To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who were convicted of a criminal offence, punishable by a prison sentence but not served with a deportation order as part of the sentence, were refused re-admission to Britain after leaving Britain to go on holiday in each of the last three years. [12330]

The information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who were convicted of a criminal offence, punishable by a prison sentence, as part of their sentence were also ordered to be deported in 1996 and for each of the previous four years; for each year, how many deportations were effected; and what were the (a) nationalities and (b) gender of those deported. [12322]

Complete data for 1996 are not yet available. Information for 1992 to 1995 and January to August 1996 was given in the reply to a question from the hon. Member on 31 October 1996, Official Report, columns 211–13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals applied for asylum in (a) December 1996 and (b) December 1995. [12050]

Two thousand two hundred and eighty-five applications for asylum in the United Kingdom were lodged in December 1996. The equivalent figure for the same month in 1995 was 3,540.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by occupational category and ethnic background the number of Hong Kong residents who have been granted right of abode in the United Kingdom after 1 July. [12179]

Information is not collected on the ethnic background of those given British citizenship under the British nationality selection scheme. The occupational categories of the 49,842 principal beneficiaries granted citizenship as of 31 December 1996 were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, in descending order, the estimated number of full British passport holders currently resident in all overseas British territories, Commonwealth and foreign countries who have been registered voters in the United Kingdom. [12453]

Information on the countries of residence of overseas electors is not collected centrally. The total number of overseas electors on registers which came into force on 16 February 1996 was 17,886.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the current operation of the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973; and if he will make a statement; [12402](2) what plans he has to issue guidance to local authorities on unlicensed dog breeders and the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973; and if he will make a statement; [12403](3) what action he intends to take against unlicensed dog breeders who breach the Breeding of Dogs Act 1973; and if he will make a statement; [12404](4) how many representations he has received regarding the Breeding and Sale of Dogs Bill; and how many of those supported the Bill. [12405]

The Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991 provide local authorities with wide-ranging powers over dog breeding. They can withhold the granting of a licence to keep a breeding establishment on any grounds, and impose any condition in the licence. Local authority officials and/or veterinary surgeons can inspect licensed premises as often as they wish to check upon the standards of health, welfare and accommodation of dogs.The Acts give local authorities powers, subject to obtaining a warrant, to inspect all premises where there is a reasonable suspicion that unlicensed breeding is taking place. The Home Office issued guidance to local authorities in 1992 concerning these, and other, powers available to them in the 1973 and 1991 Acts.Current law provides local authorities with sufficient powers to deal with the problem of unscrupulous dog breeders.A total of 534 letters have been received about the Breeding and Sale of Dogs Bill. Of this number, 527 have supported the Bill.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes in the machinery of government have been made as a result of recommendations made by Lord Justice Scott. [11056]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 22 January 1997, Official Report, column 600–01.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he plans to take to (a) ensure that all Government Departments are informed of, and implement the change in, the code of practice on access to Government information contained in the revised code issued on 14 January and (b) monitor the effectiveness of implementation from 1 February. [11777]

Copies of the revised "Code of Practice on Access to Government Information" and its accompanying "Guidance on Interpretation" have been circulated to openness liaison officers in Departments in advance of the changes coming into effect on 1 February. The changes and their effects have been explained to these liaison officers in correspondence and at a meeting. These departmental representatives are charged with ensuring that the revised code and guidance are fully disseminated within their Departments. These working level contacts have been reinforced through discussions of the revised code at meetings of departmental establishment officers and at a recent meeting of permanent secretaries, chaired by the head of the home civil service.My Department will continue to report annually to Parliament on the experiences of Departments, agencies and public bodies in implementing the code. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration, who investigates complaints about departmental implementation of the code, also reports annually to Parliament, and has the power to report from time to time on specific issues arising from his work.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many official (a) Government and (b) ministerial cars are operating on bi-fuel; and if he will make a statement. [12022]

Responsibility for the cars provided by the Government car service has been delegated under the terms of its framework document to the Security Facilities Executive under its chief Executive, Mr. John King. The agency is therefore responding to the question. No record is kept centrally of cars which other Departments and Government agencies may operate.

The ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which 10 district councils, placed in rank order, have the highest percentage of their housing stock built before 1900. [12467]

The 10 district councils with the highest percentage of their housing stock built before 1919 are as follows:

Percentage
1. Hammersmith and Fulham	74.2
2. Kensington and Chelsea	70.7
3. Pendle	67.2
4. Westminster	62.6
5. Hyndburn	61.7
6. Teeside	60.8
7. Eden	60.3
8. Camden	58.5
9. Islington	58.3
10. Burnley	55.7

1. The figures relate to dwellings of all tenures as at April 1996.2. 1919 is the earliest date for which the Department can provide reliable figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to announce his decision on the planning application for a rocket, characterisation facility laboratory at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement. [12643]

The planning inspector's report of the inquiry, which was received by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 November, is currently being considered with a view to the decision being issued as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what length of hedgerow has been lost in England each year since 1979. [12482]

The information is not available in the form requested. The Department commissioned two surveys into hedgerow changes covering the years from 1984 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1993. The latter survey indicated an average annual net loss of 18,100 km of hedges in England and Wales. The comparable annual figure for the previous survey period was 21,900 km. In these figures, the net "loss" of hedges refers to both removal of hedges and changes to other types of field boundary such as relict hedges and fences. No further research into hedgerow loss has been undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of state for the Environment if he will make a further statement on the sale of PSA Projects. [13204]

In December 1992 PSA Projects was sold to Tarmac Construction Ltd. Tarmac was paid £49.6 million as compensation for future losses and commercial risk, to provide funds for a pension fund contribution, investment and working capital. The Department retained £55 million of pre-sale trade debts which were all subsequently collected. In addition to the payment of £49.6 million, Tarmac received £10.5 million for net liabilities transferred with PSA Projects. Under the sale agreement, this sum was subject to pound-for-pound adjustment following the preparation of a completion statement which would provide details of PSA Projects net asset position at the point of sale.Tarmac presented a completion statement in June 1993 but difficulties over agreeing adjustments to this resulted in the appointment of an independent expert in October 1995 to review the completion statement and make adjustments. The independent expert has now reported on the net asset position of the business at the point of sale. As a result, Tarmac will make an adjustmenting payment to Government of £19,921,177.00p. In addition Tarmac will pay Government interest totalling £2,612,611.98p.Under the sale agreements, the Department's liability to meet the severance costs of staff who were employed in the business was limited to £39.5 million. This limit has been reached and all further costs are to be met by the purchaser.In the event of the purchaser's bankruptcy in the first five years post sale that is to 1 December 1997, the Department has also guaranteed the redundancy entitlements of transferring staff. The maximum value of this contingent liability is now estimated to be £10.3 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how his Department has used the "UK Indicators of Sustainable Development" in (a) the production of the Department's annual report, (b) monitoring progress towards meeting the objectives set out in the UK sustainable development strategy and (c) assessing the environmental implications of policy options; and what plans there are to extend their use in future within the Department. [12273]

The "UK Indicators of Sustainable Development", published last March, and the information underlying those of most direct relevance to the responsibilities of the Department have been used to inform decisions about priorities for action and work programmes for the year ahead. This will be reflected in the annual White Paper on sustainable development and the Department's annual report, both of which will be published shortly. The data are also used as appropriate to inform consideration of the environmental implications of policy options.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent studies his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to assess the current levels of British private investment overseas; what assessment he has made of its impact on the United Kingdom economy; and if he will make a statement. [12569]

Following a commitment given in the first Competitiveness White Paper (Cm 2563) my Department commissioned, in 1994, KPMG to undertake a study of UK outward investment with the remit to consider what further support the Government might offer overseas investors. The results of this study were published in May 1996.My Department constantly monitors the levels of British overseas investment and, from time to time, evaluates relevant studies on this subject.The Government believe that domestic firms and their employees gain from the freedom available to business to invest overseas. Direct investment can be an effective means of delivering goods and services to particular markets and in this way complements direct exports. Overall, the UK stands to benefit if firms are allowed to direct their resources to their most profitable use. The Government seek international agreement to liberalise regimes governing outward and inward foreign direct investment.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is his current estimate of the stocks of coal held at (a) collieries and (b) power stations. [11852]

[holding answer 23 January 1997]: The levels of stocks held by the coal and electricity generating industries at the end of October are as follows:

thousand tonnes
	Collieries	Power stations
October 1996	4,862	9,590

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to prevent the burning of petrol coke at power stations. [11851]

[holding answer 23 January 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 December 1996, Official Report, column 756.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he intends to issue the "Export Winners" report. [13143]

The "Export Winners" report will be published today. It draws on interviews with 75 of the best United Kingdom exporting companies and highlights the key factors behind their success. I believe it will provide a valuable guide to export success, particularly for new or less experienced exporters.I have placed copies of the report in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what changes he proposes to the legislation relating to insolvent non-life insurance companies. [13144]

