To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the procedure and whose is the responsibility for deciding the terms and the content of the marriage certificate. [33916]

A marriage certificate is a copy of an entry in a marriage register. The form and content of a marriage entry is prescribed by the Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986. These were made by the Registrar General with the approval of the responsible Minister. With the creation on 1 April of the Office for National Statistics, Treasury Ministers approve all regulations made under the Marriage Acts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated annual cost of keeping the Dewsbury tax office open. [33628]

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: The current annual running costs of Dewsbury tax office are £1,412,092.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the need to retain magistrates courts in Kidsgrove; what implications there are for north Staffordshire residents

Accident statistics		Severity of injury
Year	DfEE HO and ES including outstations	Minor	Major	Fatal	Total	IT related
1991–92	DfEE HO	1126	4	Nil	130	1
1991	ES		Not available			n/a
1992–93	DfEE HO	1184	1	Nil	185	7
1992	ES	2,102	23	Nil	2,125	n/a
1993–94	DfEE HO	1232	2	Nil	234	8
1993	ES	2,021	13	Nil	2,034	n/a
1994–95	DfEE HO	1223	0	Nil	223	6
1994	ES	1,486	5	Nil	1,491	n/a
1995–96	DfEE HO	1179	0	Nil	179	6
1995	ES	1,624	8	Nil	1,632	n/a
Total		18,177	64	Nil	8,241	28
1Includes IT related accidents.

Magistrates courts are provided by the local paying authority for the use of the magistrates courts committee. It is for the MCC to determine the need to retain a courthouse. If an MCC to decides to close a courthouse the paying authority may appeal to the Lord Chancellor against the proposed closure. That is the only time my Department is informed of, or involved in, a magistrates courts closure.No decision has been made by the Staffordshire MCC to close or merge any magistrates courts at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of her Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33463]

Remedial work is carried out continually as part of an on-going maintenance programme. It is not possible to extract the cost of health and safety-related work from general maintenance and refurbishment costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in her Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities. [33461]

The following table details DfEE headquarters, outstations and the Employment Service accident report statistics for the last five years. Separate information technology-related accident statistics are not available for the Employment Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost in each of the past five years of (a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of her Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33462]

Information is not available in the form requested. Compensation payments to former Employment Department staff, including Employment Service staff and to members of the public by the former Employment Department were as follows:

• 1991–92: £15,815
• 1992–93: £11,464
• 1993–94: £51,385
• 1994–95: £2,824
• 1995–96: 14,053

None of the payments stemmed from incidents involving information technology. Five of the cases involved compensation payments of over £5,000. Information relating to the former Department for Education was not recorded in a form which would enable compensation payments for personal injury to be identified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on who many occasions in each of the past five years health and safety problems in her Department and its agencies have been reported via internal monitoring; and on how many occasions the Health and Safety Commission has become involved. [33460]

Health and safety problems are addressed through our internal monitoring procedures as they arise, but no central records of improvements or upgrades are maintained. The procedures involve health and safety inspections, audits and risk assessments.There was one incident during the past five years; a health and safety inspector visited the site to investigate and concluded that no blame should be attributed to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding is provided by her Department to assist (a) local education authority-maintained and (b) grant-maintained schools which have been recently inspected by the Office for Standards in Education; and, in each case, what requirements govern how this may be spent. [33743]

I refer to the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 10 June 1996, Official Report, column 51.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make it her policy to increase the grants available to students undertaking medical and dental degrees at universities in the United Kingdom to take account of the greater length of their degree courses. [34001]

Students whose academic year is longer than usual are already eligible for an extra week's attendance allowance as part of their means-tested mandatory award.The awards regulations for 1996–97 academic year are made and there are no plans to change the grant rates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average cost of the administration of each student grant. [34254]

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people are at present pursuing traditional apprenticeships. [33912]

In winter 1995–96 150,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in Great Britain were doing a recognised trade apprenticeship.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the annual cost of the new apprenticeship programme since its inception. [33865]

Modern apprenticeships were launched on a pilot basis in England in 1994–95. The Department's spend for that year was £0.897 million. Provisional outturn for 1995–96, the first year of the national initiative, is £14.777 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people are currently pursuing the new apprenticeships. [33911]

As at March 1996, there were 26,100 people on modern apprenticeships in Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many traditional apprenticeships were completed in each year since 1985. [33913]

The information is not available. Data on the number of people doing a recognised trade apprenticeship each year are published in table F4 of "Training Statistics 1995".

