To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on what date he last attended a meeting in his role as a member of the Licensing Authority. [33846]

The Licensing Authority does not meet to consider its functions under the Medicines Act 1968. There is no statutory requirement for such meetings to be held.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the net ingredient cost for preparations used in the treatment of asthma, in total and per health board, for each of the last four years; and if he will make a statement. [33847]

The information by health board and Scotland for the financial years 1992–93 to 1995–96 is set out in the table. The costs shown are based on the value of ingredients before the addition of dispensing fees or deduction of any discount or patient charges.The costs relate to inhaled and oral adrenoceptor stimulants, inhaled steroids, inhaled antimuscarinic bronchodilators and theophylline preparations.

£ million
Health Board	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
Argyll and Clyde	2.755	3.206	3.575	3.867
Ayrshire and Arran	3.024	3.470	3.972	4.373
Borders	0.772	0.880	0.949	0.999
Dumfries and Galloway	0.965	1.078	1.195	1.293
Fife	2.109	2.377	2.627	2.892
Forth Valley	1.726	2.004	2.275	2.490
Grampian	3.104	3.546	3.960	4.337
Greater Glasgow	6.147	7.198	8.099	8.841
Highland	1.068	1.248	1.401	1.557
Lanarkshire	3.782	4.448	5.074	5.706
Lothian	4.628	5.237	5.652	6.091
Orkney	0.097	0.109	0.130	0.144
Shetland	0.077	0.100	0.111	0.128
Tayside	2.948	3.435	3.936	4.388
Western Isles	0.117	0.142	0.172	0.201
Scotland	33.319	38.478	43.128	47.307

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of prescriptions for the treatment of asthma, in total and per health board, for the last four years. [33848]

The information by health board and Scotland for the financial years 1992–93 to 1995–96 is set out in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the total amount of funds made available by the Government for research into the causes and eradication of cancer in Scotland for each of the last 20 years. [34251]

The main agency through which the Government support biomedical and clinical research throughout the UK is the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant in aid from the Department of Trade and Industry. I understand that MRC expenditure on research into cancer was £13.2 million in 1994–95, the latest full year for which figures are available. It is not possible to extract the spend in Scotland from these figures without incurring disproportionate cost.In addition to the MRC, the chief scientist office of the Scottish Office also supports research within Scotland, and has identified the causes and eradication of cancer as one of its priority areas. The information showing its spend on cancer research, for the years in which figures are available, is set out in the table:

Year	Amount £
1989–90	112,862
1990–91	82,561
1991–92	181,113
1992–93	454,391
1993–94	963,910
1994–95	762,720
1995–96	521,210

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of (a) breast cancer, (b) lung cancer, (c) bowel cancer and (d) stomach cancer there have been in each of the last 20 years in Scotland. [34250]

The information is set out in the table which shows the numbers of registrations for specific cancers in Scotland for the years 1975 to 1994. These have been extracted from the database of the Scottish cancer registration scheme.

Numbers of cancer registrations in Scotland for specific tumour sites for the years 1975–1994
	Breast			Large
Year of registration	Female	Male	Total	Lung	Bowel	Stomach
1975	2,335	31	2,366	4,116	2,603	1,319
1976	2,242	25	2,267	4,035	2,549	1,342
1977	2,359	13	2,372	4,105	2,643	1,299
1978	2,411	22	2,433	4,396	2,730	1,289
1979	2,283	26	2,309	4,557	2,622	1,273
1980	2,504	7	2,511	4,468	2,696	1,293
1981	2,478	19	2,497	4,572	2,747	1,365
1982	2,593	18	2,611	4,616	2,780	1,309
1983	2,590	17	2,607	4,669	2,711	1,287
1984	2,625	23	2,648	4,839	2,807	1,258
1985	2,543	17	2,560	4,830	2,818	1,337
1986	2,634	16	2,650	4,636	2,926	1,240
1987	2,691	10	2,701	4,749	2,896	1,226
1988	2,693	13	2,706	4,625	2,829	1,228
1989	2,782	8	2,790	4,599	3,022	1,166
1990	2,987	20	3,007	4,713	3,146	1,104
1991	3,180	20	3,200	4,794	3,088	1,097
1992	3,216	13	3,229	4,952	3,073	1,127
1993	3,102	22	3,124	4,803	3,273	970
1994	3,043	15	3,058	4.636	3,249	1,035

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many firms of solicitors in Scotland have resigned from participation in the criminal legal aid scheme in each year since 1 January 1990. [34119]

This information is not available.

