To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when ownership of the Queen Elizabeth II bridge and the Dartford Tunnels will transfer to the Government; if the transfer will be earlier than scheduled; and what difference there has been between the revenue received from toll charges and the forecast made when the bridge was sanctioned. [46755]

The concession for the Dartford crossings is likely to end, on current projections and subject to ongoing assessments of maintenance requirements, towards the end of 2000. Tolling can then continue for a further year for the accumulation of a maintenance fund. This estimated timetable is 3 years shorter than was envisaged at the start of the Dartford River Crossing's concession in July 1988. In real terms, toll revenue has been over 20 per cent. higher than expected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library copies of gender impact assessments which have been undertaken in respect of legislation introduced in this Parliament; if he will make it his policy to do so in respect of future legislation; and if he will make a statement. [47028]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women yesterday, 24 June 1998, Official Report, columns 557–58.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many Environment Agency staff in Carlisle have been made redundant because of the move to Penrith. [47232]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many new jobs will be created in Penrith because of the move to Penrith of the Environment Agency Regional Office. [47224]

The Penrith Office will be staffed by existing Environment Agency employees from elsewhere in the North West Region. There are no plans for additional posts at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the resources which the Environment Agency will put into the local economy in Penrith and the surrounding area when its new headquarters are fully functioning.[47231]

No estimate has been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total number of jobs in the new Environment Agency office in Penrith. [47228]

118.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is to happen to the Eurostar sleeper carriages. [47274]

Following the termination of the lease referred to in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) on 16 June 1998, official Report, column 126, the partially built rolling stock became the responsibility of the manufacturer, GEC Metro Cammel. If this rolling stock is sold on by the manufacturer there is a profit sharing arrangement which could result in a return to the taxpayer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many mugging offences against passengers on London Underground services were reported in the last 12 months. [47339]

The safety and security of passengers is a top priority for London Underground. It works in partnership with the British Transport Police to reduce the incidence of crime on the network. I understand from London Transport that 462 robberies were recorded in the period from June 1997 to June 1998, a reduction of 8 per cent. on the previous year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to restrict the use of water for irrigating crops. [47514]

Under proposals set out in The Review of the Water Abstraction Licensing System in England and Wales—Consultation Paper which we published on 19 June, all forms of irrigation where water is moved from a source and applied to land would have to be licensed, unless the abstracted quantities are below a threshold amount which would be set to reflect the local water resource position. Currently, only abstraction for spray irrigation requires a licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to remove entitlement to compensation if an abstraction water licence for irrigating crops is revoked or varied. [47515]

As set out in The Review of the Water Abstraction Licensing System in England and Wales—Consultation Paper which we published on 19 June, we are minded to remove, from a date to be determined, compensation for losses arising from the revocation or variation of any abstraction licence which has been granted without time limit if the Secretary of State is satisfied that the proposed action is necessary in order to protect the associated water environment from significant damage.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how he proposes to consult residents and businesses within the Lake District National Park following the publication of his conclusions about transport strategy in the area; [47463](2) if

The Deputy Prime Minister has asked me to look at the transport problems faced by the Lake District and to see what the Government can do to help build on the work which has already been done by a local partnership including Cumbria County Council, the National Park Authority, the Countryside Commission and the Cumbria Tourist Board. I visited the Lake District National Park on 15 May to meet the local partners and to see the problems and opportunities first hand. The Government are committed to an integrated approach, linking matters such as jobs, housing, transport and other services in rural areas, to foster a living sustainable countryside.Any new proposals will need to build on the existing transport strategy, for which consultation mechanisms already exist. A number of individuals and organisations representing local interests have put forward their views on the transport problems and solutions in the Lake District National Park. I will be reporting my findings to the Deputy Prime Minister shortly. We will then need to consider the way forward with the local partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fishing vessels have been lost from Cornish ports since 1995; how many men were lost in each case; and who owned the vessels. [47462]

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has produced a list showing Cornish fishing vessel losses between 1995 and 1997, the most recent years for which records are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to raise the 'Margaretha Maria'; and what investigations are taking place to identify the cause of the loss of the vessel. [47461]

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch has no plans to raise the vessel. It is currently analysing the material obtained on the survey and is satisfied that it has obtained sufficient evidence to determine how the vessel was lost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from the widows of the men lost aboard the 'Margaretha Maria'. [47460]