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list the names and organisations of the members of the Schools Curriculum and Assessment Authority's national forum on values. [33262]

The members of the forum are listed as follows, together with the organisation or interest that they represent:

	Organisation/interest
Joyce Mackley	Christian Education Movement
Rosemary Peacocke	Culham Institute
Jonathan Gorsky	Council of Christians and Jews
Anne Holt	Christian Action Research and Education
Janet Ward	National Family Mediation
Gregory Cameron	The Bloxham Project
Jan Laithwaite	RELATE
Andrew Simpson	Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

	Organisation/interest
Dilip Kadodwala	National Association of SACREs
Anthony Thomas	Council for Environmental Education
David Bothwell	British Humanist Association
Gill Lenderyou	Sex Education Forum
Liz Cowley	National Children's Bureau
Snehlata Shah	Council for Education in World Citizenship
Vivienne Cato	REEP
Gwen Palmer	Religious Education Council
Bob Tutton	British Humanist Association
David Hay	Nottingham University
John Hull	Birmingham University
Lynne Scholefield	St. Mary's Strawberry Hill
Mark Halstead	Plymouth University
Madeleine Arnot	Cambridge University
Jack Hogbin	Manchester Metropolitan University
Mark Chater	Bishop Grosseteste College
Brenda Harding	Lancaster University
Mike Bottery	Hull University
James Arthur	Canterbury Christ Church College
Marion Carter	SS Mark and John College Plymouth
Jack Priestly	Westhill College
Robert Fisher	Brunei University
Rosemary Laidlaw	Scarborough University
Marianne Talbot	Oxford University
Clive Ericker	Chichester Institute of Higher Education
Paul Wotton	Metropolitan Police
Norman Lloyd	Crime Concern
Anne Fuller	Magistrates Association
Kamaljit Rana	Magistrates Association
Don Rowe	Citizenship Foundation
Alan Dyer	Former Chief Constable
Rachel Hodgkin	Gulbenkian Commission on Children and Violence
Gerison Landsdowne	Childrens' Rights Office
Ralph Jackman	Lawyer
Jessica Newton	Lawyer
Steve Ball	BBC Education
Margaret Holness	Church Times
Geoff Marshall Taylor	BBC Schools
Annabel Miller	The Tablet
Robin Moss	ITV Education
John O'Leary	The Times
Nicholas Pyke	Times Educational Supplement
Ahmed Versi	Muslim News
Hadrian Southorn	National Association of Governors and Managers
John Lewis	National Association of Governors and Managers
Karin Pappenheim	National Council for One Parent Families
Belinda Yaxley	National Confederation of Parent/Teacher Associations
Francis Gee	Campaign for State Education
Mary Blake	Campaign for State Education
Parvez Butt	National Governors Council
Jack Morrish	National Governors Council
Valerie Bennet	Parent
Kathryn Kukiewiez	Parent
Mike Tyler	Parent
Carol Dadswell	Parent
Gwen Sheppard	Parent
Giuliana Orme	London Marriage Guidance Council
Geoffrey Duncan	Church of England
Musharaf Hussain	Islam
Emmanuel Levy	Judaism
Vincent Nichols	Catholic
Abdul Aziz	Islam
Alan Brown	Church of England
Joy Leitch	Free Church Federal Council
John Shortt	Association of Christian Teachers
Gillian Crowe	Russian Orthodox
Deepak Naik	Hindu
Margaret Smart	Catholic
Monica Taylor	National Foundation for Educational Research
Leslie Francis	Trinity College Carmarthen
Peter Lang	Warwick University
Andrew Marfleet	Cambridge Institute of Education

	Organisation/interest
Graham Haydon	London Institute of Education
David Rowse	University of Central England
Jo Cairns	London Institute of Education
Brian Crissel	Researcher
Glenys Woods	Open University
Rosalie Osmond	Researcher
Jasper Ungoed-Thomas	Researcher
David Wood	Independent Schools Association Incorporated
Ros Bailey	Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Eber Kington	Association of Teachers and Lecturers
Harry Matthews	Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools
Peter Jackson	Headmasters Conference
Pat Brown	National Union of Teachers
Avril Buckley	National Union of Teachers
Carole Whitty	National Association of Head Teachers
Maggie Angele	National Association of Head Teachers
Janet Martin	Professional Association of Teachers
Amanda Haenber	National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
Clare Taylor	National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers
Kate Manning	Girls' School Association
Jeremy Taylor	Professional Council for Religious Education
Barbara Turner	Teacher
Michael Marland	Head Teacher
Ian Pearce	Business in the Community
Keith Ajegbo	Business in the Community
Ann Bailey	Engineering Employers Federation
Sarah Permann	Trades Union Congress
Lorraine Spector	Jewish Association for Business Ethics
Paul Rosenstein	Jewish Association for Business Ethics
Kenneth Adams	Camino Foundation
Stanley Kiaer	Institute of Business Ethics
Hilary Metcalf	Policy Studies Institute
Desmond Boyle	Institute of Directors
Adrain Platt	The Sedgwick Group
Max Taylor	Consultant
David Matthews	Consultant
Ron Davies	National Youth Agency
Eli Anderson	National Youth Agency
Clare Sanders	National Youth Agency
Jane Boyce	National Youth Agency
Sarah Venables	Top Yard Afro Caribbean Youth Association
Fiona Marsden	The Kite Club
Jane Lewis	Guides Association
Chris Curtis	Luton Churches Education Trust
Nick Pollard	Solent Christian Trust
John Buckeridge	Youth Work Magazine
Phil Wall	Salvation Army
Bob Mayo	Lambeth Palace Youth Work
Graham Mungeam	Oasis Trust

