To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice or guidance has been issued to coroners by the Home Office coroners study committee concerning suitable arrangements to enable coroners serving large Muslim communities to issue the necessary documentation to permit the transport of bodies overseas, with particular reference to weekends and public holidays. [14106]

[holding answer 4 February 1997]: The attention of coroners has been drawn to the need, when considering requests to expedite applications, for the religious feelings of the bereaved to be taken into account and for their concerns to be dealt with sensitively.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will allow Gilbert McNamee open visits with his family and friends. [13281]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

has been categorised as an exceptional risk category A prisoner. Exceptional risk category A prisoners are held in special secure units and are subject to closed visits. This policy was introduced last year in the light of escapes by prisoners from Whitemoor and Parkhurst.The humanitarian aspects of closed visits were recognised and taken into account. It was decided that, notwithstanding these humanitarian considerations, the interests of security had to be paramount. In exceptional circumstances, an open visit may be allowed, following an application to the Director of Dispersal prisons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the reduction in the budget in 1997–98 for the probation service in Mid Glamorgan; and what estimate he has received from the service of reductions in the number of probation officers directly serving clients. [13933]

The specific grant cash limit for the Mid Glamorgan probation service in 1997–98 is £2.8 million, 2.1 per cent. lower than for 1996–97. Part of this reduction is due to a transfer of responsibilities and resources from Mid Glamorgan to Gwent as a consequence of local authority boundary changes.It is for the Mid Glamorgan probation committee to decide how these resources will be best used and to determine what specific changes within the service, including staff numbers and deployment, should be undertaken within the total level of expenditure implied by this level of grant support. The committee has not yet provided information about its staffing plans for 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the effect on the Mid Glamorgan probation service of the alteration of that service's boundaries; and what transitional budget provision has been made for the service. [13952]

Responsibility for the Rhymney Valley, which was transferred from the Mid Glamorgan probation area to the Gwent probation area on 1 April 1996, accounted for an estimated 19.1 per cent. of the Mid Glamorgan probation service's expenditure. As a transitional arrangement, 16.6 per cent. of the Mid Glamorgan allocation—as it would have been before the boundary changes—was transferred through the cash limits formula to Gwent in 1996–97 and 17.9 per cent. will be transferred in 1997–98. The full 19.1 per cent. will be transferred from 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the number of prison visits by Mid Glamorgan probation officers made to advise prisoners before their release in 1996–97; and what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed reduction in the budget for 1997–98 upon prison visiting by Mid Glamorgan probation officers; [13931](2) what estimate he has made of the number of pre-sentence reports prepared by the Mid Glamorgan probation service in 1996–97 and what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed reduction in staff in that service on providing pre-sentence reports in 1997–98. [13932]

The Home Office does not estimate at this level of detail. It is for the Mid Glamorgan probation committee to use the resources available to it to meet its responsibilities, including the need for compliance with national standards for the preparation of pre-sentence reports and the pre-release and post-release supervision of offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government funding was provided to develop the oncomouse. [13407]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the number of oncomice produced to date; how many have been experimented on; to whom royalties are paid for the use of oncomice; and if he will make a statement on the value of experiments on oncomice. [13406]

Central records are insufficiently detailed to indicate the number of such procedures. Patents have been applied for, but not yet granted, in the European Union. I have no knowledge about royalties due or paid in the United Kingdom. I understand that research using oncomice has the aim of increasing scientific knowledge about the mechanisms of tumour production.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many dogs, against whose owners no charges are pending or against whose owners charges have been dropped, are currently being held by the Metropolitan police under the terms of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991; [13768](2) what is the cost, to date, of kennelling dogs held by the Metropolitan police, under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 against whose owners no charges are pending or charges have been dropped; [13769](3) what is the total cost, to date, of the kennelling of dogs held by the Metropolitan police under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. [13767]

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that seven dogs are currently being held under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 against whose owners no charges are pending or against whose owners charges have been dropped. The cost to date of kennelling dogs where charges against the owners have been dropped or are pending is £77,484. The total cost of kennelling dogs since the introduction of the Act in November 1991 is £3,175,542.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what current research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the causes and consequences of illicit drug taking; and if he will make a statement. [13854]

Research commissioned by the Home Office supports the role of the Department in delivering the strategy set out in the White Paper, "Tackling Drags Together".It includes projects to improve the information available on the nature and incidence of drag-related crime and public attitudes to it, as well as assessments of the general prevalence of drug misuse. Four projects are also in progress aimed at developing police strategies for tackling drag-related crime problems.Independent evaluation projects have been commissioned in support of the Home Office drag prevention initiative's programme of work on effective drugs prevention action at community level.Research has also been commissioned on the effects of the Prison Service mandatory drag testing programme on patterns of drag misuse in prisons.Recently evaluated projects include drug prevalence findings from the 1994 British crime survey, lifestyles of crack and heroin addicts in Manchester, public attitudes to drag-related crime and the impact of methadone programmes on crime rates on Merseyside.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will provide (a) her Department's budgeted expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns for the period January to March 1997 and (b) the actual expenditure on (1) advertising, (2) publicity and (3) public information campaigns in the period January to March in each of the past five years. [13467]

