To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects the Appeals Committee to consider the application made on 21 May for leave to appeal to the House of Lords in the case of Mr. and Mrs. Reeman of Brixham and the Department of Transport. [25942]

The petition for leave to appeal has been considered by an Appeal Committee and was refused on 26 January 1998.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from the Law Society on its proposals for a Contingency Legal Aid Fund, and what assessment he has made of the options proposed for setting up such a fund. [25871]

The President of the Law Society wrote to me on 16 December 1997 enclosing a paper entitled "A proposal by the Law Society to link legal aid and conditional fees". I am considering the proposal and I am due to meet the President shortly to discuss it further. No final decisions will be taken about this, or any other representations, until the consultation paper has been issued and all the responses received.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards the funding of Legal Aid Board franchises, with particular reference to Citizens Advice Bureaux. [25869]

The Legal Aid Board is piloting contracts for advice and assistance services provided by both solicitors and not-for-profit agencies, including Citizens Advice Bureaux. These contracts allow contract-holders meeting the franchise quality standard to provide advice, assistance and some limited representation. The pilot began in 1994.On 14 January the Lord Chancellor asked the Legal Aid Board to construct an implementation plan to achieve the objective of delivering all advice and assistance through fixed-price contracts with quality-assured suppliers by the end of 1999. These contracts will include contracts with the not-for-profit advice sector, of which the Citizens Advice Bureaux form a part, in an expansion of the original pilot.22 Citizens Advice Bureaux participated in the first phase of the pilot with contracts in 1996–97 to the value of £1,722,000 out of a total budget of £3 million.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received with regard to the future funding of those disbursements and up-front costs in civil cases which at present receive legal aid for those purposes; and if he will make a statement. [25870]

I have received many representations on our plans for reform of legal aid which refer to the problems of funding disbursements and up-front costs. The wide consultation we are undertaking is partly aimed at looking at ways of meeting these costs, either through lawyers funding these as a business cost, or by lawyers sharing the risk with insurers, banks or other funders. It may be that in certain types of case public funds may be necessary where there is no alternative.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to introduce a merits test on legally aided civil cases of 75 per cent. [25868]

We intend to introduce a flexible legal aid merits test that can take account of the priority and importance of different types of case. Changing the merits test will require primary legislation. We intend to bring forward a Bill that will fundamentally reform the legal aid scheme, as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the preparedness of (a) his Department, (b) the Land Registry and (c) the Public Record Office for the computer consequences of the arrival of the year 2000. [25430]

Comprehensive plans for the achievement of Year 2000 compliance in the Department, its Agencies and other bodies which report to the Lord Chancellor, including the Land Registry and the Public Record Office, were delivered to the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency in October 1997. They have since been placed in the public domain. The plans document in detail areas of vulnerability and the remedial action required to combat the Year 2000 problem.A supplement to the plans was issued in December 1997 and quarterly progress reports will also be made available. The first of these will be prepared shortly, for publication in March.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the procedure for appointing members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. [25509]

Membership of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council derives from the occupancy of certain judicial and ministerial posts. The membership comprises the Lord Chancellor, the present and former Lords President of the Council, the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, and those other members as shall from time to time hold or have held high judicial office. In practice this also includes the Heads of the Divisions of the Supreme Court, members of the Court of Appeal and those judges of the Court of Session and Supreme Court of Northern Ireland who are members of the Privy Council.Retired judges in these categories who have not yet attained the compulsory retirement date of 75 are also members.Serving and retired judges of certain Commonwealth superior courts who are members of the Privy Council are members of the Judicial Committee by virtue of the Judicial Committee Amendment Act 1895, as amended by the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1908.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the membership of the Judicial Committee of the Privy

Name	Age	Jurisdiction of origin	Public bodies
The right hon. Ann Taylor MP	50	(President)
The right hon. The Lord Hailsham of St. Marylebone KG CH	90	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Viscount Whitelaw KT CH MC	79	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Carr of Hadley	81	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Prior	70	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Glenamara CH	85	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. Michael Foot	84	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Pym MC	75	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Biffen	67	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Wakeham	65	(Former Lord President)	Chairman, Press Complaints Commission
The right hon. The Lord Howe of Aberavon CH QC	71	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. John MacGregor MP	60	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Newton QBE	60	(Former Lord President)
The right hon. The Lord Irvine of Lairg	57	(Lord Chancellor)	Member, Supreme Court Rule Committee
			Member, Crown Court Rule Committee
			Member, Family Proceedings Rule Committee
The right hon. The Lord Mackay of Clashfern KT	70	(Former Lord Chancellor)
The right hon. The Lord Bingham of Cornhill	64	England	Member, Supreme Court Rule Committee
			Member, Crown Court Rule Committee
The right hon. The Lord Woolf	64	England	Member, Supreme Court Rule Committee
The right hon. Sir Stephen Brown	73	England	Member, Supreme Court Rule Committee
			Member, Family Proceedings Rule Committee
The right hon. Sir Richard Scott	63	England	Member, Supreme Court Rule Committee
The right hon. The Lord Goff of Chieveley	71	England
The right hon. The Lord Browne-Wilkinson	67	England
The right hon. The Lord Slynn of Hadley	67	England
The right hon. The Lord Lloyd of Berwick	68	England
The right hon. The Lord Nolan	69	England
The right hon. The Lord Nicholls of Birkenhead	64	England
The right hon. The Lord Steyn	65	England
The right hon. The Lord Hoffman	63	England
The right hon. The Lord Hope of Craighead	59	Scotland
The right hon. The Lord Clyde	65	Scotland
The right hon. The Lord Hutton	66	Northern Ireland
The right hon. The Lord Saville of Newdigate	61	England	Chairman, Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct
The right hon. The Lord Jauncey of Tullichettle	72	Scotland
The right hon. The Lord Griffiths MC	73	England
The right hon. The Lord Mustill	66	England
The right hon. The Lord Cooke of Thorndon	71	New Zealand
The right hon. The Lord Rodger of Earlsferry	53	Scotland
The right hon. Sir Robert Carswell	63	Northern Ireland
The right hon. Lord Cullen	62	Scotland
The right hon. The Lord Cameron of Lochbroom	66	Scotland
The right hon. The Lord Mackenzie-Stuart	73	Scotland
The right hon. Lord Ross	70	Scotland	Chairman, Judicial Studies Committee, Scotland
The right hon. Lord Wylie	73	Scotland
The right hon. Lord Justice Nourse	65	England
The right hon. Lady Justice Butler-Sloss	64	England

