To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions during October (a) Greek and (b) Greek Cypriot military aircraft flew over United Kingdom sovereign base territory on the island of Cyprus; what representations were made; and if he will make a statement. [12872]

Two Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft which were participating in a joint military exercise with the Republic of Cyprus overflew the Akrotiri sovereign base area at low altitude on Tuesday 14 October. The British high commission in Nicosia wrote to the Government of the Republic on 16 October reminding them of the existence of sovereign airspace over the SBAs and of the safety requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the procedures whereby individuals with dual nationality, with security clearance to access MOD and NATO protectively marked material, are precluded from access to internal caveat information. [12800]

The Ministry of Defence recently revised policy on access by dual nationals to national caveat information. Under the new policy there is no general ban on access by dual nationals to national caveat information. Decisions on access are made on a case-by-case basis. In the case of contractors' employees, the Department is required to seek the permission of the originator of the material before granting access.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the 1996–97 annual report of the reviewing committee on the export of works of art will be published. [14159]

The reviewing committee's annual report for 1996–97 has been published today and copies have been laid before Parliament.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what factors he takes into account when considering appeals against the non-release of documents from the Public Record Office. [13214]

Neither the Lord Chancellor nor I have considered any such appeals. The Advisory Council on Public Records advises on requests for the release of records made by historians and other members of the public which Departments reject, but the final responsibility for the release or otherwise of withheld records rests with the Ministers of the Departments concerned.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many women magistrates were appointed to the Warrington bench in the past year; and what proportion of women applicants for that year this figure represents. [13193]

One woman was appointed to the Warrington bench in 1997 out of 13 women applicants. One man was also appointed out of a total of 18 male applicants. Following the appointments, there were 55 women and 56 men on the Warrington bench.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates currently serving on the Warrington bench are resident in the Warrington, North constituency; and what proportion of serving magistrates in Warrington this represents. [13194]

Forty magistrates on the Warrington bench are resident in the Warrington, North constituency—36 per cent. of the Warrington bench.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the suppliers to his Department who are owed outstanding amounts, indicating the amounts and the due date on which the account should have been settled. [13549]

All Departments are required to pay all their bills within agreed contract terms, or 30 days from receipt of the goods or service or a valid invoice, whichever is later, where no such terms exist. Such detailed information on payment performance for the current financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Treasury will shortly be publishing a league table of departmental payment performance for 1996–97.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many appeals in immigration cases, excluding asylum cases, are currently outstanding. [13345]

At the end of September 1997, there were 9,410 non-asylum appeals outstanding.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 July, Official Report, column 263, to the hon. Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd), on the review of delay in the criminal justice system, which recommendations for procedural changes in the youth court will be contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill. [12730]

The Crime and Disorder Bill will introduce wide-ranging reform of the youth justice system. The measures in the Bill, including the new final warning scheme and a range of new sentencing options, will improve the effectiveness of the youth justice system and the speed with which cases can be concluded.The Bill will include the legislative provisions necessary to implement the following recommendations from the review of delay in the criminal justice system for procedural reform in the youth court:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of (a) the average cost per case of electronic tagging and (b) the costs to the police of dealing with an offender who breaks the terms of the tagging. [12732]

(a) Based on the experience of the first year of the trials of curfew orders with electronic monitoring, the estimated cost per order for a national roll-out was estimated to be about £2,300. Better estimates based on the second year of the trials will be published shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, by constabulary, the length of service at Association of Chief Police Officers rank prior to their current appointment of each (a) chief constable and (b) assistant chief constable designated as deputy, indicating for each the date of appointment to their present position. [12354]

The information requested is shown in the tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners not excluded by paragraph 2.3 of IG 36/95 have left prison since April 1995 without resettlement leave having been granted. [13055]

The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be made available only at disproportionate cost by an examination of individual prisoner records.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of doctors currently working in the Prison Service are qualified in psychiatry; and what plans he has to increase the numbers qualified. [13197]

