201 persons whose sentences have been increased would have escaped justice had the Opposition got their way. Among the persons who would have escaped justice are those who have committed crimes of manslaughter, rape, robbery and others of the most serious crimes in the criminal calender.

Before the hon. and learned Gentleman congratulates himself too much, may I ask him how many of those cases relate to rape? There is very worrying evidence that sentencing in such cases is becoming lighter and that fewer people are sent for trial than was the case even five years ago.

The hon. Lady is mistaken in suggesting that sentences for rape have fallen; the reverse is the case. Since the guideline case of R v. Billam, sentences for rape have increased quite markedly. The starting point for sentencing in such cases is five years, in cases in which there is one or more aggravating features the starting point is eight years; in the worst cases, double figure sentences are reached. I can tell the hon. Lady that we have referred 31 cases of rape since the jurisdiction was conferred on us, which is 11 per cent. of the total. Rape cases are the fourth most likely type of case to be referred by us. The most likely cases to be referred are robbery, those under section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and death caused by driving. Rape comes somewhere down the list.

The Solicitor-General will be aware of the Home Secretary's concern that the actual term served in prison is too lenient. Does the Solicitor-General agree with Lord Justice Rose's view that there is "tangle and confusion" in court sentencing powers, a tangle that flows directly from—and as recently as—the Government's Criminal Justice Act 1991? Has the Attorney-General been consulted by the Home Secretary about his determination to reduce judges' discretion and to compel Them to impose minimum sentences? Will he tell the House what are the Attorney-General's views?

The right hon. and learned Gentleman will, indeed, be off this planet if he takes the view that the vast majority of the British public are not completely behind my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary in the proposals that he has introduced. In his remarks, Lord Justice Rose was referring to the impact of sentencing provisions on a juvenile case at a particular time. Those provisions are no longer in force.

Is it right that one of those "tangles" was sorted out in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and that the most important action that can be taken to ensure that unnecessarily lenient sentences are corrected is to adopt the proposals of my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary—particularly in the sphere of rape, to stop those who rape repeatedly from raping again until such time as they are fit to be released into society?

My hon. and learned Friend is quite right. We have referred a number of rape cases in which the defendant has raped once before, has been given a substantial term of imprisonment, has been released and, before long, has committed a further rape. In some such cases, the defendant has been punished by a further determinate sentence. It would be quite unrealistic to view such a defendant as being safe to be released into the community on a particular day but, under current sentencing provisions, there is nothing that can be done about it. Surely something should be done to put that matter right.

To ask the Attorney-General what progress is being made in achieving a higher level of criminal prosecutions.[25664]

The Crown Prosecution Service and the police are working together on a number of initiatives to bring the right cases promptly to court. They include the introduction of further charging standards, guidance on case preparation and measures to assist the police with early advice.

My right hon. and learned Friend will remember that, when the CPS was introduced, the confidence of the public and many policemen was damaged by the extent to which court cases did not even get to court, let alone achieve a successful conviction. Can my right hon. and learned Friend tell us about the improvements that have been made, because the public want villains to be caught, to appear in court and to be sent to prison?

The public, my hon. Friend and I are at one with the police and the CPS in wanting wrongdoers brought promptly to trial and, if convicted, properly sentenced. I can tell my hon. Friend that, since its early days, when the CPS was undermanned and it was difficult to find staff, it has made enormous strides. It is now working closely with the police, there is mutual help from each side and, as my hon. Friend will know, there is now an experiment under which Crown prosecutors are put into busy police stations so that they can give immediate advice where required. I believe that that will help to achieve exactly the result that my hon. Friend would want.

Should not the Government accept some of that advice—because they have practised fraud on the British people for the past 17 years? That has been made worse because, during the past few days, it has become apparent that members of the Tory party, who are supposed to sign the Register of Members' Interests, are intent on misleading—it could be described as fraud—because they intend to tell the British people and the commissioner that they will not reveal how much money they are making from moonlighting. If they intend to practise the art of deception, surely other people outside the House are bound to copy them.

