To ask the President of the Council if she will estimate the cost of travel incurred by hon. Members returning to Westminster for one day. [19226]

It is not possible to provide a realistic estimate of the travel cost of one day's travel to and from Westminster.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct intends to publish its sixth annual report. [20115]

The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct has today published its sixth annual report, and copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the President of the Council what was the aggregate amount spent by her Department and its agencies during 1996–97 on (a) advertising, (b) public relations, (c) promotions, (d) public information campaigns, (e) press and information services and (f) market research and opinion polls. [19163]

In 1996–97, a total of £49,919 was spent by my Department on press and information services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to publish his White Paper on the future of the NHS in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [20239]

Our White Paper on the future of the NHS in Scotland, "Designed to Care", is published today. Copies have been laid before the House. Copies are available in the Library of the House and the Vote Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions have taken place in the European Environment Council on the environmental implications of the transportation of mixed oxide fuel from the European Union to Japan; and if he will ensure that a full report is prepared on this subject during the period of the United Kingdom presidency. [18493]

We are unaware of any such discussions. However, the fourth report of the Standing Working Group on the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material of DG XVII has recently been submitted to the Commission and will be submitted to the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions. We have no plans to issue any further report on this matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what contingency plans are in place to deal with accidents involving (a) aircraft and (b) ships whilst transporting mixed oxide fuel from the United Kingdom to (i) mainland Europe and (ii) Japan. [18476]

Transporters of radioactive material within the United Kingdom are required, by statutory safety regulation, to have contingency plans in place to respond to accidents. The UK transporters of mixed oxide fuel have such plans in place for air and sea modes.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money has been awarded in bonuses for (a) meeting and (b) exceeding service standards to rail operators in the last 12 months. [19340]

The Franchising Director operates financial incentive regimes under franchise agreements which supplement the pressure of market forces where necessary; intercity train operating companies are not covered by such regimes. The regimes reward or penalise operators according to performance compared with historical benchmarks. Details of these appear in the Franchising Director's quarterly bulletins and in his Annual Report which are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the district, county and unitary councils that have not been permitted to spend above their 1990–91 capping level for each of the years from 1990–91 to 1998–99. [19476]

Capping levels were only set for 21 authorities in 1990–91. Of these, the following have had provisional caps at or below the level of their 1990–91 cap in the years shown:

• Barnsley, 1992–93;
• Basildon, 1991–92 to 1998–99;
• Bristol, 1991–92 to 1995–96;
• Derbyshire, 1991–92, 1993–94¹, 1997–98².
• ¹The cap limit was lower in 1993–94 as a result of the adjustment for the transfer of Further Education out of the local authority sector.
• ²The cap limit was lower in 1997–98 as a result of the transfer of functions to the new unitary authority of Derby City Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what have been the total community charge and council tax receipts in each year since 1991–92. [19929]

The information requested is as follows:

£ million
	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
Community charge	6,590	7,300	584	278	167	103
Council tax	n/a	n/a	6,807	7,549	8,149	8,717
These figures are the amounts received in each financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the level of spending by English local authorities in each year since 1991–92; and if he will indicate the annual percentage change in real terms. [19821]

The information is given below. There has been a number of changes in local authority responsibilities in the period covered. In particular;

in April 1993 responsibility for further education was transferred to the Further Education Funding Council;

from 1994–95 onwards, Care in the Community responsibilities were transferred to local authorities;

in 1997–98 budgeted expenditure decreased by some £500 million as the result of the introduction of the nursery voucher scheme.

For these reasons it is not always valid to make comparisons between years.

Net revenue expenditure—English authorities
Year	Cash1(£ million)	Percentage change(Real terms)2
1991–92	38,454	3.8
1992–93	40,801	1.8
1993–94	39,742	-5.3
1994–95	41,677	3.3
1995–96	43,087	0.6
1996–973	45,828	3.5
1997–984	46,486	-1.2
1Net revenue expenditure is net of all specific grants except, for years since 1995–96, police specific grants. Hence, for consistency, the figures for the years prior to 1995–96 have been adjusted to include the principal police specific grant.
2The percentage change in expenditure in real terms has been calculated by using the GDP deflator.
3Provisional Outturn.
4Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his Answer of 26 November 1997, Official Report, column 554, if he will ensure that orange badges for disabled motorbike riders are produced in a form which will fit into their normal vehicle tax disc holder. [19452]

Orange Badges should be displayed by motorcyclists only when they are in use in connection with parking. Any secure holder may be used to display the badge as long as the details on the front of the badge are visible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations (a) his Department and (b) authorities responsible for air traffic control and safety have received about problems in identifying in the air British Airways aircraft following the new decorations on their tailplanes. [10916]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has undertaken into the environmental damage arising from burning of aviation fuel (a) at ground level and (b) in the upper atmosphere. [19742]

We continue to support research on the nature and effects of local and global emissions from aircraft engines. Many of these projects are major international collaborative efforts. The Department has a leading role in the International Civil Aviation Organisation's environmental committee, which includes an emissions group. It also supports participation by UK experts in major science and technology assessments, for example the European inventory of aircraft NOx emissions and the current assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of aviation and the environment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what will be the future role and responsibilities of the Rural Development Commission and if he will make a statement. [19749]