My Department issued a consultative document in December 1994 on proposals for dealing with insolvent non-life insurance companies. The proposals seek to provide a more satisfactory legal basis for dealing with the affairs of an insolvent non-life insurance company through a scheme of arrangement under section 425 of the Companies Act 1985, developed in a period of provisional liquidation. Responses to the consultative document generally supported a change in the law and I therefore propose to bring forward legislation, when parliamentary time permits. The principal features of the new arrangements would be:

provision for an insolvent insurance company to apply to the court for a stay on proceedings against it by unsecured creditors while a scheme of arrangement is being drawn up;

some modifications to the requirements of section 425 of the Companies Act 1985, for the purposes of schemes subject to the new provisions;

provision for the insolvency practitioner overseeing an agreed scheme to have certain powers, in relation to fraudulent and wrongful trading and preferences and undervalues, which are not currently available to the administrators of section 425 schemes.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to implement the proposal to require large companies to publish details of their payment practices, contained in the consultative document, "Tackling Late Payment: Stating Payment Practice in the Directors" report. [13142]

Late payment was one of the main concerns highlighted by small firms and their advisers during the nation-wide series of "Your Business Matters" conferences which culminated in the national conference last March. Whilst there are no easy answers to the problems caused by late payment of commercial debt, we in Government are committed to doing all we can to help small firms get their bills paid promptly.The draft regulations, amending the Companies Act 1985, which I am today laying before Parliament, will mean that all public limited companies and their large private subsidiaries will have to disclose how long, on average, it takes them to pay their bills. This additional information, which builds on the payment policy disclosure introduced last year, will give small firms more details of the payment records of the larger companies with whom they may be considering doing business. This annual disclosure of a performance figure should help small firms monitor year-on-year, in a relatively straightforward way, the payment records of large companies. Whilst it will never substitute for thorough credit management, the additional information provided will be useful to suppliers.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 21 January, Official Report, columns 572–73, if he will list the representatives of the firework industry he met to discuss aerial shells between 21 November and 19 December indicating the dates on which he met each. [12620]

I treat the meetings I have with individuals and organisations, on any topic, as private unless it is agreed that the details should be made public. The meetings I had between 21 November and 19 December 1996 took the form of private discussions on a range of issues relating to fireworks, including commercial matters, and I am not therefore at liberty to disclose details.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what data his Department collates in respect of the environmental monitoring conducted by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority of employees at Dounreay following reportable radiological incidents; and if (a) current and (b) former UKAEA staff are covered by the Official Secrets Act 1911 in respect of such incidents. [11914]

These data are not collated by my Department. Under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 the UKAEA is responsible for monitoring the radiation doses received by its employees. The data are then collated by the Health and Safety Executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the official opening of the roads grade interchange at the entrance of the Deeside industrial park. [12281]

The interchange has been in use since December. No formal opening ceremony is intended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many (a) high schools, (b) primary schools, (c) infants schools, (d) nursery schools and (e) further education colleges he has visited in (i) the former county of Clwyd and (ii) in the new county of Flintshire; and if he will make a statement. [12277]

Since July 1995; my right hon. Friend has visited one secondary school in the area covered by the former county of Clwyd. In the same period, in addition to a number of constituency visits, my predecessor visited two primary schools, two secondary schools and two colleges of further-higher education. Of these, one primary school and one college are located in the new county of Flintshire. Since my appointment in June 1996, I have yet to make such a visit but intend to do so as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he is taking to improve rail services between Holyhead and Crewe and Wrexham and Birkenhead; and if he will make a statement. [12285]

I understand that the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising is currently evaluating bids for both the North West Regional Railways and the Intercity West Coast franchises. The franchising director will take account of any proposals by bidders to improve the level and quality of services over and above the minimum standards specified in the passenger service requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the level of inward investment to (a) the former county of Clwyd and (b) the former district council of Alyn and Deeside in the years 1994, 1995 and 1996. [12279]

In 1994, Clwyd attracted 878 new jobs, 734 safeguarded jobs and investment of £98.5 million; in 1995, 491 new jobs, 222 safeguarded jobs and investment of £50 million; and, in 1996, 1,053 new jobs, 334 safeguarded jobs and investment of £108.8 million. Alyn and Deeside saw 122 new jobs, 30 safeguarded jobs and investment of £49.6 million in 1994; 77 new jobs and investment of £1.9 million in 1995; and 50 new jobs and investment of £45 million in 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to attract inward investment to Deeside and Buckley. [12278]

