To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the fishing vessels St. Benedict, St. Jerome and St. Jasper were decommissioned; how much was paid by his Department for each; to what (a) company and (b) liquidator; and who owned the vessels at the time they were decommissioned. [29568]

The fishing vessels (financial assistance) scheme 1983 provided for the payment of decommissioning grant in respect of vessels which were either scrapped, exported for fishing outside Community waters or assigned permanently to another use.In the case of the St. Benedict, the St. Jerome and the St. Jasper, the applicant was Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. The St. Benedict was sold for the purpose of fishing outside Community waters. The St. Jerome and the St. Jasper were permanently assigned to other uses. Once the conditions had been met in respect of the three vessels, payment was made to Mr. W. F. Ratford, joint receiver of Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. The table sets out the other information required.

Vessels	Amount £	Date of decommissioning	Owner at the time of decommissioning
St. Benedict	581,504	17 February 1984	Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership)
St. Jerome	515,280	2 October 19841	Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership)
St. Jasper	51,484	6 August 1984	Thomas Hamling and Co. Ltd. (in receivership)
1 Vessel sold for alternative use on 2 October 1984, but not removed from the fishing vessel register until 19 November 1984. It is not now possible to determine the reasons for this discrepancy.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research his Department is undertaking to find a means of sterilising soil in which sugar been has been grown, to avoid the necessity for its disposal in landfill. [29766]

Maximising potential uses for soil such as landscaping is more likely to be cost effective than sterilisation.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends to take to relieve sugar beet growers of the landfill tax on soil. [29767]

MAFF officials stand ready to explore with the sugar beet industry ways in which the volume of waste soil returned to farmland, and therefore not subject to the landfill tax, can be increased.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the Council of Ministers for increases in payments under (a) the beef special premium scheme and (b) the suckler cow premium; and if he will make a statement. [30140]

The 29 to 30 April Agriculture Council asked the Commission to suggest measures at this week's Agriculture Council to assist beef producers affected by recent market turbulence and seek guidance on how and where the additional support should be targeted. This may include proposals to supplement the 1995 suckler cow and beef special premiums. I am determined to explore all possible ways of assisting producers and will be pressing for the implementation of such measures as soon as possible.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has fixed the 1996–97 Meat Hygiene Service inspection charges; and if he will make a statement. [30458]

The industry was notified by the Meat Hygiene Service in a letter from the MHS chief executive dated 15 March, of proposed increases to inspection charges for 1996–97. Bearing in mind the current crisis in the abattoir industry however, I have decided to defer the application of increased rates until 1 August 1996. In the light of BSE developments, we will be reviewing the proposed charges over the next few months against the aim of achieving full cost recovery for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1996–97. Should any change to the already notified charges prove to be necessary to meet that aim, they will be subject to further notification in accordance with statutory requirements. In the interim, the current charges will continue to apply.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29430]

No records are held centrally of how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20, and (d) 10 employees were used by the Department in each of the last five years. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the legality of (a) the original Fischler ban on United Kingdom beef, (b) the ban by individual EU countries on United Kingdom beef and (c) the Commission ban on United Kingdom beef (i) within the EU and (ii) internationally indicating how, whether and when the Government may seek to challenge any of the above; and under what circumstances and to whom compensation may be payable. [23997]

[holding answer 2 April 1996]: The EU ban on the export of British beef is not justified on the basis of science as a measure necessary to protect public health, and it is totally disproportionate. We are pressing at every opportunity in the Council of Ministers for this ban on the export of British beef to be lifted. We are also intending to challenge the legality of the ban before the European Court of Justice.Compensation is a matter to be pursued by the private parties affected either before the domestic courts or the European Court.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to call for a precautionary total allowable catch for sandeels at the forthcoming meeting of EU Ministers in Bergen; and if he will make a statement. [29883]

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: I called for the introduction of precautionary total allowable catches for sandeels at the last meeting of EU Fisheries Ministers on 22 April.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the scale of industrial fishing in the North sea; and what is the Government's policy in respect of industrial fishing in sensitive areas. [29886]

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: The fisheries scientists of the International Council for the Exploration of Sea advised last year that annual landings from the industrial fisheries of the North Sea increased to approximately 1.8 million tonnes in the early 1970s but have fluctuated around 1 million tonnes in recent years.The UK applies a precautionary total allowable catch for sandeels in the Shetland territorial waters, taking account of the sensitivity of the area. The Government have also called for the introduction of TACs under the common fisheries policy for sandeels throughout the North sea, in the Skagerrak and west of Scotland. We have asked ICES to provide advice on the appropriate level of precautionary TACS and have urged that account be taken of the need to protect local aggregations of sandeels in sensitive areas by consideration of seasonal and localised catch regulations.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who will represent the United Kingdom at the meeting of EU Ministers scheduled for 10 June to discuss agriculture and fisheries; and what is the agenda of the meeting. [29887]

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: I plan to represent the United Kingdom at the meeting of EU Fisheries Ministers on 10 June, along with my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on industrial fishing in the North sea; and what proposals his officials plan to present at the meeting in Bergen on 13 and 14 June on steps to address industrial fishing in sensitive areas. [29888]