There are also observers from the Department for Education and Employment, the Office for Standards in Education and the Teacher Training Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if it is her policy that the Employment Service should not become a member of the Opportunity 2000 initiative. [34013]

Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has for encouraging lifetime learning; and if she will make a statement. [34567]

All the respondents to the consultation confirmed the importance of lifetime learning to the economic success and competitiveness of business and individuals. They recognised that a great deal of progress has been made, but that there is still more to be done by all those involved. My right hon. Friend is publishing today a policy framework for the development of lifetime learning and placing a copy in the Library. The key elements of the framework are:

• employers investing in the training and development of employees;
• gaining the commitment of individuals to learning;
• improving access to learning;
• giving people of all ages the opportunity to acquire the basic skills on which to build further learning;
• developing effective partnerships nationally and locally to give practical effect to shared responsibility and to make the best use of resources.

I believe that the document sets out a framework of policy within which action by Government, in conjunction with other parties, will help towards achieving the long-term goal of a culture of lifetime learning for all.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many decisions by her Department were challenged by way of judicial review in each Session since 1991–92; and if she will list in how many cases (a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision. [33567]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: The following cases are those in which the decisions by the Department for Education and Employment, and former Departments in the exercise of the functions of the current Deaprtment for Education and Employment, were challenged by way of judicial review since April 1992.

(a) The decision of the relevant Department was upheld by the Court in the following 11 cases:

1. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte London Borough of Lewisham

• 4 December 1992

2. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte London Borough of Southwark

• 24 January 1993

3. R v. Secretary of State for Education and the Governing Body of the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Ex parte Cumbria County Council

• 2 July 1993

4. R v. Northampton Education Department and Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Kingsbury

• 1st instance (decision upheld) 14 July 1993
• Court of Appeal (appeal dismissed) 23 July 1993

5. R v. Secretary of State for Eduation Ex parte G—6 July 1994.

6. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte C—8 February 1995

7. R v. Secretary of State for Employment and another Ex parte Wong

• 29 June 1995

8. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Morris and others—21 December 1995.

9. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Norfolk—1996

10. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte N—1996

11. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Connon and Davis

• 26 April 1996

(b) The court found for the applicant in the following 9 cases, two of which were reversed on appeal:

1. Secretary of State for Education and Science Ex parte Yusuf Islam

• 15 May 1992

2. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Prior 21 December 1993

3. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte S—21 December 1993 but overturned in Court of Appeal 15 July 1994

4. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte C—quashed by consent 1994

5. R v. Secretary of State for Employment Ex parte EOC House of Lords 3 March 1994

6. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte W—27 May 1994

7. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Skitt— 12 April 1995

8. R v. Secretary of State for Employment Ex parte Seymour-Smith and another

• Decision upheld at 1st instance but overturned in Court of Appeal 20 May 1994

9. R v. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte E—21 June 1995

(c) The Deaprtment is aware of one case, R v Secretary of State for Education Ex parte C, in which it submitted to judgment.

(d) The Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision in two of the cases listed:

1. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte Seymour-Smith and Another

2. Secretary of State for Education Ex parte S.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what are her plans for the development of policy on the distribution of lottery proceeds. [34571]

I am writing today to the chairmen of the United Kingdom and English lottery distributing bodies to consult them on a change to the policy directions issued to the Arts Council of England under section 26(1) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The proposed stabilisation programme would allow an amount of revenue funding to help arts organisations gain long-term financial viability in a way which would not substitute for existing grant in aid.The stabilisation programme will aim to help arts organisations consider and in some cases change their objectives and the markets within which they operate; inject new creative, technical and managerial skills into the organisation to help them achieve their objectives; provide balance sheet stability; and deliver better value for money.This is likely to be a technically complex programme. The Arts Council of England therefore proposes first to run a pilot to determine the best way in which a full stabilisation programme should work. The pilot will involve a sufficient number and range of arts organisations to enable the principle of the programme to be tested. The pilot will seek to identify whether the stabilisation programme could apply to the whole of arts provision across a single local authority area, and whether it could apply to a whole sector within the arts in addition to individual organisations. The pilot will also seek to identify the most appropriate administrative structure for managing the full stabilisation programme.Financial instability is not unique to arts organisations. Heritage and sports organisations might also benefit from some form of mechanism to address financial and managerial problems. The Government will consider whether to introduce changes for the English Sports Council, once established, and the National Heritage Memorial Fund if such changes would meet the particular needs of those sectors. My colleagues will be consulting the chairmen of the Arts and Sports Councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about the proposed direction and will consider in due course whether changes to the policy directions for those bodies should also be made.The consultation which I have launched will last until 25 July. I will then consider the responses to the consultation process, with a view to announcing any change to the directions during August.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many grants and how much money have been awarded by the National Lottery Charities Board to organisations (a) the title of which and (b) one of the main objectives of which makes reference to sexual orientation; and if she will list those organisations and the amount of grant awarded to each. [33047]