To ask the Secretary for State for Scotland how many cases of breaches of the peace reported to the procurators fiscal in the last full year for which figures are available have involved stalking; how many of those were prosecuted; and how many of these resulted in a sentence of imprisonment. [34380]

I understand from my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate that the records kept by the procurator fiscal do not separately identify whether a case of breach of the peace includes stalking.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by (a) location and (b) date submitted the number of applications for subsidy for wind power development he has received under the Scottish renewable order since October 1993, indicating which applications he has approved, which applications he has refused and which applications remain under consideration. [34564]

Only one order within the Scottish renewables obligation has so far been made. In terms of that, 12 wind projects were awarded contracts in December 1994, to supply electricity to ScottishPower and Hydro-Electric. Their names and locations are listed in the table.

Name	Location
Gallow Rig Wind Farm	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire
West Garty Wind Farm	Helmsdale, Sutherland
Beinn Ghlas Wind Farm	Taynuilt, Argyll
Bendealt Wind Farm	Evanton, Ross-shire
Meall an Turic Wind Farm	Evanton, Ross-shire
Craigenlee Wind Farm	Port Patrick, Wigtownshire
Polwhat Rig Wind Farm	Carsphairn, Kirkcudbrightshire
Helmsdale Wind Farm	Helmsdale, Sutherland
Largie Wind Project	Kintyre, Argyll
Hagshaw Hill (S10) Wind Farm	Hagshaw Hill, Lanark
Hagshaw Hill (S15) Wind Farm	Hagshaw Hill, Lanark
Laggan Windcluster	Islay, Argyll

Obtaining the necessary planning permission to construct and operate wind developments is a matter for the potential developer and the relevant planning authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when his Department plans to conclude its discussions with the Copyright Licensing Agency with a view to ensuring compliance with copyright law. [33762]

[holding answer 20 June 1996]: The timing of conclusion of discussions is dependent on the outcome of the analysis of a survey of photocopying that the Copyright Licensing Agency plans to undertake at certain departmental offices in Aberdeen and Edinburgh in the autumn of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the number of homeless people in (a) the Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber parliamentary constituency, (b) the Highlands and (c) Scotland. [34012]

[holding answer 21 June 1996]: Figures are not available by parliamentary constituency, but in 1994–95—the latest year for which figures are available—370 households applying to local authorities were assessed as homeless in the highlands. The corresponding figure for Scotland was 25,100.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been allocated specifically for HIV/AIDS projects and programmes for each year since 1993; and what is the projected level of funding for 1996–97. [33603]

The figures reflect bilateral, and attributable multilateral, funding on activities of which the primary focus is to improve sexual health, addressing sexually transmitted infection, HIV and AIDS. It underestimates the UK's overall contribution to HIV/AIDS projects and programmes. Figures for 1995–96 are not yet available. In 1996–97, the Overseas Development Administration expects to spend around £10 million on activities that help to reduce the risk of people of developing countries being infected with HIV, and contribute to a better quality of life for those people who are affected by HIV and AIDS.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [33504]

The Northern Ireland Departments operate a policy of continuous monitoring of health and safety issues both by line management and by appointed safety advisory officers. Most issues are of a minor nature and dealt with at operational level on a day-to-day basis. No formal record is maintained.The Health and Safety Commission's remit does not extend to Northern Ireland. The equivalent local body is the Health and Safety division of the Department of Economic Development, which has received the following complaints from Northern Ireland Departments:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases in the last three years receivers' fees have been challenged; and in how many of these instances the challenge has resulted in a reduction of the receivers' fees. [33125]

This information is not maintained by my Department.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps are taken to monitor receivers' fees to ensure value for money and fair treatment of a company's creditors and shareholders. [33122]

Receivers' fees are a contractual matter between the receiver and the charge holder who appoints them.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade in how many cases the official receiver has sought to have receivers' fees taxed in accordance with chapter 6 of the insolvency rules 1986. [33123]

Information regarding the taxing of receivers' fees could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the meetings held since 1991 between Ministers in his Department and environmental non-governmental organisations to discuss oil and gas exploration in United Kingdom waters; [33116](2) if he will list the meetings held since 1991 between Ministers in his Department and environmental non-governmental organisations from Wales to discuss oil and gas exploration off the coast of Wales. [33117]

Since 1991, DTI Ministers, and their Department of Energy predecessors, have met non-governmental environmental organisations on three formal occasions to discuss all aspects of the UK's oil and gas industry. Details of the meetings are as follows:

• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: 1991
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: January 1993
• World Wide Fund for Nature: May 1993

