To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he proposes to take to keep illegal material off the Internet. [41234]

The Internet is one of the most important developments in information technology of recent years, and the Government are determined that problems with the very small proportion of illegal material should not jeopardise the enormous potential benefits of the Internet to UK users.The basis for the Government's approach is that the Internet is not a legal vacuum: the law applies on-line as it does off it.We therefore welcome the recent industry-led initiative in the UK, put forward by the two leading UK trade associations, the Internet Service Providers Association and the London internet exchange, Linx, supported by the Government and the police, and facilitated by the DTI, which addresses these difficult issues. The proposals, "R

To ask the President of the Board of Trade for trade in (a) good, (b) good and services and (c) on a balance of payment basis, what was (i) the trade balance for each EU country with the rest of the EU country with the rest of the EU in each year from 1990 to 1995, in real terms and in millions of pounds, (ii) the trade balance for each EU country with the rest of the world outside the EU in years 1990 to 1995 in real terms and in millions of pounds and (iii) the trade balance for each EU country with the whole world expressed as (1) a percentage of GDP between 1990 and 1995 and (2) in real terms and in millions of pounds. [40729]

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: The complete data requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, for EU(12) countries, statistics on the balance of trade in goods split by intra-EU and extra-EU can be obtained from Eurostat's Comext CD ROM. Comparable figures for the three new members can be obtained from the International Monetary Fund's "Direction of Trade Statistics". The EU(15) balance of trade in goods and services with the world, and GDP estimates can be obtained from OECD national accounts, volume 1. All these publications are available in the Library of the House. The EU(12) trade balance in services is published in Eurostat's "International Trade in Services" up to 1993.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the difference in billions of pounds between the assets of those advanced gas-cooled reactors and pressurised water reactors that have been privatised and the remuneration of all kinds that the Exchequer has derived from those privatisations. [40726]

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: At the time of privatisation, British Energy had net assets of some £1.5 billion, as shown on page 87 of the British Energy share offer prospectus. Proceeds from the sale of British Energy, including the repayment of debt but excluding the value of the remaining shares held by the Secretary of State on behalf of the Government, will be some £1.8 billion. Further proceeds will be generated by the future sale of the retained shares in British Energy, which have a value of about £180 million at the issue price.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in respect of the establishment of a permanent international war crimes court. [41307]

I shall write to the hon. Member shortly. Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provisions exist for the offshore disposal of radioactive scale arising from oil exploration and drilling in the North sea and Atlantic. [41251]

Discharge of naturally radioactive scale from oil exploration and drilling in UK waters is regulated under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, as amended. The Environment Agency is the regulator for the English and Welsh sectors. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is the regulator for the Scottish sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what contribution his Department made to the World Conservation Congress held in Montreal this month; if his Department was represented at the congress; and what plans he has to assess the conclusions of the congress. [41252]

The UK is a state member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Officials from my Department are leading the UK delegation at the World Conservation Congress which began on 13 October and will finish on 23 October. My Department contributed towards the costs of the UK IUCN committee's report on the UK's contribution to IUCN 1994 to 1996, which will be launched during the congress.

To ask the Prime Minister what new policy proposals were announced by Ministers of Her Majesty's Government in the week beginning 7 October; and if he will indicate which of them will be subject to compliance cost assessments. [40801]

The Government prepare a compliance cost assessment for all new legislation likely to have an impact on business and the voluntary sector. The Government's legislative programme will be presented to the House on 23 October. Compliance costs assessments will be presented in due course for the Bills in the programme.

To ask the Prime Minister what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41173]

For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will allocate to a department the assessments of the non-air defence implications associated with unidentified flying objects; and if he will make a statement. [40822]

The air defence and air traffic implications of unidentified flying objects are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and the Civil Aviation Authority respectively. The Government have no plans to allocate resources to researching extraterrestrial phenomena.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will extend the Northern Ireland compensation scheme for terrorist attacks to mainland Britain. [40934]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Eastham), by my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade on 27 June 1996, Official Report, column 202.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the total expenditure on new buildings and premises by his Department and its agencies; and if he will indicate the square footage of new office space purchased or newly rented in each of the last five years. [41148]

For the purposes of this question, my Office is part of the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by my right hon. Friend, the Paymaster General.