The National Lottery Charities Board is responsible for decisions on grants awarded and information about them. I have therefore asked the chief executive of the board to write to my hon. Friend, placing copies of his response in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which assets remain in public ownership at the Coal Authority; and what is their value. [33713]

The assets of the Coal Authority are described in its annual report and accounts 1994–95, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Notes 11 and 12 to the accounts give a breakdown of the value of the authority's investment properties and other tangible fixed assets. The authority's annual report and accounts 1995–96 will be published in July.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions have been held, or are planned to be held, with German officials, regarding the supply of highly enriched uranium from Britain to Germany. [33778]

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority staff and DTI officials have participated in a number of discussions with German officials about the possible supply of HEU from existing UKAEA resources under EURATOM auspices. These discussions are continuing.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what requirements are placed on members of industrial tribunal panels to declare (a) religious and political affiliations, (b) membership of masonic or similar orders and (c) membership of other organisations which could appear to influence their decisions. [33850]

None. However, under the terms of their instrument of appointment lay members must not sit to hear a case if there is any reasons known to them that might give rise to doubt as to their impartiality, or to the appearance of their impartiality, and must resign if they are adopted as prospective candidates for election to the United Kingdom or European Parliaments.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what continuing responsibility owners of offshore oil installations have for their maintenance and safety after closure; and over what period of time. [33914]

If an abandonment programme under the Petroleum Act 1987 proposes that an offshore oil installation be left in position or not wholly removed, it must include provision as to any continuing maintenance that may be necessary.Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 there may also be a continuing responsibility in relation to the health and safety of personnel who may have occasion to carry out work at the site.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when he expects to reach a decision on the Office of Fair Trading recommendations on the distribution of films within the United Kingdom; [34109]

My Department has received several representations from the Cinema Exhibitors Association regarding minimum exhibition periods. My Department is. currently considering the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading on the distribution of films within the United Kingdom. A decision will be announced in due course.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what his estimate is of the total amounts spent on science and research (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the Yorkshire region; and if he will make a statement. [32605]

The total gross expenditure on research and development in the UK in 1994—the latest year available—was £14,613 million, of which £552 million was spent in the Yorkshire and Humberside region. The comparable figures for 1993 were £13,829 million and £418 million respectively.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the impact on British competitiveness of British companies transferring their head offices overseas. [32623]

None.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about progress in the review of Government policy on civil space. [34426]