The inward investment drive continues to be very active and the Welsh Office and Welsh Development Agency will continue to make every effort to ensure that all parts of Wales benefit from inward investment. 1996 was an exceptional year which demonstrates that the policies of economic discipline are working well. North Wales is sharing in this success and the North Wales Economic Forum will help increase that success.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the new River Dee crossing at Connahs quay to open. [12282]

Flintshire county council is responsible for the River Dee crossing. It estimates completion in late 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what date he was first informed of the probability of the connection between the meningitis outbreak of mid-November 1996 in the Penylan halls of residence of the University College of Wales, Cardiff, and the earlier case notified on 16 October; by whom he was informed; and if he will make a further statement on the nature of the connection. [12740]

Officials initially advised me on 29 November 1996 about the outbreak following notification from Bro Taf health authority. On 6 December I was advised of the outcome of the routine retrospective testing on the 16 October case. The results were described as compatible with meningococcal infection although not indicating the type. I do not propose to make any further statement until I have received, and considered fully, the outbreak report which I have asked the authority to submit by the end of January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to receive the full report of the (a) university and (b) health authorities on the meningococcal C strain of meningitis at the university halls of residence, Penylan, Cariff. [12741]

Both reports are expected by the end of January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what length of hedgerow has been lost in Wales in each year since 1979. [12484]

The information is not available in the form requested. However, two sample surveys covering the periods from 1984 to 1990 and from 1990 to 1993 indicated net losses of hedgerows in Wales of 18,000 km and 5,500 km respectively at an average annual net loss of 2,570 km for the first period and 1,830 km for the second period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the latest estimate of the net contribution of each EU member state to the EU budget; and what this figure is in terms of pounds sterling per head of population in each member state. [11800]

Net contributions by member states to the EC budget for 1995—the latest year for which figures are available—are as follows:

Member state	Net contribution (£ million)	Net contribution per head (£)
Belgium	+254.9	+25.5
Denmark	-250.3	-48.9
Germany	+10,999.1	+135.8
Greece	-2,857.2	-280.1
Spain	-5,911.1	-149.7
France	+1,414.5	+25.0
Ireland	-1,545.2	-439.0
Italy	+502.9	+8.9
Luxembourg	+36.7	+96.5
Netherlands	+1,641.7	+109.4
Austria	+741.2	+95.0
Portugal	-1,950.0	-188.8
Finland	+134.8	+27.2
Sweden	+767.6	+90.1
UK	+3,865.5	+67.5

Figures are drawn from the European Court of Auditor's report on the 1995 budget. They do not take account of expenditure not attributable to individual member states, such as administration, and should not therefore be regarded as definitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to adopt and adhere to the draft optional protocol to the convention on the rights of the child on the age of recruitment and participation in armed forces. [12355]

A UN Commission on Human Rights working group is currently meeting to continue drafting the optional protocol. The United Kingdom is participating in negotiations.It is not yet possible to determine the outcome of those negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the Government of Japan concerning ratification of the Antarctic treaty; and if he will make a statement. [12460]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 28 October 1996, Official Report, column 32–33. The Japanese Government are still considering the detailed technical aspects of the environmental protocol. We continue to correspond and to urge Japan to ratify the protocol as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions the Spanish Government have objected to a separate Gibraltar presence at talks concerning affairs in the colony. [12612]

The Spanish Government have always objected to Gibraltar's representatives forming a separate delegation at Brussels process talks. However, they have also made clear that they would welcome the participation of Gibraltar's representatives as part of the British delegation. Sr. Matutes repeated this on 22 January in talks with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent contacts there have been with the Spanish Government concerning Spanish recognition of British passports issued in Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [12618]

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs raised this issue when he met the Spanish Foreign Minister in Madrid on 22 January. The Spanish Government reaffirmed that they have never questioned, nor shall question, the right to free movement of Gibraltarians throughout the EU and shall always act in accordance with EU law. We welcome this assurance. We have offered to set up a committee of experts to discuss a number of outstanding technical points concerning non-EU passports issued in Gibraltar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the conferences at which he spoke during 1996 as Secretary of State for Defence, indicating their dates and subject matter. [12621]

During 1996 I spoke at the following conferences in my capacity as Secretary of State for Defence:

Conference	Date	Subject
World Economic Forum	2 February	Russia and Security
Defence Export Services Organisation Symposium	5 March	Defence Exports
Joint MoD/FCO/RUSI	1 May	Partnership for Peace
Seminar Conservative Party Conference	10 October	Defence Debate speech
CBI National Conference	11 November	Defence Industry and its importance to UK

