Written Answers

                    The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
                

Written Answers To Questions

Tuesday 9 June 1998

Northern Ireland

European Structural Funds

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the costs were in each year since 1990 of administering European Structural Fund programmes in Northern Ireland. [43842]

The information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments is as follows:

Year	£000
1990–91	3,484
1991–92	3,831
1992–93	3,999
1993–94	4,007
1994–95	4,169
1995–96	4,731
1996–97	5,332
1997–98	5,528

Notes:

1. The figures relate to the salary costs of staff who are directly involved in administering the EU Structural Fund Programmes.

2. Information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Health and Social Services was not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

3. The figure for 1990–91 is not consistent with the following years as some records were not available in that year.

Belfast Agreement

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many copies of the Belfast Agreement were printed in (a) the English and (b) the Irish language; what was the cost of producing each version (i) in total and (ii) per copy; and what is the sale price. [44094]

A total of 835,000 copies of the Agreement were printed in English and 10,000 in Irish. the production cost of the English version was £563,750 and the Irish version cost £6,550. The English version cost 67.5p per copy and the Irish version 65.5p. The document was made available free of charge to the public.

Home Department

Vulnerable Or Intimidated Witnesses

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the inter-departmental review of the Treatment of Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses announced on 13 June 1997 has now been completed; and if he proposes to publish its findings. [45260]

The review of the Treatment of Vulnerable or Intimidated Witnesses has now been completed and copies of the report of the Interdepartmental Working Group, which is being published for consultation purposes, will be placed in the Library tomorrow.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters dated 18 February, 18 March and 30 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. R. H. Malik, of 15 The Avenue. [45097]

I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 8 June.

Community Sentence Orders

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of (a) the number of warrants issued by magistrates' courts in England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available in respect of breaches of community sentence orders and (b) the number of such warrants which remained unexecuted after six months from date of issue. [44123]

I regret that this information is not available centrally.

Young Offenders

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his most recent estimate of the period he intends to set as a time limit between arrest and first appearance in court for a person under 18 years under section 22A(1) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 as amended by section 41 of the Crime and Disorder Bill. [44348]

A decision on the level at which the statutory time limits should be set will be taken after piloting and once we have assessed the impact of new measures contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords] on time taken through the criminal justice system. Our plans for introducing a statutory time limit between arrest and first appearance in court, and for introducing statutory time limits for other stages in proceedings for a person under 18 years, are set out in chapter 10 of the White Paper `No More Excuses—A New Approach To Tackling Youth Crime in England and Wales' (CM3809: November 1997). We intend first to pilot certain of the procedural changes introduced by the Crime and Disorder Bill, in particular provisions in section 46 (powers of magistrates' courts exercisable by single justice) and section 47 (early administrative hearings). Sites for these 'Narey' pilot areas were announced in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Mr. Rapson) on 3 June 1998, Official Report, column 219. The six areas are: Tyneside; Croydon; Blackburn and Burnley; Northamptonshire; North Staffordshire; and North Wales. Two of these areas—Blackburn and Northamptonshire—will also operate the final warning scheme and youth offending teams, since these arrangements will have an effect on speed through the system and procedures in young offender cases. We aim to begin the pilots in October this year to run for six months. These will be followed by pilots of statutory time limits which we aim to begin in autumn 1999 and run for 12 months. A decision on the level at which time limits should be set, including the time limit from arrest and the date of first appearance in court, will be made for pilot purposes in the light of the initial 'Narey' pilots and for national rollout in the light of the statutory time limit pilots.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles have been held overnight on remand in police custody in police stations in England and Wales, broken down by (a) police authority and (b) charges, during the last six months. [44671]

Information on the remand of juveniles in police custody in police stations is not collected centrally.Section 38(6) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 requires arrested juveniles under the age of 17 who are detained by the police to be moved to local authority accommodation unless:

(i) the custody officer certifies that, by reason of such circumstances as are specified in the certificate, it is impractical to move the youth; or

(ii) in the case of a juvenile who has attained the age of 12, no local authority security accommodation is available and holding the juvenile in other local authority accommodation would be inadequate to protect the public from serious harm from him.

Police Complaints And Discipline

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to bring forward proposals to change the internal police complaints and discipline process; and if he will make a statement. [44502]

My right hon. Friend announced the Government's response to the Home Affairs Committee report into police disciplinary and complaints procedures in England and Wales on 23 March 1998, Official Report, columns 21–37. New arrangements will be brought into effect on 1 April 1999 which will make significant changes to the current arrangements for dealing with misconduct by police officers, as well as providing, for the first time, formal provisions for tackling poor performance by individual officers. As far as complaints by members of the public are concerned, a number of Committee recommendations which have been accepted will require primary legislation. These will be made when suitable opportunities arise, whilst other measures will be taken forward in consultation with interested parties. New discipline arrangements applying to senior officers will be introduced as soon as possible after 1 April 1999 and will mirror, as far as possible, those which will apply to the rest of the police service.

Cardiff And Parc Prisons

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the running costs in the past two years, and what are the forecast running costs over the next four years, of (a) Cardiff Prison and (b) Parc Prison, Bridgend. [44009]

The running costs of Cardiff prison were £10.97m in 1996/97 and £11.079m in 1997/98. In 1998/99 the figure is forecast to be £11.09m. The budget for the following three years will not be set until the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review is known.

Parc prison opened on 15 November 1997. From then until 30 April 1998, payments of nearly £7m plus value added tax were made to the managing contractor. This figure relates to the provision of the whole custodial service, including prison capital and financing costs, and cannot be compared with the running costs of an existing directly managed prison.

Prison Site, Middleton Sands

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of conversion of the former holiday camp at Middleton Sands, Morecambe, to a temporary prison, separately identifying costs of improvements to the access road and environmental improvements to the site. [43658]

As at December 1997, the estimated costs for converting the camp to a prison for a three-year period varied between £18.7 million to £25.7 million, the variation depending on the number of prisoners to be held and the level of facilities to be provided.The estimated costs for works to the access road, £150,000, and for permanent environmental improvements, £815,000, are included in the overall costs.Figures are subject to inflation and additional costs due to deterioration of the existing buildings since the Prison Service's feasibility study was carried out in December 1997.

Duchy Of Lancaster

Cottage Industries

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make it his policy to issue guidance to local authorities to ensure that rules and regulations affecting the operation of cottage industries are enforced at the least burdensome level possible. [44918]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) on 4 March 1998, Official Report, columns 692–94, announcing the publication of the Enforcement Concordat. I wrote to all local authorities in England on 5 March 1998 to commend the Concordat to them and encourage its adoption.

Lord Chancellor's Department

Magistracy (Ethnic Minorities)

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what percentage of magistrates are from an ethnic minority; and what percentage of magistrates appointed in the last five years are from an ethnic minority. [45159]

A recent survey (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) showed that, of the 94 per cent. of magistrates who responded, 4.1 per cent. were from an ethnic minority. The percentage of magistrates appointed in the last five years (excluding the Duchy of Lancaster) who were from an ethnic minority is:

1993: 5.7 per cent.
1994: 5 per cent.
1995: 6 per cent.
1996: 6.5 per cent.
1997: 6.5 per cent.

Correspondence

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to give a substantive reply to the letter of 22 December 1997 from the hon. Member for Eastbourne relating to Judge Hasan. [45025]

The Lord Chancellor has today given a substantive letter to the hon. Member.

Fines (Greater Manchester)

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each magistrates court in Greater Manchester for the last available 12 month period (a) the total amount of fines imposed, (b) the percentage of that money collected, (c) the amount of fines written off as uncollectible and (d) the criteria used for writing that money off; and if he will list for Stockport and Tameside courts (i) the number of attachment of earnings orders issued by each court to collect (1) fines and (2) reparation orders and (ii) the number of orders made by each court to deduct fines and other money from social security payments. [44113]

(a) and (c): available figures with explanations are shown in the table. (b): the table shows amounts collected. The percentage figure requested has not been calculated because the amounts collected do not relate directly to the amounts imposed. (d): write off is authorised only when all realistic steps to enforce the sums due have been taken without success, and the circumstances fall within one of those listed in note (d) to the table.(i) attachment of earnings orders issued by Stockport and Tameside are recorded for combinations of fines, compensation orders and costs, and fines cannot be given separately. In Tameside, there were 18 attachment of earnings orders, one of which is for reparation only. In stockport, there were 79 combination orders. (ii) there were 107 deductions from social security payments orders made in Stockport. Tameside do not have a record of deductions from benefit for the financial year, but currently have 264 orders.

Fine enforcement in Greater Manchester, financial year ended 31 March 1998
£
	(a) Fines imposed April 1997– March 1998	(b) Amounted collected April 1997– March 1998	(c) Written off April 1997–March 1998
Bolton	1,801,383	1,483,528	309,804
Bury	1,537,487	1,735,555	209,364
Wigan	3,353,711	1,931,838	969,962
City of Salford	1,967,127	1,451,724	515,082
Rochdale	1,700,999	1,422,680	165,240

Fine enforcement in Greater Manchester, financial year ended 31 March 1998
£
	(a) Fines imposed April 1997– March 1998	(b) Amounted collected April 1997– March 1998	(c) Written off April 1997–March 1998
Manchester	5,379,016	2,651,005	3,213,474
Oldham	1,728,821	1,120,522	663,025
Stockport	1,488,313	1,230,576	446,333
Tameside	1,740,336	1,699,110	355,742
Trafford	1,583,768	895,112	798,673
Grand Total	22,281,961	15,621,650	7,646,699

Notes:

(a) Fines imposed includes fines, costs, compensation awards and contributions to Legal Aid. Also included are fines etc. imposed at other courts which have been transferred to this court for enforcement. Fines etc. imposed locally but transferred out to other courts for enforcement have been excluded

(b) Amount collected includes payments against amounts imposed in previous years as well as the current year, and amounts remitted by the courts, but exclude amounts written off

(c) Amounts written off may have been imposed in previous years as well as the current year

(d) Criteria for write off

The defendant's/defaulter's whereabouts are unknown and cannot be traced

The defendant/defaulter is known to have emigrated or gone abroad and there is very little real prospect of return or recovery of the sum The defendant/defaulter has died. However if a fine was involved and the fine itself was particularly high, the justices clerk may wish to consider whether the estate has benefited from the crime. Only if it is clear that it has, should consideration be given to lodging a claim against the estate and any subsequent request to write off should show this has been done and the outcome of the action

The defendant has been sent to a mental health institution for a period of 12 months or more

The court has despatched a notice to a defendant who was not present in court informing him in error of a lesser fine, contribution to costs order that the court imposed—in such cases the balance would be considered for write off

The sum outstanding is less than £5 and is considered to be not worth pursuing

As a result of subsequent proceedings the defendant is sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 12 months more

The sum was imposed or awarded against a limited company which has subsequently been wound up or, where there are no goods on which to levy distress, the company has ceased trading and it is not considered financially worthwhile for the court to initiate

A serviceman has been sentenced to a period of military corrective training

The defendant has moved permanently to Scotland

Other, where circumstances for write off are not covered by any of the above criteria, and grounds for write off are provided in a separate note

Source:

Magistrates' Courts Management Information System 1997–98.

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Sierra Leone

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what facilities for representation and consular services on behalf of Her Majesty's Government operate in Conakry, in Guinea; and if staff or premises were made available to Britain's High Commissioner to Sierra Leone during his evacuation to Conakry. [43691]

The British Ambassador accredited to Guinea is resident in Senegal. Her Majesty's Government have an Honorary Consul in Conakry, who provided assistance during the evacuation from Sierra Leone. In the absence of official accommodation in Conakry, the British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone operated from a hotel room while in Conakry.

Indonesia

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support is being provided to Indonesia in 1998–99 under the Assistance to Support Stability with In-Service Training scheme; and at what cost. [44333]

No expenditure has been authorised so far.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 21 May 1998, Official Report, columns 520–22, on support for police and military forces, if he will provide a breakdown of the 1997–98 expenditure under the United Kingdom Military Training Assistance Scheme in support of the military in Indonesia; and if he will list the training establishments involved and the nature of the training. [44336]

Half of the £225,000 funding for Indonesia military training for 1997–98 represented carry-over costs from 1996–97.The remainder represented English language training in Indonesia and the following courses in the UK:

Army: 1 student on a Disaster Management Course (RCMS Shrivenham); I student on a Command and Staff Course (Joint Service Command and Staff-College, Bracknell); 2 students on English language training (Defence School of Languages, Beaconsfield).

Navy: 1 Student on an International Anti-Submarine Warfare Course (HMS Dryad); 1 student on an International Navigation Officers Course (HMS Dryad).

Ethnic Minority Employees

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 1998, Official Report, columns 487–88, if he will place in the Library a copy of the strategy document, "Bridges into the Future"; what organisations and individuals were consulted in its preparation; and what databases he is using under his initiative to inform minority ethnic communities and prospective applicants about the role and activities of the Foreign Office. [44201]

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is delighted to place in the Library a copy of the strategy document "Bridges into the Future".This document was drawn up by Linbert Spencer, an expert in race and community relations, in consultation with those in the FCO concerned with equal opportunities, recruitment and staff development.The FCO informs minority ethnic communities and prospective applicants about its role and activities through its website and through contact with all UK University careers advisers and cultural societies, as well as though its database of contacts supplied by Hobsons Publishing, The Windsor Fellowship, Project Fullemploy, the African and Caribbean Finance Forum and the Race Equality Councils.

Ottawa Treaty

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government expect to ratify the Ottawa Treaty. [44800]

We intend to ratify the Ottawa Convention as soon as the Parliamentary schedule allows for the legislation necessary to enable us to meet all our commitments under the Convention.

Arms Exports

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to discuss with his European Union counterparts a strengthening of the European Code of Conduct on arms exports. [44430]

The EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports was formally adopted by the General Affairs Council on 8 June. It would be premature to discuss changes to the Code at such an early stage. The Code provides for an annual meeting within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy to review the operation of the Code and identify any improvements which need to be made.

Defence

Pay And Personnel Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what performance targets have been set for the Pay and Personnel Agency for 1998–99. [45261]

The Chief Executive of the Pay and Personnel Agency (PPA) is responsible for providing pay and personnel services for the Ministry of Defence as defined in the Agency Framework Document. During 1998–99, the PPA will be set the following challenging key performance targets:1. (a) while making 100 per cent. of payments of pay by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed 12 per 1,000 payments of weekly industrial pay;

(b) while making 100 per cent. of payments of pay by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed 6 per 1,000 payments of monthly non-industrial pay;

(c) while authorising 100 per cent. of awards of pensions by the due date, the number of errors not to exceed 20 per 1,000 awards;

(d) while making 100 per cent. payments of expenses within 10 days of receipt, the numbers of errors not to exceed 15 per 1,000 payments;

(e) to pay 100 per cent. of claims for fees and personal payments within 9 working days of receipt.

2. By 31 March 1999, to adopt the use of the Business Excellence Model as a means of benchmarking the Agency.

3. By 31 March 1999, to achieve efficiency savings to meet the Departmental target of 2 per cent. efficiency savings of annual operating costs.

4. By 31 December 1998, to ensure that all IT systems are millennium compliant.

5. To gain IIP accreditation before 31 March 1999.

Arms Tactical Training Centre

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future role of the new arms tactical training centre in Germany. [45030]

The role of the Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (CATT) simulation system is primarily to assist in the training of an armoured Battle Group (BG). It will allow a BG to practice both its tactical and command procedures without having to deploy onto a training area. CATT will realistically simulate a warfighting environment with its inherent friction. All training will be closely monitored, thus allowing mistakes to be immediately rectified and thereby more fully preparing the BG for the culmination of its training at BATUS in Canada and in Poland. Additionally, like all simulation systems, CATT should reduce the costs of BG deployments as a result of reduced track mileage and equipment support, whilst alleviating environmental pressure on training areas. Due to the flexibility of the system, as well as current main equipments being simulated, there is scope for equipments such as helicopters and future equipments such as the Multi-Roled Armoured Vehicle to be incorporated into the system. Ultimately, with the ability to network with CATT UK, there will also be the opportunity for an armoured brigade HQ to train two BGs simultaneously, thus practising another level of command.