My Department has not incurred expenditure on promotional or public information advertising or public information campaigns in any of the past five years.Figures for publicity expenditure, 3 January to March, in each of the years since the Department's creation in 1992 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what support her Department is providing towards the staging of the 1997 London marathon. [13921]

My Department recognises the London marathon as a major international sporting event. The Royal Parks Agency is currently discussing with the organisers of the event the use of the royal parks to ensure the success of the 1997 race.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what financial support her Department has given to the Royal Parks in each of the last five financial years. [13927]

The information is as follows:

Year	£ million
1992–93	20.1
1993–94	22.9
1994–95	23.9
1995–96	24.7
1996–97	123.21
1 planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what consultations have taken place to reach a common standard of classification and a common symbol throughout the United Kingdom for caravan parks; and if she will make a statement. [14012]

The British graded holiday parks scheme currently provides a common standard of classification and a common symbol across Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how much has been raised for the restoration of Windsor castle by the admission charges to Buckingham palace. [14047]

I understand from the royal collection department, which as a department of the royal household is responsible for these matters, that the latest audited figures for the three years to 31 March 1996 show that a total of £8,127,000 has been raised from the summer opening of the Buckingham palace state apartments.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she expects to announce the final shortlist of applications for the British academy of sport. [14045]

A decision on the successful bidder will be announced in early spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage when she plans to implement part III of the Charities Act 1992. [13998]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to the hon. and learned member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 16 December, Official Report, columns 443–44.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will estimate the number of (a) adults, (b) women and (c) children aged under 16 years who regularly participate in sporting activity. [13926]

The 1993 general household survey of a representative sample of 19,000 people over 16 years of age in Britain revealed that 63.7 per cent. of all adult respondents, and 57 per cent. of all female respondents, had participated in at least one sporting activity in the preceding four weeks. The 1994 young people and sport in England survey of a representative sample of 4,400 six to 16-year-olds revealed that in the preceding 12 months all respondents had undertaken some form of sporting activity during lessons, and 98 per cent. of respondents had undertaken some form of extra-curricular sporting activity.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of war pensions appeals were resolved in favour of the appellants at the war pensions appeals tribunals (a) in 1979 and (b) in the last year for which figures are available; and what was the average value of such awards to successful appellants in each of the last three years. [14020]

The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff are currently employed by the war pensions appeals tribunals in Leeds. [14022]

The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff are currently employed by the war pensions appeals tribunals; and how many there were in (a) 1979 and (b) 1990. [14023]

The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases are currently before war pensions appeals tribunals involving appellants over the age of 68 years; and what steps are taken to expedite hearings in these cases. [14024]

The question concerns a matter which has been assigned to the Court Service under the terms of its framework document. I have therefore asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the total travel costs for himself and his staff during the present Parliament; and if he will list the equivalent figures for the 1983 to 1987 Parliament. [13427]

[holding answer 30 January 1997]: The total costs of such travel in the United Kingdom and overseas during the current Parliament are as follows:

Year	£
1992–93	11,730	Actual
1993–94	1,490	Actual
1994–95	1,230	Actual
1995–96	1,650	Actual
1996–97	1,270	Budget
1 All figures in £'000s rounded to the nearest £10,000. Comparable data for 1983–87 Parliament are not available.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade at what cost to public funds the booklet, "The Social Chapter, The British and European Approaches", has been produced by his Department; for what reasons his Department produced it; and to whom it has been circulated. [14233]

The total cost incurred to date for design, external translation, printing, storage and distribution of the booklet is around £27,000. It is not possible to quantify the staff costs arising from internal preparation of the text.The purpose of the booklet was to explain the Government's policy on social affairs in the EU. Copies of the booklet were sent to business organisations, the largest UK-based companies, Members of Parliament, British Members of the European Parliament and the media. It has also been distributed to interested parties in other EU member states. Further copies have been supplied on request.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations were carried out by the DTI-funded committee for middle east trade before deciding to encourage British firms to bid for the Iraqi contracts sanctioned under United Nations Security Council resolution 986. [14244]

[holding answer 4 February 1997]: The committee for middle east trade consulted my Department, which is in close touch with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on this issue. SCR 986 is a one-off humanitarian measure to help alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people and it is proper that British firms should compete for business under it.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many small businesses in rural development areas are currently receiving assistance from business links. [13890]