One representation has been received from the hon. Member on behalf of Mrs. Todd.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to introduce legislation to ban the use of lead shot over wetlands; and if he will make a statement. [47096]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) on 18 December 1997, Official Report, column 276.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many deaths have been caused through white asbestos in each of the last five years. [47410]

The number of cases specifically caused by white asbestos cannot be determined from available statistics which do not distinguish between types of asbestos. However, there is good evidence that blue and brown asbestos is significantly more hazardous than white.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will launch an inquiry into the proposed acquisition of a stake in Virgin Rail by Stagecoach.[47561]

The proposed acquisition by Stagecoach of a 49 per cent. shareholding in Virgin Rail will require approval by the Franchising Director under the terms of Virgin's franchise agreements and by the Rail Regulator under the terms of the licences issued by him. It may also constitute a merger under the terms of the Fair Trading Act 1973 and the Director General of Fair Trading will be considering this. If it is a qualifying merger, he will provide advice to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry as to whether it should be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission or whether undertakings should be sought in lieu of such a reference.

To ask the Attorney-General how many members of his Department are currently working on Lockerbie. [47293]

The conduct of the criminal investigation into the Lockerbie tragedy is in the hands of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. The conduct of the ongoing litigation before the International Court of Justice is a responsibility which my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate shares with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. Officials from my office are involved in consideration and discussion of the matter as appropriate.

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list, for each of the last four years, all departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside his Department; and in each case if he will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [46836]

Two such reviews have been established by me or my predecessor during the past four years. They are:

To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to the answer of 28 April 1998, Official Report, columns 65–67, on legal aid, if he will list for the named banisters the amount of public funds they gained from prosecution costs over the same period. [42265]

[holding answer 19 May 1998]: The number of prosecuting authorities in England and Wales makes it impracticable for my officials to make inquiries of each in order to aggregate payments made to each counsel. Such inquiries have therefore been confined to the four main prosecuting authorities only, namely the Crown Prosecution Service, the Serious Fraud Office, the Department of Trade and Industry and HM Customs and Excise. Figures are for gross fees inclusive of VAT. Because of the system operated for the payment of prosecution fees, the figures represent sums actually paid to counsel during the period in question, which is a different basis to that reflected in the answer given by the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on 28 April 1998, Official Report, columns 65–67, which were calculated on a last payment basis.The sums paid by way of prosecution fees to the banisters named during the financial year 1996–97 by the authorities mentioned above is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State of State for Defence (1) if he will list the (a) current establishment and (b) actual current manning levels of (i) the Royal Air Force as a whole, (ii) pilots, navigators and ground crew assigned to (1) squadron duty, (2) strike attack, (3) offensive support, (4) reconnaissance, (5) maritime patrol, (6) air defence, (7) air transport (including air-to-air refuelling), (8) support helicopters and (9) search and rescue, (iii) Royal Air Force Regiment and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force; [47546](2) if he will list the

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the key targets for 1998–99 for the Chief Executive of Service Children's Education. [48004]

The Chief Executive has been set the following Key Targets for 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office Defence Agency for 1998–99. [48024]

The key targets set for the UK Hydrographic Office in 1998–99 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the current security classifications of the newsletters produced for the staff of (a) the Army Base Repair Organisation, (b) the Army Personnel Centre and (c) the RAF Training Group;, how often each is produced; and when each was first produced. [46815]

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 in what ways he is co-operating with the US Defence Secretary in the devising and development of (a) protective equipment and (b) vaccines to defend (i) United States and British troops and (ii) civilian populations from chemical and biological weapons. [46544]

[holding answer 22 June 1998]: I have recently agreed with the US Defence Secretary that we should increase co-operation to combat chemical and biological weapons. This will further deepen the existing close collaboration in this area.The UK is already party to a trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States and Canada on chemical and biological defence. Under the auspices of this MOU, we have developed a joint approach to chemical and biological defence and collaboration across the full range of defensive measures, including protective equipment and vaccines. In addition, the three countries are seeking to harmonise our policy and procedures for dealing with the threat from chemical and biological weapons. We also plan to participate in a joint vaccine programme which will develop licensed vaccines for all three countries.The defence of the civilian population is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rescue of the two British Army climbers from Mount McKinley in Alaska. [47559]

