To ask the Prime Minister what are the arrangements for hearing appeals from those who need to have access to protectively marked Government assets and have been refused security clearance or have had that clearance withdrawn. [4979]

An independent Security Vetting Appeals Panel, chaired by Sir Anthony May, will be established on 1 July to hear appeals against refusal or withdrawal of clearance at Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) levels and to advise the head of the organisation concerned. The Panel will be available to all those, other than recruits, in the public and private

Persons detained in purpose-built immigration detention centres and their current capacity
	Heathrow Queen's Building	Harmondsworth	Manchester Airport	Campsfield House	Tinsley House	Gatwick Meadvale2	Stanstead1
Number of persons detained on:
31 May 1996	13	91	12	196	39	36	7
30 June 1996	14	91	7	198	92	43	7
31 July 1996	13	85	8	193	100	41	7
31 August 1996	15	91	10	195	120	42	—
30 September 1996	14	88	16	197	144	44	—
31 October 1996	13	87	13	195	136	45	—
30 November 1996	14	89	13	189	139	45	—
31 December 1996	15	90	4	194	132	44	—
31 January 1997	15	90	11	195	134	42	—
28 February 1997	14	85	6	195	139	39	—
31 March 1997	14	88	12	195	142	44	—
30 April 1997	15	88	7	197	145	32	—
31 May 1997	15	91	5	195	144	—	—
Current detention capacity	15	93	16	198	150	—	—
1Closed on 7 August 1996.
2Closed on 19 May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers currently in detention have alleged that they are under 18 years of age; and where they are being held. [3940]

I regret that the information requested is not available. The available information on detained asylum seekers shows that none is recorded as being under the age of 18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently detained in (a) prisons and (b) detention centres solely under the powers of the Immigration Act 1971. [3938]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people were detained in purpose-built immigration detention centres in each month in the last year; [3985](2) how many places in purpose-built immigration detention centres are currently occupied; [3983](3) what is the total current capacity of purpose-built immigration detention centres. [3984]

The information requested is given in the table.

As at 31 May 1997, the most recent date for which information is available, 279 persons in Prison Service establishments and 374 persons in detention centres, who had sought asylum at some stage, were recorded as being solely detained under Immigration Act powers.

To ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently being detained in Category B Her Majesty's prisons without being charged with a criminal offence. [3986]

As at 31 May 1997, a total of 279 persons, who had sought asylum at some stage, were recorded as detained solely under Immigration Act powers in Her Majesty's prisons. Of these, 204 were held in establishments capable of holding Category B prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to bring forward primary legislation to make failure to stop after a road accident involving personal injury an arrestable offence. [4001]

The Government's intention is to legislate as soon as practicable, when a suitable opportunity arises in the legislative programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are currently being detained in Her Majesty's Prisons under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1986, having entered the United Kingdom with false documents; how many of those have entered the United Kingdom as transit passengers on their way to a third country; and how many have applied for asylum in the United Kingdom. [3982]

I regret that the information requested is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations he plans to introduce governing the production and sale of alcopops drinks. [3952]

The Government are very concerned about the promotion and sale of certain alcoholic drinks to children, and I am holding urgent talks with the drinks industry. I am also chairing a Ministerial Group to examine options for Government action. We shall not hesitate to act if the industry response is unsatisfactory.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the Prison Service budget is allocated to educational activities for prisoners in the current financial year; and what were the equivalent figures for (a) 1982, (b) 1987 and (c) 1992. [4176]

There is no central education budget: decisions on the size of education budgets are taken by individual prison governors. The table below shows the proportion of the Prison Service's current expenditure spent on contracted-in education, library services and educational materials at directly run prisons for the years 1982–83,1987–88,1992–93 and (provisionally) 1996–97. The figures for 1996–97 may not be on precisely the same basis as those for earlier years due to changes in accounting arrangements.

• 1982–83: 2.14 per cent.
• 1987–88: 2.54 per cent.
• 1992–93: 2.74 per cent.
• 1996–97: 2.48 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the enforcement of the law in respect of absentee landlords of public houses. [4079]

I am not aware of any particular problems in this area of the law. If the hon. Member has specific concerns, I should be happy to look into them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a national database of (a) pub licensees and (b) persons who are barred from becoming pub licensees. [4077]

I see no need to do so. Liquor licence applicants have to make a statutory declaration that they are not ineligible, and the licensing courts and police make appropriate enquiries about every applicant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the complement of psychologists at (a) Camphill, (b) Albany and (c) Parkhurst prisons; how many vacancies there are for these posts; how long the posts concerned have been vacant; and what plans he has to change the complements. [4081]

Details of the complements of psychologists at Camp Hill, Albany and Parkhurst prisons and any vacancies are shown in the attached table.There are no plans to change the complements at Albany and Camp Hill. It is planned to change the Parkhurst complement on 1 July by removing the psychologist post and adding another psychological assistant. The other posts will remain unchanged.