Those who are eligible to sit as members of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council include the present and former Lords President of the Council and those members of the Privy Council, not over the age of 75, who hold or have held any of the following high judicial offices: Lord Chancellor, Lord of Appeal in Ordinary or judge of a superior court of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Membership of the Judicial Committee extends to serving and retired judges of certain Commonwealth superior courts who are members of the Privy Council.I list below the names of the members together with the other information requested, where available. By convention, the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary are the regular judges of the court, drawing occasional assistance from the Commonwealth and retired judges.I have no plans to make a statement.

Name	Age	Jurisdiction of origin	Public bodies
The right hon. Lord Justice Stuart-Smith	70	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Beldam	72	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Kennedy	62	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Hirst	72	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Simon Brown	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Evans RD	63	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Rose	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Roch	63	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Gibson	63	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Hobhouse	65	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Henry	66	England	Chairman, Judicial Studies Board
The right hon. Lord Justice Millet	65	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Swinton Thomas	66	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Morritt CVO	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Otton	64	England	Member, Crown Court Rule Committee Chairman. Special Health Authority for the Royal Brompton National Heart and Lung Hospital
The right hon. Lord Justice Auld	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Pill	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Aldous	61	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Ward	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Hutchison	64	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Schiemann	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Phillips	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Thorpe	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Potter	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Brooke	61	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Judge	61	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Waller	57	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Mummery	59	England	Member, Ecclesiastical Committee
The right hon. Lord Justice Mantell	60	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Chadwick ED	57	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Walker	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice Buxton	59	England
The right hon. Lord Justice May	57	England
The right hon. Lord Justice MacDermott	70	Northern Ireland
The right hon. Lord Justice McCollum	64	Northern Ireland
The right hon. Lord Justice Nicholson	64	Northern Ireland
The right hon. Sir Christopher Staughton	64	England
The right hon. Sir John Waite	65	England
The right hon. Sir Michael Mann	66	England
The right hon. Sir Alexander Leggatt	67	England
The right hon. Sir Donald Farquharson	69	England
The right hon. Sir Anthony McCowan	70	England
The right hon. Sir Christopher Slade	70	England
The right hon. Sir Patrick Russell	71	England
The right hon. Sir Brian Dillon	72	England
The right hon. Sir John Balcombe	72	England
The right hon. Sir Iain Glidewell	73	England
The right hon. Sir Brian Neill	74	England
The right hon. Sir Roger Parker	74	England
The right hon. Sir Thaddeus McCarthy KBE	90	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Harry Gibbs	80	Australia
The right hon. Sir Owen Woodhouse	81	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir William Douglas	76	Barbados
The right hon. Sir Ronald Davison	77	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Ivor Richardson	67	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Duncan McMullin	70	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Edward Somers	69	New Zealand
The right hon. Telford Georges	75	Cayman Islands
The right hon. Sir Maurice Casey	74	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Gordon Bisson	79	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Thomas Eichelbaum	66	New Zealand
The right hon. Thomas Gault	59	New Zealand
The right hon. Ian McKay	68	New Zealand
The right hon. Sir Vincent Floissac CMG QBE	69	West Indies
The right hon. Edward Zacca	67	Jamaica
The right hon. John Henry		New Zealand
The right hon. Edmund Thomas		New Zealand

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of Civil Service staff of grade 5 and above within his Department (a) have spent their entire civil service career within his Department, (b) have had secondments to (i) the private sector and (ii) other departments and (c) have come from other departments. [26027]

There are currently 55 permanent members of the Senior Civil Service (the equivalent of grade 5 and above) in this Department. Of this total:

• (a) 33 have spent their entire civil service career within the Department;
• (b(i)) two have had secondments or loans to the private sector;
• (b(ii)) six have had secondments or loans to other departments; and
• (c) 14 have come from other departments.

Of the total, 35 had experience in another sector before entering the civil service.The Department also employs three fixed-term appointees at Senior Civil Service level, all of whom have had experience in other sectors prior to taking up their current appointments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Official Report, column 262, what is the estimated cost to public funds of those heavy goods vehicles which evade vehicle excise duty. [24728]

The estimated net cost to public funds of VED evasion by heavy goods vehicles was £19 million in 1996–97. The enforcement cost to DVLA in the same period is estimated at £200,000. It is not possible to provide estimates for enforcement costs related to VED evasion by heavy goods vehicles in relation to other agencies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress his Department is making in introducing legislation to provide for the impounding of illegally operated heavy goods vehicles. [25956]

	31 March 1990	31 March 1991	31 March 1992	31 March 1993	31 March 1994	31 March 1995
Locomotives—Diesel1	1,835	1,752	1,634	1,559	1,428	1,422
Locomotives—Electric1	260	278	262	260	260	258
High speed trains—power cars	197	197	197	197	197	197
Coaching vehicles	12,514	12,451	11,825	11,184	10,892	10,665
1 Includes freight locomotives (it is not possible to disaggregate these figures as some locomotives could be switched between passenger and freight haulage).