While no Welsh NGOs have been met in their own right, Welsh issues were discussed during at least one of the meetings.In addition to these meetings, there have been a large number of meetings at official level and considerable correspondence with NGOs.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the meetings concerning oil and gas exploration in United Kingdom waters between Ministers in his Department and representatives of relevant oil and gas companies since 1991. [33115]

DTI Ministers regularly meet oil company representatives, as did their Department of Energy predecessors, to discuss of the UK's oil and gas regime. Records of such meetings are not kept in a way which would identify those at which exploration in United Kingdom waters was discussed.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many outward missions to the Caribbean his Department has sponsored in each year from 1990; and, on each mission, how many of the participants were (a) male, (b) female and (c) from an ethnic minority.[33563]

The number of DTI-supported trade missions to the Caribbean since 1990 was:

• 1990–91: 2
• 1991–92: 3
• 1992–93: 3
• 1993–94: 3
• 1994–95: 3
• 1995–96: 4
• 1996–97: 5 (proposed)

There is no information available on the male/female/ethnic composition of DTI-supported missions.The mission scheme is administered on DTI's behalf by approved chambers of commerce or trade associations, which accept applications from eligible companies on a first come, first served basis. The company's choice of individual to send on the mission is not questioned.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his estimate of the number of insurance and reinsurance companies approved by his Department which have failed since 1979 leaving some policy holders with claims not paid in full; and how many such companies accepted reinsurance through Lloyd's of London. [34024]

Since 1979, approximately 40 insurance companies authorised by my Department have become insolvent. Whether such companies had placed some or all of their reinsurance through Lloyd's of London was and is a commercial matter for the insurance companies concerned and Lloyd's. Valid claims on such reinsurance policies placed at Lloyd's will have been paid in the normal way.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proposals he has to improve the regulation and operation of the Lloyd's of London insurance business. [34023]

The regulatory regime at Lloyd's has developed significantly since the passing of the Lloyd's Act 1982, and following recommendations of the Neill committee and the Walker committee. Lloyd's has in hand further important changes, set out in its regulatory plan published on 17 January 1996, which will improve regulatory standards in the market, with the aim of delivering a standard of regulation which is at least on a par with best practice in the regulation of other sectors of the financial services industry. Last summer I announced my intention to set up a review of the future statutory basis of the regulatory arrangements at Lloyd's. In view of the rapid changes that are in train at Lloyd's, this review will not start until next year, after Lloyd's reconstruction and renewal proposals have reached their conclusion and the future characteristics of the market have become clearer.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade for how long (a) Sultan Air, (b) Time Air, (c) Omega Air, (d) Air Operations Europe and (e) Air Operations International have been registered with Companies House; and what action has been taken by (i) his Department and (ii) the official receiver in respect of these companies. [34025]

There is no record of companies with the names Sultan Air, Time Air, Omega Air or Air Operations International being incorporated by the registrar of companies for England and Wales or the registrar of companies for Scotland. There is a company by the name of Air Operations of Europe Ltd., which was incorporated on 30 June 1994, but it does not appear that this company is subject to any form of insolvency proceedings. If the hon. Member is able to let me have any further information about these companies, I will consider whether any action by my Department is appropriate.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many businesses in the north-west have received advice from business links since they were introduced. [34104]

The latest returns from business links show that the number of businesses using business links in the north-west more than quadrupled between April 1995 and March 1996 from 3,103 different businesses using business links at least once in the first quarter, April to July 1995, to 12, 820 doing so in the final quarter, January to March 1996. This means that more than 980 different businesses are now using business links in the north-west each week. The figures for the final quarter are based on returns from business link partnerships in the north-west that were open before February 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what distance he has defined as being within easy reach of a local business link outlet. [34064]

No distance has been defined as most day-to-day contact with customers is likely to be over the telephone, by fax or on the premises of the business concerned. The number and location of business link outlets in each area has been determined by the local partners—TECs, chambers of commerce, local authorities, enterprise agencies and others—on the basis of their view of local needs.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list for 1979 and for each year since 1990 the value of inward investment as a proportion of regional gross domestic product for (a) Merseyside and (b) each region of the United Kingdom. [34505]

Data on the value of inward investment are not collected on a regional basis.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which Minister will attend the meeting of European Ministers on 27 June to discuss the EC draft directive and notice on postal services. [34349]

The Under-Secretary of State for Science and Technology, my hon. Friend the Member for Esher (Mr. Taylor).