Psychologist complements at Isle of Wight prisons
	Complement	Vacancies (effective from)
Camp Hill	—	—
		(+1 Senior Psychologist)
Albany	1 Principal Psychologist	—
	1 Senior Psychologist	—
	1 Psychologist	1 Psychologist
	3 Psychological Assistants	(1 May 1997)
		1 Psychological
		Assistant
		(1 May 1997)
Parkhurst	1 Principal Psychologist	—
	1 Higher Psychologist	—
	1 Psychologist	—
	½ Psychological Assistant	—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the advantages of outlawing hare coursing. [4021]

The Government are committed to allowing a free vote on whether there should be a ban on hunting with hounds. A Private Member's Bill to ban hunting with dogs is now before the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to fund CCTV in 1997–98; [4277](2) when new bids for CCTV will be considered. [4279]

Round three of the closed circuit television (CCTV) Challenge Competition provided £15 million for CCTV in the current financial year (1997–98). This money has already been allocated. A decision on 1998–99 will be made later in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the number of salaries of his Department's special advisers falling within the range of (a) £24,349–£29,999, (b) £30,000–34,999, (c) £35,000–£39,999, (d) £40,000–£44,999, (e) £45,000£49,999, (f) £50,000–£54,999, (g) £55,000–£59,999, (h)£60,000—£64,999, (i) £65,000—69,999 and (j) £70,000—£73,484. [4555]

Consistent with the practice of previous administrations and to protect the privacy of individuals, only aggregate information on the salaries of special advisers will be published.Once all salaries have been agreed, the number of advisers paid in each of the appropriate £10,000 bands will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what conclusions he has reached about future private sector involvement in the Prison Service. [5060]

The Government have expressed reservations about the principle of contracting out the management of prisons. It is generally accepted that responsibility for the incarceration of offenders must remain with the state. The issue is whether that responsibility should, as a matter of principle, be discharged through direct management in the public sector or whether it can properly and effectively be discharged under a regulatory framework. This was addressed in the recent report on prison management by the Home Affairs Select Committee; and the Government now wish to give further and careful consideration to the arguments deployed in that report before settling their overall approach to this issue.Existing management contracts will be honoured, as I have already made clear. But we are considering ways in which the current regulatory framework might be strengthened. At present, all disciplinary hearings in contractually managed prisons are conducted by a state official—the Controller, a Prison Service governor, who also monitors the performance of the contractor on behalf of the responsible Prison Service Area Manager. This is an important principle from which we will not depart; and we are currently reviewing the scope for extending the Controller's powers in respect of prisoners' requests and complaints, sentence calculation, scrutiny of security classifications and frequency of security audits.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what is his policy on the televising of cricket test matches on terrestrial television channels. [3980]

Test matches involving England are among the events listed under the Broadcasting Act 1996. Rights for live television coverage of these events must be made available to broadcasters offering a generally available free to air service: currently the BBC and Channels 3 and 4. The provisions do not apply retrospectively, and consequently only contracts agreed after the Act came into force are affected. I announced in the House on 19 May that the Government was initiating a review of this list of events and the work is under way in my Department. The review will include a consultation with all interested parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time persons employed by his Department and its agencies are paid (i) less than £4 an hour, (ii) less than £3.50 an hour and (iii) less than £3 an hour. [4200]

No full-time or part-time member of staff in the Department of National Heritage is paid less than £4 an hour.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the number of (a) people and (b) children under five dying each day in the developing world from (i) inadequate sanitation, (ii) lack of clean water, (iii) starvation and (iv) war. [3806]

DFID makes no such global estimates. However, I have approached the United Nations, who collect some of this data on a country by country basis, and will write to my hon. Friend when I have their response.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the precise criteria which the Low Pay Commission will apply in making their recommendation on the optimum level of statutory minimum pay. [4053]

The independent Low Pay Commission will recommend to Government the level at which the National Minimum Wage might be introduced having undertaken a wide-ranging consultation with employers, including small businesses, employees, the general public and other interested parties and taking into account relevant economic circumstances prevailing at the time.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to reduce the regulatory burden on small businesses. [3956]

As we made clear in our manifesto, we are committed to relieving the regulatory burdens on small businesses. To achieve this, we plan to work in partnership with small firms to ensure that new regulations are simple and fair. We also want to ensure that regulations are enforced fairly. As part of this process we will maintain close links with small firms and their representative bodies to identify their key concerns. We will also reconstitute the Deregulation Task Force to increase its focus on small firms by increasing small business representation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she last met representatives from the Multiple Newsagents Association; what subjects were discussed; and if he will make a statement. [4175]

Neither my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade nor I have yet met the Multiple Newsagents Association since arriving at the Department.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will review the legal action against some of the former directors of Astra Holdings commenced under the previous administration. [2923]

No information has been drawn to my attention which suggests that I should review the disqualification proceedings instituted against some of the former directors of Astra Holdings plc. A trial has now been fixed and it must be for the Court to determine the issues.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what targets he has set for fuel consumption by the Government Car Service; if meeting such targets will involve the use of diesel vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [4056]

For 1997–98, the Government Car and Despatch Agency has been set the target of achieving an annual average of 25.5 miles per gallon for the Government Car Service and Inter Despatch Service fleets. Responsibility for meeting this target has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Agency, and I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member about Agency's use of diesel fuelled vehicles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Goverment's trade promotion policy towards Burma. [4898]

