To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the inward investment projects located in intermediate status areas for which his

	Number of basic rate taxpayers (thousands)	Percentage of all taxpayers1	Number of higher rate taxpayers (thousands)	Percentage of all taxpayers1
North East
Cleveland	170	69.3	10	4.2
Durham	161	66.5	13	5.5
Northumberland	107	70.4	12	8
Tyne and Wear	309	71.7	22	5.1
North West and Merseyside
Cheshire	310	67.6	39	8.5
Cumbria	177	71.1	14	5.8
Greater Manchester	735	72.2	58	5.7
Lancashire	416	69.6	29	4.9
Merseyside	361	67	29	5.4
Yorkshire and The Humber
Humberside	275	68.6	23	5.7
North Yorkshire	244	66.9	31	8.5
South Yorkshire	367	71.3	21	4.1
West Yorkshire	613	70.5	51	5.9
East Midlands
Derbyshire	308	71.9	21	5
Leicestershire	306	69.9	33	7.5
Lincolnshire	199	70.1	13	4.5
Northamptonshire	204	70.2	24	8.2
Nottinghamshire	298	68.5	26	6
West Midlands
Hereford and Worcester	255	69.2	30	8.2
Shropshire	151	68.6	17	7.8
Staffordshire	354	73.3	34	7
Warwickshire	157	68.5	20	8.7
West Midlands	755	72.1	58	5.6
Eastern
Bedfordshire	194	74.1	19	7.3
Cambridgeshire	232	71.9	29	9.1
Essex	480	68.1	79	11.2
Hertfordshire	335	65.9	77	15.2
Norfolk	239	70.1	23	6.7
Suffolk	159	72.5	18	8.4
London	2100	69.9	374	12.4
South East
Berkshire	260	67	58	15
Buckinghamshire	259	68.7	52	13.8
East Sussex	207	61.8	28	8.4
Hampshire	551	69.5	83	10.5
Isle of Wight	44	72.7	2—	2—
Kent	501	68.2	60	8.2
Oxfordshire	203	67.2	37	12.3

HM Treasury has granted no such permission during the present Administration.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are currently paying income tax at (a) the basic rate and (b) higher tax rates in each county of England and Wales. [29480]

[pursuant to her reply, 19 February 1998, c. 794–95]: The table shows estimates of the number and percentage of basic and higher rate taxpayers by county in England and unitary authority in Wales in 1995/96, the latest year for which there is information.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress of the BSE Inquiry. [33694]

The BSE Inquiry, chaired by Lord Justice Phillips, started its public hearings today. After having considered the volume of material to be assessed and the complexity of the issues under review, the Inquiry has requested an additional six months in which to complete its work. The Government have agreed, and set a revised date for delivery of the Inquiry's report of 30 June 1999.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he plans to take to ensure farmers provide indoor-housed pigs with at least the space allowances recommended by the European Commission's Scientific Veterinary Committee in its 1997 report on the welfare of intensively kept pigs; and if he will make a statement. [32626]

The EU Scientific Veterinary Committee report is the first stage of the review of Directive 91/630 on the welfare of pigs. We are now awaiting the Commission's proposals, based on the Committee's advice, on how the Directive should be revised. The Committee's recommendations on space allowances, and any Commission proposals, will need careful study and discussion with other Member States, before decisions are taken. We remain committed to working with the industry to improve the welfare of pigs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to limit damage to the marine environment from hormone-disrupting chemicals. [31924]

[holding answer 2 March 1998]: The scientific evidence surrounding effects linked to hormone disruption and the possible role of exposure to man-made chemicals in the environment is far from certain. We and other Government Departments are putting in place a coordinated research programme to address the uncertainties which will also address the marine environment.At present the best example of chemical mediated hormone disruption is the masculinisation of female molluscs resulting in their inability to reproduce caused by exposure to tributyl tin (TBT). The Government have banned the use of TBT in fish farms and on vessels under 25 metres in length. Further international controls of use on larger vessels are being developed through the framework of the International Maritime Organisation. The need for controls on other chemicals currently suspected of hormone disruption will be pursued should research demonstrate that these are justified.The Oslo and Paris Commissions have been developing an Objective and Strategy on Hazardous Substances which will identify priority hazardous substances in the marine environment for subsequent risk reduction programmes and measures. The UK is actively supporting the prioritisation of hormone disrupting chemicals in this exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on trends in the number of empty (a) local authority homes, (b) private homes, (c) Government properties containing residential accommodation and (d) flats above shops in each of the last 12 years. [32319]

[holding answer 3 March 1998]: Estimates of the numbers of vacant dwellings in England on 1 April are given in the table. No data are collected centrally on vacant flats over shops.We will continue to encourage local housing authorities to develop effective empty property strategies to help make the best use of existing housing stock across all tenures.

