To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Budget in March 1998 will be unified to include public expenditure plans. [7709]

[holding answer 10 July 1997]: In the Budget, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced revised spending allocations for 1998–99. The timing of announcements for the years 1999–00 and beyond will depend on the progress of the Comprehensive Spending Review which is due to conclude in the middle of next year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) local authorities and (b) the national health service of making good the shortfall in employer pension funds arising from his Budget measures. [7772]

[holding answer 10 July 1997]: There are around a hundred local authority pension funds. The position will vary depending on factors such as financial circumstances and the make up of investment portfolios. For example, many funds have surpluses which can be used to help cushion the effect. Pension schemes should also benefit from improved company performance as a result of quality long term investment being encouraged. Although the loss of tax credits will have some impact on the income of local authority pension funds, the extent to which these changes feed through to authorities' budgets will depend on the overall judgements made by the funds' actuaries as they undertake revaluations due from next year. Their conclusions will not be reflected in contribution rates before 1999–00 at the earliest. The Budget changes will not adversely affect the NHS scheme on present assumptions, since it is based on a notional fund assumed to be invested entirely in Gilts.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if (a) funding for house building by local authorities from borrowing against their own housing revenue accounts, (b) funding of developments by public authorities for water and sewerage services if such authorities are constituted as mutually owned businesses and (c) funding of support for agriculture which is fully refunded by the European Union, are regarded as part of the public sector borrowing requirement in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other individual members of the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [7694]

[holding answer 10 July 1997]: The public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR) measures total borrowing by the public sector—by central government, local authorities and public corporations—from the private sector and overseas. Any spending by a public sector body that is not covered by receipts will add to the PSBR. The PSBR is a UK measure and is not used by other EC member states, although they may measure their borrowing requirements in a similar fashion to the United Kingdom.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his officials, and at what grades, are assisting (a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office with the Strategic Defence Review. [6756]

The number and grade of the officials involved in the Strategic Defence Review will depend on the issues that arise and the nature of their responsibilities.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the representations he has received from the privatised water companies about the windfall tax; and if he will make a statement. [8535]

Treasury Ministers are treating representations from companies and other bodies as confidential. If companies wish to make their views public, that is for them.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his definition of excess profit for the purposes of the windfall tax. [7252]

Details of the windfall tax are set out in the Finance Bill. Clause 1 and Schedule 1 of the Bill set out how the amount of a company's windfall is to be calculated.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the new control totals of spending, by Department, for 1988–89 on the format produced in the Red Book for 1997–98. [7154]

Figures for planned spending in 1998–99 for each department were published in table 1.2 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1997–98, Cm 3601. Apart from some minor technical changes discussed in the Financial Statement and Budget Report, paragraph 4B.14, these have been updated only to take account of the allocation of the existing Reserve to the Government's priorities of health and schools. The spending announced in the Budget on the Welfare to Work package and investment in housing under the Capital Receipts Initiative is additional to the Control Total.

Control Total by Department	1£ million
Defence	22,276
Foreign Office	1,074
International Development	2,321
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	3,416
DTI—Programme	3,051
DTI—Nationalised Industries	-176
ECGD	1
DETR—Transport	4,589
DETR—Local Government	32,581

Control Total by Department	1£ million
DETR—Other	7,557
Home Office	6,801
Legal Departments	2,747
Education and Employment	13,945
National Heritage	959
Health	36,362
Social Security	83,101
Scotland	14,620
Wales	6,987
Northern Ireland	8,315
Chancellor's Departments	3,199
Cabinet Office	1,034
European Communities	2,392
Local Authority self-financed expenditure	13,700
Reserve	2,800
Control Total	273,600
1 Figures are rounded to the nearest £1 million, except LASFE, the Reserve and the Control Total, which are rounded to the nearest £100 million.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the review of the Private Finance Initiative (a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8258]

The review of the Private Finance Initiative was completed on 13 June, and the summary and recommendations were released on 23 June. It was undertaken by an independent expert at no cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for the spending review (a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8263]

I expect the Comprehensive Spending Review to last approximately 12 months. The costs of the Review will be absorbed in the relevant departments running costs as would any similar review to look at improving efficiency and effectiveness.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the reductions in Customs anti-smuggling staff planned under the Department's 1994 fundamental expenditure review are to be proceeded with. [8760]

I have reviewed with Customs the previously planned intention to reduce the number of frontier anti-smuggling officers by some 300 posts during the current year. We face a growing world-wide threat of drug smuggling which is increasingly diverse and cunning. In the light of this I have decided that in the present circumstances it would not be prudent to go ahead with these cuts and the posts are to be retained. Customs' target for the value of drugs prevented from entering Kingdom in the current year will be increased by £50 million.This Government takes the threat of drugs very seriously, and we recognise that Customs anti-smuggling staff play a vital role at our frontiers in combating not only drug trafficking but also in detecting the smuggling of other prohibited goods, such as firearms, paedophile material, and commercial pornography, which post an unrelenting threat to society.The Government is determined to maintain and strengthen the co-ordinated enforcement action against these evils in which Customs play a key role. Customs have a consistently strong record in the detection and investigation of drug trafficking, not only in the UK but in their contribution to the European and international effortFunding for these posts will be contained within Customs' existing provision in accordance with the Government's commitment to work within the Departmental spending limits we have inherited for this year and next.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax gained or forgone on expenditure on the National Lottery relative to alternative forms of consumer expenditure. [3425]

The rate of duty on the lottery was originally set on the basis that it was expected to be broadly revenue-neutral—that is the revenue raised would broadly offset the indirect tax loss from expenditure diverted from other goods and services. We know of no evidence as yet to suggest that the Exchequer is gaining or losing substantial revenues as a result of the Lottery.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what obligations are placed upon the privatised public utilities with particular reference to water and drainage companies, to maintain accurate records of services in the ground; [7245](2) under what arrangements public access to the complete records of adopted sewers installed by private contractors, previously available from the local council highways departments, is maintained. [7246]

Sections 198 and 199 of the Water Industry Act 1991 require water and sewerage companies to keep records, in the form of maps, of the location of every water main and adopted sewer vested in them and to make this information freely available for inspection at their offices at all reasonable times. The companies are also required to provide local authorities with copies of sewer maps and any modifications to them. There is no obligation for the companies to keep records of connections to water mains or of private sewers or drains.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he will take to ensure that decisions on access to water authority and drainage authority information are clearly determined in accordance with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. [7244]