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the external financing limit for the Post Office for 1996–97. [34665]

The negative external financing limit for the Post Office for 1996–97 has been reduced from £298 million to £268 million. This reflects the fact that the Post Office over-achieved its EFL for 1996–96 by £32 million; in accordance with the arrangements previously announced, an over-achievement of up to £30 million of one year's EFL is matched by a corresponding reduction in the following year's figure.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what (a) guidance and (b) financial assistance his Department proposes to offer to small businesses affected by the bombing of the Arndale shopping centre in Manchester on 15 June; and if he will make a statement. [33923]

Small businesses affected by the bombing of Manchester's city centre are being given guidance by Manchester business link, which is working with the chamber of commerce to provide a one-stop shop. This will enable problems to be identified and tackled so as to get businesses back to work with the minimum of delay.The Government-backed terrorism insurance scheme will ensure that participating insurers can meet the claims made on them by those who have purchased full terrorism cover. Businesses that have not done so are likely to have a limit on the reimbursement that they can receive and have been advised to contact their insurance companies to clarify the situation. Those who have decided not to purchase full cover will have to bear any loss above the limit.My hon. Friend the Minister of State for Social Security, the sponsor Minister for Manchester, has already held discussions with representatives from the local community to consider the task of recovery and I understand that he will continue to do so.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish (a) the percentage of bills paid on time by each Government Department in 1995–96 and (b) the amount of money represented by the percentage of bills paid late by each Government Department in 1995–96. [34061]

(a) I refer the hon. Member to the replies that I gave on 15 May, Official Report, column 459 and on 22 May, Official Report, column 273 on this matter.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 13 June, Official Report, column 270, if he will list the business surveys to which he referred regarding business (a) demand, (b) optimism and (c) output among small and medium manufacturing companies. [34059]

The business surveys referred to in my answer of 13 June were the Confederation of British Industry "Small and Medium Enterprise Trends Report" of April 1996, the British chambers of commerce quarterly economic survey of April 1996 and the Institute of Directors business opinion survey of March 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how long the victims of BCCI have been waiting for compensation from the liquidators. [34512]

The provisional liquidation of BCCI SA in England commenced on 5 July 1991. The liquidation of BCCI SA in England commenced on 14 January 1992.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the expected percentage payment on the first dividend to the creditors of BCCI. [34562]

The liquidators hope that the first dividend will be at least 20 per cent., but ultimately the dividend is a matter for the Luxembourg liquidators and the liquidators of BCCI overseas. Both the timing and the value of the dividend are subject to matters which are before the courts in England, Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects the payment of a first dividend to the victims of BCCI. [34560]

The joint liquidators hope that payment of a first dividend will be made in the autumn of 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the reasons for the time taken to resolve the conflicting laws of set-off between the jurisdictions of Luxembourg and English law. [34513]

None. These are matters for the joint liquidators.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make the solicitors currently in receipt of fees as a result of the liquidation of BCCI and the amounts that each has received. [34558]

This is a matter for the joint liquidators and the information is not held by my Department.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last (a) met the liquidators of BCCI and (b) received a statement from the liquidators of BCCI. [34515]

(a) My officials last met the joint liquidators on 31 March 1995.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many (a) creditors and (b) former employees are currently awaiting compensation from the liquidators of BCCI. [34561]

My officials are advised that a total of 35,689 claims have been made in the English liquidation of BCCI SA. Included in this total are claims from 1,077 former employees; some of these former employees are net debtors of BCCI.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the total amount of funds held by the liquidators of BCCI. [34559]

My officials are advised that the total amount of funds held by the English liquidators at 15 May 1996 was US$668 million. In addition, the English liquidators have a share in funds held jointly by the liquidators of the principal BCCI estates totalling US$ 2.2 billion at 15 May 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the current total fees paid to (a) the liquidators of BCCI, Touche Ross and (b) the solicitors of BCCI, Lovell White Durrant. [34557]

My officials are advised that:

• (a) The total fees drawn by the English liquidators for the period 5 July 1991 to 15 January 1996 amount to US$203.6 million.
• (b) The total legal fees paid by the English liquidators to all legal advisers, including Messrs Lovell White Durrant, for the period 5 July 1991 to 15 January 1996 amount to US$82 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the liquidators indicated to him the difficulties in the conflict of laws of set-off. [34514]

These are matters for the joint liquidators. The pooling agreement authorised by the English court in June 1992 expressly reserved the right of the English court to make provisions before transmitting funds to Luxembourg. My officials are advised, however, that the issues affecting these provisions could not be addressed until the claims admission process was sufficiently advanced.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he is taking to assist the liquidators of BCCI to reach an agreement with the Luxembourg liquidators.[34563]