[holding answer 31 January 1997]: This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Business Links are not required to collect information on the number of small businesses in rural development areas receiving assistance. The information could be provided only by checking the records of each business link that includes a rural development area within its catchment area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list (a) his Department's budgeted expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns for the period January to March 1997 and (b) the actual expenditure on (1) advertising, (2) publicity and (3) public information campaigns in the period January to March in each of the past five years. [13461]

Budgeted expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomatic wing for the period January to March 1997 is as follows:

	£
Advertising	25,000
Publicity	22,638
Information campaigns	43,325

Actual expenditure on (i) advertising, (ii) publicity and (iii) public information campaigns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Diplomatic wing for the period January to March in the past five years was as follows:

	1996	1995	1994	1993	1992
	£	£	£	£	£
Advertising	6,032	3,196	15,780	33,064	1991–92
Publicity	159,414	305	36,487	130,176	breakdown
Information campaigns	91,000	67,442	255,979	112,058	not available

Overseas Development Administration aid wing can provide annual figures only for advertising. There is no annual budgeted figure as such, as the costs arise from each project. The expenditure in 1996–97 to date is £590,995.Actual annual ODA expenditure for advertising in the past five years was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 29 January, Official Report, columns 226–27, what is his estimate of the cost of informing the House of visa fees charged by other European countries since 1 April 1996, as compared with those charged for entry to the United Kingdom since that date. [14350]

I understand that a number of European countries use a differentiated system of visa fees, whereas the UK levies flat rate fees worldwide for each category of visa. It would therefore be possible to provide the information sought only following detailed research in those countries to establish current levels of visa fee applied in various countries/regions, and any revisions which have taken place during the period in question. It is not possible to estimate in advance the costs of such research.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the cost to the Exchequer in 1995–96 and the estimates available of likely costs in 1996–97 of (a) profit sharing schemes, (b) save as you earn share option schemes and (c) company share option plans; and if, for each of the above, he will list (i) the number of schemes registered and (ii) the number of people covered by these schemes. [13386]

Available information is given in the tables.

Estimated cost of tax reliefs1
£ million
	1995–96	1996–97
Approved profit sharing schemes	90	110
Approved savings related share option schemes2	180	200
1 Figures are particularly tentative and subject to a wide margin of error. Estimated costs are the effects on tax liabilities for each year, and not the receipts in each year.
2 Excluding cost of tax-free bonus on interest received under SAYE contract.

	1995–96
	Number of schemes approved in year	Estimated number of live schemes at year-end1
Approved profit sharing schemes	43	868
Approved savings related share option schemes	116	1,174
Approved discretionary share option schemes/company share option plans	347	4,339
1 Excludes schemes where no further appropriations/grants of options were thought likely to occur.

	1994–95 Number of employees receiving share allocations or to whom options were granted during the year (thousands)
Approved profit sharing schemes	640
Approved savings-related share option schemes	550

Company share option plans are not expected to have any costs until 1998–99.The exact number of employees in each of these schemes cannot be precisely estimated because the available figures show only numbers of employees to whom shares were allocated or options granted in a particular year, and some employees may be allocated shares or granted options in successive years.Estimates for take-up for 1995–96 are not yet available.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each county in England and for the relevant areas in Wales and Scotland the number and percentage of taxpayers with taxable incomes over (a) 50,000, (b) £60,000, (c) £70,000, (d) £100,000 and (e) £150,000. [13795]

Estimates of the number of taxpayers in each country and their average incomes are derived from the survey of personal incomes, and the latest available figures are in table 3.13 of "Inland Revenue Statistics

	Account 1992	Account 1993	Account 1994	Account 1995	Account 1996
Office	£	£	£	£	£
Aberystwyth	9,005,460.89	11,445,083.72	14,610,060.80	14,111,903.11	13,649,345.56
Bangor	22,670,830.88	23,487,869.38	22,509,841.89	24,675,193.38	31,025,119.11
Cardiff	83,115,908.62	76,517,319.52	109,099,560.22	130,429,444.81	83,231,425.26
Haverfordwest	9,804,817.94	6,087,883.51	6,725,811.05	8,272,308.66	7,411,620.03
Merthyr Tydfil	11,564,843.61	37,105,739.71	15,576,610.66	24,416,896.29	25,976,216.50
Newport (Gwent)	41,643,865.57	44,133,490.22	47,092,833.43	62,901,887.02	63,414,502.67
Swansea	37,048,096.31	30,177,721.28	28,633,271.20	35,737,250.47	26,810,007.40
Wrexham	26,378,979.37	23,019,889.34	31,091,353.89	45,664,975.27	48,924,179.41
The figures quoted above are the amounts of tax collected by each of the offices included in the table in respect of cases referred to them by the Inland Revenue accounts office Shipley for local action because a sum remained unpaid after the issue of requests and reminders for payment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie his decision to set a target monitoring range of 3 to 9 per cent. for the monetary M4 growth rate. [14046]