The provision and availability of information relevant to health and safety is a fundamental requirement of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. It is therefore an important consideration of Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors when determining compliance with the Regulations. Inspectors already give advice or take formal enforcement action in support of this requirement, when appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of the recent reduction in VAT on domestic fuel on the Government's environmental obligations; and if he will make a statement. [7660]

We estimate the reduction in VAT on domestic fuel to 5 per cent. will result in an annual increase in carbon dioxide emissions of about 0.24 million tonnes of carbon by 2010, (about 0.15 per cent. of current carbon dioxide emissions). We shall take account of this effect in developing the programme to meet our target to reduce total carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. by 2010.Protection from the effects of global warming and the development of sustainable environmental policies cannot proceed in isolation from considerations of social equity. We are developing policy options which will contribute towards our 2010 target and which will include improvements in domestic and industrial energy efficiency, an integrated transport policy to tackle the projected growth in emissions from road transport, and an increase in the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources and combined heat and power schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what targets he will be setting for recycling of household waste. [7439]

We will be considering the need for any changes to existing targets for the recovery and recycling of household waste in the light of progress made so far. It is important to improve recycling and increase the proportion of waste managed by the options towards the top of the waste hierarchy. We will be looking carefully at the options for doing this as part of our wider assessment of waste management and recycling policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to extend the time scale for determining applications for hedgerow removals; [7441](2) if he will revise the criteria determining whether or not a hedgerow is sufficiently important to be protected; [7442](3) if he will allow local authorities to charge for applications to remove hedgerows. [7443]

On 29 May the Government announced that a group would be set up, including representatives of statutory agencies, local authorities and the main farming and conservation bodies, to review how the Hedgerows Regulations 1997 might be strengthened. The group have been asked to make recommendations on the time allowed for local authorities to respond to hedgerow removal notices and on the criteria defining important hedgerows.I have no plans to allow local authorities to charge for applications to remove hedgerows, though the Government would consider any recommendations of the review group in this regard.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when the last actuarial valuations of local authority occupational pension funds were carried out; [7886](2) at what intervals actuarial valuations of local authority occupational pension funds are carried out; [7887](3) how many local authority occupational pension funds were calculated to be in surplus at the time of the last actuarial valuation. [7889]

The Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 1995, which control this statutory scheme in England and Wales, requires actuaries, as part of each triennial valuation of the 87 separate local authority funds, to set an employer contribution rate to ensure solvency having regard to existing and prospective liabilities and the desirability of maintaining as constant a rate as possible. At the last valuation in 1995, all local authority pension funds complied with this requirement, and at that time the actuaries were able to report that 20 funds were actuarially assessed as having assets in excess of their liabilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total dividend income received by local authority occupational pension funds during the most recent available financial year. [7888]

Information is only available to my Department on total investment income for the Local Government Pension Scheme, inclusive of UK and overseas dividend income, gilts and property. In 1995–96 the figure for England and Wales amounted to £2.1 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of 23 June PT/EE/PS0/5476/97 if he will make a statement on the progress of negotiations to create cleaner fuels in Europe. [7935]

At the European Environment Council of 19–20 June this year, Ministers reached a common position on a directive setting standards for fuel quality. The United Kingdom argued that the standards proposed by the Commission were, in some cases, insufficiently tight, and supported in particular a lowering of the Commission's proposals for the sulphur content of petrol (200 parts per million—ppm) and benzene (2 per cent.).Mandatory standards for petrol and diesel were agreed for the year 2000 as follows: petrol—a sulphur content of 150 ppm, a benzene content of 1 per cent. and an aromatics content of 42 per cent.; diesel—a sulphur content, set at 350 parts per million. Other parameters for 2000 were agreed as proposed by the European Commission. The UK also supported, and Ministers agreed, the Dutch Presidency's proposal of indicative standards for the year 2005 of 50 ppm sulphur in both petrol and diesel (the latter to be phased in from 2005), and 35 per cent. aromatics content in petrol. These figures will be subject to review and the Commission will bring forward proposals by mid-1999 either to confirm or adjust them.As the adoption of these directives is by the co-decision procedure, agreement with the European Parliament will have to be reached before the directive can be adopted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement regarding the United Kingdom's funding of the United Nations Environment Programme. [8758]

I attended the inaugural meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme's High-Level Committee of Ministers and Officials in New York on 28 June. I am glad to be able to report that this was a successful meeting. The Committee gave advice to UNEP's Executive Director on the main priorities for UNEP's Programme of Work. Given the positive outcome, especially on the way forward for UNEP, I announced at the close that the United Kingdom would, forthwith, lift the suspension of its annual voluntary contribution to the Environment Fund. I have, therefore, arranged for a payment of £4.35 million to be made as soon as possible to UNEP's Environment Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will present to the Kyoto Climate Change Conference proposals to commit convention signatories to the phasing out of the use of fossil fuels. [7129]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 30 June 1997, Official Report, column 49. The EU has proposed that all developed countries should agree to (a) reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other main greenhouse gases to at least 7.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2005 and to 15 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010 and; (b) adopt a number of binding and other policies and measures to achieve these targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the Government's policy towards out-of-town shopping centres; and if he will make a statement. [7659]

Planning policy guidance is contained in PPG6: Town Centres and Retail Developments. We have no current plans to change it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to curb the development of unlicensed and unregistered private households offering bed and breakfast facilities to visitors outside the six-bed rule. [7713]

The "six-bedspace" exemption from rates was designed to ensure that those who provide extra accommodation in peak periods during the summer, or in out of the way places, are not put off doing so by the threat of a rates bill. However, we see no reason to exempt from rates anyone who offers accommodation when the use of property for this purpose is clearly non-domestic so, to qualify, the use of such property for bed and breakfast must be subsidiary to its use as a residence.The Valuation Office Agency have issued guidance to their local offices on interpretation of the subsidiary use test to ensure that it is being applied correctly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to return control over local authority housing rent levels to local authorities. [7464]

Local housing authorities set their own rent levels, reviewing them from time to time as circumstances require. In setting their rents they have regard to their statutory duty to balance the housing revenue account, taking account, among other things, of any housing revenue account subsidy payable to them for the year. We are currently examining the financing of local authority housing as part of our comprehensive review of spending.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years the standard spending assessment for social services for each local authority, the percentage change from one year to the next and the amount that was actually spent on social services in each of those years. [7438]