Any such agreement is a matter for the joint liquidators.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has received from hon. Members with regard to the proposed closure of the Crown post office in Tiverton, Devon. [32936]

[holding answer 17 June 1996]: This is an operational matter for the Post Office. I understand that the hon. Member for Tiverton has had extensive contact with the Post Office on this issue.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when it was decided to withdraw financial support for the trade mission to Burma and Thailand scheduled to leave on 24 June; what factors underlay the withdrawal of support; if he will list the preparation and cancellation costs to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [33382]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: I announced the decision to withhold DTI financial support for trade missions to Burma, including the British Electro-technical and Allied Manufacturers Association mission on 18 March 1996.1 refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to him of that date, Official Report, column 50, This was so that we could evaluate the results of the DTI-supported mission to Burma in February this year. There were no costs incurred by my Department resulting from the withholding of financial support for the BEAMA visit to Burma.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the international conventions currently in place covering residual liability for defunct sea-based oil installations, indicating where the United Kingdom is a party. [33886]

[holding answer 21 June 1996]: I am not aware of any international conventions covering residual liability for redundant offshore installations.However, the International Maritime Organisation guidelines and standards for the removal of offshore installations and structures on the continental shelf of 1989, made bearing in mind article 60(3) of the UN law of the sea convention of 1982, which the UK has not yet ratified, provide that the coastal state should ensure that legal title to installations and structures which have not been entirely removed from the sea-bed is unambiguous and that responsibility for maintenance and the financial ability to assume liability for future damages are clearly established.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total allocation of funds from his Department's budget for the innovation and technology start-up schemes administered by his Department in the last year for which figures are available. [34112]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: Details of my Department's innovation and technology budget are published in the DTI expenditure plans report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many listed buildings are included in the married quarters housing stock owned by his Department which is proposed for privatisation. [33754]

There are no listed buildings included in the portion of the estate which it is intended to transfer freehold with vacant possession on completion. The position on the stock which the Department intends initially to underlease from the purchaser is currently being established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to recover moneys from Mr. Gordon Foxley. [33648]

My Department has obtained a summary judgment from a Queen's Bench high court master and a ruling on the sum of money to be paid by Gordon Foxley. A statutory demand has been served on Foxley seeking payment. A decision on necessary further action will be taken in the event of non-payment within the time required by the statutory demand. We continue to investigate the Foxley case to ensure that the greatest possible recovery is made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost to his Department of the British military forces based in the Falkland Islands in 1995. [33870]

The estimated outturn cost to my Department of the Falkland Islands garrison over the financial year 1995–96 was approximately £70 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 46, when he expects to make a definitive announcement about Sir Michael Bett's independent review of armed forces' career and manpower structures and terms and conditions of service, to which the Minister of State referred in his answer to the right hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Alison) of 20 February, Official Report, column 96. [33894]

I have nothing to add to my answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 46.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken in respect of the action of US military personnel against Ms Lindis Percy; and if he will make a statement. [34309]

None. As the US security personnel who detained Ms Percy at RAF Mildenhall on 21 August 1995 were acting in performance of their official duties, this matter falls within the jurisdiction of the US authorities in accordance with the Visiting Forces Act 1952.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to amend or repeal the Visiting Forces Act 1951; and if he will make a statement. [34311]

The 1996 Armed Forces Bill includes a clause which amends the Visiting Forces Act 1952 to enable that Act's provisions to be extended to a wider range of countries than at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent United Kingdom-Israel defence agreement. [34213]

No such agreement exists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Minister in his Department had responsibility for the Ministry of Defence police for the period 1990 to 1994. [34436]

The Ministry of Defence police is an independent police force with full constabulary powers operating under the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987. The responsibility of the Secretary of State is limited to his general superintendence of MDP, under the Act and through the mechanisms of the MOD Police Committee, delegated to the Minister responsible for defence procurement from 1990 to April 1992, and since then to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 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. [33568]

[holding answer 19 June 1996]: This information is not held centrally, but it is known that no legislation introduced by my Department resulted from a judicial review decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of service personnel in radiation tests at the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment, Porton Down since 1966; over what period the tests were carried out; how many service personnel were used in the tests and if they were volunteers; what notice service personnel were given of the nature of the experiments and the risks involved; and what types of tests were carried out. [34010]

[holding answer 21 June 1996]: No radiation tests have been conducted on service personnel at Porton Down. In the 1950s and early 1960s two types of studies were conducted which involved labelling materials with low-level radioactive tracers so that the behaviour of the material could be readily observed. Radio-labelling is a standard medical procedure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the conclusions of the report prepared by British high commission officials from Delhi on elections held in Kashmir during May; if the officials judged those elections to be properly conducted and free and fair; if they agreed with the official estimates of turnouts; and if he will make a statement. [33997]