Broad money is one of the indicators that is considered when taking monetary policy decisions.The Government decided in the November 1996 Financial Statement and Budget Report to retain a medium-term monitoring range for M4 of 3 to 9 per cent. This was based on an assessment of likely movements in M4 velocity—the ratio of money gross domestic product to M4.This medium-term monitoring range is not an operational target, but provides an indication of the growth of M4 that is likely to be consistent with permanently low inflation. Because of the potential effects on velocity from changes in the rate of financial innovation, the high level of merger and acquisition activity, and the introduction of a gilt repo market, the Government will continue to keep the monitoring ranges for the monetary aggregates under review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of "Social Trends 27" were printed; on what day they will be distributed to the public with the correction slip referred to in the Office of National Statistics' press release of 30 January headed "Social Trends Error"; what is the cost of printing and distributing the correction slip; and if copies of "Social Trends 27" will be withdrawn from circulation or destroyed as a result of the error." [14276]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total (a) value added tax collected and (b) income tax recovered in each tax office in Wales in each year since 1990. [13868]

The table details the amounts of income tax recovered by each of the collection offices in Wales. Information relating to 1990 and 1991 are no longer available in the format requested.

A total of 7,500 copies of "Social Trends 27" were printed. Copies with the correction slip inside are being distributed today by The Stationery Office. The estimated maximum cost of printing and distributing the correction slip is £2,000. All sales copies of the original report were withdrawn from circulation by The Stationery Office pending the issue of the correction slip.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local tax offices have agreed a rate for the taxation of mileage allowances for the business use of pedal cycles; and if he will list the rates. [14232]

Where an employer pays a mileage allowance for the business use of pedal cycles, tax offices will agree that there is no tax liability as long as the rate paid does no more than cover the tax-allowable expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross domestic product for (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) France, (d) the European Union and (e) Japan was devoted to research and development in the latest year for which figures are available. [13453]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to eliminate mixed-sex wards in hospitals. [13896]

The Welsh Office will be having discussions with health authorities and trusts to determine how standards can be further improved in providing patients with appropriate levels of privacy and dignity.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to consider each of the health authorities' head injuries rehabilitation plans and strategies; and if he will make a statement. [13863]

Each health authority in Wales has given priority to head injuries rehabilitation. Their performance will be monitored by my Department through the annual accountability review process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many lone parents there are in Wales, broken down by gender; how many are unemployed; and if he will make a statement. [13759]

The summer 1996 labour force survey estimated that, in Wales, there were 101,000 lone parents with dependent children. This estimate, however, is based on a relatively small sample and should be regarded only as a broad order of magnitude. While most of the lone parents identified in the survey were women, reliable estimates by gender and of the numbers unemployed are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to visit (a) primary and (b) secondary schools on Deeside and in Buckly to discuss teacher supply; and if he will make a statement. [14050]

During 1997 my right hon. Friend and I intend to visit a number of schools throughout Wales. I have no doubt that during these visits we shall discuss a range of issues concerning the education service, including teacher supply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning his policy on homework for school pupils. [14051]

I refer the hon. Member to "A Bright Future: Beating the Previous Best", which was published on 3 February. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent research his Department has commissioned on the effects of acidic rain on upland flora and animal life; and if he will make a statement. [13915]

The Welsh Office has commissioned research to quantify current rates of acid deposition in Wales and to assess the impacts on the chemistry and biology of streams and lakes. Comparison with a study in 1984 by the former Welsh Water Authority will indicate how impacts have changed as emissions of acid gases have decreased. It is planned to publish the results of the research in summer 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines he has set in respect of the time scale within which planning appeals submitted to him should be resolved. [14005]

The planning inspectorate has been set the following targets for dealing with planning appeals:

• Eighty per cent. of all planning appeals decided by written representations to be determined within 17 weeks;
• Eighty per cent. of all planning appeals decided by hearings to be determined within 22 weeks;
• Eighty per cent. of all planning appeals decided by inquiries to be determined within 30 weeks.

In addition, the inspectorate has the following internal targets for determining enforcement appeals:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when Railtrack's planning appeal on the Maindy road depot in Cardiff was received by his Department; and when he expects a decision to be reached. [14006]

My right hon. Friend received the Inspector's report into these appeals on 6 June 1996. He and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport will issue the decisions jointly as soon as they are able to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the numbers of children in Wales currently attending pupil referral units; and what is the average cost of such a place. [14148]

Provisional details as at January 1996 indicate that there were 468 children attending pupil referral units in Wales. Details of the average cost of a place in a PRU are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will place in the Library figures (a) by district health authority and (b) in total for the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to hospital and the number of those patients not readmitted within a month for the third quarter of 1996–97. [13858]

Information on the number of cancelled operations is not available centrally. Provisional information on the number of patients admitted and treated more than one month after a cancelled operation is collected by NHS trusts and is given in the following table. A patient treated in a NHS trust may not necessarily be a resident of the health authority in which the trust is situated.