On Thursday 18 June a 10 man team of soldiers from the 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, had split into two groups in an attempt to climb Mt. McKinley in Alaska. A team of six were attempting the summit, whilst three soldiers remained in a mountain hut at 14,000ft to provide support. The tenth solider had already left the mountain suffering from altitude sickness.At 19,300ft as they attempted to cross a snow buttress, the leading group of three soldiers, who were roped together, fell 300ft. Two of them sustained injuries which prevented them from taking any further part in the expedition. Whilst the two injured soldiers remained at 19,000 ft with two fit members of the team, the other two descended to a rescue hut to raise the alarm. During the descent they encountered two American civilian climbers who had both fallen and had sustained serious injury. One of the soldiers remained with the Americans whilst the other continued down the mountain to alert the rescue services.The High Altitude Rescue Team from the US Army Base at Fort Wainwright were alerted by the National Park Rangers at 2 o'clock on the morning of Friday 19 June. However, due to heavy cloud formations, strong winds and temperatures of 30 degrees below zero, a helicopter rescue was not possible. Later that day one of the injured soldiers who had been unconscious but had now recovered, needed to be evacuated to a lower altitude. He was accompanied by a fit member of the team. However, during the descent, the climbers became disoriented and both fell a considerable distance down a steep slope. During the fall one of the soldiers suffered a broken ankle. Both were rescued and taken to the hut at 14,000 ft, still unable to be lifted out by helicopter due to poor conditions.The two soldiers remaining at 19,000 ft were now isolated by bad weather which prevented their rescue until Monday 21 June. During this period they endured four difficult nights at high altitude, in freezing conditions, with very little food. On 21 June a special high altitude Lama helicopter lifted both soldiers from the mountain to a base camp where they were transferred to another helicopter and air lifted to hospital in Anchorage. In total, four soldiers were hospitalised, one has sustained a broken ankle, two have frostbite, and one, who has since been released, had minor injuries.We owe a debt of gratitude to the National Park Rangers and the US Emergency Services for performing such a gallant act of rescue. In addition, the many mountaineers who assisted on the mountain in the recovery of our soldiers are to be thanked. We should also congratulate our soldiers, who finding themselves in extremely difficult circumstances, relied upon their high quality training to survive this hostile and life threatening situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the Eurofighter aircraft by value is sourced from (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Germany, (c) Spain and (d) Italy. [46978]

Workshare entitlements, based on the number of aircraft each country is purchasing are: United Kingdom 37.42 per cent., Germany 29.03 per cent., Spain 14.03 per cent. and Italy 19.52 per cent. Any imbalances that arise between production activity levels and entitlements will be addressed during the life of the programme using mechanisms established in the Memoranda of Understanding signed by the partner nations in December 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many quarterly analysis reports produced by the Directorate of Quality Assurance at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston since January 1995 are currently unclassified. [46796]

Fourteen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many directorates currently exist at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston. [46797]

Eleven.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 11 May 1998, Official Report, columns 1–2, how many reports produced by the Weapon Diagnostic Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment between 1979 and 1994 are currently unclassified. [46809]

Twenty five of the reports produced by the Weapon Diagnostic Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment between 1979 and 1994 are currently unclassified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he currently expects to publish the strategic defence review; and when he ceased to expect to publish the review in the first half of the year. [47517]

I expect to be able to publish a White Paper on the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review shortly. The timetable has been kept under review and it is only in the last two weeks that it has become clear that we could not publish in the first half of the year.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the targets the Government have set for their policies on smaller businesses, indicating the timetable for such targets. [47427]

The Government are currently refining their detailed policy framework for small businesses.The resulting strategy will be set out in the Competitiveness White Paper to be published in the Autumn.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans the Post Office has to issue a set of stamps to commemorate the Berlin Airlift. [47426]

The Post Office's stamp programme for 1999 has been designed to celebrate the Millennium: no special anniversaries will be commemorated. The Post Office recognises the importance of the Berlin Airlift anniversary and plans to issue a special commemorative label with associated philatelic products to honour the event. With the support of the Ministry of Defence, the Post Office is planning a high profile launch to maximise interest and publicity.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library copies of gender impact assessments which have been undertaken in respect of legislation introduced in this Parliament; if he will make it his policy to do so in respect of future legislation; and if he will make a statement. [47022]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women on 24 June 1998, Official Report, columns 557–58.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her oral statement of 18 June 1998, Official Report, columns 507–19, what research underlay her statement that there would be no employment effects consequent on her minimum wage proposals; and what factors underlie the estimates made by the Low Pay Commission. [47236]