To ask the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to encourage the purchase and use of British beef by Government Departments. [41308]

The best way to encourage use of British beef is to restore confidence in the product. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has launched an initiative to reassure consumers and those responsible for procurement about the rigorous enforcement of the control measures introduced to protect public health. The Meat and Livestock Commission is continuing with its successful campaign to promote consumption.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has and what consultations he has set up on the introduction of a salaried status scheme for general practice. [40668]

[holding answer 14 October 1996]: Proposals for the development of primary care health services, including a salaried option for general practitioners, are set out in the White Paper "Choice and Opportunity", Cm 3390, published on 15 October. This issue is also addressed in the document "Primary Care: The Way Forward in Wales", also published on 15 October, which reflects the views put forward in the Principality during the wide-ranging consultation exercise which preceded the White Paper.Copies of both documents have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidance he has published to prevent overcrowding in schools. [41196]

Non-statutory guidance, produced by the Department for Education and Employment, entitled "Area Guidelines for Schools (Building Bulletin 82)" was published on 6 September 1996.

To ask the Secretary of States for Wales what percentage of total school leavers in the maintained sector failed to attain five GCSEs at grades A or C in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by gender. [41197]

The information requested is contained in the following table.

Percentage of school leavers, aged 15 and above1, from maintained schools2, leaving without 5 GCSEs at grades A(A*) to C'
	All pupils	Boys	Girls
1990–91	69	73	65
1991–92	62	66	58
1992–93	60	65	56
1993–94	58	63	53
1994–95	60	65	55

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what capacity of electricity used in his Department's buildings is generated in a combined heat and power plant; and what plans he has to increase that capacity. [41310]

None. We review our energy costs regularly, and have concluded that a combined heat and power plant would not be cost-effective for any of the Welsh Office estate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what representations he has received concerning the change programme in the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement; [41273](2) what plans he has to meet the Civil and Public Services Association to discuss the change programme of the Benefits Agency; and if he will make a statement. [41274]

This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements are in place in (a) Blaenau Gwent and (b) Wales generally to support school leavers with physical disabilities with day care facilities. [41299]

There were seven day centres in Blaenau Gwent in 1995—the latest year for which figures are available—offering a total of 600 places for mixed groups. The number of places specifically available to people with a physical disability was not reported.In Wales as a whole, there were 249 day centres offering 2,500 places per week for people with physical disabilities and 5,300 for mixed groups which may include physically disabled people.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will investigate the adequacy of the application of the all-Wales strategy for support for those with severe disabilities in Blaenau Gwent. [41301]

We have no plans to undertake an investigation of Blaenau Gwent's discharge of its social services functions. The Welsh Office will be receiving the normal monitoring information on the authority's use of the mental handicap strategy funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the arrangement in place under the new unitary authorities in Wales for the application of the all-Wales strategy for care of the disabled. [41303]

Social Services Inspectorate Wales has published a report entitled "Local Government Reorganisation Personal Social Services Monitoring Exercise: Overview Report" a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The Welsh Office has met all the unitary authorities to discuss their arrangements for discharging their social services functions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average waiting period for local authorities in Wales to provide funding allocation for severely handicapped school leavers under the all-Wales strategy. [41300]

This information is not held centrally. Local authorities have the responsibility for the planning and commissioning of community care, including care and support for school leavers. This includes care and support for individuals with a learning disability and funding allocated to authorities under the mental handicap strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what review he has made of the home care provisions for the handicapped in Wales. [41302]

Local authorities are responsible for arranging community care services, including domiciliary care, to meet local needs. They are required to publish social care plans each year for the provision of community care services in their area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many additional speech therapists have been recruited since 1992; [41260](2) how many additional speech therapists have been recruited since 1992 with the capacity to practise in the Welsh language; [41261](3) how many speech therapists have the ability to practise in the Welsh language. [41262]

The number of speech therapists who have been recruited is not collected centrally. The following table shows the staff in post on 30 September for each of the last four years. Due to the use of local payscales, however, there are small numbers of staff within the scientific and professional pay group who cannot be allocated to a particular occupation and these staff—some of whom may be speech therapists—are excluded from the figures. Information on the number of speech therapists who can practise in Welsh is not available.

