To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the Government's long-term targets for the percentage of Gross Domestic Product which public expenditure constitutes. [3355]

The Government is currently undertaking a comprehensive review of public expenditure and will determine its plans in the light of the findings and the prospects for the economy generally.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to change the convention which governs what capital spending by local authorities is included in the public spending total. [3251]

I have no plans to change the definition of local authority capital spending in General Government Expenditure. The definition is consistent with international statistical conventions as laid down in the European System of accounts (ESA).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current starting rate of income tax and the width of the lowest tax band in each member state of the European Union. [3452]

The information is given in the table. It is based on OECD information for 1995 or 1995–96 tax years, the latest for which comprehensive information is available. The income figures relate to earned income of single taxpayers and have been converted to £ sterling using 1995 OECD purchasing power parity figures.

	Starting rate of central government income tax %	Income band for starting rate £	Tax threshold for single person £
Austria	10	0–2,380	6,980
Belgium1	25	0–4,500	4,830
Denmark2	13	2,300–10,160	2,780
Finland3	7	4,680–6,470	5,140
France	12	2,290–5,000	3,910
Germany4	19	1,820–2,640	3,800
Greece	5	3,220–8,050	3,830
Ireland	27	2,580–9,170	3,810
Italy	10	0–2,860	3,460
Luxembourg	10	4,100–5,890	6,010
Netherlands	6.15	1,960–14,290	1,980
Portugal	15	0–5,330	3,340
Spain	20	2,220–3,320	4,630
Sweden5	see note	0–13,700	0

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost (a) to the Treasury and (b) to public expenditure throughout Government of making the adaptations to computer programmes required by the change to the year 2000. [3540]

The Treasury and other Government departments are producing, by October 1997, fully costed plans for undertaking the work needed.The cost of the work will be met from within the published departmental expenditure plans for 1997–98 and 1998–99.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he defines short-term capital gains. [3364]

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 3 June, column 152.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will report the Government's response to Mr. Malcolm Bates's review of the Private Finance Initiative; and if he will make a statement. [5392]

I am today placing in the Members' Library a summary of the Bates review and a list of all its recommendations. It is a thorough piece of work for which the Government is most grateful. It builds upon the 12 Point Plan for Partnership originally published in the Labour Policy's Business Manifesto.The Government promised to re-invigorate the PFI and that is what we have done. Malcolm Bates has applied a businessman's mind to this policy and produced specific recommendations which we accept in full as an agenda for action.The review says that the PFI can secure improved value for money when handled well. But the public sector structure must be simplified and responsibilities made entirely clear.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions were held between the British and German Governments prior to granting a license allowing the export of Henckler Koch MP5 sub-machine guns to Indonesia in 1995. [2776]

I am not aware of any such discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will identify by name, rank and unit, the Indonesian (i) military, (ii) security, (iii) police, (iv) paramilitary or (v) special forces personnel invited by the British Government to attend the forthcoming COPEX Exhibition at Farnborough in September 1997. [3585]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Defence on 18 June, column 217.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the visas granted to Indonesian (a) military, (b) security, (c) police, (d) paramilitary and (e) special forces personnel invited by the British Government or private companies to attend the forthcoming Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition at Farnborough in September. [3588]

We have not been asked to issue visas specifically for Indonesians attending the RNBAEE 97 at Farnborough.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will identify by name, rank and unit, such Indonesian (a) military, (b) security, (c) police, (d) paramilitary and (e) special forces personnel invited by the British Government to attend the forthcoming Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition at Farnborough in September 1997. [3584]

The following Indonesian personnel have been invited to attend this year's Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on the jamming of BBC World Service broadcasts; and if he will make a statement. [4165]

None recently. We deplore all attempts to jam World Service broadcasts and make representations to the Governments concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [4191]

Full Time Staff: Two persons are employed earning less than £4 per hour. Four persons are employed earning less than £3.50 per hour. One person is employed by this Department's Executive Agency (Wilton Park) earning less than £3.50 per hour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is he will introduce proposals to revise the treaty on European Union so as to (a) introduce a general power at a European level to outlaw discrimination against disabled people in policy areas where the European Union has competence under the treaty and (b) introduce a change to article 100a of the treaty on European Union so that all proposals put forward to regulate the internal market take into account the needs of disabled people. [3617]

[holding answer 18 June 1997]: At the Amsterdam European Council, we supported Article 6a allowing the Community to combat discrimination on grounds of disability. We also tabled a Declaration attached to Article 100a, calling on the institutions of the Community to take the needs of the disabled into account when framing internal market legislation. Both measures were adopted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what use his Department makes of polygraphs; and if he will make a statement. [4584]

This Department does not make use of polygraphs and has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans next to visit Kenya. [4874]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no immediate plans to visit Kenya. I will pay an official visit there from 25 to 27 June 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken to promote nuclear disarmament; and if he will make a statement. [4406]