We are considering this as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. We expect to reach conclusions in the New Year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he last met the Chairman of the Rural Development Commission to discuss the future of the Rural Development Commission; [19782](2) pursuant to his oral statement of 3 December 1997,

Ministers in the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions had several meetings with Lord Shuttleworth at which the future of the Rural Development Commission was discussed, including on 21 July, 23 July, 16 September and 2 December 1997.Lord Shuttleworth's letter requesting a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister to discuss the future of the Commission was dated 27 October 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the correspondence between his Department and the London Borough of Haringey regarding Alexandra Palace and Park which is of a non-commercial nature. [19734]

Identifying this information from the considerable volume of correspondence with Haringey over Alexandra Palace and Park would be time consuming and could not be undertaken except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what proposals his Department has received from (a) the London Borough of Haringey and (b) other interested parties for the closure of Alexandra Palace and Park; and if he will make a statement; [19731](2) what financial guarantees his Department has given since 1990 to the London Borough of Haringey with regard to Alexandra Palace and Park. [19732]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which clauses of the European Charter of local self-government the Government plan to sign up to. [19680]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on Thursday 31 July 1997, Official Report, column 546.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions whether the boundaries of regional development agencies and regional chambers will be co-terminous. [19679]

Regional chambers are being established under voluntary arrangements by local authorities and others. However, we wish to encourage a single chamber covering each region to provide a coherent voice for the region, in particular to offer views to the Regional Development Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many (a) visit, (b) settlement and (c) other visa applications made at the British High Commission in (i) Islamabad, (ii) Karachi, (iii) New Delhi, (iv) Mumbai, (v) Calcutta, (vi) Madras, (vii) Dhaka and (viii) Colombo were (1) made, (2) refused initially, (3) granted initially and (4) deferred in each year since 1992; [19013](2) how many

In view of the amount of detail needed to answer this question, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons will write to my hon. Friend shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visit visa applications from people aged over 65 years were (a) made, (b) granted initially, (c) refused initially and (d) deferred at the British High Commission (i) Islamabad and (ii) New Delhi in each year since 1992. [19100]

The details are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) of 24 November 1997, Official Report, columns 398–99, on the Ottawa Convention, when he plans to introduce the legislation necessary for the ratification of the Convention. [19323]

We attach great importance to the Ottawa Convention, signed by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 3 December. We intend to ratify it as soon as possible. The timing of the legislation necessary for ratification will depend on our legislative programme. We intend to introduce the legislation as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the maximum number of Greek military personnel allowed in Cyprus in accordance with its role as a guarantor power; how many Greek Army personnel are presently in Cyprus; how many military aircraft are in Cyprus; which authority monitors the level of Greek military presence in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [19512]

Under the 1960 treaties, Greece is allowed to station a force of up to 950 military personnel in Cyprus. We estimate that there are about 2,000 Greek military personnel in Cyprus at present. There are no fixed-wing military aircraft permanently based in Cyprus. No international authority monitors the level of Greek military presence in Cyprus.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals currently work for each directorate of the European Commission. [19559]

According to July 1997 figures, the numbers of British nationals working at A Grade in each Directorate-General of the European Commission are as follows:

• I: 38
• IA: 58
• IB: 30
• II: 11
• III: 36
• IV: 17
• V: 27
• VI: 32
• VII: 20
• VIII: 44
• IX: 9
• X: 14
• XI: 26
• XII: 48
• XIII: 43
• XIV: 5
• XV: 23
• XVI: 21
• XVII: 22
• XIX: 8
• XX: 8
• XXI: 17
• XXII: 15
• XXIII: 10
• XXIV: 8.

In addition, there are the following numbers of British nationals working at B, C and D Grade for the European Commission:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to contribute financial resources and personnel to MINURSO, to ensure that the United Nations supervised referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara is free and fair. [19708]

The UK contributes 6.568 per cent. in UN assessed contributions to the total costs of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Accordingly, we will pay 6.568 per cent. of the estimated costs (£129 million) of the expansion of MINURSO as set out in the Secretary-General's report of 13 November and its addendum of 19 November 1997. We have no plans to contribute personnel.We fully support the expansion of MINURSO to facilitate the full implementation of the settlement plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Brazilian Government concerning the eucalyptus plantation established by Aracruz Cellulose on land previously occupied by Tupirikim Guarani Indians. [19710]

After meeting representatives of the Tupinikim and Guarani Indians, I wrote to the Brazilian Ambassador on 1 July about their claim to land occupied by Aracruz Cellulose. I also raised it with the Head of the National Foundation for Assistance to Indians (FUNAI), when I visited Brazil in September 1997. Our Embassy in Brasilia continues to monitor this particular case. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised other indigenous issues with the Brazilian Foreign Minister during their talks on 3 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will review the policy on voting rights of Gibraltarian citizens in European Parliament elections. [19272]