We will not provide any financial support to companies for trade missions to Burma or for trade promotion activities within Burma until there is progress towards democratic reform and respect for human rights in Burma. Officials in the UK and at the British Embassy in Rangoon will continue to provide British companies with routine advice about doing business in Burma. Wherever possible such advice will make clear the present realities in Burma, including the political and human rights situation and the state of the economy. It will also draw to businessmen's attention statements by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other pro-democracy leaders discouraging trade and investment in Burma. We shall encourage our EU partners to take similar action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on international efforts to restore democracy in Sierra Leone; [4159](2) if he will make a statement on the implications of his Department's mission statement for relations with Sierra Leone following the recent coup d'état; [4158](3) if he will make a statement on the actions of the Nigerian military in Sierra Leone; [4229]

[holding answer 17 June 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 12 June, Official Report, column 545. We deplore this coup and shall continue to work for the restoration of the legitimate government in Sierra Leone without further bloodshed. Those who led the coup have no support from their own people or from the international community. International stability and respect for human rights are core parts of the FCO mission statement. They have an evident relevance to the situation in Sierra Leone.Several West African states, including Ghana, Nigeria and Guinea, are working together to find a peaceful settlement to the current crisis in Sierra Leone. We strongly support their efforts, which are likely to include an early high-level regional meeting to identify a way forward. I discussed the situation in Sierra Leone with the Ghanaian Deputy Foreign Minister on 18 June. I am also in touch with the Sierra Leone High Commissioner in London. We are active within both the UN and the Commonwealth about their respective roles in the search for a negotiated settlement in Sierra Leone. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met Mr. Annan, United Nations Secretary General, on 4 June. They discussed Sierra Leone and expressed the strong hope that a negotiated settlement would be found. With partners in the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) we will consider Sierra Leone at the next CMAG meeting on 10—11 July. I discussed the prospects for this meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary on 19 June. CMAG will report to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh in October.Nigeria has long maintained a military presence of around 1,000 troops in Sierra Leone under bilateral and multilateral agreements. Twenty-four Nigerians died defending President Kabbah. Extra deployments after the coup followed appeals to regional states by President Kabbah and by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to assist in restoring constitutional order. We encourage Nigeria now to play a constructive role in the regional efforts to secure a negotiated settlement.We are concerned that the coup in Sierra Leone should not have a destabilising influence elsewhere in the region. In particular we are watching events in neighbouring Liberia where democratic elections are due on 19 July. The universal condemnation of the coup by African states offers some reassurance that the region itself is determined not to allow the instability in Sierra Leone to spread.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in what circumstances he will be willing to approve interim local authority early years development plans which specify that there should be only one point of entry for four-year-olds each year at the beginning of the Autumn Term. [3564]

Interim early years development plans will be approved only if they demonstrate how a good quality early education place can be secured for each eligible four-year-old for the three terms before compulsory school age.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take steps to encourage more young people to study engineering. [3567]

The National Curriculum makes the study of science, mathematics and technology compulsory for all pupils between the ages of 5 and 16, and this provides a suitable grounding for young people to move on to the study of engineering.More specifically, the Government is working in partnership with the industry itself to promote career prospects in engineering. We are currently involved with a wide range of engineering bodies, institutions, and major UK companies in the Year of Engineering Success campaign. This is intended to demonstrate the vital role played by engineering in the economy and in daily life and to encourage young people to consider engineering as a career.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals for a university for industry. [3566]

The Government will establish the University for Industry which will open up new opportunities for adults to improve their skills and realise their potential. By harnessing new technology the University for Industry will help improve the quality and accessibility of learning opportunities and will aim in particular to be of help to small businesses. It will enable greater participation in, and demand for, learning and modernise its supply. It will bring learning to the workplace, the home and the community.We are taking urgent steps to bring together a range of interests from across and outside Government to agree the way ahead on the University for Industry's development. An announcement is expected soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take into account when framing the welfare to work proposals the position of people who are not in their preferred employment but do not qualify as being unemployed for six months because they take on a series of temporary agency jobs. [3950]

We are currently considering the detailed design of our New Deal programmes for young people out of work for six months or more. Our key priority is to help people who have experienced a continuous period out of work. We will however take other disadvantaged groups into account in designing the initiative, as far as resources and practicalities allow.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will create a standard unit of resource for all 16 to 19-year-old students financed from the public purse irrespective of whether they attend local education authority or grant-maintained schools, sixth form colleges or further education colleges. [4163]

I currently have no plans to create such a unit of resource. In March this year the Department published a report comparing the costs of education and training for 16 to 19-year-olds. I will be looking further at these findings and consulting with our partners in the education service before making any proposals about future funding mechanisms for 16 to 19 education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will readjust the cash base-line for further education to take account of the increased number of students in the further education sector. [4162]

I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to her of 10 June, Official Report, column 369.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will introduce measures to stop the loss of teaching staff in post-16 further education. [4202]