[holding answer 10 July 1997]: I have arranged for the information requested to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will give for the review of compulsory competitive tendering (a) the expected completion date and (b) the cost of conducting the review. [8241]

The review of existing CCT legislation and guidance in England and Wales will be completed shortly. Following consultation, new regulations and guidance will be issued in the autumn. The cost of conducting the review to the point of consultation on proposals is estimated at £36,500.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the money Bolton will receive from the release of local authority capital receipts. [7930]

The Government provided figures illustrating alternative methods of distributing additional Supplementary Credit Approvals to individual local authorities in a table accompanying the consultation paper on proposals for implementing the capital receipts initiative in England. That paper was issued on 19 July and copies have been deposited in the Library of the House. Final allocations to individual authorities, however, will not be available until the consultation period has ended and we have given careful consideration to the comments received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what studies his Department is undertaking to redefine the planning guidelines and other framework provisions which apply when Ministry of Defence land is declared redundant with consequent disposal of the land by that Department. [7913]

My Department is currently preparing to commission research which will examine the relationship between the planning system; the advice currently provided to Government Departments by the Treasury on the disposal of redundant property; and the need to maximise the disposal value of such property, whilst taking full account of the wider economic and social regeneration considerations. The Government Offices in the Regions and the MOD are together drawing up, and intend to publish, guidelines on the disposal of redundant defence establishments. Our objective is to maximise their potential in order to mitigate the impact of closures on local communities, and to reduce the demand for development on greenfield sites, while at the same time protecting our historic heritage and general environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many full-time youth workers are employed by each local authority in England and Wales. [8429]

This information is not available centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the implementation of EU directive 96/61, on integrated pollution prevention and control. [8759]

The Government will tomorrow be issuing a consultation paper on the implementation of this important directive. I shall arrange for copies to placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many stop notices have been served in each year from 1985 to date to prevent damage to sites of special scientific interest; and in how many of those cases the stop notice was subsequently lifted and damage caused. [7611]

Nature Conservation Orders made by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions are listed below:

Year	Number of Orders (stop notices)
1985–86	5
1986–87	1
1987–88	2
1988–89	0
1989–90	6
1990–91	3
1991–92	0
1992–93	1
1993–94	2
1994–95	2
1995–96	2
1996–97	2
1997–	1

Eleven Orders have subsequently been revoked. There have been no instances of damage following revocation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many sites of special scientific interest were damaged in each year from 1985 to date; and what were the causes. [7610]

Details of the number of incidents, area damaged, outcomes of the damaging activity and the type of activity are published in the annual reports produced by the respective country agencies, English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales and, prior to 1991, by the Nature Conservancy Council, all of which are held in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. [7609]

Ministers in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions are currently considering the need to review specific sections of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what new plans he has to introduce cuts and savings in his Department as a result of the effect on his Department's budgets for 1997–98 and 1998–99 of the upward revisions to the GDP deflators in the Budget on 2 July; and if he will make a statement. [8319]

All Departments are reallocating spending within their Departmental ceilings as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The planned total for local authority grants (net Aggregate External Finance) for 1998–99 was announced in the Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if, following the recent Budget, he will give his estimate of the total real level of his Department's budget, in 1995–96 prices, in (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99; if he will estimate what such figures were for (1) 1997–98 and (2) 1998–99 following the November 1996 Budget on the basis of the estimates of the GDP deflator contained in that Budget; and if he will make a statement. [8318]

The figures requested for my Department's spending plans within the Control Total are as follows: £41,776 million; £41,227 million; £42,244 million; and £41,249 million. In addition, local authorities will benefit from spending under the Capital Receipts Initiative, which is outside the Control Total, as announced in the Budget. The figures for 1997–98 have not been adjusted to take account of the Summer Supplementary Estimates presented to Parliament on 8 July but not yet approved.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the voting position registered by the United Kingdom delegation to the CITES Conference of the Parties in Harare on each of the species listing proposals and draft resolutions presented to the conference for which a vote was called. [8165]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, East and Mexborough (Mr. Ennis) on 8 July, Official Report, column 449, which reports the main decisions taken by the Conference. The United Kingdom's position in the final votes taken on substantive matters is set out below. The UK delegation voted in accordance with the European Union's Common Position on all the species proposals and on those draft resolutions or decisions for which there was EU competence.Of the 34 substantive votes listed, 12 were taken by secret ballot. Under the current rules of procedure in CITES, any vote can be determined by secret ballot if at least 10 Parties request this. The UK is opposed to the use of secret ballots for votes on policy issues in CITES, especially on such a large scale, and we will be seeking to persuade other Parties to limit their use in future.

Issue	Support	Oppose	Abstain
Downlisting of Eschrichtius robustus (Gray whale) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Downlisting of the Okhotsk Sea West Pacific stock of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II	—	X	—

Issue	Support	Oppose	Abstain
Downlisting of the Southern Ocean population of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Downlisting of two Atlantic populations of Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Minke whale) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Uplisting of all remaining European, Eurasian, Caucasian and Asian populations of Ursos arctos (Brown bear) to Appendix I	—	—	X
Separate consideration of the uplisting of various individual populations of Ursos arctos (Brown bear) to Appendix I	—	X	—
Amendment to annotation on the South African population of Ceratotherium simum simum (southern White Rhinoceros) to allow trade in rhino products	—	X	—
Uplisting of Vini kuhlii (Kuhl's lorikeet) to Appendix I	X	—	—
Uplisting of Vini peruviana (Blue lorikeet) to Appendix I	X	—	—
Uplisting of Vini ultramarina (Ultramarine lorikeet) to Appendix I	X	—	—
Inclusion in Appendix II of Liocichla omeiensis (Omei Shan liocichla)	X	—	—
Inclusion in Appendix I of Padda oryzivora (Java sparrow)	X	—	—
Inclusion in Appendix II of Graptemys spp (Map turtles)	—	X	—
Downlisting of the Cuban population of Eretmochelys imbricata (Hawksbill turtle) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Downlisting of the Bangladesh population of Varanus bengalensis (Bengal monitor) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Downlisting of the Bangladesh population of Varanus flavescens (Yellow monitor) to Appendix II	—	X	—
Inclusion of Pristiformes (Sawfish) in Appendix I	—	X	—
Amendment to an annotation to indicate that seeds and pollen with the exception of seeds from Mexican cacti originating in Mexico, were included in Appendix II	X	—	—
Inclusion of all neotropical populations ofSwietenia macrophylla (American mahogany) on Appendix II	X	—	—
Inclusion of Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) on Appendix II	X	—	—
Inclusion of Picrorhiza kurrooa (Kutki) in Appendix II	X	—	—
Inclusion of Nardostachys grandiflora (Spikenard) on Appendix II	X	—	—
Proposals to downlist the Botswanan, Namibian and Zimbabwean populations of Loxodonta africana (African elephant) to Appendix II	—	—	X
Conditions for the resumption of trade in African elephant ivory from populations transferred to Appendix II	—	—	X
Conditions for the disposal of ivory stocks and generating resources for conservation in elephant range states	X	—	—
Principle of drawing down on the Convention Trust Fund to fund the Budget for 1998–2000	X	—	—
Budget for 1998–2000—0 per cent. increase in contributions	—	X	—
Budget for 1998–2000—5 per cent, increase in contributions	X	—	—
Establishment of Working Group on Illegal Trade in CITES specimens	X	—	—
Resolution on Relationship with the International Whaling Commission	—	X	—
Amendment to Annex 6 of Document 10.52 (implementation of Convention for timber species)	—	X	—
Revision of Document 10.7 (Regional representation)	—	—	X
Proposal to register the Falcon Centre Halvesiek as a commercial captive breeding operation	—	X	—
Establishment of a Working Group on Marine Fish Species	X	—	—