Number of patients admitted and treated more than one month after a cancelled operation
NHS Trust:	Quarter ending 31 December 1996
Bridgend and District	—
Carmarthen and District	13
Ceredigion and Mid Wales	—
East Glamorgan	4
Glan Clwyd General Hospital	—
Glan Hafren	2
Glan-y-Mor	2
Gwynedd Hospitals	—
Llandough Hospital	1
Llanelli Dinefwr	6
Morriston Hospital	1
Nevill Hall and District	3
North Glamorgan	2
Pembrokeshire	1
Powys Health Care	—
Swansea	—
University Hospital of Wales Healthcare	12
Velindre	—
Wrexham Maelor Hospital	—
Wales	47

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment she has made of the extent to which the requirements relating to spiritual and moral training laid out in the Education Act 1944 and the Education Act 1988 are currently met in (i) initial teacher training and (ii) in-service teacher training; and if she will make a statement. [14229]

All maintained schools are required to provide a curriculum which promotes pupils' spiritual and moral development. Newly qualified teachers must have acquired the foundation to develop a readiness to promote such development. Schools in-service training budgets can be used to fund necessary training for serving teachers. Additionally, the Teacher Training Agency is currently consulting on standards, for subject leaders and head teachers, which require the ability to establish and gain commitment to a vision for successful learning, including pupils' moral and spiritual development. Standards for expert teachers will follow later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to her answer of 6 December, Official Report, columns 819–20, what is the total budgeted spending by training and enterprise councils on out-of-school childcare in 1996–97 and planned spending for 1997–98 and 1998–99, indicating for each year the percentage change on the previous year. [13949]

[holding answer 4 February 1997]: The information requested is contained in the table.

	1996–97 Expected spend	1997–98 plans	1998–99 plans
Expenditure (£ million)	9.63	4.10	4.10
Percentage change	—	-57	nil

The out of school childcare initiative was originally a fixed-term programme due to finish in 1996–97. In the light of its success, the Secretary of State decided that the programme should continue.

to ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when she expects to issue her decision regarding the merger of Westlands primary special school and Brookfield secondary special school in Cheltenham. [14345]

A decision will be reached on this proposal as soon as is compatible with the need to take into account all the relevant factors. My right hon. Friend aims to decide such proposals no later than seven months form the date the notice was served, in this case 7 October 1996. She fully appreciates that, given the proposed implementation date of 31 August 1997, an early decision will be in the best interests of all those involved.

To ask the secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress Eltec Training and Enterprise Council is making in meeting the criteria for the award of a licence. [14767]

I am pleased to announce the award of a licence to Eltec to start from April 1997. This means that all TECs have now met the rigorous licensing standards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library the results of research conducted at Porton Down research establishment into the medical effects of high-pressure water cannon jets. [14242]

This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 14 November 1996, Official Report, columns 290–91, if he will list the causes of aircraft crashes which were previously under investigation. [14251]

The information requested is given in the table:

Date	Aircraft type	Cause
1994
1 August	Tornado GR1	Aircrew error
1995
21 June	Jaguar GR1A	Aircrew error
2 September	Nimrod MR2	Aircrew error
30 October	2 x Tornado F3	Aircrew error
1996
11 January	Tornado GR1	Aircrew error
13 February	Sea Harrier FA2	Technical fault
13 May	Tucano T1	Technical fault

The remaining accidents are still under investigation. The total number of accidents in 1996 has increased from 13 to 14 reflecting the recategorisation of an aircraft incident at RAF Bruggen in February.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the referral by the European Commission on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights of the three test cases brought by the British Nuclear Test Veterans Association against the British Government for redress for human radiation exposure [14228]

Two cases have been referred to the European Court of Human Rights. In the case of McGinley and EE v. UK, the Government are disappointed that the European Commission of Human Rights concluded that there had been a violation of article 6(1) of the European convention on human rights. The Commission concluded that the applicants did not enjoy a right of effective access to the pensions appeal tribunal because of a lack of access to relevant records. The Government dispute this and will contest this case. In the other case, of LCB v. UK, which has been referred to the Court, the Government are pleased that the Commission found no violation of the convention. The Government recall that reports of an epidemiological study by the National Radiological Protection Board published in 1988 and 1993 concluded that participation in the nuclear weapon testing programmes has not had a detectable effect on the participants' expectation of life, or on their risk of developing cancer or other fatal diseases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider naming a Royal Navy warship HMS Cromwell. [14319]