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: I have recently received representations from Greenpeace on industrial fishing in the North Sea.The officials attending the Committee of North Sea Senior Officials in Bergen in June will report on the United Kingdom's initiatives on sandeels and my call for a greater collaborative research effort to increase understanding of the impact of industrial fishing on other species.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many unfilled teacher posts there are currently in (a) the primary sector, (b) the secondary sector and (c) total, giving the numbers per subject in the secondary sector; and what are these figures as percentages of (i) the primary sector as a whole and (ii) secondary teachers grouped according to subject. [29636]

Information on teacher vacancies as at January 1995, the latest currently available, were published in press notice 110/95 on 24 May 1995. A copy has been placed in the Library. The figures were published as provisional but they have since been finalised without any amendments being necessary.Provisional figures for January 1996 will be published in a press notice on 23 May 1996. A copy will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of teachers sought early retirement in each of the last five years in (a) the primary sector and (b) the secondary sector and (c) overall, broken down by the grounds on which early retirement was sought and given in total. [29635]

Information on teachers seeking early retirement is not collected centrally. The following table shows the latest information on members of the teachers' superannuation scheme obtaining early retirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what percentage of children in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in January of (i) 1980, (ii) 1991, (iii) 1992, (iv) 1994, (v) 1995 and (vi) 1996 were being taught in classes of (1) 30 and (2) 40 or more in each local education authority in England and in total. [29641]

The available information is contained in a number of tables which have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what

	1989–90	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94
B Ed Non-completers1
Number of Students	1,539	1,924	2,316	2,588	2,500
Percentage of intake	19 per cent.	22 per cent.	24 per cent.	24 per cent.	21 per cent.
PGCE Non-completers1
Number of students	1,191	1,391	1,493	1,451	2,445
Percentage of intake	11 per cent.	12 per cent.	10 per cent.	9 per cent.	13 per cent.
1 These figures include students who failed, as well as those who dropped out. The calculations are based on the assumption of all PGCE courses lasting one year, and all B Ed courses four years. Figures are for England and Wales.

The only information centrally available is calculated from the difference between the numbers embarking on bachelor of education and postgraduate certificate of education courses and those successfully completing them four years or one year later. The numbers and percentages of entrants failing successfully to complete initial teacher training courses in the last five years for which such calculations can be made are as follows. The table includes those failing examinations as well as those dropping out voluntarily. We do not know how much of the course was completed in each case, and cannot therefore calculate the costs of training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the average pupil-teacher ratio (a) for each LEA and (b) for England (i) in the primary sector, (ii) in the secondary sector and (iii) overall as of January in each year since 1980. [29634]

The available information is contained in a number of tables which will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of running the Funding Agency for Schools in 1995–96, and what is the provisional cost for 1996–97. [29637]

Grant for the agency's running costs was £11.5 million in 1995–96. Budget provision for 1996–97 is £12.5 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to increase the resources available to universities for investment in new technology for teaching. [29852]

Higher education institutions receive their funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England as a block grant. It is for institutions themselves to decide their priorities for investment.The funding council is investing more than £16 million over three years in a programme of metropolitan area networks to improve institutions' access to the higher education and research broadband network SuperJANET. The higher education funding bodies are contributing around £33 million over four years to the UK teaching and learning technology programme which develops innovative approaches to teaching and learning using modern technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will place in the Library the guidance issued to local education authorities in respect of the proper use of exclusions; and what plans she has to update it. [29683]

A copy of the Department's circular 10/94 on exclusions from school is already in the Library. That guidance will be updated as necessary in the light of policy developments, including possible legislation, which are presently under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what procedures are in place to monitor whether any school exclusion was used (a) as a last resort and (b) prior to a last resort; what action can be taken if the latter applies; and if she will make a statement; [29681](2) what action her Department can take if it finds a school exclusion is unjustified; and in how many cases in the last two years it has taken such action. [29682]

Only the headteacher has the power to exclude a pupil from school. In all cases of exclusion, parents have the right to make representations to the school's governors and, in the case of local education authority maintained schools, to the LEA. In the case of a permanent exclusion which is confirmed, as applicable, by governors or the LEA, the parents may appeal to an independent appeal committee. The decision of such a committee, which must consider all relevant circumstances in each case, is final and binding. My right hon. Friend has no power to overturn its decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she last met governors of state secondary schools in the Greater London area. [29720]

My right hon. Friend and other Ministers frequently meet governors of secondary schools, including Greater London schools, in a variety of contexts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the spending, per child in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools, in the London borough of Wandsworth in 1995. [29723]

Expenditure per pupil in Wandsworth in local education authority maintained (a) pre-primary/primary and (b) secondary schools was £2,268 and £3,053 respectively in 1994–95, the latest year for which figures are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the review of recent research on achievement by ethnic minority pupils commissioned by the Office for Standards in Education will be published. [29754]

This is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to increase the number of United Kingdom students studying abroad. [29822]