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will review the guidance issued to local authorities regarding the removal of travellers from unauthorized sites; [8161](2) if he will list the cases where local authorities have been challenged in the courts regarding their policy towards the removal of travellers from unauthorised sites, including the outcome in each instance. [8162]

My Department has no knowledge of any case involving a challenge to a local authority's policy towards the removal of unauthorised campers. There have, however, been three cases of which we are aware where an authority's decision to evict, using powers in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, has been challenged in the courts. In the case of R v Wealden District Council ex parte Wales and others, the direction issued by the local authority under section 77 of the 1994 Act, and the magistrates' court order, were both quashed by the judge. In the parallel case of R v Lincolnshire County Council ex parte Atkinson the judge exercised his discretion not to quash the direction and the eviction order, and those travellers were evicted. R v Wolverhampton MBC ex parte Dunne followed, and approved, the Wealden judgment. There may also be other cases in which a local authority's use of either planning enforcement powers, or of possession proceedings to remove trespassers, has been challenged, or where an application by travellers for leave for judicial review has been refused by the courts. My Department would not necessarily be notified of these.We have no plans to review the advice in my Department's Circular No. 18/94, "Gypsy Sites Policy and Unauthorised Camping", that local authorities should take into account existing statutory responsibilities under health and welfare legislation when deciding whether to evict unauthorised campers. Those responsibilities exist independently of the Circular, and would apply even if it had not been issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the cost to local authorities in (a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 of the Budget proposals to abolish the payable tax credits for pension schemes; how local authorities are to be compensated; and if he will make a statement. [8320]

The extent to which local authorities will be affected by the Budget proposals will depend upon the outcome of the next triennial actuarial valuation, due on 31 March 1998 in England and Wales, and to subsequent discussions between actuaries and their local authority clients. I will consider carefully any representations made in the light of those considerations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what additional credit approvals will be allocated to (a) Colchester Borough Council and (b) Tendring district council as a result of the capital receipts initiative announced in the Budget. [8464]

The Government provided figures illustrating alternative methods of distributing additional Supplementary Credit Approvals to individual local authorities in a table accompanying the consultation paper on proposals for implementing the capital receipts initiative in England. That paper was issued on 19 June and copies have been deposited in the Library of the House. Final allocations to individual authorities, however, will not be available until the consultation period has ended and we have given careful consideration to the comments received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) on 5 July at Birkbeck College to the Conference on the Future of London. [8483]

A copy has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has for consultation concerning changes to the uniform business rate. [8470]

No changes will be made until we have fully consulted with all interested parties including business and local authorities. We are considering how to take this forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his decision on the final caps for the three local authorities which challenged their cap; and if he will make a statement. [8895]

I have today laid before the House the draft Council Tax Limitation (England) (Maximum Amounts) Order 1997, under section 57 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, setting out our decisions on the final caps for Oxfordshire, Somerset and Warwickshire County Councils.We have considered very carefully all the available relevant information, including the case made by the authorities in support of a higher cap, before taking our decisions. We have decided to confirm the caps proposed for Oxfordshire and Somerset, but Warwickshire will be permitted to budget at the level it has proposed to reflect the pressures it is facing following capital investment in its schools programme.The caps are, in our view, reasonable and achievable in all the circumstances of the authorities concerned. These decisions will reduce public expenditure and the burden on council taxpayers in the areas concerned by £9.4 million in 1997–98. This will result in a council tax reduction (at Band D) of almost £28 in Oxfordshire, and £20 in Somerset.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many aeroplane flights occurred in 1995 in UK airspace in which (a) high-level, (b) intermediate-level and (c) low-level radioactive material was carried; and what was the total number of aeroplane flights in 1995 in UK airspace in which radioactive material was carried. [7599]

The Department does not hold information of the kind requested. However, it is estimated that of the order of 10,000 flights carrying packages of radioactive material currently occur each year, the vast majority of which contain limited quantities for medical or industrial use in excepted or Type A packages.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which (a) airports and (b) ports (i) are permitted to handle radioactive material and (ii) were used in 1995 for the shipment of radioactive material. [7600]

The information is as follows:

(i) Radioactive material may be moved through any port or airport.

(ii) The Department does not hold information of the kind requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy to allow an unlimited number of movements of radioactive material by air provided International Atomic Energy Agency standards are met. [7601]

The movement by radioactive material by air, in common with all dangerous goods, is regulated by The Air Navigation (No 2) Order 1995 and The Air Navigation (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1994 as amended 1996. These place no limit on the number of such movements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government plans to introduce the revised regulations set out in the 1996 edition of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Materials. [7602]

I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones), Official Report, 16 June 1997, column 42.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crashes have occurred in each year since 1967 in which aircraft carrying consignments of radioactive material within UK airspace have been involved; and what (a) volume and (b) level of radioactivity was involved in each case. [7604]

We are aware of two such accidents, one in 1968 and the other in 1987. In each case 1.1 Giga-Becquerels of radioactivity were being carried in a single Type A package. In neither case was any radioactivity released from the packages.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government permits the transportation of radioactive materials (a) via the channel tunnel and (b) on passenger ferries. [7605]

Such transport is permitted subject to (a) the rules and restrictions of Eurotunnel, as approved by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority of the UK/France Intergovernmental Commission and (b) compliance with The Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1990 and Merchant Shipping Notice No. M. 1432, "The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants in ships, the 'Blue Book' and the IMDG Code".