From incorporation on 1 April 1993, further education colleges assumed responsibility for their own finance and organisation, including the appointment, dismissal, redundancy and conditions of service generally of their staff. Decisions on recruitment and retention are, therefore, for individual colleges to make.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what discussions he has had with Kent county council following the council's decision to freeze capital spending on schools. [4136]

My right hon. Friend has had no such discussions. We understand that Kent County Council has placed a temporary moratorium on all capital expenditure. We are concerned at this development and will be asking Kent County Council for a full explanation for its decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the applications received in each of the last five years from local education authorities or from grant-maintained schools for changes in the ages of admission or transfer, indicating in each case the changes proposed; and if he will make a statement. [4164]

The applications received in each of the last five years from local education authorities and grant-maintained schools for changes in the ages of admissions or transfer are listed below. All proposals will be considered on their individual merits.

Local education authorities	Proposal
1992
Surrey	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Avon	to change the age range of some primary schools
1993
Doncaster	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Hampshire	to move from a middle-school to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Wakefield	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Kent	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11 in the Longfield area
1994
Leeds	to change the age range of some primary schools
Doncaster	to move form a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Berkshire	to change the age of transfer between primary and middle schools and reduce the age of admission to secondary schools in the Slough area
Warwickshire	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
Devon	to change the age range of some primary schools
Kent	to change the age range of some primary schools
1995
Birmingham	to move from a middle-school system to a system of primary and secondary schools with transfer at age 11
1996
Buckinghamshire	to change the age of transfer between primary, middle and secondary schools to change the age range of Loughton County Combined School from 5–12 to 8–12
1997
Berkshire	to change the age-range of middle schools in the Slough area

Grant maintained schools
LEA area	School	Nature of change
1992
Ealing	Brentside High School	12–19 to 11–19
	Drayton Manor High School	12–19 to 11–19
	Greenford High School	12–19 to 11–19
	Northholt High School	12–19 to 11–19
	Wood End Middle School	8–12 to 7–12
Hampshire	Hardley School	12–16 to 11–16
	Portsmouth Boys' School	12–16 to 11–16

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time persons employed by his Department and its agencies are paid (i) less than £4 an hour, (ii) less than£3.50 an hour and (iii) less than £3 an hour.[4188]

At April 1997, of the people employed by DfEE (including DfEE staff in Government Offices) and the Employment Service:

Full-time staff

1,003 earned less than £ an hour; including 788 who earned less than £3.50 an hour.

No full-time staff earned less than £ an hour

Part-time staf

131 earned less than £4 an hour; including 40 who earned less than £3.50 an hour

No part-time staff earned less than £3 an hour

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils benefit from an assisted place in the South-West Surrey constituency. [4278]

In the current academic year 1996–97, 93 children hold assisted places in three participating schools in the South-West Surrey constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) for each year of operation of school-centred initial teacher training courses, what has been the average cost per annum for a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education student (a) at an initial teacher training institution and (b) on a SCITT course; [4481](2) how many school-centred initial teacher training courses have sought validation for the award of the Post-Graduate Certificate in Education for students on such courses; what proportion failed on

These are matters for the Teacher Training Agency. I will ask the Chairman of the Agency, Geoffrey Parker, to write to the hon. Member direct.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many school-centred initial teacher training courses have been inspected by the Office for Standards in Education; what proportion have been judged unsatisfactory; and if he will make a statement.[4483]

This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education. I have asked the Chief Inspector to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department currently offers to universities, colleges of higher education and further education corporations to ensure that they take into full account the environmental impact of new building projects. [4513]

Universities and colleges of further and higher education are autonomous, private sector bodies, responsible for the maintenance and development of their own estates. The Department does not issue any guidance to them about the environmental impact of new buildings. Of course, all buildings work must conform to the relevant planning and environmental health legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department currently offers to local education authorities to ensure that they take into full account the environmental impact of new building projects. [4514]

The Schools Environmental Assessment Methodology (SEAM) was published in 1996. It is intended to help designers of new schools—and major building projects at existing schools—to minimise the environmental impact of their designs and the materials they specify, and create school buildings which are in harmony with their surroundings.SEAM also enables schools to monitor their own energy use and provides opportunities for pupils to learn about the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment by what date staff employed on current section 11 funded projects will need to be given notice of redundancy; what estimate he has made of the length of time needed by schools and local education authorities to prepare bids for new projects funded under section 11 or similar provisions; whom he has consulted on future arrangements for section 11 funding; and if he will make a statement. [4486]

I have been asked to reply.We are well aware of the need to reach conclusions about future arrangements for section 11 funding in good time for any necessary arrangements to be made.If questions of redundancy arise, they will depend on arrangements between the individuals concerned and their employers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 369, on the number of special advisers in his Department, if an additional special adviser has not been appointed. [4238]

No additional advisers have been appointed since my previous reply. However, I am in the process of seeking approval from the Prime Minister to appoint an additional part-time adviser to share a full-time post with Sophie Linden, my existing part-time adviser.This will bring my complement of special advisers to 1 full-time and 2 part-time advisers occupying 2 full time posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of joint training exercises that British Special Forces have undertaken with (a) Australian, (b) Malaysian, (c) New Zealand and (d) other Association of South-East Asian Nations special forces.[2779]