To include Gibraltarian citizens in European Parliament elections would require an amendment to annexe II to the EC's 1976 Act concerning the election of the representatives of the European Parliament. This would require the unanimous agreement of all Member States, and ratification by each Member State in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements. We keep policy under review in the light of those facts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy towards aiding the development of democratic government in the Sudan; and if he will make a statement. [19273]

We have made clear both to the Government of Sudan and to the opposition National Democratic Alliance our wish to see progress towards a pluralist democratic system of government and respect for human rights in Sudan. Development of bilateral relations is dependent on progress in this and other fields.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the new Government in Sierra Leone; and if he will make a statement. [19274]

There is no new Government in Sierra Leone. We condemned the military coup which took place there on 25 May 1997 and have consistently called for the restoration of the legitimate Government of President Kabbah. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) reached agreement with the military junta on 23 October in Conakry on a framework for the restoration of that Government. We have played a leading role within the international community in promoting discussion of the implementation of that agreement. With our encouragement, the United Nations is currently considering how best it can support ECOWAS activities in this regard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the British High Commission in Bombay is taking in respect of the case of Raicha Jivan Parmar of Maidston Road, Leicester, currently in India. [19949]

We have asked the High Commission in Bombay to provide a detailed account of the position. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons will write to my hon. Friend within one week of receiving that account.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the refusal of Bombay to issue a visa to Hamir, Lakhu and Devshi Vega (ref. R/973542), whose parents reside at Avonside Drive, Leicester. [19950]

We have asked the High Commission in Bombay to provide a detailed account of the position. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Symons will write to my hon. Friend within one week of receiving that account.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's Biodiversity Strategy. [19672]

The Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to providing continued assistance to help poor people in developing countries benefit from safeguarding biodiversity, both through the bilateral programme and the UK contribution to the Global Enviornment Facility (which is the financial mechanism for assisting developing countries implement the Convention on Biological Diversity). During negotiations with multilateral organisations, DFID will also pay particular attention to the impact of intellectual property rights on the interests of indigenous and local communities who depend on local biodiversity for their livelihoods. To assist in the identification and provision of assistance in situations with opportunities for both alleviating poverty and safeguarding biodiversity, DFID is reviewing its bilateral biodiversity strategy in co-operation with interested parties, including NGOs.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the Government will initiate a joint Environment and Development Council during its presidency of the European Union. [19785]

We do not propose to hold a joint Environment and Development Council but will contribute fully to the Environment Council's preparations for the Commission on Sustainable Development next year and continue to work closely with our environment colleagues on other issues of mutual interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures the Government will take to improve the effectiveness of EU overseas aid devoted to environment protection and enhancement schemes. [19784]

We will discuss any recommendations arising from the Commission's independent evaluation of the environmental performance of EC-funded programmes which is due to be completed in the new year, and continue to encourage the EC to integrate fully environmental considerations into the design of its projects. We will continue to participate in the Commission's Scientific Environmental Monitoring Group and the forestry and water expert groups, and have agreed to provide a project leader to prepare an EC/Member States strategy for biodiversity conservation. We have also seconded a forestry specialist to work for the Commission on the management of tropical forestry programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals he has to promote the integration of sustainability through the Development Council. [19787]

We will continue to promote the integration of sustainability into the Community's aid programmes by seeking to ensure that due weight and consideration are given to it in the Community's legislation and policies. This will be one of our top priorities in the discussions on the future of Lomé during the UK Presidency.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received regarding the proposed port development by P &O at Vadhavan in Dahanu Taluka, India. [19918]

The Department of Trade and Industry takes the lead on this question. The Department for International Development and other Government Departments have received a number of letters on this subject.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sum his Department has spent on supporting combined cadet forces in schools in (a) 1994–95, (b) 1995–96 and (c) 1996–97, broken down between (i) private schools and (ii) state schools. [19737]

The Ministry of Defence has allocated the following sums to schools in support of the Combined Cadet Forces. The figures are in £million at current prices.

• 1994–95: 6.6
• 1995–96: 6.2
• 1996–97: 5.8.

I regret that my Department keeps no separate records detailing the overall costs attributable to individual schools, whatever their category. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans the Royal Navy has for the future use of HMS Caroline; and if he will assess the advantages of converting it to a museum. [19560]

HMS Caroline will continue in use as the RN Reserve Training Centre (RTC) for the Belfast area for the foreseeable future. Consideration would be given to moving the Centre to a shore-based site if suitable accommodation could be identified, and if the requisite funding could be made available. The Ministry of Defence has no plans to assess the advantages of converting Caroline into a Museum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what will be the impact on his Department's budget of the introduction of resource-based accounting; and if he will make a statement. [19839]

When fully implemented, resource accounting will provide visibility of the full costs of all resources consumed. This will enable better informed management and decision taking throughout the department.

