To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the overall cost of compensation for abortive tenders as a result of the Government's announcements of deferrals under the accelerated consideration of major road schemes announced in July. [12263]

Relevant claims for compensation will be considered on their merits. Once agreement has been reached on any sums payable in compensation these will be made public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons an advance warning note on the engineering work conducted on the west coast main line on the weekend of 18 to 19 October was not issued by Virgin Trains or Railtrack. [12878]

This is an operational matter for Railtrack and Virgin Trains.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Enviornment, Transport and the Regions what criteria will apply to the Weald and Downland design, build, finance and operate project under the general roads review; what is the timing of the roads review; and what is the earliest date by which tenders for the project could be revitalised. [12781]

Following the announcement in July of the decisions made under the accelerated review, the Weald and Downland design, build, finance and operate project is no longer being taken forward as a single project. The individual schemes which were included in the project are being considered as part of the main Roads Review and will be assessed along with all other schemes against the five criteria of accessibility, safety, economy, the enviornment and integration. We hope to announce the results of the review next year. Any revitalisation of tenders for the project would be dependent on the results of the Roads Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what compensation has been paid to companies involved with the Downland design, build, finance and operate scheme for the cancellation of the project. [12782]

No compensation has been paid. Relevant claims for compensation will be considered on their merits.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will require local authorities issuing enforcement notices to (a) hotels and (b) other establishments in respect of environmental health regulations to register such findings in the public register; and if he will make a statement. [12807]

The Environment and Safety Information Act 1988 requires all authorities, including local authorities, responsible for the issue of enforcement notices under the Fire Precautions Act 1971, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 and the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 to place details of the substance of such notices on a public register if the notices have public safety or environmental implications. This requirement applies to all types of premises. Each responsible authority maintains its own registers, which may be inspected free of charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to introduce legislation to obtain powers to suspend or write off part of the Humber bridge debt. [12854]

In the new year I hope to lay before Parliament, with the approval of HM Treasury, an Order under the Humber Bridge (Debts) Act 1996. This will provide that the Humber Bridge Board will not have to meet a proportion of its current debt or, on the residual debt, a proportion of the interest that would otherwise be due. Officials of my Department are currently considering options and financial projections with officers of the Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the results of the Sonus studies. [12857]

The Sonus research programme is leading to a better understanding of the flux of nutrients, particularly nitrogen, from the land, though estuaries, to the sea, especially in relation to the nitrification/ denitrification processes in estuaries. The main work in the Southampton Water/Solent region indicates that algal blooms of phytoplankton occur only when tidal energy is below a certain level and light levels are sufficiently high. We hope to extend this work to allow data from the whole of 1997 to be incorporated. A final report will be produced at the end of the contract.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is proposing to ensure that adequate housing is available for evacuees from Montserrat. [13848]

Local authorities need to be able to respond as flexibly as possible to the needs of Montserratians arriving here under the Government's Montserrat assisted passage scheme, which provides for voluntary evacuation.We recognise that authorities will incur additional costs when making accommodation available to people who would not normally have applied to them for housing. Montserrat is a British Dependent Territory and the evacuees have lost their homes. We must do our best to ensure that evacuees coming here under the MAP Scheme are given as smooth a reception as possible, although it may not always be possible to accommodate them in the area they would prefer.We are proposing to offer a special grant to encourage authorities to make vacant property more quickly available to house evacuees who have come to this country under the MAP Scheme and who have nowhere to stay. This should help settle evacuees throughout the country under arrangements set up by the Home Office. Evacuees with a Montserratian passport are already broadly eligible for the same welfare benefits, state education, healthcare and access to social housing as UK nationals.The special grant would be provided under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, and we intend to submit a report for the House's approval early next year. The Department has written today to Chief Executives and Chief Housing Officers of English local housing authorities, setting out details of the scheme and arrangements for making claims. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Library. Subject to approval of the House, £1,500 will be made available for each unit of accommodation provided for qualifying households placed with local authorities by the Home Office between 27 August 1997 and 31 January 1998. The grant scheme has been drawn up after consultation with the Local Government Association.Grant will be offered on a similar basis by the Housing Corporation to registered social landlords who independently offer to provide accommodation for evacuees under the Home Office's arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will report on the National Forest Company's progress in creating the national forest in the east midlands. [13849]