The Government's assessment was based on a wide range of econometric studies. The independent Low Pay Commission, which undertook a comprehensive consultation exercise and examined a wide body of published research on the effect of national minimum wages, concluded that a national minimum wage set at a sensible level, as we propose, should not have an adverse effect on employment.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if the minimum wage legislation will allow a worker to agree to be paid (a) nothing, (b) a rate between nothing and the minimum and (c) nothing for some hours or functions and the minimum for other hours or functions. [47322]

We have accepted the Low Pay Commission's recommendation that workers will be paid at least the national minimum wage for all hours worked and for all hours when they are at work and available for work. All workers will be covered by the minimum wage legislation apart from the genuinely self-employed and voluntary workers.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to prevent supermarkets engaging in anti-competitive practices; and if she will make a statement. [47193]

Under UK competition legislation, the Director General of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring markets and considering allegations of anti-competitive behaviour, abuse of monopoly power or restrictive trade practices.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many DTI investigations have been conducted into alleged insider share dealing since 1987; and how many have resulted in a successful prosecution. [47200]

There have been 125 separate appointments of inspectors under section 177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 since 1987, some of which are ongoing. Successful prosecutions have followed from 11 of these appointments. This excludes 9 successful prosecutions, 6 by the DTI, where inspectors were not appointed.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much has been invested in research and development in the aerospace industry by the (a) private sector and (b) Government in each of the last three years. [46217]

[holding answer 16 June 1998]: Expenditure on aerospace research and development performed within UK businesses for the last three years for which data are available is as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the role of business franchising as a means of facilitating small firm growth. [47145]

The Department has commissioned the following research on business franchising:

In 1993–94 Professor John Stanworth of the International Franchise Research Centre, University of Westminster, evaluated the impact of franchising on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The report, entitled "The Impact of Franchising on the Development Prospects of SMEs in the United Kingdom" was published in 1994.

In 1995–96 Professor D. A. Kirby of Durham University Business School, Ms J. Waites of the Franchise Company, Stockton and Mr. J. Bagri carried out research on "Franchising as a Business Development Strategy" for the Department. The final report was published in 1996.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what has been the changes in the proportion of United Kingdom gross domestic product contributed by smaller quoted companies in each of the last 10 years; [47081](2) what proportion of United Kingdom export sales were made by smaller quoted companies in each of the last five years. [47082]

[holding answer 23 June 1998]: The information requested is not available from official sources.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the cost of her Department's investigation into the share transactions relating to Anglia TV in 1994; how many inspectors were assigned to the case; and how long it took. [46982]

On 8 February 1994 two independent inspectors were appointed under S.177 of the Financial Services Act 1986 to investigate dealings in the securities of Anglia Television Group Plc between 10 January and 21 January 1994. They submitted their report on 19 July 1994. Their fees and disbursements amounted to about £215,000 (including VAT).

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if her Department's inspectors investigating the dealing by Lord Archer in Anglia TV shares in 1994 interviewed Sir Nicholas Lloyd; and if she will make a statement. [46577]

It is not the Department's practice to give details of witnesses in insider dealing investigations.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many cigarettes manufactured in the United Kingdom were exported and to which countries in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [46921]

The values of UK exports of cigarettes to the main destinations in each of the last 5 years are given in the following table. The statistics on UK trade do not distinguish between cigarettes that are manufactured in the United Kingdom and those manufactured elsewhere.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the pilot schemes announced since 1 May 1997 by his Department that involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity; if he will list each of the local authorities involved in each case; and what revenue and capital funding each local authority will receive through the pilot in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–01. [46041]

[holding answer 15 June 1998]: There are a large number of pilot schemes across my Department involving local authorities. The information requested is not held centrally and the costs of providing it in full would be disproportionate. In most cases, the total sums involved in each scheme are less than £50,000; many involve no additional funding. The following are amongst the larger schemes for which my Department is responsible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of payments due in December 1997 to farmers (a) were paid late and (b) have not been paid to date; and if he will make a statement. [46944]

Under the Arable Area Payments Scheme in Scotland 98.6 per cent. of applicants received payments due by 31 December 1997 (representing 98 per cent. by value). As at 1 June 0.05 per cent. of applicants are yet to receive payments (representing 0.05 per cent. by value).