Twenty-one out of 197 doctors employed by the Prison Service are either members of the Royal College of Psychiatrists or holders of the diploma in psychiatric medicine. In addition, visiting specialists from the national health service provide the Prison Service with specialist psychiatric services.The Prison Service, in conjunction with Nottingham university, introduced the diploma in prison medicine in October 1996. The aim of the diploma is to support the professional development of prison doctors. It has a significant psychiatric component which should be helpful to those doctors who are not specifically qualified in psychiatry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in England and Wales are currently awaiting transfer to NHS psychiatric hospitals; and what is the average waiting time for such a transfer. [13195]

On 28 October 1997, 49 prisoners—25 sentenced and 24 unsentenced—were awaiting transfer to a national health service psychiatric hospital. The average time taken in 1996 between receipt in the Home Office of an application for transfer, which includes the two medical reports required under the Mental Health Act 1983, and the issue of a warrant authorising transfer to hospital, was eight days in the case of unsentenced prisoners and 16 days for sentenced prisoners.Only in very exceptional circumstances would transfer not take place within 14 days of the issue of a warrant.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has conducted and with whom concerning the most effective manner of incorporating the European convention on human rights into United Kingdom statute law. [13556]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 31 July 1997, Official Report, column 567.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will assess the advantages of introducing identity cards to assist the prohibition of the sale of (a) cigarettes, (b) alcohol and (c) solvents and other volatile substances to those under age. [13131]

We are considering the options but have yet to decide whether identity cards should be introduced in the United Kingdom. The issues go far wider than proof of age for purchases. However, the fact that an identity card scheme could help to prevent the sale of age-restricted goods such as tobacco, alcohol and solvents to youngsters is one of the potential benefits which will be taken into account.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list his Department's priorities in relation to fire safety for the United Kingdom presidency of the EU. [12983]

We do not propose any initiative relating to fire safety specifically as a result of the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union. However, on the domestic front, as I announced in a reply to a question from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith) on 23 June, Official Report, column 360, we are developing proposals to consolidate and rationalise our fire safety legislation. We hope shortly to publish a consultative document setting out our proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the financial difficulties facing the London fire service and on his response to it. [13224]

I have received representations from the London fire and civil defence authority about expected future funding difficulties. The revenue provision for the authority in 1998–99 will be announced in the coming weeks as part of the provisional local government settlement for England. I understand that the authority is making a number of proposals for reductions in firefighting resources. Before these could be implemented, they would require the approval of my right hon. Friend under the provisions of section 19 of the Fire Services Act 1947.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will set out the calculations by which a fire service in a C risk category area must meet its attendance time requirement of eight to 10 minutes under Home Office standards; [13485](2) if, when a fire service in a C risk category area is moved from round-the-clock cover to a retained basis, it is still expected to meet its attendance time target of eight to 10 minutes; and what the revised time calculations are; [13481](3) what action is taken if a fire service in a C risk category area does not meet its eight to 10 minute attendance time standard. [13487]

Statutory responsibility for the provision of a fire service to meet efficiently all normal requirements rests locally with the fire authority. In performance of their duties, fire authorities have regard to the national standards of fire cover, which have been endorsed by the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council and are recommended by the Home Secretary.The national standards set out for fires in each category of fire risk the recommended minimum number of firefighting appliances which should attend within predetermined times. The recommended response is the same whatever time of day an incident takes place. In conducting reviews of fire risk, brigades carry out timed runs, making assumptions about the time it will take for a fire appliance to reach a given point in accordance with local traffic conditions. Such evidence will also be supported by an examination of actual attendance times.The national standards are not statutory and they do allow for the possibility of brigades not meeting the recommended response time for every fire call, for example in circumstances where a number of simultaneous incidents occur. For each response to a fire call, brigades record the time from the despatch of the applicant to arrival at the incident and it is the practice to investigate the reasons if in the case the national recommended response times have not been met.Each brigade is inspected annually by Her Majesty's inspectorate of fire services to monitor, among other things, whether the national recommended standards are in general being maintained.The overall performance of brigades in meeting the recommended response times is also monitored by the Audit Commission, which publishes the results of its findings. The Audit Commission said earlier this year that the fire service was one of the most consistently high performing services in local government.A fire authority may not change the staffing of a fire station from whole-time to day-crewed or retained without the approval of the Home Secretary under section 19(4) of the Fire Services Act 1947. He will approve only if he is satisfied that the fire authority has consulted about its proposals and, on the advice of Her Majesty's inspectorate, that the national standards will continue to be maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the pension arrangements for firemen in the London area. [13486]

