To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many non-departmental public bodies there are; what percentage of appointments to these bodies are held by (a) women and (b) members of ethnic minorities; and when the annual list of such bodies will be published. [8816]

These figures are set out in the Cabinet Office—OPS—booklet "Public Bodies 1996", which is published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House. I am pleased to say that on 1 April 1996 there were 1,194 non-departmental public bodies—a fall of 33, or 2.7 per cent. since 1995, and of 973, or.45 per cent. since 1979. As of 1 September 1996, 31 per cent. of appointments to these bodies were held by women and 3.3 per cent. by members of the ethnic minorities; both of these are increases on the relevant figures for the previous year. This shows the success of the Government's policies of increasing equality of opportunity in public life, while at the same time reducing the size of the public sector overall.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to his answer of 28 November, Official Report, columns 347–49, on staff numbers, how many (a) permanent and (b) non-permanent staff there have been in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies of his Department in each year since 1992. [7849]

This answer covers the Cabinet Office, Office of Public Service, its executive agencies, HMSO and the Central Office of Information. We do not hold a complete record of the requested information but the figures we have are as follows:

1 April 1996
	Permanent	Non-permanent
Cabinet Office	601	12
OPS	447	25
CCTA	266	10
Civil Service College	250	35
Recruitment and Assessment Services	141	15
Occupational Health and Safety Agency	n/a	n/a
Chessington Computer Centre	n/a	n/a
SAFE	1,046	146
PACE	268	62
TBA	116	11
HMSO	2,651	200
COI	438	24

n/a = Full details not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of cruelty to dolphins in Japanese waters during the event known as iruka no oikami ryo at forthcoming international conferences; what representations he has made to the Japanese Government on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [7727]

No representations have been made to the Japanese Government on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his proposals for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office building, Whitehall. [8189]

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office building—Old Public Offices, Whitehall—is being refurbished for the first time since construction was completed in 1875 to provide modern office accommodation for the long term needs of this Department. On completion in January 1997 it will provide 25 per cent. more space allowing leased buildings to be given up, thus reducing running costs and improving operational efficiency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent elections in Nicaragua; and if he will make a statement. [8190]

As I told the House on 19 November, Official Report, column 459, independent observers concluded that the elections in Nicaragua, although not flawless, were conducted in a fair and transparent manner and contributed to the further consolidation of democracy. We share that view.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8536]

There was one such appointment.

To ask the Prime Minister how many knighthoods have been awarded to (a) Conservative and (b) Labour hon. Members in each year since November 1979. [8444]

One hundred and thirty Conservative and four Labour hon. members have received knighthoods since 1979. Successive leaders of the Labour party have refused to recommend awards for political services.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 December. [7002]

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 10 December. [7001]

This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

To ask the Prime Minister how much will be spent on Christmas trees and decorations for his official residences at (a) Chequers and (b) Downing street; how many Christmas trees will be bought for these two residences; and what are the types and county of origin of the trees. [7566]

[holding answer 6 December 1996]: The British Christmas Tree Growers Association has donated one Christmas tree, and three others have been donated by the Chequers estate. Approximately —460 has been spent on decorations for Downing street. Similar information for Chequers is a matter for the trustee's.

To ask the Prime Minister how much his office plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7588]

[holding answer 6 December 1996]: As far as I am aware, none.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if the Human Genetics Advisory Commission will include industrialists with a direct interest in the development of genetics; [8243](2) how the Human Genetics Advisory Commission will be financed; and what will be the remuneration for the chairman and members; [8241](3) for what reasons no lay representation has been included in the membership of the Human Genetics Advisory Commission; [8245](4) what criteria were used to select members of the new Human Genetics Advisory Commission; and if he will

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Lady Olga Maitland) on 2 December, Official Report, columns 488–89, announcing the membership of this new body.The advisory commission is intended to take a broad perspective on the implications of human genetics, rather than represent the interests of any particular group. Members have been chosen on their own merits, in consultation with the public appointments unit, and represent between them informed and interested opinion on developments in genetics. Their curriculum vitae have been provided on a personal and confidential basis. Lay members have been included.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department has signed the Melbourne declaration on injury prevention and control, adopted on 22 February. [7945]

The third international conference on injury prevention, held in Melbourne in February 1996, brought together representatives of the international injury prevention and control community, but was not an intergovernmental conference.The so-called "Melbourne declaration", adopted by the conference, addresses certain recommendations to Governments, among others, but does not provide for formal endorsement by Governments of its conclusions.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many public holidays there were in each of the past five years in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) England, (e) the Netherlands, (f) France and (g) Italy. [7497]

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: The information requested is shown in the following table:

