To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Ministers of the Crown currently make use of the departmental nursery for their children. [10806]The Deputy Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 November 1996,

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Roslin Institute; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10106](2) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10138](3) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Institute of Arable Crops Research; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10042](4) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Silsoe Research Institute; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10130](5) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Babraham Institute; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10110](6) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Institute of Food Research; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10046](7) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the Institute for Animal Health; and from which budget these sums were paid; [10102](8) how much has been spent to date on the prior options review of the John Innes Centre; and from which budget these sums were paid. [10134]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: Work on these reviews has principally involved existing staff in the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council which is funded from the science budget. BBSRC estimates the total staff and other incidental costs as £240,000. It is not possible to quantify the costs incurred by the several Government Departments involved in the prior options procedures without incurring disproportionate cost.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent representations he has received from the Fairtrade Foundation; and if he will take steps to introduce products marketed by the foundation into the cafeterias in his Department. [10892]

I have not received any representations recently from the Fairtrade Foundation. The foundation is free to compete with other suppliers to Halliday Catering Services, who hold the contract to run my Department's catering facilities.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the allocation of the science budget. [11469]

I have discussed the allocations with the director general of research councils and have decided that, subject to parliamentary approval of the supply estimates in due course, the science budget of £1,330.327 million should be allocated as follows:

Science budget allocations and planning assumptions
£ Million
	Allocation	Planning figures
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000
BBSRC	183.300	185.445	184.193
ESRC	64.896	66.021	65.132
EPSRC	386.373	381.098	379.050
MRC	289.070	288.949	287.618
NERC	165.116	169.131	168.295
PPARC	191.850	194.289	194.094
International Sub.Reserve	8.800	13.000	13.000
CCLRC	1.450	1.450	1.000
Pensions	11.530	9.547	9.547
Royal Society Royal	22.271	22.621	22.871
Academy	3.370	3.436	3.486
OST Initiatives	2.302	2.381	2.381
Foresight Challenge	—	1.000	2.000
Total	1,330.327	1,338.367	1,332.667

These allocations will enable the research councils and other funded bodies to maintain the momentum in the key areas identified for national research and to carry forward the policies set out in the 1993 White Paper, "Realising Our Potential". An additional £17 million over three years has been allocated for urgent additional research into transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.Further details are available in the paper, "Allocation of the Science Budget 1997–98", which I have placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EC Telecommunications Council on 18 December 1996. [11408]

I represented the UK at the Telecommunications Council held in Brussels on 18 December, arranged at short notice to discuss the postal services directive.The Council reached political agreement on the further liberalisation of postal services. The UK supported the final compromise on the directive's further liberalisation proposals after successfully invoking the Ioannina agreement to secure improvements. Netherlands, Sweden and Finland voted against the agreement.Under the agreement direct mail and cross-border mail will stay in the reserved area for the time being. The Commission will come forward with a proposal for further liberalisation by end 1998. The Council and the European Parliament will decide by 1.1.2000 on further liberalisation measures, in particular with a view to liberalisation of cross-border and direct mail as well as a further review of the price and weight limits, with effect from 1 January 2003. The directive will end in 2004 if no decisions have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list (a) the actual unit cost per full-time equivalent student, (b) the equivalent figure at constant 1996–97 prices and (c) the consequent efficiency improvement for each of the years from 1989–90 to 1996–97 and the projected figures for the years 1997–98 to 1999–2000 assumed in the Budget for (i) higher education institutions, (ii) further education colleges, (iii) maintained secondary schools and (iv) assisted places in independent secondary schools. [8844]

[holding answer 19 December 1996]: The relevant information is set out in the following text and tables. Figures for each education sector are, however, not directly comparable.Participation in higher education has risen substantially. One in three young people now attend university full time, compared with only one in eight in 1979. The expansion in student numbers has been accompanied by substantial improvements in efficiency and continuing high quality as demonstrated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England's quality assessments. Participation is planned to continue at record levels in the future and planned expenditure on higher education will increase by £200 million over the next two years.