The report of the British high commission representative who visited Kashmir during the elections is an internal document which will not be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the Government of India to declare the Kashmir elections invalid; if he will urge that state assembly elections in Kashmir be not held; and if he will make a statement. [34029]

We continue to believe that state elections in Kashmir could contribute to the development of a genuine political process, which is a long-standing element of our policy on Kashmir.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent visit to Bahrain by the Minister of State, the right hon. Member for Richmond and Barnes (Mr. Harnley), with particular reference to his assessment of the human rights situation. [34263]

I visited Bahrain from 16 to 18 June. I was received by His Highness the Amir and met a number of Ministers and senior officials, as well as the President of the Shura Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in England and Wales have a conviction for illegal possession of firearms. [32876]

The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the data in the table show the number of persons convicted at all courts in 1994 for offences of illegal possession of firearms.

Number of persons found guilty at all courts of illegal possession of firearms by type of offence		England and Wales 1994
Offence description	Convictions
Indictable offences
Possessing etc. firearm or ammunition without certificate [Firearms Act, 1968, section 1(1)] Group I	400	Possessing etc. shot gun without certificate [Firearms Act, 1968 section 2(1) as amended by CJA 1988 section 44] Group II	305
Possessing or distributing prohibited weapons or ammunition [Firearms Act, 1968 section 5(1)] Group I	1465
Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime [Firearms Act, 1968 section 21(4)] Group II	42
Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime [Firearms Act, 1968 section 21(4)] Group II	25
Possession of firearms by persons previously convicted of crime [Firearms Act, 1968 section 21 (4)] Group III	43
Summary offences		Person under 14 having firearm or ammunition in his possession [Firearms Act, 1968 section 22(2)] Group I	—
Person under 15 having with him a shot gun without adult supervision [Firearms Act, 1968 section 23(3)] Group II	ߞ
Person under 14 having with him an air weapon or ammunition [Firearms Act, 1968 section 22(4) Group III	7
1 Includes CS gas canisters Group I—Firearms etc., other than as described in Group II or III.

Group II—Shotguns as described in the section 1(3)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the weapons handed in during the last guns amnesty following the Hungerford tragedy in 1988 were disposed of. [33992]

Firearms selected as being of significant scientific or national heritage value were allocated to suitably authorised, publicly funded museums or other public bodies. The remainder—the vast majority—were destroyed in line with the usual practice of local police forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of reported crime in England and Wales in 1995 was committed by juveniles. [33869]

The information requested is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is (a) the shortest and (b) the longest time in the last three years for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to deal with an application for compensation from victims of crime. [34424]

The shortest time is six weeks and two days. Information about the longest time is not available. Some cases can take several years to settle because of the need to obtain conclusive medical evidence and to deal with any subsequent appeal. The board makes interim awards where possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy with regard to the use of (a) alternative coffins and (b) woodland burial sites; and if he will make a statement. [34345]

The type of coffin to be used, and the place of burial, are generally matters for the person responsible for making the funeral arrangements and for the owner of the burial ground. Woodland burial sites are subject to the Local Authorities' Cemeteries Order 1977 if provided by a local authority. Otherwise, their administration is a matter for their owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of West Midlands police into the results of the inquiry by Leicestershire police into 116 allegations made about eight officers. [34437]

No. This is a matter for the chief constable of West Midlands and the Police Complaints Authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next plans to review the funding of, and the funding formula for, the Metropolitan police; and if he will make a statement. [34485]

Funding is allocated to the Metropolitan police under the formula which divides available resources between all forces in England and Wales. In addition, the Metropolitan police receive a special payment, £130 million in 1996–97, in recognition of their national and capital city functions. We are currently considering what, if any, changes need to be made to the formula, and to the level of the special payment, for 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the original estimated commencement date for the case records administration and management system for the probation service in England and Wales; what are the revised arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [31388]

[holding answer 11 June 1996]: The case records administration and management system was introduced in two area probation services on a pilot basis in November 1995 as planned. This piloting identified both some programming faults and changes needed to ensure that the system fully reflects current practice. These are now being undertaken; we expect the system to be ready for operational use within three to four months, about six months later than originally planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was originally allocated to CRAMS for the probation service in England and Wales; what is the most recent estimate of the actual cost; and if he will make a statement. [31389]

[holding answer 11 June 1996]: The business case for the national probation service information systems strategy, of which the case records administration and management system is a part, was based on an estimate three years ago that the total capital and revenue costs over 10 years of implementing the strategy would be £97 million. That estimate remains valid. The costs of developing CRAMS itself, which is one of 15 prospective software applications within the strategy, are commercially confidential but represent less than 1 per cent. of the total cost of the strategy and remain within budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in (a) England and (b) Wales in (i) 1980, (ii) 1986 and (iii) 1995. [33891]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: The information requested is given in the following table.