Whole-time equivalent number of speech therapists in post at 30 September
Number
1992	168
1993	177
1994	180
1995	199

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the agricultural use of organophosphates in Wales. [41298]

I will write to the hon. Member as soon as possible, and place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what capacity of electricity used in his Department's buildings is generated in a combined heat and power plant; and what plans he has to increase that capacity. [41325]

None of the electricity used by my Department is generated by combined heat and power plant. There are no plans to utilise this form of energy in the foreseeable future.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date the visit by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Land Registry in Plymouth on 18 September was first discussed by his Department. [40932]

The visit to Plymouth Land Registry was first discussed on 4 June 1996.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment he has made of the reasons for the recent fall in the caseload of magistrates courts in south Westminster; and if he will make a statement. [41063]

Over the past three years the main areas of work of the magistrates courts in south Westminster showing a reduction have been the number of charges brought and laying of information for summonses by the Metropolitan police, and the number of parking offences processed by the magistrates courts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the (a) magistrates and (b) other courts which have closed in the county of South Yorkshire in each of the past five years. [40906]

There have been no magistrate, or Crown court closures in the last five years in South Yorkshire. The Thorne county court closed on 4 January 1994.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of legal aid applications received from members of the public in South Yorkshire, for each of the last five years, indicating the total sums involved. [40968]

It is not possible to identify separately applications for legal aid received from residents of South Yorkshire; the Legal Aid Board area office in Leeds covers the county of South Yorkshire along with 10 other counties or regions.The total number of applications received for civil legal aid by the Leeds area office over the last five years were as follows:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what redress will be available to a victim of a false, malicious communication to the Department of Social Security's Benefits Agency's shop-a-benefit-fraudster hotline; and if he will make a statement. [40887]

Any redress available to people about whom such communications will have been made will depend on the nature of any harm suffered. This will vary from case to case, and it is not possible to give a general statement of what remedy would be available. Anyone who has suffered harm as a result of such communications would have to obtain legal advice. The Government are determined to crack down on benefit fraud.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41181]

I regret that it has not been possible to provide an answer before Prorogation. I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total expenditure on new buildings and premises by his Department and its agencies; and if he will indicate the square footage of new office space purchased or newly rented in each of the last five years. [41141]

The information shows the square footage of new office space acquired during the period requested. The information reflects space acquired for departmental headquarters offices, associated offices, the Public Trust Office and the Courts Service.

• 1993–94: 426.6 sqm
• 1994–95: 4573.41 sqm
• 1995–96: 13,316 sqm (together with nominal holdings for the General Commissioners of Income tax in buildings in Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Bristol and London transferred from the Inland Revenue)
• 1996–97: 2551.7 sqm (transferred to LCD under the provisions of the Efficiency Scrutiny of Civil Estate)

I regret that it has not been possible before Prorogation to provide details of the space acquired by the Court Service outside its headquarters. I will write to the hon. Member with these details for the period until 1 April 1995. The chief executive of the Court Service will reply in relation to the period after 1 April 1995, when the Court Service became an executive agency. The chief executives of Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Record Office will also reply separately after Prorogation. Copies of all these letters will be placed in the Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what capacity of electricity used in his Department's buildings is generated in a combined heat and power plant; and what plans he has to increase that capacity. [41318]

I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41172]

I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41174]

I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department has spent on (a) publicity, (b) promotions, and (c) hospitality in each of the last six years. [40622]

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as possible and place a copy of the letter in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what improvements have been made in key public services and to regeneration projects following Government capital investment since 1979. [41333]

I have today deposited in the Library of the House available information and statistics on investments in schools, roads, hospitals and regeneration since 1979.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what progress there has been in removing unnecessary burdens on business under the deregulation programme. [41334]

Over 750 regulations have been repealed or amended in the last three years, 420 in the last 12 months, with about 350 further regulations to be repealed or amended by the end of 1996.The Government also announced a number of new measures including several in response to the second report by the deregulation task force on 23 September. These included:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the risk of skin cancer for service men in the Falklands as a result of perceived changes in the ozone layer; and what precautions he has initiated. [40708]

There is no evidence of health problems amongst service men or their families from ultraviolet light in the Falkland Islands.Personnel deploying to the Falkland Islands are briefed on the risk of ultraviolet light exposure to the skin. Regular news bulletins warn of the daily risk, with personnel being advised to use high factor sun block and to cover up with long sleeve shirts and wide-brimmed hats. There is an environmental health team based at Mount Pleasant which regularly monitors the risk of all environmental health factors on the Falkland Islands.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many female recruits in the armed services anti-depressants have been prescribed since the start of training, in the last year. [40770]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41175]