	Local authority1	Other public sector2	Registered Social Landlords3	Private Sector4
1986	113	n/a	26	552
1987	112	n/a	24	570
1988	103	n/a	24	580
1989	101	21	22	589
1990	99	17	20	587
1991	83	15	16	638
1992	74	14	16	706
1993	71	16	517	765
1994	70	17	21	737
1995	72	20	21	690

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list the water companies that have not produced an annual report on the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation; and what plans he has to ensure that all water companies produce such reports; [32846](2) what plans he has to consult non-governmental organisations on the review of the Code of Practice on Conservation, Access and Recreation; and when he plans to publish the revised code. [32847]

The following water companies have not yet submitted their Conservation, Access and Recreation reports for 1996–97:

• Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water Plc
• Cholderton and District Water Company
• Essex and Suffolk Water Plc
• Mid Southern Water Plc
• Portsmouth Water Plc
• South Staffordshire Water Plc
• Yorkshire Water Plc

We are pursuing reports from those companies.We propose to consult all interested bodies, including non-governmental organisations, on a draft revision of the Code of Practice, with a view to publishing a revised Code later in the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the total amount spent on core regeneration programme funding in each of the last five years and planned spending in the next three financial years. [32845]

The table details the amount spent on regeneration programmes in the period 1992–93 to 1996–97, forecast spend in 1997–98 and planned spend in 1998–99. Figures for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 will be agreed at the conclusion of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what performance indicators were included in the DBFO contract in relation to the new A419/A417 road scheme regarding the quality of the concrete road surface; at what stages and to what extent these performance indicators were monitored during the laying of the concrete; and if all the performance indicators were successfully achieved by the contractor before final payment was made; [32970](2) what was the precise specification of the DBFO contract in relation to the new A419/A417 road scheme regarding the smoothness of the concrete surface of the road; how this was specified in relation to the noise generated; and if the surface which has been provided meets that specification; [32969](3) how many representations his Department and Highways Agency have received regarding noise generated by the new A419/A417 road scheme; and what further noise abatement measures are proposed; [32968](4) what was his Department's advice regarding road surfaces and noise to the Public Inquiry Inspector on the new A419/A417 road scheme; and in what respects that advice differed from the departmental standard for a normal public procurement process for a new road. [32971]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many train drivers are currently diagnosed as suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. [32843]

There is no requirement for this to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under current reporting requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures are in place to rehabilitate train drivers who suffer psychological damage as a result of being involved in fatalities on railways. [32844]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not keep records of what measures are in place to rehabilitate train drivers who suffer psychological damage as a result of being involved in fatalities on the railway. However, it is known that some train operating companies offer the services of professional counsellors and medical support to those drivers following involvement in a fatality on the railway.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many train drivers are currently suspended from duty as a consequence of the Driver at Risk Register. [32842]

This is a matter for the individual train operating companies and no central records are kept. Drivers placed on these Registers are not suspended from duty. They may either be put on alternative work or drive trains under specific restrictions in order to ensure both their safety and that of the travelling public.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will publish regulations regarding the maximum height for boundary fences, walls or hedges between gardens; [33147](2) if he will ensure that leylandii hedging is restricted to six feet in height when used to separate small gardens. [33148]

There are no current regulations to control the height of leylandii or other hedges between gardens. However, under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, a planning application is required to erect a boundary fence or wall over one metre high next to a highway used by vehicles or over two metres elsewhere.I am still considering whether any form of Government intervention is necessary to help resolve the problems people encounter with high hedges.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will ensure that the Register of Masons being compiled by the Environment Agency is made available for public scrutiny. [33023]

[holding answer 6 March 1998]: The Environment Agency has asked members of its Board, chairmen of its statutory committees and all its staff to inform the Agency is they are members of the Freemasons or other secret societies. Declarations by Board members and statutory committee chairmen will be entered on the register of their interests, which is open to public inspection. Declarations by staff will inform the Agency's Board and senior management, and will be taken into account by them where appropriate. The Agency does not intend to make staff declarations public. It will make information publicly available in April 1998 on the number of staff, Board members and statutory committee chairmen who have declared that they are Freemasons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the guidance in PPG2 (Revised) in respect of the circumstances in which the development of land entirely enclosed by buildings can be regarded as inappropriate in the context of its impact on the Green Belt. [33263]