Information about the opportunities for studying in Europe have been published in the Department for Education and Employment booklet, "The European Choice", over the last the last three years. The UK is a keen participant in programmes run by the European Commission which promote student mobility. In particular, the Government is a strong supporter of the Socrates-ERASMUS programme which provides UK students with additional support to study for three to 12 months in another country within the European Economic Area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much her Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995–96. [29459]

The information required could be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department. The Department does not maintain this information in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how she plans to ensure that more young black people participate in the modern apprenticeship programme; [29412](2) what percentage of places on the modern apprenticeship programme are currently held by young black people. [29414]

Young black people currently account for about 1 per cent. of starts in modern apprenticeships. The results of work to identify good practice in recruitment and selection have been made available and further

	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	19941
University of Warwick:
Numbers	8,262	8,828	9,701	12,471	13,836	15,851
Percentage change	5	7	10	29	11	n/a
Coventry University:
Numbers	8,484	10,158	12,233	12,550	16,086	14,646
Percentage change	3	20	20	3	28	n/a
n/a = not applicable
1 Due to changes in data collection, 1994 figures are not directly comparable to those in earlier years. Percentage changes between 1993 and 1994 are therefore not calculated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the undergraduate student to staff ratio in (a) the university of Warwick and (b) Coventry university for each year since 1989. [29624]

Information on student-staff ratios for the university of Warwick has been published by the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principles in its volume "Universities' Management Statistics and Performance Indicators". Similar data for Coventry university have been published by the Polytechnic and College Funding Council in its volume "Student Staff Ratios in Former Polytechnics and Colleges". Copies of these volumes giving data up to 1993–94 are held in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the capital allocation to (a) the university of Warwick and (b) Coventry university in (i) 1994–95 and (ii) 1995–96; and what it will be in 1996–97 and 1997–98 in (1) cash terms, (2) real terms and (3) as a percentage change on the previous year. [29625]

The Higher Education Funding Council for England formula capital funds allocations for 1994–95, 1995–96 and 1996–97 are set out in the table, and the 1996–97 figures is given in cash terms, real terms at 1995–96 prices and as a percentage change on the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by her Department in each of the last five years. [29444]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many students were at (a) the university of Warwick and (b) Coventry university in each year since 1989, (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage change on the previous year. [29623]

The information is given in the following table:For 1996–97,the council allocated a single block grant to institutions for recurrent and capital purposes; the figure shown is that element of the grant derived from the council's equipment and estates funding formula.

£000s
	University
	Coventry	Warwick
1994–95 cash	2,246	2,667
1995–96 cash	2,575	2,962
Cash	1,725	2,225
1997–98 real terms	1,678	2,166
Percentage change	-35	-27
Figures for 1997–98 have not yet been decided

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the level of DFEE funding per undergraduate student at (a) at the university of Warwick and (b) Coventry university in each year since 1990; and what it will be in 1996–97 in (i) cash terms, (ii) real terms and (iii) as a percentage change on the previous year. [29626]

The information is not readily available for individual institutions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding has been given by her Department to (a) the university of Warwick and (b) Coventry university in each year since 1990 for the construction of new buildings. [29627]

Since 1992, the university of Warwick and Coventry university have both received funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England towards the cost of specific capital projects. In both cases only a minority of the project cost has been funded by HEFCE. Details are as follows:

	Projects	Total HEFCE funds approved £	Financial year in which awarded
Coventry	Extension and refurbishment of 90–94 Gosford Street	1,750,000	1992–93
Warwick	Library extension	313,000	1995–96

Information for 1991 and earlier years is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is her Department's policy on the use of performance bonds; in what circumstances they are used; what was the total sum paid by bond in each of the last five years; and if her Department required bonds from businesses with under (a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29418]

Advice on the use of performance bonds is set out in the central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 48, "Bonds and Guarantees", copies of which are available in the Library. This guidance makes it clear that bonds are not always necessary and are no substitute for considered judgments about the risks of a particular contract and the capabilities and financial resources of the available contractor. These factors will vary for each contract independent of the size of the contractor.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the schools which have required serious measures under the provisions of the Education Act 1993 to be taken against them; in respect of each school, how long the serious measures have been in force; and into which schools the Education Association has been sent. [29965]

The information requested is given in the following table:

School1	LEA area	Date special measures applied	Date special measures ceased
Crook	Durham	December 1993	July 1995
Brookside	Derbyshire	December 1993	March 1995
Northicote	Wolverhampton	January 1994	May 1995