We have made clear our commitment to the goal of the global elimination of nuclear weapons and determination to press for multilateral negotiations towards mutual, balanced and verifiable reductions in such weapons. We will be considering how best to implement these commitments, particularly in the context of the Strategic Defence Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the International Court of Justice ruling on nuclear arms on United Kingdom policy; and if he will make a statement. [4758]

I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 22 May to the honourable Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) column 135–36.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made on the siting of a secretariat for the Antarctic treaty; and if he will make a statement. [4413]

There is as yet no consensus amongst the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties on the location of the Treaty Secretariat. We are reviewing our policy in the light of developments at the recent Antarctic Treaty meeting in Christchurch.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the legal basis for his Department's assertion that Rockkall is part of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [4414]

British sovereignty over Rockall was proclaimed in 1955. It was confirmed by the subsequent passing of the Island of Rockall Act 1972 which made Rockall part of Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his estimate of the costs of NATO expansion to include Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic on the defence budgets of those countries and no other NATO members separately identifying the costs to the United Kingdom. [4403]

Twelve countries have applied to join NATO.No decision has been taken on which countries will accede to NATO membership. The costs of enlargement, which fall both on the countries which join and on existing members of the Alliance and which will be incurred over a long period, will depend on that decision. Subject to that caveat, we expect the costs of enlargement to be manageable.The US Government report to Congress in February 1997 gives an estimate of the direct additional costs of NATO enlargement of between $9 billion to £2 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the various areas of extension of qualified majority voting under the Amsterdam treaty. [5026]

The Presidency text on the extension of qualified majority voting (QMV) agreed at Amsterdam is below.There will also be QMV for implementing decisions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy as provided for by Article J13. However a Member State may prevent a vote from being taken for important and stated reasons of national interest, whereupon the decision may be referred to the European Council for decision by unanimity.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the future disposal of BSE-infected carcases. [2825]

It will continue to be the Ministry's practice to use incineration wherever feasible to dispose of cattle suspected of having BSE.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the criteria by which abattoirs are licensed by the Intervention Board to slaughter cattle under the 30 month scheme. [3933]

Abattoirs wishing to slaughter cattle qualifying for the Over Thirty Month Slaughter Scheme are currently being selected by competitive tender. The evaluation criteria are set out in the invitation to tender. They include compliance with statutory requirements, quality of service, geographical location and price.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his policy that all cows born in a given BSE-infected cohort within a given herd, regardless of the location of subsequent rearing, should be culled in any case where one or more cows in such a cohort are culled under the selective cull scheme. [3916]

The scientific basis of the cull is that animals which ate the same feed as BSE cases in the first six months of their lives are likely to be at risk of exposure to infection through that feed. Any such exposed animals which have been sold from the natal herd will be traced as far as possible. Those animals found alive will be restricted and slaughtered.We intend also to include animals which were reared together in their first six months of life, irrespective of where they were born, provided we can be reasonably sure that it was there, rather than in the natal herd, that exposure to infection took place. We are currently seeking agreement from the European Commission that to do so would be in line with the relevant EC legislation.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department first contacted other member states of the EU advising them that BSE-contaminated feed should be removed from farms. [4282]

The measures which Member States should take in order to avoid the feeding of BSE contaminated feed were discussed with representatives of the Commission and the other Member Stases in the Standing Veterinary Committee of 18–19 July 1989.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the dates on which farmers were advised by their national authorities to dispose of BSE-contaminated feed, in respect of each member state in the EU which imported such feed from the UK. [4285]

Advice given by the authorities of the other Member States to their farmers is a matter of national competence and we do not have records of such advice.

:To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure that the United Kingdom's EU partners take steps to eradicate classical swine fever; and if he will make a statement on the extent of classical swine fever in other EU countries. [3920]

European Community legislation lays down requirements for the control and eradication of classical swine fever within the territory of a Member State and to prevent the spread of the disease from one Member State to another. Classical swine fever is currently present in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. The situation is being kept under continuous review by the EC Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC), on which the UK is represented. The SVC may adopt additional ad hoc safeguard measures which they believe are necessary to consolidate existing control and eradication measures.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what notification his Department has received from British Nuclear Fuels in respect of increases in the discharge of radioactive waste materials from Sellafield. [3820]

The Department receives routine discharge data from BNFL at Sellafield within three months of the end of the appropriate accounting period. In circumstances where a unusually high discharge occurs, the information is passed rapidly, as soon as it is available. Routine discharges are authorised by the Environment Agency. There are statutory powers to protect the safety of food, should it in any way be compromised.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has received on the legality, under EU law, of a unilateral ban on imports of European beef into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [3793]

We have not sought advice on the legality of a unilateral ban on imports of European beef since we are not proposing to introduce such a ban. The announcement made on 5 June by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Official Report, columns 227–8, related to a proposal to apply current UK controls on specified bovine material to imported as well as home produced beef.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what mechanisms for monitoring standards in overseas slaughterhouses his Department has evaluated in connection with its consideration of an import ban on beef from slaughterhouses not meeting United Kingdom standards; and what conclusions have been reached. [4137]