[holding answer 6 March 1998]: Planning Policy Guidance note 2 sets out the types of development which are not inappropriate in Green Belts. There remains a general presumption against inappropriate development which is harmful to the purpose of the Green Belt. The fact that land is entirely surrounded by buildings does not mean that development on that land is appropriate, or that it will have no impact on the Green Belt. Application of the guidance in PPG2 is a matter for local planning authorities taking account of the individual circumstances of each case.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total income to the Treasury from vehicle licence duty in each of the last three years. [33346]

Total Income to the Treasury from vehicle excise duty (net of refunds) in the last three complete years was as follows:

Year	£	Rounded (£m)
1994–95	3,805,889,208	3,806
1995–96	4,043,599,430	4,044
1996–97	4,217,507,503	4,218

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the bodies within the responsibility of his Department currently required by legislation to lay a report before Parliament. [33553]

All the Department's executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) and nationalised industries publish annual reports and accounts. All but three of these bodies were established by means of primary legislation, and for all those bodies, the legislation lays a requirement on the Secretary of State, rather than the body itself, to lay the annual reports before Parliament. The relevant bodies are:

• Executive NDPBs
• Audit Commission for Local Authorities in England and Wales
• Commission for the New Towns
• Countryside Commission
• English Nature (Nature Conservancy Council for England)
• English Partnerships (Urban Regeneration Agency)
• Environment Agency
• General Lighthouse Authorities:
• Northern Lighthouse Board
• Trinity House
• Health and Safety Commission
• Health and Safety Executive
• Housing Action Trusts:
• Castle Vale, Birmingham
• Liverpool
• North Hull
• Stonebridge, Brent
• Tower Hamlets
• Waltham Forest
• Housing Corporation
• Joint Nature Conservation Committee
• Local Government Commission for England
• Local Government Residuary Body (England)
• London Pensions Fund Authority
• London Regional Passengers' Committee
• Rural Development Commission
• Traffic Director for London
• Urban Development Corporations:

• Birmingham Heartlands
• Black Country
• London Docklands
• Merseyside
• Plymouth
• Trafford Park
• Teesside
• Tyne and Wear
• Nationalised Industries
• British Rail
• British Waterways Board
• Civil Aviation Authority
• London Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will estimate the number and percentage of civil servants in his Department, at each grade including and above higher executive officer who (a) attended university and (b) attended either Oxford or Cambridge University; [33065](2) if he will estimate the number of civil servants in his Department, at each grade, who received their schooling in the independent school sector; [33066](3) if he will estimate for each of the last five years, the number and percentage of new civil servants in his Department who attended Oxford or Cambridge University, broken down into the number of entrants joining the Department from

The Department does not record this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 2 February 1998, Official Report, column 454, if he will make it his policy to take an equity stake in the railway industry equivalent in value to the amount of subsidy planned for the next three years. [33497]

We have no plans to make this our policy. As I made clear in my earlier answer renationalisation of the railways would be extremely costly and cannot be a priority given the other pressures on public expenditure. Our main task is to improve the railways as we found them, not as we would have wished them to be.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to extend part M of the building regulations to new dwellings; and if he will make a statement. [33901]

Further to my answer on 11 June 1997, Official Report, column 472 to a similar question from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow), I am pleased to announce that Part M of the Building Regulations, covering access and facilities for disabled people, is to be extended to include new dwellings. This decision has been taken following a thorough consideration of the responses to the consultation on the subject issued by the previous administration in January 1995 and discussion with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the House Builders Federation. The purpose of these proposed measures is to allow people to be able to invite disabled people to visit them in their own homes, and for home owners to be able to remain in their own homes longer as they become less mobile as they get older.The benefits of these changes will be very considerable—more than 10 million people will benefit. In particular there will be direct benefits of increased convenience, accessibility and sociability for disabled people. The measures will also help significantly those people who are temporarily disabled through accident or injury, the elderly and those with young children in prams and pushchairs.The extension of Part M is an important measure that complements this Government's commitment to implement the remaining duties as Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act. Part III will improve disabled people's access to goods and services and Part M will ensure better access to new domestic dwellings. This is, therefore, a key obligation for this Government, which is committed to social inclusion. It is better and more cost effective for new homes to be designed and built with proper facilities—as already happens with new public and commercial buildings—than to rely on later piecemeal adjustments.The measures to be included in the approved document will cover:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library all responses to his Department's consultation on international access to regional airports. [30310]

[pursuant to the reply, 27 February 1998, c. 400]: Following representations from regional airports, the Department has written to airlines and organisations who either operate to, or in the case of airports have regular services, to international destinations beyond the European Economic Area, seeking views on the liberalisation of access to regional airports. In conducting this exercise the Department made it clear to those airlines and organisations consulted that their responses would be treated on a commercially confidential basis. To place those responses in the House Library would breach that undertaking.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a list of (a) airlines and (b) other organisations which have been consulted by his Department for their views on international access to regional airports. [30309]