To ask the Prime Minister what sums he has spent on hospitality for representatives of business at No. 10 Downing Street since 1 May. [19101]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service on 5 December, Official Report, columns 376–77.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the mechanism by which the security services are able to make representations to him about his proposed ministerial appointments. [18919]

[holding answer 4 December 1997]: No representations are made to me by the Security Services about proposed Ministerial appointments. Advice is available to me when relevant.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of an inquiry into BSE. [19909]

My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will make a statement shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the current arrangements for the (a) police, (b) courts and (c) prison service in respect of transsexuals; what plans he has to review these arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [19730]

(a) The Association of Chief Police Officers suggested to forces in 1995 that a transsexual prisoner be asked to state a preference for the gender of the searching officer and to sign the custody record in confirmation. In the event of a lack of co-operation, the custody officer would treat the prisoner as being of the sex under which they were documented and living their lives. Best practice guidance for dealing with transsexuals is being drawn up and will be issued to forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to combat under-age drinking. [19842]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a Question from my hon. Friend the Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) on 16 July 1997, Official Report, column 173, and to the letter which I sent to all hon. Members on 17 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the differences between the Draft Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 Compensation Scheme laid before the House on 27 November 1997 and the ex gratia scheme under Schedule 1, Paragraph 10 of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997. [19598]

The Government have given assurances that those who chose to surrender their small-calibre pistols voluntarily under the present ex-gratia scheme would not be disadvantaged compared to claimants under a future statutory scheme, and so the two schemes are identical as regards the range and values of firearms and ancillary equipment covered. There are some minor textual changes to the claims handling procedures described in the new draft scheme to reflect practice in the Firearms Compensation Section, and three items have been added to the list of ancillary equipment qualifying for compensation at Annex B of the scheme: speedloaders, speedloader pouches and spare parts held by registered dealers. While these items were not included explicitly under the previous published scheme, compensation has been paid for them on an exceptional basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer the question of the hon. Member for Hertsmere of 20 November on asylum seekers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. [19752]

I replied to the Question on 5 December 1997, Official Report, columns 361–62.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many random drugs tests in United Kingdom prisons proved positive; and how many prisoners found positive were subsequently charged with a criminal offence as a result of the test in the most recent year for which figures are available. [18991]

The number of random drug tests on prisoners which proved positive in England and Wales in 1996–97 was 13,797.The use of illicit drugs is not a criminal offence as such. Consequently, there is no central record kept of prisoners who may have been charged with a criminal offence following a drug test.A prisoner whose drug test is positive will generally be charged with a disciplinary offence under Prison Rules. Data held centrally do not separate charges concerning random mandatory drug tests from charges following positive results from the other aspects of the mandatory drug testing programme. In 1996–97, there were 21,588 mandatory drug tests in total which were positive. Disciplinary proceedings under Prison Rule 47 or Young Offender Institution Rule 50, "administering a controlled drug or failing to prevent its administration", followed in 16,757 cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines he has issued in relation to the use of rigid handcuffs; and under what circumstances they permit police officers to use such handcuffs. [18990]

A Home Office circular to chief police officers containing guidance about the use of handcuffs was withdrawn on 23 January 1997. This was replaced by guidance issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) which reflects the provision in section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967 that a person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders. I am placing a copy of the ACPO guidance in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each of the last four years the metropolitan police has invited representatives of the media to be present at the scene of (a) a raid and (b) an arrest. [19048]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: The Commissioner informs me that the information requested on the number of occasions the Metropolitan Police has invited the media to be present at the scene of a raid or an arrest is not readily available and could be only obtained at disproportionate cost.He tells me that on occasions when Metropolitan Police operations are a matter of public interest the media may be invited to accompany the police on raids. On some of these occasions, arrests may take place. The Commissioner says that if the Metropolitan Police decides to invite the media to attend, their involvement is strictly controlled and carefully planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Wiltshire Constabulary were asked to collaborate with the Metropolitan Police in the raid on the Rectory at Donhead St. Andrews on 21 November. [19050]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: The Chief Constable of Wiltshire Constabulary informs me that Wiltshire Constabulary were requested to participate in the inquiry on 13 October 1997. The request came from Sussex Police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the media representatives who were invited by (a) the Wiltshire Constabulary and (b) the Metropolitan Police to be present at the police raid on the Rectory at Donhead St. Andrews on 21 November. [19049]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: I am told by the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Constabulary and the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that no representatives of the media were invited to be present at the raid on the Rectory at Donhead St. Andrews on 21 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy on the total numbers of police officers required; and if he will make a statement. [19270]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: Ministers have no direct control over police numbers. Under legislation passed by the previous Government in 1994, it is for individual chief constables to determine the number of police officers in their force. We are already working with the police to reduce administrative burdens and to enable chief constables to put more officers on the streets.My right hon. Friend announced on 2 December that the spending power of the police in England and Wales next year can increase by £258 million, or 3.7 per cent. over 1997–98. The provisional settlement includes an additional £40 million of police grant in 1998–99. This sum is to ensure that police authorities have funds available which would allow them to increase spending on meeting the key objectives for the police in 1998–99. This could include the recruitment of additional police officers if the chief constable considers that this is the most beneficial way of delivering the objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to prohibit the sale of speed camera detectors; and if he will make a statement. [19467]