Individual budget holders in my Department have delegated powers to employ external consultants as they think fit within the limit of their resources and consistent with all requirements for propriety and value for money. The information required has therefore not hitherto been held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Furthermore, external consultants may be engaged by budget holders for assistance on a wide range of problems, but very seldom with the sole specific aim of securing financial savings.My officials have now begun to collect data from all areas of the Department to establish the total expenditure on external consultancy. The exercise covering financial year 1995–96 was completed earlier this year and revealed that expenditure by the Department, including its agencies, in that period was £150.8 million. I wrote on 21 June 1996 to the hon. Member for Torfaen (Mr. Murphy), a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House, giving a breakdown of this expenditure.A similar exercise will be undertaken to show expenditure during 1996–97. Once the information is to hand I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the extent of use of organophosphate insecticides by British forces during the Gulf war; how many troops sprayed these pesticides; what items were sprayed by the insecticides; where were the insecticides purchased; what research his Department had carried out (a) before the Gulf war and (b) after the Gulf war into the health implications of using organophosphates; and what advice was given by his Department during the Gulf war to service personnel spraying the insecticides. [41112]

These questions will be fully covered in the investigation I have already announced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list all the pesticides, together with the quantities, used by British troops during the Gulf war; [41253](2) if he will list the vaccines given to British forces before they were deployed to the Gulf war; [41254](3) if he will make a statement on the tests carried out by his Department on pyridostigmine bromide before its use in the Gulf war. [41255]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if his Department's current investigations into the cause of Gulf war syndrome include research into the possible contribution made by the inhalation of uranium dust arising from the use of depleted uranium armour-piercing shells; [41295](2) which delousing agents were used to treat Iraqi prisoners captured during Operation Granby in the Gulf war; and what health protective measures were taken for

I will write to the hon. Members and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what post Mr. Nicholas Pope was appointed by his Department after his tour of duty with Secretariat (Air Staff) Department 2A; and if he will make a statement. [40920]

Mr. Nicholas Pope was posted on promotion two years ago to a general finance policy branch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the current risk posed to civilians from exploded depleted uranium-tipped shells in Kuwait. [41101]

My Department has conducted no formal assessment of the risks to civilians from exploded depleted uranium-tipped ammunition in Kuwait.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the risk to soldiers of handling depleted uranium-tipped shells. [41100]

Depleted uranium has a very low level of radioactivity and the risks attached to the handling of depleted uranium ammunition are minimal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the 1991 Atomic Energy Authority report on industrial technology concerning the risk of exposure to exploded depleted uranium-tipped shells. [41102]

I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 7 August 1996, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium-tipped shells were fired by British forces during the Gulf war; and what assessment he has made of the number of exploded shells remaining in Kuwait. [41099]

British forces fired some 88 depleted uranium shells during the Gulf conflict. The Ministry of Defence has made no assessment of the number of exploded shells remaining in Kuwait, as we judge the risk to human health posed by DU rounds to be negligible. It is likely, though, that a large proportion of the 88 shells was expended in Iraq rather than Kuwait.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies have been conducted by his Department into the nephrotoxicity of the inhalation of uranium particles. [41296]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the locations of the houses from the married quarters estate that have been released to Arrington Homes for immediate use by the private sector. [40931]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work is currently undertaken at RAF Rudloe Manor; what work was undertaken in the last 10 years; what was, by rank, the establishment for the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [40823]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the current function of DI55 SIG; what was its function (a) five years and (b) 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement; [41040](2) what is the current function of DI65B; what was its function

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what consultation has taken place in each of the last five years by his Department with the French Ministry of Defence Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in respect of unidentified flying objects; and if he will make a statement; [41048](2) if a lodger unit housed within his Department's Flying Complaints Flight specialises in unidentified flying object investigations; and if he will make a statement; [41036](3) how many records currently held by his Department's Scientific Intelligence Branch are under extended closure for

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral statement of 14 October, Official Report, column 476, on what date the F3 Tornado which crashed on Blackpool beach in September, received its certificate of airworthiness. [41070]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his reply of 14 October, Official Report, column 484, by whom the investigation into the crash of the Tornado F3 off Blackpool on 28 September will be carried out. [41336]

The Tornado F3 that crashed near Blackpool on 28 September 1996 had been authorised to fly by the Ministry of Defence on the same day as the accident.The authorisation was issued, at British Aerospace Warton where the aircraft was being refurbished, in accordance with standard procedures for aircraft undergoing such work.The aircraft which crashed was the ninth of a series of 16 aircraft being refurbished by British Aerospace. The previous eight had already been returned to the RAF in fully operational condition.A Ministry of Defence board of inquiry is under way into the causes of the crash and not one by the Department of Transport as suggested by my right hon. Friend on 14 October,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total expenditure on new buildings and premises by his Department and its agencies; and if he will indicate the square footage of new office space purchased or newly rented in each of the last five years. [41147]