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many flights have taken place since 1990 in which spent nuclear fuel was carried within United Kingdom airspace; what were the places of origin and destination in each case; and what was the volume carried in each case. [7607]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his policy in respect of shadow tolls. [8468]

The Government has conducted a review of PFI and we are taking measures to reinvigorate it. Our policy on shadow tolling is that bids for projects which we decide to pursue with remuneration on this basis will be considered on their merits. A key issue will be the value for money offered by bids compared with conventional procurement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and Regions if he will review the compliance by London Buses Ltd. with citizens' charter principles. [8340]

New quality of service targets have recently been set for London Transport Buses, and performance against the London Bus Passenger's Charter is kept constantly under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the tendering procedures of London Buses Ltd. meet every requirement of EU procurement directives. [8341]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will meet the chairman of London Regional Transport to discuss improvements in customer services standards and the handling of complaints by members of the public. [8342]

I plan to have regular meetings with the Chairman of London Transport at which we expect to discuss a range of issues including customer service standards and complaints handling.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what (a) financial and (b) other assistance was given by the Government and Government agencies in the past five years to road safety and environmental improvement works to Colchester High Street; and what plans he has to support further road safety and environmental improvement works. [7654]

Over the last five years £16.01 million (an average of £3.2 million per year) has been awarded to Essex County Council through the local transport settlement for local safety schemes and minor works. It is for the County Council to determine the most appropriate use for their allocations, but we expect them to target their most pressing accident sites. Over the last two years we have also awarded an additional £1.2 million to the County Council towards their package of transport proposals for Colchester. Allocations for 1998–99 have not yet been determined. In addition to this financial support, officials from the Department have provided technical advice on environmental measures for the High Street, including a 20 miles per hour zone, special traffic signals and a restricted parking zone.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representations he has received in the past five years from hon. Members, organisations or individuals, concerning road safety and environmental improvement works to Colchester High Street; and how many were objections to the works. [7653]

My right hon. Friend has had no representations about Colchester High Street from hon. Members. There have been several representations from other sources in support of the package of transport measures for Colchester which Essex County Council have promoted through their Transport Policies and Programme bids for 1996–97 and 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will instigate an immediate inquiry into the running of NERC and NATS. [7854]

No. I see no reason to instigate an Inquiry of this kind.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what checks are made of the contents of freight lorries before they are allowed into the Channel Tunnel. [7921]

Eurotunnel staff carry out regular checks on the contents of freight lorries using the Channel Tunnel.Hauliers carrying goods classified as "Dangerous" are required to notify Eurotunnel on arrival at the tolls. The goods are checked against the permitted carriage list and cleared for travel. Staff are informed so that special arrangements can be made for loading the lorry in a specified location on the shuttle so that, in the event of an incident, the emergency services can be informed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps have been taken to preserve the integrity and functioning of the overhead power lines in the channel tunnel in the event of a fire. [7920]

Changes to operating procedures relating to action to be taken in the event of a fire alarm on board an HGV shuttle, arising from the implementation of recommendations contained in the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority's Inquiry Report, have meant that the risk to the overhead power line, the catenary, has been reduced. However, in response to Recommendation 4 of the Safety Authority Report, Eurotunnel are employing consultants to examine the feasibility of reducing the chances of the catenary tripping.Under the changed procedures the operators—Eurotunnel—no longer operate a drive-through policy or one in which the locomotive and amenity coach is de-coupled and driven through. Consequently the preservation of the integrity of the overhead power line is of less importance to the safety of people in an emergency. In the event of a fire on board an HGV shuttle the running tunnel systems will be configured for an emergency and the train will be brought to a controlled stop alongside a cross passage door for evacuation into the service tunnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the risks involved in allowing freight to be transported through the channel tunnel in lattice-sided wagons. [7919]

This is a matter for the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission, advised by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. In its Inquiry Report into the incident on 18 November 1996 the Safety Authority concluded that the semi-open design of HGV shuttles could be used in a way that secured the safety of people. Before approval was given for the resumption of HGV shuttle services, the Commission and the Safety Authority examined a detailed submission by the operators of the Channel Tunnel, Eurotunnel, and satisfied themselves that the operating procedures proposed were such that semi-open HGV shuttle wagons were able to be operated safely.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the consequences of increased container vessel size for the provision of United Kingdom container port facilities; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such considerations upon a United Kingdom ports strategy; [8436](2) what assessment he has made of the feasibility of encouraging short sea routes as part of a United Kingdom port strategy; and if he will make a statement. [8435]

Measures needed to accommodate larger vessels are for the port authorities concerned in the first place. The Government is committed to encouraging the use of short sea shipping as an alternative to road transport where this is a practical and economic option. The Government is undertaking a transport policy review which will cover, amongst other things, the potential for a shift to short sea shipping, particularly for freight, as part of a policy to promote a progressive shift to less environmentally damaging modes; the environmental impact of ports, including surface access arrangements; and the role of ports in promoting regional development. The Government intends to publish a White Paper on an integrated transport strategy next Spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by company the genetically modified organisms currently approved for (a) field testing and (b) marketing in the United Kingdom. [8041]

To date 124 consents for the experimental release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Great Britain have been granted since the Genetically Modified Organisms (Deliberate Release) Regulations 1992 came into force on 1 February 1993. By company, these GMOs are:

	GMO	Consents
Advanced Technologies	Potatoes	6
	Tobacco	1
AgrEvo UK Crop Protection Ltd.	Oilseed rape	5
	Wheat	1
	Sugar beet	4
	Maize	3
	Potatoes	1
Axis Genetics	Potatoes	2
Bejo Zaden	Chicory	2
CPB Twyford	Oilseed rape	1
Derby University	Apple trees	1
Hilleshog NK	Sugar beet	4
Hoechst UK Ltd	Oliseed rape	1
John Innes Centre	Wheat	1
John K King and Sons Ltd.	Oilseed rape	1
Lancaster University	M13 Bacteriophage virus	1
Leicester university	Tobacco	3
Maribo UK Ltd.	Sugar beet	1
Monsanto Plc.	Oilseed rape	3
	Sugar beet	6
NERC/IVEM	Baculovirus	4
New Farm Crops	Wheat	3
NIAB	Oilseed rape	1