Higher education institutions
Financial year	(a) public funding per full-time	(b) public funding per full-time equivalent student at 1996–97 prices	(c) efficiency improvement
	(£)	(£)	Per cent.
1989–90	5,350	7,050	—
1990–91	5,310	6,480	8.1
1991–92	5,350	6,130	5.4
1992–93	5,110	5,620	8.4
1993–94	5,010	5,360	4.5
1994–95	4,970	5,230	2.6
1995–96	4,970	5,100	2.4
1996–97	4,800	4,800	5.8
1997–98	4,860	4,760	0.8

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she received the report by the inspector into the proposed compulsory purchase order in respect of the institute, London NW11, and when she expects to make a decision. [10807]

The Department received the inspector's report on 4 November 1996. A decision on the inspector's recommendations will be made as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what information she has collated concerning the number of assaults on teachers (a) by children and (b) by parents in the last five years. [10832]

This information is not collected centrally.

To ask the secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will name those schools to which she has made official visits in 1996, and to date in 1997, in which standards of space, heating and sanitary provisions (a) were represented to her as inadequate and (b) did not meet statutory standards; and what action she has taken or intends to take in each case. [10899]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visits a large number of schools each year in the course of her official duties. Any matters of concern raised during such a visit, including standards of accommodation, are noted at the time and dealt with on an individual basis, usually through correspondence between officials in the Department and the school or local education authority involved.The responsibility for ensuring that school premises comply with the standards laid down in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1996 falls to the LEA for LEA-maintained schools, and the governing bodies of grant-maintained schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers in Wiltshire local education authority schools in the year 1995–96 were granted early retirement (a) with and (b) without enhancement; and under which budget head the financial consequences for each school are recorded. [10334]

The number of teachers granted premature retirement in Wiltshire LEA schools in 1995–96 was 26 without enhancement and 36 with enhancement. Payments in respect of premature retirement compensation cannot normally be treated by LEAs as a charge on the budgets of individual schools. Nor, where they are so charged, need they be separately identified in the LEAs' statutory local management of schools financial statements or in any other statement or return collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will list for (a) Ridgeway school, Swindon, (b) Greendown school, Swindon, (c) Westwood St. Thomas school, Salisbury and (d) Malmesbury school, the (i) numbers on the roll, (ii) social needs budget, (iii) grants for education support and training, (iv) flat rate allowance, (v) age weighted pupil unit, (vi) devolved total 1 budget, (vii) amount retained by the local education authority from devolved 1 budget, (viii) devolved 2 budget total and (ix) total budget for each school for years April 1996 to March 1997. [10335]

The information in the following table is taken from the local management of schools budget statement for 1996–97 published by Wiltshire local education authority under section 42 of the Education Reform Act 1988, now section 122 of the Education Act 1996. This statement does not contain, nor is it required to contain, the information requested at items (iii) and (vi) to (viii) of the question. The figures in the last line of the table represent the delegated budgets allocated to the schools and do not include GEST—grants for education, support and training—or other devolved funding.

	The Ridgeway School, Wroughton1	Greendown Community School, Swindon	Westwood St. Thomas' School, Salisbury	Malmesbury School
Number on Roll	1,412	847	823	931
Amount allocated through social needs factor	£0	£13,856	£2,965	£0
Flat rate allowance	£170,950	£146,500	£170,950	£170,950
Amount allocated by age weighted pupil numbers	£2,482,875	£1,386,910	£1,659,525	£1,651,518
Budget share	£2,820,030	£1,653,823	£1,924,713	£1,997,945
1 Incorporated as a grant-maintained school on 1 September 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools have been inspected by Ofsted; and how many teachers have been graded in each of categories one to seven since 1 April 1996. [10911]

This is a matter for Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of organisations with 200 or more employees are (a) recognised as and (b) committed to investors in people in each English region and in Wales. [11249]

The latest available data for Government Office regions in England are provided in the following table. Responsibility for Investors in People in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.The percentages of organisations with 200 or more employees recognised as and committed to Investors in People, by Government Office region and nationally, are given against agreed baselines of organisations with 200 or more employees.