I will be hosting the second space policy forum on 25 June at Queen Mary and Westfield College London. At the forum, the UK space community will consider a draft forward plan on space, which I have prepared, and copies of which I have today placed in the Library of the House.I am also pleased to announce that additional UK Government funding is being provided for three European Space Agency programmes, namely £3.6 million for satellite navigation and £1.5 million for applications, both of these within the advanced research in telecommunications systems programme, and £2 million for the general support technology programme.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) representatives of his Department met representatives of Metta Trading Ltd. to discuss matters relating to imports and exports. [32317]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: There has not been any such meeting between Ministers of my Department and representatives of Metalchem International Ltd. On 12 and 19 March 1993 and on 10 August 1993, as part of a programme of routine company visits, officials of my Department discussed the consequences of UK sanctions legislation with personnel of the company and its subsidiaries.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates prior to July 1993 (a) Ministers and (b) departmental officials (i) corresponded with and (ii) discussed with Mr. Jovan Zebic or his representatives' compliance with United Kingdom legislation in respect of membership of the boards of Serbian-related companies or companies trading with Serbia. [32314]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: There has not been any such correspondence between Ministers or officials of my Department and Mr. Jovan Zebic or his representatives, nor have any such discussions taken place. Between 29 April and 29 July 1993, officials of my Department corresponded with representatives of Tsvetmetexport, a Russian company, which at that time owned 49 per cent. of the shares of Metta Trading Ltd., of which Mr. Zebic was a director until his resignation on 29 July 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date Ministers were first informed that Messrs Metalchem International and Metta Trading Ltd. were (a) owned by, (b) controlled by and (c) acting on behalf of Serbian interests. [32315]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: A list of companies operating in the UK that constituted "persons connected with Serbia or Montenegro", as defined in the Serbia and Montenegro (United Nations Sanctions) Order 1992, formed the annexe to a submission to Ministers, dated 8 January 1993. Metalchem International Ltd. and Metta Trading Ltd. were among the 36 companies listed.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what date his Department was first notified that (a) Metta Trading Ltd. and (b) companies acting as its agents or representatives had breached trade sanctions legislation. [32318]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: My Department has not been notified of any alleged breach of sanctions by Metta Trading Ltd. or companies acting as their agents or representatives.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the compliance of Messrs P. J. Forbes with regulations governing restrictions on trade with Serbian-related interests. [32313]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: None. The investigation and prosecution of alleged breaches of the sanctions on trade with Serbia and Montenegro is a matter for HM Customs and Excise, to whom any relevant information should be provided.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) representatives of his Department met representatives of Metalchem International Ltd. to discuss matters relating to imports and exports. [32316]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: There has not been any such meeting between Ministers of my Department and representatives of Metalchem International Ltd. On 12 and 19 March 1993 and on 10 August 1993, as part of a programme of routine company visits, officials of my Department discussed the consequences of UK sanctions legislation with personnel of the company and its subsidiaries.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on how many occasions in each Session since 1991–92 legislation has been introduced into Parliament by his Department, with the purpose of (a) removing the effects of a judicial review decision or (b) implementing a judicial review decision; and if he will list the relevant legislative provisions. [33594]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: No legislation has been introduced by the Department since 1991–92 with the purpose of removing the effects of judicial review decisions. The Employment Rights (Part-time Employees) Regulations 1995, SI 1995/31, is the only legislation which the Department introduced in order to implement a judicial review decision.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many decisions by his Department were challenged by way of judicial review in each Session since 1991–92; and if he will list in how many cases (a) the Department's decision was upheld by the court, (b) the court found for the applicant, (c) the Department submitted to the judgment and (d) the Department appealed successfully against the judicial review decision. [33577]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: Comprehensive records are not kept in the form requested. However, the Department has identified from readily available sources 27 decisions which were challenged by way of judicial review, as follows

• 1991–92: 3
• 1992–93: 5
• 1993–94; 3
• 1994–95: 5
• 1995–96: 11

The Department's decisions were upheld in 12 of the cases.In the four cases in which the court found for the applicant, the Department submitted to the judgment in two of them, and successfully appealed against two.Eleven cases either have been withdrawn or are not yet completed.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if he will ask the west German authorities what progress they have made in their investigations of the Berlin bombing on 6 April 1986, and in particular, on what grounds they have now extradited a citizen of Lebanon to face charges relating to the bombing. [34014]

Investigation of the "La Belle" discotheque bombing is a matter for the German authorities. However, I understand that the Lebanese authorities extradited a Palestinian, Yassar Al-Shuraidi—alias Yousef Salam—to Germany on 23 May 1996 in connection with the bombing. He was working for the Libyan Peoples' Bureau in East Berlin at the time of the bombing.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if he will ask the US authorities for what reasons they refused to provide the west German authorities with the alleged evidence of Libyan responsibility for the Berlin bombing. [34015]

The United States authorities do not normally comment on evidence in a current investigation, especially if doing so might reveal sources and methods of collection, and risk compromising that investigation.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 June, Official Report, column 381, if it remains the position of Her Majesty's Government that the responsibility for the Berlin bombing rests with Libya. [34016]

Yes.

To ask the Prime Minister which Department and which Minister has been assigned overall responsibility for matters concerning the reform of the law as it affects transsexuals; and if he will make a statement. [34082]

The Government have not made any decisions to reform the law as it affects transsexuals, and no such responsibility has been assigned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the environmental impact of lighting associated with a proposed development is a material planning consideration; and what guidance the forthcoming revisions of planning policy guidance note 7 will give on this matter. [33996]

The environmental impact of lighting associated with a proposed development can be a material planning consideration. The advice, in paragraph 31 of planning policy guidance note 17, "Sport and Recreation", on the use of conditions governing the operation of floodlights for sporting purposes, applies also to lighting for development for other purposes. We do not propose to give further guidance in PPG7.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the cost in each of the past five years of (a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of his Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33478]

The total cost of compensation paid by the Department of Environment, excluding its agencies, to employees, their families, or members of the public, as a result of injury was:

	£
1991–92	19,800
1992–93	11,412
1993–94	5,342
1994–95	21,940
1995–96	8,695
Total	67,189