Copies of the National Forest Company's annual report and accounts for 1996–97 are to be placed in the House Libraries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what his definition is of a trainee. [13043]

A trainee, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary and myself, is a person undergoing training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU Social Affairs Council on 7 October. [13738]

The Minister of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and I represented the UK at the Social Affairs Council on 7 October.A structured dialogue with Social Affairs and Employment Ministers from the applicant states in central and eastern Europe discussed the accession strategy in relation to health and safety for workers, equal opportunities for men and women, and social dialogue.The presidency gave further details about the preparatory work for the Extraordinary European Council on Employment (taking place in Luxembourg on 20–21 November), and announced that there would be a supplementary meeting of the Social Affairs Council on 6 November to contribute to preparations.Informal political agreement was reached on the proposed amendment to the regulation establishing the European Training Foundation. The amendment will extend the foundation's remit to provide vocational education and training assistance to the MEDA partnership countries and territories, and will introduce procedural changes to increase the foundation's efficient management.Political agreement was reached on the proposal for a recommendation to introduce a Community model parking badge for people with disabilities, which will be recognised across member states.There was continuing discussion of the proposals for a European company statute, following the report of the Davignon group.The Council noted the work programme of the Employment and Labour Market Committee.The Commission gave two presentations: first, on the draft directive to give effect to the social partners' framework agreement on ensuring that part-time workers should be treated no less favourably than full-time workers, and secondly on a White Paper on the sectors excluded from the working time directive—transport, sea fishing, offshore sectors, and doctors in training.The presidency withdrew from the agenda an item on the programme for research, analysis and co-operation in employment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each month from September 1996 to September 1997 the number of teachers, other than those in further or higher education or independent schools, who retired under the age of 60 years. [13048]

The number of retirements aged under 60 from the maintained schools sector in England and Wales between September 1996 and September 1997 are given in the following table:

Month1	Number of retirements2,3
September 1996	7,880
October 1996	340
November 1996	420
December 1996	220
January 1997	1,800
February 1997	260
March 1997	2,460
April 1997	2,560
May 1997	590
June 1997	390
July 1997	270
August 1997	1,070
September 1997	8,920
1 Represents the month in which benefits first become payable.
2 Provisional. The figures for August and September 1997 are particularly likely to increase because of late notifications.
3 Figures rounded to nearest 10.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible, indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes the last year for which figures are available. [12567]

MAFF has developed procurement procedures based upon guidance issued by the Central Unit on Purchasing in HM Treasury. These procedures are designed to ensure probity and fairness in all procurement decisions and provide the necessary checks and authorisations in accordance with Government Accounting and separate the functions of verification and authorisation from the process of payment.MAFF has implemented a fully integrated computerised accounting system (RAMIS—Resource Accounting and Management Information System) running on proprietary software and hardware. Implementation of the system has been supported fully by the primary software and hardware suppliers supplemented with specialised external service providers as necessary. These have been provided for under contract. Generally the Ministry does not use subcontractors for payment work; the exception is the use of managing agents to pay small contractors for minor building maintenance work to ensure that they are paid quickly. Payments for goods and services are made using RAMIS either by bank transfer (CHAPS and BACS) or as system-generated payable orders. Significant work has been undertaken by Ministry staff to ensure that the system has been developed to meet initial and changing requirements.As part of a suite of functions within RAMIS the Accounts Payable application is one element of a much wider financial management system and specific capital and development costs are therefore not readily available. However, information collected from within the management system suggests that the administrative costs of making payments via the system (for Headquarters Groups) is approximately £4 per payment based upon inner London staff costs.MAFF is an active member of the Oracle Applications User Group in which other Government Departments may be involved.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what proposals he has made for improvement in fur farming husbandry to the Council of Europe; and what recommendations he has made relating to an increase in the present minimum cage dimensions; [12769](2) if, in the current discussions at the Council of Europe on fur farming, he will ensure that only housing systems which meet the biological needs of mink, pine martens and arctic foxes, with particular reference to the provision of