No import ban on beef from slaughterhouses not meeting UK standards is under consideration.All fresh meat imported into the UK, whether from other Member States or third countries, must have been produced in accordance with harmonised Community rules laid down in Council Directive 64/433/EEC as amended, on health conditions for the production and marketing of fresh meat.These rules require that, amongst other things, all fresh meat which is intended for human consumption fulfils the required public health standards. As far as slaughterhouses are concerned, they must be approved as meeting the requirements of the Directive and all meat leaving the slaughterhouse must bear a health mark. The inspection, approval and monitoring of slaughterhouses in third countries is the respnsibility of the European Commission. The inspection, approval and monitoring of slaughterhouses in Member States is the responsibility of the competent authority of the Member State concerned, although the Commission make on-site checks to ensure uniform application of the Directive.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list those hunt kennels which the State Veterinary Service has assessed to be unsatisfactory under the BSE enforcement programme, since 1 January. [3826]

The State Veterinary Service (SVS) makes monthly unannounced visits to hunt kennels handling specified bovine material to audit the controls under the Specified Bovine Material Order 1997. Those premises at which failings were found during such visits since 1 January 1997 are listed below. The fact that failures have occurred does not necessarily mean that there is a risk to public health. Visits may be recorded as unsatisfactory for a variety of reasons, including minor, technical and short-lived problems. Following an unsatisfactory visit the operator of the premises is required to take immediate remedial action. A further unannounced visit is made shortly afterwards to check that this has been carried out.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries require the labelling as such of genetically modified food. [4283]

There are currently no internationally harmonised rules for labelling genetically modified (GM) foods. The main producers of these, the United States, Canada and Japan, do not require them to be labelled as such. In Europe, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and ourselves have all operated rules or guidelines governing the labelling of these materials for

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food 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 (ii) less than £3 an hour. [4189]

Staff in the Department are salaried and are not paid by the hour. However, I am able to provide a breakdown based on salary levels divided by normal full-time working hours of 36 hours per week in London or 37 hours elsewhere. This is set out in the table below.some time. As from 15 May, these were superseded by the labelling requirements of the EC Novel Foods Regulation (258/97) and we shall be pressing to ensure that the application of these leads to all foods being labelled if they contain GM material regardless of whether or not they have been segregated from conventional materials at an earlier stage in the food chain.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise the 30 month cull limit to 36 months, with special reference to beef farmers using traditional, extensive grass-based systems. [3051]

[holding answer given on 19 June 1997]: No. The Beef Assurance Scheme already provides for eligible animals aged to and including 42 months to be sold for human consumption. Eligible animals are those from specialist, mainly grass reared beef herds in which no case of BSE has ever occurred and in which the risk of BSE occurring in the future is considered very low.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the results of the official survey of the toxin levels in code liver oil supplements. [4992]

The results of the MAFF survey for dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in fish oil dietary supplements and licensed medicines were announced on 14 May 1997 by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Kenneth Calman. Further details are available from MAFF on request and are also on the Internet.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if his officials have completed the review of rabies policy options begun in October 1996; and when he expects to publish the report; [5027](2) when he expects to publish the Green Paper on Rabies policy reform. [5028]

The review referred to by the hon. Member was a matter for the previous Government. However, we are reviewing whether alternatives to quarantine might give equal or better protection against rabies. We would expect to consult at some point on this, but decisions on when and how to do so have yet to be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers bought themselves out of the Army in each year since 1992. [4861]

The number of soldiers who have bought themselves out of the Army in each year since 1992 is as follows:

Financial year	Trained soldiers outflow (premature voluntary release by purchase)	Outflow of recruits (on payment)	Total soldier outflow (on payment)
1991–92	2,465	1,118	3,583
1992–93	2,130	1,038	3,168
1993–94	1,727	797	2,524
1994–95	1,603	869	2,472
1995–96	1,410	815	2,225
1996–97	821	1,219	2,040
Total	10,156	5,856	16,012

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what use his Department makes of the polygraph; and if he will make a statement. [4582]

My Department does not use the polygraph and has no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Pay and Personnel Agency for 1997–98. [4917]

The Chief Executive of the Pay and Personnel Agency (PPA) is responsible for providing pay and personnel services for the Ministry of Defence as defined in the Agency Framework Document. During 1997-98, the PPA will be set the following challenging key performance targets:

1.

(a) While making 100 per cent. of payments of pay by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed 12 per 1,000 payments of weekly industrial pay.

(b) While making 100 per cent. of payments of pay by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed six per 1,000 payments of monthly non-industrial pay.

(c) While authorising 100 per cent. of awards of pensions by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed 20 per 1,000 awards.

(d) While making 100 per cent. of payments of expenses within 10 working days of receipts, the number of errors not to exceed 15 per 1,000 payments.

(e) To pay 100 per cent. of claims for fees and personal payments within nine working days of receipt.