[pursuant to the reply, 27 February 1998, c. 400–01]: The following airlines and organisations were included in the consultation exercise,

Grade	Number who attended university1 (a)	Percentage who attended university (a)	Number who attended Oxford or Cambridge (b)	Percentage who attended Oxford or Cambridge (b)
Senior Civil Service (SCS)2	80	55.9	40	28
SCS and equivalent grades3	82	55	40	27
Grade 6	42	51.2	8	9.6
Grade 6 and equivalent grades3	53	54.6	13	13.4
Grade 7	192	48.5	42	10.6
Grade 7 and equivalent grades3	262	50.4	44	8.5
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)	80	25.6	6	1.9
SEO and equivalent grades3	233	34.8	20	3
Higher Executive Officer (HEO)	232	26.3	15	1.6
HEO and equivalent grades3	542	31.4	41	2.3
1 The definition of university is that used in Cabinet Office Mandate statistics and excludes Colleges of Advanced Technology, Polytechnics, Further Education Colleges, Colleges of Education and Professional Institutions.
2 Data on 8 members of the SCS is unavailable as it has not yet been placed on the Personnel Information Manpower Management System
3 Including specialists and other grades held to be equivalent to the core administrative grades.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number of civil servants in his Department, at each grade, who received their schooling in the independent school sector. [33081]

This information is not collected or recorded centrally in the Home Office and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the number and percentage of civil servants in his Department, at each grade including and above higher executive officer who (a) attended university and (b) attended either Oxford or Cambridge University. [33080]

Figures for the non-Prison Service Home Office are given in the table. The information requested could be provided for the Prison Service only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate for each of the last five years, the number and percentage of new civil servants in his Department who attended Oxford or Cambridge University, broken down into the number of entrants joining the Department from (a) the regular Civil Service entrance procedure, (b) the fast stream and (c) the private sector. [33082]

The available information for the non-Prison Service Home Office is given in the table. The information requested could be provided for the Prison Service only at disproportionate cost.Information on the nature of recruits' previous employment is not recorded centrally in the Home Office and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Since all recruitment into the Home Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code, information about recruits who were previously employed in the private sector will be included within the figures given.

Year1/Mode of Entry	Number who attended Oxford or Cambridge University	Percentage who attended Oxford or Cambridge University
1998
(a) Regular2	2	1.5
(b) Fast Stream3,4	0	0
1997
(a) Regular2	5	1.4
(b) Fast Stream3	4	40
1996
(a) Regular2	12	0.8
(b) Fast Stream3	4	40
1995
(a) Regular2	11	0.9
(b) Fast Stream3	5	50
1994
(a) Regular2	8	1.1
(b) Fast Stream3	10	62.5
1 Years shown are calendar years. Thus 1998 covers 01/01/98–06/03/98
2Individuals who did not join the Home Office as, nor have since become, fast stream staff.
3Individuals who did join the Home Office as, or have since become, fast stream staff.
4The majority of fast stream recruitment will take place later in the calendar year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his assessment, based on the most recent information from the Association of Chief Police Officers, of (a) the cost and (b) the timetable for all police forces in England and Wales achieving millennium compliance. [32304]

[holding answer 3 March 1998]: It is the responsibility of each police force to ensure that its information technology (IT) systems are Year 2000 compliant. In addressing the problem, forces are being assisted by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO), which issued guidance to all forces in May last year. The guidance was augmented by PITO-sponsored conferences for police IT managers in May and November 1997.Information about the cost to forces of achieving compliance is not held centrally by either the Home Office or the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). All forces are actively working to achieve compliance by the millennium. Progress is regularly reviewed by ACPO and by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary as part of its regular inspections.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the appointments to public bodies which he has made since 1 May 1997 have been from the Public Appointments Unit list. [33253]

The information requested is not held centrally within the Department, and could be assembled and collated only at disproportionate cost. Candidates for public appointments may come from a number of sources, including the Public Appointments Unit (PAU), but the fact that a person may be on the PAU list does not mean that he or she might not separately apply for an appointment, for example in response to an advertisement for a specific appointment.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 30 July 1997, Official Report, column 341–44, on criminal justice, what estimate he has made of the likely change in the number of prison places required in England and Wales over the next 10 years. [32863]