For reasons which are widely understood, it has been my Department's normal practice not to comment on the activities of the UK Special Forces. This practice will continue but will be kept under review in the light of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will provide details of the countries and military, security, paramilitary, police or special forces units which have received training in the United Kingdom MOD close quarter battle and internal security training facilities. [2777]

It has been the practice in the past not to release details of military assistance provided to other countries on the grounds that this information is confidential between governments and disclosure would risk damaging our international relations. This practice is now being reviewed against the background of the government's commitment to openness. I will write to my hon. Friend once the review is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the training provided by Britain's SAS to Indonesian military, police, paramilitary and special forces. [2778]

For reasons which are widely understood, it has been the Department's normal practice not to comment on the activities of the UK Special Forces. This practice will continue but will be kept under review in the light of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries and specific military, paramilitary, security, police or special forces units have received training at MOD facilities through formal or informal arrangements with private companies. [2781]

It has been the practice in the past not to release details of military assistance provided to other countries on the grounds that this information is confidential between governments and disclosure would risk damaging our international relations. This practice is now being reviewed against the background of the government's commitment to openness. I will write to my hon. Friend once the review is complete.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Her Majesty's Government received from the United States Government a copy of the document "A Joint Classification Guide for Exchange and Safeguards of Material between the United States and United Kingdom, CG-UK-1", completed in May 1996, and forwarded for approval for release by the Office of Declassification of the United States Department of Energy. [2679]

A copy of the document referred to, the reference of which is CG—UK—1, was received by British Defence Staff in Washington in draft form on 20 June, 1996. Approval for release was not requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will restore the number of Ministry of Defence police constables operating within the Colchester Garrison to that obtaining on 1 January 1997. [3522]

Having examined the position, I am content that the complement of 21 Ministry of Defence police constables at the Colchester Garrison is satisfactory to meet the MOD police responsibilities there.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the companies exhibiting at the Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition in Farnborough in September 1997. [3592]

The following companies have registered to participate as exhibitors at the third Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition:

• AB Connectors Ltd.
• Aeroflex Hose and Engineering Ltd.
• Aireshelta
• Alvis Industries Ltd.
• Applied Visuals Ltd.
• Archer Communications Systems Ltd.
• Armourshield Ltd.
• Avimo Ltd.
• Avon Technical Products
• B.C.B. International Ltd.
• Babcock Facilities Management Ltd.
• Basys Marine Ltd.
• Beechwood Equipment
• Blair Catton Defence Products
• Bolle UK Ltd.
• British Aerospace
• British Naval Equipment Association
• BTR Group
• Burmarc Ltd.
• CAE Invertron (CAE Electronics plc)
• Case United Kingdom Ltd.
• Chemring Group plc
• CMN Support Services Ltd.
• CMT Dynamics
• Cogent Defence Systems Colebrand Ltd.
• Combined Services Publications Ltd.
• Cummins Engine Company Ltd.
• David Brown Defence Equipment Ltd.
• Defence Manufacturers Association
• DESO—British Army Export Support Teams
• Devonport Management Ltd.
• Digital
• DSD Ltd.
• Dunlop-Beaufort Ltd.
• EKA Ltd.
• European Data Systems
• Ferranti Technologies Ltd.
• Firearms Training Systems UK Ltd.
• GEC plc
• GKN Westland/GKN Defence
• Graseby
• Greys Defence Systems Ltd.
• Holt Lloyd Export Ltd.
• Horstman Defence Systems Ltd
• Howeden Airdynamics Group
• Hunting Engineering Ltd.
• Ian Allan Regalia Ltd.
• Icore International Ltd.
• Imagebase Technology Ltd.
• Information Security Systems Ltd.
• Instro Precision Ltd.
• Interspiro Ltd.
• ITT Defence Ltd.
• Iveco Ford Truck Ltd.
• J & S Franklin Ltd.
• Jane's Information Group
• John Crane Marine International
• Kelvin Hughes Ltd.
• Kidde Graviner
• Kudos 2000 Ltd.
• Land Rover
• Leyland Trucks Ltd.
• Light Alloy Ltd.
• Litton Data Systems
• Lockheed Martin
• Logica UK Ltd.
• Lynwood
• Macro Engineering Co Ltd.
• Mannesmann Rexroth Ltd.
• Marshall Specialist Vehicles
• Meggitt plc
• Ministry of Defence—Defence Public Relations
• ML Aviation Ltd.
• National Employers Liaison Committee
• National Engineering and Assessment Group
• Naval Bases and Supply Agency
• Nickleby and Co (Scotland) Ltd
• P W Allen and Co Ltd.
• Pandect Precision Components Ltd.
• Park Air Electronics Ltd.
• Partek Cargotec Ltd.
• PDQ Emergency Homes
• Peak Trailers Ltd.
• Pearson Engineering Ltd.
• Penman Specialist Vehicles
• Photon Security Services Ltd.
• Pilatus Britten-Norman
• Pilkington Optronics
• Premier Product Support Services
• Protex Fasteners Ltd.
• Racal Electronics Plc
• Radamec Defence Systems
• Radio Systems Ltd.
• Raytheon Computer Products Europe Ltd.
• Raytheon Cossor
• RBR Armour Ltd.
• Redifon MEL Ltd.
• Rescue and Medical Services
• Richmond Electronics and Engineering International Ltd.
• Rolls-Royce plc
• RTK Marine
• S and D Security (Equipment) Ltd.
• Scottish Trade International
• Seymour Systems Ltd.
• Shorts Missile Systems Ltd.
• Siemens Plessey Systems
• Silicon Graphics Computer Systems
• Simrad Optronics Ltd.
• Spanset Ltd.
• Stella Meta
• Stonebridge Facilities Ltd.
• Stop-Choc Ltd.
• Television Installation Services (Mansfield) Ltd.
• The Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency
• The Friends of the Royal Engineer Museum
• Thomson-Thorn Missile Electronics
• Toye Kenning and Spencer
• TRL Technology Ltd.
• UCC International Ltd.
• Ultra Electronics Ltd.
• Universal Vehicles Group
• Varity Perkins
• Vickers Defence Systems
• Vosper Thornycroft
• W L Gore and Associates (UK) Ltd.
• W Vinten Ltd.
• Westair Ltd.
• W S Atkins