	GMO	Consents
Nickerson BIOCEM Ltd.	Oilseed rape	5
	Wheat	1
	Potatoes	3
	Tobacco	1
Perryfields Holdings	Oilseed rape	1
Pioneer Genetique SARL	Oilseed rape	1
Plant Breeding International	Potatoes	7
Plant Genetic Systems NV	Oilseed rape	20
Rhone Poulene Agriculture	Oilseed rape	2
Rothamsted Experimental Station	Rhizobium	2
The Scottish Agricultural College	Oilseed rape	6
Scottish Crop Research Institute	Potatoes	3
	Strawberries	1
Sharpes International Seeds Ltd.	Swedes	1
	Oilseed rape	1
	Sugar beet	4
	Maize	1
Shell Research Ltd.	Eucalyptus	2
Zeneca Ltd.	Oilseed rape	1
	Poplars	2
	Maize	1
	sugar beet	1
	Tomatoes	1

In the same period eight consents for the marketing of GMOs in the European Community, including the United Kingdom, have been granted in accordance with Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms to the environment. By company, these are:

	GMO
Rhone Merieux Belgium (1 consent granted)	Rabies Vaccine
Societe Nationale d'Exploitation des Tabacs et Allumettes (1 consent granted)	Tobacco with herbicide tolerance
Vemie Veterinar Chemie GmbH (2 consents granted)	Vaccine against Aujeszky's disease in pigs
Plant Genetics Systems N.V. (1 consent)	Oilseed rape hybrid system with herbicide tolerance for seed production only
Monsanto Europe (1 consent)	Soya beans with herbicide tolerance for import and storage for processing only
Ciba Geigy (1 consent)	Maize with insect resistance and herbicide tolerance for unrestricted use
Bejo Zaden B.V. (1 consent)	Chicory hybrid system with herbicide tolerance for seed production only

These GMOs are not necessarily being marketed in the UK. The consents for Plant Genetics Systems and Monsanto were granted by the United Kingdom, whereas the other consents were granted by other member states.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to lay before Parliament and publish the annual report of the Serious Fraud Office for the year 1996–97. [7088]

The report was laid before Parliament this morning then published. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Attorney-General when he expects to (a) lay before Parliament and (b) publish the annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service for 1996–97. [8768]

The annual report of the Crown Prosecution Service will be laid before Parliament tomorrow and then published.Copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names of those attending the two Foreign Office seminars on the Strategic Defence Review, indicating the organisations each represented. [7823]

The following participants from outside Government participated in the seminars hosted by my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and the Secretary of State for Defence in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 July and in Coventry on 11 July:

3 July. Sir Brian Fall (Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, Chairman), Josh Arnold Foster (UN Association), Menzies Campbell MP (Liberal Democrats), Professor Michael Clarke (King's College, London), Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold (RUSI), Jack Dromey (TGWU), Paul Eavis (Saferworld), Dr. Jonathan Eyal (RUSI), Sir Timothy Garden (RIIA), Dr. James Gow (King's College, London), Charles Grant (The Economist), Dr. Owen Greene (Bradford University), Dr. Rosemary Hollis (RIIA), Martin Kettle (The Guardian), Dave Knight (CND), Mark Laity (BBC), Alan Lee Williams (Atlantic Council), John Lloyd (New Stateman), Anne McElvoy (The Spectator), John MacKinlay (King's College, London), Edward Mortimer (Financial Times), Sebastian Pease (Pugwash), Dan Plesch (BASIC), Dr. Alex Pravda (St Antony's College, Oxford), Dr. Stephen Pullinger (ISIS), Professor Ron Smith (Birbeck College), Jon Snow (Channel Four), Dr. Claire Spencer (Centre for Defence Studies), Lord Wallace (LSE), Rt Hon Sir George Young MP (Conservative Party).

11 July. Sir Michael Alexander (RUSI, Chairman), Malcolm Chalmers (Bradford University), Professor Julian Cooper (Birmingham University), Dr. Anne Deighton (St Antony's College, Oxford), Professor Lawrence Freedman (King's College, London), Dr. Phil Gordon (IISS), Dr. David Greenwood (Aberdeen University), Professor Eric Grove (Hull University), Dr. Tim Huxley (Hull University), Rebecca Johnson (Disarmament Intelligence Review), Robert Key MP (Conservative Party), Dr. Patricia Lewis (VERTIC), John Lloyd (AEEU), Paul Rogers (Bradford University), John Roper (RIIA), Jane Sharpe (Centre for Defence Studies), Prof Edward Spiers (Leeds University), David Travers (Lancaster University), Paul Wilkinson (St Andrews University).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation took place with the Central Council of Physical Recreation or national governing bodies of sport regarding the Government's sporting boycott of Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [7998]

The EU Common Position on Nigeria adopted on 4 December 1995 agreed a series of measures including a sports ban implemented through the denial of visas to official delegations and national teams. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to the UK Sports Council on 12 December 1995 to inform them of this decision and they in turn advised the relevant national sporting bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the admission of Slovenia to NATO; what steps his Department has taken to facilitate its admission; and what estimate he has made of the timetable for admission. [7807]

I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the House on 9 July, Official Report, column 937. We see Slovenia as a strong candidate for any future enlargement of NATO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library his draft programme for the British presidency of the EU. [7699]

I have placed the provisional Calendar of Council meetings during the UK presidency in the Libraries of the House. A revised version will be produced in the autumn. Key events during the UK Presidency will include (dates remain to be decided):

	Draft Programme
Early January:	Visit to London by the College of Commissioners
February/March	Event in London to mark the formal start of the EU enlargement process
Spring	Council of Heads of State or Government to decide the participants in Stage III of Economic and Monetary Union
15–16 June	European Council in Cardiff

There will in addition be a number of informal Ministerial Councils held in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many United Kingdom personnel are based inside the National Security Agency headquarters in Washington; and what is their function; [7617](2) how many National Security Agency employees are based inside GCHQ at Cheltenham; what is their function; and what controls exist to ensure that the British national interest is protected. [7618]