Regular firefighters in London, as elsewhere in England and Wales, are members of the firemen's pension scheme, the current provisions of which are set out in the Firemen's Pension Scheme Order 1992, as amended.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he had made of the forward cost of pensions for firemen retiring in the London area; and what assessment he has made of the impact of that cost on the provision of fire services. [13480]

In reaching its decisions on the provisional local government settlement for 1998–99, the Government will have regard to the pressures on the fire service, as on other local authority services. These pressures include the increasing pension commitments of fire authorities.The Government take into account both estimates of future pensions expenditure provided by the Local Government Association and detailed projections of net pensions expenditure provided by the Government Actuary's Department. For London, they also have estimates of future pensions expenditure provided by the London fire and civil defence authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the latest position regarding restoring a right of appeal for those refused entry clearance for visiting the United Kingdom. [13200]

Our manifesto commits us to providing a streamlined system of appeals for visitors denied a visa. We are examining the options for doing this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to the concessionary arrangements outside the immigration rules of 13 October; if he will define a relationship akin to marriage with a person of either sex, and specify the criteria to be used to establish such a relationship. [13348]

A relationship akin to marriage is one which is similar in its nature to a marriage in that it involves a committed relationship which can be demonstrated by evidence such as joint commitments, financial or otherwise. In order to benefit under the new concession, an unmarried couple will need to demonstrate, among other matters, that they are legally unable to marry; that they have been living together for four years or more; that they intend to live together permanently; that any previous marriage or similar relationship has permanently broken down and that they will be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what percentage of the current serving prison population lacks entry clearance certificates; [13343](2) how many persons were convicted of or pleaded guilty to indictable offences who lacked entry clearance certificates; how many of these were recommended for deportation by the courts; and how many have been deported in each of the last four years. [13341]

I regret that the information is not held on the relevant computer databases but the great majority of prisoners will not have entry clearance certificates and do not require them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police constables were in post (a) in May 1992 and (b) in May 1997. [13318]

At the end of April 1992, there were 95,810 constables in England and Wales. By the end of March 1997, the latest date for which figures are available, this had increased by 2,322 to 98,132. Between March 1996 and March 1997, overall police numbers fell by 469 to 127,158.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received to allow extensions of licensing hours where the provision of liquor is ancillary to performances of live music. [13311]

Licensing law already provides for extensions of licensing hours as an ancillary to live music. We are considering representations received from the restaurant and entertainments industries to relax some of the restrictions on the grant of such extensions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chief officer authorisations by (a) the police, and (b) HM Customs and Excise and (c) both, of intrusive surveillance operations were made which affected Sussex for the most recent year for which figures are available. [13355]

Figures on the total number of authorisations of intrusive surveillance operations are not collected centrally but a review undertaken to inform parliamentary debate of part III of the Police Act 1997 estimated that there were around 2,550 chief officer authorisations by police and Customs in the United Kingdom in 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the terms of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 to cover interception of telephone communication other than by a physical tap. [13223]

The Interception of Communications Act 1985 applies to the intentional interception of communications in the course of their transmission by means of a public telecommunications system however the interception is effected. It is not therefore necessary to consider an amendment of the kind proposed by my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his policy in relation to deportation is the same for those aged under 60 years as it is for those aged over 60 years. [13347]

The age of 60 is not of itself significant. Each case is considered on its individual merits. This means that all relevant factors, including the age of the person, will be taken into account when deciding whether deportation is appropriate. The general policy of the previous Government was not to remove those aged 65 or more. I am examining all aspects of this issue as part of our general review of immigration and asylum policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum appeals are currently outstanding. [13344]