Territorial Army

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the TA infantry units which were committed to a role in Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall; and if he will state the Field Force, Brigade or Division of 1 BR Corps to which they were assigned. [44839]

Cost of territorial army infantry battalions 1997–98
£million
Unit	1997–98
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers	0.994
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)	1.06
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire	1.091
4/5th Battalion The Green Howards (Alexandra Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment) (Yorkshire Volunteer)	0.796
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Parachute Regiment	1.393
6th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment	0.992
6th Northumberland Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers	1.207
7th Battalion The (Durham) Light Infantry	0.976
7th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment	0.991
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment	2.301
6th Battalion the Light Infantry (Volunteer)	2.435
2nd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Gloucester Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment	1.43
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Green Jackets	1.793
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	1.82
6/7th (Volunteer) Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment	2.087
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's)	2.027
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Queen's Lancashire Regiment	2.078
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Kings Own Border Regiment	1.213
5/8th (Volunteer) Battalion the King's Regiment	2.225
5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers	2.003
5th Battalion The Light Infantry (Volunteer)	2.126
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Cheshire Regiment	1.992
2nd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Regiment of Wales	2.208

The Territorial Army infantry units committed to a role in Germany in 1989, prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall, are shown in the table.

Territorial Army Infantry Unit	Formation
4RGJ	1 Armd Div (7 Armd Bde)
4 Para	1 Armd Div (Div tps)
10 Para	1 Armd Div (Div tps)
15 Para	1 Armd Div (Div tps)
1/51 Highland	4 Armd Div (11 Armd Bde)
2/51 Highland (Milan Pln)	4 Armd Div (11 Armd Bde)
1/52 Lowland (Milan Pln)	4 Armd Div (11 Armd Bde)
5 Queens	4 Armd Div (20 Armd Bde)
5/8 Kings (Milan Pln)	4 Armd Div (20 Armd Bde)
3 RRW (Milan Pln)	4 Armd Div (20 Armd Bde)
6 RRF	2 Inf Div (15 Inf Bde)
1 Y&C	2 Inf Div (15 Inf Bde)
2 Yorks	2 Inf Div (15 Inf Bde)
7 Li	2 Inf Div (15 Inf Bde)
8 Li	2 Inf Div (15 Inf Bde)
5 R Anglian	2 Inf Div (49 Inf Bde)
7 R Anglian	2 Inf Div (49 Inf Bde)
3 Staffords	2 Inf Div (49 Inf Bde)
5 Li	2 Inf Div (49 Inf Bde)
5 RRF	2 Inf Div (49 Inf Bde)
5 RGJ	2 Inf Div tps/Corps tps
4 R Irish (Milan Pln)	2 Inf Div tps
5 R Irish (Milan Pln)	2 Inf Div tps
4QLR	2 Inf Div tps/Corps tps
4 WFR	Corps tps

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of each Territorial Army battalion in 1997–98. [43643]

The 33 Territorial Army infantry battalions are set out in the following list, together with their identifiable costs for the year 1997–98. The figures given are manpower costs only, and include the costs of TA, Regular and Civilian staff employed at the units; other costs incurred are not separated from wider Army financial provision and cannot therefore be directly attributed to particular TA units.

Cost of territorial army infantry battalions 1997–98
£ million
Unit	1997–98
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers	2.044
4th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Green Jackets	2.067
10th (Volunteer) Battalion The Parachute Regiment	2.206
The London Regiment	2.143
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Highlanders (Seaforths Gordons and Camerons)	2.173
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment)	2.053
3rd (Volunteer) Battalion The Black Watch Regiment (The Royal Highland Regiment)	1.851
7/8th (Volunteer) Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princes Louise's)	2.034
The Lowland Volunteers	2.148
4/5th (Volunteer) Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers	2.504

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the role assigned to TA infantry units operating alongside regular units in the BAOR prior to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. [44840]

The Strategic Defence Review has examined the current and future strategic situation, seeking to identify our future defence tasks and the necessary force mix of both Regular and Reserve Armed Forces to meet those tasks. It would be of only limited value to review a historical allocation of roles and units within a setting which is no longer relevant.

Armed Service Personnel (Germany)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British armed service personnel are currently stationed in Germany. [44118]

As at 31 May 1998, some 28,100 posts were directly administered or associated with the garrison in Germany. This excludes the various NATO headquarters and other posts distinct from the garrison itself but includes those troops who are based in Germany and deployed elsewhere, for example, in the Former Yugoslavia.

Land Disposal

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the disposal of land at RAF 14MU. [44893]

The disposal of the core sites of 14MU RAF Carlisle jointly to Cumbria and Carlisle is ongoing. While land quality issues remain a sensitive matter, it is our aim to conclude contract terms shortly.A separate marketing campaign for the open market sale of the four outlying sites is to be initiated this month.

Reserve Forces

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evaluation he has made of the current (i) use, (ii) deployment and (iii) role of reserve infantry forces amongst the United Kingdom's NATO allies. [44896]

We are in regular contact with our NATO Allies on Reserve issues. Most NATO nations rely on conscript Reserves or are undergoing a period of change in their Reserve force structures. In the context of the Strategic Defence Review, we have, in particular,

consulted the United States of America on a range of Reserve issues, including matters relevant to the role, use and deployment of infantry.

Departmental Energy Use

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 1 June 1998, Official Report, column 107, what recognised performance indicators are used at each site for which an energy manager has been appointed; and, for each, what practical savings have been achieved in respect of each indicator in each of the last five years. [44899]

The performance indicators used across the services are the published Government Energy Consumption Targets. MOD's Energy Consumption is reported to DETR by energy focal points and Departmental results are announced annually, usually in January/February. Last year's figures have recently been announced and indicate that MOD are ahead of the Government targets.

Employees (Wales)

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his current estimate of the number employed in defence establishments in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [45004]

The most recent date for which comprehensive figures are available is 1 July 1997. At that time, the number employed in defence establishment in Wales was 8,450. Of these, 3,350 were service personnel and 5,100 were civilians.

Culture, Media And Sport

Bbc

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will require the BBC to distinguish between its public service broadcasting and its commercial ventures in its accounts. [44214]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The BBC's accounts, in its forthcoming Annual Report, due to be laid before Parliament on 15 July, will incorporate a number of measures to increase their transparency, including showing clearly the £90 million cash flow benefit of BBC Worldwide to the licence fee payer. The financial statements will also include BBC Worldwide's statutory accounts and a segmental analysis of its activities.We welcome these measures and in the light of them have no plans to impose further accounting requirements.

Departmental Energy Use

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the Department's energy usage was from (a) renewable energy and (b) combined heating in each year since 1989–90. [44084]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 5 May 1998, Official Report, column 262.

English Tourist Board

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to abolish the English Tourist Board. [44623]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: As part of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review, we are looking at all aspects of the Department's work and its related bodies, but no final decisions have yet been made.

Tourism (National Lottery)

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his oral answer to the right hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Brooke) on 1 June 1998, Official Report, column 11, when he expects to conclude discussions about National Lottery funding for English tourism; and what representations he has received on this subject. [44631]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: Discussions on all subjects relating to the comprehensive spending review will be completed in the summer.The National Lottery has provided, and will continue to provide, significant funding for projects in England which will benefit tourism. We received responses from

£million
Country	1992–3	1993–4	1994–56	1995–6	1996–7	1997–8	Total
Benin	3.77	—	3.83	—	—	—	7.6
Bolivia	3.56	—	3.74	5.79	—	—	13.09
Burkina Faso	—	—	0.57	—	0.56	—	1.13
Egypt	—	—	70.79	—	96.23	4.22	171.24
Ethiopia	—	—	—	—	—	2.32	2.32
Guyana	—	—	—	—	—	72.25	72.25
Mali	—	—	—	—	7.06	—	7.06
Mauritania	—	—	—	0.39	0.08	—	0.47
Mozambique	—	—	—	—	—	0.79	0.79
Nicaragua	0.4	—	0.4	—	—	—	0.8
Niger	—	—	—	—	0.06	0.13	0.18
Poland	—	—	346.24	—	—	—	346.24
Senegal	0.03	—	0.18	0.08	0.03	—	0.33
Tanzania	17.6	—	19.01	—	—	0.76	37.36
Togo	—	—	—	1.76	1.98	0.49	4.23
Uganda	—	—	—	6.05	—	—	6.05
Vietnam	—	—	5.84	—	—		5.84
Yemen	—	—	—	—	6.26	—	6.26
Zambia	—	—	—	—	6.65	0.28	6.93
Total	25.36	0	450.59	14.07	118.9	81 24	690.16

several organisations in the tourism industry to our proposals to reform the Lottery, which were set out in the White Paper, The People's Lottery.

Treasury

Quarrying Tax

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for a quarrying tax. [43250]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC 620), paragraph 5.59.

Government-Guaranteed Loans

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the Treasury's guidelines on whether loans guaranteed by the Government form part of the PSBR. [44965]

Borrowing by the public sector forms part of the PSBR whether guaranteed or not. Market borrowing by the private sector guaranteed by the Government does not form part of the PSBR. The guarantee is a contingent liability. Only if the guarantee is called in would there be any public expenditure and thus an impact on the PSBR.

International Debt

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the value of loans including unpaid interest to developing countries made or guaranteed by the British Government which have been forgiven or written off since 1979 broken down by (a) country, (b) year and (c) type of debt; and what has been the total value of loans forgiven or written off since (i) 1979 and (ii) 5 May 1997. [42043]

[holding answer 14 May 1998]: (a) The table shows the value (in millions of pounds) of the principal of export credit loans which has been written off by ECGD, broken down by year and by country. The value of unpaid interest forgiven or written off is not available.

No export credit loans were written off before 1991/2, making the total written off since 1979 £690.16 million. The total written off in the financial year 1997/8 (ie including April 1997) is £81.24 million.

(b) The table shows the value (in millions of pounds) of aid loans, including unpaid interest, which has been written off by DFID, broken down by year and by country.

£million
Country	Year Granted	Amount
Botswana	1979	20.68
Lesotho	1979	0.4
Malawi	1979	30.7
Sierra Leone	1979	10.35
Sudan	1979	9.87
Tanzania	1979	3.4
The Gambia	1979	5.15
Egypt	1979	17.57
Afghanistan	1979	0.98
Bangladesh	1979	15.36
India²	1979	564.16
Indonesia	1979	39.85
Nepal	1979	1.97
Pakistan	1979	76.03
Sir Lanka	1979	25.21
West. Samoa	1979	0.2
Zimbabwe¹	1980	22.9
Uganda	1981	16.45
Uganda¹	1981	5.64
Mozambique	1983	21.81
EAC³	1984	2.33
Ethiopia	1984	2.5
Ghana	1985	50.85
Senegal	1988	1.07
Egypt	1991	7.02
Guyana¹	1991	5.46
Bolivia	1992	0.14
Honduras	1992	5
Jamaica¹	1992	6.1
Zambia	1993	55.91
Guyana	1993	53.43
Jordan	1994	43.79
Jordan¹	1994	2.35
Nicaragua	1995	0.53
Nicaragua¹	1995	0.05
Peru	1995	1.63
Peru¹	1995	3.46
Cote d'Ivoire	1996	3.45
Laos	1997	0.03
Tonga	1997	0.46
Dominica	1997	6.6
Grenada	1997	3.31
St. Lucia	1997	2.83
Mauritius	1998	1.1
Barbados	1998	0.23
Jamaica	1998	7.3
TCI⁴	1998	1.88
Total	1979–98	1,157.5
¹ These countries received Special Debt Cancellation (SDC) rather than Retrospective Terms Adjustment (RTA). However, both mechanisms operate in the same manner.
² For India, an equivalent amount of cost aid was granted instead of normal RTA
³ East African Community
4 Turks and Caicos Islands

The total value of aid loans that has been written off since 1979 is £1,157.5 million. Of this amount, £23.74 million has so far been written off since the beginning of 1997.

Economic And Monetary Union

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if Her Majesty's Government will treat the euro as a medium of exchange having value or as a unit of account. [44505]

The euro will be the currency of participating Member States and will be treated as such in the United Kingdom, in the same way as any other foreign currency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how lender of last resort operations will be co-ordinated during Stage Three of Economic and Monetary Union; and which individuals or bodies will be responsible for this. [44454]

The Treaty of Maastricht does not cover lender of last resort responsibilities. Under the Treaty, Member States and their national authorities therefore remain solely responsible for such matters.

Eu Contributions

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the United Kingdom's contributions to the European Union for (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98, and the estimated contributions for (i) 1998–99 and (ii) 1999–2000. [44022]

Details of the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions in 1996–97 and 1997–98 together with the Government's estimate of the trended net contribution for 1998–99 were set out in the Departmental Report of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department's published in April. These figures are reproduced in the following table:

£ million
Year	Gross contribution	Abatement	Public sector receipts	Net contribution
1996–97	9,278	-2,418	-4,567	2,293
1997–98	8,523	-1,582	-4,636	2,305
				Trended net contribution
1998–99	—	—	—	3,025

The Government are, in the light of latest information, currently assessing the trended net contribution for 1999–2000 and more detailed cash flow figures for 1998–99. These will be published as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Low Pay

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women working (i) full-time and (ii) part-time in (1) Pendle and (2) Lancashire earn less than (x) £3 per hour, (y) £3.60 per hour, and (z) £4 per hour; and, in each case, what is the percentage of the total number employed. [44380]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 9 June 1998:

As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on earnings.

As with my reply on 22 May 1997, Official Report, column 117, I can give estimates of the percentage of employees in Pendle and Lancashire earning less than the hourly rates you mention, but not the number.

The latest information, from the New Earnings Survey 1997, is contained in the attached table:

Employees on adult rates, whose pay for the survey pay-period was unaffected by absence—New Earnings Survey—April 1997
	£3.00	£3.60	£4.00
Pendle¹
Full-time men	0.0	1.3	1.3
Part-time men	² —	² —	² —
Full-time women	2.2	13.0	19.6
Part-time women	3.7	33.3	48.1
All employees	1.3	10.9	16.0
Lancashire
Full-time men	0.5	3.7	6.7
Part-time men	6.1	32.3	37.4
Full-time women	1.4	7.9	12.2
Part-time women	6.0	26.3	41.6
All employees	1.9	9.9	15.5
¹ Parliamentary constituency
² denotes an estimate which is unavailable because the sample size is too small

People of working age¹ in employment by occupational group and highest qualification United Kingdom, winter 1997/98, not seasonally adjusted
Percentage
	Post—graduate	Higher Education	Further Education	GCSE grades A-C or equivalent	Below GCSE grades A-C	Other-level unknown	No qualifications	Total	Total in employment² (thousand)
1. Managers and administrators	4.6	28.8	28.1	20.9	3.3	7.0	7.3	100.0	4,207
2. Professional occupations	23.5	59.5	9.1	4.1	0.4	3.0	0.4	100.0	2,705
3. Associate professional & technical occupations	5.5	50.4	21.5	14.2	1.9	4.5	1.9	100.0	2,623
4. Clerical, secretarial occupations	0.7	12.3	22.2	40.2	9.3	6.3	9.1	100.0	3,883
5. Craft and related occupations	0.3	6.4	52.8	14.7	6.3	5.4	14.0	100.0	3,251
6. Personal, protective occupations	0.4	9.3	23.7	31.0	8.2	12.0	15.4	100.0	2,794
7. Sales occupations	0.6	8.9	22.8	36.1	8.2	6.6	16.8	100.0	2,102
8. Plant and machine operatives	⁴ —	3.3	22.2	20.7	10.0	20.6	23	100.0	2,489
9. Other occupations	⁴ —	2.5	14.5	23.6	11.1	12.5	35.7	100.0	2,010
All in employment³	4.0	20.8	25.1	23.1	6.3	8.2	12.5	100.0	26,143
¹ Working age is men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59
² Totals include a few people who did not state their highest qualification, but percentages calculated using valid responses only
³ Includes those who did not specify their occupation
⁴ Sample size too small for reliable estimate

Source:

Labour Force Survey; ONS

Education Qualifications

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what are the percentages of those in each occupational classification whose highest educational attainment is (a) post-graduate, (b) higher education (excluding post-graduate), (c) further education and (d) GSCE; [44289](2) what were the rates of unemployment according to educational attainment at the most recent available date. [44290]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Yvette Cooper, dated 9 June 1998:

As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions about occupation by highest qualification and unemployment rates by highest qualification.