We hope to issue a consultation paper shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend the Working Time Directive to transport workers. [25964]

We recently responded to the European Commission's White Paper on proposals for extending the working time Directive to the transport sector. We will consider specific proposals once these have been brought forward by the Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the regulations covering the carriage of chemical products through the Channel Tunnel. [25259]

Europe-wide controls on the transport of dangerous goods apply to the Channel Tunnel. Over and above these, special additional restrictions apply to Eurotunnel's dangerous goods policy, approved by the Intergovernmental Commission on the advice of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority (CTSA). The policy approved in 1994 was reviewed as a consequence of the fire in the Channel Tunnel on 18 November 1996, and some further restrictions were introduced as a result in June 1997, when HGV Shuttle services were allowed to resume operations.HSE's Railway Inspectorate carries out inspections designed to verify that risks are being properly controlled as required. Information from that process is also shared with the CTSA.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many carriages and train sets were in service on the passenger rail network as at 31 March in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement. [25274]

The latest figures held centrally relating to the overall passenger rail network are contained in the British Railways Board's annual report and accounts and show the number of vehicles owned by the Board as at 31 March for each of the years 1990–95 inclusive. These are shown in the table. The rolling stock leasing companies who now own most of the passenger rolling stock, were privatised in 1995. Figures for subsequent years are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many carriages and train sets on the passenger rail network were (a) withdrawn from service and (b) commissioned into service in each year since 1990. [25276]

	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95
Locomotives1—Diesel	+20 (-103)	+59 (-177)	+14 (-89)	+19 (-150)	+4(-10)
—Electric	+29 (-11)	+0 (-16)	+0 (-27)	no change	+0(-2)
High speed trains	no change	no change	no change	no change	no change
Passenger carrying vehicles	+414 (-1,091)	+283 (-909)	+115 (-756)	+661 (-1,614)	+265 (-492)

NB: Negative figures in brackets include not only withdrawals, but also transfers or conversions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many tour operators, broken down by sector, over each of the last three years, have been investigated for trading without a licence. [25308]

The Civil Aviation Authority, which operates the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme, has advised that the number of travel organisers investigated for trading without holding an ATOL in each of the last three years is as follows:

• 1995: 685
• 1996: 1,122
• 1997: 1,449

To break down these figures further would involve disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many companies the Civil Aviation Authority licensed as tour operators, broken down by sector, over each of the last three years. [25307]

The Civil Aviation Authority issued the following number of new Air Travel Organisers' Licences in each of the last three years:

• 1995: 379
• 1996: 360
• 1997: 192

The total number of licence holders as at December of each year, broken down into the various ATOL categories, is as follows:

Year	Fully	Scheduled	Agency	Wholesale	Total
1995	1,199	145	17	n/a	1,361
1996	1,301	186	63	105	1,655
1997	1,336	196	60	124	1,716

Fully: fully bonded business—schedule or charter-based inclusive packages and also seat only sales on charter flights.Scheduled: scheduled bonded business—consolidators and other firms that sell air tickets on a seat only basis but do not provide tickets immediately.Agency: consolidators that sell discounted air tickets as agents of scheduled airlines.Wholesale: licences held by companies set up by established tour operators for tax purposes.

The latest figures held centrally relating to the overall passenger rail network are contained in the British Railways Board's annual reports and accounts. The relevant figures for the financial years 1990–91 to 1994–95 are shown in the table. The rolling stock leasing companies, who now own most of the passenger rolling stock, were privatised in 1995. Figures for subsequent years are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will quantify the (a) jobs expected to be created in the tourism industry of the North West and (b) the (i) regional and (ii) national employment effects as calculated in the Civil Aviation Authority's analysis for bilateral air service talks with Pakistan, India, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. [25474]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: The CAA's analysis for bilateral air services talks with Pakistan, India, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates included the calculation of expenditure effects. However these were not translated into employment effects. The calculation of employment effects can be drawn from the expenditure effects and I have asked the CAA to produce the figures requested and will write to my hon. Friend with the information shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library copies of the full regional economic analyses prepared by the CAA for bilateral air service talks for (a) Australia, (b) India, (c) Pakistan, (d) Canada, (e) Mauritius, (f) Seychelles, (g) Singapore and (h) the United Arab Emirates. [25473]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: Some of the information contained in the documents requested is of a commercially confidential nature: the release of such information in to the public arena could be prejudicial to future negotiations with our bilateral partners. It would therefore not be appropriate to place the information in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what was the original budget allocated for the building and equipping of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick; and what is the current level of expenditure; [25953](2) if he will list

The original estimate by National Air Traffic Services Ltd. (NATS) for the capital expenditure at the Swanwick Centre, made in July 1989, was £215.5 million at 1988–99 prices, which equates to £313 million at 1997–98 prices. A reappraisal of the project was approved by the Government in December 1991, with a new budget of £310.2 million at 1990 prices. Using actual inflation indices, this gives an actual costs budget of £350.7 million—NATS still expects to be within this budget.The original operational date for the Swanwick Centre, given in July 1989, was November 1996. The current target date is the winter of 1999–2000. The major causes of the delay were

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what occasions Eurotunnel has asked (a) his Department and (b) the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority to refrain from publishing information relating to the safety of the Channel Tunnel; and on what occasions it has invoked clause 33.3 of the Channel Tunnel Treaty to prevent publication. [25959]

There have been no such occasions in either case. My Department, and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority, both abide by the terms of Clause 33.3 of the Channel Tunnel Concession Agreement, but these do not prevent the Safety Authority from publishing its own reports, such as the eight Annual Reports published to date, the 1989 Report into non-segregation of tourist shuttle passengers from their vehicles, and the 1997 Report into the fire on HGV Shuttle 7539.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent to which clause 33.3 of the Channel Tunnel Treaty enables adequate information relating to safety in the Channel Tunnel to be published. [25958]

I am satisfied that the requirements of Clause 33.3 of the Channel Tunnel Concession Agreement enable adequate information to be published. Eurotunnel is free to publish the safety information which it produces, and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority publishes an annual report on its activities, covering all aspects of Channel Tunnel safety. Copies of this report are placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what will be the valuation date for the 2000 non-domestic rating revaluation. [26340]

The next non-domestic property revaluation will come into force on 1 April 2000. We have decided that the antecedent valuation date for England and Wales, that is the common valuation date for the 2000 revaluation, will be 1 April 1998. I have today laid the necessary order before the House.This decision will provide certainty for businesses and will allow adequate time for the assessment to be carried out.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has made a decision on the Government grant support for the Energy Saving Trust in 1998–99; and if he will make a statement. [26531]