As at 30 September 1997, an estimated 26,500 asylum appeals, excluding dependants, were awaiting determination.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of persons who have sought asylum in the United Kingdom in the last five years, and give the proportion whose whereabouts are known to the authorities. [13349]

During the period 1 January 1993 to 30 September 1997, approximately 153,000 asylum applications, excluding dependants, were lodged in the United Kingdom. I regret that the other information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population has been in each of the last six months. [13342]

The information requested is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which friends and associates of Mr. Shayler were questioned by the police; when the questioning occurred; and what were the reasons for it. [13424]

This investigation is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I understand from the commissioner that inquiries are proceeding and the Metropolitan police will report in the normal way to the Crown Prosecution Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that Mr. Shayler will be arrested if he returns to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [13527]

This is not a matter for me but for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. I understand from the commissioner that the Metropolitan police would like to interview Mr. Shayler in connection with a possible offence under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the members of the British delegation to the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission, and identify (a) their qualifications, (b) their other paid or voluntary employment and (c) their other current appointments. [12929]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: The members of the official UK delegation to the International Whaling Commission and current appointments were as follows:

• Mr. C. I. Llewelyn: (UK Commissioner, MAFF, Fisheries Division II)
• Mr. R. W. Bowman: (Alternate Commissioner, MAFF, Fisheries Division II)
• Mrs. F. A. Walters: (MAFF, Fisheries Division II)
• Miss S. Jeyabalan: (MAFF, Fisheries Division II)
• Dr. J. T. Addison: (MAFF, Fisheries Scientist (CEFAS))
• Mr. I. G. Muchmore: (DETR, Global Wildlife Division)
• Mr. M. G. Whatley: (FCO, Environment, Science and Energy Department)
• Professor P. W. Birnie: (Visiting Fellow at London School of Economics)
• Ms H. McLachlan: (Senior Scientific Officer, RSPCA)
• Mr. C. Stroud: (Campaigns Director, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society).

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to encourage the International Whaling Commission to ban the use of the electric lance at its annual meeting; and if he will make a statement. [12928]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Ms Shipley) on 28 October 1997, Official Report, columns 789–92.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Ministry plans to (a) support the European Commission's draft chocolate directive, (b) oppose the European Parliament's amendments to the draft directive and (c) make a statement about the Government's policy on the draft directive. [13350]

The Government broadly support the European Commission's proposals on chocolate and are opposed to a number of the amendments proposed by the European Parliament, particularly those which would have the effect of discriminating against chocolate containing small additions of vegetable fat and against high-quality UK "milk chocolate". As my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food announced on 23 October, the Government will continue to press strongly for a new directive which protects names traditionally used in the UK and resist measures which would mislead consumers and unfairly penalise our chocolate industry.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess the extra costs which will fall on farmers from the closure of hunt kennels; and if he will make a statement. [13209]

MAFF figures are not available. The private Member's Bill of my hon. Friend the Member for Worcester (Mr. Foster) is due to receive its Second Reading on 28 November. The Government's stance is neither to support nor to oppose a ban on hunting but to allow a free vote. The Bill will provide Parliament with an opportunity to study the pros and cons of any ban on hunting, including the ramifications on the service offered by hunt kennels to the farming community.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reports he has received from the Environment Agency into the potential flooding dangers posed to areas abutting the Thames estuary, east of the Thames barrier, consequent upon the increase of sea levels and dangers of surge tides; and if he will make a statement. [13215]

The Department has not received any specific reports from the Environment Agency.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his Department's policy to separate risk assessment and risk management in matters of food safety. [13184]

The process of risk analysis, which comprises risk assessment, risk management and the third component of risk communication, is, in the case of food safety, the joint responsibility of my Ministry and the Department of Health. In general we seek to ensure that risk assessment and risk management are considered separately, although they do also have a measure of interdependence, as has been made clear in recent expert FAO/WHO consultations on risk analysis and risk management. Officials in the joint MAFF/DH food safety and standards group are, however, studying current procedures in the light of recent developments in thinking to ensure that best practice is being followed.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the suppliers to his Department who are owed outstanding amounts, indicating the amounts and the due date on which the account should have been settled. [13545]