It is a long-standing practice not to disclose details of specific staff deployments by the intelligence and security agencies. However, there are a number of UK personnel at National Security Agency (NSA) headquarters and a number of NSA personnel at GCHQ in a variety of posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what bilateral agreements exist between GCHQ and the National Security Agency allowing American personnel to tap the communications of United Kingdom nationals. [7622]

United Kingdom law applies to US operations in the UK and prohibits the unauthorised interception of communications carried on UK public telecommunications systems. National Security Agency personnel comply with that law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many complaints have been received since 1990 from EU Governments concerning the interception of diplomatic and commercial communications by US personnel based in the UK. [7630]

We are not aware of any such complaints.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the documents comprising the Schengen acquis are to be incorporated into European Union law as part of the Amsterdam treaty. [6394]

[holding answer 3 July 1997]: From the entry into force of the Schengen Protocol to be annexed to the Treaty on European Union and the European Community Treaty, the Schengen acquis, as defined in the Annex to the Protocol, will apply as a matter of EU law to all Member States except the United Kingdom and Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May, Official Report, column 111, what considerations are involved in the processing of a final claim for compensation prior to its presentation to the independent assessors; and how long on average such an assessment takes. [7397]

The independent assessment of a final claim for compensation is made on the basis of written submissions from the claimant or his or her solicitor, setting out the information which he or she would like the assessor to take into account. Based on this material, a memorandum is prepared by the Home Office which sets out the background to the wrongful conviction and summarises the claim. The claimant receives a draft of the completed memorandum and, subject to any comments which he or she may wish to make on its content, or to clarification of any points arising from his or her representations, it is then submitted, with the representations, to the assessor—currently Sir David Calcutt QC.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May, Official Report, column 111, what considerations must be taken into account when assessing whether an individual found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted may qualify for compensation; and how long on average such an assessment takes. [7396]

All applications for compensation are considered first under the provisions of section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and then, if the statutory requirements are not met, under the ex-gratia arrangements announced by the then Home Secretary in his statement to the House on 29 November 1985. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 17 June that he will continue to be bound by those arrangements.On average, a decision on whether an applicant qualifies for compensation is taken within six to nine months of receipt of the application.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May, Official Report, column 111, how many requests for interim compensation payments were received in each of the past five years from individuals found by the Court of Appeal to have been wrongfully convicted; what considerations are taken into account when deciding whether to grant such a request; how many such requests were granted; and how long individuals wait on average before receiving a payment. [7398]

Twenty-two requests for interim payments were received during the last financial year, all of which were granted. No central record is held of requests for interim payments in preceding years.The question of whether and in what sum interim payments may be made is entirely at the discretion of the independent assessor.On average, an interim assessment is received within two weeks of submission of the request to the assessor and, subject to written confirmation that the claimant accepts the interim award in part payment of the amount to be finally offered, a payable order is sent within seven to 10 days.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the grounds for maintaining the state of emergency related to the affairs of Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to withdraw the United Kingdom derogation from its international obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [7372]

The Government are currently considering what change might be made to the arrangements for extending detention under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989. Substituting judicial for executive authority for extensions would require primary legislation. In the interim, the Government consider that the derogation in respect of article 5(3) of the European Convention on Human Rights continues to be necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next United Kingdom periodic report is due under the UN Convention Against Torture; and if he will consult with non-governmental organisations on its content. [7374]

The United Kingdom's third periodic report under article 19 of the United Nations Convention Against Torture is due to be submitted to the United Nations in January 1998. Non-governmental organisations will be consulted during preparation of the report.This is in keeping with the Government's wish for greater engagement with and openness toward non-governmental organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) meetings and (b) discussions have taken place since May between the staff of the Prison Service and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. [7373]

There have been no official meetings or discussions between Prison Service staff and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) since May 1994 when the CPT last visited places of detention in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many exclusion orders have been issued or renewed since May; how many orders are presently in force; and if he will make a statement. [7375]

Two orders have been renewed and two have been allowed to lapse. There are currently 20 orders in force. I am currently considering when and under what conditions it might be safe to remove the power of exclusion from the statute book in the context of wider consideration of prevention of terrorism legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deportation orders have been made against Irish nationals in each of the past 10 years. [7388]

The available information, which runs only from 1993, is given in the table.

Deportation orders made against Irish Nationals, 1993–96
	Number
1993	9
1994	3
1995	2
19961	5
1 Provisional data.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 May. Official Report, column 8, how many prisoners transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis subsequently applied for a permanent transfer in each year since 1992; and how many of these requests were granted. [7389]

The number of prisoners granted a temporary transfer who subsequently requested a permanent transfer, and the number of such requests granted, in each year since 1992 are as detailed in the table.

Applications for permanent transfer to Northern Ireland
	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997
Number of applications	5	2	13	6	11	13
Number granted	3	0	1	3	0	0
1 One request is still under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 19 May, Official Report, column 8, if he will list for each year since 1992 the number of prisoners transferred from England to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis and those granted a permanent transfer, in each case identifying the seriousness of the crime for which they were convicted. [7390]

The seriousness of a person's crimes is determined by the courts and reflected in the length of sentence imposed for the offence committed.The table shows the number of transfers to Northern Ireland, on either a permanent or temporary basis in each year since 1992, of prisoners sentenced to up to four years, and those sentenced to four years or more.

	Prisoners serving less than four years		Prisoners serving over four years
	Temporary	Permanent	Temporary	Permanent
1992	2	0	11	5
1993	0	0	4	0
1994	0	1	15	5
1995	0	2	26	11
1996	0	3	39	3
1997	0	2	29	0

The table includes renewals of temporary transfer for prisoners previously transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 May, Official Report, column 8, how many applications for temporary or permanent prison transfers to Northern Ireland have been successful in each month since September 1994. [7391]

Further to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 22 May 1997, a review of the data supplied has revealed that the information given was incomplete. This was due to errors in transferring data to the central records, resulting in some omissions. In addition, the reply did not include all the renewals of periods of temporary transfer for prisoners previously transferred to Northern Ireland on a temporary basis.