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The Standing Committee of the European Convention on the Protection of Animals Kept for Farming Purposes is reviewing its 1991 recommendation on the welfare of animals farmed for fur. The text currently under discussion proposes detailed requirements for the welfare of mink, polecat, silver and Arctic fox, coypu and chinchilla. We shall be working to ensure that the outcome of this exercise is the adoption of the highest possible standards consistent with the scientific evidence and expert opinion.We would support a timetable for the phasing out of all housing for these animals that does not meet the standards adopted by the Council of Europe.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports he has received from the Environment Agency, and on what dates, concerning the potential flood dangers in areas abutting the River Medway consequent on increasing sea levels and surge tides; and if he will make a statement. [12969]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The Department has not received any specific reports from the Environment Agency on this subject.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible indicating the management systems purchased, all subcontractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes in the last year for which figures are available. [12557]

The table lists the Treasury functions and management systems and their costs during 1996–97 that relate to the payment for goods and services in the Treasury:

align="right">£000
	Capital cost	Running cost
Functions
Goods receipt	—	17
Invoice registration	—	101
Budget holder confirmation	—	7
Payment of invoice	—	204
Management system
Financial and Management Information Systems (FAMIS)—Estimated cost of invoice processing elements	20	11
Totals	20	340

The FAMIS accounting system purchased runs the

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the figures for deaths through asbestos-related diseases in Norfolk over the last five years. [12954]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio in respect of the millennium experience (1) what plans he has to ensure that the millennium experience is fully accessible to disabled people; and if he will make a statement; [12851](2) what consultations he has had with disabled people regarding accessibility to the millennium experience by disabled people; [12852](3) what plans he has to ensure that the millennium experience is available to people with a sensory impairment. [12853]

The Government and the New Millennium Experience Company aim to ensure that all who wish to visit the Millennium Experience can do so, regardless of any disability an individual may have. An Advisory Group has been established by the NMEC to consider accessibility and special needs issues, reflecting the NMEC's concern to meet all relevant statutory requirements and to apply, wherever possible, voluntary codes, guidance and specifications.The Advisory Group held its first meeting on 24 June. It is chaired by David Phillips, Chief Executive of Holiday Care Service, and its members are drawn from a range of voluntary sector organisations covering physical, sensory and learning disabilities, mental health issues, and the needs of older people. The group will provide best practice guidance to the NMEC on a wide range of accessibility issues including transportation, parking, the natural and the built environment, displays and facilities, on-site information and promotional materials, ticketing arrangements, and disability awareness training.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in respect of the opt-out from the general application of the treaties of the European Community and Union concerning control by (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the Republic of Ireland of their national borders, what rights will arise for (a) and (b), to (i) examine official identity documents carried by an entrant, (ii) search their person, (iii) examine their belongings, (iv) detain them temporarily for further inquiries and (v) detain them in custody; and if he will state for each of (i) to (v) the originating and authoritative national or Community-Union legislation providing such powers, and their manner of execution, in respect of (1) citizens of the European Union and (2) citizens of third nations. [12808]

The Treaty of Amsterdam contains a Protocol which recognises the right of the United Kingdom to exercise, at its frontiers with other member states, such controls on persons seeking to enter the United Kingdom as it may consider necessary for the purpose of:

verifying the right to enter the United Kingdom of European Union and other nationals of the European Economic Area and their dependants; and

determining whether or not to grant other persons permission to enter the United Kingdom.