The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the strength of the British armed forces on 1 April 1992; and what will be its strength on (a) 1 April 1999 and (b) 1 April 2000. [41111]

The total service strength of the regular armed forces on 1 April 1992 was 302,400. The estimated strength on 1 April 1999 and 1 April 2000 is 213,500 for each year. Both figures include Gurkha strengths, Royal Marines and Queen Alexandra Royal Naval Nursing Service, and an element for personnel undergoing training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the result of his Department's investigations into an incident on board HMS Sceptre on 22 July; and if he will make a statement. [40835]

The Royal Navy board of inquiry into the incident on 22 July, when two peace demonstrators were apprehended shortly after gaining access to HMS Sceptre, identified the need to tighten certain aspects of the specific security procedures relating to our nuclear hunter killer submarines. This has been done. It also recommended a number of additional security and management measures to minimise the possibility of such an incident happening again. Many of these have already been put in place, and others are being addressed with the greatest urgency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the titles of the records of the Ministry of Defence's scientific intelligence branch in respect of correspondence sent to Mr. Nicholas Redfern by the Public Record Office, Kew on 21 September 1990. [40889]

I will write to hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library in the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department entered into an agreement with the developers of Peninsula barracks, Winchester, so that his Department could share in any gain arising from development; and if he will make a statement; [41227](2) if he will set out

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what capacity of electricity used in his Department's buildings is generated in a combined heat and power plant; and what plans he has to increase that capacity.[41317]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what authority (a) members of visiting forces and (b) US security police officers arrest and detain United Kingdom citizens on public highways for (i) theft and (ii) other alleged offences against United Kingdom law. [41328]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 July to the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mrs. Currie), Official Report, columns 532–33, if he will now make a statement on the outcome of the Medical Research Council selection process on the 37 outline proposals for research into Gulf war syndrome mentioned in his answer. [41306]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the organophosphate pesticide Denenton-S-Methyl was used by his Department's medical personnel in Operation Granby in the Gulf war; [41293](2) pursuant to the letter from the Minister of State for the Armed Forces to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent, on 4 October, if he will now correct his answer of 11 July 1994,

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what activities of his Department come within the scope of the Euratom treaty. [41297]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the desecration of war graves in northern France. [41256]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects a decision on the market testing bids at RAF Sealand; and if he will make a statement. [41257]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what prospects there are for the Raytheon Hawker jet work force at Broughton, Flintshire, obtaining contracts to service the MOD's Dominie aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [41258]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to purchase British Aerospace's planned A319 tanker airbus; and if he will make a statement. [41259]

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the present number of British naval bases in England and Wales; and if he will list them; [39224](2) what is the present number of British Army bases in England and Wales; and if he will list; [39226](3) what is the present number of Royal Air Force bases in England and Wales; and if he will list them. [39223]

I shall write to my hon. Friend and a copy of the reply will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Attorney-General what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41176]

The latest estimates of expenditure on external consultants for the departments and agencies for which I am responsible are set out in the table in 1996 prices. The legal secretariat to the Law Officers has not incurred any such expenditure. External consultants were engaged primarily to advise on matters of management or to develop new systems and, while their advice is considered to have contributed very significantly to efficiency, it is not possible to quantify the annual cost savings attributable to this expenditure.

£ thousand
Department	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
Crown Prosecution Service	713	722	719	696
Serious Fraud Office	123	159	373	278
Treasury Solicitor's Department	367	456	131	148
Government Property Lawyers Agency	-	7	21	17

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, by Driving Standards Agency regional office, the number of application forms currently awaiting a booking date, the time it currently takes to answer a telephone call and the current average waiting time for a driving test application to be processed. [40688]

At 30 September the numbers of driving test application forms awaiting processing in each of the Driving Standards Agency Area Offices were:

Area office	Number
London and South East	1,689
Midlands and Eastern	1,640
Wales and Western	1,504

Area office	Number
Northern	1,420
Scotland	201
National	6,454

The agency's target for telephone answering has been for 90 per cent. of calls to be answered within 60 seconds. The results for the week ending 27 September were:

Area office	Number of calls answered	In 60 seconds (per cent.)
London and South East	22,097	70
Midlands and Eastern	14,774	31
Wales and Western	12,894	88
Northern	17,722	96
Scotland	5,591	92
Total	73,078	75

The average number of days between receipt of valid application and issue of appointment cards at the start of October is estimated to be:

Area office	Average number of days
London and South east	5
Midland and Eastern	4
Wales and Western	5
Northern	3
Scotland	3
Average	4

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the average waiting times for driving tests for each of the past 18 months. [40693]

The average waiting times for driving tests between March 1995 and August 1996 are shown in the table.