	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996
England	8	8	8	8	8
Wales	8	8	8	8	8
Scotland1	8	8	8	82	8
N.Ireland	10	10	10	10	10
Netherlands3	9	9	8	8	8
Italy	10	10	10	10	94
France	11	11	11	11	11
Source:
Official Journals of the European Communities.
Notes:
1 Subject to regional, local and institutional variations.
2 There was an additional bank holiday on the 8 May 1995 to link with commemorative arrangements for the 50th anniversary of VE Day. This was in addition to the existing 1 May 1995 bank holiday; in practice, most employers in Scotland observed one of these two holidays.
3 Liberation day (5 May) is observed in the civil service and by some trade groups. It is listed as a public holiday in the "Official Journal of the European Communities" in some years but not others.
4 Immaculate Conception Day (8 December) is not listed as a holiday in the "Official Journal of the European Communities" for 1996 but remains a public holiday in Italy.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions Mr. A, whose name has been supplied to him, advised the DTI on Synex Ltd.'s application for regional selective assistance. [6236]

[holding answer 27 November 1996]: In respect of the application by Synex Ltd. Mr. A provided written accountancy advice on three occasions, through reports dated 7 January 1995, 19 January 1995 and 22 February 1995. Mr. A however ceased to be retained by the Department as an advisor before appraisal of all aspects of the case was completed. The accountancy aspects of the case were therefore fully reviewed by the Department's central industrial development unit.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates the South-West industrial development board discussed the application of Synex Ltd. for regional selective assistance; and which members were present. [6229]

[holding answer 27 November 1996]: The application was referred to at five meetings of the board. Three of these, on 21 December 1994, 12 April 1995 and 28 June 1995, were simply reports on the receipt of the application or its progress. The application was discussed substantially at two meetings held on 25 January 1995 and 22 February 1995 when the board members present were as follows:

25 January 1995

• Mr. R. Harris (Chairman)
• Mr. N. Falls
• Mr. P. Gregory
• Mr. M. Jordan
• Mr. A. Loze

22 February 1995

• Mr. R. Harris (Chairman)
• Mr. N. Falls
• Mr. P. Gregory
• Mr. M. Jordan
• Mr. A. Loze
• Mr. V. Parsons

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what declarations of interest (a) Mr. B and (b) Mr. C, whose names have been supplied to him, made at meetings of the South-West industrial development board to discuss the application of Synex Ltd. for regional selective assistance; and on which occasions they left meetings where a conflict of interest might arise. [6235]

[holding answer 27 November 1996]: It is not recorded that Mr. B made a declaration of interest in the application by Synex Ltd.At the meeting of the SWIDB held on 21 December 1994 members were informed about an imminent application from Synex Ltd. Mr. C declared immediately he had an interest in the case. Mr. C did not attend the meeting on 25 January 1995 when the application by Synex Ltd. was first substantively discussed, and absented himself from the discussion which took place on 22 February. The two subsequent meetings on 12 April and 28 June were essentially updating the board about progress of the case and it was not felt necessary for Mr. C to withdraw.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what factors underlay the decisions by (a) DTI South-East to award a regional selective assistance grant to Synex Ltd. and (b) DTI South-West to refuse such a grant; [6232](2) what factors underlay the refusal by his Department's south-west office to award a regional selective assistance grant to Synex Ltd. [6233]

[holding answer 27 November 1996]: Each application for regional selective assistance is determined on its merits against the common criteria for the scheme, which are explained in the Department's brochure, "Investing in the Assisted Areas", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The project as presented to Government office SW was judged not to have satisfied the criteria.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment he has made of the consumer protection regime governing the market for funeral pre-payment plans sold by companies to elderly people on the endorsement of registered charities. [7456]

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: I addressed this matter in the recent consultation paper published by my Department in July on pre-paid funerals. The question of endorsements by registered charities in England and Wales is a matter for the Charity Commission. Charities are also subject to regulation in Scotland through the Scottish charities office. Advertisements featuring such endorsements are subject to controls by the Advertising Standards Authority. In the consultation document, it was proposed that the nature of the relationship between the plan provider and the charity—or the charity's trading subsidiary—should be made clear to the customer. I am currently reviewing the responses on this and the rest of the proposals.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cars were produced in the United Kingdom in each year since 1979 by (i) United Kingdom companies and (ii) United Kingdom-owned companies. [7827]

[holding answer 6 December 1996]: Figures showing the number of cars produced in the United Kingdom each year, including production by company, are published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. whose publication, `World Automotive Statistics', with figures for the years in question, are available in the Library of the House. The ownership of UK car manufacturers may also be derived from commercial databases such as The Financial Times "Profile" also available in the Library of the House. However, assembling the information on UK-owned car manufacturers for this time period could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make a statement on duties on cotton loomstate imports of cloth from (a) China, (b) Egypt, (c) India, (d) Indonesia, (e) Pakistan and (f)Turkey; if he will list the levels of import duties; when those duties came into effect; and for what reasons they were introduced; [8267](2) if he will make it his policy to renegotiate import duties on cotton fabrics from