The Protocol states that nothing in the Treaties, or in any measures deriving from the Treaties, prejudices the United Kingdom's right to exercise such controls.No powers will arise as a direct result of the Protocol. The United Kingdom will, however, continue to maintain the controls provided for under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994 and the Immigration Act 1971. Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 provides powers for immigration officers to examine and identify documents of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom, to search their person and belongings and to detain them pending a decision to give or to refuse leave to enter.The operation of immigration controls in the Republic of Ireland is a mater for the Irish authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name the British Aerospace employees who have been loaned to his Department to work on commercial projects setting out the embassies to which they are attached; whether they will work on (a) civil or (b) military projects; and if their function will be (i) executive or (ii) advisory. [12541]

The Chairman of British Aerospace has given support to our programme of business attachments to overseas posts by committing his company to providing a member of staff for secondment. BAe is still in the process of identifying suitable candidates to put forward for the scheme. No specific Posts or projects have been identified at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many committees are appointed to assist the European Commission in implementing Community legislation; how often they meet; what is the nature of their (a) ministerial and (b) parliamentary supervision; and if he will make a statement. [12745]

The Council comitology decision of 13 July 1987 provides for certain types of committee to assist the Commission in the implementation of Council legislation. The European Community budget for 1997 provides for 374 such committees. They meet as and when their opinion is required for the implementation of Council legislation. The majority of these committees are made up of officials who represent the Member States. UK officials are under the supervision of Government Ministers, who in turn are answerable to Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next expects to meet representatives of the Kenyan Government to discuss human rights issues. [12549]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised human rights issues with the Kenyan Foreign Minister during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh. We shall follow this up vigorously in the run-up to the forthcoming Kenyan elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the agenda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting will include discussion relating to the Kyoto climate change conference. [12711]

I refer the hon. Member to the statement that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made to the House yesterday, Official Report, columns 707–19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, North (Mr. Rapson), of 28 July, Official Report, columns 65–66, on the export of certain types of equipment, what is the evidence that equipment designed primarily for torture, sold abroad by Britain, has in the past been used for torture; and if he will place a copy of the evidence in the Library. [12592]

We have received many reports of equipment being used overseas for torture from, for example, UN Rapporteurs, NGOs, the media and our Diplomatic Posts. Most of this information is publicly available.We have decided on measures to prevent the export or transhipment from the UK of particular items of equipment where such reporting provides a clear pattern of abuse. These measures, announced on 28 July,

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the terms of reference of the review of the status of dependent territories. [12962]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: There are no formal terms of reference. However, a memorandum about the review has been submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what support the Engineering Council received from her Department in developing its regulatory document, "Standards and Routes to Registration"; what is her Department's policy towards the document in respect of its application to the engineering profession and the engineering industry in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [12799]

The Department of Trade and Industry has provided strategic advice to the Engineering Council during the drafting of the revised edition of Standards and Routes to Registration (SARTOR)—especially concerning the needs of industry. I support the requirements set out in the revised SARTOR in so far as they aim to raise standards within engineering to improve the UK's competitiveness.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will estimate the monetary value of torture equipment, as defined under the Government's new arms export criteria, exported overseas, in each of the last five years. [12340]

The criteria that were announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 28 July, Official Report, columns 26–29, do not include any definition of "torture equipment".In a separate announcement on 28 July,

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to the Minister of State's letter of 23 August to the Member for Linlithgow, what assessments she has made of proposals she has received from (a) the Gaia Foundation and (b) other organisations concerning the European Commission's proposed directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions; and what reply her Department has sent. [12860]

Consultation on the proposed directive has so far involved written representations from well over 100 interest groups, including those concerned with health care, the environment, animal welfare and the Church. There has also been a special meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee on Industrial Property which advises the Government on matters relating to patents, at which the Gaia Foundation and others gave their views on the proposed Directive. Following this meeting, the Gaia Foundation, the Women's Environmental Network and others met my officials at the Patent Office to discuss the directive. During this consultation, there has been ongoing discussions with all other Government Departments having an interest in the directive.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are her plans for the future of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation; and if she will make a statement. [12480]

The Charity Commission is currently reviewing the role of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation and the associated mining charities and are due to report soon. I wish to await the outcome of the review and assess its implications before taking a view on the way forward.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many days she spent in the office between 1 August and 5 October inclusive, counting a working day as eight hours of meetings or working on papers in the office. [13046]