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to reintroduce the junior leaders scheme; and if he will make a statement. [12622]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 29 October 1996, Official Report, column 74.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many stage 1 corridor assessments were undertaken by his Department between 1992 and 1996; and if he will (a) list and (b) publish these assessments. [12457]

None. Stage 1 assessment reports for completely new schemes entering the national trunk road programme were introduced in August 1993. There have been no introductions of new schemes, in need of a Stage 1 assessment, into the national roads programme since then.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will launch a campaign to discourage heavy goods vehicles from using the overtaking lane on motorways; [12305](2) if he will institute an investigation into the prevalence of heavy goods vehicles using the overtaking lane on motorways. [12304]

We have no plans for a specific campaign. The Department's publicity priorities remain the "Kill Your Speed" and the drink drive campaigns which address those areas where the greatest savings in life and injury are to be gained.Goods vehicles, currently those having a maximum laden weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes, have been banned from using the overtaking lane on motorways since 1966. This is in the "Highway Code" and other publications. Enforcement is a matter for the police.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents have been caused in the last year by heavy goods vehicles using the overtaking lane of motorways. [12291]

National statistics do not record the causes of accidents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action the Civil Aviation Authority has taken in response to the recent conclusions reached by the United States Federal Aviation Administration in respect of digital flight management systems. [5564]

The report, "The Interfaces Between Flight Crews and Modern Flight Deck Systems" was published by the US Federal Aviation Administration in June 1996. The report was produced by a task force comprising representatives from the FAA and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration together with nominees from the joint aviation authorities including two representatives from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.The CAA is considering the 51 recommendations made in the report and has yet to give a formal response. Any resulting regulatory action will be determined by the JAA with appropriate reference to comments received from the aviation authorities of member states. The CAA will continue to ensure that its own human factors initiatives follow a similar approach to that of the FAA, especially in its contributions to the regulatory work of the JAA.The FAA has also yet to respond to the recommendations contained in the report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the total length of formerly closed railway track which has been re-opened since 1967. [12378]

I understand from the British Railways Board that 242 miles of railway track have been re-opened since 1967.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the cost to public funds to date for the clean-up of the Sea Empress oil pollution accident; and what assessment he has made of the future costs to be incurred. [11937]

We estimate that the cost to central and local government of clean-up work following the Sea Empress has been in the order of £17 million, and that future costs are likely to be less than £2 million. Reasonable clean-up costs should be eligible for compensation from the shipowner's insurer and from the international oil pollution compensation fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued in respect of the maximum limit on the quantity of methadone that a doctor can prescribe with a single prescription for an individual; and what estimate he has made of the most common prescribed daily dosage. [11342]

The amount of methadone prescribed is a matter of individual clinical judgment, and no assessment has been made of the most common prescribed daily dosage. Clinical guidelines on drug misuse and dependence were issued to all doctors in 1991. A task force to review services for drug misusers was established in 1994; following its report in May 1996, a working group has been set up to review the clinical guidelines. The revised guidelines will provide guidance for doctors on good prescribing practice and on the most effective management of drug misusers who are prescribed methadone.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated from other EU countries regarding the efficacy of beta interferon in the treatment of MS. [11880]

Efficacy of Betaferon, the only preparation of beta interferon currently licensed in the United Kingdom is a matter for the European Medicines Evaluation Agency.A European public assessment report (EPAR), which summarises the data on which the decision to grant the marketing authorisation are made, is available from the European Medicines Evaluation Agency, 7 Westferry circus, London E14 4HB.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the bacterial infections which caused death from food poisoning in each year since 1990 indicating the (a) number and (b) percentage in each category. [12059]

The information is provided in the following table:

Food poisoning deaths notifications
Numbers
	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Cholera ICD 1001	—	—	1	—	—	—
Salmonella infections ICD 002, 003, 008.1	70	62	60	39	35	36
Other food poisoning and intestinal infections ICD 005, 008.4	11	11	55	121	62	155
Listeriosis ICD 027.0	9	6	5	11	9	11
Total	90	79	121	171	106	202
1International Classification of Diseases. 9th Revision.

Percentages
	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Cholera ICD 1001	0	0	1	0	0	0
Salmonella infections ICD 002, 003, 008.1	78	78	50	23	33	18
Other food poisoning and intestinal infections ICD 005, 008.4	12	14	45	71	58	77
Listeriosis ICD 027.0	10	8	4	6	8	5
Total	100	100	100	100	100	100
1 International Classification of Diseases. 9th Revision.