The British people would be wise to watch and listen to everything that the hon. Gentleman says, given the fellow feelings among his hon. Friends on the Opposition Benches. While they are looking at the right hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair), they might also glance into the woods, to right and left, to see what is lurking behind him.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the Crown Prosecution Service.[25665]

Among other things, the Crown Prosecution Service and the police are taking steps to improve the quality and timeliness of case preparation by reducing the volume of paperwork in police files and piloting the use of CPS lawyers giving on-the-spot advice in busy police stations.

Is the Solicitor-General aware of the case of Stephen Lawrence, who was cruelly murdered by a gang of white racists three years ago, and whose parents brought a private prosecution in the absence of any action by the CPS? Is he aware how hopeless and grief-stricken his parents feel today? One of the causes of their anguish is that none of the evidence, including videos of the young men concerned boasting about killing and maiming black people, videos of them practising stabbing people with knives, the alleged murder weapon and forensic evidence, came before the jury because the judge deemed that the eyewitness was not reliable? Without any criticism of how the judge handled the case, can the hon. and learned Gentleman understand how brokenhearted the Lawrences are? Can he understand that they must now feel that, although the case ultimately fell down in court, the judge deemed that the case had been properly brought, and if the CPS had acted earlier—instead, the case had to wait for three years before it came to court—the Lawrences might have seen justice done?

We all have the deepest sympathy for the Lawrence family in their grief. I am well aware of the facts of the case because my right hon. and learned Friend and I have looked at it a number of times with counsel and senior members of the CPS. I have to say to the hon. Lady that it is of overwhelming importance that the rule of law be upheld. The plain fact of the matter is that, at the end of the day, the judge ruled that the evidence was inadmissible and, in doing so, he came to exactly the same conclusion as had been reached by the CPS much earlier—as a result of which it had declined to prosecute. In substance, the bottom line is that the judge and the CPS were of one mind.

Is my hon. and learned Friend aware that we all welcome the improvements to the CPS that he and the Attorney-General have mentioned today, but is he further aware that there is still an impression among policemen and many members of the public that the Crown Prosecution Service will not take action unless it is almost certain to achieve a conviction? Will he do everything he can to encourage the service to take action in the interests of society when there is a reasonable chance of a conviction?

Those who think that the CPS requires certainty or near certainty before it will institute proceedings are utterly wrong. In 1995, 77.3 per cent. of contested cases before magistrates courts resulted in guilty verdicts, and 22.7 per cent. resulted in verdicts of not guilty. Such a dismissal rate gives the lie to the allegation that only certainties are prosecuted. The test is laid out clearly, in the code for Crown prosecutors, for everyone to see: if there is a realistic prospect of conviction, proceedings are started.

To ask the Attorney-General what percentage of cases in magistrates courts are prosecuted by (a) the in-house Crown Prosecution Service and (b) agent lawyers; and if he will make a statement.[25666]

During the year ending March 1996, 90 per cent. of magistrates court sessions were covered by Crown Prosecution Service lawyers and 10 per cent. by agents.

That is a rather fantastic statistic, given that the CPS is now up to complement in most areas. When I worked in private practice—firmly on this planet, I might add—agents were usually used to cover up for cases badly prepared by the CPS. I do not know whether that is still the reason; I just wonder why as many as 10 per cent. of cases are covered by agents.

It is done so that the CPS can conduct its business as efficiently and economically as possible. It is out of the question to expect the service to deal with every single case in every court, irrespective of the volume of work that has to be handled. I was in private practice until 1992, and I still appear in the courts so, like the hon. Gentleman, I have some experience.

I have to notify the House, in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967, that the Queen has signified Her Royal Assent to the following Acts:

• Finance Act 1996
• Education (Student Loans) Act 1996
• Audit (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1996
• Northern Ireland (Entry to Negotiations, etc) Act 1996
• Rating (Caravans and Boats) Act 1996