2. By 31 August 1997 to introduce methods of measuring how well its services meet the customers' needs, building on the findings of the customer satisfaction study report completed in December 1996.

3. By 31 March 1998 to achieve efficiency savings to meet at least the Departmental target of 2 per cent. efficiency savings of annual operating costs.

4. To publish by 31 March 1998 a business case setting out the options available from potential private sector partners, in comparison with the cost of providing services from agency resources.

5. By 31 March 1998 to introduce a new personnel information system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Prince Consort Library in the Aldershot Garrison and its contents. [4616]

[holding reply Friday 20 June 1997]: My Department is currently considering a number of options for the co-location within the United Kingdom of the Army Command Libraries, including the Prince Consort's Library at Aldershot. No decision has yet been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the costs to public funds of cleaning up the former United States nuclear bases; what is his estimate of the costs to the US authorities of thee operations; and if he will make a statement. [4407]

Remediation will normally be undertaken on MoD land if there is a significant risk to health and safety or the environment, for instance where contamination poses a threat to individuals, water courses or neighbouring property. No special arrangements apply to bases formerly occupied by US forces. No significant costs incurred to date on their remediation have been identified. The Environment Act 1995 may impose additional remediation responsibilities on landowners and new enforcement arrangements, but the full implications for MoD land, including any formerly occupied by US forces, cannot yet be assessed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) the number of landowners making their land available for training on private land and (b) the number of hectares they make available, adjacent to (i) Salisbury Plain training area, (ii) Otterburn training area and (iii) Sennybridge training area; and by what percentage training land is extended by the availability of training on private land in each of the three areas. [4750]

The type of training undertaken on private land will usually differ from that conducted on MoD training areas: for example, training on Salisbury Plain training area is primarily armoured training whereas that on adjacent private land will not involve armoured vehicles. Training on private land cannot therefore be regarded as a simple extension of training on adjacent MoD land. The quantity and locations of training on private land will also vary from year to year. Subject to these qualifications, in the past 12 months, the figures requested have been as follows:

a. Number of landowners making their land available:

(i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training area (SPTA): 77

(ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training area (OTA): 21

(iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): 2

b. Numbers of hectares made available:

(i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training areas (SPTA): 10,000ha approximately

(ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training areas (OTA): 675ha approximately

(iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): 3ha approximately

c. Private land made available as a percentage of adjacent MoD training land:

(i) Areas adjacent to Salisbury Plain training areas (SPTA): 25 per cent. of SPTA

(ii) Areas adjacent to Otterburn training area (OTA): 2.9 per cent. of OTA

(iii) Areas adjacent to Sennybridge training area (SENTA): less than 0.1 per cent. of SENTA

Note: Private land adjacent to SENTA has been used for access only rather than manoeuvres.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to establish a defence diversification agency; and if he will make a statement. [4754]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon), Official Report, 16 June, col. 11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish the estimates for defence expenditure; and if he will make a statement. [4756]

Estimates of defence expenditure in the current financial year are contained in "Supply Estimates 1997–98: Main Estimates", which were published in March this year. As I explained in my written reply to the hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife, (Mr. Campbell) on 3 June, Official Report, column 121), we do not intend this year to publish a forward looking statement of policy in the form of a Statement on the Defence Estimates (SDE). Factual material on the activities of my Department and the Armed Forces in the last year, which is usually contained in the SDE, will however, appear in an expanded MOD Performance Report which the Department plans to publish in the Autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the total cost of the European fighter aircraft project; and what proportion of these costs will be borne by the United Kingdom. [4405]

The estimated procurement cost of the Eurofighter projet is £41.6 billion. As I told my right hon. Friend the Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davies) on 2 June, Official Report, column 14, up to 31 March 1997 the UK's expenditure on the Eurofighter programme totalled £2.7 billion. Future UK procurement expenditure is currently estimated at £12.7 billion. Figures are at average 1996–97 prices.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 June, Official Report, column 3, if he will give a breakdown of the annual operating cost of Trident; and if he will estimate future capital expenditure on the project. [4759]

It is too early in the life of the Trident programme accurately to assess operating costs but we estimate them to be in the order of £200 million per annum over a 30 year in-service life. This estimate encompasses manpower and related costs, refits of the submarines, stores and transport costs, a share of the running costs of shore facilities, an element of the costs of the Atomic Weapons Establishment, in-service support of the submarines and their weapon systems and decommissioning and disposal costs. Estimated future capital expenditure on the project is as stated by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence in his answer of 16 June, Official Report, column 3.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the operational purpose of the Trident nuclear missile system. [4416]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given on 16 June 1997 to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), Official Report, column 81.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of keeping the Trident fleet (a) on 24 hour patrol and (b) on stand by. [4757]

Figures are not available in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the ordering of a fifth Trident submarine. [4417]

We have no such plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the report from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament concerning the costs of Trident, a copy of which has been sent to him; and if he will make a statement. [5025]