Weeks
	Cars	Motorcycles	Lorry/bus
1995
March	6.4	4.3	3.3
April	6.7	4.7	3.0
May	7.3	5.8	3.0
June	7.5	5.8	2.9
July	7.6	6.1	3.0
August	8.0	6.6	3.0
September	7.7	5.9	3.2
October	7.6	5.3	3.3
November	8.0	5.1	3.6
December	7.7	4.0	2.8
1996
January	8.2	4.2	3.6
February	9.2	6.3	4.0
March	10.5	12	8.2
April	12.4	13.6	7.7
May	13.0	14.6	7.6
June	11.7	14.5	7.1
July	10.4	14.5	6.6
August	9.9	14.4	6.3

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if candidates undertaking driving tests are required to provide a signed driving licence before undertaking their test. [40703]

Driving test candidates are required to present their signed driving licence at the start of a driving test as evidence of identity and driver status, though examiners have the discretion to allow the test to proceed if otherwise satisfied that the licence exists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the numbers of people (a) passing and (b) failing driving tests at driving test centres by location from 1 July to the latest convenient date; and what percentage change these figures represent over those for (i) 12 and (ii) 24 months previously. [40443]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State forTransport what assessment he has made of the potentialenvironmental benefits of oxygenated fuel; and if he will make a statement. [40717]

An assessment by the Department of Transport has shown that increasing the quantity of oxygenates in petrol can result in reduced emissions, primarily carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, through more complete combustion of the fuel in the engine. The assessment also showed that the addition of oxygen to petrol as an alternative octane booster allows for a reduction in benzene in the fuel, but at the expense of increased aldehyde emissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential environmental benefits of the use of city diesel; and if he will make a statement. [40719]

The Government are currently considering the role that cleaner fuels, including ultra low-sulphur diesels such as "city diesel", might play in minimising road transport emissions. To that end "city diesel" is included in the continuing comparative trials of cleaner or alternative fuels which the Government are sponsoring. The trials will provide an indication of both the emissions reduction potential of such fuels and of their practicality and cost-effectiveness in comparison with conventional fuels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received about the potential environmental benefits of city diesel. [40718]

Representations about the potential environmental benefits of city diesel and of a number of other alternative or cleaner fuels have been received from a number of bodies including fuel producers and retailers, operators, local authorities and environmental groups.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those structures on (a) the M1, (b) the M6, (c) the M5 and (d) the M25 which fail to meet the standards for 44 tonne heavy goods vehicles. [40683]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each trust port (a) its date of privatisation, (b) the sale price and (c) its current value as listed on the stock exchange. [40701]

The month of sale and price of each of the privatised trust ports are shown below. Stock exchange listings do not provide comparable data: not all the ports were listed after privatisation, and several are now part of larger port groups.

Proceeds from the sale of trust ports
Port	Sale Price £ million	Date of sale
Tees and Hartlepool	180.00	January 1992
Clyde	26.00	March 1992
Forth	112.70	March 1992
Medway	29.70	March 1992
Tilbury	32.00	March 1992
Dundee	18.05	November 1995

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for each of the last five years the budget for (a) re-signing, (b) landscaping and (c) lighting in the overall roads programme budget. [40700]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will update the figures and information given in his answer of 16 October 1995, Official Report, columns 75–80, in respect of road schemes completed for the last six years in respect of all projects; if he will identify which have been completed in the last 12 months; and what in each case was the average overrun. [40739]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ensure that the test centre in Southend will remain in operation for the foreseeable future. [41192]

The Driving Standards Agency has no current plans to cease operations from its driving test centre in Southend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 26 February to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill), Official Report, column 340, if he will now update the congestion or stress maps which were placed in the Library by producing a regional map showing more detailed forecasts of congestion for trunk roads in the north-west of England, with particular reference to key links on the motorway network in the region. [41243]