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: On 21 November 1996 the European Commission imposed provisional anti-dumping duties for six months on imports of unbleached cotton fabrics from China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey. The duty rates are set out in Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2208/96 of 18 November 1996 published in the Official Journal of the European Communities No. L295 of 20 November 1996. This is available in the Library of the House. The decision followed the Commission's preliminary investigation of a complaint that the products were being dumped in the Community by the countries concerned.At this provisional stage, the Commission is obliged to consult member states but is able to impose duties on its own authority. My Department has received a considerable number of representations against the measures from companies in the textiles finishing sector and from the British Apparel and Textiles Confederation. Accordingly, and in the light of our own analysis, we told the Commission that we strongly opposed the duties because the adverse effects would far outweigh any benefits to EU producers of cotton fabrics.My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade raised the matter personally with Sir Leon Brittan. Although Sir Leon ultimately decided to authorise the provisional duties, he has undertaken to carry out a thorough analysis of the balance of interests before deciding whether to propose that they be made definitive. The UK will vote against any such proposal, which to be implemented would require the support of a simple majority of member states. At present, the indications are that no such majority exists.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what promotional and public information campaigns his Department is (a) currently running and (b) planning to run during the next six months; and for each campaign (i) how much it will cost, (1) in total and (2) to his Department, (ii) what agencies or bodies are undertaking the work and (iii) what is its planned duration. [7412]

My Department produces a range of public information programmes related to its policy responsibilities. Advertising is placed through the Central Office of Information and other publicity work is competitively tendered using a variety of suppliers. Estimated publicity expenditure for the current financial year by subject area is as follows:

	£000
Environmental and Energy Efficiency	2,509
Sustainable Development	2,200
Urban Regeneration and Private Finance	308
Competitiveness and the Environment	272
Housing	250
Planning	200
Water	77
Construction sponsorship	53
Property and Building	32
Total	5,901

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much his Department has spent on promotional or public information campaigns in each of the last five years; and how much he estimates will be spent on these campaigns during the (i) current and (ii) next financial years. [7535]Current planned expenditure for 1996–97 is £5.9 million. Plans for 1997–98 have yet to be finalised.

The figures for expenditure on public information campaigns in each of the last five years are detailed in the table:

	£000
1991–92	2,700
1992–93	14,697
1993–94	12,108
1994–95	8,878
1995–96	7,383

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each year since 1991 those beaches in each region which complied with the EU bathing water standard guide for (a) total and faecal coliforms, (b) faecal streptococci, and (c) coliforms and faecal streptococci combined. [17434]

The information requested has been placed in the Library of the House because of the volume of data involved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to make a decision on the proposals for the development of the former Tooting Bec psychiatric hospital site. [7643]

The Secretary of State has decided, on the information before him, not to exercise his powers under section 77 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and call in the planning application to develop housing on the former Tooting Bec hospital site.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to ensure that products which contain asbestos are individually and permanently marked as such. [7900]

The requirements regarding the labelling of products containing asbestos are laid down in the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1985 as amended in 1992 and the Asbestos Products (Safety) Regulations 1985 as amended in 1987. There are no plans to introduce any further labelling measures at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what measures the Government have taken to encourage the use of substitutes for asbestos-containing products. [7898]

Existing legal measures encourage the use of substitutes for products containing asbestos. These range from widespread prohibitions on the supply of products containing asbestos to those which govern the use of asbestos at work. The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities continue to enforce these regulations, and in particular regulation 8 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 which requires every employer to prevent exposure to asbestos by substitution with safer materials where reasonably practicable.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what statistics he has collated on levels of asbestos use in London since 1986. [7902]

No statistics on the levels of asbestos use in London since 1986 have been collated by the Department of the Environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many schemes for permanent gipsy sites agreed under the former gipsy site policy he is currently obliged to finance; and if the financial arrangements apply only to agreements made under the former policy. [7782]

There remains 88 schemes for permanent gipsy sites which were submitted by local authorities before the power to pay gipsy sites grant—section 70 of the Local Government, Planning and Land Act 1980—was repealed on 3 November 1994. Of those, 83 have received formal grant approval from the Secretary of State; the remaining five have yet to be determined. The power to pay grant applies only to applications submitted in accordance with departmental guidance issued to local authorities under the 1980 Act.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what communications he has had with the Marine Conservation Society in regard to pollution arising from the offshore oil and gas industry. [7894]