We are not aware of a recent report from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament concerning the costs of Trident. We have, however, recently received a number of letters and postcards on this subject. Our latest estimate of the total acquisition cost of the Trident programme is £12.57 billion at 1996–97 economic conditions, over £3.6 billion less in real terms than the original 1982 estimate. Operating costs are estimated to be some £200 million per annum over a 30 year in-service life.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a nuclear weapons system to replace Trident; and if he will make a statement. [4408]

Decisions on a successor to Trident would not be needed for a number of years. They could be taken in the light of progress towards our goal of verifiable global nuclear disarmament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what volume of beef and beef products was purchased by his Department in 1996 and what percentage originated (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Germany, (c) in other European Union countries and (d) in non-European Union countries. [4654]

[holding answer 20 June 1997]: Approximately 1.25 million kilograms of beef is purchased annually by my Department. This figure excludes beef in finished products for which figures are not readily available. Purchase records are not kept in sufficient detail to allow the identification of the percentage of beef originating from the particular trading areas requested, but the majority is known to come from non-European countries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 10 June, Official Report, column 388, on WPC Yvonne Fletcher, what is the result of the review of the contents of the programme by the Metropolitan police. [3782]

The Metropolitan Police are continuing their review. This involves a good deal of detailed analysis of the extensive documentation already generated by their investigation. They expect to have completed their analysis by the end of September 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the scope of the general review of the Government's immigration detention policy; what the time scale is for the review; and whether external organisations will be consulted. [3939]

The review is being conducted internally in the Home Office. Its scope is wide ranging to cover all aspects of immigration detention policy. We expect the results to be available later in the summer. External organisations have been informed that the review is taking place.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 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. [4196]

The information for the core Home Office and its Agencies, based on gross hours and on basic pay, is as follows: Full-time

(i) less than £4 per hour = 828

(ii) less than £3.50 per hour = 459

(iii) less than £3 per hour = nil

Part-time

(i) less than £4 per hour = 329

(ii) less than £3.50 per hour = 12

(iii) less than £3 per hour = nil

Allowances in regular payment (for example, London Weighting) reduce these totals as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to develop land adjacent to Wandsworth Prison; if Wandsworth Council has been fully informed of these proposals; and if he will make a statement. [4439]

It is proposed to provide a stores building, a pre-release hostel, a visitors' centre and a 125-place car park on the land adjacent to Wandsworth prison. These proposals were discussed at a meeting with Wandsworth Council prior to an application for outline planning permission being submitted on 1 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the ratio of reported sexual attacks and offences to population in (a) designated new towns and (b) other towns of similar size. [4467]

Information on recorded crime in England and Wales is collated centrally only on the basis of police force areas. Individual police forces do collate more localised data but this would not necessarily equate to new town boundaries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in preparing the necessary statutory instruments for the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997. [4865]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he proposes to implement the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997. [4604]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths arising from overdoses of a proscribed drug there were in each of the last five years for which figures are available by type of drug. [4840]

Summary statistics of deaths involving controlled drugs are given in the table. It is not possible to determine accurately which of these were caused by drug overdoses. Fuller details, including the type of drug involved, are contained in tables 17, 18 and 19 of the following Home Office Statistical Bulletins—issue 6/92, "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1991"; issue 15/93, "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1992"; issue 10/94, "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1993"; issue 15/95, "Statistics of drug addicts notified to the Home Office, United Kingdom, 1995". Copies of these publications are in the Library.

United Kingdom	Number of deaths
Underlying cause of death	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994
Drug dependence and non-dependent abuse of drugs1	294	307	345	322	489
Deaths from poisoning where a controlled drug was mentioned2 Accidental	233	255	327	358	442
Suicide	440	433	400	340	334
Undetermined	262	295	274	252	243
AIDS	55	79	82	107	112
Total	1,284	1,369	1,428	1,379	1,620
1Includes solvents and other non-controlled drugs such as alcohol.
2Excludes Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to abolish the death penalty for the offences of (a) treason and (b) piracy; and if he will make a statement. [4646]

[holding answer 20 June 1997]: The Government have no such plans at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation on fire safety analogous to the Fire Safety Bill introduced in the last Parliament. [5015]

The Government strongly support the aims of the Fire Safety Bill and will be looking for appropriate opportunities to achieve those aims. I have asked my officials, as a priority, to provide me with an outline of the options that are available. As part of that process, officials are in the middle of a series of discussions with some of the key stakeholders to hear their views on the best way to proceed. Discussion of the Fire Safety Bill will then be at the top of the agenda for discussion by the Joint Fire Safety Committee of the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council at its next meeting on 8 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of measures to deal with soccer-related crowd problems on other major spectator team sports. [3103]