From 1990 to 1992, the deaths are those that were registered in each year; from 1993 to 1995, the deaths are those that occurred in each year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) school nurses, (b) district nurses, and (c) psychiatric nurses there were by (i) trust, (ii) health authority and (iii) region in each of the last three years. [12039]

This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctor posts by region do not meet the new deal targets. [12062]

The new deal targets are contained in the "New Deal on Junior Doctors' Hours", copies of which are available in the Library. At 30 September 1996 regional task forces reported that 22,221 junior doctors, or 78.4 per cent. of all juniors, were complying in full with all the new deal hours limits. The posts by region not meeting the targets were as follows:

Number
Northern and Yorkshire	1,116
Trent	239
Anglia and Oxford	532
North Thames	1,297
South Thames	814
South and West	731
West Midlands	434
North West	958
Total	6,121

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the latest research published by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine into the projected number of cases of new variant CJD. [12161]

The Government recognise the need for predictions of the possible number of new variant CJD cases in the future, and welcome any work which leads towards this. However, there is still much we do not know about the disease, including important information on the incubation period, the route of infection, the level of exposure required to cause disease and the role of genetic susceptibility, so any predictions must be viewed with extreme caution. It is likely to be some time before we have enough information to make firm predictions of future numbers of cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the United Kingdom (a) contracted and (b) died from CJD in each of the last four years; and how many are estimated to have (i) contracted and (ii) died from the new variant of CJD. [13044]

The latest available information on Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases, including deaths, was published in a Department of Health press release on 6 January 1997, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the arrangements for discretionary additions to the remuneration of general managers in the NHS outlined in "Personnel Memorandum PM (86)7" are still current. [12602]

No. The pay system for general managers was updated in March 1990 when the former grade rates, discretionary additions and separate performance-related pay were replaced by a single set of pay ranges. This is set out in health circular (HC)(90)8, copies of which are available in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the amount spent on external consultants by his Department's non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years. [10160]

[holding answer 13 January 1996]: The Department of Health non-departmental public bodies have spent the following amounts from running costs on consultancy in each of the last five years:

• 1992–1993: £991,664
• 1993–1994: £661,256
• 1994–1995: £664,984
• 1995–1996: £568,488
• 1996 to date: £542,674.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the rules in respect of the granting of national insurance numbers, with special reference to how they relate to (a) nationals of other member states of the European Union and (b) nationals of other foreign countries. [11057]

Anyone who does not already have one is required to apply for a United Kingdom national insurance number if he is liable or entitled to pay UK national insurance contributions, irrespective of nationality. For administrative purposes, anyone claiming a UK social security benefit who does not already have a number will be asked to apply for one.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of aligning the lower earnings limit for national insurance contributions with the personal tax allowance for the year 1997–98. [10976]

In a full year the estimated loss in revenue from employee national insurance contributions would be £1,075 million and the gain in revenue from employer national insurance contributions would be £225 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Spanish fishermen have applied for national insurance numbers at Falmouth in the past 12 months; and how many applications have been granted. [11030]

During the past 12 month, 38 Spanish nationals have been registered at Falmouth for national insurance purposes in order to meet their liability to pay a class 2 share fisherman's contribution under the United Kingdom national insurance scheme. These individuals have been accepted as self-employed and therefore allocated a national insurance number on the basis that they receive a share of the proceeds from the catch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the report of the review of the organisation and management of the independent tribunal service referred to in paragraph 3.16 of the consultation paper on decision making and appeals, Cm 3328, and the report of the independent tribunal service issued on 20 September 1996. [11090]

The results of the review of the organisation and management of the independent tribunal service were summarised in the consultation paper. We do not intend to publish the report as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining from an increase in the earnings disregard to £25 for people in receipt of the disability premium in (i) income support, (ii) housing benefit and (iii) council tax benefit. [10990]

The estimated cost and number of cases gaining from a £10 increase in the earnings disregard is set out in the table:

Benefit	£ million	Gainers
Income support	5	15,000
Housing benefit	10	20,000
Council tax benefit	5	25,000