My colleagues and I have had no communications with the Marine Conservation Society on that issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what licences to discharge radioactive materials, collected during operations, to sea have been issued to offshore oil and gas exploration drilling and storage platforms. [8359]

Authorisations to discharge to sea the materials containing naturally occurring radionuclides arising during offshore oil and gas exploration, drilling and storage operations are issued under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. The Environment Agency holds records of authorisations issued for the English and Welsh sectors on the public register at its Warrington office—Richard Fairclough house, Knutsford road, Warrington, WA4 1HG. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency holds records of authorisations issued for the Scottish sector at its Aberdeen office—Greyhope house, Greyhope road, Torry, Aberdeen, AB11 9RD.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many health and safety inspectors there were in (a) 1986 and (b) 1995. [7901]

The Health and Safety Executive employed the following number of health and safety inspectors in:

Year (1 April)	Number of inspectors
1986	1,231.50
1995	1,477.60

Figures given are full-time equivalent counts: part-timers were counted as half units until 1 April 1995; since then they are counted on the basis of the proportion of a full week that they work. For information there are also a broadly comparable number employed by local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what immediate plans he has to seek an early parliamentary opportunity to introduce legislation to establish an environmental information appeals tribunal. [7932]

I have no immediate plans to introduce legislation to establish an environmental information appeals tribunal. The recently published first report of the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities on freedom of access to information on the environment recommends different procedures, which are being carefully considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how much his Department will spend on Christmas trees and decorations this year; how many Christmas trees will be bought for his Department's headquarters; and what are the type and country of origin of the trees; [7557](2) how much his Department plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7581]

[holding answer 6 December 1996]: Total expenditure by my Department, including its agencies and the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive on Christmas trees and decorations is expected to be around £3,000. This includes one tree bought for the Department's headquarters building in Marsham street. It has not been possible to determine the type and country of origin of every tree, but all those can be verified, including the tree in Marsham street, an English spruce are British. Beyond that and official Christmas cards, the Department is not planning to spend any more money celebrating Christmas or the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated pool for England of total receipts from national non-domestic rates in 1997–98; what the pool was in 1996–97; what the pool was in 1996–97; what is the estimated grant from the pool in 1997–98 to the county councils of (a) Somerset, (b) Devon and (c) Dorset; and what was the grant for (a) to (c) for the national non-domestic rating pool in 1996–97. [8065]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North-East (Mr. Congdon) on 27 November, Official Report, columns 242–44.The amounts to be distributed from the pool in 1996–97, and the provisional amounts for 1997–98, for the county councils listed, are as follows:

£ million
	1996–97	1997–98
Somerset county council	98.200	93.555
Devon county council	216.439	205.917
Dorset county council	138.277	73.691

The figure for Dorset CC for 1997–98 take account of reorganisation at 1 April 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the long-term ecological implications of the discharge of oil-based drilling mud from the North Cormorant platform in April 1989. [8357]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many genetically engineered crops are permitted to be grown in the United States. [7841]

The Secretary of State has granted 99 consents for specific trials of genetically modified engineered crops in Great Britain since the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992—as amended in 1995—came into force on 1 February 1993. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Three genetically modified crops have been authorised to be grown throughout the European Union under the marketing provisions of Council directive 90/220/EEC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions there are on the importation of genetically engineered crops into the United Kingdom. [7842]

The importation and marketing of genetically modified engineered crops in Great Britain are controlled by part VI of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and regulations made under it, in particular for import the Genetically Modified Organisms (Risk Assessment) (Records and Exemption) Regulations 1996, as amended in 1995. The information relating to Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8538]

The public appointments unit is a valuable source of candidates. No central record is maintained of the sources of names of appointees and in some cases they may have been nominated from more than one source. I regret that the information cannot be provided in the form requested.

To ask the Chairman of the Information Committee what has been the total cost to date of cabling the parliamentary estate for access to the parliamentary data and video network; what is the estimated cost of completing the cabling; what estimate he has made of the impact on hon. Members' office cost allowances of hon. Members upgrading their computer systems to make use of the PDVN network; for what reasons the Director of Communications has refused to connect to the PDVN machines using Microsoft Windows 95; and if he will make a statement on problems encountered. [8342]

The cabling for the parliamentary data and video network—PDVN—is being installed in conjunction with electrical rewiring, telephone cable renewal and associated asbestos removal, and it is not possible to give a meaningful figure for the cost of the PDVN cabling alone.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the future of the Children Act Advisory Committee. [8815]