Region	Percentage of employers recognized	Percentage of employers committed	Total percentage of employers covered
North-east	18	40	58
North-west	14	59	73
Yorkshire and Humberside	13	48	61
Merseyside	24	50	74
West Midlands	18	55	73
East Midlands	15	62	77
Eastern Counties	12	58	70
South-west	23	53	76
South-east	18	71	89
London	9	50	59
Total England	15	55	70

The agreed baselines are the numbers of organisations of the relevant size eligible for separate Investors in People recognition as counted by English training and enterprise councils in spring 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the road damage calculations quoted in the recent consultation document, "Lorry Weights", are based upon static conditions on a level surface; and what estimates have been made of road damage characteristics associated with typical dynamic conditions taking account of speed, uneven road surfaces and the variable quality of vehicle suspensions. [10906]

The dynamic effect of a given axle weight is dependent upon a number of factors including road surface, axle spacing, tyre and suspension type. The fourth power rule was derived from a series of dynamic tests in which different types of lorries were run repetitively over sections of road surface. The best approximation between road wear and lorry weight was found to be the fourth power of the static axle load.Further work has been carried out in Germany and at the Transport Research Laboratory to take greater account of vehicle suspension and road types. But these effects are relatively small and static axle load remains the dominant factor. The TRL is currently participating in a European programme to determine the road wear effects of different tyre types.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions there are to seek an extension of the derogation from EC directive 96/53 admitting 40-tonne lorries to Britain; and what plans he has to do so. [10904]

None. Under the terms of the original directive, 85/3/EEC now consolidated as 96/53/EEC, the United Kingdom would have been obliged to accept 40-tonne lorries on international journeys from July 1986. The Government negotiated a derogation from this requirement which expires on 1 January 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has had made of how much greater damage will be caused by the drive axles of 40-tonne lorries to road pavements when fully laden than is caused by 38-tonne lorries. [10905]

The 11.5 tonne axle weight of 40-tonne lorries would cause about 45 per cent. more road wear than the 10.5 tonne drive axle weight of 38-tonne vehicles, assuming in both cases that the axles are fully laden.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the estimated overall capital cost of the Jubilee line extension (a) at the time of Royal Assent to the Bill, (b) updated following the indexation of prices adopted by his Department for (i) 1996, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 1998; and if he will list the estimated deficit against the original estimate at 1997 prices, indicating from what source he expects this sum to be defrayed. [10877]

At the time of Royal Assent the estimated overall cost of the Jubilee line extension was £2.1 billion in cash terms. The 1996 estimated outturn cost of the project was £2.6 billion in cash. That remains the estimated outturn cost. The difference between the two figures will come from London Transport's total resources, which include substantial amounts of Government grant. Additional grant has been made available specifically in respect of cost overruns related to delays arising from the new Austrian tunnelling method collapse on the Heathrow express project.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities have indicated that they (a) will and (b) will not implement the Noise Act 1996 on 1 April 1997; how much expenditure will be incurred or saved in each case; and if he will make a statement. [10347]

This information is not available centrally. However, my Department is commissioning research to establish the level and type of noise complaints service provided by local authorities in October 1996 and to track development of these services, including take-up of the new night noise offence in the Noise Act 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will commission research into the biodegradation rates of domestic waste in landfill sites; and if he will make a statement. [10518]

The Department's research programme into the management of solid wastes with particular emphasis on landfill disposal processes has now been largely transferred to the Environment Agency. The waste strategy policy on landfill set out in the White Paper, "Making Waste Work", is to promote landfill practices which will achieve stabilisation of landfill sites within one generation.Current research is directed towards a bio-chemical—bio-reactor—engineering approach to landfill to reduce the time taken for a site to become stable. Research results inform guidance set out in the revised series of waste management papers on landfill. WMP 26B, "Landfill Design, Construction and Operational Practice", published in 1995, describes the issues and indicates practices to achieve accelerated stabilisation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 12 December, Official Report, column 304, for what reasons the recommendations and conclusions submitted by the consultant authors of the BRECSU reports 38 and 39 on ultra low energy homes were not published with the reports. [10659]