All Departments are required to pay all their bills within agreed contract terms, or 30 days from receipt of the goods or service or a valid invoice, whichever is later, where no such terms exist. Such detailed information on payment performance for the current financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Treasury will shortly be publishing a league table of departmental payment performance for 1996–97.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many six-month entry visas to the United Kingdom were granted in each of the last two years for which statistics are available. [12575]

The majority of visas for the UK are valid for presentation at a port within six months of date of issue. In the last two years for which statistics are available, entry clearance posts issued the following:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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 sub-contractors 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. [12560]

This Department makes payments both in the United Kingdom and through embassies and high commissions overseas. No sub-contractors are involved. We also make a large number of payments overseas on behalf of other Government Departments.In the United Kingdom, spending Departments input the invoice details electronically, but actual payment is issued centrally. During 1996–97, 33,517 payments—covering one or more invoice—were issued at a cost of £124,533 in central staff costs.No figures are available for payments made overseas and to obtain the information required would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what new exceptions to the arms embargo on Argentina there have been since 1 May. [13766]

We have recently approved the export of a single sporting rifle to Argentina following its repair by the original manufacturer in the UK. This is an exception, but not a change, to the embargo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will notify his decision on licensing the export of armoured Land Rover vehicles to the UN High Commission for Refugees in Rwanda. [13902]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has recommended approval of an export licence for this item, which has been issued by the Department of Trade and Industry. UN Security Council resolution 1011 prohibits the export of military goods to non-governmental agents in Rwanda. However, the UN secretariat has confirmed that this embargo does not cover the export of equipment destined for UN operations. This export follows similar exemptions made for UNHCR in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the approval of an export licence for the supply of riot shields to the United States army in Bosnia and Herzegovina. [13850]

We recently approved the export of 340 riot shields of UK manufacture to the US Army for use in Bosnia to protect US SFOR troops. Given the tension in Bosnia around the time of the municipal elections on 13 to 14 September, we were glad to be able to approve this export as an exception to the EU common position on arms exports to the former Yugoslavia. This decision does not affect the Government's continued support of the EU common position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the suppliers to his Department who are owed outstanding amounts, indicating the amounts and the due date on which the account should have been settled. [13550]

All Departments are required to pay all their bills within agreed contract terms, or 30 days from receipt of the goods or service or a valid invoice, whichever is later, where no such terms exist. Such detailed information on payment performance for the current financial year could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Treasury will shortly be publishing a league table of departmental payment performance for 1996–97.

To ask the Prime Minster what proposals he has to address the century date change problem relating to computer systems during the British presidency of the European Union; and if he will make a statement. [13151]

The Government have launched Action 2000, a new initiative to provide UK businesses with the help that they need to tackle the century date change problem.We intend to raise with colleagues in Europe the need for all Governments to address this issue urgently.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the responsibility of the President of the Board of Trade for ensuring that her Ministers do not see papers or attend meetings which may cause them to have a conflict of interest. [12463]

In accordance with the ministerial code, all Ministers have an individual responsibility for ensuring that they do not see papers or attend meetings which may cause them to have a conflict of interest

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Adjournment debate of 23 July, Official Report, columns 994–1022, if following the meeting between Assistant Commissioner David Veness and the hon. Member for Linlithgow in Scotland Yard on 10 July, concerning the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher, he will reconsider Her Majesty's Government's policy towards UN sanctions against Libya. [12539]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 30 June, Official Report, column 38.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Adjournment debate of 23 July, Official Report, columns 994–1022, if he will set out what steps Her Majesty's Government have taken to consider circumstances which have come to light since the fatal accident inquiry on the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie; and the application of UN sanctions against Libya. [12538]

[holding answer 27 October 1997]: Any new information is scrutinised carefully. The Lockerbie investigation remains open and its work is kept under constant review. The Lord Advocate has stated that he is satisfied, on the information available to him, that there is no reason not to proceed with the petitions against the Libyans accused of the Lockerbie bombing. Until Libya complies with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, sanctions should be maintained.