[holding answer 5 March 1998]: The latest estimate of the likely change in the number of prison places required in England and Wales over the next eight years is provided in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Revised Projections of Long Term Trends in the Prison Population to 2005" published on 29 January 1998. Projections are not currently available beyond this eight year period.The Bulletin estimates that the prison population will increase from the current level of around 65,000 to an average of 82,800 by 2005. This will require the Prison Service to increase capacity to hold an additional 17,800 prisoners. In addition, alternative scenarios in the projection estimate a population for 2005 of between 64,400 and 92,600.The projections do not take into account the provisions contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill, such as home detention curfew, or the effect of the extension of electronic monitoring on a national basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to follow up the recommendations of the Diaxone Commission Report on the future of the voluntary sector; and if there have been changes in the Government's policy on the matters in the report since publication of the Government's response in "Raising the Voltage". [32878]

Working with the voluntary sector is a high priority for this Government. We have studied the findings of the Deakin Commission on the Future of the Voluntary Sector in England and consider its Report is a valuable contribution to debate about the relationship between Government and the voluntary and community sector. We agree with many of its conclusions.We are taking a number of steps to develop this relationship. Our main vehicle for this relationship will be a Compact between Government and the voluntary sector on which we are currently collaborating with principles which should govern the relationship, and progress is being made through a Working Party of Ministers which has also considered progress towards Compact arrangements in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In the longer term, the Government will monitor the Compact, and relations in general, through a Taskforce of Ministers chaired by my right hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence the Government have submitted to the inquiry on the funding of political parties by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [33903]

We have submitted a memorandum on the funding of political parties, by way of background evidence, to the Committee chaired by the Lord Neill of B laden QC. Copies have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the electoral system for elections to the European Parliament. [33900]

It is fundamentally important that any voting system is appropriate to the nature and functions of the body which is being elected. On Second Reading of the European Parliamentary Elections Bill on 25 November 1997, Official Report, column 803, I stated that the Government believed the regional list system set out in the Bill to be the most appropriate system for elections to the European Parliament in Great Britain. Under such a system, an elector may cast his vote in one of two ways—for a party list or for an independent candidate. However, having received separate representations from the Liberal Democrats and Charter 88, I undertook to listen to the arguments for adopting a system similar to that which operates in Belgium, whereby an elector may cast his vote in one of three ways—for a party list, for an individual candidate on a party list or for an independent candidate.I have studied the matter very carefully. As part of the consideration process, I commissioned a study of voter opinion by National Opinion Polls, the results of which have been placed in the Library.I have concluded that there is no advantage in adopting in Great Britain a system of the kind used in Belgium.The type of system which is in use in Belgium has some superficial attractions. An elector may express a preference for a particular candidate, rather than simply endorsing all the candidates on a party's list. However, the system suffers from a fundamental and incurable weakness, in that voters' preferences for individual candidates are not necessarily translated into electoral success.I am placing in the Library some numerical examples to illustrate how the system works in practice. These indicate that even where votes for individual candidates amount to as much as 40 per cent. of a party's total vote, those candidates receiving the fewest individual votes can be elected while those receiving the most are not. I believe that such an outcome could lead to substantial disillusionment among the electorate following an election.The overwhelming majority of citizens in the European Union elect their Members of the European Parliament using a system of the kind for which the Bill currently provides. This seems to me to be the most suitable one to use in a situation where (as the National Opinion Poll study demonstrated) most people vote for parties rather than individuals.The Government are committed to fulfilling their manifesto promise to put in place a proportional voting system for elections to the European Parliament. I remain convinced that the simple regional list system in the European Parliamentary Elections Bill is the most appropriate way of delivering that commitment.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate for each of the last five years, the number and percentage of new civil servants in his Department who attended Oxford or Cambridge University, broken down into the number of entrants joining the Department from (a) the regular Civil Service entrance procedure, (b) the fast stream and (c) the private sector. [33097]

The full information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in the case of lawyers in my office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Serious Fraud Office who have in the last 5 years joined the Government Legal Service, I am advised that in 40 cases (32%) Oxford or Cambridge Universities have been attended and that in 85 cases another university or polytechnic has been attended.For the same reason it is not possible to provide the further figures requested but I am advised that the great majority of new recruits come from outside the Civil Service and are selected through regular Civil Service procedures.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate the number of civil servants in his Department, at each grade, who received their schooling in the independent school sector. [33096]

Figures in relation to my Departments are not readily available and the information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will estimate the number and percentage of civil servants in his Department, at each grade including and above higher executive officer who (a) attended university and (b) attended either Oxford or Cambridge University. [33095]