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to reduce the yield of Trident warheads in the light of the opinion of the International Court of Justice on the use of nuclear weapons. [3951]

Pending the achievement of the Government's goal of the global elimination of nuclear weapons, the International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion does not require a change in the United Kingdom's nuclear policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time persons employed by his Department and its agencies are paid (i) less than £4 an hour, (ii) less than £3.50 an hour and (iii) less than £3 an hour. [4190]

The information requested is shown in the table below for MoD civilian staff. The number of staff shown as earning less than a given figure includes those also shown in any lower pay category.

	Number of civilian stuff
Number of staff earning less than £X per hour	Full-time	Part-time
£4.00	4,432	685
£3.50	3,050	416
£3.00	246	1

It is not possible to provide meaningful comparable figures for Service personnel in the form sought by the right hon. Member. Members of the Armed Forces are not paid by the hour. Nor do the long hours worked by many Service personnel equate to the average civilian working week; a factor which the Armed Forces Pay Review Body takes into account when making its annual recommendations to the Prime Minister.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the number and proportion of Ministry of Defence homes currently vacant in Colchester; how many homes the Ministry of Defence has sold in the past year, and to whom. [4034]

There are 1,361 properties pon the Colchester family quarters estate of which 138 (10.1 per cent.) are currently vacant. Of the 138 properties, 75 have been allocated to incoming families; nine have been set aside for major refurbishment and 36 have been identified for possible short-term leasing. The future of the remaining 18 remains under review.Within the past year, nine family quarters have been sold on the open market by the Defence Estates Organisation. I am withholding information on the companies and individuals involved in this sale for reasons of commercial confidentiality under exemption 7 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information.A further 46 houses were sold freehold to Annington Homes Ltd. as part of the asset sale in November 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the review being undertaken of the terms of disposal of the Ministry of Defence married quarters estates to the Nomura Investment Bank. [4043]

The sale was completed on 5 November 1996. The Government is monitoring carefully the operation of the new arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many accommodation units are currently empty on the RAF Uxbridge site. [4045]

Of the 609 families quarters at RAF Uxbridge, 79 are currently vacant. Of these vacant quarters, 17 are allocated to incoming families and 44 are currently undergoing major works. The remaining 18 empty quarters fall within a total of 24 properties which are under review for possible release to Annington Homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons no announcement was made in April that faulty plastic baton rounds that had been in use for three years were being withdrawn. [4542]

My hon. Friend will be aware that these events relate to a previous Administration. I am advised by officials that issues concerning the performance of plastic baton rounds were under consideration between the departments concerned and no decision had then been reached on the form or timing of a public announcement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the highest muzzle velocity of the plastic baton rounds recently found to exceed the upper limit in the equipment specification; and what is that upper limit; [4541](2) how often stocks of plastic baton rounds in operational use before April 1997 were tested to ensure that muzzle velocities were in line with the equipment specification;. [4538](3) what tests were carried out by his Department on the faulty batch of plastic baton rounds supplied in 1994 and recently withdrawn from service;. [4543](4) what action is being taken against the manufacturers of the plastic baton rounds issued from early 1994 which have been found to have a muzzle velocity in excess of the upper limit in the equipment specification;. [4540](5) how many plastic baton rounds were withdrawn from operational use in April; how they are to be disposed of; who manufactured them; and what is the estimated cost of each round. [4544]