School1	LEA area	Date special measures applied	Date special measures ceased
Stratford	GM (Newham)	February 1994	December 1995
Battersea Technology College	Wandsworth	February 1994
The Drive	Gateshead	March 1994
The Phoenix	Hammersmith and Fulham	April 1994
Lilian Baylis	Lambeth	April 1994
St. Richard of Chichester	Camden	June 1994
Cross Green	Leeds	July 1994
Dick Sheppard	Lambeth	August 1994	Closed July 1995
St. Mark's	Hammersmith and Fulham	August 1994	Closed July 1995
Fairfax	Bradford	August 1994
Hackney Downs	Hackney	August 1994	Closed December 1995
Rough Hay	Walsall	November 1994
Fryerns School	Essex	June 1995
Brough	Cumbria	June 1995
Little Ilford	Newham	June 1995
Rearsby	Leicestershire	July 1995
Gainsborough	Newham	July 1995
Park Lane	Brent	July 1995
Kingshurst	Solihull	July 1995
St. Malachy's	Liverpool	July 1995
Ingram High	Croydon	July 1995
Malory	Lewisham	August 1995
The Forest	Nottinghamshire	August 1995
Earl Marshal	Sheffield	August 1995
Holyhead	Sandwell	September 1995
Woodstock	Leicestershire	September 1995
Green Acres	Wolverhampton	September 1995
Mostyn Gardens	Lambeth	September 1995
Deeside	Cheshire	September 1995
Edna G Olds	Nottinghamshire	September 1995
Sts. Barnabus and Paul	Lancashire	September 1995
Northways	Leeds	September 1995
Christchurch	Wandsworth	September 1995
Edinburgh	Waltham Forest	September 1995
Brancaster CE	Norfolk	September 1995
St. Joseph's RC Primary	Brent	September 1995
Garston	Liverpool	September 1995
Newport	Waltham Forest	September 1995
Ashburton High	Croydon	October 1995
Rodmell	East Sussex	November 1995
St. James CE Primary	Cumbria	November 1995
Staveley	Derbyshire	December 1995
St. George's Primary	Wandsworth	December 1996
Ashton St. Peter's	GM (Bedfordshire)	January 1996
St. Patrick's RC Primary	Shropshire	January 1996
The Sneyd	Staffordshire	December 1995
St. Matthias	Hackney	December 1995
Whitebridge	Leeds	December 1995

School1	LEA area	Date special measures applied	Date special measures ceased
Victoria	Leeds	December 1995
Bollin Cross	Manchester	January 1996
Highview	Sutton	December 1995
St. Mary of the Angels	Westminster	December 1995
Munella Community Colllege	Leicestershire	February 1995
Isaac Newton	Hull	January 1996
Foxearth	Essex	December 1995
Lostock Park	Bolton	February 1996
Brookfield	Gloucester	December 1995
Dalton	Kirklees	January 1996
Corby and Kettering Pupil Referral Unit	Northampton	January 1996
St. Stephen's	Lambeth	November 1994
St. John the Divine	Lambeth	November 1994
Roundthorn	Oldham	November 1994	March 1996
Tamarside	Devon	December 1994
Francis Askew	Hull	December 1994	February 1996
Norbridge	Nottinghamshire	December 1994
Fred Nicholson	Norfolk	January 1995
Earlsmead	Haringey	January 1995
Abbey Farm	Norfolk	January 1995
Hockwold	Norfolk	January 1995
Morningside	Hackney	January 1995
South Park Infants	Redbridge	January 1995
Kilworthy House	Devon	February 1995	Closed June 1995
Welsh House Farm	Birmingham	February 1995
Breeze Hill	Oldham	February 1995
Urchfont	Wiltshire	February 1995
Lea	Berkshire	February 1995
Broomwood	Bradford	February 1995
St. George's	Southwark	February 1995
Northmoor Green	Somerset	February 1995
Langham	Haringey	February 1995
Geoffrey Chaucer	Southwark	February 1995
Erpingham	Norfolk	March 1995	February 1996
All Saints	Rochdale	March 1995
Pinewood	Staffordshire	March 1995
St. Ann's	GM (Sheffield)	April 1995
St. Joseph's Academy	Lewisham	January 1995
South Benwell	Newcastle	April 1995
Handsworth Wood Boys	Birmingham	April 1995
Weavers Field	Tower Hamlets	April 1995
Rams Episcopal	Hackney	April 1995
William Penn	Southwark	April 1995
Shaw Park	Hull	April 1995
Mayville	Waltham Forest	April 1995