The information provided below relates only to lawyers in my own office, the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Serious Fraud Office. I am advised that there are 237 such lawyers and that the information held in respect of them shows that between them they have completed 280 courses at various universities and polytechnics; some having attended more than one institution. In 89 cases (32%) the institution attended was Oxford or Cambridge University.Figures in relation to other staff (at HEO level and above) and figures in relation to the Crown Prosecution Service could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will list the Government Ministers currently occupying publicly owned accommodation, giving the (a) precedents, (b) rationale for such use and (c) total annual cost in each case; [24478](2) when he expects to reply to the question from the right hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 16 January 1998 (reference 24478) relating to Government Ministers occupying publicly owned accommodation. [33347]

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the living accommodation provided out of public funds to members of the Government; and to whom it has been granted. [26791]

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those Ministers provided with official residential accommodation in London. [27320]

Official residences are assigned to Ministers either on grounds of security or in order to allow them to perform better their official duties.No 10 and No 11 Downing Street have traditionally been the residences of the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer.Carlton Gardens has traditionally been the residence of the Foreign Secretary. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has also traditionally been provided a flat at Hillsborough.Other Northern Ireland Ministers have the use of Government accommodation while on duty in Northern Ireland. These costs are not separately identifiable.Admiralty House and the Government house in Pimlico have in the past been assigned to a wide variety of Ministers including the President of the Board of Trade, the Attorney-General, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Lord President of the Council, the Chief Whip, the Lord Privy Seal, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, the Paymaster General, the Minister without Portfolio, the Minister for Overseas Development, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Accommodation is currently occupied by the Deputy Prime Minister, the President of the Board of Trade, the Secretary of State for Defence and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.In addition the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Scotland also have the use of Chequers, Dorneywood, Chevening and Bute House, although none of these is owned by the Government.The Lord Chancellor has an official residence in the House of Lords which is provided in his capacity as Speaker of the House of Lords. The running costs are met by the House of Lords authorities and do not fall to Government.The total cost to Government this year of maintaining and refurbishing all Ministerial residences is estimated at £1.1m compared with expenditure last year of £1.2m.

To ask the Prime Minister on what basis he stated that Greenwich is the place where the millennium begins. [31845]

Greenwich is known internationally as the home of time and is the site of the zero of longitude which passes through the Millennium Experience site. The universal day starts at midnight at zero longitude and therefore the year 2000 will start at this point for all the world at midnight on 31 December 1999.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer to the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) of 4 March 1998, Official Report, column 1049, on what basis he stated that Lord Dearing recommended that students should commence the repayment of loans when their incomes reached £5,000. [33485]

The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education costed a number of options, including their preferred option, on the basis that repayment of student loans would commence once a borrower's income reached £5,000 per annum.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Clinton concerning the presence of United States visiting forces in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [33569]

I have had no such discussions. However, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and his Department conduct regular discussions with the US authorities on a wide range of issues and I am kept appropriately informed.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if he will estimate the number of civil servants in his Department, at each grade, who received their schooling in the independent school sector; [33093](2) if he will estimate the number and percentage of civil servants in his Department, at each grade including and above higher executive officer who

My Department does not hold this information.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will estimate for each of the last five years, the number and percentage of new civil servants in his Department who attended Oxford or Cambridge University, broken down into the number of entrants joining the Department from (a) the regular Civil Service entrance procedure, (b) the fast stream and (c) the private sector. [33094]

(a) My Department does not hold this information. (b) The number of staff joining the Department through the fast stream each year is so small that to give this information would allow personal information regarding individuals to be identified. (c) My Department does not hold this information.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will undertake a feasibility study into constructing a new county court building adjacent to the Shrewsbury Crown and Magistrates Courts. [32411]

There are no plans to undertake a feasibility study into building a new county court in Shrewsbury. For a number of years the cost of construction has prevented us from building purpose-built county courts. Instead the Department has investigated alternative methods of meeting our requirements, dependent on the availability of local accommodation.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the level of unused capacity at Shrewsbury County Court. [32412]

The two judge's chambers are unused for 50 per cent. of the available time. No Circuit Judge sits at the court, but the one courtroom is used occasionally by district judges.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor' s Department what estimate he has made of the cost in a full year of providing legal aid for those who take action under the provisions of the Human Rights Bill [Lords]. [32404]

The Government's policy is to promote compliance by public authorities with the terms of the European Convention on Human Rights. My Department is still considering the lessons to be learned from international experiences of implementation of human rights legislation, and is consulting with other Government Departments, judges, the professions and practitioners on the practical arrangements for implementation. The aim is to manage implementation effectively, including ensuring that the judiciary and practitioners can handle human rights issues appropriately where they arise, in order to keep to a minimum any increase in court workload and legal aid costs.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of applications he has received for official tours of the Lord Chancellor's official residence to date, and from whom they were received. [33498]