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 26 February, to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, West (Mr. Butterfill), OfficialReport, column 340, if he will now update the congestion or stress maps which were placed in the Library by producing a regional map showing more detailed forecasts of congestion for trunk roads in the midlands, with particular reference to key links on the motorway network in the region. [41242]

I have asked my officials to produce regional maps as requested covering each of the English regions and to place copies in the Library of the House within four weeks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41189]

In each of the financial years from 1992–93 to 1995–96 the expenditure on external consultants, at 1996–97 prices, was as follows:

Financial year	Expenditure £ million
1992–93	226
1993–94	253
1994–95	208
1995–96	176

It is not possible to quantify the annual cost savings resulting from this expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what reports he has received of unauthorised landings from the air during the last 12 months over (a) South, (b) West, (c) North Yorkshire and (d) Humberside; and if he will make a statement. [40832]

It is not clear to what sort of landings the hon. Gentlemen is referring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what capacity of electricity used in his Department's buildings is generated in a combined heat and power plant; and what plans he has to increase that capacity. [41312]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the reduction in grass cutting and litter clearance on trunk roads in urban areas. [40940]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the outcome of the Transport Council held in Luxembourg on 3 and 4 October. [41344]

The Transport Council met in Luxembourg on 3 and 4 October. My hon. Friend the Minister for Railways and Roads represented the United Kingdom.The only item before the Council for decision was a proposal for negotiations with 10 central and eastern European countries on agreements aimed at integrating these countries' air transport markets with that of the Community. This was agreed. The Council met Transport Ministers from the 10 countries, as part of the agreed strategy of "structured relations" with these countries to help prepare them for EU membership. The discussion concentrated on the development of railways and combined transport.The Commission reported on progress in the negotiations for land and air transport agreements between the Community and Switzerland.The Council debated the Commission's White Paper on the future of the Community's railways. The United Kingdom welcomed the emphasis in the paper on greater commercialisation, the further separation of infrastructure and operations and open access for freight services.The Council debated a draft directive on heavy goods vehicle taxation and road user charging, intended as a replacement for the existing directive, which has been annulled by the European Court of Justice. The Council also considered two proposals for further liberalisation of bus and coach services. The Council discussed a draft regulation on air transport, to extend and harmonise air carrier's liability in case of death or injury to passengers, and a draft directive on maritime safety, to introduce a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels over 24m. It is planned that there should be further discussions at official level on all these proposals before the next Transport Council.The United Kingdom presented a paper to the Council urging further work on methods of transferring the costs of marine infrastructure, such as navigational aids, from state budgets to users of the services provided. The Commission said that it would continue to look at this issue.Other issues raised at the Council include aviation safety, air traffic management, and combined transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has given to tampon manufacturers in respect of overnight safety of products. [40740]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are his latest estimates of the expenditure on all external consultants, including management consultants, for each year since 1992, in 1996 prices, for his Department and its agencies; and what are the quantified annual cost savings which such expenditure has resulted in. [41177]

Expenditure on all external consultants for the Department and its agencies for the years 1992–93 to 1995–96 in—1995–96 prices— is shown in the list. External consultants are used to assist in improving efficiency and effectiveness in the Department, but it is not possible to assess the savings which are a direct consequence of their activity.

• 1992–93: £19.732 million
• 1993–94: £16.611 million
• 1994–95: £18.927 million
• 1995–96: £18.363 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into a vaccine against dengue fever; and if he will make a statement. [40861]

Information on research commissioned by the Department of Health is contained in "The Centrally Commissioned Research Programme" and "The Centrally Commissioned Research Programme: Commissions in 1994–95", copies of which are available in the Library.Work on developing a vaccine against dengue has been underway for several years. Although recent work is encouraging, much further work is required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on vaccination against hepatitis B. [41055]

The United Kingdom has one of the lowest prevalence rates of hepatitis B carriers in the world and the Department's current policy is to recommend immunisation against hepatitis B for those groups at increased risk of infection because of their life style, occupation or other factors such as close contact with a case or carrier. This policy, including the risk groups for whom immunisation is recommended, is kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the average expenditure per head in (a) each health authority and (b) nationally in the last financial year for which figures are available. [41332]