The information requested, using estimates from the Labour Force Survey, is shown in the attached tables.

ILO Unemployment rate of working age¹ people by highest qualification United Kingdom, winter 1997/98, not seasonally adjusted
Highest qualification	ILO unemployment rate per cent.
Post-graduate	2.8
Higher education	3.3
Further education	4.9
GCSE grades A-C or equivalent	6.8
Below GCSE grades A-C	8.1
Other—level unknown	4.7
No qualifications	12
All²	6.4
¹ Working age is men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59
² Unemployment rate for all those of working age includes those who did not state their highest qualification

Source:

Labour Force Survey; ONS

Breast Cancer

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a breakdown by age range of the incidence of breast cancer in women in England in each of the last five years. [44936]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Incidence of breast cancer, England, 1989–1993
	Number of newly diagnosed cases					Rate per 100,000
	1989	1990	1991	1992¹	1993¹	1989	1990	1991	1992¹	1993¹
Under 1	1	1	0	0	4	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0	1.3
1–4	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
5–9	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
10–14	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
15–19	2	1	2	1	3	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.2
20–24	29	26	24	18	20	1.5	1.4	1.3	1.0	1.1
25–29	145	148	129	152	141	7.6	7.6	6.5	7.7	7.2
30–34	407	398	440	486	460	24.6	23.3	25.0	26.8	24.7
35–39	945	873	921	945	882	59.5	55.4	58.3	59.0	54.1
40–44	1,867	1,720	1,829	1,744	1,577	109.0	99.2	105.0	105.2	97.9
45–49	2,272	2,246	2,432	2,797	2,707	166.4	159.6	165.4	174.9	162.0
50–54	2,393	2,694	2,995	3,093	2,946	186.6	208.9	234.6	241.2	225.2
55–59	2,754	3,081	3,468	3,313	2,984	221.2	251.0	285.1	271.9	242.0
60–64	3,259	3,801	3,976	3,855	3,447	259.1	304.5	320.8	314.2	284.7
65–69	3,431	3,343	3,128	3,047	2,698	255.6	260.1	251.7	251.5	226.8
70–74	2,584	2,647	2,863	3,033	3,006	259.6	255.1	265.2	270.8	257.5
75–79	2,693	2,618	2,697	2,611	2,336	278.9	271.2	282.6	281.5	265.7
80–84	2,055	1,998	2,154	2,258	2,052	292.6	281.4	300.9	315.1	286
85+	1,936	1,915	2,092	2,204	2,129	360.2	343.7	360.8	364.7	337
All ages	26,773	27,510	29,150	29,557	27,392	109.5	112.2	118.4	119.7	110.7
DAS²	—	—	—	—	—	95.2	98.9	105.2	105.7	97.2
¹ Provisional data
² Directly age standardised using the European standard population to take account of the changing age structure of the population

Scotland

Towns (City Status)

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria are used in Scotland to award city status to towns; and if he will make it his policy to create a new city by 2000. [44683]

There are no settled criteria for the award of city status to towns in Scotland. Such an award has not been made since Dundee was awarded city status in 1889. Any further award would be a matter for Her Majesty The Queen acting under the Royal Prerogative on the advice of the Government of the day. There are no plans to recommend such an award in Scotland at present.

Procurator Fiscal Service

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the procurator fiscal posts in respect of which decisions have been taken not to replace an existing fiscal since 1 May 1997; and if he will state the reason for this decision in each case. [44818]

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is an independent Government Department under the direction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate.

Letter from John Fox to Ms Linda Perham, dated 9 June 1998:

In the absence of the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent question on breast cancer in England.

The numbers of newly diagnosed cases and incidence rates per 100,000 females of breast cancer (International Classification of Diseases 9^th Revision, ICD9, 174) in England, 1989–1993 (the last five years for which data are available), are shown in the table.

The only Procurator Fiscal post in respect of which a decision has been taken not to replace an existing fiscal since 1 May 1997 is at Alloa. This decision was taken in May 1998.

The reason for this decision was to ensure good management and operational effectiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the total number of working days and cost thereof in(a) 1996–97 and(b) 1997–98 in respect of which ad hoc deputies were engaged by the Procurator Fiscal Service in each regional area of the service. [44812]

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service is an independent Government Department under the direction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate.The total number of working days and cost of ad hoc Procurator Fiscal deputies by region for 1996–97 and 1997–98 were:

	1996–97		1997–98
	Days	Cost (£)	Days	Cost (£)
Grampian	242	31,509	81	10,575
Tayside	890	115,678	113	14,681
Lothian	67	8,752	164	21,337
Glasgow	556	72,359	605	78,727
N. Strathclyde	291	37,887	194	25,272
S. Strathclyde	121	15,755	52	6,836

The number of days are approximate and have been derived by dividing the known total cost by an average daily cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure was incurred in 1997–98 in respect of the operational running costs of the Procurator Fiscal Service. [44814]

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service is an independent Government Department under the direction of my noble and learned friend the Lord Advocate.Departmental running costs in 1997–98 were £44,237,000, of which £36,064,000 represented the operational costs of the Procurator Fiscal Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many legally-qualified members of staff were employed in each regional area of the Procurator Fiscal Service on 31 March in(a) 1996,(b) 1997 and(c) 1998; and what was the agreed complement of such staff for each area on these dates. [44811]

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is an independent Government Department under the direction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate.The numbers of legally qualified staff employed in each regional area of the Procurator Fiscal Service are as follows:

Region	Date	Legal staff employed
Grampian, Highland Island	31 March 1996	30
	31 March 1997	32
	31 March 1998	30
Tayside, Central and Fife	31 March 1996	39.3
	31 March 1997	46.1
	31 March 1998	44.5
Lothian and Borders	31 March 1996	38.5
	31 March 1997	36.9
	31 March 1998	40.7
Glasgow	31 March 1996	62.7
	31 March 1997	66.5
	31 March 1998	63.9
North Strathclyde	31 March 1996	34.4
	31 March 1997	37
	31 March 1998	36.5
South Strathclyde	31 March 1996	39.2
	31 March 1997	41.9
	31 March 1998	42.7

There is no fixed complement staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the case-related expenditure in each regional area of the Procurator Fiscal Service in(a) the financial year immediately prior to the implementation of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and(b) each complete financial year since its implementation in respect of (i) solemn proceedings in the High Court, (ii) solemn proceedings in the Sheriff Court and (iii) summary proceedings. [44815]

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal service is an independent Government Department under the direction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate.

The case-related expenditure in each region prior to the implementation of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and then subsequent to the Act was:

£000
	Prior 1995–96	Subsequent 1996–97	1997–98
Grampian	746	754	711
Tayside	1,476	1,705	1,517
Lothian	1,113	1,115	1,282
Glasgow	1,682	1,391	1,174
North Strathclyde	973	849	802
South Strathclyde	1,104	1,124	949

The specific information requested on solemn and summary proceedings is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Further details of operations and costs are contained in the Department's Annual Report, a copy of which is in the House Library.

School Books

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state in respect of each local education authority area in Scotland the average amount allocated for the purchase of books in each(a) primary and(b) secondary school in 1996–97 and 1997–98. [44817]

The information is not collected centrally.

Legal Aid

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent on(a) criminal legal aid and(b) the administration of the Scottish criminal legal aid scheme in 1997–98. [44813]

The Scottish Legal Aid Board will shortly be publishing its full accounts on an accruals basis in its Annual Report and the hon. and learned Member will be sent a copy. In cash terms, the provisional expenditure on criminal legal aid in 1997–98 was £82.054 million. The Board also spent £7.583 million on advice and assistance in criminal matters and £2.438 million on Advice by Way of Representation (ABWOR), most of which was spent on criminal cases. The estimated cost, in cash terms, of administering criminal legal aid in 1997–98 was £2.340 million and that of the criminal elements of advice and assistance and ABWOR was £0.841 million.

Trade And Industry

Seaward Petroleum Licensing

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the 18th round of seaward petroleum licensing will take place. [45364]

The 18th Seaward Petroleum Licensing Round has opened with the publication of the formal offer notice in the Official Journal of the European Communities.The notice invites applications for unlicensed acreage in the northern, central, and southern North Sea and in the northern half of the Irish Sea, Liverpool Bay, and Morecambe Bay. These are established oil and gas provinces where licences were last offered in 1994.

Interest is expected, in particular, from companies keen to use new data acquisition and processing techniques to locate structures similar to recent finds in other sectors of the North Sea or elsewhere in the world, or to identify new resources close to producing fields which may extend the life of their existing offshore infrastructure.

The offer includes blocks relinquished by previous licencees in response to the fallow blocks initiative, which has encouraged companies to hand back acreage for which they have no current exploration or development plans, and so to make it available for others to explore and exploit where possible.

A number of unlicensed blocks in the broad areas covered by the round have been excluded from this round, either for environmental protection reasons on the advice of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, or to protect the interests of other sea users.

Drilling and development activity under licences awarded in this round will be subject to the requirements of regulations to implement the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EEC) as it applies to the offshore oil and gas industry which came into effect on 30 April 1998. The regulations apply to all relevant projects, irrespective of the date of the licence under which they are carried out, and will give the public access to project Environmental Statements on which they can comment to the Government.

The closing dates for the receipt of applications will be 10 and 11 September. I hope the industry will take full advantage of the licensing opportunities available to them.

Parcel Services

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what complaints she has received about arrangements which provide for transatlantic carriage of parcels by the Post Office to United States destinations at a lower rate than those destinations can be served by United States domestic services. [43805]

None. If the hon. Member provides details I will look into the issue.

Electricity

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures she will take to ensure that poorer families gain from the benefits of competition in the electricity industry, with particular reference to those using prepayment keys. [43057]

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 11 June 1997,Official Report, column 466, what steps she proposes to take to reduce the cost of electricity charges for small consumers on low incomes. [43149]

In our Green Paper, A Fair Deal for Customers, the Government have asked the gas and electricity regulators to prepare an action plan on ways to ensure that the regulatory regime works to the benefit of all domestic customers including those who are less well off financially. The plan should enable progress in assisting such customers to be judged against measurable targets.

The Government are considering the case for legislation to require the gas and electricity networks to make differential charges to supply companies in favour of prepayment meter customers. As part of the regulators' plan, therefore, the regulators should advise on whether and how such a proposal might operate and the appropriate level for such charges.

The arrangements currently being put in place for electricity supply competition by OFFER and the electricity industry are designed to ensure that prepayment meter customers will be able to switch supplier like any other electricity customer.

Arms Exhibitions

To ask the President of the Board of Trade which officials from her Department attended the Eurosatory arms fair in Paris in June; what were the costs of their attendance; and what funding her Department provided to defence companies attending this event. [44507]

The DTI provided support for twenty UK firms exhibiting at Eurosatory in the form of grants towards the cost of participation. A preliminary grant has been paid to the Defence Manufacturers Association who were managing the UK group. Remaining payments are subject to claims not yet received, but the overall budget for the event has been set at £85,000. Two more firms were part of the UK group but are ineligible for grant. I have been informed that no DTI officials attended the event.

Export Credits

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what percentage of export credits to each country in each year since 1970–71 was allocated to defence contracts; [43404](2) what estimate she has made of how much in

(a) cash terms and (b) real terms, in 1998–99 prices, each country receiving export credits will receive in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–2001; [43405]

(3) how much in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, in 1998–99 prices, each country receiving export credits (i) paid back and (ii) had written off in each year since 1970–71; [43406]

(4) if she will list the countries which have been recipients of export credits from the Exports Credits Guarantee Department since 1970–71; [43407]

(5) how much in (a) cash terms and (b) real terms, in 1998–99 prices, each country receiving export credits accepted in each year since 1970–71. [43408]

[holding answer 3 June 1998]: The information requested is in large part either no longer available or could be provided only at disproportionate cost.I am however sending today by way of reply a report that details new ECGD-supported business broken down by country for each year since 1986, which sets out the element of defence-related business for each year and each market.I am placing a copy of the report in the library of the House.

Miners

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many interim payments have been made to ex-miners suffering from respiratory disease; and if she will make a statement. [45366]

To date, 259 payments have been made.At the High Court hearing on 27 March, solicitors acting for the plaintiffs were granted a three-month adjournment to allow for further discussions to take place with the Department's agents to seek to agree arrangements for the administration of outstanding claims.Given this further delay, we undertook to make interim payments of £2,000 to a minimum of 5,000 elderly claimants currently in receipt of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for chronic bronchitis and emphysema. We have now extended this offer to all claimants currently in receipt of this benefit, as well as to the widows of those previously in receipt of the benefit. We estimate that this could be as many as 13,000. The speed at which offers can be made is still reliant on the co-operation of the claimants' solicitors who need to submit evidence of receipt of benefit.Discussions are continuing between the Department's representatives and the plaintiffs solicitors on suitable arrangements for assessing and compensating valid claims. To help facilitate speedy resolution of these discussions, we have agreed that Small Airways Disease (SAD) compensation should be paid even though no clear finding was made in relation to it in the High Court judgment.

Tobacco Products

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the total value of sales of tobacco products sold in the United Kingdom by each category of tobacco product in the last year for which figures are available. [44076]

Statistics on the UK market for tobacco products are available in the Office for National Statistics publication "Product Sales & Trade PRA13, Tobacco Products". A copy of the latest publication, with data for 1993 to 1996, can be found in the Library of the House. These figures exclude Excise duties and Value Added Tax.

Uk Investors (Russia)

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice her Department currently offers to United Kingdom investors seeking to investigate commercial opportunities in(a) Russia and(b) other countries formerly part of the USSR. [44803]

We point out to UK investors seeking to investigate commercial opportunities in Russia that there are now a large number of successful UK investments. However, companies wishing to invest continue to face many obstacles, primarily resulting from the lack of transparency in the legal and fiscal framework for doing business and, therefore, good preparation is essential. As far as the remainder of the old USSR is concerned, the investment situation is very variable. As a general rule, at the present time, we would not encourage UK companies to seek out investment opportunities in Belarus, Moldova or Ukraine. The countries of Central Asia and Transcaucasia (with the exception of Tadjikistan) do present investment opportunities in a limited range of sectors but, again, the overall lack of transparency means good preparation is essential. The situation in the three Baltic States is different as the investment framework is now much more amenable to doing business.

Internet Watch Foundation

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what firm of consultants has been appointed to undertake the review of the Internet Watch Foundation; and how they intend to seek views from interested parties. [43932]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: Work is well under way in preparing to appoint consultants to undertake the review. Discussions have been held with interested parties over detailed terms of reference and expressions of interest will be invited shortly. We will expect the winners of that tender to use a variety of research methods to obtain views from interested parties, including inviting written representations. In the meantime, anyone wishing to offer views should address them to officials in the Communications and Information Industries Directorate of my Department who are commissioning the review.

Wind Farming

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has further to develop wind farming in the United Kingdom. [43550]

[holding answer 1 June 1998]: The Government consider that wind energy is one of the most promising renewables and has the prospect to contribute substantially to UK energy supplies.In line with the Government's manifesto commitment to a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources, in June 1997, I initiated a review of new and renewable energy policy including what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK's electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010 and what contribution new and renewables could make to the Government's target of a 20 per cent. reduction in CO

² emissions by 2010. The Review is considering all forms of New and Renewable Energy including the prospects for onshore and offshore wind energy.