School1	LEA area	Date special measures applied	Date special measures ceased
UpOttery	Devon	May 1995
Deerlands	Sheffield	May 1995
Southfields	GM (Kent)	May 1995
Mary Linwood	Leicestershire	May 1995
St. Hugh's	GM (Lincolnshire)	May 1995
Tyldesley Highfield	Wigan	May 1995
West Gate Community	Newcastle	May 1995
The Haig	Wiltshire	June 1995
Waterfield	Greenwich	June 1995
Upbury Manor	GM (Kent)	April 1995
Brent Pupil Referral Unit	Brent	May 1995
St. Joseph's Primary	Waltham Forest	May 1995
Linwood	Dorset	June 1995
St. Monica's	Hackney	January 1996
St. Anselm's	Essex	February 1996
Finmere	Oxfordshire	February 1996
John Stainer	Lewisham	February 1996
Ravenscroft	Somerset	February 1996
Hickling	Norfolk	February 1996
Southern Road	Newham	March 1996
Summerseat	Bury	March 1996
Lowry	Salford	February 1996
Our Lady of Fatima	GM (Liverpool)	March 1996
Kelsey Park	GM (Bromley)	March 1996
Goddington	Bromley	March 1996
St. Mary's CE Primary	Gloucestershire	March 1996
John Busch	Hounslow	March 1996
Brindale	Stockport	April 1996
Lea Green	Waltham Forest	April 1996
Millbrook Community	Hampshire	April 1996
Roe Lee	Lancashire	April 1996
Cawston	Norfolk	March 1996
Beechwood	Berkshire	April 1996
Jubilee Park	Sandwell	April 1996
Watergate	Lewisham	March 1996
Griffin Manor	Greenwich	April 1996
St. Bernards RC	Bolton	March 1996
Hillcrest	Leeds	April 1996
Melbourne	Kent	April 1996
Rowdown	Croydon	April 1996
St. Margaret's	GM (Bedfordshire)	May 1996
Slated Row	Buckinghamshire	April 1996
Folkwood	Sheffield	April 1996
Blakelaw	Newcastle	April 1996
Westmoor	Kirklees	May 1996
Rowdeford	Wiltshire	May 1996
1 Excludes schools where inspection report is not yet in the public domain.

One school, Hackney Downs, Hackney, was transferred on 1 September 1995 to the conduct of an education association, and subsequently closed. On 9 May 1966 the Secretary of State announced that she was minded to transfer Langham school, Haringey, to the conduct of an education association, subject to responses to consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 11 March Official Report, column 431, how many professional engineers and technology officers of each category were employed at each grade in each of the Department of Education and Employment agencies in each year since 1991. [29826]

The DFEE agencies employed one higher professional technology officer in the Employment Service in each year from 1 January 1991 to 1 January 1995. There are no practising professional engineers.There may be professionally qualified engineers and technology officers working in mainstream grades. However, this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what grants were given by her Department to company V, whose identity has been supplied to her, between 1989 and 1991; and which grants covered training in welding and lamination. [30035]

My Department has paid no grants directly to company V between 1989 and 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many cases of unfair treatment have been taken to industrial tribunals by employees of the Department of Employment in each year since 1988; and in how many of these the industrial tribunal found in favour of the employee. [28661]

[holding answer 13 May 1996]: Prior to its break-up on 5 July 1995, the Department of Employment Group held no central records of the number of cases of alleged unfair treatment taken to industrial tribunals by employees. The best information available is as follows:

Year	Number of cases taken	Number of cases found in employee's favour
1988	4	1
1989	3	1
1990	5	2
1991	3	0
1992	8	0
1993	35	2
1994	53	0
1995	40	5

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received from Sir Richard Scott on communications between the secretary to his inquiry into military exports to Iraq and his civil service superiors in the course of that inquiry; what response he has made; and if he will make a statement. [29501]

None.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to introduce a one-stop Government shop; and if they require the introduction of a combined smartcard/ID card. [29695]

There are no present plans to introduce a one-stop Government shop beyond the networks of Government offices in the regions and the business links nation-wide. A prototype of a computerised business start-up system is being demonstrated at selected business links around the UK at present. No decisions have been made on its future.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what is his Department's policy on the use of performance bonds; in what circumstances they are used; what was the total sum paid by bond in each of the last five years; and if his Department requires bonds from businesses with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29417]

The Office of Public Service and its agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information, follow the Treasury's central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 48 on "Bonds and Guarantees" which states that bonds are not always necessary and are no substitute for considered judgments about the risks of a particular contract and the capabilities and financial resources of the available contractor. These factors will vary for each contract independent of the size of the contractor. There have been no payments made by bond to the Department in any of the last five years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29445]

The information is not held in the form requested.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995–96. [29460]

The information is not held in the form requested.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the answer from the right hon. and learned Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Mr. Rifkind) of 14 May, Official Report, column 384, what other groups of civil service pensions will not be (a) market tested and (b) privatised as regards their administration. [30160]

The intention is to open up the administration of the principal civil service pension scheme and associated schemes to competition. Decisions on the timing of individual market tests will be for employing Departments and agencies to take.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times the ministerial group to co-ordinate the Government's participation in the millennium exhibition has met; what were its conclusions; and if he will make a statement. [30052]

"Questions of Procedure for Ministers" makes it clear that information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet or Cabinet committees is not normally made public. The committee meets whenever necessary to oversee the Government's role in relation to the millennium festival and to take forward any necessary planning of the Government's involvement in this event.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are his plans in respect of the United Kingdom derogations from Council of Europe recommendation No. R(87)15; and which other signatories to the convention have adopted the same derogations. [29692]

The United Kingdom has reserved its rights to comply or not with principles 2.2 and 2.4 of the Council of Europe recommendation. There are no plans to lift these reservations.The Republic of Ireland entered a general reservation to comply or not with the recommendation as a whole and Switzerland abstained.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce secondary legislation to implement the data protection directive in the next Session of Parliament. [29700]