The average annual cost was less than £13,500.During this period there were no fatal injuries and none of the compensation payments related to incidents involving information technology. Two individual claims were settled at over £5,000: one in 1992, for £8,400, involving someone who had tripped over a loose piece of paving outside a Government building; the other, in 1993, for £5,360, to someone who had sustained injuries in an accident involving a lift in a Government building.The amount of sick pay for injuries in the same period is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list those companies which have civil servants from his Department as directors and all the occasions on which those companies have been found guilty of a civil or criminal offence in the last eight years. [33915]

Four serving civil servants in my Department currently hold non-executive company directorships:

• Dr. Alan Apling: H. R. Wallingford Group (ex officio)
• Mr. Roger Courtney: Woods of Colchester
• Mr. William Rickett: Redland Roof Tiles
• Mr. John Stoker: Mersey Partnership (ex officio) Hanson Brick

The Department has no record of whether or not any of these companies have been found guilty of either civil or criminal offences in the last eight years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on postage in the financial years 1994–95 and 1995–96; and how many items were posted during these periods. [32853]

The information requested for my Department, including its agencies, is as follows:

• 1994–95: £4,747,723
• 1995–96: £4,879,819

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which statistics his Department has discontinued (a) collection and (b) publication of since 1989. [32855]

Changes are made in the collection and publication of statistical series from time to time in response to the Government's requirements for statistical information, and to changes in legislation and administrative systems on which the statistics are based. The main series which have been discontinued since 1989 by the Department are:

1990:	discontinued publishing Home Office statistical bulletin "Local Government Elections, England and Wales" to eliminate duplication of published data by the local government chronicle elections centre at the University of Plymouth.
1992:	ceased publishing figures on the number of residence permits issued to European Community nationals in Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom".
	reduced the collection and publication of statistics on breath tests given to motorists.
1993:	statistics on offences of drunkenness published in reduced detail in Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", rather than in a Home Office bulletin, with detailed tables being made available on request.
	returns on drug seizures and offenders from police in England and Wales replaced by returns on seizures alone, due to more reliable information on court appearances and cautions available from the court appearances returns.
1994:	responsibility for the collection and publication of statistics on time intervals for criminal proceedings in magistrates courts and on domestic proceedings in magistrates courts passed to the Lord Chancellor's Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in each of the past five years of (a) sick pay and (b) compensation paid to employees of his Department or their families, or members of the public, as a result of (i) minor, (ii) major and (iii) fatal injuries related to the work of his Department, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33494]

The available information for the past financial years is as follows:

Compensation	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
Prison Service1	£717,000	£675,000	£628,000	£1,448,000	£810,000
Home Office (including its other agencies)2	n/a	n/a	3£12,323	£9,695	£7,217
1 Payments relate to staff only and do not distinguish awards of more than £5,000.
2 Information for 1991–92 and 1992–93 was not collected.
3 Includes one payment of more than £5,000.

None of these payments was for incidents resulting in fatalities or involving information technology.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each of the past five years health and safety problems in his Department and its agencies have been reported via internal monitoring; and on how many occasions the Health and Safety Commission has become involved. [33492]

This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost in each of the past five years of rectifying working conditions that were the responsibility of his Department and its agencies, to bring them up to acceptable health and safety standards, detailing incidents involving information technology and those involving expenditure of more than £5,000. [33495]

Expenditure to meet health and safety standards is not recorded separately.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) minor, (b) major and (c) fatal injuries have been suffered by staff in his Department and its agencies in work-related incidents in each of the past five years, showing in each year how many were related to information technology and giving details of all incidents involving fatalities [33493]

The available information requested is as follows:

	Minor injuries	1Major injuries	Fatal
1991	4,303	279	nil
1992	4,809	378	nil
1993	25,150	434	nil
1994	35,077	498	41
1995	4,741	270	nil
1 Major injuries are those defined as reportable under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985, which includes injuries resulting in more than three days absence from work.
2 Includes two injuries reported to have involved information technology.
3 Includes three injuries reported to have involved information technology.
4 The fatal injury was sustained by a member of the works staff at HM prison Haverigg on 24 August 1994.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Parole Board, indicating the salary paid to each. [33708]

The Parole Board's annual report published in June 1995 contained a list of its members. The chairman receives a salary in the band £50,000 to £55,000 and the four full-time members receive a salary in the band £30,000 to £35,000. Other members, except serving judges, are paid a daily fee in respect of work undertaken. New appointments are currently being considered. I will write to you with an up-to-date list in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions for the evasion of vehicle insurance have been made in each of the last five years. [33555]

Information on the number of prosecutions which led to a conviction for the offence of "using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks" is given in the following table. Figures for 1995 are not yet available.