In November 1997, I announced outline policy proposals for the fifth Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation Renewables Order in England and Wales (NFFO-5), and which included provision for onshore wind energy with new separate technology bands for small and larger scale windfarms. The purpose of these Orders is to secure additional generating capacity from renewables in order to help them enter the commercial generating market. There are currently fifty-five NFFO wind energy projects generating electricity with a combined capacity of 132.28 MW and I look forward to seeing this contribution grow in coming years.

Gas-Fired Power Stations

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what assessment she has made of the impact on investment in the United Kingdom of a five-year moratorium on building gas-fired power stations; [44635](2) if she will publish the Government's estimates of the level of emissions of sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulates from power stations over the period 1999 to 2008 on the assumption that

(a) a five-year moratorium on building gas-fired power stations is introduced and (b) that the current moratorium on building gas-fired power stations ends forthwith; [44638]

(3) what will be the impact on the National Air Quality Strategy targets of a five-year moratorium on gas-fired power stations; and what additional measures would be required to meet these targets following the introduction of such a moratorium; [44637]

(4) what assessment she has made of the economic impact of a five-year moratorium on building gas-fired power stations on those generators which own coal-fired power stations; [44636]

(5) what assessment she has made of the impact on employment, by sector, of a five-year moratorium on the building of gas-fired power stations. [44625]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The Government are engaged in a review of energy sources for power generation. An announcement will be made when a conclusion has been reached.

Renewables

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the impact of measures set out in the EU White Paper on Renewables on job creation in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement. [43667]

The Commissioner's White Paper recognises that net employment figures in the renewable energy sector are difficult to predict and calculate. It would be very difficult to disaggregate the various estimates for EU as a whole to determine a UK figure. The White Paper envisages a capital investment in renewable energy of around ecu 165 billion by 2010 and estimates that this might create between 500,000 and 900,000 jobs across Europe. Clearly this presents a significant business opportunity for UK companies.

European Structural Funds

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1), pursuant to the answer of 1 June 1998,Official Report, column4, what discussions the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has had with(a) Ministers and(b) officials in other departments relating to the review of EU structural funds in respect of Wales; and what was the nature and scope of such discussions; [44393](2), pursuant to her answer of 21 May 1998,

Official Report, columns 543–44, what has been the nature and content of her discussions with Welsh Office (a) officials and (b) Ministers on the subject of (i) Objective One funding for Wales and (ii) other aspects of Agenda 2000. [44394]

[holding answers 5 June 1998]: Since the Department co-ordinates UK policy on the Structural Funds, both I and other DTI Ministers have frequently discussed the Structural Funds aspects of Agenda 2000 with colleagues, including those in the Welsh Office. Officials from the relevant departments are also in regular touch.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects the review of European Structural Funds to be completed. [43253]

As part of the Agenda 2000 package, the Commission published their proposed draft regulations for the Structural and Cohesion Fund policies for the years 2000 to 2006 on 18 March 1998.The proposals will have to be agreed by the Council of Ministers and, where appropriate, approved by the European Parliament. We do not expect the regulations for the Structural and Cohesion Funds to be adopted until early 1999.

Crown Post Office, Watford

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the provision of a Crown Post Office in Watford. [44667]

I understand from the Post Office that the Crown post office in Watford was converted to a franchise office in February 1997 under a five-year contract. The franchise office continues to provide the full range of services previously provided at the Crown post office. In May 1997, at my request, the Post Office suspended its Crown office conversion programme, except where irreversible contractual commitments existed, until decisions on this programme could be made on an informed basis in the wider context of our review of the Post Office.

Printing, Packaging And Graphics Communications Industry

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps her Department has taken to encourage workforce flexibility to create and sustain jobs in the United Kingdom printing, packaging and graphic communications industry. [43445]

The Government recognise the benefits for competitiveness and employment of workforce flexibility, and encourage generally the spread of flexible working practices such as varying patterns of work, multi-skilling, and teleworking. Workforce flexibility will be amongst the issues to be addressed in a forthcoming joint industry/union/DTI study on the competitiveness of the industry.

President Of The Council

Reviews

To ask the President of the Council if she will list, for each of the last four years, the departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by Ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside her Department; and in each case if she will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [44362]

No such inquiries or reviews have been instigated by Ministers in the Privy Council Office.

Environment, Transport And The Regions

Regional Development Agencies

10.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress made towards setting up the boards of the new regional development agencies. [43235]

We are currently considering applications for chairmen or chairwomen, and board members of Regional Development Agencies. We cannot formally make appointments to boards until the Regional Development Agencies Bill has received Royal Assent but hope to identify the prospective chairs as advisers before then to help with the preparation for the RDAs.

20.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will site the north-west regional development agency office in Liverpool. [43246]

Decisions about the locations of Regional Development Agency offices will be for the RDAs. They will need to take account of all relevant factors, including the requirement on non-departmental public bodies to secure best value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if there will be a net increase in resources going to the South West Region after the setting up of the Regional Development Agency. [43243]

It is too early to say what resources the South West will receive once the Regional Development Agencies are up and running next April. Plans for expenditure in 1999–2000 will depend on the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review. However, RDAs will provide a more cohesive approach, which will lead to more effective use of the available funding.

Council Tax (Second Homes)

11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact of providing a 50 per cent. discount on council tax for second homes. [43236]

Around 500,000 households in England qualify for the 50 per cent. council tax discount at a cost of some £170 million. Not all of the dwellings which receive the discount are second or holiday homes. The 50 per cent. discount applies to all unoccupied dwellings and to certain occupied dwellings such as those where all of the residents are disregarded, for example, households consisting of someone who is severely mentally impaired and their carer.

Inland Waterways

12.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to improve planning and co-ordination of responsibilities for navigation rights as part of overall management of inland waterways. [43237]

The country's inland waterways are managed by over 30 navigation authorities. The Association of Inland Navigation Authorities enables them to share information and co-ordinate navigation issues.

Brown-Field Sites

13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish the locations of identified brown-field sites in the United Kingdom. [43238]

Work starts this summer to gather information about previously developed land in England which may be available for redevelopment. My Department is working on this with the Local Government Management Board, English Partnerships, Ordnance Survey and Local Authorities. English Partnerships intends to publish information on an initial set of sites suitable for redevelopment, by the end of the year; summary results for all sites should be available by March 1999.

19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received on his current target for development on brown-field sites. [43245]

The Government expect local authorities to be able to raise the national proportion of new homes to be built on previously developed land, including conversions of existing buildings, to 60 per cent. over the next 10 years. We also expect the regional conferences of local authorities to bring forward regional recycling targets.

24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made in his review of policy concerning new housing numbers and development on green-field and brown-field sites. [43251]

We are taking forward the further action outlined in Planning for the Communities of the Future. In particular, the Urban Task Force has started its work and we have started work on the development of a National Land Use Database.

Social Housing

14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of social houses to be built in each of next three years. [43239]

We expect over 53,000 new social lettings to be created during 1998/99 through a mixture of new build, renovation, conversion and assisted exit from the social rented sector. Future levels of social housing provision are dependent on the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Local Government Finance

15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to reform local government finance; and if he will make a statement. [43240]

On 30 March, the Government published three consultation papers:

Improving local financial accountability;
Business rates; and
Capital finance.

The consultation period closed on 1 June and we are currently considering the responses. A White Paper on Modernising Local Government will be published in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each council which has set a budget above its capping limit since the introduction of the capping regime(a) its provisional capping limit,(b) the budget set by the council,(c) the confirmed capping limit and(d) the final budget following appeal. [44462]

Copies of the information requested have been placed in the Library of the House.

Housing Benefit

16.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to equalise the arrangements for paying housing benefit to council tenants with that for other tenants. [43241]

We are currently reviewing all aspects of housing finance including personal subsidies to tenants.

Sports Grounds (Housing Development)

17.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the loss of sports grounds to housing development. [43242]

We consulted local authorities on the 12 February on our proposals to tighten planning controls in respect of development on all local authority-owned playing fields where the English Sports Council advises against the proposals. We received 100 responses. We continue to receive correspondence about our "Planning for the Communities of the Future" policy document some of which has raised this matter.

Greenhouse Gases

18.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will introduce to meet the Kyoto target for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases. [43244]

We intend to issue a consultation paper in the summer on measures to deliver our climate change targets. This will largely focus on delivering our legally binding commitment from Kyoto as well as considering how we might move towards our 20 per cent. domestic aim. We will be looking at the scope for savings from improved energy efficiency by business and in the home; lower transport emissions; and an increase in the electricity generated from renewables and combined heat and power.

23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress towards meeting the Government's target for reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. [43249]

The United Kingdom is one of only a few countries on target to meet its Rio commitment to return greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. In fact, for carbon dioxide, the UK is projected to be more than 5 per cent. below 1990 levels and for all greenhouse gases we expect to be 10 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2000.We intend to issue a consultation paper in the summer on measures to deliver our climate change targets. This will largely focus on delivering our legally binding commitment from Kyoto as well as considering how we might move towards our 20 per cent. domestic aim. We will be looking at the scope for savings from improved energy efficiency by business and in the home; lower transport emissions; and an increase in the electricity generated from renewables and combined heat and power.

Heathrow Airport

21.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the timetable for the Heathrow terminal 5 inquiry. [43247]

The public inquiry into the proposed Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport began in May 1995 and is currently expected to end in November 1998. The timetable for the inquiry is a matter for the Inspector.

Standard Spending Assessment

22.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the level of SSA in Leicestershire. [43248]

Leicestershire's SSA for 1998–99 is £352.825 million, an increase of £10.960 million or 3.2 per cent. on the equivalent figure for 1997–98. The SSA per head figure is £590.71.

26.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the expected level of change in SSAs for shire counties between 1997–98 and 1998–99. [43254]

Details of the 1998–99 Local Government Finance Settlement were announced in February. The overall change in SSAs for shire counties is a 2.9 per cent. increase compared with the equivalent figure for 1997–98. Figures for individual authorities are available in the Library.

Greater London Authority

25.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what role the proposed Greater London authority will play in influencing planning decisions; and if he will make a statement. [43252]

The Mayor will be responsible for ensuring that planning decisions on matters of importance to London as a whole take account of the broader strategic interest. He or she will do this through informal advice to the boroughs and through two formal mechanisms:

(i) Strategic planning—The Mayor will be required to draw up a Spatial Development Strategy in place of the current guidance issued by the Secretary of State. The London boroughs will continue to produce detailed Unitary Development Plans for their areas, but these must be "in general conformity" with the Mayor's strategy.

(ii) Development Control—London boroughs will remain the primary planning authorities for their areas. For a limited number of classes of development with significant strategic implications, the borough will have to consult the Mayor before reaching its decision. In the last resort the Mayor will be able to direct a borough to refuse permission where this is necessary on genuine strategic grounds. The applicant would have the right of appeal to the Secretary of State in the normal way. The criteria for applications falling into this category will be strictly drawn and the Government will be consulting on these in due course.

Rail Fares

35.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the regulatory bodies in respect of the level of rail fares. [43263]

Ministers meet with the Franchising Director on a regular basis and with the Rail Regulator from time to time to discuss a range of railways issues. The regulation of fares is a statutory responsibility of the Franchising Director. He has prescribed that annual increases in the price of key fares rise by no more than increases in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) based on June 1995 fare levels. From January 1999, these fares will be pegged to one per cent below the increase in the RPI.

Rail Performance Standards

37.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations he has had with the rail regulators in relation to new performance standards for rail operating companies. [43265]

The Franchising Director is responsible for setting performance standards for train operators. Ministers meet regularly with the Franchising Director to discuss a range of passenger railway issues.

National Rail Inquiry Service

38.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the service provided by the national rail inquiry service. [43266]

My Department and the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising have received 127 representations about the service provided by the National Rail Inquiry Scheme.

Bicycling

39.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to mark National Bike Week. [43268]

We welcome National Bike Week and we are encouraged by the number of events in which people are taking part up and down the country. The week offers an excellent opportunity for raising awareness and drawing attention to the value of cycling. Making it easier for people to cycle will be a key element of our Integrated Transport White Paper.The Department is planning a Bike Breakfast at its main London headquarters for staff who cycle to work on National Bike to Work Day on 10 June. Ministers took part in the Great Parliamentary Bike Ride on 9 June and are supporting other events during the week.

48.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of bicycling in his transport policy. [43277]

The Government fully recognise the value of cycling as a means of transport. We have already announced that cycling will have an important role in our integrated transport policy, details of which will be announced in the White Paper we plan to publish later this month.

Bus Companies

40.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to encourage the benchmarking of environmental performance by bus companies. [43269]

The Government are already introducing tax changes to encourage greener buses; and progressively higher emission standards have been required across the EU. I welcome voluntary benchmarking by the bus industry.

Leeds-Harrogate-York Line

41.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ensure an improvement in the quality of service on the Leeds-Harrogate-York line. [43270]

On 6 November 1997, the Minister for Transport issued to the Franchising Director new objectives, instructions and guidance which require him to manage the existing railway franchise contracts in the interest of passengers and to secure a progressive improvement in the quality of services. In the case of Leeds suburban services, the Franchising Director works with the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (PTE), which is also a signatory to the franchise contract, to achieve that. I understand that Railtrack is undertaking a project to increase a capacity on the western approaches to Leeds station and that Railtrack and the PTE regularly review available station capacity for peak services at Leeds. We propose to strengthen the powers available for the regulation of the railway to ensure the improvements in performance and service quality which we want to see.

British Road Federation

43.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met representatives from the British Road Federation to discuss road expenditure and motoring taxation. [43272]

The British Road Federation met my noble Friend the Minister for Roads in July 1997 at which the subject of road expenditure and motoring taxation was one of a number of subjects discussed. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport gave the keynote speech at the BRF's conference on 25 September 1997.The British Road Federation have made a full contribution to the consultation exercise which is informing our current fundamental review of transport policy.

M74 Motorway

44.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the start date for construction of the M74 between Carlisle and the Scottish borders. [43273]

Since the start of the Roads Review consultation exercise, I have received seven representations regarding the proposed construction of the extension of the M6/M74 between Carlisle and the Scottish Border, all of them in support.

Car Parking

45.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to regulate privately owned car parking facilities. [43274]

49.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to discourage parking in urban areas. [43279]

The Government's views on the use of parking controls and charges as part of an integrated transport policy will be set out in the forthcoming Transport White Paper.

London Underground

46.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress towards establishing a public-private partnership for London Underground. [43275]

We are working closely with London Transport to ensure that the Public/Private Partnership is progressed as quickly and efficiently as possible, and in a way which delivers the best result for taxpayers, passengers and staff.Changes have been made to the London Transport Board to provide the new structure needed to meet the challenging agenda we have set for the next two years. Denis Tunnicliffe has been appointed London Transport Chief Executive with effect from 1 June, and recruitment of a new part-time Chairman (and a new Managing Director for London Underground) is under way.Price Waterhouse and Freshfields have been selected to provide, respectively, financial and legal advice jointly to the Government and London Transport. Competitions for other advisers are at an advanced stage.London Transport are also close to finalising an enhanced investment programme for the next two years incorporating the additional funding my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 20 March as part of our Public/Private Partnership proposals.

Vintage Motor Vehicles

47.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to ensure that effective additives are available for older and vintage motor vehicles following the withdrawal of leaded petrol. [43276]

Effective substitutes for lead are available that can provide adequate protection from engine wear in older vehicles. With a significant residual market demand for leaded petrol, estimated at 18 per cent. of total petrol sales when the ban comes into effect on 1 January 2000, most major oil companies are actively planning to market a special grade of unleaded petrol containing these lead substitute additives from the middle of 1999. Availability of this fuel will continue for as long as there is a market demand.

Trunk Roads

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding spending on trunk roads. [43271]

I have received many representations on spending on trunk roads, including some 14,000 representations as a result of the Roads Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the current levels of investment in Britain's motorway and trunk road network; and when he plans to complete his review of Britain's road programme. [43267]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Wealden (Sir G. Johnson Smith), on 5 May 1998,Official Report, column 313.