The previous Government's planned public expenditure total provided £13.5 million for 1998–99, compared to this year's £19 million. We have allocated an additional £5.5 million to the Trust, to avoid the previous Government's planned cut, and to maintain Government support for the Trust. This allocation of grant support reflects the contribution which energy efficiency makes both to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to reducing consumers' energy bills. The increased allocation will enable the Trust to maintain and develop its successful programmes, and will secure the Trust's capability to plan for the climate change task ahead. For the present year, the Secretary of State has allocated the Trust an additional £450,000, to enable it to extend its successful 'Energy Efficiency' promotion campaign and extend other successful programmes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils were permanently excluded from schools in England and Wales, on 1 December 1997. [23286]

Data on permanent exclusions during the 1997–98 school year will be collected as part of the annual school census in January 1999. The latest figures currently available are for the school year 1995–96. These show a total of 12,476 permanent exclusions in England during the year—an average of 60 permanent exclusions on any one school day. Exclusions from schools in Wales are a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list his decisions on each school from which he has considered applications for grant-maintained status since 1 May 1997, indicating the grounds for his decision. [24081]

The table lists decisions on applications for grant-maintained status since 1 May 1997. Each proposal was decided on its individual merits. Factors taken into account included the following:

the effect of the proposals on the standard of educational provision in the area generally;

the quality of education at the school;

the demand for places at the school;

the financial viability of the school;

the financial management of the school;

the cost implications of the proposals;

the acceptability of the admission policy of the school;

the views of interested parties, including parents and other local residents, the LEA, other schools, the FAS and FEFC, and, in the case of Church schools, the Diocese or Trustees;

the strength of support for GM status demonstrated by the ballot; the commitment of the head and governing body to GM status.

LEA	School name
Approved
Bedfordshire	Westoning Lower School
Birmingham	St. Paul's Community School
Croydon	Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School1
Hertfordshire	Jewish Community Day School1
Lambeth	Julian's Primary School
Southwark	Surrey Square Grant-maintained Infant School
Southwark	Surrey Square Grant-maintained Junior School
Minded to approve subject to certain modifications
Barnet	Matilda Marks Kennedy School1
Birmingham	1 Al Furqan Muslim Primary School
Brent	Islamia Primary School1
Rejected
Barnet	Pardes House and Beis Yaskov School
Bedfordshire	Shortstown Lower School
Brent	Torah Temimah Primary School1
Bradford	Stoney Lee Middle School
Buckinghamshire	Chartridge County Combined School
Devon	Mount St. Mary's Convent School1
Devon	Ratcliffe Special School
Gloucestershire	Oakdene Special School
Hampshire	Rookwood County Infant School
Hampshire	The Foxbury Special School
Kent	Amherst County Junior School
Kent	St. Thomas of Canterbury School
Kent	Woodchurch CE Primary School
Lancashire	The Maharishi School1
Stockport	Doodfield Primary School
Surrey	St. Peter and St. Paul CE Primary
Surrey	The Ashford High School
Tower Hamlets	Bishop Challoner R. C. School
Trafford	Stretford Grammar School
Warwickshire	Ilmington CE Primary School
Walsall	Birchills CE Primary Community School
West Sussex	Herbert Shiner School
Wiltshire	Broad Hinton CE Primary School
Wiltshire	Leigh Primary School
York	Fulford Cross Special School
1 Proposals for new GM schools by promoters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the ability of Shropshire Local Education Authority to meet its statutory obligations in the next financial year within his proposed financial settlement. [24432]

Shropshire is set to receive a 4.7 per cent. increase in its education SSA for next year to help it meet its obligations. However, I am aware of the concern of Shropshire parents and teachers about the financial settlement announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and the effects of local government reorganisation and am keeping in close touch with developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many qualified religious education teachers are employed in local education authority schools; how many vacancies exist; and if he will make a statement on the recruitment of religious education teachers. [24436]

LEA-maintained secondary schools in England had about 8,200 qualified religious education teachers at November 1996 and 17 vacancies at January 1997. ITT courses for the primary sector equip all teachers to deliver religious education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review the rules concerning provision of support for students who take a year out of their degree course for health reasons. [24456]

Local Education Authorities have the discretion to continue paying grant to students holding mandatory awards who, with the permission of their academic authority, are absent from their courses. We have issued detailed guidance to LEAs on how to approach the question of payments for students who are absent through sickness. It encouraged LEAs to take a sympathetic and positive view when dealing with sick students, and to bear in mind that they are not immediately eligible for benefits. Sick students may become eligible for Income Support and other benefits only where the period of illness has continued for 28 weeks or more. It is right for LEAs to have discretion in this area and I have no plans to change the present position in 1998–99.One of the eligibility criteria for obtaining a student loan is that students must be attending their courses. Students who leave their courses for any reason, including sickness, cease to be eligible until they return to their course.We are currently considering what arrangements should be put in place for sick students once loans replace grants in 1999–2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many additional places in higher education he expects to be financed by the introduction of tuition fees in each of the first four years of the operation of the scheme. [24724]

We have made it clear that the savings from the introduction of the new funding arrangements for higher education will be used to improve quality, standards and opportunities for all in further and higher education. The funding for higher education in 1998–99 announced by my right hon. Friend on 23 September 1997 will enable an additional 1,000 full-time places to be provided in higher education, on sub-degree programmes mainly in further education colleges. Plans for subsequent years will be announced in due course, having regard to the Government's comprehensive spending review and our aim to widen participation in higher education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Government have to encourage greater labour mobility to ease labour shortages. [25220]

The Government will continue to encourage employers to consider the widest possible range of sources of labour when recruiting, including people whose preference is for flexible working arrangements such as part-time or tele-working. Equally, we shall continue to encourage individuals to increase their employability, including their flexibility and mobility as well as their skills.To assist geographical mobility, the Employment Service operates a Travel to Interview Scheme. This encourages people to widen their job search by helping with travelling costs incurred in attending interviews outside their usual travel to work area.Training and Enterprise Councils continue to work with employers locally to respond to the skills needs identified in particulars areas. In addition, the Government are setting up a new Skills Taskforce to advise on the extent and nature of skills shortages, and on appropriate action for tackling them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average allocation of money for each young person for the gateway to the new deal; and how this money is to be disbursed. [25410]