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Scottish Colleges regarding funding; what plans he has to give additional funding to the further education sector in 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [47249]

[holding answer 23 June 1998]: I met with representatives of the Association of Scottish Colleges on 7 May and addressed the Association's Annual Conference on 12 June. On both occasions funding was discussed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on (a) the future of Clydebank College and (b) the imminent redundancy of lecturing staff there. [47251]

[holding answer 23 June 1998]: The Board of Management of Clydebank College is currently implementing a series of recommendations contained in a report by independent consultants, the object of which is to restore the College's financial health and viability.The College's cost base is well above the norm for the further education sector. While any redundancies are regrettable, the college recognises that it is necessary to make significant cost reductions in order to secure its future as a major provider of further education within the local area.When I visited Clydebank College on 14 May I announced the establishment of a £2 million restructuring fund for the further education sector into which I invited the College to apply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of 23 March 1998, Official Report, column 44, if he has now received the consultants' report on Opportunities for Gaelic Broadcasting in the Digital Era; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [47407]

The consultants' report on Gaelic broadcasting in the digital era has been received. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library. The report will be issued as part of a consultation exercise on how a dedicated Gaelic television channel can best be established.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to improve the (a) Wrexham-Birkenhead rail line, (b) Central Wales line and (c) Wrexham-Shrewsbury-Hereford-Cardiff line; and if he will make a statement. [45889]

Investment in rail infrastructure is primarily a matter for Railtrack, whose published Network Management Statement sets out investment strategies for particular routes. The Government support passenger rail services through the franchise agreements with train operators. One of the main objectives of our integrated transport policy, to be set out in a White Paper next month, is to encourage more passengers and freight onto the railways.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the advantages of requiring all new housing developments with access to the mains sewers to comply with the requirements of the Public Health Act 1936 and the Water Industry Act 1991 in order that the sewers serving these developments meet the criteria for adoption by the local authority. [46648]

The Review of Sewerage Law carried out in 1986 considered the question of requiring all new sewers to be built to an adoptable standard but the view was taken that existing legislation which enables sewers to be adopted was sufficient. It is a matter for developers to consider the advantages of building sewers to an adoptable standard. The Government have no plans at present to make any changes to the current legislation with regard to the adoption of sewers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many households he estimates have unadopted sewers connected to the mains system as a result of developers not meeting the requirements of the Public Health Act 1936 and the Water Industry Act 1991 when constructing housing developments. [46649]

The information is not available to enable me to provide such an estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of payments due to farmers in December 1997 (a) have not been paid to date and (b) were paid late; and if he will make a statement. [46945]

Under the Arable Area Payments Scheme in Wales, 78.3 per cent. of applicants received payments due by 31 December 1997 representing 67.0 per cent. by value. As at 1 June, 0.4 per cent. of applicants are yet to receive payments, representing 0.2 per cent. by value.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Victim Support groups there are in Wales; and how much funding they have attracted from (a) the Welsh Office and (b) local government sources in (i) the present financial year and (ii) the last two financial years. [46794]

Information provided by the National Association of Victim Support Schemes indicates that there are 31 such local schemes and branches currently operating in Wales.Central Government funding for Victim Support Schemes is provided by the Home Office on an England and Wales basis and is allocated to Schemes by a Funding Panel. All Victim Support Schemes operating in Wales have received funding from this source in the current and previous two financial years.The Volunteering in Wales Fund, which is administered by the Wales Council for Voluntary Action on behalf of the Welsh Office, provided £8,030 to Cardiff Volunteer Support in 1997–98. Support may also be obtained from other sources, such as local government, but details of these are not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when there will be further progress on the improvement of the A470 Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betwys-y-Coed road; and if he will make a statement. [47043]

Stage 1 of the A470 Ledr Valley improvement, between Cancoed and Minffordd has been completed. Further improvements on the Blaenau Ffestiniog to Betws-y-Coed section of the trunk road are subject to the current review of the Welsh trunk road programme. The report on the review will be published later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many housing association houses were built in Wales in each year since 1975; and what is the forecast for the next five years. [47116]

Information on the number of housing association dwellings completed in each year from 1975 is given in the following table. There are no official forecasts.New housing association dwellings completed:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many council houses have been built in each year in Wales since 1975; and what is the projected number to be built for the next five years. [47117]