Clear-up rate (per cent.) for notifiable offences recorded by the police
Year	England	Wales
1980	39	50
1986	31	40
1995	26	34

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances his Department or its executive agencies uses an executive search or employment agency to recruit staff in preference to using personnel staff within his own Department or its executive agencies. [31547]

The Treasury and the Chancellor's other Departments and agencies use executive search or employment agencies to recruit staff when it is judged more efficient to do so—for example, to fill a post requiring very specialist skills.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will complete his review of vehicle excise duty; what account he is taking of the consequences of changes for (a) the implementation of technologies to reduce toxic emissions and (b) fuel efficiency and the reduction of carbon dioxide; and if he will list the organisations he has consulted. [34240]

In presenting his last Budget, my right hon. and learned Friend said that he intended to look into ways of using vehicle excise duty to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles. In doing so, he will take account of a wide range of factors, and draw on a variety of sources, before reaching a judgment on those issues for his forthcoming Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he set Government Departments a target of paying 90 per cent. of their bills on time; and when this target will be raised. [34062]

The Treasury believes that it is important to pay as many bills on time as possible, while recognising that there will always be a proportion of bills that are wrong or goods that are faulty.From 1 June, all Government Departments and their agencies are required to:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of deaths in each of the past four years in which co-proxamol was identified as (a) the only drug involved and (b) one of the drugs involved.[33890]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: The numbers of deaths registered in 1992 in England and Wales in which co-proxamol was identified as (a) the only drug involved and (b) one of the drugs involved are published in table 10 of the publication, "Mortality statistics: injury and poisoning, England and Wales", series DH4, no. 18, a copy of which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library. This table also shows how many of the deaths mentioned alcohol.The number of deaths that occurred between 1993 and 1995 in England and Wales in which co-proxamol was identified as

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if deposits placed with the Exchequer by NHS trusts through the Paymaster scheme are recorded as reducing the public sector borrowing requirement; and if he will make a statement. [34252]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: NHS trusts are public corporations. As such, any transactions solely between the trusts and central Government do not affect the public sector as a whole.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects (a) to lay before Parliament and (b) to publish an annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service for the year 1995–96. [33392]

The annual report for the Crown Prosecution Service was laid before Parliament this morning and then published.Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Attorney-General 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. [33503]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: This information is not readily available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Attorney-General 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. [33502]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: There have been no fatal injuries in the last five years in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible. Information on major injuries—those required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985— is as follows:

Crown Prosecution Service1	Sick pay	Compensation
1994–95	825	1,000
1995–96	235	5,500
1 The Crown Prosecution Service keeps central records of sick pay paid as a result of major injuries only where compensation is also paid, and sick pay records may be deleted after three years.

To ask the Attorney-General 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. [33500]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: Health and safety problems in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible have been reported to the Health and Safety Executive in the last five years as follows: once in 1991, twice in 1992, once in 1993, three times in 1994 and four times in 1995. The Health and Safety Executive became involved on one occasion in 1994.

To ask the Attorney-General 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. [33501]

[holding answer 24 June 1996]: There have been no fatal injuries in the last five years in the departments and agencies for which I am responsible. The number of major injuries—defined as those required to be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985—is as follows:

• Crown Prosecution Service
• 1991: 1
• 1992: 2
• 1993: 1
• 1994: 2
• 1995: 4
• Serious Fraud Office
• 1991: 3
• 1992: 1
• 1993: 0
• 1994: 0
• 1995: 1
• Treasury Solicitor's Department/Government Property Lawyers/Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers

Nil.The number of minor injuries

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government intend to commence section 166 of the Pensions Act 1995 concerning the courts' treatment of pensions on divorce. [34664]

It remains the Government's intention that applications for orders under section 166 of the Pensions Act 1995 will be able to be made where the petition for divorce is presented to the court on or after 1 July 1996.The regulations and accompanying rules of court will come into force on 1 August 1996 to allow the judiciary, the legal profession and the pensions industry sufficient time to become familiar with the requirements before being asked to consider such applications.The policy on the content of the regulations under section 166 of the Pensions Act 1995 has been agreed and a summary of the proposals is available in the Library. The regulations will be laid shortly. Separate legislative vehicles will be provided for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement setting out his conclusions on those aspects of the Law Commission report on mentally incapacitated adults about which decisions have already been taken on which further consultation is not deemed necessary. [34118]