I have not worked it out and have no intention of spending the time required to do so.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list all the shareholdings of Ministers in her Department and their wives or husbands, whether now held in a blind trust or not, including where they have been transferred, and the shares held at the point of transfer. [13045]

No. The Government have published the requirements on Ministers in the ministerial code; DTI Ministers are acting in accordance with these requirements. It has never been the practice of previous Ministers, including DTI Ministers, to publish details of their shareholdings, except insofar as this is required by the Register of Members' Interests; they have from time to time made public statements about their decision to stand aside from particular issues where that has been thought desirable in particular circumstances. This approach, reflecting that of previous Administrations to this issue, seems to the Government to satisfy the public interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his Department's policy in respect of screening for, and treatment of, hepatitis C. [12300]

Blood donations have been screened for antibodies to hepatitis C virus since September 1991 when reliable tests first became available. Recipients of blood or blood components donated before that date from donors since found to be carriers of hepatitis C virus are being traced in order to provide counselling, testing and specialist referral as appropriate. Organs and tissue, resulting from either live or cadaveric donations, are also screened for hepatitis C.Injecting drug misusers who share contaminated equipment are at increased risk of acquiring hepatitis C infection. The guidance to purchasers of drug treatment and care services, which the Department issued in March 1997, included advice for purchasers on dealing with those who seek testing for hepatitis C. The "Guidelines for Doctors on the Clinical Management of Drug Misusers" last issued in 1991 are currently being revised and will be published next year. They will include updated advice on the management of hepatitis C in drug misusers.There is a need to increase knowledge about the natural history, prevalence, transmission and treatment of hepatitis C so that the National Health Service is equipped to deliver services based on the best scientific advice available about the disease. In 1996, the Department made £1 million available for research in these areas. The results of the research commissioned so far will become available over the next three years. A further £500,000 will be allocated this year to expand the research programme.In addition, the NHS Health Technology Assessment is considering research proposals to establish the effectiveness of the early treatment of chronic hepatitis C with alpha interferon. The NHS Executive is funding the Royal College of Physicians to facilitate the development of clinical guidelines on the appropriate use of alpha interferon in patients with hepatitis C.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made as to the economic and social consequences to individuals and to the Exchequer of not treating hepatitis C. [12301]

Attempts to estimate the long term consequences of hepatitis C to the individual and the Exchequer are confounded by the unpredictability of the progression of the disease. Some individuals will clear the virus naturally, developing no long term symptoms, and others will go on to develop liver disease but often not for 20 to 30 years after initial infection with the virus. A proportion of those with liver disease will go on to develop liver failure or liver cancer.Current knowledge about the natural history is insufficient to make firm estimates of the type requested. There is a comprehensive programme of research in place examining the natural history, transmission and prevalence of hepatitis C. Consideration is also being given through the Health Technology Assessment Programme to funding a clinical trail to examine the clinical and the cost effectiveness of treating hepatitis C with drug therapy at an earlier stage than is current clinical practice. These studies should enable some comparison to be made about the relative clinical effectiveness of treatment at different stages of the disease and will facilitate the evaluation of the economic and social costs of hepatitis C.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Department's letter of 24 September (POH/3/5437/14), if he has taken steeps to ascertain the background and results of Finnish research on phosphates in drinking water. [12858]

The background and results of the Finnish research have been considered. We do not believe that they have any implications for the levels of phosphorus present in United Kingdom drinking water supplies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce the 1998–99 hospital and community health services revenue allocations for health authorities. [13394]

The 1998–99 hospital and community health services revenue allocations for weighted populations are given, by health authority, in the following table.