The highest muzzle velocity of plastic baton rounds recently tested was 76 metres per second; the upper limit specified in the contract is 70 m/s.All batches of rounds were tested by the Contractor at the time of manufacture to enable the Department to accept them against the proof specification.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what are the rules for the use of plastic baton rounds by members of the armed forces in Northern Ireland; on how many occasions they have been used by members of the armed forces in Northern Ireland since the batch with and excessive muzzle velocity was supplied in 1994; and if he will list the dates on which and the places where they were used;. [4546](2) what estimate he has made of the number of plastic baton rounds used by the armed forces in Northern Ireland since the batch with an excessive muzzle velocity was supplied in 1994. [4545]

The use of force in Northern Ireland is governed by the Criminal Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1967 which provides that "A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large". Plastic baton rounds are used by the armed forces in situations of violent disorder where life or property is at risk and their use is judged to be minimum and reasonable force in the circumstances. They must be fired at selected persons and not indiscriminately and should be aimed so they strike the lower part of the body. Soldiers are fully trained in their use.As at 17 June 1997, a total of 1,424 plastic baton rounds had been used by the armed forces in Northern Ireland since the batch with an excessive muzzle velocity was supplied in May 1994, not all of which were from that batch.I will write to my hon. Friend with a schedule of the dates and places where these baton rounds have been used, once this has been prepared.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will indicate the number of salaries of his Department's special advisers falling within the range of (a) £24,349–£29,999, (b)£30,000–£34,999,(c)£35,000–£39,999,(d)£40,000–£44,999, (e) £45,000–£49,999, (f) £50,000–£54,999, (g) £55,000–£59,999, (h) 60,000–£64,999, (i) £65,000–£69,999 and (j) £70,000–£73,484. [4557]

Consistent with the practice of previous administrations, and to protect the privacy of individuals, only aggregate information on the salaries of Special Advisers will be published.Once all salaries have been agreed, the number of advisers paid in each of the appropriate £10,000 bands will be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance his Department currently applies in ensuring that full account is taken of the environmental impact of its new building projects in Britain. [4516]

My Department carries out an environmental assessment on all new buildings likely to generate environmental effects. The environmental assessment is included in the formal consultations with the local planning authority as part of the planning process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the scope of the proposed Strategic Defence Review; by whom it will be undertaken; and when the results are expected. [3632]

I have today written to all right hon. and hon. Members setting out the scope of the Strategic Defence Review and how we propose it will be undertaken. I have placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House. I expect the Review to be completed around the turn of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what decision he has reached on the future of the market testing programme within his Department . [4978]

The Government support market testing as one of several means at their disposal to secure better value for money in the provision of public services. There is, however, no dogmatic preference for private over public provision or vice versa, or for market testing where it is not appropriate. On this basis we have reviewed the Department's market testing programme and have set out our conclusions in a policy statement on getting the best value from defence resources. This is being widely distributed within the Department, to the Trade Unions and other staff representatives and to industry associations. I am placing a copy of the statement in the Library of the House.The statement emphasises the imperative for continuous improvements in efficiency; pays tribute to the huge contribution made by the Department's Service and Civil Service personnel working together; welcomes private sector involvement where this is cost-effective; and enjoins managers throughout the Department to pursue best value from defence resources in a manner which is rigorous, undoctrinaire, open minded and scrupulously fair.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Meteorological Office for 1997–98. [5062]

The Chief Executive of the Meteorological Office is responsible for providing quality meteorological and related services for the government, the armed forces, the public, aviation and commercial customers. During 1997–98, the Meteorological Office will be set the following challenging targets:

(a) to improve the Global Numerical Prediction (NWP) Index by eight index points from a baseline of 100, over a rolling three year period ending March 1998;

(b) to improve the UK NWP Index by four index points from a baseline of 100 in 1996–97;

(c) to achieve an index point improvement in the Service Quality Index from a baseline of 100 for 1996–97;

(d) to improve efficiency in year by four index points as measured by the agreed Efficiency Index;

(e) to achieve an overall Return on Capital Employed of at least 11.6 per cent. averaged over the two years 1997–98 and 1998–99 (not less than seven per cent. in year); and,

(f) to achieve a total contribution to core and central services from commercial activity of £3 million.

To ask the Attorney-General what proposals he has for relieving the Crown Prosecution Service of unnecessary bureaucracy. [2925]

To ask the Attorney-General what measures he proposes to increase the efficiency of the prosecution service. [2927]

The independent review which I announced to the House on 12 June 1997 will examine the organisation and structure of the Crown Prosecution Service, its policies and procedures and consider whether and, if so, what changes are necessary in order to provide for the more effective and efficient prosecution of crime through local public prosecutors.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to review guidance to Crown prosecutors. [2926]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend, the Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Thomas). That Review will examine internal guidance including the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

To ask the Attorney-General how many prosecutions there have been for incitement to racial hatred in each of the last five years. [2929]

In the last five years, the Law Officers have consented to the prosecution of 31 defendants for offences of incitement to racial hatred under Part III of the Public Order Act 1986.