The measures taken to deal with crowd disorder in football have been specific to football. These include controls on the sale and possession of alcohol under the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc.) Act 1985; the exclusion order scheme under Part IV of the Public Order Act 1986; the restriction order scheme under Part II of the Football Spectators Act 1989; and the creation of four football specific offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 and section 166 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.The police have other powers which apply at all sports. In particular, the 1986 Public Order Act enables the police to take action against a broad range of disorderly behaviour. There are also powers to deal with vandalism, damage to property and assault.If there is evidence from the police that the problem of crowd disorder has become more widespread and is having a significant impact on other sports, we will review the need for further measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will undertake a review of the law as it applies to the Representation of the People Act 1983. [3116]

We have no plans to do so at present.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the role and functions of coroners. [3119]

We have no plans to do so. but arrangements are kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow (a) local authorities and (b) police forces to retain some of the proceeds from fines levied upon speeding motorists caught by speed cameras. [4415]

None. Hypothecating the revenue from speeding fines would result in expenditure on traffic enforcement being determined by the income generated, rather than the relative priority of the activity.In the light of the Home Office's study of the cost-benefit analysis of traffic light and speed cameras, we have decided to examine the funding arrangements for the cameras and consider what more might be done.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce the cost of entry visas to the United Kingdom. [4015]

I have been asked to reply.We continually look at ways to make efficiency savings to enable us to reduce entry clearance fees. Fees, which are set to recover the cost of processing an application world wide to minimise the burden on the taxpayer, are reviewed annually. The standard single entry fee has not been increased since January 1995. The current fees, introduced on 10 June 1997, include a reduction in the cost for a five year multiple entry visa.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to conclude his review of PFI projects in the health service in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [4201]

Alongside the review being undertaken by the Minister of State, Department of Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) I have been undertaking a similar review of Health PFI schemes in Scotland. I have today written to all Scottish MPs, giving full details of the conclusions I have reached.I am committed to delivering PFI-led service improvements in the Scottish Health Service. A number of high quality PFI projects, such as those at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the hospitals at Law and Hairmyres, which will deliver clear health care benefits, are well placed to proceed to financial close. I wish to see those benefits on the ground as quickly as possible and have asked my officials to push forward with these.However it has become clear that other projects are not appropriate for the PFI process. Last week (Monday 16 June) I announced that, in view of the urgent nature of the maternity and theatre proposals at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, we would push these aspects of the project forward through £36 million of public funding. Other aspects of the original project, such as catering and the car park facilities, will continue to be pursued under PFI.After consideration, I have concluded that the PFI process at the Western General in Edinburgh should also be halted. The PFI project for the Western is complicated by the fact that it is an existing NHS site with a large number of buildings of varying ages, functions and conditions. My view is that in the case of the Western General, PFI is not the right route. Instead the Government intend to provide around £40 million to fund a new ward and theatre block which is so clearly needed. Our proposals will also enable the go-ahead of the midwife-led maternity unit.I think it only right that further major PFI projects such as the Western Infirmary should be taken forward only once the overall review of the PFI process in Health has been completed. However there are numerous other relatively smaller Scottish Health projects exploring PFI. I want Trusts and Boards to continue to pursue these projects and to come forward with new proposals. There will be rigorous scrutiny of these projects at every stage of their development. A project must be proven to be affordable, value for money and, most importantly, offer real health care improvements for Scotland.I will be working closely with my hon. colleague, the Minister of State, Department of Health, over the coming months at improving the PFI product and will also be exploring the possibility of developing other models of structured private finance schemes in the longer term.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by police force the number of persons shot with illegal weapons in each of the last three years and the current year, indicating (a) how many persons were (i) killed and (ii) injured, (b) the type of firearm used, (c) the calibre of firearms used, (d) the number of persons made answerable to the courts in respect of such crimes and (e) the number of occasions the police have sent an armed response team to an incident. [4052]

The following tables detail the number of persons (i) killed and (ii) injured with illegal weapons in the years 1992–95 in Scotland. The figures relate only to cases in which both the accused and the weapon were identified; in other cases, it is not possible to say whether or not the weapon was legally certificated.Since January 1994, Scottish police forces have despatched armed police officers to over 2,000 incidents where a firearm was reported or suspected. The number of these incidents where an illegal firearm was actually involved is not recorded. The remaining information is not collect centrally.

Number of persons killed by type of weapon, 1992 to 1995
	Shotgun	Rifle	Pistol/revolver	Total
1992
Grampian	2	—	—	2
Strathclyde	3	—	—	3
Total	5	—	—	5
1993
Dumfries and Galloway	—	—	1	1
Strathclyde	1	—	2	3
Total	1	—	3	4
1994
Northern	—	1	—	1
Lothian and Borders	—	—	1	1
Strathclyde	1	1	1	3
Total	1	2	2	5
1995
Tayside	1	—	—	1
Total	1	—	—	1

In addition, there were a number of fatalities in which the weapon was unidentified and therefore it could not be determined whether or not it was legally held or not. There were two such cases in 1994 and six in 1995.