1989–99 Health Authority General Allocations
	£000
Avon	429,674
Barking and Havering	190,213
Barnet	155,454
Barnsley	110,005
Bedfordshire	224,367
Berkshire	310,601
Bexley and Greenwich	222,784
Birmingham	506,138
Bradford	229,200
Brent and Harrow	239,173
Bromley	134,830
Buckinghamshire	263,789
Bury and Rochdale	183,925
Calderdale and Kirkless	272,948
Cambridge and Huntingdon	170,382
Camden and Islington	251,800
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly	227,525
County Durham	298,927
Coventry	142,724
Croydon	152,812
Doncaster	138,789
Dorset	327,559
Dudley	134,546
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	359,671
East and North Hertfordshire	205,,436
East Kent	289,217
East Lancashire	253,100
East London and the City	366,867
East Norfolk	270,403
East Riding	261,793
East Surrey	182,949
East Sussex, Brighton and Hove	372,547
Enfield and Haringey	248,639
Gateshead and South Tyneside	187,624
Gloucestershire	242,648
Herefordshire	72,096
Hillingdon	118,252
Isle of Wight	67,949
Kensington, Chelsea an Westminster	212,220
Kingston and Richmond	156,580
Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham	442,521
Leeds	339,927
Leicestershire	378,967
Lincolnshire	278,608
Liverpool	253,814
Manchester	250,313
Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth	322,343
Morecambe Bay	151,742
Newcastle and North Tyneside	248,792
North and East Devon	221,388

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the Government's economic policies for Northern Ireland. [12413]

The main thrust of our economic policies is in line with that applying to the rest of the United Kingdom.We will put in place measures to improve the skill base and to tackle the deep-rooted problem of unemployment among young people and the long-term unemployed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the impact on Northern Ireland of the Government's spending review. [12416]

Northern Ireland Ministers and their Departments are examining the inherited spending plans for Northern Ireland to ensure that they align with the Government's objectives and to see how better use can be made of resources. I expect that the outcome of this review will have a positive impact on Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the multi-party talks on the future of Northern Ireland. [12417]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement about developments in the peace process. [12418]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on progress in the peace process and the decommissioning of weapons. [12421]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in multi-party talks on the future of Northern Ireland. [12424]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the peace process in Northern Ireland. [12425]

I refer hon. Members to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn), for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe), for Northampton, South (Mr. Clarke) and for Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush (Mr. Soley).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the Government's plans for the next steps in all-party talks in Northern Ireland. [12422]

The multi-party talks are now addressing issues of substance. The Governments will make every effort to facilitate the process of reaching a settlement which would be acceptable on both sides of the community in Northern Ireland, and more widely.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make public the agendas, deliberations and decisions of the meetings of the Anglo-Irish conference and the activities of the Maryfield secretariat. [12419]

The Government are committed to greater openness and transparency in the workings of the Anglo-Irish agreement and this issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the conference. Statements are already issued by the two Governments recording the agendas, deliberations and decisions reached at meetings of the conference and a list of the subjects on which briefings take place in the secretariat involving officials is published quarterly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment her Department has made of the amount of arms and explosives which terrorist organisations currently hold; and if she will make a statement. [12420]

The security forces maintain information about terrorist weaponry but it would not be appropriate for me to make this public. Terrorists retain sufficient arms and explosives to mount a sustained campaign of violence and bombing. There is no justification for this. The Government, together with the Government of the Republic of Ireland, have put in place the mechanisms for decommissioning and, though it is necessarily a voluntary process, those in possession of paramilitary weapons need to avail themselves of this unique opportunity to build confidence and contribute to lasting peace.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on the decommissioning of illegal weapons in Northern Ireland. [12423]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Borrow).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she last met the Taoiseach and Tanaiste to discuss matters relating to the creation of a Northern Ireland Assembly. [12426]

I last met the Taoiseach on 1 July 1997 and the Tanaiste on 25 October 1997. At neither meeting did I discuss the creation of a Northern Ireland Assembly.It will be for strand one of the multi-party talks, in which the Irish Government do not participate, to consider what political arrangements might be established for Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12427]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12428]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to reduce tensions over parades in Northern Ireland. [12430]

I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Bristol, East (Ms Corston) and for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the implementation of the recommendations of the North report. [12432]

As the hon. Member will know, the Public Processions etc. (Northern Ireland) Bill received its second reading in another place yesterday in line with the Government's commitment to the implementation of the North report's recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the trends are in long-term unemployment in Northern Ireland. [12429]