The use of such detector devices without a license is already an offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 and successful prosecutions have been taken out by the police against motorists who have used them. This Department has carried out tests which showed such devices to be largely unreliable and ineffective. We have no plans to create a new offence but we have asked the Association of Chief Police Officers Traffic Committee to keep us informed of any significant increase in the use of these devices and of any difficulties which forces experience. In addition, where an advertisement for such a device is brought to this Department's attention we lodge the papers with the Advertising Standards Authority so that the Authority can ensure that the advertising copy makes the legal position clear.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to publish the leaflet "The Police Act 1997, Complaints About the Use of Intrusive Surveillance"; and if he will make a statement. [19284]

The leaflet will provide guidance to members of the public and their representatives regarding the mechanism for complaints about intrusive surveillance operations authorized under Part III of the Police Act 1997. It will be published when the provisions of Part III are implemented next year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to charge Departments for the value of their assets recorded on the National Register. [18194]

[holding answer 2 December 1997]: Departments, and parts of Departments, which are trading funds already incur a charge for their fixed assets; this forms part of the full cost of services provided which they are obliged to recover from income. As part of the introduction of resource accounting and budgeting, all fixed assets on all departmental balance sheets will be subject to a capital charge. This will affect departmental budgets from 2001–02 when the system is fully implemented. I shall make a further statement on the Government's plans under resource accounting and budgeting in due course.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many car park spaces are provided for his Department's (a) Ministers, (b) employees and (c) visitors in (i) London and (ii) the United Kingdom. [19363]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: There are six parking spaces allocated to Ministers, and 46 available to Treasury staff and visitors in London. There are no other parking facilities outside London.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many bank and building society branches in (a) England and Wales and (b) Scotland were open in each year between 1979 and 1996; [19723](2) if she will list the number of open banks and building society branches in

The Treasury does not have this information.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the amount of windfall gains from the demutualisation of building societies that will be spent in the current and forthcoming financial years; and how this differs from his estimate at the time of the July budget. [19702]

Estimates of spending out of windfall gains are set out in the box on "Windfall Payments" in Appendix A of the November 1997 Pre-Budget Report (Cm 3804, page 75).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the inability of travel agents to value-shift between holiday and insurance products. [19661]

I have received a number of such representations but all the evidence suggests that value shifting between holiday and insurance is widespread in the travel industry, as reflected by respective profit margins applied to these products.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the latest estimate of the tax gain resulting from the higher insurance premium tax rate; and what are the reasons for the change in his previous estimate of £70 million. [19663]

The latest estimate of the overall tax gain from applying the higher rate of insurance premium tax to travel insurance is £60 million. This revision from the earlier estimate of £70 million took place prior to the introduction of this measure and reflected a reassessment of the share of the UK travel insurance market enjoyed by travel agents and tour operators.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has received showing that the lower rate of insurance premium tax is being used as a marketing promotion by those insurance retailers who compete with travel agents levied at the higher rate. [19665]

I have received a number of examples of advertising literature on travel insurance, some of which mention the higher rate of insurance premium tax charged by travel agents.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was received from value added tax levied on fees charged by veterinary surgeons in the last financial year for which figures are available; and how much was received from VAT on medicines sold by veterinary surgeries; and if he will reduce the level. [18932]

In the year to 31 March 1997, £80 million net VAT was received from veterinary practices. Figures are not separately available for VAT on veterinary surgeons' fees and medicines sold by veterinary surgeries, as veterinary practices are not required to show these amounts separately on their VAT returns. The Government have no plans to reduce the level of VAT on such supplies. However, there is already a VAT zero rate on veterinary medicines where they are supplied to animal welfare charities that provide treatment to sick animals.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding VAT on domiciliary care services. [19160]

The policy on the VAT treatment of domiciliary care services depends upon their nature. Where those services constitute medical care or welfare they are exempt from VAT. Domestic services such as laundry, cleaning, etc. do not qualify for VAT relief under any exemption. However, many of these are provided by people below the threshold for VAT and are tax free.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what calculations he has made of the total unfunded pension liabilities of the member states of the European Community; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that liability within EMU on interest rates to the year 2025. [18987]

The Treasury has made no independent calculations of other Member States' unfunded pension liabilities. Estimates and projections of pension expenditure by Member States are available in "Public pension expenditure prospects in the European Union; A survey of national projections" published by the European Commission in European Economy No. 3 1996. Pension liabilities are unlikely to have a major impact on interest rates, given the rigorous constraints imposed by the Stability Pact on public borrowing.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has given on the arrangements for determining which assets listed in the register of Government assets are surplus to requirements. [18651]