Best practice publications, including reports 38 and 39 on low energy housing, take into account a range of inputs, including those from the participating consultants. They reflect generally accepted good practice taken from a number of sources and not just the recommendations and conclusions from individual consultant authors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the findings of his Department's consultation to extend part M of the Building Regulations to improve access to new housing. [10795]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: Given the very high response to the consultation, work on the analysis of the responses is just being completed. In the light of comments made further work is to be undertaken on the compliance cost assessment, and action on this is in hand. The findings will be considered by the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, along with the analysis of the responses to the consultation, prior to officials making recommendations to Ministers. Given the uncertainty of the timing of the outstanding work, it is difficult to give a firm commitment, but I hope that it will be possible to make a statement in the early summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many of his officials are currently working on his Department's consultation to extend part M of the Building Regulations to improve access to new housing. [10794]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: There is currently one official working directly on the analysis of the consultation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what proposals he has for improving (a) services to tenants and (b) quality of management of rented housing in 1997. [10767]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: In the private rented sector, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has approved two management codes for residential property to be published by the Royal Institution of Charted Surveyors. These cover service charge and rent only properties respectively and will come into force on 17 March. Copies are available in the Library.The Government will shortly also be implementing most of its package on houses in multiple occupation, which is contained in the Housing Act 1996. These will significantly strengthen the existing powers available to local housing authorities to control standards in houses in multiple occupation. Later in 1997 we intend to publish a code of practice for landlords and local authorities, to be followed by the introduction of a duty on landlords to ensure that their properties are safe.Later in the year the Housing Corporation will be producing a new social housing standard. This will require registered social landlords to meet certain key standards, including a number related to housing management and services to tenants. In addition, it is further developing the performance indicator system, under which information about RSLs' management and services is made available. It is also updating its tenants' guarantees to reflect these and other developments.We expect compulsory competitive tendering of local authority housing management and increased involvement of tenants to improve the quality of services by making them more responsive and efficient. Provisions in the Housing Act 1996 will enable landlords in the social rented and private sectors to respond more effectively to the problem of anti-social behaviour.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will call in the decision taken by North Tyneside council to grant approval to planning application 96/02804/REM for the construction of 103 dwellings at the Victor Products site, Wallsend. [10910]

No. Outline planning permission was granted by North Tyneside borough council for this development on 20 May 1996, and the current application—96/02804/REM—is for approval of reserved matters. The original application was advertised as a departure from the development plan, but the council considered that it should not be referred to the Secretary of State.I am aware that there are local concerns about the proposal, particularly the density and character of the proposed housing, its impact on traffic and the need for local play facilities. I understand that council officers met local residents in November 1996 and are confident that the residents' concerns can be satisfactorily resolved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if planning permission will be granted for the proposed second runway at Manchester airport; and if he will make a statement. [11505]

Together with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, I have decided to grant planning permission for a second runway at Manchester airport.It is important to build on Manchester airport's success. It is already the 18th busiest airport in the world in terms of international traffic, with more passengers than Chicago. The second runway will cater for long-term customer demand. It will also create thousands more jobs and bring benefits for the whole of the north-west. This decision will be a boost for Manchester and the whole of the north-west.A development of this scale will inevitably have impacts on the local environment, but the applicants have put together an impressive package of proposals to reduce these impacts and to seek the balance implicit in the concept of sustainable development.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government response to the 19th report of the royal commission on environmental pollution on the sustainable use of soil will be published. [11506]

We have today published the Government response to the 19th report of the royal commission on environmental pollution, on the sustainable use of soil. Soil is a vital resource, and different activities can constrain its future use. It is necessary to seek to understand these effects more clearly in order to avoid causing unwitting damage. The commission's report provides a valuable contribution to this process.We have accepted their main recommendations that we should produce a more explicit strategy for soil protection. We intend to publish this for public consultation in the spring. This will allow us to build on the many policies and action which are already contributing to the effective stewardship of soil. The soil strategy will draw together existing work, clarify our goals and identify clear commitments for future action. It will also address the overall monitoring framework for soils, including the issues of access to soil data and the better integration of existing data.Our detailed responses to the 90 other recommendations, made by the royal commission, which cover all aspects of soil use, are also set out in the Government response. Among the most important recommendations accepted by the Government are:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the costs in each of the next five years to the water companies of the proposed revision to European Union directives on (a) bathing water and (b) drinking water; and if he will take steps to ensure that these costs are not passed on to customers. [10202]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: The capital cost of implementing the European Commission's proposals for a revision of the bathing water and drinking water directives in the UK has been estimated to be in the range of £1.6 billion to £4.2 billion and £2.2 billion to £3.5 billion respectively, with the majority of the expenditure in the case of the proposed drinking water directive being spread over 15 years from its adoption. Estimates for the next five years would depend on the precise terms of what is adopted and when.The effect of new quality obligations on customers' bills is a matter for the director general of Water Services in regulating charges. Under section 2 (2) (b) of the Water Industry Act 1991 the director general has a duty to ensure that companies can finance their functions. When new quality obligations are placed on companies, the director general will need to make sufficient allowance in price limits for companies to comply.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many houses were (a) started, (b) under construction and (c) completed in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in the half-years commencing in April and October from 1993 to 1996; [10290](2) how many houses were completed in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne from 1 January 1988 to the latest available quarter. [10291]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: The table shows figures as reported to the Department by Newcastle upon Tyne borough council and the National House Building Council.