The naming of all Royal Navy ships and submarines is a matter for the Admiralty ships naming and badges committee which regularly considers suggestions for the naming of all craft. I am very grateful for my hon. Friend's suggestion and will ensure that it is forwarded to the committee for consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the organisations which he visited in his visit to the United Arab Emirates during the Christmas recess in 1996–97. [14255]

My right hon. Friend last visited the United Arab Emirates on 28 November 1996. During that visit he met a number of senior UAE figures to discuss matters of mutual interest and signed a defence co-operation accord between the UK and the UAE.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in each of the past five years aircraft of the royal flight have been used by members of the royal family. [13679]

[holding answer 31 January 1997]: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As an illustrative example, however, 228 days in the year 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1996 saw at least one royal task.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what materials were contained in the drums unearthed on Abbey field in the Colchester garrison in November 1995; and what inquiries have been undertaken as to how they came to be buried there. [13796]

The containers excavated from Abbey field, Colchester, held residues of paint, varnish, creosote and grease which, following analysis, were not found to be toxic. Inquiries showed that the containers were between 40 and 50 years old. No records exist to explain how or why the containers were disposed of in this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries have outstanding contracts for the delivery of Hawk jets; and what are the numbers of aircraft involved. [14249]

Two contracts are currently outstanding with the Indonesian Government for 24 and 16 Hawk aircraft. There is a further outstanding contract, with another country, but information on this cannot be released as it would cause harm in terms of one or more of the defence, security, international relations and commercial confidence exemptions in the code of practice on access to Government information. These were the exemptions in the code referred to in my statement on defence exports on 23 July 1996, Official Report, columns 212–13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to modify the rules and regulations governing the ownership and management of private (a) nursing and (b) residential homes for the elderly. [12892]

The Scottish Office is currently consulting publicly on the standards and practice in nursing homes and is considering the recommendations made by the working group on registration procedures in residential care homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the current level of local government spending per head in Scotland. [12893]

The current level of local government spending per head of population in Scotland is £1,279. This is 32 per cent. higher than the comparable figure for England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total value of the grants Scotland has received from the European regional development fund since the fund's inception. [12894]

From the Scottish Office budget we have allocated approximately £1.6 billion behalf of the European regional development fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the mental illness specific grant with special reference to brain injury. [12895]

In the current year, more than £1 million of mental illness specific grant has been allocated to head injury projects. The effectiveness of the grant and alternative funding arrangements are currently being considered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what resources are available to support the care programme approach for adults with brain injury in each local authority area in Scotland. [12879]

It is a matter for local authorities, health boards and housing agencies to determine how much of the considerable resources at their disposal is used to support the care programme approach for adults with brain injury.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the status of the Scottish Office ministers attending meetings of the European Council of Ministers. [12898]

Scottish Office Ministers attend Council meetings as full members of the UK delegation. They are able to speak with the authority of the UK as member state.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the impact of law and order reforms in Scotland. [12899]

We expect the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill to have a significant impact in terms of both public protection and deterrence. The Bill will also improve the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received concerning constitutional reform in relation to Scotland. [12900]

In the last six months, the majority of representations that I received were in favour of the status quo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional resources he proposes to tackle the needs of homeless people in Scotland. [12901]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 9 December that £15 million will be made available over the next three years for a new initiative to help rough sleepers in Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken following the meeting between the Minister with responsibility for industry and local government—the hon. Member for Kincardine and Deeside (Mr. Kynoch)—and the Scottish branch of the National League of the Blind in relation to section 2 workers. [12902]

Scottish Office officials have discussed with Glasgow city council the question of credit facilities for Blindcraft customers. The council agreed that the sensible way forward would be for Blindcraft to make arrangements with existing credit companies to provide services for its customers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what support his Department currently gives to (a) blind and disabled workshops and (b) Blindcraft outlets. [12912]

Funding for supported workshops is provided by the Employment Service, an executive agency of the Department for Education and Employment, and paid to Scottish local authorities as a specific grant within the overall amount of aggregate external finance. The total level of grant for 1996–97 was set at £4.4 million. The amount actually paid will depend on numbers of qualifying employees, but it is estimated that about £4.1 million will be paid in the current year. Of that amount, it is estimated that about £1.0 million will relate to Blindcraft establishments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received relating to the financial settlement for Dundee city council in 1997–98. [12903]

My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he has taken to ensure that local authorities collect outstanding local taxes. [12904]

The responsibility for the administration of local taxes, including the recovery of arrears, rests solely with the local authority concerned. However, on 17 January my right hon. Friend announced that he was prepared to offer local authorities an additional £3 million to invest on improving council tax and community charges collection.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which major road construction works will commence in 1997; and if he will make a statement. [12905]