The Gateway will help young people to finds jobs or to take up New Deal option places. Individual young people's circumstances and needs will differ considerably. At present, our broad planning assumption is that the Gateway will meet these varying needs within an average expenditure of £260 per young person. As this includes those who leave the Gateway early for unsubsidised jobs, significantly more will be available for those who need the greatest help, the amount in each case related to the young person's needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a sttaement on the effects of the Greenwich Judgment on (a) grant-maintained schools and (b) proposed foundation schools. [25320]

The 1989 Greenwich Judgment does not cover grant-maintained schools, but the Department has consistently encouraged them to adopt the same approach. Our proposals in the School Standards and Framework Bill mean that the judgment would apply to all maintained schools, including those in the new foundation category. We shall expect school admission authorities to work closely with those in neighbouring LEA areas in the interests of all parents, and look to the proposed new forums to help bring this about.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps the Government have taken to tackle age discrimination. [25646]

The Government firmly oppose age discrimination in employment. Following my announcement in the House on 22 May 1997, Official Report, column 825, I have been consulting widely on how best to achieve a consensus to tackle this complex issue. The consultation will continue into the spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the guide price per trainee per week for placements on the New Deal in Cornwall (a) in total and (b) excluding payments to the trainee. [25470]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: There is no guide price for New Deal participants in Cornwall. The funding for an individual participating in the programme will vary considerably depending on the amount of help they require during the Gateway and, if they enter an option, the nature of the opportunity they take up.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the average amount per trainee allowed for supervision under New Deal contracts in Cornwall. [25468]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: No "average amount" has been suggested for the supervision of New Deal participants. All those wishing to tender were asked to submit a full costing analysis for the delivery of Gateway provision or the New Deal option that they were interested in providing. This analysis included the management and supervisory costs that they intended to charge.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the environmental objectives for the New Deal in Cornwall. [25471]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: Work undertaken on the Environment Task Force in Cornwall will contribute to the improvement of the local and/or global environment and will be compatible with sustainable development.Opportunities for young people on the Environment Task Force will be as broad and inclusive as possible and will, where possible include opportunities for young people to become involved in the regeneration of their local communities for example on housing, reclamation, recycling and conservation projects.Work on environmental projects under the New Deal must complement and contribute to national and international environmental objectives and run in synergy with the aims and objectives of the New Deal.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will give a breakdown of the numbers from each new deal programme making up the 50,000 new child minders to be trained in the Chancellor's Budget initiative. [25777]

It is a principle of the design of the New Deal that young people should be helped to choose the option most appropriate for them. Accordingly, we have not estimated the number of child care opportunities likely to be pursued under each New Deal option. We expect, however, that many of the placements will be found under the Voluntary Sector option of the New Deal, with further opportunities under the Employment and Full Time Education or Training options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cost of giving a full widow's pension to spouses of members of the teachers superannuation scheme who married those members after the members' retirement in each year since 1994–95. [25867]

This information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will publish his Department' s response to the Education and Employment Committee's First Report on Teacher Recruitment (HC 262–1) of Session 1997–98. [26513]

I welcome the Committee's report.Copies of the Department's response have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will carry out an assessment of the impact of his Department's current policies on the (a) income, (b) employment opportunities and (c) living standards, of the poorest 30 per cent. of the population. [23333]

The sectors for which my Department is responsible—arts, museums, libraries, sport, tourism, the built heritage, the music industry, film and broadcasting—are central to delivering improvements to the quality of life for everyone. In all these sectors our objective is to ensure access for the many, not just the few, whether as audience or participant.The arts, sport and broadcasting have a widely accepted role in promoting social cohesion, and in providing through formal and informal education the necessary skills which individuals need to develop socially and at work.Public libraries are a vital focus for the community, offering a source of information and advice to help the unemployed into work or training, and free access to sources of learning and enjoyment for all.All our sectors are supporting the New Deal. The tourism industry in particular has the potential to provide many new job opportunities over the next few years.The National Lottery has provided sporting and cultural infrastructure around the country from which all benefit. The National Lottery Charities Board in particular gives grants to help meet the needs of those at greatest disadvantage in society. The Bill currently before the House for the reform of the National Lottery will help the disadvantaged further through the New Opportunities Fund, whose first programmes will include out of school hours activities and healthy living centres.My Department is working with the Social Exclusion Unit to ensure that we fully exploit opportunities for sport, the arts, broadcasting and the other DCMS sectors to play their part in helping to tackle the problems of social exclusion.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how he plans to take forward policy on the legal deposit of publications following the response to the consultation paper published in February 1997. [26339]

The consultation period closed on 11 April 1997. One hundred and sixty one organisations and individuals submitted responses. I am grateful to them for taking the trouble to address the issues which the consultation paper discussed, and for submitting their views. I have placed a summary of the results of the consultation exercise in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of people diagnosed with intestinal cancer over the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement on how this compares with other (a) Commonwealth and (b) EU countries. [24470]

The number of people diagnosed over the last 10 years in England and Wales with cancers of the small intestine, colon and rectum is shown in table 1. Table 2 gives the figure for bowel cancer, a combination of the three cancers.