On 14 May 1996, during the passage of the Family Law Bill through Parliament, my right hon. and noble friend the Lord Chancellor announced his intention to set up a new advisory board for five years to monitor the implementation of the Family Law Act 1996, and to advise the Lord Chancellor on issues arising from its implementation. The board will be appointed early in the new year; it will be inter-disciplinary, and its chairman will be independent of the court system. As a consequence, the Children Act Advisory Committee will cease to exist after July 1997.The new body will be known as the Advisory Board on Family Law. It will report to the Lord Chancellor, and will deal—broadly speaking—with those aspects of family policy and law which are covered by the Family Law Act 1996 and fall within his departmental responsibility. Its precise terms of reference will include a remit to consider the overall impact of Children Act work within the family courts system. To provide continuity with the work of the Children Act Advisory Committee, the membership of the Advisory Board on Family Law will include a family division judge or a Court of Appeal judge with family division experience.The network of family court business committees and family court forums will continue to deal with operational aspects of Children Act work at local level. They will, as now, be able to refer policy issues to the Lord Chancellor, the Court Service, or the relevant Government Department, as appropriate. At national level, the children's services strategy group, which was recently set up by the Secretary of State for Health, will have a wider role in co-ordinating the interests of Government and other key agencies.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8549]

No appointments have been made in the past year from names which had been first identified by the public appointments unit. The candidates for appointment to the Department's more significant public bodies have been identified following advertising, in line with the code of the commissioner for public appointments.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from the Coventry magistrates court committee in respect of the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees. [7848]

As at yesterday morning, the Coventry magistrates courts committee had not submitted a response to the consultation paper issued by my Department on this proposed amalgamation. However, the consultation period does not end until 16 December 1996.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many letters (a) in support of and (b) against the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees he has received; and who they were from. [7846]

By yesterday morning, four letters had been received in support of the proposal and 105 opposing it. Representations have been received from magistrates courts committees, magistrates, court staff, members of Parliament and local justice agencies.The consultation period closes on 16 December 1996.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consultations he has had regarding the proposed amalgamation of the Coventry, Birmingham and Solihull magistrates court committees. [7845]

A consultation document proposing the amalgamation of the Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull magistrates courts committees was issued by my Department in October 1996. Copies of the document have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The document was sent to the three magistrates courts committees concerned and the magistrates in those areas, the staff employed by the committees, local authorities, local members of Parliament, criminal justice agencies, Her Majesty's Magistrates' Courts Service Inspectorate and neighbouring magistrates' courts committees. Once the consultation period has closed, all the repsonses received will be given detailed consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what obligations there are on the Millennium Commission to explain its decisions on grant applications. [7709]

There are no specific obligations set out in the National Lottery etc. Act 1993 or in section 26 directions under the Act. However, the Government expect all non-departmental public bodies to abide by the principles of public accountability and all applicants to the commission are informed of the key criteria on which decisions are taken and are told of the basis for decisions once made. The commission reports to Parliament and produces an annual report.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what representations she has received about Mayflower 2000's bid to the Millennium Commission. [7513]

I have received a letter on the subject. It was sent to me in my capacity as chairman of the Millennium Commission and came from the director of the Mayflower 2000 project via the hon. Member for Gainsborough and Horncastle (Mr. Leigh). Appended was a list of the supporters of the project.The Millennium Commission receives a large number of applications for funding. An application for funding for the Mayflower 2000 project was received in round 2 by the Millennium Commission but at that stage was not considered sufficiently "millennial". A second application was received in round 3. Long listing will take place in January 1997 and applicants will be notified of the decisions soon after that date.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will introduce a right of appeal against decisions on grants by the Millennium Commission. [7706]

There are no plans to instigate a right of appeal. The Millennium Commission receives an enormous number of applications for funding at each round, all of which compete against each other for what is, after all, a finite sum of money. The commissioners do their utmost to ensure that their decisions are fair and equitable and, in cases where technical expertise is required, they consult with independent experts.The Millennium Commission has an established complaints procedure for allegations concerning maladministration. This includes a reference to an external independent agency should this prove necessary. The complaints procedure does not cover commissioners' decisions on whether to award a grant. In addition, the commission is subject to normal laws and can be challenged through judicial review. The Government have set up the commission to receive applications and award grants for millennium projects. It is satisfied that adequate safeguards exist against maladministration. In those circumstances, there would seem little point in second guessing the commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations she has had with representatives of Christian denominations concerning her role in planning millennium activities. [7692]

[holding answer 6 December 1996]: The Archbishop of Canterbury's chaplain for public affairs sits on the Millennium co-ordinating group, a forum for various public bodies involved in planning for the millennium. A sub-committee brings together the mainstream Christian Churches, ecumenical groups and representatives of other faiths. The most recent meeting took place on 2 December, and the discussion was lively, far reaching and inclusive.I shall be attending the next meeting, in January. The Millennium Commission has also held meetings with Church representatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she will publish the results of her consultation about the V-chip. [8817]

I have today issued a report of my Department's consultation on the V-chip. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.I have also announced today a programme for action designed to deal with rising public concern about violence on television. My Department will co-operate with the BBC, the Independent Television Commission and the Broadcasting Standards Commission on a programme to improve the information available to viewers about the content of programmes to be broadcast, and to publicise the policies on scheduling and the watershed. I will give my personal support to his initiative at a seminar for broadcasters to be organised by the BSC early in the new year.The ITC and the BSC will review their codes of practice and the regulators will continue to ensure that programme makers adhere to them. My Department is also prepared to contribute to the funding of research into the potential of new technologies to provide extra support for viewers if the BSC believes that such research would be useful.