We shall decide how to implement the data protection directive in the light of responses to the Government's consultation paper. This was issued on 22 March and responses have been invited by 19 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name each member of the Data Protection Tribunal and indicate the relevant professional qualification or experience which qualify him or her for appointment to the tribunal. [29698]

A list of the current members of the Data Protection Tribunal, together with some brief biographical information, has been placed in the Library. The biographical information relates to the reason for appointment to the tribunal, and is not necessarily the current position of the person concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Data Protection Registrar in respect of the benefits and risks of ID cards. [29690]

We have received the Data Protection Registrar's booklet "Identity Cards—Putting you in the Picture" and also her formal response to the Government's Green Paper on identity cards.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his timetable for informing all prisoners serving life sentences of the minimum sentence they will serve; and by when he expects that all such prisoners who have already served five years of their sentence will have been so informed. [28796]

Arrangements have been made, following the House of Lords judgment in Doody and others in June 1993, for newly sentenced murderers to be informed of their tariff within nine weeks of receipt of any representations they make to my right hon. and learned Friend about the tariff recommendations made by the judiciary. The judicial recommendations are disclosed to these prisoners as soon as possible after conviction.A special exercise was completed in December 1994 to disclose previously undisclosed tariff information to some 2,400 convicted murderers still in prison in England and Wales. Representations have been received in about 390 of these cases and 127 have been reconsidered and tariffs set afresh. The rest will be reconsidered as quickly as possible, priority being given to those whose existing tariffs are nearest to expiry.The disclosure exercise included about 80 prisoners for whom no exact tariff had been set but who were told that their tariffs would be at least 20 years. Subject to receipt of representations, we expect to complete the setting of tariffs in these cases within the next six months.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has had concerning the effectiveness of the coroners court service. [28800]

Complaints about the conduct of coroners and suggestions concerning the inquest system are received from time to time from individuals and organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what questions relating to the death of WPC Yvonne Fletcher were asked of people taken from the Libyan bureau to Sunningdale; and if he will make a statement on the answers received; [29292](2) pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May,

The continuing investigation into the murder of WPC Fletcher is a matter for the police. The police could not give details which may form part of the evidence in future criminal proceedings without running the risk of prejudicing those proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 214, at what angle was the body of WPC Fletcher at the time of shooting. [29293]

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 8 May, Official Report, column 214, and to the pathologist's evidence which was put before a jury.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 213, what meetings or correspondence he has had with the parents of WPC Fletcher since the memorial service in Salisbury cathedral. [29294]

I have had no meetings or correspondence with the parents of WPC Fletcher.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 211, what report he has had from the Metropolitan police about why the video was not presented in evidence at the inquest. [29295]

The police are reviewing the contents of the Channel 4 "Dispatches" programme of 10 April, including giving specific consideration to this question. I have not yet had a report of their conclusions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 211, what factors led him to describe Professor Bernard Knight, Surgeon Hugh Thomas and Lieutenant-Colonel George Styles as so-called experts. [29301]

I refer the hon. Member to the explanation given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State on 8 May, Official Report, column 211.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 211, what factors have made it impossible to charge anyone with the murder of WPC Fletcher. [29300]

The investigation of crime is a matter for the police. As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State made clear to the House on 8 May, the police were unable to obtain enough evidence to sustain a prosecution without the full co-operation of those concerned in the Libyan people's bureau. Such co-operation was not forthcoming. None the less, the police were of the view that it was likely that the murder was committed by one of two people who were in the bureau. Both of them possessed diplomatic immunity and could not be prosecuted under English law even if the necessary evidence had been available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral statement of the Minister of State of 8 May, Official Report, column 209, if he will put in the Library the exchange of reports between the Libyan people's bureau and Tripoli, indicating the date on which this information was passed to the police. [29291]

It is not Government policy to comment on matters which relate to operations carried out by the Security and Intelligence Services or to confirm or deny that such operations have been carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29440]

The information required to answer this question is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his Department's policy on the use of performance bonds; in what circumstances they are used; what was the total sum paid by bond in each of the last five years; and if his Department requires bonds from businesses with under (a) 100, (b) 50 and (c) 20 employees. [29422]

My Department follows advice on the use of performance bonds which is set out in the central unit on procurement's guidance note No. 48, "Bonds and guarantees", copies of which are available in the Library. This guidance makes clear that bonds are no substitute for considered judgments about the risks of a particular contract and the capabilities and financial resources of the available contractor.My Department has not received any payments from performance bonds in the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995–96. [29455]

Information for 1995–96 in the form requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. A new accounting system, introduced from 1 April, should provide a means to answer such questions in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding the European Commission's proposal for a Council decision designating 1997 as European Year Against Racism. [29943]

The United Kingdom has expressed its support in principle for a European Year Against Racism. We are now discussing with other member states of the European Union how this can best be taken forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discretionary powers are available to those responsible for the local administration of (a) local government, (b) general and (c) European elections to (i) issue copies of appropriate ballot papers to electors together with poll cards and (ii) arrange for the symbols of the main political parties to be displayed on ballot papers; and if he will make a statement. [29748]