It is for each individual Department, as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review, to review its asset holdings as set out in the National Asset Register and decide whether they meet the Department's aims and objectives. If they do not, it is for Departments to decide the appropriate course of action in each case. The measures I announced on 24 November will give Departments the right incentives to do this.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if (a) the Family Expenditure Survey, (b) the Family Resources Survey, (c) the British Household Panel Survey, (d) the New Earnings Survey, (e) the General Household Survey and (f) the Social Attitudes Survey include samples from the area north and west of a line from Fort William to Inverness; if these surveys can be disaggregated to a Scottish level; and if he will increase the sample size of these surveys so that accurate statistics be produced for Scotland. [19154]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements will be made for determining changes to the budgets of the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales under devolution; and if he will make a statement. [20062]

The Government set out their position on the funding of the budgets for the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales in the White Papers published in July (Cm 3658 and Cm 3718). The key to these arrangements is block budgets which the devolved Administrations, like the Secretaries of State now, will be free to deploy between the functions under their control in response to local priorities. Changes in these block budgets will be linked to changes in equivalent English spending plans by the Barnett formula which gives Scotland and Wales a population-based share of planned changes in comparable spending in England.In order to help inform debate about these arrangements during the passage of the Scotland and Wales Bills, the Government published yesterday a statement of the principles which govern the existing block/formula arrangements and which will continue to do so under devolution. A copy of the statement is appended. Copies were placed yesterday in the Libraries of both Houses and referred to by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales when he opened the Second Reading debate on the Government of Wales Bill.Although the block and formula arrangements have operated for nearly 20 years, this is the first time that these principles have been spelt out in public.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the council meeting of the Economic and Finance Ministers of the European Union held on 1 December. [19569]

I represented the UK at the Economic and Finance Council—ECOFIN—of the European Union in Brussels on 1 December. The Financial Secretary accompanied me.The Council agreed a package of measures for tackling harmful tax competition in the EU. This comprises a Code of Conduct on Business Taxation, and agreement that the Commission should come forward with proposals on the taxation of savings by non-residents, and on interest and royalty payments between companies in different Member States.The Council continued its discussion of economic co-ordination in Stage 3 of EMU, in the response to the remit from the Amsterdam European Council in June this year. No agreement was reached on what ECOFIN' s report to the European Council should say about proposals for informal discussions of issues relating to Economic and Monetary Union. The European Council will consider this at Luxembourg on 12 and 13 December.Agreement was reached on a common position on the FISCALIS programme (which facilitates administrative co-operation between the indirect tax authorities).The Council noted the important economic and fiscal issues surrounding the development of electronic commerce.

To ask the Security of State for Culture, Media and Sport what job opportunities the tourism industry can offer as part of the New Deal programme. [17996]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge) on 8 December 1997, Official Report, columns 465–66.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many sportsmark award have been awarded in the past 12 months; [19478](2) how many gold star awards have been awarded since April 1997; [19479](3) if he will list those schools which have received sportsmark awards in the past 12 months, indicating the date of award. [19481]

The first round of Sportsmark and Sportsmark Gold awards were made in June this year. Three hundred and eighty-two schools achieved a Sportsmark award and a further 30 achieved a Sportsmark Gold. A full list of successful schools has today been placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what actions he is taking arising from the audit of the in-service needs of teachers and schools undertaken by the National Coaching Foundation; [19483](2) what plans the National Coaching Foundation has to organise further training weeks for teachers and trainees, indicating the sports involved and the number of teachers participating. [19486]

The National Coaching Foundation (NCF) delivers the coaching for teachers programme on behalf of the English Sports Council (ESC). This is a four year programme. The second year of the programme will be run in spring-summer 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many hours of sporting opportunity per week are required to achieve a sportsmark. [19480]

In order to achieve a Sportsmark award schools should provide a minimum of two hours a week of timetable PE lessons for every pupil and a minimum of four hours a week of organised sport outside timetabled lessons for all interested students.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what has been the take-up of moneys from the Challenge Fund to assist school or club links; [19492](2) what steps he is taking to promote links between sporting clubs and schools. [19502]

One of the criteria for the Sportsmark award is for schools to develop links with a number of local sports clubs as a way of providing students with further opportunities outside school hours.A £1 million Challenge Fund was made available in October 1996 to promote links between local schools and clubs or governing bodies of sport. Guidance was sent to all secondary schools and over 400 schools successfully applied and received financial support for local initiatives that established or strengthened the links between local schools and clubs.The take-up of moneys in the first year of the scheme was around half a million pounds. A similar amount is budgeted for the 1997–98 academic year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for further regional conferences to generate interest in sports participation. [19489]

We are planning to hold a series of regional conferences in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how he is implementing the OFSTED survey's findings on the need for improved co-ordination of information to young people to help them towards independent adult sport participation. [19488]

The English Sports Council are currently working on proposals for a Community Sports Co-ordinators Initiative. The Co-ordinator would be based in a secondary school with the task of liaising and working closely with all the agencies and providers beyond the schools to ensure the best possible provision of physical education and sport for pupils at school and when they leave.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what amount of funding she will be allocating for child care centres in 1998–99; how many child care centres will be proposed for Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement. [18224]