To ask the Attorney-General how many successful prosecutions there have been (a) nationally and (b) in Nottinghamshire in each of the last five years of retailers for selling cigarettes to children under 16 years of age. [3450]

Offences of selling tobacco to children are generally prosecuted by local Trading Standards offices, and proceedings are handled by the Crown Prosecution Service only on those occasions when they are initiated by the police.No figures are available for the cases handled by the Crown Prosecution Service since the CPS does not maintain central records by reference to particular offences. The Home Office have, however, provided the following statistics for the number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for the offence of selling cigarettes to persons under 16

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, column 450, what percentage of archival units produced by Government departments in 1965 have been (a) retained by Government departments with a specific future date identified for release into the public domain and (b) retained by Government departments with no specific future date identified for release into the public domain. [4311]

The Question concerns a specific operational matter on which the Chief Executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the Chief Executive to reply direct.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 11 June, Official Report, column 450, what percentage of the archival units passed to the Public Record Office from all Government departments in 1965 and what actual number have been subsequently (a) released into the public domain in their entirety and (b) released into the public domain in part. [4312]

The Question concerns a specific operational matter on which the Chief Executive of the Public Record Office is best placed to provide an answer and I have accordingly asked the Chief Executive to reply direct.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Legal Services Ombudsman intends to publish his sixth Annual report. [4873]

The Legal Services Ombudsman has today published his sixth Annual Report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to limit the powers of the Chancellor to itemise funds voted for Wales following devolution; and if he will make a statement. [2934]

Treasury Ministers are discussing financial arrangements for devolution with the Secretary of State for Wales and other Ministers. The outcome of these discussions will be set out in the White Papers which we intend to publish shortly.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had regarding the dates of future public expenditure surveys and their publication; and if he will make a statement. [3678]

We promised in our Election Manifesto to conduct a comprehensive spending review, the details of which I announced in the House on 11 June.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his golden rule on public borrowing. [3423]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Mr. Fallon) on 12 June 1997 Official Report, column 568.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies the Treasury has commissioned to identify the currencies in which the United Kingdom's trade is denominated. [3315]

The most recent official data on the currency of invoice of UK trade can be found in the Central Statistical Office's Business Bulletin, Issue 12/89 "Currency of Invoicing", published on the 15 December 1989. The currency of invoice of UK trade is one of many factors the Treasury considers in assessing the short-run impact of exchange rate changes on the economy.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what parliamentary scrutiny there will be of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee. [3321]

The new arrangements will provide for the Bank to make regular reports and give evidence to the Treasury Select Committee. The Committee will have the opportunity to examine the Bank's performance on monetary policy on a regular basis, and the House will be able to debate the Bank's Annual Report.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets he has set for ministers in his Department to respond to correspondence from hon. Members; and if he will make a statement. [3543]

Ministers aim to reply in 15 working days to letters relating to Treasury business, in 18 days to correspondence concerning the Chancellor's other departments and in 23 days where a report is required from a local office.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the autumn 1997 Public Expenditure Round. [3519]

We do not intend to hold a Public Expenditure Survey in 1997 but intend to conduct a Comprehensive Spending Review, the details of which I announced in the House on 11 June.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations have so far made representations to him about the Budget on 2 July; and, of those, which have been invited to the Treasury to make personal representations to (a) Treasury ministers and (b) Treasury officials. [3367]

We have received written representations from many organisations, some of which have met Treasury ministers and officials.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the street value of drugs smuggled into the United Kingdom in 1996–97. [3557]

Information available on a wholly illicit market is insufficient for making any reliable assessments of the street value of drugs illegally imported into the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to paragraph 6.62 of the Financial Statement and Budget report 1997–98, if he remains committed to increasing fuel duty on average by at least 5 per cent. a year in real terms. [3381]

I cannot anticipate my right hon. Friend the Chancellor's Budget Statement.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what review of oil taxation is being conducted inside his Department. [3247]

All aspects of the tax system are kept under continual review.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to enable the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to obtain VAT refunds; and if he will make a statement. [4208]

[holding answer 17 June 1997]: I have no plans to allow SEPA to claim VAT refunds in respect of its non-business expenditure. Tax liabilities of publicly funded bodies are taken into account when setting levels of public expenditure in Scotland.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent steps he has taken to ensure that former clients of Knight Williams & Co. Ltd. receive adequate compensation;. [4525](2) if he will make a statement on the use of the locked box agreement to satisfy investors' claims against Knight Williams & Co. Ltd. [4524]

I welcome the fact that the Investors Compensation Scheme has now started to make offers of compensation to investors. I hope that progress will not be unnecessarily delayed. The Securities and Investments Board have made it clear to investors that their actions in relation to the "locked box" will not affect investors' rights to claim either on the ICS or in the Knight Williams & Co. liquidation.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) VAT and (b) Inland Revenue officers were in post on 6 May. [4009]

Staff in post numbers for the beginning of May 1997 are (a) 23,315 in Customs and Excise as a whole, of which some 6,850 are operational VAT officers, and (b) 53,500 Inland Revenue officers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Government sold its BP shares. [3772]

The last of the Government's shareholding in BP was sold in December 1995.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statements have been made by Ministers on the eligibility of (a) companies never nationally owned and never privatised and (b) BP for a special tax levy. [3773]

Ministers have made it clear that the windfall tax will be levied on the excess profits of the privatised utilities. Details will be announced in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Budget statement on 2 July.