1. The answer is for 1996–97 and has been modelled on the May 1995 "Income support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry" and the 1994–95 "Family Resources Survey" uprated to 1996–97 levels of benefit and earnings.2. It has been assume that all disregards are increased simultaneously.3. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million and gainers to the nearest 5,000.4. This is a deadweight estimate: behavioural changes have not been costed.5. The housing benefit and council tax benefit changes, brought about by people floating onto income support, are included in the cost of and number of gainers in housing benefit and council tax benefit rather than income support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many Child Support Agency cases of a maintenance inquiry form being incorrectly issued following an identity check of the absent parent against centrally held departmental records have been recorded by his Department on the latest date for which figures are available. [11160]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims for child support were being (a) paid and (b) processed by the Child Support Agency at 31 July 1996. [11295]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many claims were submitted to the special payments unit of the Child Support Agency in each of the last three years for which figures are available; how many (a) have been settled, (b) have been refused and (c) are outstanding; and what was the total amount of money paid out; [12434](2) against which vote payments by the special payments unit of the Child Support Agency are charged. [12430]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate of (a) the cost and (b) the numbers gaining if the child care disregard were extended to (i) children over the age of 11 years for whom disability living allowance or the disability premium is payable, (ii) each child under 11 years in the family and (iii) children under 16 years during school holidays. [10991]

It is estimated that each option would affect fewer than 2,500 families, and cost less than £2.5 million per annum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which venues have ceased to be used by social security appeal tribunals since January 1996; and which venues it is proposed to cease using. [2025]

[pursuant to his reply of 4 November, Official Report, column 386]: Unfortunately, the reply I gave was open to misinterpretation. A more appropriate answer is as follows:The following nine venues have ceased to be used by social security appeal tribunals since January 1996: Mansfield, Brigend, Meerthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd, Gloucester, Yeovil, Huddersfield, Scunthorpe and Paisley.The independent tribunal service constantly reviews and examines its running costs of which tribunal accommodation forms a large part. I understand that the ITS is currently considering the continued usage of a number of current premises and that liaison with tribunal users is taking place. No firm decisions have been taken at this time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what account is taken on the level of house insulation in calculating cold weather payments. [12060]

The Department of Environment has provided grants to low income households for home insulation through the home energy efficiency scheme since 1991. We have increased the amount for cold weather payments by 70 per cent. since 1990. In doing so, we have not taken increasing levels of insulation into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on how many occasions each of the weather stations serving Batley and Spen have triggered cold weather payments in the last three months of 1996 and the first two weeks of January 1997. [11966]

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

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cases there have been since 1979 of contaminated or unfit meat from knackers' yards (a) entering and (b) being prevented from entering food for human consumption; and how many prosecutions have resulted. [12093]

During the period 1979 to date, there has been legislation in force, currently the Animal By-Products (Identification) Regulations 1995, which require that, subject to exemptions—mainly for poultry meat—meat is sterilised or stained before it can be removed from a knacker's yard. This ensures that unfit meat from knackers' yards is readily identifiable and should not therefore enter the food chain. The regulations are enforced by local authorities and the information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the total number of local government employees, by category, in Scotland at 30 September in (i) 1979, (ii) 1989, (iii) 1994, (iv) 1995 and (v) 1996. [11870]

The available information, from the published results of Scottish joint staffing watch surveys, is given in the tables. Table 1 gives the full-time equivalent number of employees by category for September 1979, 1989, 1994 and 1995. These figures are not directly comparable. The footnotes to the table identify major breaks in comparability in the data over the period. Table 2 provides the latest available information, giving full-time equivalent number of employees by local authority service for July 1996. This is taken from the published results of the revised joint staffing watch survey introduced following local government reorganisation in Scotland.Because of changes in definitions and coverage these data are not directly comparable with staffing figures for earlier periods. In particular the figures exclude some 7,000 full-time equivalent staff in services such as water and sewerage transferred from local authorities at the time of reorganisation.The press release "Joint Staff Watch—July 1996 Return—Scotland", a copy of which is available in the Library, describes the results of the survey in more detail and explains the differences between this and earlier surveys. Joint staffing watch figures for September 1996 will be published shortly.

Table 1: Full-time equivalent staff in Scottish local authorities:
	September 1979	September 1989	September 1994	September 1995
Education
Lecturers and teachers	64,128	59,860	52,757	52,507
Other staff	42,407	35,912	24,433	24,628
Transport services	9,074	714	893	938
Social services	27,803	35,419	38,661	38,349
Cleansing	10,646	8,889	8,156	8,031
Environmental health	2,563	2,496	2,712	2,580
Housing	4,422	6,956	7,797	7,916
Libraries, museums, art galleries	3,677	4,349	4,704	4,734
Recreation, leisure, tourism	13,390	13,581	13,735	13,830
Policy planning	158	165	367	334
Physical planning	1,539	1,912	2,270	2,166
Technical services	1,094	1,190	2,199	2,259
Roads	12,533	10,184	9,241	8,862
Direct works	15,346	13,861	12,994	12,822
Water	3,986	4,626	5,128	5,121
Sewerage	2,157	1,537	1,618	1,562
Assessor and electoral registration	934	1,230	1,129	1,058
Consumer protection, weights and measures	390	476	618	609
Chief Executive's department	237	1,056	1,629	1,663
Finance	3,985	5,328	5,821	5,761
Legal and administrative services	3,700	4,186	4,844	5,144
Architecture and related services	3,677	3,670	3,454	3,432
Personnel	456	798	921	930