Stray Dogs

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of stray dogs in the United Kingdom; and what monitoring his Department undertakes of the number(a) recovered and(b) put down and the cost to public funds of dealing with stray dogs. [44409]

These figures are not collected centrally. The National Dog Wardens' Association has estimated that about 139,000 strays were handled by local authorities in 1995–96, of which 16,000 were put down. Where the owner is known, local authorities are able to recover the costs.

Sewage Treatment

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to announce his decision on the need for secondary treatment of sewage; and if it will be in time to allow water companies to comply with the deadline set in the EU Urban Waste Water Directive. [44392]

My Department is considering the Government's policy options in relation to implementation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Decisions will be made in the context of the current Periodic Review of water prices, which aims to strike a proper balance between the need for environmental improvement and the resulting impact on water bills. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.The Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive contains a number of deadlines for different levels of sewage treatment according to both the size of the discharge and the nature of the receiving waters. The vast majority of work necessary to meet these deadlines will not be influenced by decisions whether to allow primary treatment at comparatively few coastal locations.

Chrysolite

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what account he will take of the French ban on the use and import of chrysolite when determining UK policy. [44422]

The UK has taken into account the bans in nine EU Member States, including France, when formulating our own policy. Any decision by the UK Government to proceed with further restrictions on the importation, supply and use of chrysolite will be based on robust scientific evidence, thereby fulfilling obligations under World Trade Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the French ban on the use and import of chrysolite. [44424]

The UK has considered the bans in nine EU Member States, including France, especially their effectiveness, when formulating our own policy.

Hammersmith Bridge

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what consultations his Department has undertaken over the possible reopening of Hammersmith Bridge; with which bodies; and what representations he has received on this subject. [44566]

Consultations on the future of Hammersmith Bridge are a matter for the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, as bridge owner and local highway authority. Representations so far received amount to 11 Parliamentary Questions, 24 letters from hon. Members and Lords, and 51 letters from members of the public. Within these representations there have been straightforward requests for information, along with expressions of view for or against re-opening the bridge. Members of the public with views on the subject have been encouraged to make them known to the local highway authority.

New Forest

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to award national park status to the New Forest under the terms of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949; and what would be the impact of these plans on existing New Forest legislation; [44460](2) what plans he has to designate the New Forest a national park authority under the terms of the Environment Act 1995; and what would be the impact of these plans on existing New Forest legislation. [44466]

The Countryside Commission has been considering the most appropriate arrangements for the continued protection of the New Forest. The Commission intends to present its formal advice to Ministers on this and a number of other issues relating to the protection of nationally important landscapes later this month. We will need to look at the Commission's recommendations very carefully, together with all the information available, before taking any final decisions. Any plans for the New Forest will need to take into account any possible impact on existing New Forest legislation. We hope to be able to announce our conclusions in the autumn.

National Parks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions under what statutory authority a national parks authority designated under the terms of the Environment Act 1995 could delegate its planning functions to a relevant local authority. [44465]

Under sections 101–102 of the Local Government Act 1972, as applied to National Park Authorities by Schedule 7(13)(1) of the Environment Act 1995.

Walkers

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes to the law he plans following the recent court case in which a walker injured by cattle successfully sued the fanner for damages. [44446]

The Government are not proposing to make any changes to legislation following this incident. Present law is adequate, both in terms of protecting members of the public and enabling farmers to operate effectively.

Fuel Storage Tanks

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what advice the HSE gives concerning the maintenance of liquid petroleum gas and other fuel storage tanks located underground at domestic properties. [44379]

HSE has published guidance covering maintenance of underground tanks for the storage of liquefied petroleum gas, petrol and other flammable fuels. While primarily aimed at industrial installations, the guidance is also applicable to the storage of these fuels at domestic premises.

Carlisle Airport

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the development of Carlisle airport. [44838]

None. I am however aware of proposals for the development of the airport by a private sector consortium.

Motorway Service Areas

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's review of the 15-mile rule for the siting of motorway service areas, including details of the timetable for the review and for publication of its results. [44670]

There are several aspects of Government policy on motorway service areas (MSAs) which we have said we wish to review. On spacing, we will want to consider in particular whether existing policy, which allows MSAs at roughly fifteen mile intervals, strikes the right balance between the needs of motorway users and other considerations including the need to avoid unnecessary development in the countryside. We hope to make a further announcement later this year.

Motor Cycles

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to permit powered two-wheel vehicles to use taxi and bus lanes. [44804]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mr. McWalter) on 19 May 1998,Official Report, column299.

District Council Wards (Northamptonshire)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his conclusions on the implementation of the recent report on district council wards for Northamptonshire. [44958]

We have concluded our consultation on a draft Order implementing the Local Government Commission's recommendations on Daventry and intend shortly to begin a similar consultation for Northampton. For all other districts in Northamptonshire, we are currently in the process of consulting on draft Orders. At present, it is intended that the new arrangements will be established in time for the elections in May 1999.

Special Needs Transport

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to protect the provision of special needs transport in(a) the West Midlands and(b) Coventry. [44401]

The Department is conducting a review of voluntary and community transport operators across the country to assess their needs and problems. The review, which will be completed this autumn, will include recommendations on both the protection and development of these important transport services. Specific schemes, such as those in the West Midlands and Coventry, are a matter for the local authority concerned.

Threatened Plants

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the oral answer from the President of the Council of 18 May 1998,Official Report, column 593, on threatened plants, if he will make a statement on the steps which have been taken to ensure co-operation between Government departments on matters relating to the International Unit for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. [43342]

The Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions holds the UK State Membership of IUCN. In this capacity, we disseminate information and advice from IUCN Headquarters to other Government Departments, and consult them about particular IUCN issues which impinge on their interests. The Departments concerned are: Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, the Welsh Office and the Scottish Office. IUCN matters are also addressed whenever appropriate in wider discussions on biodiversity issues within the Department and in relevant inter-Departmental fora.

West Coast Main Line

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on investment levels on the West Coast main line. [43343]

The development of the West Coast Main Line modernisation and upgrade programme continues to generate considerable interest and I met the West Coast Rail 250 group on 20 May. We have had no representations recently on the level of investment on the line. However, I understand that Railtrack has invested £200 million on the route modernisation since 1995, mainly on repairs and renewals.

Respirable Quartz

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on how many occasions in each year since a maximum exposure limit was assigned to respirable quartz the Health and Safety Executive has instigated formal enforcement actions against employers who have controlled personal exposures to respirable quartz to below the maximum exposure limits but where exposures were not as low as reasonably practicable and exceeded 0.1 mg/m³; and if he will make a statement. [43714]

The Health and Safety Executive can take formal enforcement action against employers by Prosecution, Prohibition and Improvement Notices.It is not possible to relate HSE' s formal enforcement actions to improve the control of respirable quartz (silica) to specific personal exposures. Action to improve the control of silica is not dependent on exposure measurements. Nevertheless in 1995 there was one prosecution where the Maximum Exposure Limit (MEL) was exceeded.In 1996–97, there were 25 Improvement Notices and in 1997–98, there were 24 Improvement Notices in relation to the inadequate control of silica.In 1996, ACTS reviewed the effect of the MEL on industry, and HSE will publish a report shortly.

Asbestos

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many(a) mesotheliomas and(b) lung cancers in (i) smokers and (ii) non-smokers per million persons exposed are assumed to result from environmental exposures to amosite asbestos at airborne fibre concentrations of(a) 0.01,(b) 0.005 and(c) 0.001 fibres/millilitre for 40 hours per week for 20 years; and if he will make a statement; [43715](2) what health consequences, expressed in terms of numbers of mesotheliomas or lung cancers in smokers and non-smokers per million persons exposed are assumed to result from environmental exposures to crocidolite asbestos at airborne fibre concentrations of

(a) 0.01, (b) 0.005, (c) 0.001 and (d) 0.0001 fibres/millilitre for 40 hours per week for 20 years; and if he will make a statement; [43716]

(3) what health consequences, expressed in terms of numbers of mesotheliomas or lung cancers in smokers and non-smokers per million persons exposed are assumed to result from occupational exposures to crocidolite asbestos at airborne fibre concentrations of (a) 0.2, (b) 0.1, (c) 0.05 and (d) 0.005 fibres/millilitre for 40 hours per week for 20 years; and if he will make a statement; [43718]

(4) what health consequences, expressed in terms of numbers of mesotheliomas or lung cancers in smokers and non-smokers per million persons exposed are assumed to result from occupational exposures to (a) amosite asbestos at airborne fibre concentrations of (a) 0.2, (b) 0.1 and (c) 0.05 fibres/millilitre for 40 hours per week for 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [43722]

The available evidence is insufficient to make a precisely quantified estimate of the risks presented by exposure to amosite and crocidolite. In a written answer to my hon. Friend on 2 April 1998,Official Report, columns599–601, I indicated a range of quantified risk estimates for chrysotile. The risks presented by exposure to amosite and crocidolite appear to lie above this range, moderately so for lung cancer, substantially so for mesothelioma. The HSE is preparing a review of the relevant evidence, and will publish this before the end of the year. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) on how many occasions in each year between 1975 and 1 March 1998 the Health and Safety Executive instigated formal enforcement actions against employers who had controlled personal exposures to asbestos primarily by the use of respiratory protective equipment contrary to the requirements of Regulation 7 of the Asbestos Regulations 1969; and if he will make a statement; [43719](2) on how many occasions in each year since 1988 the Health and Safety Executive has investigated whether manufacturers or importers have

(a) produced and (b) imported products incorporating asbestos to assess compliance with the requirements of Regulation 8(1A) of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987; and if he will make a statement; [43720]

(3) on how many occasions in each year since 1988 the Health and Safety Executive instigated formal enforcement actions against employers who had controlled personal exposures to asbestos primarily by the use of respiratory protective equipment contrary to the requirements of Regulation 8(1b) of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987; and if he will make a statement; [43721]

(4) on how many occasions in each year since 1990 the Health and Safety Executive instigated formal enforcement actions against employers who had controlled personal exposures to below (a) the relevant maximum exposure limits and (b) the relevant control limits but where exposures have not been as low as reasonably practical; and if he will make a statement. [43723]

The information requested is not readily available at the level of detail required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.This Government, the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive are committed to ensuring the risks from asbestos and hazardous substances are controlled.The Commission published a Consultative Document in April 1998 proposing amendments to the asbestos regulations and supporting Approved Codes of Practice to strengthen the approach to the use of, and work with, asbestos.This Government and the Health and Safety Commission are committed to the advancement of further restrictions on the importation and use of asbestos as soon as the scientific evidence on the safety of substitutes has become clear.

Hazardous Substances

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what health consequences, expressed in terms of deaths per million persons exposed are assumed to result from occupational exposures to(a) kaolin,(b) respirable quartz,(c) welding fume,(d) cement dust,(e) styrene,(f) isocyanates and(g) xylene at the current relevant occupational exposure limits for 40 hours per week for 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [43717]

Occupational Exposure Standards have been set under the control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (1994) (COSHH) for kaolin, welding fume, cement dust and xylene, such that repeated exposure by inhalation at that level should not cause any adverse health effects.For respirable quartz, isocyanates and styrene, a level of exposure which is both safe and reasonably practicable to achieve cannot be identified and Maximum Exposure Limits (MEL) have been set under COSHH. Employers are required to ensure that exposure is kept as far below the MEL as is reasonably practicable. For isocyanates and styrene, there is no evidence to suggest that death could result from exposures at these levels.The Health and Safety Executive has published statistics on the incidence of silicosis, which is the key health effect from exposure to respirable quartz. However, there are no precise data on the numbers of deaths which result from silicosis; nor is it possible to determine how many deaths might result from exposure to respirable quartz at the level of the MEL, although we expect the figure to be small (Health & Safety Commission Health and Safety Statistics 1996/1997).

Train Services

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the adequacy of passenger compensation for late trains. [45028]

This is a matter for the Franchising Director. He is required by his objectives, Instructions and Guidance from the Government to require each franchisee to publish a Passenger's Charter which includes payment of compensation to passengers in the event of poor performance. The Franchising Director requires that the compensation offered under each franchisees' Charter is no less than that offered under the former British Rail Passenger's Charter. Some operators offer significantly more than BR. The Franchising Director continues to look for improvements in Passenger Charters when suitable opportunities arise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the current levels of passenger complaints relating to train services. [45027]

I understand that the Central Rail Users' Consultative Committee (CRUCC) has reported an increase of 94% in the number of complaints received in the first three months of 1998 compared with the same period 1997. It is clear that passengers are still not getting the best deal from the privatised railway and we are determined to put that right, starting with our forthcoming White Paper. In the meantime, I expect train operators to listen to what their passengers are telling them and act on it. Poor performance has undoubtedly contributed to the increase and the House will know of my determination to see the Franchising Director act over that.

Air Traffic Control

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on the safety of air travellers of the delay to the opening of the new en-route air traffic control centre at Swanwick; and if he will make a statement; [44919]

(2) if he will make a statement on the severe overload which occurred on the Blackton Sector of the Area Control Operations Room at the London area and terminal control centre, Air Traffic Control, West Drayton, on Thursday 23 April. [44920]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my noble Friend the Minister for Roads in another place on 4 February 1998,Official Report, House of Lords, column118.The Civil Aviation Authority is not aware of any incidents on 23 April but is aware of the overload that occurred on the Clacton Sector of the London Area and Terminal Control Centre on 28 April 1998.An independent investigation by the Air Traffic Services Investigation Section of the Authority's Safety Regulation Group into the circumstances surrounding the occurrence is continuing. An interim report addressing the causes and making recommendations aimed at avoiding a recurrence is now being considered by the Chairman of the Authority. The final results will be published to the Industry in due course.In addition, National Air Traffic Services Ltd. are carrying out their own internal investigation.

Housing (South Devon)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to send a reply to the letter dated 8 May from the hon. Member for Totnes requesting a meeting with him, the hon. Member for South-West Devon (Mr. Streeter), South Hams district councillors, South Devon county councillors and the South Hams Amenity Federation to discuss the effect on South Hams, of the projected new housing requirement for South Devon to the year 2001. [44981]

I replied yesterday to the hon. Member's letter of 8 May addressed to the Deputy Prime Minister's Parliamentary Private Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Mr. Meale).

Connex South Central

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy with regard to Connex South Central exercising their option to extend their franchise from seven years to 15. [43278]

The franchising agreement for Connex South Central provides for the Company and the Franchising Director to agree an extension of the term up to a maximum of fifteen years. I understand that the Company has presented a proposal to the Franchising Director and that he is presently evaluating it. He is under no obligation to accept the proposal on any particular terms or at all.

Genetically Modified Organisms

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what compensation will be offered to Riverford Farm, Staverton Bridge, as a result of loss of trade resulting from the consent by his Department to a test site for herbicide-resistant maize; and if he will withdraw his consent for the growing of herbicide-resistant maize in the proximity of Riverford Farm. [45121]

It has not been established that any loss of trade will occur from the proximity of the GM maize trial to Riverford Farm and in view of this it is inappropriate to consider compensation. I hope the matter will be resolved satisfactorily.Regarding the request to withdraw the consent for the GM maize trial I refer the hon. Member to the answer given recently to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 14 May 1998,

Official Report, column 156.