In 1997, construction will begin, or has begun, on the upgrading of the final stretch of the A74 to motorway status, A828 Creagan Bridge, the M90 Halbeath interchange, the A9 at Logie Faster and the A96 bypasses at Blackburn and Kintore.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of his proposals for automatic life sentences on levels of serious crime. [12906]

Figures for recent years suggest that 20 to 30 offenders a year would be liable to receive an automatic life sentence under our proposals in the Crime and Punishment (Scotland) Bill. The public deserves an increased measure of protection from those offenders who have demonstrated by their repeated serious offending that they present a particular risk, and our proposals will provide it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will announce a commencement date for the construction of the A96 Keith bypass. [12907]

My right hon. Friend made the necessary road orders for the proposed Keith bypass on 19 December 1996. The project's commencement date will depend on the availability of resources and its priority relative to other projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on projects which will affect the economies of both Scotland and Northern Ireland. [12908]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland discuss issues of mutual concern from time to time.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease in Scotland in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [12909]

The information is not available in the form requested. The number of deaths from the disease has decreased from 18,483 in 1981 to 14,874 in 1995. If present trends continue. Scotland is likely to meet its target of a 40 per cent. reduction between 1986 and the year 2000 in the number of deaths from coronary heart disease in those under 65.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next expects to meet the chairmen of the health boards to discuss the financing of health services. [12910]

My right hon. Friend and I meet chairmen of health boards regularly to discuss matters of current interest, including finance issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the effect of the 1997–98 budget allocations to publicly funded bodies on the economy of the city of Glasgow. [12911]

The performance of the local economy within the city of Glasgow is related to the performance of the Scottish and United Kingdom economies. The policy of restraint in public expenditure pursued by the Government and its success in combating inflation has delivered the strongest recovery since 1992 of any major European economy. The budget allocations to publicly funded bodies for 1997–98 will reflect that successful policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the prospects for the fishing industry in Scotland. [12913]

The Government are committed to safeguarding the interests of the Scottish fishing industry. That is why we continue to press for a solution to the problem of "quota hopping" at the intergovernmental conference and that is why we argued successfully for more realistic quotas at the December Fisheries Council. The industry's own confidence is evident from the fact that more than 20 new boats, worth some £100 million, are currently on order from Scottish fishermen, with many of the orders placed in Scottish shipyards.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact on local government services of next year's financial settlement to local authorities. [12914]

Provided councils maximise the benefits from reorganisation and efficiency savings, and budget in line with the priorities my right hon. Friend set in determining it, the settlement should lead to a continued improvement in front-line services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to meet the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss local authority finances. [12882]

I met the convention on 17 January and I look forward to meeting it on 4 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent representations he has received from health boards in Scotland regarding the Pennington report; and if he will make a statement. [12915]

I have received no representations from health boards specifically in response to publication of the interim report of Professor Pennington's group. Health boards' views will be taken into account in taking forward both the interim recommendations and any further recommendations which are made in the final report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met Scottish Enterprise to discuss export prospects. [12916]

I last met the Scottish Enterprise Board on 15 November 1996, when a range of issues were discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the progress being made in implementing the Activity Centres (Young Persons' Safety) Act 1995 in Scotland. [12917]

During the transitional period for inspecting and licensing existing providers, 106 Scottish operators have registered with Tourism Quality Services, the licensing authority. Tourism Quality Services has inspected 13 centres and the first licences will be issued during February. Tourism Quality Services is on course to complete its inspections and to grant or refuse licences by 1 October 1997, the date defined in the regulations by which registered operators must be licensed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the chairmen of health boards to discuss finance in the national health service. [12918]

My right hon. Friend and I meet chairmen of health boards regularly to discuss matters of current interest including finance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what analysis he has carried out of the effects on the Scottish economy of the privatisation of the Scottish electricity companies; and if he will make a statement. [12919]

My right hon. Friend is confident that the increased competition in the electricity market resulting from the privatisation of ScottishPower and Scottish Hydro-Electric, and the freedom of these companies from state interference, has been beneficial to Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library figures (a) by district health board and (b) in total for the number of operations cancelled on the day of, or the day after, admission to hospital and the number of those patients not readmitted within a month for the third quarter of 1996–97. [13859]

I refer the hon. Member to my answer to him on 23 January 1997, Official Report, columns 749–50. Figures for cancellations of planned admissions for in-patient and day case treatment for the third quarter of 1996–97 are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from pigeon fanciers requesting a cull of peregrine hawks; and if he will make a statement. [14030]

The Government have received a number of calls from pigeon fanciers over the last two years for the licensed control of birds of prey.A raptor forum and working group was established in 1995, under the joint chairmanship of the Department of the Environment and the Joint Nature Conversation Committee. The group is currently assessing the interaction between racing pigeons, raptors and game birds and will provide advice to Government on this complex issue as it becomes available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the population of peregrine hawks in Scotland in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [14031]