Number of persons injured by type of weapon, 1992 to 1995
	Shotgun	Rifle	Pistol revolver	Total
1992
Central	2	—	—	2
Lothian and Borders	1	—	—	1
Strathclyde	9	—	2	11
Tayside	2	3	—	5
Total	14	3	2	19
1993
Central	1	—	—	1
Dumfries and Galloway	—	—	3	3
Strathclyde	10	—	2	12
Tayside	4	—	—	4
Total	15	—	5	20
1994
Central	—	—	2	2
Fife	3	—	—	3
Lothian and Borders	—	—	1	1
Strathclyde	4	—	1	5
Total	7	—	4	11

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees or 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. [4193]

Of those employed in my Department and its Executive Agencies in April 1997, 383 full-time employees have basic salaries below £4/hour; 3 adults and 25 staff aged under 18 have basic salaries below £3.50/hour; with a further 17 staff all aged under 18 below £3/hour. Among part-time staff, 27 have basic salaries below £4/hour with no-one under £3.50/hour.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he intends that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's regulation of radioactive discharges in Scotland will fall within the responsibilities of the proposed Scottish Parliament. [4223]

[holding answer 19 June 1997]: The Government's proposals for a Scottish Parliament will be set out in a White Paper which my right hon. Friend expects to publish before the House rises for its summer recess.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate for each of the organisations replaced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency in 1996; and whether they operated under an exemption in terms of the Value Added Tax Act 1994, section 33. [4220]

[holding answer 19 June 1997]: The predecessor bodies of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency were River Purification Boards, District and Islands Councils, Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate (HMIPI) and the Hazardous Waste Inspectorate (HWI). With the exception of HMIPI and HWI, both formerly parts of The Scottish Office, all those bodies had the right to precept on local taxation and thus were entitled to claim refunds of VAT under the terms of Section 33 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994.SEPA does not have the power to precept on local taxation and is therefore not eligible to claim refunds of VAT in this way.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the responsibilities of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. [4221]

[holding answer 19 June 1997]: The principal responsibilities of SEPA are:-

consenting of discharges to the water environment (surface, tidal and ground waters);

conserving water resources as far as practicable and promoting the conversation and enhancement of the natural beauty and amenity of controlled waters;

providing flood warning systems, assessing the risk of flooding on any area and advising planning authorities on flood risk;

granting abstraction licences for irrigation where a control order is in force;

issuing authorisations to prevent, minimise or render harmless the release of substances into the environment from prescribed processes;

authorising the handling and disposal of radioactive materials and registering persons holding or using such materials;

licensing of waste management activities;

registering waste carriers and brokers and regulating the transfrontier shipment of waste;

taking enforcement action against persons breaching licence conditions or illegally polluting the environment;

carrying out assessments of the general state of the environment (if required by the Secretary of State);

keeping up-to-date on pollution control technology, with powers to undertake relevant research and development;

creating smoke control areas;

ensuring compliance with the "producer responsibility" regulations as directed by the Secretary of State.

In carrying out these specific responsibilities, SEPA is required to:-

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding the refusal to grant the Scottish Environment Protection Agency an exemption in terms of the Value Added Tax Act 1994, section 33; and if he will make a statement. [4222]

[holding answer 19 June 1997]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland regularly discusses various issues with colleagues, including my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate for each of the past five years for (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales the total (a) broadleaf tree cover, (b) evergreen tree cover, (c) area felled and (d) area planted; and if he will make a statement. [4409]

The information is set out in the tables below.

All areas in thousands of hectares
Year ending 31 March	Area of broadleaved woodland1	Area of conifer woodland1	Area approved for felling2	Area planted3
ENGLAND
1993	574	393	11	12
1994	581	392	11	13
1995	587	390	8	10
1996	591	390	8	9
1997	596	389	7	9
SCOTLAND
1993	171	976	8	20
1994	181	975	9	18
1995	188	979	10	20
1996	192	984	11	17
1997	197	990	10	19
WALES
1993	77	171	4	3
1994	79	169	3	3
1995	80	167	4	3
1996	81	167	4	3
1997	82	166	4	3
1The areas of broadleaved and comfier woodland are based on the 1980 Census of Woodlands. They have been updated by including the estimated changes since then.
2The Forestry Commission does not record the areas felled by private woodland owners, but it does record the areas approved for felling. However, approvals are valid for a five year period, and large areas which are approved for felling are never felled.
3The areas planted include both the areas of felled woodland which are replanted and the areas of new woodlands which are created.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he proposes to provide an effective and integrated transport policy; and what plans he has to carry out a strategic review of the roads programme in Scotland.[5142]