Table 2: Incidence of bowel cancer (ICD9 152–154) England and Wales 1983 to 1992
Year	Cases males	Cases females	Age standardised rates per 100,0001males	Age standardised rates per 100,0001females	Crude rate per 100,00 males	Bowel (ICD9, 152–154) crude rate per 100,000 female
1983	12,633	13,483	32.9	24.4	52.2	52.9
1984	12,755	13,351	33.0	23.7	52.6	52.3
1985	13,308	13,817	33.8	24.4	54.6	53.9
1986	12,792	13,571	32.3	24.1	52.3	52.8
1987	13,381	13,975	33.7	24.3	54.5	54.2
1988	13,742	14,182	34.2	24.4	55.8	54.9
1989	14,031	14,261	34.5	24.1	56.7	55.0
1990	14,158	14,047	34.5	23.9	56.9	54.0
1991	14,114	14,029	34.3	23.8	56.5	53.7
1992	14,912	14,748	35.8	24.6	59.4	56.3
1 Directly age standaridised using the world standard population.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to advise health authorities to use recombinant blood products for haemophiliacs. [24670]

In line with the recommendations of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee we have recently commissioned an assessment of the risks of possible human to human transmission of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease through blood and blood products. When we have the results of that assessment we will decide what further advice, if any, we should give.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the public health responsibilities of the Commission for Health Improvement. [25004]

We will consult on the role and responsibilities of the Commission for Health Improvement before bringing forward legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) regional and (b) locality variations in school nurse numbers. [25016]

The number of school nurses is for employers to determine in the light of local needs and clinical priorities. Any future proposals authorities wish to make should be made in the light of the Green Paper on Public Health which will shortly be published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the ratio of (a) school nurses to schools and (b) schools nurses to numbers of children; [25015](2) how many school nurses, expressed as whole-time equivalents, were employed by the NHS in England in

School nurses employed by the National Health Service hospital and community health services are not separately identifiable from other community nursing staff within the non-medical workforce censuses conducted by the Department of Health after 1994. Consequently, figures for 1995 and 1996 are not available centrally. In addition to the number of school nurses, the table gives the numbers of schools and school children, as changes to the ratios can be the result of changes to these components as well as changes to the numbers of nurses.

NHS hospital and community health services nursing and midwifery staff (excluding agency and learners) working in the school nurse area of work, numbers of schools and numbers of pupils in England for 1990 to 1994
Year	Number of school nurses1	Number of schools	Number of schools per school nurse2	Number of pupils (thousands)	Number of pupils per school nurse1
1990	2,540	27,385	11	7,401	2,910
1991	2,460	27,179	11	7,452	3,020
1992	2,440	26,956	11	7,541	3,090
1993	2,470	26,752	11	7,665	3,100
1994	2,350	26,442	11	7,700	3,280

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what national standards he has set for school health services; [25022](2) what guidance he has issued to

Good practice guidance, "Child Health Services—A Guide to Good Practice", was issued to the National Health Service in 1996. Copies are available in the Library.The exact job descriptions and numbers of school nurses are for local commissioners and employers to determine in the light of local needs and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits of giving each school pupil access to a named school nurse. [25023]

We are considering the terms of a new Patient's Charter to include the health care needs of children. The level of benefit to be gained by their having access to a named school nurse will form part of that consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many unfavourable side-effects of the drug carbamazepine have been reported in the past 10 years; and if he will list them; [24996](2) how many people have been treated with carbamazepine for medicinal purposes in the last five years; and how many cases of harmful side-effects have been reported. [24997]

The number of patients prescribed carbamazepine is not available. The number of prescription items for carbamazepine dispensed in England from 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1996 (the last five years for which data are available) was 8.9 million. During this period, 672 suspected adverse drug reaction reports for carbamazepine were received by the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which contracts to train Indonesian military personnel remain outstanding. [22907]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 8 July 1997, Official Report, column 422. I will, as promised then, write to the hon. Member once the review has been completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current security classification of the newsletter produced for the staff of (a) the Ships Support Agency, (b) the Ministry of Defence Police and (c) the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre; how often each newsletter is produced; and when each newsletter was first produced. [24508]

This is a matter for the Chief Executives of the Agencies concerned. I have asked them to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 1998, Official Report, column 482, (1) when discussions began in his Department concerning the non-statutory agreement with the Scottish Executive; on what dates discussions took place; and who was present at such meetings; [25589](2) what representations he has received from other government departments concerning the format and aims of a non-statutory agreement between his Department and the Scottish Executive; if he will list the number of representations from each department; and if he will make a statement; [25592](3) if he will publish the most recent drafts of non-statutory agreements with the Scottish Executive; when he proposes to publish the final document; and if the agreement will operate in the first instance for a trial period; [25590](4) in what areas a non-statutory agreement between his Department and the Scottish Executive will give the lead role in policy formation to his Department; to what extent it will include mechanisms to harmonise policy between Scotland and his Department on devolved matters; and if he will make a statement. [25591]

[holding answer 27 January 1998]: Discussions are being held between departments, both at official level and Ministerial level, on all matters relating to non-statutory agreements between the UK Government and the Scottish Executive. In most cases, these discussions are in their early stages in the light of the fact that such agreements cannot be finalised until the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Executive are established. Parliament will be kept informed of progress on these matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 20 January 1998, Official Report, column 480, if he will list the amounts in US dollars and pounds sterling paid to the United States in each of the US fiscal years from 1980 to date in support of the United Kingdom Trident programme; how much he expects to pay, in dollars and sterling, for each of the next five US fiscal years, to support the operations of the United Kingdom Trident programme; and if he will give dollar and sterling figures for each of the amounts cited in his answer; and if he will make a statement. [25487]

Payments to the United States in respect of the United Kingdom's Trident programme are made in US dollars and are largely made through the US Department of Defense. I am unable to provide a breakdown of payments by US Fiscal Year but cumulative expenditure during UK Financial years to 31 March 1997 through the Department of Defense on Trident was some $3,430 million, broken down as follows:

	$000
Prior to 1986–87	174,451
1986–87	51,295
1987–88	144,594
1988–89	229,274
1989–90	249,269
1990–91	270,359
1991–92	341,738
1992–93	418,354
1993–94	649,634
1994–95	432,502
1995–96	213,015
1996–97	255,135
Total	3,429.620

In addition, lesser payments were made directly to US companies under contracts which were in place over a number of years. Such payments, again all in US dollars, amounted to some $194 million to 31 March 1997. Sterling values for the dollar expenditure varied according to exchange rates at the time.Expenditure in the United States in future years remains subject to Ministerial approval and will be dependent on the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review.The hon. Member will have noted that a misprint in my answer of 20 January 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number, type and location of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force helicopters available for civilian rescue work in Scotland. [25982]