Housebuilding: all dwellings: Newcastle on Tyne
	Started	Number of dwellings Under construction at end of period	Completed
1988
Q1	165	470	98
Q2	241	647	64
Q3	80	636	91
Q4	208	686	158
1989
Q1	115	709	92
Q2	142	762	89
Q3	224	870	116
Q4	85	805	150
1990
Q1	90	713	182
Q2	103	696	120
Q3	95	653	138
Q4	119	672	100
1991
Q1	51	658	65
Q2	70	654	74
Q3	80	726	8
Q4	100	734	92
1992
Q1	33	711	56
Q2	152	591	272
Q3	155	725	21
Q4	122	590	257
1993
Q1	138	637	91
Q2	165	578	224
Q3	85	596	67
Q4	138	642	92
1994
Q1	136	716	62
Q2	185	683	218
Q3	166	707	142
Q4	91	700	98
1995
Q1	102	614	188
Q2	78	542	150
Q3	41	393	190
Q4	36	267	162
1996
Q1	65	251	81
Q2	68	244	75
Q3	35	198	81

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list (i) the location, (ii) the number of fish killed and (iii) the loss of amenity value for each category 1 and category 2 pollution incident caused by Anglian Water in 1995–96. [10199]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: Details of category 1 and 2 water pollution incidents attributed by the Environment Agency to sewers, pumping stations, water treatment works or sewage treatment works operated by Anglian Water Services Ltd. in 1995 are available in the Libraries of the House. Pollution incident data for 1996 is still being compiled. Information on any loss of amenity value is not recorded.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the items in the water companies' July returns to Office of Water Services which are not being made publicly available. [10203]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: A list of the information excluded from the July returns public documentation is given in appendix B of Ofwat's "A guide to the 1996 July returns for the water industry in England and Wales", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the National River Authority's and the Environment Agency's definitions of pollution incident categories for categories 1, 2, 3 and 4. [10198]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: The Environment Agency's definition of pollution incidents is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment in how many households the water pressure in the communication pipe fell below 7m static head for more than one hour on two occasions in any period of 28 days in (a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93, (c) 1993–94, (d) 1994–95 and (e) 1995–96; and in how many households this occurred more than once in (i) 1991–92, (ii) 1992–93, (iii) 1993–94, (iv) 1994–95 and (v) 1995–96. [10201]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: The information requested is not available. Information on inadequate water pressure for the years 1991–92 to 1995–96, measured against the Director General of Water Services' service indicator, DG2, is available for each year for which information is requested in Ofwat's annual "Report on levels of service for the water industry in England and Wales", copies of which are in the Library. DG2 uses a reference level of 10m static head with a flow of 9 litres per minute to measure the adequacy of pressure. This should be sufficient to fill a one gallon—4.5 litre—container in 30 seconds from a ground floor kitchen tap.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has made to the Norwegian Government expressing the United Kingdom's opposition to Norway's draft proposal to downlist the north-east and central Atlantic minke whales at the next convention on international trade in endangered species meeting. [10465]

The position of the UK and other EU member states in such matters requires a collective decision. Following a letter to Norway from the then Irish Presidency, my Department wrote to the Norwegian Government last month confirming that the UK would oppose the transfer of any species of cetaceans to appendix II of the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora while the moratorium on commercial whaling agreed by the International Whaling Commission remains.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what special training and qualifications in the identification of threatened animals and plants are required for those persons responsible for policing the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976; [10412](2) how many successful prosecutions have been brought under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act 1976. [10411]