Tritium Waste

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much tritium waste was released into the River Thames by Aldermaston Weapons Establishment in each of the last 10 years. [44138]

I have been asked to reply.Discharges of appropriate treated tritium waste from the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston to the River Thames are made in line with specific authorisations issued by the Environment Agency. Annual discharge levels for the last 10 years are as follows:

Discharges of Tritium waste from AWE Aldermaston to the River Thames 1987–1997
Year	GigaBequerels (GBq)
1987	60
1988	10
1989	21
1990	599
1991	17
1992	27
1993	32
1994	28
1995	10
1996	2
1997	2

Since 1993, this information has been published annually in the Atomic Weapons Establishment's "Environment, Safety and Health Report", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

Marine Dredging

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the procedures for authorising marine dredging. [45262]

I have today announced the introduction of new non-statutory procedures for authorising marine dredging. They are intended to address concerns raised previously by the Crown Estate, environmental organisations and the dredging industry about the present arrangements and are intended as an interim arrangement until such time as statutory procedures can be introduced. The interim procedures, copies of which have been placed in the House Library, will apply in England and Wales and have been developed following extensive consultation with Government Departments, the Crown Estate, the dredging industry and environmental organisations. I hope that they will lead to more open and quicker consideration of applications for dredging licences, whilst still enabling full public consultation and protection of the environment.I also announced that the Government intend to introduce statutory procedures for authorising the extraction of minerals by marine dredging by March 1999. These will implement the requirements of EEC Directive 85/337/EEC (as amended by EEC Directive 11/97/EEC) on Environmental Impact Assessment insofar as it applies to the extraction of minerals by marine dredging. There will be appropriate consultation on the provisions.

Agriculture, Fisheries And Food

Staff Car Mileage Allowance

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total real terms value of(a) staff car mileage claims paid and(b) staff rail fares paid; and what was the amount of staff car mileage for which reimbursement was made and the percentage change year on year, for each year since 1989–90. [44082]

The total real terms value of(a) staff car mileage claims paid and(b) staff rail fares paid for each year since 1989–90 is as detailed in the tables. The amount of staff car mileage for each of these years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Staff car mileage
Year	Historic cost(£)	Index factor	Current cost(£)
1989–90	3,173,007	1.35	4,273,986
1990–91	3,253,215	1.25	4,066,518
1991–92	3,049,895	1.18	3,603,373
1992–93	3,257,575	1.13	3,665,139
1993–94	3,555,068	1.09	3,867,567
1994–95	3,709,999	1.07	3,984,105
1995–96	3,444,990	1.05	3,624,779
1996–97	3,222,498	1.02	3,285,581
1997–98	3,370,115	1.00	3,370,115

Staff rail fares
Year	Historic cost (£)	Index factor	Current cost (£)
1989–90	^l —	1.35	¹ —
1990–91	231,216	1.25	289,020
1991–92	400,336	1.18	472,986
1992–93	522,874	1.13	588,292
1993–94	623,886	1.09	678,727
1994–95	669,498	1.07	718,963
1995–96	768,559	1.05	808,669
1996–97	687,747	1.02	701,210
1997–98	796,485	1	796,485
¹ Figures for Rail Fares for this Financial Year are not available as this item was not accounted for separately until 1990–91

Departmental Energy Use

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proportion of the Department's energy usage was from(a) renewable energy and(b) combined heating in each year since 1989–90. [44079]

The Department's energy is purchased in the main through The Buying Agency, whose terms represent good value for money for the tax payer. We do not know what proportion of the energy is from renewable sources.Over the years we have looked at a number of schemes to provide combined heat and power but so far none has been implemented, either because it did not represent value for money or because of physical constraints. We are, however, now looking at a combined heat and power scheme to serve part of the Central Veterinary Laboratory at Weybridge. We have recently introduced at the Central Veterinary Laboratory a system whereby a waste heat

	1990–91	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
Consumption:
Electricity (kWh)	34,249,049	38,883,236	43,058,478	42,986,112	43,655,007	45,527,009	37,786,870
Gas (kWh)	51,983,258	51,058,770	42,337,530	45,116,093	47,822,314	57,660,765	59,623,879
Oil (kWh)	44,188,474	41,769,240	42,364,511	46,799,010	47,085,226	24,623,842	9,093,363
Total (kWh)	130,420,781	131,711,246	127,760,519	134,901,215	138,562,547	127,811,616	106,504,112
Expenditure (in cash terms):
Electricity (£)	2,138,870	2,517,250	2,824,110	2,907,650	2,785,872	2,821,752	2,196,842
Gas (£)	598,808	619,560	579,910	559,460	542,057	519,646	463,989
Oil (£)	506,370	491,690	509,620	596,400	514,188	320,243	141,628
Total (£)	3,244,048	3,628,500	3,913,640	4,063,510	3,842,117	3,661,641	2,802,460

Figures for 1997–98 have not yet been collated.

Agricultural Gangmasters

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action is being taken to combat exploitative activities by agricultural gangmasters. [45123]

The Government have been very concerned about the activities of certain agricultural gangmasters who exploit workers, defraud the Government and undermine the businesses of those gangmasters who work fairly within the law providing an essential service to the agricultural industry and ultimately the consumer. We therefore set up an interdepartmental working party to investigate the issue. Its report has now been placed in the Library of the House.In light of the findings and recommendations of the interdepartmental working party and discussions with the industry we are putting in place a set of measures to tackle the abuses by a significant minority of gangmasters of workers' rights and of non-compliance and fraud against taxation, National Insurance, benefit and immigration systems.The Government are launching "Operation Gangmaster". This cross-departmental initiative will bring together the work of up to 8 different enforcement agencies. The core of this pilot operation will be joint visits concentrating initially on illegal practices in Lincolnshire and East Anglia. Such visits have already occurred this season and one is in train today. This will be supported by general co-operation between enforcement officers alerting other departments to possible illegal activities. Departments will also co-operate in in-depth investigations into illegal gangmaster activities.

boiler is linked to the main incinerator to provide a large proportion of the heating and hot water for the site.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much(a) oil,(b) gas and(c) electricity was purchased for the heating, lighting and powering of accommodation occupied by the Department within the United Kingdom in each year since 1989–90; and what was the total cost in real terms of each in each year. [44087]

Information for 1989–90 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information for subsequent years, which brings together energy consumption for the Department's main estate and its agencies, is as follows.In addition, enforcement officers in all relevant Government departments throughout the country are being briefed on the legislative framework applicable to gangmasters; this will greatly assist strong enforcement and further cement co-operation between departments.Additional support to Operation Gangmaster will be provided through the Government's Business Anti-Fraud Hot Line. Here the drive to identify fraudulent employers will be helpful in identifying those gangmasters who knowingly employ benefit claimants. Other measures being taken by the Government, including implementing the Working Time Directive and the National Minimum Wage, will contribute to improving the position of casual workers.Importantly, for the first time, gangmasters, farmers and workers will be informed of their rights and obligations through leaflets which are being issued widely today. These provide a comprehensive picture of all the relevant aspects of law relevant to gangmasters and the people they employ, covering responsibilities of several different government departments. No one should be in doubt as to their rights or obligations under the law, or be able to claim ignorance of the law, if caught abusing their workers.I am delighted also that the agricultural and horticultural industries are taking their responsibilities seriously too. The Code of Practice being launched by the National Farmers' Union and the Fresh Produce Consortium today is an important step. It will be of great assistance to all farmers, growers and pack house operators in understanding the relevant law and best practice to be adopted. I very much welcome that the retail sector have given their support to this code as an initial stage towards controlling gangmasters.

For the longer term, the Government are continuing to examine the scope for registration of agricultural gangmasters and ways to assist the unemployed to take up seasonable agricultural employment more easily, reducing the temptation to work while on benefit and laying individuals open to exploitation by gangmasters.

This comprehensive approach combining the strength of the several enforcement agencies, providing full information on rights and obligations to workers and employers and the role the industry themselves are playing to tackle the problem of abuse by gangmasters, is breaking new ground.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many sites of special scientific interest are covered by the countryside stewardship scheme. [44115]

Based on the data currently readily available, all or part of the land in at least 400 Sites of Special Scientific Interest is subject to a Countryside Stewardship agreement. However, this figure does not include some early Countryside Stewardship agreements or agreements established in 1997 in Devon and Cornwall, for which information cannot readily be aggregated at present.

Tuberculosis

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking in respect of developing a vaccine to protect badgers and cattle from TB. [44796]

The Krebs report concluded that the development of a vaccine for cattle was the best long-term prospect for the control of bovine TB, but saw a badger vaccine as an alternative option if cattle vaccine requirements cannot be met. Following the publication of the report, we have reviewed our research requirements for bovine TB, and in April published a document inviting proposals. These include work to develop a cattle vaccine and to take forward work on a badger vaccine which started in 1994. If suitable proposals are forthcoming, contracts will be awarded for work to start in April 1999.

Bees

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research he has(a) commissioned and(b) evaluated into the value of pollination activity by bees to British agriculture. [44147]

Over the years, the Government have funded work on the role and benefits of honey bees on crops. More recently, the Ministry asked ADAS for a report on the impact of varroa on the pollination of horticultural crops. The report was produced in September 1996 and revised in January 1998. Copies of both reports have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to(a) promote training in apiculture and(b) extend the role of his Department's Bee Unit to reflect the agricultural importance of the bee and the threat of disease to the bee population. [44158]

The Government support the beekeeping sector through the bee health programme which is delivered in England and Wales by the National Bee Unit, part of the Central Science Laboratory. The total UK programme is costing around £1.5 million this year in addition to the cost of research into bee diseases. Education and training are already important elements of the programme and the emphasis is on helping beekeepers to become more self-reliant.The work of the National Bee Unit was included within the Comprehensive Spending Review, the conclusions of which are to be made public shortly.

Milk Quotas

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is HM Government's policy on the continuance or otherwise of milk quotas; and what is their response to the European Commission's proposal published on 18 March on the extension of, and increase in, quotas. [44499]

The Government broadly welcome the Commission's proposals for reforming the dairy sector as a step in the right direction. However, we are pressing for a clear date for the removal of milk quotas. Whilst welcoming, in principle, an increase in milk quotas in line with the price cuts, we do not accept the proposed discriminatory allocation of additional quota in favour of producers in mountain areas.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the proposed scheme to increase some milk quotas will apply to the Peak District. [44355]

Part of the Commission's proposals would involve a 1 per cent. quota increase for each Member State with priority to be given to young farmers and 1 per cent. for producers in mountain areas. The UK would not benefit from the latter allocation but the former would in principle apply to the Peak District just as to any other part of the UK.

Dogs (Worming)

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to extend the standards of worming required in respect of dogs kept on meat-producing farms to other dogs in rural areas. [44444]

I have no plans to require dogs kept in rural areas to be wormed. Effective wormers are available for dogs either under veterinary prescription or from registered agricultural merchants, saddlers or other outlets, and it is good practice for them to be used on a regular basis.

Tobacco

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he is taking to secure a reduction in the EU subsidy on tobacco crops. [44356]

My Ministerial colleagues and I, and our officials, continue to raise our concerns about the tobacco regime at every opportunity in meetings with the Commission and other Member States.

The Commission's proposal for reform of the EU tobacco regime is scheduled to be discussed again in the Agriculture Council later this month. Medium and long-term savings are likely if the Commission's proposal can be agreed largely in its current form.

Sheep

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will assess the advantages of moving sheep head counts for EU purposes from spring to autumn to minimise the risk of ewes becoming separated from their lambs by the process. [44445]

Hock counts are needed for a minimum 10 per cent. of claims under the Sheep Annual Premium (SAP) scheme and the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowances (HLCA) scheme. At present, these counts must all be carried out during the scheme retention period, which for SAP and HLCA has been combined and fixed at 4 February to 15 May in consultation with the industry. The scope for changing these arrangements is currently limited. In particular, EU rules do not permit an autumn retention period for SAP.They do allow for a proportion of flock inspections to be undertaken outside the retention period, if the general standard of on-farm record keeping is satisfactory. Unfortunately this is not yet the case in the UK. It is recognised that a spring retention period is not ideal from the welfare point of view but in practice it has not led to major difficulties. In carrying out their duties, the field staff are sensitive to potential welfare concerns and every effort is made to schedule inspections to minimise the disruption that may be caused to normal flock management.

Ecu

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the advantages to United Kingdom agriculture of the recent revaluation of the ecu. [44354]

It is difficult to assess precisely the impact of changes in the green rates used to convert Common Agricultural Policy support payments into sterling. The Government are well aware of the ways in which movements in sterling may influence UK farming.

Tallow

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the prospects for the lifting of current EU restrictions on the non-food use of British tallow. [44359]

Conditions for the export of tallow derived from bovine animals slaughtered in the UK for use in human food, animal feed, cosmetics and medical and pharmaceutical products are laid down in Council Decision 98/256/EC. However, exports may not recommence until the European Commission has inspected the implementation in the UK of the controls laid down in the Decision and set a date for this, after consulting the Standing Veterinary Committee. We invited the Commission to carry out the required inspection as far back as October 1997. We hope they will do so soon.

Tallow derived from bovine animals slaughtered in the UK can already be exported for uses other than in human food, animal feed, cosmetics and medical and pharmaceutical products.

Beef Export Ban

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the consequences for the British beef market if the ban on the export of British beef has not been lifted by the time the current calf slaughter programme ends in November. [44353]

In the 12 months ending 31 May, 608,666 calves were slaughtered under the Calf Processing Aid Scheme. It is by no means evident that, in the absence of a scheme, all these calves would have been reared for beef. If the Scheme were terminated, we would expect UK beef production to increase some 18 months to 2 years after termination and the absolute upper limit of that increase would be of the order of 200 thousand tonnes per annum. The Government are confident that the ban on the export of British beef will have been lifted for animals born after the end of the current slaughter programme, before they are ready for slaughter as finished animals. The ban on the export of live calves is however likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future because of concerns about maternal transmission.

Barley

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations the EU has received from the US authorities about the subsidised sale of barley in the US; what is the total amount of barley involved; what is the sale price; what is the amount of subsidy offered per tonne; and if he will make a statement. [44324]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: I understand that the EU has received a number of representations from the US authorities about this sale, which involved the sale of Finnish barley to a buyer in California. The total amount of barley involved was 31,570 tonnes, of which 31,520 tonnes received an EU export subsidy of 47 ecus/tonne and the remaining 50 tonnes a subsidy of 21.96 ecus/tonne. The sale price was a matter of private commercial contract. The transaction concerned did not infringe WTO rules.

Slaughterhouses

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of the slaughterhouses in Great Britain have full-time veterinary supervision during their hours of operation. [44237]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The Meat Hygiene Service (an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) is responsible for the enforcement of meat hygiene, inspection and animal-welfare-at-slaughter legislation in slaughterhouses licensed under the meat hygiene regulations in Great Britain.In most slaughterhouses, an MHI or OVS is present during the slaughterhouse operating hours, although in some small slaughterhouses this will not always be the case. The precise length of time spent in slaughterhouses

by an OVS will depend on several factors including the size and throughput of the premises, the complexity and standard of hygiene of operations, and the type of animal being slaughtered. However, no meat intended for sale for human consumption may leave any licensed slaughterhouse until it has been subjected to a

post mortem inspection by an MHI, under the supervision of the OVS, has been passed as fit for human consumption, and been duly heath marked.

There are 31 full-throughput and 7 low-throughput licensed slaughterhouses in Great Britain with full-time veterinary supervision (ie full-time presence of a qualified veterinarian during ante mortem and post mortem inspections).

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many slaughterhouse operators were prosecuted in 1997 for failure to observe the statutory provisions about welfare at slaughter; and how many official warnings were given in 1997 about failure to comply with those statutory provisions. [44238]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: Three slaughterhouse operators were prosecuted in 1997 in respect of offences under the Welfare of Animals (Slaughter or Killing) Regulations 1995. These Regulations do not provide for the issue of statutory warning notices and enforcement action may be verbal or written. Information on enforcement other than prosecution is not held centrally. Where possible, Official Veterinary Surgeons will act on the spot to correct problems. Evidence of cruelty or persistent disregard of welfare will result in prosecution action being taken.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is the policy of the Government to permit the export of slaughter pigs to Spain only where the authorities in Spain have confirmed that the slaughterhouse of destination complies fully with EU provisions relating to the welfare of animals at slaughter; and if he will make a statement. [44297]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The Department has maintained the list, first established at the beginning of 1993, of slaughterhouses confirmed by the Spanish authorities as meeting Community welfare requirements. This would enable us to consider the position carefully if slaughter animals of any species were shown on a route plan as destined for a slaughterhouse not on the list.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Broxtowe (Dr. Palmer) of 5 May 1998,Official Report, columns303–04, concerning live animal exports, if all the sheep exported to Spain for slaughter in 1997 were subsequently declared on the route plans as being transported to slaughterhouses notified to him by the Spanish authorities as complying with EU provisions on welfare at slaughter; and if he will make a statement. [44298]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: Yes, save in two instances where failure to return a route plan was recorded for future consideration in relation to the exporter's authorisation to operate. Once route plans have been returned, they are available to help establish whether a false declaration has been made in the event that evidence emerges from any source that the journey details may have been other than as declared.