Information on the number of local authority dwellings completed in each year from 1975 is given in the following table. There are no official forecasts.New local authority dwellings completed:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what efforts he is making to promote cycling in Wales. [47103]

The Welsh Office has endorsed the National Cycling Strategy which aims to quadruple cycle use by 2012 and is represented on the National Cycling Forum which is charged with taking the strategy forward. We are working actively with others to implement it.I have recently announced that up to £500,000 per year will be available for local authority Safe Routes to School initiatives in Wales. I expect cycling to play a major part in such initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on the provision of cycling facilities in each of the past 10 years; and what is the projected amount to be spent in each of the next five years. [47102]

Local authorities are the primary agents for providing facilities for cyclists. We support local authorities' efforts with funding through the Transport Grant scheme in relation to packages; the Strategic Development Scheme; the Welsh Capital Challenge scheme and the annual capital block allocation.The Welsh Office also provides cycling facilities as part of new or improved trunk road schemes where a need can be justified.The cost of providing these facilities cannot be disaggregated from the overall costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many farm workers are employed in each local authority area in Wales. [47104]

The information requested is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what safety checks have been carried out during the last 14 months to the Penmaenbach Road Tunnel on the A55 between Conwy and Penmaenmawr; and if he will make a statement. [47391]

During the last 14 months regular safety inspections have been carried out at the Penmaenbach Tunnel on the A55 by Welsh Office engineers and the North-East Wales Trunk Road Agency, who are appointed highway maintenance agents of the Welsh Office. In addition, the Welsh Office commissioned crack movement monitoring during the same period. Both safety inspection and crack movement monitoring is ongoing. The dates of the safety inspections and crack movement monitoring over the last 14 months were:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects to announce details of the additional funding for rural transport announced in the Budget. [47899]

I have arranged for the Special Grant Report (No. 3) (Wales) 1998 to be laid before the House today. The report which is subject to affirmative resolution, confirms the allocation of the £2.25 million to local authorities which I announced on 11 June, and sets out the conditions attached to the grant. Guidance on the use of the grant is being distributed to local authorities today.This new grant represents a major boost to the provision of bus services in rural areas, and is an important step in the development of the Government's integrated transport policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the current members of the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales, and give their relevant qualifications. [47523]

The current members of the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the impact of introducing centralised payment of health trust bills. [46368]

The White paper "The New NHS" made clear our intention to reduce bureaucracy in the National Health Service. Centralised payment of NHS trusts' bills is not considered a practical way of achieving that objective.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much health spending rose as a proportion of gross domestic product between 1978–79 and 1997–98; and how much it has risen in 1998–99. [46479]

The information requested is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much capital spending in the NHS increased (a) on average over the period 1978–79 to 1997–98 and (b) in 1998–99. [46435]

The information requested is in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress with the construction of the new Norfolk and Norwich hospital. [46735]

Construction started on the new Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on 12 January 1998. Design and construction work has progressed well and is currently over three weeks ahead of the original design and construction programme. At the current rate of progress the contractor will complete the hospital on or before the contracted date of 9 January 2002.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase the availability of Macmillan Nursing Services in cancer treatment units. [47215]

The Government recognise the valuable contribution to cancer services made by voluntary and charitable organisations, including Macmillan Cancer Relief. It is for this reason that Macmillan Cancer Relief and Marie Curie are represented on the National Cancer Forum. Decisions about the provision of services in local hospitals, including the provision of Macmillan nursing services for cancer patients, are for local agreement between the organisations involved. The policy framework for commissioning cancer services and guidance on improving outcomes in breast and colorectal cancer, which are currently being implemented, encourage the development of multi-professional teams, with specialist nurses as core members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives his Department will take to promote Child Safety Week on 22 to 28 June. [47197]

The Government's public health strategy, as outlined in the Green Paper "Our Healthier Nation", made accident prevention a priority area. We have already proposed a target to reduce the rate of accidents by at least a fifth by the year 2010 from a 1996 baseline. We are particularly concerned that accidents in childhood show a strong social class bias, with children in Social Class V being five times more likely to die in an accident than children in Social Class I.The Department has a significant and on-going interest in promoting Child Safety Week as part of its commitment to the reduction of childhood accidents by providing funding to the Child Accident Prevention Trust which organises Child Safety Week. Furthermore, the Department publicised this year's initiative in the March and May editions of "Target" magazine, which reaches a wide audience in health authorities, local authorities, voluntary organisations, schools and the private sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sets of (a) twins, (b) triplets, (c) quadruplets, (d) quintuplets and (e) sextuplets were born in England in each year from 1990 to 1997; what was the total number of maternities in each year; and how many multiple births of each type in each year were conceived as a result of (i) in vitro fertilisation, (ii) gamete intra-fallopian transfer and (iii) other forms of assisted conception. [46930]