Permanent and temporary transfers to Northern Ireland since September 19941
	1994		1995		1996		1997
	TT2	PT3	TT	PT	TT	PT	TT	PT
January	—	—	4	0	5	0	5	2
February	—	—	5	3	5	2	6	0
March	—	—	1	0	4	1	2	0
April	—	—	1	1	0	1	5	0
May	—	—	2	0	3	0	6	0
June	—	—	1	3	3	0	5	0
July	—	—	5	4	5	1	—	—
August	—	—	4	0	7	0	—	—
September	0	0	1	1	1	0	—	—
October	1	0	1	1	2	1	—	—
November	0	0	0	0	1	0	—	—
December	0	0	1	0	5	1	—	—
1 The table includes three applications which were approved, but the applicants later withdrew their request or were released before transfer could be effected.
2 Temporary transfer.
3 Permanent transfer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will implement the recommendations of the 1992 inter-departmental review of the provisions governing transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions, with particular reference to the amendment of legislation; [7392](2) if he will introduce arrangements to transfer responsibility for granting compassionate parole and other matters of regime for prisoners on temporary extended transfer to Northern Ireland to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. [7393]

The Government remain committed to the statement made in the House on 23 November 1992 by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State accepting the recommendations of the inter-departmental working group on prisoner transfers. New legislative provisions governing the transfer of prisoners between United Kingdom jurisdictions are contained in schedule 1 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997.Arrangements relating to the handling of transfer requests and of transferred prisoners including decisions on temporary release, are currently being reviewed. We will make an announcement as soon as possible about implementation of these provisions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions have been issued to prison governors to assist Irish prisoners who may wish to transfer to Northern Ireland or the Irish Republic; and what information is available for (a) prisoners and (b) their legal representatives to enable them to make an application. [7394]

Applications submitted by Irish prisoners for transfer to another jurisdiction or for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland are treated in exactly the same way as any other application for transfer or repatriation submitted by a prisoner. Information to governors on the

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many approved applications for transfer to the Irish Republic received from the Minister of Justice are still awaiting his decision. [8480]

Eleven applications for repatriation to the Republic of Ireland, approved by the Irish authorities, remain to be determined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 21 May, Official Report, column 77, what progress has been made in reviewing special secure unit operating standards following the report of Sir Donald Acheson concerning open visits by members of prisoners' immediate family. [7895]

The special secure unit (SSU) operating standards were reviewed following the receipt of Sir Donald Acheson's report in June 1996. The standards were amended to implement recommendations covering health reviews of prisoners, transfer of prisoners requiring emergency treatment in national health service hospitals and sentence management.Careful consideration was given to Sir Donald's recommendation that prisoners in SSUs should have access to open visits with members of their immediate family. The Prison Service has made numerous improvements to the security of SSUs but closed visits represent the only guaranteed means of preventing the passage of unauthorised items between prisoner and visitor. The policy of mandatory closed visits for exceptional risk prisoners will be kept under review, however, to ensure that it remains the appropriate response to the threat posed by such prisoners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's policy for tackling domestic violence; what measures his Department proposes to implement its policy; which of his Department's responsibilities in this area will be transferred to the Department of Social Security; and if he will make a statement. [7568]

We are currently examining the policies operating in this area, with a view to ensuring that we have an effective strategy against domestic and sexual violence. This strategy will take full account of our commitments to tackling crime in general, and to promoting equality and opportunity for women.Domestic violence is a serious and widespread crime which threatens many people in society, mainly women. Domestic violence is unacceptable in itself. It also impacts on many areas of the lives of victims—housing, health, education—and on the freedom to live their life without fear. The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence on every front.We have no plans to transfer to the Department of Social Security any of our responsibilities pertaining to domestic violence. My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Women, will be closely involved in the development and implementation of policies on domestic violence, as will colleagues from other Government Departments with an interest in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department gives as to the maximum acceptable journey time for the transportation of non-human primates involved in or destined for animal experimentation. [8217]

No such guidance is given but, in considering whether to give approval for the acquisition of non-human primates from overseas sources for use under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Home Office takes into account journey times, the mode of transport and the route by which the animals are imported.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of his Department's inspectors have been employed as at 1 June in each year since 1987 to monitor animal experiments currently carried out in United Kingdom research laboratories. [8164]

Figures for 1 June each year are not readily available, but the number of inspectors as at 31 December is published annually in "Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals, Great Britain". The figures are as follows:

• 1987: 19
• 1988: 19
• 1989: 18
• 1990: 19
• 1991: 19
• 1992: 21
• 1993: 20
• 1994: 19
• 1995: 18
• 1996: 17.

There are currently 17 inspectors in post and one vacancy which is expected to be filled in September.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he has taken in respect of the contents of the Channel 4 programme of 26 March, "It's a Dog's Life," as they relate to Huntingdon Life Sciences. [8469]

The Home Office took prompt and firm action. The personal licences of two individuals seen hitting and shaking dogs in the programme were immediately suspended and then formally revoked at the earliest opportunity allowed by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The local police were also asked by the Home Office to investigate possible offences under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and I understand that individuals have now been charged.The Chief Inspector, who heads the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate, has carried out a detailed and thorough investigation into all the allegations made in the Channel 4 programme and the wider issue of the management and control of animal work within the establishment concerned. We expect to receive a comprehensive report before the end of July.The Animal Procedures Committee has endorsed the action taken by the Home Office and the nature and form of the investigation. The Committee has been kept fully informed of the progress and findings of this investigation and has been given the opportunity to advise about further action to be taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the impact of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 on the number of tests which are conducted on alternatives to animals. [7924]

Tests which do not use animals are not regulated by the Home Office and information on the number of such tests is not, therefore, available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on issuing identity cards for the purpose of proving the ages of young people when purchasing alcohol. [8527]

As chairman of the Ministerial Group on Alcopops. I have had urgent talks with the drinks industry and other interests about tackling underage drinking. Among the issues which the group is considering is the use of proof of age cards. I shall make an announcement later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the London office and activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. [7166]

I have received one letter from a member of the public concerning the activities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on a byelaw to ban pigeon feeding in public places. [7465]

We are not persuaded that a byelaw to prohibit the feeding of pigeons in public places is justified. To create a criminal offence would be a disproportionate response and would criminalise otherwise law-abiding people.Local authorities already have powers under part IV of the Public Health Act 1961 to take steps to abate or mitigate any nuisance, annoyance or damage caused by the congregation of pigeons in any built-up area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alleviate the cost burden from individual police authorities of extra policing during party conferences of (a) the Government party and (b) other parties. [8170]

Sussex police authority has been offered an additional £750,000 to help meet the costs of safeguarding national security at the Labour party conference in Brighton in October. Lancashire police authority has been offered a similar amount towards the costs of policing the Conservative party conference in Blackpool. No applications for additional funds have been received from police authorities in England and Wales in whose areas the conferences of other parties are to be held.