[holding answer 28 November 1997]: We will announce shortly the level of funding in 1998–99 for a planned expansion of high-quality pre-school education in Northern Ireland. The number of centres to be funded will be determined at local level by Education and Library Boards in consultation with local pre-school Education Advisory Groups and may include settings in the private, voluntary and statutory sectors.Additional funding for out-of-school activities will begin in April 1999, but during 1998–99 details of the arrangements will be made known and applications sought from providers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she plans to implement the recommendations contained in the SACHR Review on Fair Employment legislation. [18591]

The Government's consideration of the recommendations contained in the Standing Advisory Commission on Human Rights report on employment equality is well advanced. The Secretary of State has already indicated certain recommendations on which the Government propose to take action—clarification of the law on direct recruitment of the long-term unemployed and firmer powers against persistent discriminators. The Government will give a response to the full range of SACHR's proposals in a paper to be published early in the New Year. Decisions on foot of SACHR's recommendations will be implemented as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of the GDP per capita of (a) South West Wales and (b) North Wales as a percentage of the (i) United Kingdom and (ii) European Union averages. [19110]

The latest available information is shown in the following table.

Gross Domestic Product per head, 1994
	PPS1 units (thousands)	Percentage of United Kingdom average	Percentage of European Union average
Dyfed (South West Wales)	11.9	72	71
Gwynedd and Clwyd (North Wales)	13.8	84	83

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what provision there is within the National Health Service in Wales for women who suffer from ruptured silicone breast implants, to have them removed. [19287]

The removal of a ruptured silicone breast implant is a clinical matter for individual clinicians to address with their patients.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) name of, (b) employer of and (c) organisation being represented by each of the members of the Wales Agri-environment Steering Group. [19670]

There is no Steering Group for the new agri-environment scheme; my right hon. Friend will decide the form the scheme is to take.The members of the Working Group which is advising us on the technical detail of the management prescriptions for each feature have been chosen for their personal expertise; they do not represent any organisation. They are as follows:

Name	Employer
Mr. D. Archer	Snowdonia National Park
Mr. J. D. Cowie	Welsh Office
Mr. H. Davies	The Forestry Authority
Mr. C. Gillmore	Countryside Council for Wales
Mr. G. E. Jones	Farming and Rural Conservation Agency
Ms C. Keenleyside	Countryside Council for Wales
Mr. Bob Merriman	Environment Agency
Ms R. Nowell-Phillips	Farmers Union Wales
Mr. B. Pawson	Countryside Council for Wales
Dr. S. Rees	Cadw
Mr. J. Salmon	Country Landowners Association (Wales)
Mr. M. Thomas	National Farmers Union (Wales)
Mr. N. Thomas	Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Mr. J. Young	Welsh Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the planned budget of the All Wales Agri-environment Scheme in each of the next three years. [19671]

The allocation of funds for the new scheme is yet to be decided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the level of Objective 5B funding in the less-favoured areas of Wales in (a) 1993, (b) 1994, (c) 1995 and (d) 1996. [19919]

There is not direct relationship between less favoured area status and objective 5B funding, and records are not kept in the form requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the level of spending by local authorities in each year since 1991–92; and if he will indicate the annual percentage change in real terms. [19824]

The information requested is given in the following table.

Local authority expenditure in Wales1
	Net revenue expenditure (£ million) (Cash prices)	Annual percentage change in real terms(Constant 1997–98 prices)
1991–92	2,411.2	5.0
1992–93	2,577.1	2.6
1993–94	2,554.8	-3.7
1994–95	2,684.0	3.5
1995–96	2,862.9	3.8
1996–972	2,969.6	0.9
1997–983	3,005.0	—1.5
1Excluding expenditure funded by specific grants. For consistency, the figures shown for the years prior to 1995–96 have been adjusted to include police specific grants. Includes additional resources for community care for 1993–94 onwards. The annual changes in 1992–93 and 1993–94 were effected by the transfer of higher and further education colleges from the local authority sector on 1 April 1992 and 1 April 1993.
2Provisional outturn.
3Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will ensure during the United Kingdom presidency that implementation of United Nations Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities is subject to annual review; [19676](2) what arrangements exist to monitor progress towards implementing the UN Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. [19681]

[holding answer 8 December 1997]: Progress towards implementing the UN Standard Rules for the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities is monitored by the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, Bendt Lindqvist, whose work the Government support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment who will be involved in the review of the threshold exempting employers with fewer than 20 employees from the employment provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [19678]

The review of the exemption provision includes a consultation exercise to gather views and evidence from a wide range of disability organisations, particularly those representing the interests of disabled people in employment or seeking employment, and employer organisations, especially those representing the interests of small firms, as well as individual disabled people and employers. The review will include meetings with interested parties.The Government will consider the responses to the consultation carefully before deciding whether the threshold should be lowered to extend the Act's employment rights to more disabled employees and job applicants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what will be the time scale of the review of the 20 employee threshold in the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [19677]

Section 7 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires that a review of the effects of the small employer exemption threshold must be completed within nine months. I announced such a review on 3 December 1997 and expect that it will be completed in the late Spring of 1998. Any change to the threshold has to be made within one year of the review commencing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment whether he will ensure that research into the impact of European economic policy on disabled people is commissioned during the UK presidency. [19682]