Live Animal Transport

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the animal welfare implications of the provisions within the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 which allows animal hauliers to assess themselves as competent to transport farm animals and horses over eight hours. [44239]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: When we made the 1997 Order five weeks after 1 May 1997, in fulfilment of a Community obligation which had previously been neglected, we made clear that we would review its provisions after they had been in force for a year. We will do this, thoroughly, after 1 July 1998.The provisions regarding the assessment of transport staff are among those I shall wish to consider very carefully in the review. There was no practical alternative to allowing employers to assess their own staff (which can mean the self-employed assessing themselves) given the Order requires the assessments to be done by 1 July 1998. However, I shall be very happy to improve these arrangements if our planned public consultation indicates a practical way of doing this.

Pig Farms

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) official warnings were issued to pig farmers by his Department,(b) prosecutions of pig farmers were made by his Department,(c) complaints about poor welfare on pig farms were investigated by his veterinary staff and(d) welfare inspections were made to pig farms by his Department, in respect of breaches of statutory welfare provisions in 1997, or the most recent period for which figures are available. [44235]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: During 1997, veterinary staff of the Department's State Veterinary Service carried out 649 welfare inspections of pig farms, 145 of which followed complaints about poor welfare. Violations of legislation were found during 56 inspections and, in each case, warnings were given that legal action would be considered if improvements were not made. Prosecutions against pig farmers for welfare offences were initiated by the Department in 7 cases. The State Veterinary Service also co-operated closely with local authorities and other bodies over prosecutions they initiated against pig farmers for welfare offences.

Goat's Milk

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to prevent the gold-plating of EU rules and regulations covering the production of goat's milk in cottage industries. [45017]

The production of goat's milk is governed by the terms of the European Community's milk and milk products hygiene directive, which is implemented and enforced in England and Wales through the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995 (as amended). Enforcement should be proportionate to the public health risks, and there is no intention to gold-plate.

Food Poisoning

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to establish an inquiry into food production methods in each European country to examine trends in the incidence of food poisoning across the EU. [45021]

The Department has invited applications for research on the variations in prevalence of food poisoning both between and within countries with a view to identifying whether there are specific factors responsible. More detail can be found in MAFF's Food Research Requirements Document 1999–2000.

Genetically Modified Organisms

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what public opinion surveys he has evaluated into public attitudes towards genetically modified crops. [45122]

The Department has evaluated a wide range of surveys on public attitudes to genetically modified crops. Many of these surveys show that the public wish to decide for themselves whether to purchase foods containing genetically modified material. I am delighted that the recent agreement in Brussels on genetically modified soya and maize labelling will enable consumers to do just this.

Food And Drink Regulations

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will instruct his inspectors involved with enforcing rules and regulations in relation to food or drink to do so in the least burdensome manner. [44917]

MAFF Inspectorates and Agencies are already working to incorporate the Enforcement Concordat, launched by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service on 4 March 1998,Official Report, columns692–94, into their Codes of Enforcement or Service Standards to achieve better, andinter alia proportionate, enforcement which is nevertheless consistent with protecting consumers. Further, in the light of the voluntary approach to good enforcement which the Concordat promotes, we are reviewing enforcement procedures made under section 5 of the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 and applied through legislation to section 10 of the Food Safety Act 1990 as this has been found to be burdensome.

Artificial Insemination

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultation he has had with the cattle breeding industry regarding artificial insemination; and when he proposes to bring forward new regulations. [45026]

A draft of new Artificial Insemination of Cattle Regulations was issued on 6 November 1997 for public consultation. A meeting to discuss responses to the consultation was held with interested parties on 20 March 1998. I regret, however, that the Department had to suspend work on the draft Regulations in April in order to allow the redeployment of staff to work connected with the relaxation of the EC beef export ban. I should emphasise that this is only a temporary step: the aim is to resume work on the draft Regulations in the autumn, subject to priorities at that time.

Sheep Dips

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact of charging for the inspection and licensing of sheep dips on(a) sheep farmers and(b) the environment. [44442]

I have been asked to reply.The Government have no plans to license sheep dipping. However we have recently published draft Groundwater Regulations which are designed to enhance protection of groundwater from a number of dangerous substances, including sheep dips. The outcome of public consultation, including the costs involved, is currently under consideration.

Health

Chiropody Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response he has made to the recommendations of Age Concern's report, On Your Feet, published in March 1998. [44004]

On 8 May 1998, I wrote to Evelyn McEwan, Director of Age Concern England. The report provides valuable information about National Health Service chiropody services and the perceptions of its users and providers.Officials in the NHS Executive are looking at ways in which chiropody services might be further developed and will be consulting Age Concern during this process.

Emergency Contraception

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to publicise the availability of emergency contraception. [43703]

The Health Education Authority ran a major public awareness campaign on emergency contraception in 1995 and 1996. The campaign was co-ordinated by the Contraceptive Education Service (CES), which is funded by the Department. CES continues to promote awareness of emergency contraception and made this its focus during contraceptive awareness week in February. Earlier this year, CES launched a new information pack containing leaflets, posters and "credit cards" giving key information, plus guidance for professionals providing an emergency contraceptive service.

Nhs Frameworks (User Input)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will announce what input users will have into the new National Health Service frameworks. [43866]

National Service Frameworks will be developed with the assistance of an expert reference group which will bring together health professionals, service users and carers, health service managers, partner agencies, and others. The reference groups will adopt an inclusive process to engage a full range of views. Membership is currently under consideration and will be announced shortly.

Epilepsy

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to(a) support research into ways of mitigating the effects of epilepsy and(b) meet representatives of groups representing epilepsy sufferers. [44110]

The main agency through which we support bio-medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body which receives its grant-in-aid from the Office of Science and Technology, which is part of the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC funds a good deal of research into epilepsy, which amounted to some £600,000 in 1996/97. However, the MRC does not currently support any research specifically and exclusively into mitigating the effects of epilepsy.The Department's policy research programme (PRP) and the central National Health Service research and development programmes are not currently supporting any research into epilepsy, due to pressure of other priorities. However, records are not held centrally of all research carried out in the NHS.The Department is currently supporting several epilepsy organisations through its section 64 scheme of grants. Recently, it also contributed £10,000 to the costs of the annual conference of the British Epilepsy Organisation. We have met recently with one of the epilepsy organisations and officials from the Department are in regular contact with the main epilepsy organisations and the Joint Epilepsy Council, an umbrella organisation for epilepsy organisations.

Ambulance Response Times

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 20 May 1998,Official Report, column431, on the Ambulance Service, if he will make it his policy for response times of ambulances to be monitored from the time the emergency service is called. [44329]

No. This would not be sensible. The new requirements were developed by an expert advisory group and were widely supported in consultation.

Community Pharmacists

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to ensure that community pharmacists are fully represented and involved in the work of the proposed primary care groups. [44146]

No final decisions on the proposed governance arrangements of primary care groups or primary care trusts have been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what proportion of Primary Care Group proposals currently under consideration incorporate community pharmacists. [44140]

Proposals for establishing primary care groups are currently under discussion locally. We have made it clear in guidance that primary care groups, as well as involving general practitioners, community nurses and social services, should also ensure that they involve other health professionals, primary care contractors (including pharmacists), and secondary care clinicians on issues affecting their delivery of care.

Complementary Medicine

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the research projects on alternative and complementary medicine included in the current NHS research and development programmes. [44347]

The following research has been prioritised for funding through the National Health Service research and development programme:

complementary therapies in the management of back pain,
acupuncture for the management of pain in primary care,
the effectiveness of different psychosocial interventions for patients and their families following cancer diagnosis and treatment,
evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture in defined aspects of stroke recovery,
multi-centre study of acupuncture for episodic tension headaches,
a double blind, randomised, parallel group, study evaluating the efficacy of a homoeopathic remedy in asthma,
the use of complementary therapies by women with breast cancer in South Thames region,
art therapy as an adjunctive treatment in severe mental illness,
non-pharmacological approaches to the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
the efficacy of acupuncture versus local anaesthetic injection in the treatment of myofascial pain in the jaw muscles,
assessing the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for pain relief in patients with chronic low back pain,
the effect of abdominal massage on the bowel habit of adults with cerebral palsy,
Tea Tree oil as an aid to fighting infection,
reflexology in the treatment of IBS in a primary care setting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is being given to health authorities and primary care groups on the inclusion of alternative and complementary therapies in the treatments that may be provided within the NHS. [44369]

The Department has issued no guidance to health authorities or primary care groups on the National Health Service provision of alternative and complementary therapies.Availability of alternative and complementary therapies within the NHS reflects the decisions taken locally by health authorities and general practitioners about the clinical and cost effectiveness of such services and the priority to be given to their provision in the light of other competing demands for the resources made available for local health needs.

Primary Pharmacy Groups

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce primary pharmacy groups. [44504]

None.

Learning Disabilities

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health authorities with a database detailing information on those people within their area who have learning disabilities make aggregated data available to his Department for planning and evaluation purposes; and how many of them hold that database jointly with their social services department; [44350](2) how many health authorities hold a database detailing information on those people within their area who have learning disabilities; and how many of them are structured to provide information on incidence of different types of learning disability; [44349](3) how many health authorities hold a database detailing information on those people who have autism within their local area; how many such databases are held jointly with the local social services department; and how many such health authorities make aggregate data available to his Department for planning and evaluation purposes. [44351]

The information requested is not held centrally. However, analysis of population needs, and the prevalence and incidence of different types of disability, are important aspects of the commissioning functions of local authorities and health authorities. In "Signposts for Success in Commissioning and Providing Health Services for People with Learning Disabilities", published by the Department in January this year and distributed to health and local authorities, commissioners are advised to have arrangements in place to use both local and national information to build up a picture of the health needs of people with learning disabilities and people with autism in their locality. We also encourage health authorities to work together closely with local authorities in profiling both the volume, and needs, of people with learning disabilities and people with autism.

Health Trusts

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to change the current responsibilities of health trusts for paying their own bills. [44425]

None.

Mrsa

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus incidents have occurred in hospitals in the(a) West Midlands and(b) London region in each of the past five years. [44438]

Information on the total number of cases of infection or colonisation with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is not collected centrally.

National epidemiological data on MRSA are compiled by the Public Health Laboratory service (PHLS) from isolates submitted voluntarily by hospitals in England and Wales for specialist microbiological tests. From these data, the number of incidents of MRSA—three or more patients infected or colonised by the same strain MRSA in a month from the same hospital—is recorded. The numbers of incidents for the years 199–1997 are in the table.

Year	West Midlands	London Region²
1992	35	216
1993	68	348
1994	169	649
1995	128	943
1996	121	960
1997¹	¹ 55	¹ 491
¹ Data for six months only
² North Thames, North West Thames, South East Thames and South West Thames.

The Department is currently discussing with the PHLS ways of improving surveillance systems so as to provide more complete data on MRSA.

Hospital Beds (Liverpool)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds were available in(a) Liverpool Royal,(b) Broadgreen,(c) Walton and(d) Fazakerley hospitals in each year from 1990–91 to 1997–98; and what were the cumulative bed losses to Liverpool over that period. [44441]

Information on bed availability has been collected at National Health Service trust level since 1991–92 and the data are published in the book "Bed Availability and Occupancy for England", copies of which are available in the Library. The latest available data are for 1996–97. Information for 1997–98 will be available in the autumn. A breakdown of the information between the hospitals is not available centrally, but may be available from the chief executives of the trusts.

Dental Services (Cumbria)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists practise in North Cumbria; and what is the average number of patients registered with each dental practitioner(a) in North Cumbria and(b) nationally. [44797]

The table shows the number of general dental service dentists and the average number of patients registered with each dentist in North Cumbria Health Authority and in England at 31 March 1998.

General dental service: number of dentists¹ and average number of registered patients per dentist at 31 March 1998
	Number of dentists	Average number of registered patients per dentist
England	16,830	1,477
North Cumbria	104	1,494
¹ Figures include principals, assistants and vocational trainees and exclude salaried, hospital and community dentists.

Bournewood Judgment

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will take steps, following the Bournewood judgment, to allow sufferers from Alzheimer's disease to continue to be admitted voluntarily to mental hospitals for respite care; [44585](2) if he will make a statement on the Bournewood judgment. [44584]

Following the Court of Appeal's judgment in the case of L v Bournewood Community and Mental Health National Health Service Trust, the Department advised the NHS about the Court of Appeal ruling and issued guidance to the NHS on its practical application.The trust was granted leave to appeal to the House of Lords, and the hearing took place on 2–8 June. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was given leave to intervene in the case in the light of the wider implications of the Court of Appeal's judgment on the NHS and partner agencies. Further guidance will be issued once the House of Lords' judgment is known, and we will consider then what, if any, further action is needed.

Insulin Injection Pen Needles

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the outcome of his consideration as to whether general practitioners should be allowed to prescribe insulin injection pen needles on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [45104]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Campbell) on 28 April 1998,Official Report, column121.

Health Authorities (Greater Manchester)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for consultation on the possible reconfiguration of health authority boundaries in the Greater Manchester area; and if he will make a statement. [45343]

Having considered this issue and taken advice from those responsible for the management of health services across Greater Manchester, I have decided that no such re-organisation should take place. There is already a complex management agenda arising from the National Health Service White Paper, which includes the development of Primary Care Groups/Trusts and the Manchester, Salford and Trafford Health Action Zone, which must remain the key priorities for all concerned.

Waiting Lists (York)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to reduce waiting lists in respect of the York NHS Trust. [45024]

For 1998–99, we have allocated £4.009 million to North Yorkshire Health Authority specifically to ensure that more elective patients are treated and that waiting lists for the health authority and local trusts are reduced significantly. The regional waiting list task force is providing expert advice and support to the trust in effective waiting list management.

Nhs Pension Scheme

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that the staff of GPs working in co-operatives have access to the NHS pension scheme. [45023]

We have no plans to open the National Health Service pension scheme to staff who are not directly employed by general practitioners, including staff employed by GP co-operatives.

Millennium Compliance

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likelihood of litigation arising as a result of failures in the millennium compliance of NHS computer systems. [45022]

There is no difference between liability resulting from year 2000 problems and liabilities resulting from ordinary day-to-day work of the National Health Service. As with ordinary day-to-day work however, the NHS intends to avoid potential liability by taking all reasonable steps to avoid problems in millennium compliance.

Sight Tests

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the alterations to entitlement conditions for free annual sight tests since 1 March. [45032]

There have been no legislative changes but, in advice issued to health authorities and opticians in November 1997, we indicated that patients who have been advised by a consultant ophthalmologist to have regular sight tests because high infra-ocular pressures put them at risk of glaucoma, are eligible for a free National Health Service sight test in the same way as patients diagnosed with glaucoma.

Nhs Executive Regions

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the cost of the reorganisation of the NHS Executive regions to make their boundaries coterminous with those of the Government Offices for the Regions. [44223]

Any costs arising from the reorganisation of the National Health Service Executive regions will be managed within existing running costs.

West Kent Health Authority

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 1 June 1998,Official Report, column136, if he will make a statement on how the national weighted capitation formula operates; in what ways the formula has changed since 1995–96; and how each of these changes has affected the funding of the West Kent Health Authority. [44640]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Education And Employment

New Deal (Disabled People)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment under what circumstances support from the access to work scheme will be available to disabled people taking part in the New Deal programme for disabled people. [44410]

Access to Work will be available for disabled people taking part in the New Deal for Disabled People in the same way and under the same conditions as for any other disabled people. Where an application is made before taking up employment or within 6 weeks of starting employment there will, of course, be no cost sharing.