35 written requests to visit the Lord Chancellor's official residence had been received by 6 March 1998 by the Lord Chancellor or his officials. Of these, 18 are requests by members of the public, 5 are requests from Members of Parliament on behalf of constituents and 12 are requests from societies or groups with an interest in art and architecture.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the bodies within the responsibility of his Department currently required by legislation to lay a report before Parliament. [33551]

The bodies for which the Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible and which are required by legislation to lay a report before Parliament are listed:

• The Council on Tribunals
• The Court Service
• Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of the Magistrate's Courts Service
• Her Majesty's Land Registry
• The Law Commission
• The Legal Aid Board
• The Legal Services Ombudsman
• The Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct
• The Lord Chancellor's Legal Aid Advisory Committee (Northern Ireland)
• The Public Record Office

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many piers in the North West of England have been awarded heritage lottery funding (a) during the last 12 months and (b) since the inception of the National Lottery. [32889]

No seaside piers in the North West of England have been the subject of an award by the Heritage Lottery Fund during the last twelve months. Southport pier, which was awarded a grant of £34,000 on 5 February 1997, is so far the only pier in the North West to have received a grant from the Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the money allocated for tourism per head for (a) England and (b) the Northern Region for the years 1995 to 1998. [32260]

My Department supports tourism in England through grant-in-aid support to the English Tourist Board, which in turn allocates funding to the ten regional tourist boards. The money allocated for tourism per head for (a) England and (b) the Northern Region for the years 1995 to 1998 are as follows:

England
Financial year	Population	Grant-in-Aid to the English Tourist Board (£)	£ per head of population
1995/96	48,903,440	10,000,000	0.20
1996/97	49,089,085	10,000,000	0.20
1997/98	49,279,000	9,866,000	0.20
1998/99	49,440,000	9,732,000	0.20

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Government spending programmes to date have been, or have been proposed to be, funded by the National Lottery; and if he will list each programme. [32967]

None. The Government have made it clear that the money raised by the Lottery for good causes was, and is, intended to be additional to public expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many applications for export licences were circulated to her Department by the Export Control Organisation during each of the four week periods beginning (i) 3 May 1997, (ii) 31 May 1997, (iii) 28 June 1997, (iv) 26 July 1997, (v) 23 August 1997, (vi) 20 September 1997, (vii) 18 October 1997, (viii) 15 November 1997, (ix) 13 December 1997, (x) 10 January 1998 and (xi) 7 February 1998. [33372]

The number of Standard Individual Export Licence Applications circulated to the Department for International Development by the Export Control Organisation for the four weekly periods beginning 3 May 1997 and ending 6 March 1998 are as follows:

Date	Number
3 May 1997	10
31 May 1997	10
28 June 1997	10
26 July 1997	10
23 August 1997	24
20 September 1997	124
18 October 1997	155
15 November 1997	109
13 December 1997	88
10 January 1998	108
7 February 1998	2175
1 DFID did not consider export licence applications prior to 11 September 1997
2Licences sent after Wednesday 4 March have not been included

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what requests for assistance her Department has received following the recent floods in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan; and if she will make a statement. [33458]

The Federal Government of Pakistan have indicated that the flood situation in Baluchistan province is now under control in terms of immediate relief and supplies, but search and rescue operations are continuing. We understand from the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs that the Pakistan Government have no intention of launching an international appeal for assistance as it considers the provincial Government of Baluchistan fully able to cope. The British High Commission in Islamabad is continuing to monitor the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's policy towards forestry projects. [33106]

The Department for International Development's (DFID) approach to forestry is to support work to improve management of forest resources in ways that lead to a range of benefits to poor communities. My Department's aim is to help people, in particular poor people, in developing countries gain long-term benefits from their trees, while also helping secure the global environmental benefits that forests offer. For the world's poor, trees and forests are vital for everyday survival.DFID is presently working on over 150 projects with partners in 34 countries. DFID's approach towards forestry projects is explained in "

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department has given to the Indonesian government towards forestry programmes; and if she will take steps to offer assistance in respect of the recent fires in Borneo. [33107]

We currently support one forestry project in Indonesia which is helping develop a sustainable model of forest management which will give poor forest-dependent people greater influence, and will be seeking changes to the incentives that encourage forest to be converted to other uses. We are not involved with forests in Borneo and elsewhere in Indonesia, who are affected by the fires.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list those United Kingdom NGOs currently in receipt of funding under the Phare and Tacis Democracy Programmes, together with the projects concerned and the level of funding. [33303]