Convictions at all courts for the offence of using a motor vehicle uninsured against third party risks, England and Wales
Year	Number of convictions
1990	209,463
1991	225,910
1992	246,054
1993	281,136
1994	286,252

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Volkswagen vans the Metropolitan police have purchased in the current financial year and in each of the last two years. [33646]

The information requested is as follows:

	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
Number	Nil	90 station vans	Not yet decided
		20 red route traffic warden minibuses
		3 dog vans

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 June, Official Report, column 153, on Buckley Hall prison, how many of the 15 recapture/surrenders were carried out by (a)the police and (b)prison officers from Buckley Hall prison. [33771]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 12 June, Official Report, column 153, on incidents reported to the Prison Service from Buckley Hall prison, if he will define recapture/surrender in respect of (a) Buckley Hall prison and (b) prisons run by the Prison Service. [33773]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the numbers of women police officers in each of the senior ranks; and what were the corresponding numbers in 1992 and 1986. [34078]

The information requested is given in the table.

Female senior police officers in England and Wales
	1986	1992	1996
Chief Constable	0	0	1
Deputy Chief Constable1	0	0	—
Assistant Chief Constable	2	4	5
1 The rank of deputy chief constable was abolished on 1 April 1995

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women police officers have referred employment grievances to industrial tribunals in each of the past five years; and how many of these cases have been dismissed. [34081]

The information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each Session since 1991–92 legislation has been introduced into Parliament by his Department, with the purpose of (a) removing the effects of a judicial review decision or (b) implementing a judicial review decision; and if he will list the relevant legislative provisions. [33588]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: We do not hold central records of the occasions on which legislation has been introduced to remove the effect of a judicial review decision. The only legislation which appears to have been enacted for that purpose is section 158(3) and (4) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, which removed the effect of R v. stipendiary magistrates ex parte Vesna Doklega (1994), unreported, and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Act 1995, which removed the effect of the decision in the House of Lords in R v. Secretary of State for the Home Department ex parte Fire Brigades Union and other [1995], 2WLR464. There have been no occasions on which legislation has implemented a judicial review decision because the decision itself is implemented by order of the court.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total number of people employed by each of the next steps agencies under his Department's control; how many of those employees are women; and at what civil service or equivalent grades they are employed. [32725]

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: The Directors General of Her Majesty's Prison Service and of the Forensic Science Service and the chief executives of the United Kingdom Passport Agency and the Fire Service College have advised me that the information requested is as follows:

HM Prison Service
Grade	Number of staff	Number of female staff
Director general	1	—
Director (formerly grade 3)1	7	—
(formerly) grade 4	1	—
Principal medical officer2	10	2
(formerly) grade 5	7	1
Senior medical officer3	44	6
Assistant director	21	—
Grade 6	25	6
Grade 7	166	21
Governor 1	29	3
Governor 2	73	6
Governor 3	134	16
Governor 44	339	44
Governor 54	496	48
Principal Officer4	1,317	49
Senior Officer4	3,570	186
Officer4	19,760	2,190
Temporary Officer	3	3
Auxiliary Officer	2,011	441
Night Patrol	987	92
Chaplains	267	39
Nursing grades	670	508
Psychological grades	212	144
Farm management grades	90	1
Full time medical officer grades	107	11
Part time medical officer grades	95	4
Senior professional and technical officer	89	3
Higher professional and technical officer	120	4
Professional and technical officer	66	7
Senior instructional officer	2	—
Higher instructional officer	25	2
Instructional officer	1,138	177
Senior executive officer	110	27
Higher executive officer	303	123
Executive officer	657	410
Administrative officer	2,146	1,640
Administrative assistant	800	610
Storeperson	610	34
Typing grades (inc personal secretaries)	635	632
Pharmacy grades	70	49
Support bands 1 and 2	272	238
Librarian	1	1
Regional catering management	9	2
Industrials	2,977	216
Information officers	9	3
Total	40,481	7,963
1 With effect from 1 April 1996, former civil service grades 1 to 5 were subsumed into the senior civil service.
2 Formerly grade 4 equivalent.
3 Formerly grade 5 equivalent.
4 Includes specialist grades: works, hospital, physical education, etcetera.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 16 May, Official Report, column 529, if he will update the information on health service contracts agreed by health authorities for 1996. [33810]

Information on health service contracts agreed by health authorities will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what make and model of car is currently made available by the NHS to each of the chairmen of the NHS Executive's regional offices; and what is the cost to the NHS of providing each of the vehicles. [33834]

Regional chairmen may be provided with a car if it is cost-effective to do so when compared with other means of funding business travel. Only the regional chairman for the Northern and Yorkshire region is provided with a lease car, a Land Rover Discovery. From 1 April 1996, following the abolition of the regional health authorities, the cost of the lease has been met by the Department of Health. Other regional chairmen use their cars for business travel and are paid a mileage allowance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when solvent misuse mortality figures for 1994 will be available. [34079]