All MOD helicopters, depending on military commitments, are available to assist the civil community in an emergency situation. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force provide dedicated Search and Rescue helicopter cover for Scotland from the following locations:

Service	Location	Type	Number
Royal Navy	HMS Gannet, Prestwick	Sea King	2
Royal Air Force	RAF Lossiemouth, Morayshire	Sea King	2
Royal Air Force	RAF Boulmer, Northumbria	Sea King	2

In addition, based in Scotland there are a further seven Sea Kings at HMS Gannet in the Anti-Submarine Warfare role and the Territorial Army have four Gazelles at RAF Leuchars. These helicopters may be supplemented by other MOD helicopters based elsewhere in the UK if necessary. This includes a Chinook helicopter at RAF Odiham and a Puma helicopters at RAF Benson, both on "national standby".

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 November 1997, Official Report, column 66, how many papers have been produced for conferences and other purposes since January 1994 by the AWE Directorate of Environment, Safety and Health; and how many of these are currently unclassified. [24803]

Since October 1994, when a central register for such things was started, 11 unclassified papers by staff of the Directorate of Environment, Safety and Health have been through MOD clearance procedures for use at conferences or as MSc theses. As regards the total number of papers produced for conferences and other purposes since January 1994, I have nothing to add to the answers I gave on 17 November and 22 July 1997, Official Report, columns 66 and 529 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many special safety teams in respect of nuclear weapons accidents there are currently. [24510]

The RAF has five station nuclear accident response teams (formerly called Special Safety Teams) that would provide immediate response forces in the event of a nuclear weapon accident. A similar capability is provided as an integral part of the escort for a nuclear weapon road convoy, and immediate response capabilities are also maintained by the Clyde Naval Base and the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed within the Defence Export Services Organisation; what is the breakdown of their posts; and how many of the staff are employed in London. [24840]

There are a total of some 687 personnel employed with the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO). Of these, a total of 478.5 are located in London. The posts are broken down in the following way:

	UK based	Overseas
Senior Civil Service grades	12	—
Middle and senior management grades	223.5	33
Non-mobile grades	137	9
Locally engaged staff	—	34.5
Staff on secondment from Industry	2	—
Military Personnel	163	73
Total	537.5	149.5

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff of the Defence Export Services Organisation are seconded from defence manufacturers; and what functions they perform. [25669]

There are currently two secondees from defence manufacturers working in the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO). One is the head of the organisation itself; the other is a middle manager seconded for one year to gain a general understanding of the work of DESO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is his estimate of the additional staffing and administration costs of expanding Land Command United Kingdom's Scotland Headquarters to take command of both the Scotland and North of England districts; [25935](2) pursuant to his answer of 16 January 1998,

This kind of information will form part of the internal analysis of options to be considered during the study of the restructuring of Land Command. At this stage, therefore, I am withholding the information requested under exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer of 16 January 1998, Official Report, column 349, what other options are being studied by the Commander in Chief Land Command for the restructuring of his command. [25933]

We are prepared to consider any option which provides an efficient structure for the command and administration of the Army in the UK. At this stage it is too early to say whether any options will emerge other than that outlined in my earlier reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to recognise the wartime service of Sir Arthur Harris; and if he will make a statement. [25726]

The achievements of Sir Arthur Harris have been recognised by the bestowal of many highly valued honours and awards. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1918, the OBE in 1927 and the GCB in 1945. He was promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force in 1946 and Her Majesty The Queen conferred a Baronetcy upon him in 1953. He was further honoured in 1992 when his statue outside St. Clement Danes Church in The Strand was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. There are no plans for further recognition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if Her Majesty's forces' access to (a) indulgence travel, (b) free flights on posting, (c) leave travel at public expense and (d) other concessionary and privileged travel is restricted to serving personnel and their wife or husband and children; and what plans he has to extend (a) to (d) to other relationships. [25743]

Entitlement to Her Majesty's forces access to indulgence travel, free flights on posting, leave travel at public expense and other concessionary and privileged travel is restricted to serving personnel and their wife or husband and children.We have no plans at present to extend access to concessionary and privileged travel beyond Service personnel, their spouses and dependent children, but the situation is kept under review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if, for each of the major acute PFI schemes prioritised by his Department since May, he will (a) list the capital cost in the outline business case, (b) estimate the current cost and (c) state the percentage change. [21411]

[holding answer 18 December 1997]: The information requested is set out in the table.

	1	2	3	4
NHS Trust	Capital cost in OBC1£ million	Capital cost in OBC at current prices2£ million	Latest estimated capital cost at current prices3£ million	Percentage change between columns 2 and 3
Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh	174.5	186.5	188.5	1.1
Law Hospital	78.6	84.9	85.0	0.0
Hairmyres and Stonehouse Hospitals	52.4	66.0	66.1	0.2
1None of the projects prepared outline business cases (OBCs) since the projects were initially developed along the lines of public funding. Figures have been taken from the nearest equivalents.
2 Figures in column 1 have been uplifted to current prices using the BCIS index (to 4th Quarter 1997).
3 Figures are gross of sales of surplus land and include the costs of land (except in the case of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh), construction and professional fees but exclude the cost of equipment (other than items which are supplied and fixed under the terms of the construction contract), VAT, rolled up interest and financing costs. Figures are based on current prices.