Under current electoral legislation

(i) there is nothing to prevent a returning officer from issuing a poll card together with a postal ballot paper for local, parliamentary or European parliamentary elections to an elector who is an absent voter and entitled to vote by post as proxy at the election; we understand, however, that because of different timing requirements this is not normal practice;

(ii) there are no discretionary powers available to returning officers to add party political symbols to the ballot paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 March, Official Report, column 442, how many professional scientists and engineers of each category were employed at each grade in each of his Department's agencies in each year since 1991. [29837]

No professional scientists or engineers have been employed by the UK Passport Agency or the Fire Service College in the period in question. The numbers of staff in these categories in the Prison Service and the Forensic Science Service are set out in the following tables. Figures are not available in the form requested for 1991 and 1992, nor in the case of the Prison Service for 1993.

Forensic Science Service
Grade	Discipline	1993	1994	1995	1996
3	Forensic science	1	1	1	1
5		2	2	2	0
6		3	7	7	7
7		60	—	—	—
Senior scientific officer		139	—	—	—
Higher scientific officer		154	—	—	—
Scientific officer		104	—	—	—
Assistant scientific officier		85	—	—	—
—	Senior forensic scientist	—	196	196	187
—	Forensic scientist	—	141	155	154
—	Assistant forensic scientist	—	206	177	269
Total	—	548	553	538	618

Prison service
Grade	1994	1995	1996
Engineer Grade 7	1	1	1
Engineer senior professional and technology officer	5	5	5
Engineer higher professional and technology officer	4	6	7
Engineer professional and technology officer	10	11	10
Engineer chemical SPTO	1	1	1
Engineer civil Grade 7	1	1	1
Engineer civil SPTO	3	3	3

Prison service
Grade	1994	1995	1996
Engineer civil HPTO	2	2	7
Engineer civil PTO	4	4	3
Engineer electrical PTO	0	0	1
Engineer electronic Grade 7	0	0	0
Engineer electronic SPTO	0	0	0
Engineer electronic HPTO	1	1	1
Engineer mechanical PTO	1	1	1
Engineer mechanical SPTO	2	2	2
Engineer mechanical HPTO	2	2	2
Engineer mechanical Grade 7	2	2	2
Engineer production Grade 7	1	1	1
Engineer production PTO	1	1	1
Telecommunications HPTO	1	1	1
Telecommunications PTO	0	0	0
Mechanical and electrical SPTO	1	1	1
Mechanical and electrical HPTO	0	1	1
Mechanical and electrical PTO	2	1	1
Pharmaceutical SPTO	25	26	32
Pharmaceutical PTO	1	1	1
Total	71	75	86

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the implications for the Lockerbie investigation of developments at the forensic science laboratory in Kent. [29972]

An independent scientific review is to be conducted by Professor Brian Caddy which will consider the instances where contamination might have taken place from the particular centrifuge in question. It would be quite wrong to attempt to pre-empt the results of that review by indulging in speculation concerning what those results might be. It is a matter of public record that residues of both RDX and PETN, which are components of a high performance plastic explosive, Semtex, were identified in debris from the Lockerbie disaster by the forensic explosive laboratory. I understand from my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate that the evidence which forms the basis of the charges against the two Libyans does not depend on the identification of the high performance plastic explosive which destroyed the aircraft at Lockerbie.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Prison Service will publish its plans for 1996 to 1999; and what key performance indicators will measure the service's performance in 1996–97. [30446]

The Prison Service is today publishing its plan for 1996–99. The six strategic objectives of the period are:

(1) to achieve unit cost reductions of 10.2 per cent. and to contain capital spending by encouraging greater private sector involvement while maintaining the balance between security, control, purposeful regimes, and support for staff.

(2) To sustain a permanent step improvement in performance on escapes, building on what we achieved in 1995–96; in particular to complete the programme of work to enhance security for category A and high profile category B prisoners, and to achieve a significant reduction in escapes from escorts.

(3) To maintain control and a safe environment for staff and prisoners in the face of cost reductions and operational pressures; specifically, to carry through work on incentives, the drugs strategy and prevention of suicide.

(4) To maintain balanced regimes which support control and include affordable, effective activities to reduce risk of re-offending.

(5) To meet basic health care needs of the population, and to target particularly the transfer of mentally ill prisoners to hospital.

(6) To strengthen effectiveness of staff at all levels and specifically to increase the effectiveness of financial controls and systems.