The Government have indicated that they do not intend to legislate on the basis of the Law Commission's proposals in their current form. Given the importance and sensitivity of this subject, the Government do not believe it is appropriate to make final decisions in this area until full public consultation has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his assessment of the report published by the intergovernmental panel on climate change on global warming; and if he will make a statement. [33558]

The intergovernmental panel on climate change second assessment report is the most comprehensive and authoritative review of climate change ever undertaken and provides an excellent basis for developing policy further under the framework convention on climate change.The key conclusions—that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate, that there will be far-reaching effects on natural systems and human society for many generations to come and that major reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases will be necessary eventually to limit future global temperature rise—show that action by the international community is now urgent.In fulfilment of its commitments made under the climate change convention, the United Kingdom is well on target to return its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. The United Kingdom is pressing developed countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5 to 10 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 at the forthcoming negotiations to strengthen commitments under the convention.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will institute a total ban on the use of all asbestos in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [33634]

The United Kingdom takes the view that prohibitions on the marketing and use of asbestos should be based on agreements within the European Union. The Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations 1992 and the Asbestos (Prohibitions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993 implement directive 91/659/EEC and prohibit the use of many forms of asbestos. Efforts will continue within the United Kingdom to find suitable alternatives to the remaining uses of asbestos, and to encourage the use of substitute products, but a total ban will not be instituted without EU agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what campaigns the Health and Safety Executive plans to instigate to warn of the dangers of asbestos dust. [33636]

In autumn this year, the Health and Safety Executive is planning to launch a campaign on managing asbestos in workplace buildings under the umbrella of the wider "Good Health is Good Business" campaign. This builds on HSE's asbestos awareness campaign which was launched in February 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has brought forward for converted European Union action on asbestos; and if he will make a statement. [33629]

The United Kingdom has not brought forward any proposals for "concerted European Union action on asbestos", but our officials continue to play an active part in EU negotiations, and to promote awareness and understanding in EU discussion of asbestos issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many licences for asbestos removal have been granted in each of the last 10 years; how many inspections relating to those with such licences have taken place in each year; and how many licences have been revoked each year. [33632]

The number of asbestos removal licences granted under the Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations 1983 in each of the last 10 years and the number of licences that have been revoked each year is given in the table.The information in the table also shows the number of visits each year to companies or contractors licensed at that time under these regulations.

Licences granted1		Licences revoked		Visits
Year	Number	Year	Number	Year	Number
1985	1,588	1985	1	1985	2,709
1986	936	1986	2	1986	1,654
1987	487	1987	2	1987	941
1988	1,082	1988	1	1988	533
1989	483	1989	4	1989	677
1990	430	1990	0	1990	401
1991	483	1991	0	1991	385
1992	306	1992	0	1992	373
1993	288	1993	0	1993	399
1994	346	1994	3	1994	805
1995	276	1995	0	1995	735
1 Includes both new licences and renewals of existing licences.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the total amount of asbestos used in the United Kingdom (a) last year and (b) over the past decade. [33633]

This information is not available in the required form. The use of asbestos may be estimated from import figures, although imported unmanufactured asbestos may be made into products which are subsequently exported. Therefore, an accurate figure for asbestos usage in the United Kingdom cannot be given. The figures for imports of unmanufactured asbestos which are available from 1987 to 1994 are listed in the table. No figures are yet available for imports last year.

Imports of unmanufactured asbestos into the United Kingdom from 1987
Year	Import(thousand tonnes)
1987	23.7
1988	24.3
1989	19.7
1990	16.0
1991	11.2
1992	10.3
1993	9.7
1994	11.5

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many reports he has received relating to leaks in masks used in association with the removal of asbestos in the last three years; what research he has commissioned into achieving better standards for such masks; and if he will make a statement. [33635]

I have received no such reports. However, the Health and Safety Executive has kept this matter under review and will shortly publish the results of research into the field performance of respirators used for asbestos removal work.It is the responsibility of manufacturers of respiratory protective equipment to carry out research to improve the standards of their products.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what staff resources are currently being deployed by English Partnerships in preparing for the acquisition of the Coal Authority's property portfolio; and what is English Partnerships' estimate of remaining staff time to complete these preparations; [33643](2) what timetable has been agreed by English Partnerships for the acquisition of the Coal Authority portfolio. [33642]