The numbers of peregrine falcons breeding in Scotland are not monitored annually on a countrywide basis. The last full survey, in 1991, recorded 625 pairs in Scotland. Local surveys of regularly occupied sites indicate expanding populations in some areas, balanced by some decline in other areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to provide protection for people, with particular reference to senior citizens, from the effects of cold weather. [12896]

A generous package of measures are in place to assist vulnerable people particularly older people to cope with the effects of cold weather. These include cold weather payments giving extra help towards additional heating costs; the home energy efficiency scheme providing loft insulation, draughtproofing and energy advice; and the "keep warm this winter" campaign providing a free telephone helpline.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy in respect of fundholder status for general practitioners. [12897]

We continue to support GPs who chose to use fundholding to improve services for patients and we expect that around half the population will be covered by GP fundholders in the course of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the (a) White Papers, (b) Green Papers, (c) consultation papers, (d) draft regulations and (e) circulars, for which his Department has been responsible issued in 1996 which his Department assesses could give rise, (i) directly and (ii) indirectly to significant environmental effects. [12713]

[holding answer 27 January 1997]: The Scottish Office pursues policies and programmes which are intended to support the implementation of the Government's White Paper on the environment "This Common Inheritance", 1992, Cm 1200, and "Sustainable Development: The UK Strategy", Cm 2426, published in 1994. A report on progress will be published shortly as "This Common Inheritance: Annual Report 1997."No central record is kept of material in the way requested. The Scottish Office produces a great many circulars, regulations and consultation papers; many, to a greater or lesser extent, either may have some impact on the environment or are specifically intended to lead to environmental improvements.The following are among the material published in 1996:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reception proposed by the Scottish Office to mark the completion of the wind-up of Scotland's development corporations; which Ministers will be attending the reception; when and where the reception will be held; who has been invited to attend; how many are expected to attend the reception; what entertainment will be provided; if commemorative items will be dispensed at the reception; and how much will be spent on the event. [12875]

[holding answer 27 January 1997]: I invited representatives of Livingston, Cumbernauld and Irvine new town development corporations to a reception in the great hall, Edinburgh castle on Friday 31 January 1997. The purpose of the reception was to acknowledge the splendid work done by the corporations since they were set up. Each of the corporations was represented by board members, former board members and senior staff past and present. Sixty-five guests attended the reception and the total cost was £803.The Scottish Office arranged only a reception: dinner was not provided, there was no entertainment and no commemorative items were dispensed. A similar reception was held in December 1995 to mark the wind-up of the East Kilbride and Glenrothes new town development corporations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of (a) chickens and (b) turkeys on farms in Scotland are currently vaccinated against Newcastle disease; and if he will make a statement. [13602]

[holding answer 31 January 1997]: The information requested is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on student grants in Scotland in each year from 1990–91 to 1996–97 at current 1996–97 prices. [13902]

[holding answer 31 January 1997]: The information requested is set out in the table.The figures represent expenditure on maintenance grants, travel and tuition fees for award-holding Scottish domiciled students undertaking full-time courses of higher education; and on tuition fees for eligible European Union students undertaking similar courses in Scotland. They are not strictly comparable year on year because, since academic year 1990–91, a growing proportion of the maintenance provision for these students has been met by loans rather than grants.

£000s
Financial Year	Actual expenditure	Expenditure at 1996–97 prices
1990–911	176,813	215,769
1991–92	279,734	320,817
1992–93	337,647	371,799
1993–94	370,195	395,945
1994–95	324,646	341,190
1995–96	289,060	296,287
1996–972	289,728	289,728
1 Excluding grants for full-time higher national certificate courses which were covered by the education authorities up to and including 1990–91
2 Estimated

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what arrangements are in place to ensure the separation of cattle in the over-30-months scheme from those outside the scheme in abattoirs; how these arrangements differ from those in the rest of the United kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [13538]

[holding answer 29 January 1997]: The arrangements in place aim to assist the restoration of consumer confidence in beef.Regulation (EC No. 716/96 requires separation in time and space of cattle being processed under the scheme from those intended for human consumption.In Scotland this is ensured by abattoirs contracting with the Government to slaughter over-30-month cattle only. There are interim arrangements for Orkney given the special circumstances there. The contractual arrangements reflect representations from the Scottish meat industry, retail, consumer and food safety representative bodies.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what weight of meat and bonemeal from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme is currently being stored in cold storage depots in Grimsby; how long it has been stored there; and for how long it is planned to be kept there. [14025]

There are currently no dry warehouses holding meat and bonemeal or cold stores holding carcase material from animals slaughtered under the over-30-months scheme in Grimsby.