The Act originally implemented the convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora in the UK. In 1984 it was largely superseded by EC legislation, which implemented the convention throughout the Community.There is no comprehensive record of convictions for CITES offences. However, we are aware that since 1990, 40 successful cases have been brought under the CITES enforcement regulations, 13 people have been successfully prosecuted under Customs legislation and a further six people have been prosecuted under the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act.Training is primarily a matter for the enforcement authorities. HM Customs and Excise include CITES in their basic training and the police advise their forces that wildlife issues should be included in their initial training. Customs officers at ports and airports have access to comprehensive written guidance on CITES and the species it covers. Each of the 14 Customs zones has designated a CITES liaison and intelligence officer, and every police force now has at least one designated police wildlife liaison officer. These officers are a source of information and advice.Both Customs and the police can call upon experts for assistance in species identification and other specialist matters, including from my Department's wildlife inspectorate, non-governmental organisations and universities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate how many (a) sites and (b) hectares are currently contaminated by industrial pollution; and if he will make a statement. [10427]

[holding answer 13 January 1997]: The basis for an adequate estimate of the extent of land affected by industrial pollution does not exist. We are preparing to bring into force part HA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990—inserted into that Act by section 57 of the Environment Act 1995—which will give local authorities a specific duty to cause their areas to be inspected to identify land which meets the statutory definition of contaminated land.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of staff were taken on as (a) full-time, (b) short-contract, (c) part-time, (d) casual employees and (e) outside contractors by the CSA during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996. 19559]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the CSA's staff are (a) full-time, (b) short-contract, (c) part-time, (d) casual employees and (e) outside contractors; and how many ceased working for, or being contracted to, the CSA during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996. [9560]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many members of the staff of the CSA were dismissed or had their contracts terminated for disciplinary infringements during the period 31 October 1995 to 31 October 1996. [9558]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many letters of inquiry or complaint from hon. Members were received by the Child Support Agency during each month between January and October. [9557]

The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for its chief executive, Miss Ann Chant. She will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his current estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining from the abolition of the hours rule for partners of income support and jobseeker's allowance claimants. [10213]

The cost of abolishing the hours rule for partners of income support and income-based jobseekers' allowance claimants is estimated to be in the range of £200 million to £300 million per annum, with between 70,000 and 90,000 gainers. This is at 1997–98 levels of benefits and incomes, assumes families claim the benefit which is of most reward to them, and takes no account of possible behavioural changes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of extending the child care disregard to those on maximum family credit and disability working allowance by allowing the amount which would have been disregarded subject to a (a) 70 per cent. taper and (b) 50 per cent. taper. [10214]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

To as the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many days of leave he plans to take during the Christmas Adjournment; [9813](2) how many days leave he has taken in the Easter, Whitsun and Summer Adjournments; and how many days leave he took during the time in which Parliament was prorogued this year. [9812]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 13 January, Official Report, columns 12–13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many asylum seekers have been refused benefits in the last year; and if he will make a statement. [9871]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows: from 20 November 1995 up to 17 December 1996 the number of income support claims terminated because a decision had been made on their asylum application was 7,564.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his current estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if a full disregard of spouse earnings were to be introduced into disability working allowance. [10211]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 9 December, Official Report, column 67.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many times the temperatures at (a) Loch Glascarnoch and (b) Aultbea monitoring stations have indicated levels entailing cold weather payments; and how many recipients have received such payments as a result. [10841]

The administration of the social fund is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many doctors the Benefits Agency has trained in the operation of the all-work test; how many of those doctors (a) were found unsuitable and (b) left of their own accord after training; and how many have worked with the Benefits Agency medical services for a time but since left. [10219]

The administration of the Benefits Agency medical services is a matter for Peter Mathison, chief executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 11 December, Official Report, column 286, how many (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples there were in which three quarters or more of the total income was derived from national insurance retirement and similar pensions and other state benefits in each of the last five financial years. [10844]

The information is in the table.