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Scottish Office raised from disposing of assets of the Irvine development corporation; and what was the turnover of Irvine development corporation in each of the last five financial years. [11918]

During wind-up Irvine development corporation repaid £52.7 million to my right hon. Friend from the receipts generated from disposal of its assets. This sum has been used to extinguish the corporation's indebtedness to the national loans fund. While the annual accounts of the corporation do not use the term "turnover", they disclose all the income generated from operating and investing activities and the financing received by the corporation. Copies of the corporation's annual reports, which incorporate the accounts, are held in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimates he has made of the number of persons (a) killed and (b) injured as a result of icy conditions on roads in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years, and the current year to the latest available date; and how many such deaths and injuries occurred on (i) gritted and (ii) non-gritted roads. [11909]

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Roads Service under its chief executive, Mr. W. J. McCoubrey. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the average weekly cost of a place in (a) a private residential home, (b) a voluntary residential home and (c) a statutory residential home for an individual, over pension age, who is in receipt of income support. [11686]

The information is not available in the exact form requested.The table discloses for each of the four boards the average weekly cost of a place in a private-voluntary and statutory residential home for an elderly person. It is not possible to identify the cost for an elderly person in receipt of income support.

Average weekly costs for elderly persons in residential homes for 1996–97
Board area	Private/voluntary £	Statutory £
Northern	203	254
Southern	203	208

Homes expenditure 1994–95: Programme of care
Board area	Childrens	Elderly	Type of home Mentally ill adults	Learning disability	Physical and sensory disability
	£	£	£	£	£
NHSSB	1,815,023	7,253,242	289,803	1,066,052	—
SHSSB	1,355,282	5,703,021	63,404	1,760,732	109,207
EHSSB	4,945,163	14,607,968	1,419,042	3,933,663	—
WHSSB	1,706,173	4,116,216	81,985	19,179	135,192
Northern Ireland Total	9,821,641	31,680,447	1,854,234	6,779,626	244,399

Homes expenditure 1993–94: Programme of Care
Board area	Childrens	Elderly	Type of home Mentally ill adults	Learning disability	Physical and sensory disability
	£	£	£	£	£
NHSSB	1,869,904	7,374,143	350,226	1,156,149	—
SHSSB	1,175,166	6,278,050	221,471	1,864,175	47,328
EHSSB	3,437,158	11,714,559	1,052,623	3,378,013	—
WHSSB	1,675,304	5,327,074	62,560	67,040	—
Northern Ireland total	8,157,532	30,693,826	1,686,880	6,465,377	47,328

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average annual expenditure from public funds, per individual, on (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) statutory placements in residential homes in each financial year since 1990. [11687]

The information is not available in the exact form requested. The tables disclose the total expenditure on categories of homes in each board area for the years 1990–91 to 1994–95. The expenditure for 1995–96 is not yet available.This information has been extracted from supplementary statements produced by HPSS boards and HSS trusts to provide further analysis of the expenditure disclosed in the financial accounts. These supplementary statements analyse expenditure over categories of homes rather than over private, voluntary or statutory residential homes. The format of these statements was revised in 1992–93 to provide an analysis of expenditure by care area and a further change was introduced in 1993–94 to provide an analysis of expenditure over programmes of care.In order to calculate the average expenditure per individual it is necessary to have access to information on the number of individuals covered by the expenditure. This information is not available from financial records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the formula used to determine the income support entitlement of an individual in a (a) private, (b) voluntary and (c) statutory residential home. [11688]

People who were living in private or voluntary residential care homes on 31 March 1993 came under the preserved rights rules and may be entitled to the special higher levels of income support. The higher levels available are the amount of the fees charged by the home or a set national limit, whichever is the lower, and an amount for personal expenses.From April 1993, people entering private or voluntary residential care homes for the first time may be entitled to income support at the normal rates applicable as if they were living in their own home plus a residential allowance to help with the accommodation costs.People living in homes owned or managed by health and social services boards may be entitled to a fixed rate allowance of £61.15, less any other income they possess. This rate of income support recognises that health and social services boards received additional funding from Government and prevents duplicate funding for the same individual.