The plan also sets performance targets for 1996–97.With the agreement of colleagues in the Treasury and the Office of Public Service, as required by the Prison Service framework document, we have decided to make changes to the service's key performance indicators.These changes aim to:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list all the representations received by his Department concerning Ademola Onibiyo in the seven days preceding his departure from Britain. [29480]

[holding answer 14 May 1996]: In the seven days preceding Mr. Onibiyo's deportation on 4 May, representations were received from:

• Bernie Grant MP
• Bill Morris—Transport and General Workers Union
• Lord Gifford QC—Councillor Adam Sandell, Oxford city council
• John Monks TUC
• Baroness Williams of Crosby
• Harry Cohen MP
• Fisher Meredith—Solicitors
• Jeremy Corbyn MP
• The President of Guyana
• Jack Straw MP
• Rodney Bickerstaff—UNISON (by telephone) together with 65 letters from the general public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost of (a) legal action, (b) administration and (c) holding in custody of Ademola Onibiyo since January 1995; and if he will make a statement. [29479]

[holding answer 14 May 1996]: The total legal costs which fall to be met by the Home Office in connection with the deportation of Ademola Onibiyo amount to £21,000. Mr. Onibiyo was detained for two periods totalling 360 days prior to his deportation on 4 May. The average cost of detaining a person for this length of time is £39,225. The information requested concerning administration costs is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statements were issued by his Department on Wednesday 1 May to (a) the Daily Mail, (b) the Daily Express and (c) The Guardian concerning Abdul Onibiyo. [29481]

[holding answer 14 May 1996]: Information confirming that Mr. Abdul Onibiyo was living safely in Nigeria was given to a number of newspapers which had previously expressed an interest in his whereabouts when that information became available on 30 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish (a) all correspondence between Her Majesty's Government and Nigeria and (b) all Interpol briefings the Metropolitan police have received on the whereabouts of Abdul Onibiyo. [29486]

[holding answer 15 May 1996]: It is not our practice to publish correspondence with foreign or Commonwealth Governments about individual cases or the text of communications received from Interpol. However, I can confirm that on 30 April information was received from Interpol in Lagos that Mr. Onibiyo had been located in March this year living with his family in Ibadan and that at no time since his return to Nigeria had he been arrested or detained by the Nigerian authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reference has been made to Interpol (a) by his office and (b) by British police forces concerning the whereabouts of missing persons in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [29487]

[holding answer 15 May 1996]: No such references have been made by the Home Office.Since January 1995, Interpol London has made one request to the Nigerian central bureau of Interpol to help trace a missing person believed to be in Nigeria. The request was made on behalf of a police force in the United Kingdom which had been contacted by concerned relatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe since January 1995 have been attended by Ministers or officials of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [29359]

[holding answer 17 May 1996]: The readily available information suggests that Home Office Ministers or officials have attended some 68 meetings of, or organised by, the Council of Europe since January 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement about how he devolves his powers to suspend payment of any particular social security benefit as between civil servants in his Department and the Benefits Agency. [28640]

The Benefits Agency forms part of the Department of Social Security and its staff are civil servants engaged in the implementation and administration of social security legislation. Decisions, including suspension of payment of benefit under the claims and payments regulations, are taken by civil servants in the Benefits Agency acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Social Security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what performance indicators apply to the payment of housing benefit; and if these apply equally to the new unitary authorities. [28982]

The Department of Social Security does not set performance indicators for the payment of housing benefit but information from departmental statistical returns is used by local authorities to provide the base data for housing benefit performance measures compiled for and published under the citizens charter initiative by the Audit Commission. The most recent publication was for 1994–95.The Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987 provide that every authority shall make the first payment of any housing benefit awarded by it within 14 days of the receipt of a properly completed claim and all claims should be determined within 14 days of receipt of all the relevant information. Where this is impracticable, payments on account must be made. The regulations apply to all local authorities administering housing benefit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what powers he has to intervene where a local authority is failing to pay housing benefit on time; and what procedures exit for a special audit of those local authorities who have a backlog in the payment of housing benefit. [28981]

The day-to-day administration of housing benefit is the statutory responsibility of local authorities and the quality of service is largely a local matter. The Department monitors administrative performance through the examination of statistical returns and other information backed by a programme of visits to a range of local authorities. Where a local authority appears to have serious administrative problems, departmental officials will consider making a special visit to discuss them at a senior level. In addition, a local authority housing benefit subsidy returns are subject to annual audit by an auditor approved by the Audit Commission which many, as part of this process, draw the Department's attention to authority failings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the former recipients of invalidity benefit who had been transferred on to incapacity benefit up to the end of February 1996 were (a) disqualified for failure to return the IB50 questionnaire, (b) disqualified for failure to attend a medical examination and (c) failed the all-work test. [29477]

The latest available information is in the table.

Former Invalidity Benefit recipients who transferred to Incapacity Benefit	Total to 30 November 1995
(a) disallowed following failure to return questionnaire	1,200
(b) disallowed following failure to attend a medical examination	260
(c) disallowed following application of the all work test	21,680

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many former recipients of invalidity benefit who had been transferred on to incapacity benefit had been reviewed up to the end of November 1995. [29476]

As at 30 November 1995, 165,000' former recipients of invalidity benefit who transferred to incapacity benefit had been reviewed under the new provisions for the assessment of incapacity for work introduced on 13 April 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what were the reductions in family credit payments following DSS action to recover child maintenance during the period 1988–89 to 1992– 93. [29375]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many firms with fewer than (a) 100, (b) 50, (c) 20 and (d) 10 employees were used by his Department in each of the last five years. [29436]

The information is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much his Department paid to the private sector for goods and services in 1995–96. [29452]