Year	Number of single pensioners	Number of pensioner couples
1989 calendar	2,750,000	950,000
1990 calendar	2,550,000	950,000
1992 calendar	2,550,000	1,000,000
1993 calendar	2,600,000	1,000,000
1994–95 financial	2,650,000	1,000,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what amount was budgeted for the national insurance contributions holiday in 1996–97; what level of contributions has been forgone to date; and what is the present estimate for the year. [10907]

The original estimate for 1996–97 was £28 million. However, this has now been revised and the current estimate is £1.5 million. Information about the level of contributions reclaimed by employers will not be available until their end of year returns have been received and processed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for (a) each English region, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales the number of (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful applications made to date for a national insurance contributions holiday for the recruitment of an unemployed person. [10908]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:

• Number of applications: 2,718
• Successful applications: 2,312
• Unsuccessful applications: 296
• Awaiting further information: 110

Regional breakdown (successful applications)
North	247
Yorkshire and Humberside	332
East Midlands	232
East Anglia	77
South East	329
South West	207
West Midlands	246
North West	247
Wales	115
Scotland	197
Greater London	83

1. The number of unsuccessful applications by region is not available.2. Statistics relate to the position on 6 January 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if Carrickmannon lake in Saintfield, Co. Down, is classed as a designated water; and who owns the fishing rights. [10801]

Carrickmannon lake is designated as a rainbow trout water under the Fisheries Consolidated and Amendment Byelaws (Northern Ireland) 1989. The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland has no information on the ownership of fishing rights in this water, but it is operated a private sector put-and-take rainbow trout fishery by Dr. D. McVeigh.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which (a) agricultural, (b) farming and (c) veterinary organisations were consulted prior to the decision to close Omagh veterinary laboratory; and if he will make a statement. [10834]

None. Consultation is not possible in relation to announcements on the public expenditure survey.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many full post-mortem cases were carried out, and on which species, in each of the past five years at the veterinary laboratories at (a) Stormont and (b) Omagh. [10836]

The information is as follows:

Year	Cattle1		Sheep		Pigs		Miscellaneous
	Omagh	Stormont	Omagh	Stormont	Omagh	Stormont	Omagh	Stormont2
1992	1,399	1,280	796	563	726	501	23	837
1993	1,507	1,379	903	701	778	559	47	575
1994	1,674	1,344	1,006	691	757	544	58	825
1995	1,749	1,210	996	668	780	399	65	688
1996	1,560	1,314	1,047	744	892	327	182	672
1 Excluding BSE cattle.
2 Miscellaneous submissions at Stormont include zoo animals, pigeons, exotic birds, badgers, marine mammals and material connected with the wildlife investigation scheme.

Year	Poultry		Horses		BSE/Cattle
	Omagh	Stormont1	Omagh	Stormont	Omagh	Stormont	Fish Stormont
1992	1,932	16,533	19	with misc	134	293	4,696
1993	2,792	20,855	15	with misc	263	403	2,789
1994	5,793	24,750	3	with misc	127	443	4,349
1995	3,261	23,485	3	with misc	70	229	2,790
1996	2,813	19,753	11	39	26	125	3,900
1 Poultry submissions at Stormont include both diagnostic and statutory. In 1996 the split was 5,983 for diagnostic purposes, while 13,770 were received for statutory purposes. Statutory submissions do not generally have a detailed post-mortem examination carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if the subway between Cairnshill close and Newton heights, Belfast, is regularly patrolled by the security forces. [10802]

The subway between Cairnshill close and Newton heights has consistently been the subject of police attention by both uniform and plain clothes patrols.The area continues to receive police attention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the findings of the study, "An Assessment of Radioactive Levels around the Former Air Base at Greenham Common, Berkshire, NRPB-M752, published on 19 December 1996; what was the cost to his Department of this study; and what follow-up studies are planned. [10893]

We are pleased to note the conclusions of this independent study by the NRPB which my Department has funded at a cost in the region of £50,000. The study has provided definitive reassurance that, on the basis of the measurement data, the doses received from artificial radionuclides by people living in the area around Newbury and Greenham Common are no different to those received in similar areas elsewhere in the country. The findings of the study are entirely consistent with my Department's assurances that there is no basis to the allegations made last year about a nuclear weapon accident at the base. There are no plans to commission any further such studies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement regarding the outsourcing of the operation of Sandhurst. [10875]