The number of multiple maternities and total number of maternities to women resident in England from 1990 to 1997 is shown in table 1. The number of multiple births following in vitro fertilisation and donor insemination treatment at licensed clinics in England from 1 August 1991 to 31 March 1996 (the latest available) is shown in table 2. Figures were not collected before 1 August 1991 and those for gamete intra-fallopian transfer and other forms of assisted conception are not collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to extend the prescription of gluten-free flour on the NHS to multiple sclerosis sufferers. [47295]

The prescribing of gluten-free flour on the National Health Service for a particular patient is a matter for a general practitioner's clinical judgment, but is open to challenge by the health authority concerned. Multiple sclerosis is not however one of the conditions for which the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances recommends gluten-free products as suitable for prescribing at NHS expense.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the annual cost to the NHS of the prescription of gluten-free flour for patients suffering from Coeliac's disease. [47296]

The latest information on the annual cost of gluten-free products dispensed at National Health Service expense is shown in column 4 of the Oral Nutrition section (BNF 9.4) of Prescription Cost Analysis, England, 1997, copies of which are available in the Library. It is not possible to identify the condition for which any prescription has been written.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives the Government took to promote National Breastfeeding Week on 17 to 23 May. [47219]

National Breastfeeding Awareness Week has been run since 1993. It aims to raise awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding, increase the social acceptance of breastfeeding and to promote support for breastfeeding mothers. The week is promoted by the National Network of Breastfeeding Co-ordinators (NNBC), which the Department funds.This year the Department funded and provided the publicity materials which could be used during the week. These included posters and postcards with the slogan "Free fast food for babies", aimed at promoting breastfeeding and increasing its social acceptability. Materials were disseminated on request and in total 30,000 posters and 102,000 postcards were sent to health professionals, breastfeeding promotion groups and members of the public. The Department also funded a promotional advertorial in Pregnancy and Birth magazine.The week aims principally to galvanise action at local level where the NNBC are instrumental in organising local activities and events which disseminate the messages on the benefits of breastfeeding to a wide audience. For example, this year some co-ordinators worked with schools during the week to promote breastfeeding whilst others used questionnaires about the availability of breastfeeding facilities to engage people's attention.In addition to the local activities of the NNBC, I launched the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund United Kingdom Baby Friendly Initiative's (UKBFI) new community initiative to mark the start of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week. This initiative centres around a seven point plan which aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in community health care settings and will complement the UKBFI hospital initiative. I took this opportunity to announce that the Department will be funding, subject to contract, research costing £225,000 which aims to identify some of the barriers to breastfeeding amongst women in low income groups, where breastfeeding rates are lowest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives the Government will take to promote National Osteoporosis Week on 22 to 28 June. [47222]

I have today announced, at the sixth Bath conference on osteoporosis and bone mineral measurement, a detailed and comprehensive strategy to prevent and tackle osteoporosis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives his Department will take to promote the U.N. International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June. [47206]

The Department will not be taking any specific initiatives to promote United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. We are committed to the United Nations drug control programme and the Government were key participants in the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on the world drug problem from 8–10 June. This included a statement by my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister on behalf of the European Union. In addition, the Government will be involved in promoting European Drug Prevention Week from 16–22 November this year. Drugs issues will remain the focus of sustained action at all levels as our new ten year drug strategy begins to be implemented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was total spending on health services in Lancashire in (a) April 1996 to April 1997 and (b) April 1997 to April 1998. [47254]

[holding answer 23 June 1998]: The information requested for Lancashire in the period April 1996 to April 1997 is in the table. Information for the period April 1997 to April 1998 is not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to local area child protection committees on addressing the needs of children involved in sexual exploitation and prostitution. [47429]