This information is not readily available. The European Commission's inventory of projects is organised on the basis of partner NGOs in Central, Southern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, rather than on the basis of participating NGOs from European Union Member States.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy not to give development assistance to countries that sponsor terrorism [33130]

This Government believe that political stability both within and between countries is a necessary pre-condition for the elimination of poverty. Helping governments and societies to build the will and the capacity to resolve disputes non-violently is a central part of our international policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make it her policy not to give development assistance to countries developing a ballistic missile capability and weapons of mass destruction which are not signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty. [33129]

This Government urge all countries which have not yet done so to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. My Department takes account of a number of factors in deciding on aid allocations. A full, longer-term partnership will be established only with countries who are committed to the elimination of poverty and are pursuing appropriate economic, social, environmental and political policies. That includes partner countries not diverting limited resources into excessive military expenditure.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will estimate the number and percentage of civil servants in her Department, at each grade including and above higher executive officer who (a) attended university and (b) attended either Oxford or Cambridge University; [33098](2) if she will estimate for each of the last five years, the number and percentage of new civil servants in her Department who attended Oxford or Cambridge University, broken down into the number of entrants joining the Department from

I regret that this information is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost by a file by file search.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list those meetings attended by her Department with other EU ministers or officials since 1 January at which Zimbabwe was discussed. [33395]

I spoke to Commissioner Pinheiro about Zimbabwe and other issues on 8 January. Officials of Department for International Development and the High Commission in Harare keep in close touch with other EU representatives on a range of projects and issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 2 February 1998, Official Report, column 471, on Zimbabwe, if she will list those meetings between her Department and (a) the World Bank and (b) the IMF since 1 October at which Zimbabwe was discussed. [33398]

There are regular meetings of officials in Washington, concerning Zimbabwe and other countries. Most recently, these have included a meeting with Michael Camdessus of the IMF, who also called on me on 20 February, and with the World Bank Vice-President for Africa on 14 January. The President of World Bank also called on me on 20 February. Officials of the Department for International Development (DFID) and the High Commission in Harare also keep in touch with the IMF and World Bank local representatives, and on 22 January attended the debriefing for Heads of Mission by the IMF mission appraising a Stand By Arrangement.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the bodies within the responsibility of her Department currently required by legislation to lay a report before Parliament. [33560]

The following bodies within the responsibility of my Department are currently required by legislation to lay a report before Parliament:

• The Commonwealth Development Corporation
• The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will press for the Convention on Biological Diversity to safeguard intellectual property rights pending completion of the WTO agreement on trade-related intellectual property rights in 1999; [319891(2) what assessment she has made of the implications for biodiversity of the current Uruguay Round measures on agriculture and trade-related intellectual property rights; and if she will press for the Fourth Conference of the Parties on Biological Diversity to make a full evaluation of this matter. [31986]

I have been asked to reply.In its provisions on technology transfer, the Convention on Biological Diversity specifically acknowledges the need for adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights. The Convention also calls on parties to co-operate in ensuring that such rights are supportive of and do not run counter to the objectives of the Convention. My Department will continue to work in close collaboration with other departments to ensure that the United Kingdom plays an active and positive role in addressing the issues at the forthcoming Fourth Conference of Parties to the Convention as well as in other international negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils were enrolled in each of the (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) grammar schools in the constituency of Strangford in each of the past three years. [31954]

The information requested is as follows:

Strangford
Schools1	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Primary
Abbey PS	590	603	598
Academy PS	315	329	325
Alexander Dickson PS	215	219	217
Andrews Memorial PS	522	522	517
Ballycloughan PS	81	84	79
Ballykeigle PS	59	53	57
Ballywalter PS	153	165	165
Braniel PS	417	418	432
Brooklands PS	668	683	675
Carrickmannon PS	82	80	80
Carrowdore PS	133	137	130
Carryduff PS	293	315	286
Castle Gardens PS	408	419	416
Comber PS	394	388	375
Darragh Cross PS	78	86	84
Derryboy PS	79	81	77

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the estimated cost per pupil of creating new places in education board schools. [32561]

Based on latest available construction costs, it is estimated that the cost of creating a new place in a primary school is approximately £4,220 and in a secondary school is approximately £7,640.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average cost to the public purse in 1996–97per pupil, of (a) pupils in education board primary schools, (b) pupils in voluntary grammar schools and (c) pupils supported by the state in independent preparatory schools. [32562]

The table details the average recurrent cost per pupil in 1996–97:

	£
Education Board Primary Schools	1,691
Voluntary Grammar Schools	2,329
Independent Preparatory Schools	nil

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pupils in 1997 were in independent preparatory schools and supported by public money. [32559]