The capital cost of a scheme in the OBC (or equivalent) is not necessarily comparable with the capital cost of the facility provided under the PFI. The capital cost in the OBC is based on the scheme being funded from limited public capital whereas under PFI the same constraints on capital do not exist. PFI allows Trusts to develop schemes which transfer risks from the public sector to the private sector and offer the best value for money to the taxpayer.Only the projects that prove to be affordable to the healthcare planners, value for money to the taxpayer and offer real healthcare improvements to the public will proceed under PFI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the numbers and percentage rates of 18 to 25-year-olds unemployed in (a) November 1997, (b) May 1997 and (c) May 1996 in the local authorities of (i) Angus, (ii) City of Dundee and (iii) Perthshire and Kinross. [23833]

ONS measures unemployment using the internationally standard ILO unemployment rate. This is measured through the Labour Force Survey, which is a survey of households in the United Kingdom. This is internationally agreed and counts the number of people who are: (a) without a paid job; (b) available to start work within the next two weeks and (c) have actively sought work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained.The ONS also publishes the monthly claimant count, which is based on the administrative system and includes all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseekers Allowance or National Insurance credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how he will ensure that each eligible child who had a nursery place under the voucher scheme will have a similar place at the centre of their parents' choice, under the new arrangements. [22081]

I published on 27 November 1997 a major consultation paper, Education in Early Childhood: The Pre-school Year, which sets out the Government's vision of the way forward for pre-school education in Scotland after vouchers are discontinued in June 1998. The policy set out in the consultation paper has been widely welcomed, and I look forward to the detailed responses from many quarter which have already begun to come in, in advance of the end of the consultation period on 6 February.Under the new arrangements, pre-school education grant will be available to support a part-time place for every child in the pre-school year whose parents want one. Local authorities, accountable to their local electorates, will have the lead role in planning and delivering pre-school education in partnership with centres in the private and voluntary sectors, and will be able to use their local knowledge to ensure that places are well matched to local circumstances, to the varied needs of children, and to the preferences of parents, at the same time securing the best value for public money. All centres in receipt of grant will be required to implement the same curriculum guidelines and will be liable to inspection by HM Inspectors of Schools to ensure a high quality of education.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the reasons for the reduction in charges in the case of John Barr Butchers and the E.coli deaths in Wishaw. [25234]

Criminal prosecutions are a matter for my right hon. noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. I understand that the Procurator Fiscal consulted Crown Counsel before agreeing to accept pleas of guilty which were offered on behalf of the firm of John. M. Barr and Son in respect of two charges under the Food Safety Legislation and to drop two other, less serious, charges against the firm and the three charges against the partners in the firm. The charges in respect of which the firm pleaded guilty reflected the most serious offences which were charged in the case, namely those involving E.coli 0157 contamination. The Lord Advocate is satisfied that acceptance of the pleas tendered was in accordance with the interests of justice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, by local authority, the level of charges levied on residents in receipt of the social work care services broken down by service item. [25605]

This information is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) by what means he has made public the change in the ownership structure relating to the Skye Bridge; and if he will make a statement; [25452](2) what assessment he has made of the compliance of the change in the ownership structure relating to the Skye Bridge with the concession agreement; and if he will make a statement. [25998]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on Tuesday 27 January 1998.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what plans she has to implement the Monopolies and Mergers Commission's proposals for the retail of domestic electrical goods; [25729](2) what representations she has received on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission proposals to abolish recommended retail prices within the domestic electrical goods market. [25730]

My right hon. Friend announced her proposals for implementing remedies following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on domestic electrical goods on 30 July 1997. These were subject to a public consultation.Many representations have been received and are under consideration. My right hon. Friend will announce her final decision as soon as possible.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what instructions have been given to Regional Office North West on the need to underspend on ESF and ERDF budgets for the period 1994 to 1996. [24693]

[holding answer 26 January 1998]: I have asked for this matter to be looked into and I am informed that no instructions were given.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is her Department's policy on the recent policy statement from the European Commission relating to the principle of self-regulation of the Internet industry. [24003]

[holding answer 19 January 1998]: The Government welcome the Commission's Communication "Action Plan on promoting safe use of the Internet" (COM(97)582 final). The fight against illegal content needs to be based on the effective action of industry, backed up by the full force of existing law.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many discharged bankrupts have had their pensions seized as a result of the judgment in the Landau case. [25058]

The judgment in the Landau case provided judicial clarification of the provisions of the Insolvency Act 1986 as to the rights of a trustee in bankruptcy and a bankrupt to the benefits arising from a retirement annuity contract, similar in nature to a personal pension, held by a bankrupt at the date of bankruptcy.The information as to the number of discharged bankrupts whose pensions have been seized by trustees in bankruptcy under the Insolvency Act 1986 is not held centrally.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the procedure for her Department issuing press releases following agreement being reached under a carecraft order for the disqualification of a director. [24105]

[holding answer 20 January 1998]: The usual practice is to issue a press release in cases where a disqualification order is made against a director following a carecraft agreement.

To ask the President of the Council if she intends to make it the general practice of Government to publish the notes on clauses which accompany public bills; and if she will make a statement. [25489]

Notes on clauses are already produced by departments for most Bills. In future, as the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House reported recently (Second Report 1997–98 HC 389), it is intended that notes on clauses will be combined with the existing explanatory memoranda and published as a single document with each Bill. It is hoped that draft Bills published this session and Bills introduced next session will be accompanied by the new style explanatory notes. This is in line with the suggestion the Government and First Parliamentary Counsel put to the Modernisation Committee and which was endorsed in their recent report on the proposed explanatory notes on Bills (Second Report 1997–98 HC 389).

To ask the President of the Council if Her Majesty's Government will in future, when drafting legislation, make use of purpose clauses making clear the intentions of Parliament. [25524]

There are some circumstances when the use of purpose clauses is appropriate, but the Government share the views of the Committee on the Preparation of Legislation in 1975 that they should be used "selectively and with caution" and the Hansard Society Commission on the Legislative Process in 1992 that

"they should not be used as a general practice".

The Government intend, through the publication of better explanatory material on Bills, to make clearer the background to legislation at the time it is introduced into Parliament. The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons has recently reported on the proposed explanatory notes on Bills (Second Report 1997–98 HC 389).

To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on the role of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in relation to its role as final court of appeal for Commonwealth countries and UK dependencies. [25506]

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council hears appeals and applications for leave to appeal from the final courts of appeal of those independent Commonwealth territories which have retained the appeal to the Privy Council upon attaining independence, and the dependent territories. The Committee also hears appeals from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.