DfEE officials have provided the European Commission with details of research undertaken across Government into disability issues. This information will be used by the Commission in conjunction with similar reports from the other member states to identify where there is a significant need for co-ordinated research at a European level. It is not yet possible to say which subjects, if any, the Commission will identify as suitable for this kind of treatment but no areas have been ruled out.The Department has an extensive and continuing programme of disability research which addresses current priorities. The Department routinely publishes the results of the research it commissions in line with the requirements of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assistance New Deal participants aged over 25 years and unemployed for more than two years will receive during the period before their six month placement begins. [19180]

We are currently considering the detailed design of the new deal for people aged 25 years or over and unemployed for two years or more. We will make an announcement as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are currently providing sports annual reports and prospectuses. [19482]

All maintained schools are required to publish in their prospectus a statement indicating the aims of the governing body with respect to sport at their school and the provision made for sport. In its annual report to parents, the governing body must indicate the extent to which its aims were met and to give details of any notable sporting achievements by the school's teams. In our White Paper "Excellence in schools" we undertook to consult on the balance between requiring schools to include specific information and leaving more to their discretion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers coaching at (a) primary school level have obtained NVQ 1 and (b) secondary level have obtained NVQ 2. [19484]

This information is not collected by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much aid he plans to give to Rushey Mead School, Leicester, under the New Deal for Schools. [19177]

All LEAs will be entitled to bid, on behalf of the schools they maintain, for the £1 billion-worth of resources which remains to be allocated under the New Deal for Schools, in addition to the £83 million that has already been allocated in the first round of NDS. Bids will be considered on the same basis as in the first round; namely, cost-effectiveness, urgency, and how far they will raise educational standards.If Rushey Mead School believes that it has a project that can be supported by NDS, I suggest that it discusses with Leicester City Council the possibility of including it in a future bid for NDS resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will ensure that music is made part of the national curriculum. [19350]

Music is a foundation subject in key stages 1, 2 and 3 of the National Curriculum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what is his Department's estimate of the cost of providing relevant teaching materials for the integration of development issues into the national curriculum; [18941](2) what arrangements will be made to ensure that the development education material proposed by the White Paper "Eliminating World Poverty" will be presented in an objective manner; [18947]

I am responsible for the school curriculum, including the National Curriculum, and its assessment. There are already requirements and opportunities for pupils to study development issues through the National Curriculum, particularly in geography and history. The choice of materials to support the school curriculum is primarily a matter for individual schools. I understand, however, that the Department for International Development makes funds available to support organisations which produce materials to help schools address these issues.There are legal safeguards against biased teaching in schools. Schools are required to ensure that pupils are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views when they are taught about any political issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to the answer from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 10 November 1997, Official Report, column 441, if he will list the e-mail addresses of (a) Ministers, (b) senior officials and (c) chief executives of agencies for which he is responsible. [15879]

[holding answer 13 November 1997]: The Department is planning to introduce a Department-wide Internet e-mail service by the end of this year. We will publish the information requested, on the Department's Internet home page, in the New Year, as soon as implementation of the new service has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many appeals he has heard concerning pupil admissions to (a) GM primary schools; and (b) non-GM primary schools; and, in each case, how many time she has ruled that schools should accept additional pupils in classes in excess of 29 pupils. [19491]

School admission appeals are heard by statutory independent appeal committees. The Secretary of State does, however, have a duty to consider any referral from a school directed under section 431 of the Education Act 1996 to accept a pupil. Since 1 May, he has only considered two primary school referrals, both from the same GM school. In each case the directions were issued by Essex LEA and resulted in a decision by the Secretary of State that the school should admit the pupil to a class in excess of 29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much money was allocated to the Careers Service in London in (a) 1991–92, (b) 1992–93, (c) 1993–94, (d) 1994–95, (e) 1995–96 and (f) 1996–97; what sums have been allocated for (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1998–99; and if he will make a statement. [19373]

The former Employment Department, which became part of the Department for Education and Employment in July 1995, allocated money for the careers services in London as follows:

£ million
1994–95	25.3
1995–96	26.2
1996–97	26.5
1997–98	25.8
Amounts for 1998–99 are not decided.

Until 1994 careers services were largely financed through the Department of the Environment's Revenue Support Grant. Separate budget allocations for careers service regions within this budget are not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to publish the National Strategy for Child Care. [19948]

We are currently developing the National Child Care Strategy which will help parents, especially women, to balance family and working life and will make an announcement in the first part of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to vary the level of grant in aid to the Equal Opportunities Commission. [19987]

The grant in aid for the Equal Opportunities Commission in 1998–99 will be set out in the DfEE Departmental Report, to be published in the new year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to update the national targets for education and training. [15144]

I will today announce the publication of a Consultation Document on the National Targets—"Targets for our Future", copies of which are being placed in the Library. The Government are inviting views on a number of new Targets which they believe better reflect their priorities and are more likely to generate the widespread commitment that is essential if we are to improve skills levels and be a competitive and inclusive nation.