"Trends in Deaths Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substances—Report No. 9" has been published today by St. George's medical school. Copies will be placed in the Library. This gives solvent misuse mortality figures for 1994 and shows an encouraging further fall of 20 per cent., from 71 deaths in 1993 to 57 deaths in 1994. It is a further sign that the Government's initiative in this area is bearing fruit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received in response to the Government's consultation document, "A New Partnership for Care in Old Age", with particular reference to the cost of the scheme to his Department. [34114]

The Department of Health has received over 500 responses to the proposals in the consultation paper "A New Partnership for Care in Old Age". These are currently being studied.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to amend the law on the rules for the wearing of seat belts by children in buses and minibuses with particular reference to church buses. [33309]

It is my intention to introduce new regulations at the earliest opportunity to require the fitment of seat belts on all minibuses and coaches where the purpose of the journey is central to the transport of children, including journeys to and from school. These regulations will replicate proposals announced in February 1996 in Great Britain and will also apply only to minibuses and coaches. There are no plans to extend the requirements to buses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many health trusts and health boards he estimates will be in place by the end of 1996; and if he will list them. [33541]

I do not anticipate any change in the existing 20 health and social service trusts and four health and social services boards in Northern Ireland by the end of 1996. They are listed as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants and public sector employees are currently working (a) health trusts, (b) health boards, (c)Government agencies,(d) non-departmental public bodies, (e) local government and (f) other public bodies; and how many civil servants in total are employed in Northern Ireland. [33543]

For the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office, the information requested is as follows:

Body	Civil servants and public sector employees
(a) Health Trusts	66,545
(b) Health Boards	1,298
(c) Government Agencies	16,734
(d) Non-Departmental Public Bodies	37,647
(e) Local Government	7,025
(f) Other Public Bodies	1,193

A total of 28,137 civil servants are employed in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts in respect of formulating a joint policy on banning the sale of land mines; and if he will make a statement. [333906]

The EU has had a common moratorium on the export of certain kinds of anti-personnel mines and to certain destinations since May 1995, when it adopted a joint action on anti-personnel mines. That joint action is currently under review.Since 22 April 1996, the UK's national export moratorium prohibits the export of all anti-personnel mines to all countries. We hope that all EU member states will adopt an equally wide-ranging moratorium.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects payment to be made to Mr. Brearley from Wallasey of the full amount in respect of money owed to him by the United Arab Emirates armed forces for employment between January 1993 and June 1994; and what action Her Majesty's Government are taking to facilitate payment of this debt and the debts to those foreign workers who undertook similar employment. [32743]

The British embassy in Abu Dhabi has been in constant touch with Mr. Brearley and the British teachers concerned and with their lawyers throughout this protracted dispute. The British ambassador has recently written to the chief of staff, UAE armed forces, expressing his concern and the embassy has also written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging them to do whatever they can to expedite payment of the moneys due. The embassy will continue to do its utmost to bring an end to this unfortunate matter and enable Mr. Brearley and his fellow teachers to be recompensed in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of India over threats to the lives of Kashmiri leaders with particular reference to (a)Syed Ali Gilani and (b)Abdul Gani Lone, and if he will make a statement. [33717]

Although we often discuss the security situation in Kashmir with the Indian authorities, and raise our concerns about human rights there, we have made no representations on the specific cases of Syed Ali Gilani and Abdul Gani Lone. We look forward to discussion on Kashmir, and other issues, with the new Indian Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Israeli Government (a) to discuss with the Palestinians the final status of Jerusalem and (b)to effect an early withdrawal of Israeli troops from Hebron. [34253]

Both of these are among Israel's commitments under the Oslo accords. We have made clear and will continue to make clear that all such commitments must be fulfilled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects the United Kingdom to re-enter UNESCO. [32640]

We have not set a date for the UK's return to UNESCO. The question of membership is being kept under review in the light of progress with reform in the organisation and other financial priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 59, if he will itemise the costs to public funds in respect of the visit by the Duke of Kent to Singapore between 10 and 12 September 1995. [32213]

[holding answer of 12 June 1996]: Expenditure authorised by my Department in support of the official visit by the Duke of Kent to Singapore between 10 and 12 September 1995 was:

	£
(a) travel	10,700
(b) hotel expenses	nil
(c) official presents and donations	300
(d) salaries-additional staff	15
(e) bank, postal, telephone and telegraph charges	60
(f) miscellaneous	400

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 20 May, Official Report, column 59, if he will itemise the costs to public funds in respect of the visit by ihe Duke and Duchess of Kent to Hong Kong on 25 November 1994. [32214]