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Army Individual Training Organisation. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals have left the Royal Marines in each of the last five years. [10868]

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Naval Manning Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

Year	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96
Officers	50	32	29	44	51
Other ranks	621	420	358	262	557
Total	671	452	387	306	608

I hope this is helpful

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to complete the sale of DERA's support services division; and if he will make a statement. [11471]

Following competition, we have assessed the bid put forward by the venture capital group, Apax Partners and Co., who propose working with the existing DSSD management team, as offering the best value for money. Consequently, Apax have been granted a period of exclusivity to allow them to carry out the due diligence process and to conclude a contract with DERA on the basis of their offer. Subject to the satisfactory completion of both of these processes, it is intended that a sale should be completed by mid-February.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of the appointments of members to the Criminal Cases Review Commission are full time and which are part time; what is the period of appointment in each case; if each appointment is renewable; and how many of the appointments are of women. [10882]

The information requested is as follows:

Year	Full-time or part-time	Period of appointment (years)
Sir Frederick Crawford	Part-time	5
Miss Fiona King	Part-time	5
Mr. Laurence Elks	Part-time	5
Mr. David Kyle	Full-time	3
Mr. John Leckey	Part-time	5
Miss Jill Gort	Part-time	3
Mr. Baden Skitt	Full-time	5
Dr. James MacKeith	Part-time	3
Mr. Karamjit Singh	Full-time	5
Professor Leonard Leigh	Full-time	3
Mr. Edward Weiss	Part-time	3
Mr. Anthony Foster	Part-time	5
Mr. Barry Capon	Part-time	3

Under the terms of the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 members of the commission are eligible for re-appointment on expiry of their term of appointment, subject to the proviso that no one may hold office as a member for a continuous period of more than 10 years. As the table shows, two of those appointed as members of the commission are women.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the spending limit for police authorities (a) nationally and (b) in the west midlands in each year since 1992 (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a percentage change over the previous year. [9746]

The available information is as follows:

Total spending powers
	West Midlands £ million	Percentage change	England and Wales1 £ million	Percentage change
1992–93	286.2	—	2—	—
1993–94	302.7	5.8	2—	—
1994–95	314.9	4.0	2—	—
1995–96	329.3	4.6	6,366.5	—
1996–97	344.2	4.5	6,612.8	3.9
1997–98	357.2	3.8	6,859.3	3.7
1 Excludes City of London: no separately identifiable figures are available for the police service.
2 Figures are not available as shire police services were funded from county council budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funds were made available from central Government for spending by police authorities (a) nationally and (b) in the west midlands for each year since 1992 (i) in cash terms and (ii) as a percentage change over the previous year. [9747]

The available information is as follows:

Total external support for police authorities including all grants and income from national non-domestic rates
	West Midlands £ million	Percentage change	England and Wales1£ million	Percentage change
1992–93	2—	—	3—	—
1993–94	272.0	—	3—	—
1994–95	282.4	3.8	3—	—
1995–96	295.9	4.8	5,589.4	—
1996–97	310.0	4.8	5,801.9	3.8
1997–98	317.4	2.4	5,930.0	2.2
1 Excludes City of London: no separately identifiable figures are available for the police service.
2 Full information is not available.
3 Figures are not available as shire police services were funded from county council budgets.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from police authorities (a) nationally and (b) in the west midlands regarding their spending allowances for the coming year. [9748]

To date 14 individual police authorities, plus the police authorities of Wales, have made representations about the level of proposed spending limits for 1997–98. In relation to the west midlands we have received representations from the chairman of the Police Authority, from the chief constable, the chairman of the West Midlands joint committee and the hon. Member for Coventry, North (Mr. Ainsworth).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list for (a) each individual police authority, (b) each class of police authority and (c) all police authorities the increase in pounds in (i) the aggregate of each police authority's capped expenditure limit or in the case of the Metropolitan police the estimated budget requirement and police rule 2 and rule 3 grants in 1997–98 over 1996–97 and (ii) total external support including all police grants in 1997–98 over 1996–97 and the difference between (i) and (ii) in pounds and as a percentage of 1996–97 cash precepts; [10308](2) if he will list for