To ask the Secretary of State, for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the number and rank of UNITA military personnel quartered under the supervision of the United Nations verification mission III. [8311]

As of 7 December 1996, 69,821 UNITA troops had been registered in 15 quartering areas. A breakdown by rank is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of UNITA weapons have been surrendered to United Nations verification mission III in Angola; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which UNITA has fulfilled its obligations in this respect. [8310]

In his report of 2 December 1996 the Secretary-General stated that the United Nations is still awaiting a declaration by UNITA that it has handed over all its weapons. Although the Secretary-General confirmed that considerable progress has recently been achieved on the military front it is essential that UNITA should comply with its obligations to hand over all weapons to the United Nations Angola verification mission without delay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of UNITA military personnel have been quartered under the supervision of United Nations verification mission III; and if he will make a statement on the extent to which UNITA has fulfilled its obligations in this respect. [8309]

In his report of 2 December 1996 the Secretary-General stated that the United Nations is still awaiting a declaration by UNITA that it has assembled all its troops. We have made clear to UNITA our disappointment that some two years after the signing of the Lusaka protocol the quartering process has still not formally been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the number and types of weapons handed over by UNITA of Angola to the United Nations verification mission III. [8308]

As of 7 December 1996 the United Nations reported that 30,180 personal weapons and 4,857 crew-served weapons had been handed over to UNAVEM III by quartered UNITA soldiers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UN embargo on the supply of weapons to UNITA of Angola. [8307]

UN Security Council resolution 1075 of 11 October 1996 expressed deep concern at the failure by states, especially those neighbouring Angola, to implement the provisions of paragraphs 19 to 25 in resolution 864 (1993) vigorously and strictly. As a permanent member of the Security Council the United Kingdom has supported efforts to make this embargo effective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will announce his decision on United Kingdom membership of UNIDO. [8704]

We have this week informed the UN Secretary General and the Director-General of UNIDO of our intention to withdraw from UNIDO from the end of 1997. We will review this decision towards the end of next year in the light of progress on wider UN institutional reforms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent elections in Zambia; and if he will make a statement. [8191]

Although we were disappointed that the recent Zambian elections could not be held on a basis acceptable to all political parties, the results seem to have been accepted by the Zambian people. We now look to the new Zambia Government to demonstrate clearly their determination to pursue good governance and economic reform.

To ask the Attorney-General what standing instructions he provides for servants or contractors to the Crown giving advice to the Director of Public Prosecutions in his decisions concerning the advisability or otherwise of prosecuting prima facie criminal offences. [7685]

The evidential test applied by the Crown Prosecution Service is that which is set out in the code for crown prosecutors, issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions pursuant to section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. It is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. Copies of the current edition of the code and the explanatory memorandum are available in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament. Although statutory responsibility for the code rests with the Director of Public Prosecutions, it is her practice to consult me in relation to any proposed changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of the individuals appointed by his Department to public positions in the last year were first identified by the public appointments unit. [8545]

One.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what were the tax losses made available to Railtrack on privatisation. [8303]

A total of £707 million of the British Railways Board's unrelieved trading losses were transferred to Railtrack. In accordance with the provisions of paragraph 15 of schedule 24 to the Finance Act 1994, the transferred losses may be set off only against trading income of railtrack which arose in the period during which it was a public sector railway company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to require the removal of bull bars from existing vehicles. [8104]

No decision has yet been made on this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many smugglers have been apprehended by HM Coastguard in each year since 1990. [7806]

Control of smuggling is a matter for HM Customs and Excise who are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the advantages of trunking the A56. [8193]

I met the hon. Gentleman twice last year to discuss this and other issues; on 27 February in London and on 5 June on a visit to Lancashire and Yorkshire.The position has not changed since my letter to the hon. Gentleman of 25 April 1995, in which I said that I saw no reason for proceeding with trunking the A56—between Colne and the A59 near Skipton—outside of a more general review of the trunk road network.The Green Paper, "Transport: the Way Forward" published in April 1996 described our response to local authority proposals on the trunk road network, at paragraph 14.84.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list by region, railway and underground railway accidents involving children under the age of 17 years, for each year between 1990 and 1996 providing a breakdown by age, nature of injury; and whether or not the accident resulted in a fatality. [7971]

Accidents to trespassers and suicides aged under 17 in Great Britain 1990–1995–1996.