"Working Together Under the Children Act 1989" issued in 1989 by the Department, Home Office, Department for Education and Employment and Welsh Office, provides guidance on inter-agency co-operation for the protection of children from abuse. It includes guidance to Area Child Protection Committees on their role in developing and reviewing child protection policies. Such policies would be expected to address the needs of children at risk of, or subject to, sexual exploitation.We are aware of the growing concern about the involvement of children and young people in prostitution. We intend to issue joint Health Department/Home Office guidance in the autumn on how best to deal with the problem and meet the needs of children involved in prostitution. This guidance will take account of the responses to the Department's consultation paper "Working Together to Safeguard Children: New Government Proposals for Inter-Agency Co-operation", which, among other issues, invited views on how to address the problem of children involved in prostitution. It will also take account of the Association of Chief Police Officers' guidelines on dealing with children involved in prostitution and the new arrangements for juvenile offenders in the Crime and Disorder Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the reports of the two reviews on private sector prisons which he announced on 19 June 1997, Official Report, columns 249–51.. [47898]

I am placing in the Library copies of the reports to the two reviews referred to in my answer of 19 June 1997. The Prison Service has already sent copies to unions and to the contractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in reducing the risk of the spread of communicable diseases in prisons; and if he will make a statement. [47900]

The Government are committed to tackling drug misuse in prisons. In support of the Government's wider national strategy, Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain, the Prison Service launched its new drug strategy on 12 May. It builds on existing drug policies and seeks to reduce the number of prisoners testing positive for drugs as a result of mandatory drugs testing. Inmates proved to be misusing drugs are normally punished with a loss of privileges, additional days added to sentence or another penalty, and injecting equipment is always confiscated when found. The Prison Service is also working to achieve our manifesto commitment to provide access to voluntary drug testing (so-called "drug-free wings") for all prisoners who request it, supported by treatment programmes to help them stay drug free.These are other measures are achieving considerable success in reducing drug misuse in prisons. However it is known that a minority of inmates persist in injecting and in sharing injecting equipment. This behaviour poses a substantial risk in terms of the spread of HIV, hepatitis and other communicable diseases, not only to prisoners themselves but to staff who encounter contaminated needles and to the wider community. To help counter such risks, disinfecting tablets have been readily available in Scottish Prisons since 1993. They were also introduced in all prisons in England and Wales in 1995 but were withdrawn because of safety concerns. Those concerns have now been allayed following tests by the Health and Safety Executive. In the interests of public health, following consultation with the Department of Health and with the support of the Chief Medical Officer, the Prison Service will provide disinfecting tablets on a trial basis, together with a leaflet explaining how to use the tablets and providing information about hepatitis and HIV. The leaflet will warn prisoners of the dangers of injecting and outline help available to tackle their drug misuse.The pilot scheme, which is planned to start in July 1998, will operate for three months in 11 selected prisons, and will make disinfecting tablets available to prisoners freely and anonymously. A variety of distribution methods suitable to the geography and regime of the different prisons will be trialed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licence applications have been rejected under section 5(4) of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in the last five years. [47317]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 16 July 1997, Official Report, column 173 and the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 24 February 1998, Official Report, column 178.Records that distinguish between a licence which was refused and one which was "not proceeded with" by the applicant are not kept centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what involvement his Department had in the decision to allow Imutran to export two transgenic pigs to the Netherlands for use in an organ transplant experiment; for what reasons it was considered appropriate for this experiment to be carried out abroad rather than in the UK; and if Imutran had sought permission to conduct this experiment in the United Kingdom. [47307]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 14 May 1998, Official Report, columns 166–67.The purpose of exporting these animals was, we understand, to facilitate an international research programme on xenotransplantation. Part of this programme is carried out in the United Kingdom. Collaboration of this sort is preferable to groups in different countries carrying out independent research programmes and any replication of work this might entail.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 are currently waiting to be informed of a decision by his Department. [47007]

The number of applicants for new certificates of designation, project licences and personal licences who are awaiting a decision are two, 258 and 211 respectively. In addition to new applications, there are 1,307 applications for amendments to existing licences awaiting a final decision.These figures include cases where we are waiting for further information from the applicant or a revised application, and cases where the applicant is currently in discussion with the Inspectorate about how the draft application could be refined to minimise the amount of suffering and the number of animals used and to maximise the benefit that might accrue from the work. It is not possible to disaggregate these from the total.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what grades of staff have been involved in processing applications for personal and project licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in each of the past three years. [47006]