The latest available information relates to September 1997 and at that time there were 29,509 claimant long-term unemployed in Northern Ireland. This represents a reduction of 15,821 compared with a year earlier and reflects a generally downward trend in claimant long-term unemployment since spring 1993.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment she has made of the energy market in Northern Ireland. [12431]

Northern Ireland's energy market is characterised by lack of competition, diseconomies of scale and isolation from other markets. Considerable progress is being made, within the region's energy strategy, to redress these problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on education in Northern Ireland. [12434]

Education standards in Northern Ireland are generally good and are reflected in the level of participation in higher education, the standards achieved in GCE A level and GCSE and the levels achieved by 8,11 and 14-year-olds in the first year of statutory assessment in schools. These standards must, however, be improved if Northern Ireland is to compete successfully with the rest of Europe and plans are already being put in place to accelerate the rate of improvement. Particular priority will be given to measures to address underachievement which is a matter for concern in many schools.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the number of (a) punishment beatings and (b) other terrorist activities since the first IRA ceasefire was declared. [12406]

From 1 September 1994 to 12 October 1997, 685 paramilitary assaults have been recorded: 279 are attributed to loyalist groups and 406 to republican groups. In addition, there have been a further 100 punishment shooting attacks. A total of 331 shooting incidents, 231 bombings and 42 deaths have been recorded during the same period and have been attributed to the security situation.The security forces will continue to seek ways to deter and detect such crimes while the political parties work towards achieving a lasting and peaceful settlement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his policy regarding future provision of residential care for adults with learning difficulties; and if he will make a statement. [12699]

The way in which people with learning difficulties are cared for, including where they live, is best determined by what best meets their needs. Local authorities, in consultation with their planning partners, will continue to have responsibility for ensuring that an appropriate range and volume of community care services are in place to respond to individuals' assessed needs and local circumstances. This includes residential accommodation for people with learning disabilities.The Department of Health has commissioned research into the costs and outcomes of various types of residential accommodation for people with learning disabilities in England and Ireland. The research is expected to be completed around the end of 1998. We will give careful consideration to the findings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the oath taken by constables in Scotland and give the reasons why it differs from the oath taken in (a) England and Wales and (b) Northern Ireland. [12308]

A person appointed to the office of constable of a police force in Scotland is required to make the following declaration, prescribed in regulation 10 of the Police (Scotland) Regulations 1976, before a sheriff or justice of the peace:

"I hereby do solemnly and sincerely and truly declare and affirm that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of constable."

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what follow-up action has been taken in respect of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs report on Ecstasy misuse. [12855]

The results of this work were made known to Parliament on 28 February 1997 in a written answer to the hon. Member for Essex, North (Mr. Jenkin), Official Report, columns 442–43. The Government are using the Advisory Council's advice to inform work on future drug education strategies and campaigns and ensure that messages and advice for young people and parents about the risks associated with Ecstasy are as well informed and accurate as possible. The information was shared with the Health Education Board for Scotland, The Scottish Advisory Committee on Drug Misuse and the Scottish Against Drugs Campaign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his Department's letter of 21 March, Ref. MMM 51837, what were the results of the research on the fingerprinting methods based on DNA technology in relation to E. coli. [12856]

Although the Department has not yet received final reports for these projects, interim results obtained from the two groups indicate that using a combination of different methods, both phenotypic and genotypic (DNA-based) isolates from three Scottish E.coli 0157 outbreaks—West Lothian, Central Scotland and Highland—although closely related were distinguishable from each other.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his letter of 19 August, when he expects to receive the result of the consideration by the sub-group on renal services in respect of (a) organ donation rates, (b) the quality of organs retrieved and (c) the effectiveness of the retrieval arrangements. [12859]

The Renal Disease Sub-Group is part of the Acute Services Review which is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer at The Scottish Office Department of Health. The Sub-Group's recommendations will be taken into account in the report which the Review is expected to present to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland in May 1998.