Per capita spend for each district health authority in 1994–95, the latest financial year available, has been placed in the Library.The average per capita expenditure by district health authorities in England in 1994–95 was £383.Comparisons of these per capita spend figures need to be treated with caution. First, not all the expenditure covered arises from population related activities. Secondly, crude populations do not reflect differences in age structure or relative health care need. These differences feature in the formulae used to inform the main allocations to the former district health authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information relating to mesothelioma his Department distributes to general practitioners for issue to patients who have worked with asbestos. [41335]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cervical cancer screening tests were carried out in each nation, region and health authority area in each year since 1990 with, in each case, the percentage of such tests requiring follow-up; [41339](2) if he will place in the Library all guidance he has issued about the adequacy and competence of cervical cancer screening tests; [41340](3) what guidance he has issued as to the acceptance by NHS pathologists as adequate cervical cancer screening test record cards that do not confirm that visual inspection has taken place; [41341](4) what representations he has received as to the adequacy of cervical cancer screening where no visual inspection of the cervix has taken place. [41342]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 14 October, Official Report, column 755–56 (1) what is the total revenue payment in the current financial year to which his Department is committed in respect of projects funded under the private finance initiative; [41345](2) what total revenue payment in respect of national health service projects funded under the private finance initiative he projected for the current financial year at the time of the 1995 Budget; [41346](3) what total revenue payment in respect of national health service projects funded under the private finance initiative he now projects for the current financial year; [41347](4) what is the total revenue payment so far in the current financial year for national health service projects funded under the private finance initiative. [41348]

I will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each district health authority serving the Greater London area for each of the financial years 1996–97 and 1997–98 and subsequent years for which figures can be given (a) the recurrent deficit, (b) the non-recurrent surplus or deficit, (c) movement in balances, (d) the cash deficit and (e) those cash deficits expressed as a percentage of revenue or expenditure. [40794]

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: The information is not available in precisely the form requested. A table based on figures supplied by health authorities at the end of the first quarter of 1996–97 will be placed in the Library shortly. This sets out the forecast outturn position for each health authority including those serving the Greater London area, for 1996–97. These are shown as a percentage of each authority's income, and the forecast movement in balances in the year is also shown. We do not anticipate there being cash deficits as the system of brokerage between health authorities is expected to avoid these. Information on future years is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he received the letter dated 31 July for the hon. Member for Newham, South concerning his failure to answer his written question requesting information on health service deficits, of 22 July; when a substantive reply was sent; and for what reason the figures requested were regarded as being unsuitable for publication. [40795]

[holding answer 16 October 1996]: The hon. Member's letter of 31 July concerning health authority deficits was received on 2 August. An initial reply was sent on 21 August. A substantive reply was sent today. At the time the question was initially asked, 22 July, the information held by the national health service executive was considered to be incomplete and

Completed Central Government privatisations
Date	Organisation	Department1	Proceeds £ million
September 1998	Professional/Executive Recruitment	DE	6.0
May 1990	Skills Training Agency	DE	-10.7
December1991	ECGD Insurance Services Group	ECGD	20.0
December 1992	PSA Projects	DOE	-49.6
September-October 1993	PSA Services (BM Scotland)		3.5
	(BM Manchester)		8.0
	(BM Noreast)		-11.5
	(BM SE/BM S&W)		10.4
December 1993	DVOIT	DoT	5.5
February 1994	FORWARD	HMT	4.6
March 1994	DTELS	HO	6.5
March 1994	Agricultural Training Board	MAFF	Nil
December 1994	NHS Scotland CSA Building Division	SO	0.37
March 1995	AEA Facilities Management	DTI	12.0
July 1995	Scottish Homes Building Division	SO	2.0
August 1995	UK Accreditation Services	DTI	Nil
November 1995	National Engineering Laboratory	DTI	-1.95
March 1996	Transport Research Laboratory	DoT	6.0
March 1996	Laboratory of Government Chemist	DTI	-0.5
March 1996	Historic Property Restoration	DNH	0.37
April 1996	Natural Resources Institute	ODA	Nil
July 1996	WHCSA Estate Care Group	WO	0.17
July 1996	Chessington Computer Centre	OPS	11.25
September 1996	AEA Technology pic	DTI	210.0
September 1996	Occupational Health/Safety Agency	OPS	0.35
September 1996	Her Majesty's Stationery Office	OPS	54.0
October 1996	Recruitment and Assessment Services	OPS	7.25
Total			294.01
Total at 1996 prices			294.44
1 Proceeds are shown gross of costs and pension transfers, but net of payments for future restructuring costs etc.