My noble Friend, the Minister with responsibility for agriculture, the environment and fisheries announced on Thursday—Official Report, House of Lords, column 136—our intention to publish a White Paper early next year which will set out our proposals for a workable, effective and integrated transport policy appropriate to the needs of Scotland. Our development of that will operate in parallel with the development of the planned White Paper on integrated transport policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 5 June, column 226.One key strand of developing an integrated transport strategy is the strategic review of the trunk roads programme promised in the Manifesto. We believe that we need a thorough examination of our rationale for new roads construction. Possible new roads projects must be properly examined in the context of their local and wider economic and environmental impacts and with the possible provision of alternative modes of transport properly considered in parallel. Our eventual decisions must meet our commitment to sustainable development.This review will consider the full range of factors, including traffic growth, which will give rise to pressure for further major improvements across the trunk road network over the next decade. In parallel with the review, as part of the work leading to the White Paper, we shall examine means of restraining growth, including consideration of the opportunities for doing so on the trunk road network. We will also consider the role which new technology and improved information systems can play.The review will examine the criteria (including accessibility, safety, economy and environmental impact) for setting priorities within the trunk road programme. It will also review the scope for improved value for money for expenditure on maintenance, structural repairs and minor schemes.The review is being conducted against the background of our clear commitment to control public expenditure overall and fundamentally to review expenditure priorities through the comprehensive spending review. Given this, no further procedural work on major schemes will be undertaken before the reviews are concluded. However, schemes under construction will continue; and the schemes for the A828 (Creagan Bridge) and the A75 (The Glen), which are both close to commencement, will also continue. Tenders are expected in July for a privately financed design, build, finance and operate contract on the M8 (Baillieston to Shotts) and a decision on that will be announced after the evaluation of tenders, in the light of the information provided by the tenders and other relevant factors. The review will reach conclusions on options for the Kincardine Bridge in advance of those on other projects because of the uncertainties attaching to the operational condition of the bridge and the need to progress contingency plans.The Scottish Office will continue to invest in the maintenance and structural repairs of the existing network and take forward small schemes, costing less than £3 million, where route action and accident plans have identified measures to alleviate congestion and improve safety.There has been extensive comments about the previous Government's Green paper "Keeping Scotland Moving" and these, where appropriate, will be considered as part of both the development of our White Paper and the review of the trunk roads programme. We intend to consult about the options and the findings emerging from the review, with the objective of concluding the review by the Summer of 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to amend the home energy efficiency scheme to encourage applications from the Scottish islands and remote areas. [3797]

I have been asked to reply.Major revisions to this scheme, which were made by the previous administration, come into force on 1 July. From that date the scheme will include cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, heating control system upgrades, draughtproofing, energy efficient lamps, hot water tank insulation and personal advice. Installers have been appointed throughout Great Britain and they will undertake local marketing throughout their areas to bring the scheme to the attention of eligible householders. Every local authority will shortly receive guidance, issued jointly with the Scottish Office, about the scheme and the part they can play in promoting it.We shall be taking an early opportunity to review the scheme to check whether the changes are meeting the needs of customers.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will make a statement on his role in respect of each Cabinet committee on which he sits. [4661]

Like my colleagues on these committees, I contribute to collective consideration of the issues under discussion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the Government car service will assess the advantages of using Triumph motorcycles for its dispatch riders. [4316]

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if the rules relating to the deposit of compliance cost assessments in the Library prior to the publication of Bills in force in Session 1996–97 continue to apply; and if he will list those Bills for which compliance cost assessments have not been duly deposited in the current session. [4747]

We intend to develop a more succinct, open and relevant system for assessing the costs and benefits of new legislative proposals. In the meantime, the existing rules for publishing a compliance cost assessment alongside bills presented to Parliament continue to apply. The responsibility for the preparation of individual compliance cost assessments rests with the relevant Minister.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the special advisers in his Department, the Minister to whom each is responsible, the subjects on which they advise and the number of advisers in his Department in the year up to 1 May. [5347]

No special advisers are, or have been, employed in my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for encouraging the improvement of training and qualifications in the tourism industry. [3090]

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has for encouraging the improvement of training and qualifications in the tourist industry. [3102]

Training and investment in people is one of our key policy aims for the tourism and hospitality industries. We will pursue this aim in partnership with those industries, tourist boards, local authorities and others, together with colleagues in the Department for Education and Employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to increase the United Kingdom income from tourism. [3101]

The Government is working with the industry, the tourist boards, local authorities and others to ensure that tourism is making its full contribution to the UK economy. In 1995, the industry was worth £38 billion, equivalent to over 5 per cent. of the UK's GDP, and it has great potential for growth.

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what work opportunities the tourism industry will provide to the welfare-to-work programme. [3111]

The tourism industry is well placed to play a key role in the welfare-to-work initiative. The industry has enormous potential for employment

National lottery awards to 31 March 1997
	Population	Total number of awards	Total award amount £	Amount per capita £
England
London: Total	6,933,000	1,664	774,055,059	111.65
London (National Institutions)	—	39	478,007,408	68.95
London (Other)	—	1,625	296,047,651	242.70
North-west	5,478,725	1,008	300,729,369	54.89

To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans he has to ensure a fairer distribution of lottery proceeds across the regions. [3094]

It is clear that some areas of the country have benefited a great dal more from the lottery than others. We will be looking at the reasons for this as part of our review of lottery distribution. We will publish a White Paper containing our proposals in July.