Year	Fatal	Major	Minor	Total
1990	15	22	4	41
1991	2	7	1	10
1991–92	8	20	4	32
1992–93	7	15	3	25
1993–94	10	11	7	28
1994–95	9	10	6	25
1995–96	9	10	5	24
Total	60	95	30	185

Figures for 1991 are for the period 1 January 1991 to 31 March 1991 only.The remaining information is not available in the form requested and could be provided in that format only at disproportionate cost.Casualties to trespassers and suicides in 1995–96, analysed by operator and showing the number of children aged under 16, are shown in appendix 8A of "Railway Safety Her Majesty's Chief Inspecting Officer of railways annual report on the safety record of the railways in Great Britain during 1995–96". Copies of this report are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the percentage of the Highways Agency budget devoted to road signing projects in each of the last five years. [8422]

New, enhanced, alternative or replacement signs are provided from within various types of works contract. These contracts can be major national projects, large and small regional improvements, local safety schemes and maintenance works. Each year the agency completes many hundred such contracts and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the condition of the road signs for which his Department has responsibility in the county of Cheshire; [8442](2) if he will list the amount spent on road signings in the county of Cheshire by the Highways Agency in each of the last five years; and if he will list the percentage of the budget spent in Cheshire devoted to road signing in the same period. [8443]

I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the annual management objectives for each of his Department's divisions. [8327]

The Department's principal objectives were set out in the foreword to the "Transport Report 1996" [Cm 3206]. Each agency publishes an annual business plan which includes its key targets. Copies of all these documents are in the Library of the House.The Department's aims and main objectives are currently under review and updated aims and objectives will be published in the 1997 Transport report and departmental plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 29 November, Official Report, column 417, if highway authorities are empowered to fund the construction of noise barriers on existing motorways and trunk roads built (a) before and (b) after 17 October 1969. [8265]

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: Yes. Section 282 of the Highways Act 1980 empowers highway authorities to fund noise barriers on motorways and trunk roads built before and after 17 October 1969. The use of this power is discretionary, and there is no obligation on highway authorities to fund the construction of noise barriers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of his Department's budget was allocated to shipping matters in (a) 1979 and (b) 1996. [7837]

[holding answer 9 December 1996]: Shipping matters were the responsibility of the Department of Trade and Industry in 1979. Net expenditure in 1996–97 on these services, including the Marine Safety Agency, the Coastguard Agency and their associated administrative costs, forms 2 per cent. of the Department of Transport's overall expenditure control total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total expenditure in design, legal costs, land acquisition and other preparatory work for the M27, junctions 4 to 11, widening scheme. [8033]

A preliminary widening study of M27, junctions 4 to 12, was undertaken by consultants between 1989 and 1991 at a cost of £291,000. No other costs were incurred on the scheme until its recent withdrawal from the programme.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the introduction in Great Britain of a central computerised system to record cattle movements. [8818]

The Government commissioned a feasibility study on establishing a computerised cattle traceability system in Great Britain in July 1996. The study has been completed, and its findings considered. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales and I are putting forward proposals for implementation of the system.The Government consider that improved cattle traceability would have considerable benefit in underpinning consumer confidence in the beef market. All cattle born or imported to Great Britain since 1 July 1996 have had to have a cattle passport. This records details of the animal's identity and its movements. Holding the details of movements on a computer database would improve tracing of animals still further. There are already similar databases in Northern Ireland and in some other European countries.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to reply to the letter of 13 June from the hon. Member for Aylesbury enclosing correspondence from Mr. D. P. McLaughlan of Princes Risborough. [7038]

I replied to the letter of 13 June from the hon. Member for Aylesbury, enclosing correspondence from Mr. D. P. McLaughlan of Princes Risborough, on 9 December 1996.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the estimated direct cost to United Kingdom public funds in the 1996–97 financial year of dealing with the BSE crisis; and what is the estimated provision for 1997–98, taking account of claw back on European Community assistance. [7358]

I will write to the hon. Member with this information shortly.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what promotional and public information campaigns his Department is (a) currently running and (b) planning to run during the next six months; and for each campaign (i) how much it will cost, (1) in total and (2) to his Department, (ii) what agencies or bodies are undertaking the work and (iii) what is its planned duration. [7408]

MAFF's planned public information campaign for the financial year 1996–97 and the projected costs are as follows:

	£
Food Safety and Healthy Eating	1,377,000
Animal Health and Welfare (excluding 'BSE')	526,000
Environmentally Sensitive Areas	131,000
Countryside Stewardship	115,000
'Balance in the Countryside'	90,000
Prevention of Agricultural Pollution	139,000
Research Policy Co-ordination	35,000
CAP and other Scheme Literature	680,000
International Relations and Export Promotion	350,000
Market Task Force	30,000
Speciality Food Producers	58,000
Plant Health and Horticulture	199,000
Flood and Coastal Defence	28,000
Alternative Crops	48,000
Personal Imports	150,000
Rabies	135,000
General Environmental Information	408,000
Agricultural Events	168,000

The work is undertaken by specialist contractors from the private sector who are commissioned and project managed by the Department's information division.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department has spent on promotional or public information campaigns in each of the last five years; and how much he estimates will be spent on these campaigns during the (i) current and (ii) next financial years. [7540]

Expenditure on public information campaigns by the Department in each of the last five financial years, and estimates for the current and next financial years are as follows:

• 1991–92: £4,094,000
• 1992–93: £4,217,000
• 1993–94: £4,312,000
• 1994–95: £4,800,000
• 1995–96: £4,738,000
• 1996–97: £4,667,000
• 1997–98¹: £4,416,000

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations he has received concerning potential cross-contamination from the transport of mammalian meat and bonemeal in vehicles that are also used to transport grain; and if he will make a statement. [7946]

We have received no such representations. Regulation 14 of the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1996 requires any vehicle used to transport mammalian meat and bonemeal, or material containing mammalian meat and bonemeal, to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected as soon as possible after the transport ceases and in any event before the vehicle is used for any other purpose.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the cases of pollution resulting from the misuse of synthetic pyrethroid sheep dips which have been notified to (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency within the past 12 months. [7802]

There is no requirement to notify my Department of pollution incidents from sheep dips. Statistics on water pollution are published annually by the Environment Agency. The latest report, "Water Pollution Incidents in England and Wales 1995", shows that there were very few incidents of pollution from sheep dip in that year. These figures do not distinguish between pollution from synthetic pyrethroids or other sheep dips. Figures for 1996 are not yet available.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many notified cases of organophosphate poisoning have been reported to his Department; and if he will make a statement. [7912]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reports of the appraisal panel for human suspected adverse reactions to veterinary medicines which are available in the Library of the House. Any cases of poisoning by agricultural pesticides other than veterinary medicines are reported to the pesticides incidents appraisal panel of the Health and Safety Executive.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress with proposals for the future selective cull. [7914]

The Government announced on 19 September that they would not proceed for the present with the selective cull of cattle in relation to BSE.The decision was taken in the light of interim research findings, reported in July, in which a higher proportion of the offspring of BSE cases themselves developed BSE than a similar group of cattle which were not the offspring of BSE cases. Further analysis of that study is being undertaken. Also, the analysis published by Professor Roy Anderson and his team at Oxford university in August indicated that the epidemic will virtually die out around

(a) Payments to Land Managers
£000
	Actual				Provision1	Estimate2	Planned3
	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97		1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
ESA4	10,900	16,500	20,100	29,100	37,020	31,803	33,690	37,708	41,190
NSA5	—	—	—	2,375	6,100	3,645	4,740	5,700	6,050
CSS6	—	—	—	—	12,225	12,225	17,650	21,900	27,400
HS7	—	—	—	950	2,000	1,420	1,820	1,880	1,910
MS8	—	—	—	—	350	104	252	378	462
OAS9	—	—	26	270	455	406	846	1,092	1,212
CAS10	—	—	—	50	2,500	80	120	120	120

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the scientific evidence concerning maternal transmission of BSE; and if he will make a statement. [7979]

The Minister received advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory CommitteeSEAC—on the interim results of a comparative trial of cattle on 29 July. This indicated that there was evidence of maternal transmission. However, alternative scientific views were put forward subsequently. The Minister has therefore asked SEAC to reconsider this when the final results of the trial are available in the new year.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received on the labelling of vegetarian cheese. [7843]

The only representations that have been received on the labelling of vegetarian cheese in the last year have concerned that produced using genetic modification. As many of the letters received on genetic modification over this period have covered a wide range of issues it is not possible to give precise figures easily on the number that have mentioned the labelling of vegetarian cheese but it is estimated to be fewer than 25.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each of the agri-environmental schemes for which his Department is responsible, (i) actual expenditure in 1992–93,1993–94, 1994–95 and 1995–96, (ii) provision and estimated outturn of expenditure in 1996–97 and (iii) planned expenditure in 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000, distinguishing in each case between (a) payments to farmers, (b) running costs and (c) monitoring costs. [8007]

Details are contained in the following tables. It is not possible at this stage to make forward projections of running or monitoring costs.