New Deal

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 6 April 1998,Official Report, column92, which parliamentary constituencies are included in the Guildford unit of delivery for the New Deal; and, for each constituency, what is(a) the adult population,(b) the number of young persons aged 18 to 24 years unemployed,(c) the number of young persons aged 18 to 24 years unemployed who could be eligible to join the New Deal,(d) the number who have signed up under the New Deal,(e) the number placed in jobs under the New Deal since the scheme's commencement,(f) the number placed in unsubsidised jobs under the New Deal in the same period,(g) the number of young persons aged 18 to 24 years unemployed who found employment in 1997 and 1998,(h) the number of employers who have signed up to the New Deal and(i) the number of unemployed people who found employment in 1997 and 1998. [42568]

The parliamentary constituencies included in the Guildford unit of delivery are Aldershot; South-West Surrey; Surrey Heath; Bracknell; North-East Hampshire; Guildford; Mole Valley; Epsom and Ewell; Runnymede and Weybridge; Esher and Walton; and Woking. However, the information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency and so it is given for the Guildford New Deal unit of delivery or, where this is not possible, Guildford Local Authority district.

(a) According to the Census of Population, there were circa 100,000 people, aged 16 or over, resident in the Guildford local authority district in 1991. Figures for the adult population are not currently available by New Deal delivery unit. (b) As at April 1998, there are 941 18–24 year olds registered as unemployed in the Guildford New Deal delivery unit. (c) I refer the hon. Member to 25 February 1998, Official Report, column 292, which provides a list of indicative planning assumptions for Gateway entrants, by unit of delivery, in 1998–99. The table shows that the planning assumption for Guildford unit of delivery is that 543 young people could be eligible to join New Deal, however this should not be seen as a precise estimate or forecast. (d) New Deal for 18–24 year olds was launched in Guildford on 6 April. Since then, 132 young people have joined New Deal. (e) and (f) After only a month

of the Gateway period, the individual difficulties and problems faced by young people in this unit of delivery are still being addressed by referral to Gateway providers and the other three options. It is vital to the success of New Deal that participants are `job-ready' before referral to jobs. (g) In 1997, around 3,650 young people aged 18–24 were recorded as having left claimant unemployment for a job in the Guildford unit of delivery area. In addition, there will have been others, whose destination is recorded as unknown, some of whom would have left the register to take up a job. In the year to April 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, around 3,300 18–24 year olds left claimant unemployment for a job. (h) In the Guildford unit of delivery, 78 employers have signed Employer Agreements (i) In 1997, around 13,700 unemployed people of all ages left claimant unemployment for a job. The equivalent figure for the year to April 1998 is 12,300. As with answer (g) these figures will not include those whose destination is recorded as unknown.

Disability Discrimination Act

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will implement the remaining provisions of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [45367]

We have decided to implement the remaining provisions of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act in two stages.From October 1999, service providers will have to take reasonable steps to change practices, policies or procedures which make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service; provide auxiliary aids or services which would enable disabled people to use a service; and overcome physical barriers by providing a service by a reasonable alternative method.From 2004, service providers will have to take reasonable steps to remove, alter, or provide reasonable means of avoiding physical features that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use a service.In reaching our decision on the timetable for implementation, we have taken full account of advice from the National Disability Council, from organisations of and for disabled people and from business. We have also considered the responses to the 1996 consultation exercise.I have today written to the National Disability Council asking them to review the Code of Practice in order to take account of the new duties on service providers. I anticipate that public consultation on the Council's revised Code of Practice and the Government's proposals for a small number of regulations under the Act will begin no later than the beginning of August 1998 and last for 3 months.We are also publishing today the analysis of the responses to the 1996 consultation exercise on the timetable for implementation. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Wales

Cardiff Bay

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what rent is being paid by occupants of the Scott Harbour office project under the rent guarantee scheme operated between Cardiff Bay Development Corporation and Grosvenor Waterside. [45117]

Rent paid by the occupants of buildings in Scott Harbour under the rental guarantee scheme is a commercial matter for Associated British Ports. The grant payable to ABP under the scheme is up to a maximum of £1.4 million.

Prescription Drugs

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the total of(a) benzodiazapines,(b) prozac,(c) neuroleptic drugs and(d) sleeping pills which were prescribed in Wales in each of the past 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [44074]

I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as the data have been compiled and will place a copy of my reply in the Library of the House.

Directors Of Social Services

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many directors of social services there were in Wales in(a) 1988 and(b) 1998; and if he will make a statement. [45007]

In 1988, there were 8 directors of social services in Wales. In 1998, there were 22 directors of social services in Wales.This increase was due to local government re-organisation in 1996. There is one director in each authority.

Local Government Reform

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his current estimate of the cost of the local government reforms in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [45008]

Estimates of the costs of my proposals for modernising local government in Wales are not yet available. I am currently in the process of consulting on the proposals. The closing date for comments on the final two consultation papers—Improving Services Through Best Value and the New Ethical Framework—is 12 June. While there may be additional costs, these would need to be set against the savings resulting from the more efficient and effective operation of local government.

Social Security

Benefit Integrity Project

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, (1) pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Tayside, North (Mr. Swinney) of 5 May 1998,Official Report, columns376–77, concerning the Benefit Integrity Project, what timescale the review is working to; and when she will be in a position to report its outcome; [45116](2) if she will list the operational and legal issues that have prevented a review of Benefit Integrity Project cases prior to 9 February. [45115]

The purpose of the Benefit Integrity Project is to collect up to date information from claimants receiving the higher rate of the mobility component, with either the highest or middle rate of the care component, to ensure they are receiving their correct entitlement. On 9 February, an additional safeguard was introduced to ensure that there is always independent evidence to support a decision to reduce or remove benefit. From that date, the new safeguard has been applied to all initial Project decisions and to cases where a review has been requested.The safeguard was introduced because of concerns that some disabled people may not have understood fully what was required of them and, as a result, had not provided a complete picture of the help they need with personal care and mobility.Representations have been received from the All Party Disablement Group and others that all decisions made without the benefit of the new procedures introduced on 9 February should be reviewed. We have already made it clear to the House that we are currently considering how to examine those cases where the claimant has not asked for a review of a decision, made before 9 February, to reduce or remove benefit and no independent additional evidence was submitted. We are considering what action should be taken on the 2,400 or so such cases.

Uprating

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to her answer of 13 March 1998,Official Report, column394, if she will update the estimated costs of uprating the basic pension and linked benefits given in that answer. [44821]

The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Working Benefits (Advertising)

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total cost of the advertising campaign for working benefits launched on 1 June. [44573]

[holding answer 5 June 1998]: The Working Benefits campaign is part of the Government's welfare to work initiative. It is designed to help families beat the poverty trap by letting them know which benefits they can access when they get into work. It targets chiefly lone parents on Income Support, and couples with children who are either out of work, or on a low income. A lot of help exists in the form of in-work benefits, such as Family Credit, Council Tax Benefit and Housing Benefit—these make work affordable. The Working Benefits campaign should alert those in greatest need to the help available to facilitate the move from benefit into work. Lone parents moving off Income Support and into work not only means that they—and their children—can enjoy a better standard of living than they ever could on benefit, but can also help to reduce Social Security expenditure on lone parents—currently £10.5 billion a year.Total cost of the advertising campaign is £2.15 million, which includes TV and radio production and airtime; design and production of print material; telephone response handling and fulfilment; direct mail to 580,000 lone parents; campaign website; campaign development research; and pre and post campaign effectiveness research.

Housing Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much money was spent on housing benefit in each district council in Scotland in the 1996–97 financial year. [44204]

The information is set out in the table:

Housing benefit expenditure in Scotland 1996–97
Authority	£000
Aberdeen	¹24,000
Aberdeenshire	16,200
Angus	10,400
Argyll-Bute	13,100
Clackmannanshire	6,900
Dumfries and Galloway	21,500
Dundee	42,100
East Ayrshire	¹18,500
East Dunbartonshire	¹7,700
East Lothian	¹12,200
East Renfrewshire	¹6,200
Edinburgh	98,900
Falkirk	¹19,400
Fife	51,800
Glasgow	238,000
Highland	¹29,100
Inverclyde	17,500
Midlothian	9,000
Moray	8,800
North Ayrshire	¹22,800
North Lanarkshire	¹56,700
Orkney	1,900
Perth and Kinross	13,700
Renfrewshire	30,300
Scottish Borders	11,700
Shetland	1,800
South Ayrshire	¹18,300
South Lanarkshire	48,600
Stirling	12,100
West Dunbartonshire	¹19,900
West Lothian	20,000
Western Isles	3,200
¹ Non audited figures

Source:

DSS Planning and Finance Division

Disability Living Allowance

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security over the last five years, and in the current year so far, how many recipients of disability living allowance have(a) had their eligibility reviewed by a medical examiner,(b) had allowance withdrawn as a result of the review,(c) taken the review to appeal and(d) won appeals. [44142]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance is decided by adjudication officers, who take account of reports from medical practitioners.

Results of disability living allowance reviews and appeals
	Reviews decided		Appeals decided
Year	All decisions	Decided in favour of customer¹	All decisions	Decided in favour of customer¹
1993–94	293,199	135,187	18,459	10,132
1994–95	316,589	153,594	26,225	16,516
1995–96	332,961	146,766	28,225	17,822
1996–97	359,334	143,755	35,551	21,064
1997–98	370,054	134,363	38,194	19,683
1998–99	24,587	8,229	3,381	1,663
¹ Cases where an existing award is increased or an award is made following a review of a disallowance

Note:

Figures are for April 1998

Source:

Analytical Services Division: 100 per cent. data

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged(a) 65 years or over,(b) 75 years or over and(c) 85 years or over are claiming disability living allowance (i) at the higher level and (ii) at the intermediate level in, (1) North Staffordshire health authority area, (2) the West Midlands health authority area and (3) nationally; and in each case what these figures are as a percentage of the total population. [44328]

The information is set out in the table.Disability Living Allowance comprises three rates of care component and two rates of mobility component.

Age	65 and over	75 and over	85 and over
North Staffordshire
Total population¹	76,143	32,516	7,784
Numbers and percentage who receive DLA²
Highest rate care	940 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Middle rate care	860 (1.1%)	40 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)
Higher rate mobility³	4,740 (6.2%)	480 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)
West Midlands
Total Population¹	741,622	496,476	111,715
Numbers and percentage who receive DLA²
Highest rate care	5,520 (0.7%)	220 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)
Middle rate care	7,420(1.0%)	440 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)
Higher rate mobility³	32,400 (4.4%)	3,380 (0.7%)	40 (0.0%)
Great Britain
Total population¹	7,990,121	5,408,847	1,273,204
Numbers and percentage who receive DLA²
Highest rate care	58,440 (0.7%)	3,340(0.1%)	40 (0.0%)
Middle rate care	85,880(1.1%)	5,940(0.1%)	60 (0.0%)
Higher rate mobility³	360,440 (4.5%)	41,020 (0.8%)	440 (0.0%)
¹ Source: Office of National Statistics and Scottish Registrar, June 1996 estimates
² Source: Analytical Services Division 5 per cent, data relating to 28 February 1998
³ Some awards comprise both care and mobility components and figures may overlap.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households of non-pensionable age are dependent on the higher rate of disability living allowance. [43802]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the table.

People under pension age in receipt of the higher rate of Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance	Numbers in receipt
Highest rate care and higher rate mobility	943,000
Highest rate care and lower rate mobility	192,000
Highest rate care only	35,000
Higher rate mobility and middle rate care	187,000
Higher rate mobility and lower rate care	172,000
Higher rate mobility only	294,000

Notes:

1. The table includes women under 60 and men under 65

2. Disability Living Allowance comprises two components. The care component may be awarded at one of three rates and the mobility component may be awarded at one of two rates. Depending on the circumstances of the individual, awards may include either or both component paid at the appropriate rate

3. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand

Source:

Analytical Services Division. Provisional numbers at 28 February 1998, based on 5 per cent. data

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what information material is provided on disability living allowance in(a) braille(b) audio type and(c) other formats accessible to people with visual impairments; [43462](2) what steps she is taking to ensure that

(a) information, (b) claim forms and (c) other material relating to disability living allowance are provided in (i) braille, (ii) audio tapes and (iii) other formats that meet the needs of people with sensory disabilities. [43463]

The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Ms Patricia Hewitt, dated 8 June 1998:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what information material is provided on Disability Living allowance (DLA) in (a) braille, (b) audio type and (c) other formats accessible to people with visual impairments, and what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) information, (b) claim forms and (c) other material relating to DLA are provided in (i) braille, (ii) audio tapes and (iii) other formats that meet the needs of people with sensory disabilities.

The Disability Claim Pack, Charter Standard Statement and all other correspondence or forms issued to customers about DLA can be converted into braille via the Transcription Service provided by the Benefits Agency (BA)'s Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL). The Charter Standard Statement is also available on cassette tape. Further information about the Transcription service and copies of the Charter Standard Statement cassette can be obtained from the Disability Benefits Unit (DBU) Customer Services Team at Warbreck House, Blackpool, telephone 01253 337240.

Customers with hearing or speech difficulties, who have the use of a text phone and require information on DLA can use the Text Phone service which is provided by the Disability Benefits Directorate Customer Care Helpline. The contact number is 0345 224433. Minicom facilities and LOOP systems are also available at the BA's regional Disability Benefit Centre's and the DBU. A video incorporating British Sign language and subtitles, entitled DV3 (Sickness & Disabled), is currently available by contacting the British Deaf Association or the Royal National Institute for the Deaf Helpline. This provides information on DLA and other Sickness Benefits.

In addition to providing forms and correspondence in braille, the Transcription Service can also provide any information required in large print for those customers with a visual impairment. Information on DLA is not currently available on audiotape, however I have asked the DBU to actively consider whether this is possible and the Manager will write to you with the result of these deliberations. The BA is continually seeking to improve the service it offers to its customers in order to ensure that the needs of people with sensory disabilities are met in full.

You may also wish to know that the BA has an Internet site on the World Wide Web. This is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at WWW.DSS.GOV.UK.

I hope that this is helpful.

Benefit Recovery

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total amount of state benefits recovered from successful claimants who were in receipt of legal aid to fight personal injury cases in(a) 1994–95,(b) 1995–96 and(c) 1996–97. [44501]

The information requested is not available as there is no requirement for claimants who are awarded compensation for personal injury to tell this Department whether or not they were in receipt of legal aid.

National Insurance Fund

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the expected difference between the income and expenditure of the National Insurance Fund for (1) 1999–2000 and (2) 2000–01(a) before and(b) after taking into account the changes in NI contributions announced in the Budget and assuming that the basic pension and linked benefits are uprated in line with (i) prices and (ii) average earnings. [44836]

The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Vaccine Damage

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security which options she considered with regard to the scope of the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme following representations from the Association of Parents of Vaccine Damaged Children; and if she will make a statement. [44054]

We are considering the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme as part of the overall review of welfare, which includes disability benefits, in consultation with the Department of Health and groups representing the interests of vaccine damaged children and their families.

Pensioners

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the proportion of pensioner households in the lowest quintile of income distribution in Scotland. [43810]

It is estimated that in 1995–96, a quarter of pensioner households in Scotland were in the bottom quintile of the income distribution of households in Scotland before housing costs (BHC) and a fifth were in the bottom quintile after housing costs (AHC).It is also estimated that just over a third of households in the bottom quintile of the Scottish income distribution BHC were pensioner households. On the AHC measure, this reduces to just over a quarter. By comparison, pensioner households make up 28 per cent. of all households in Scotland.

Notes:

1. The data are taken from Households Below Average Income (HBAI) based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The 1995–96 financial year is the latest period for which data are available.

2. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised income. The figures are given both before and after housing costs in line with usual HBAI practice. However, these figures count households whereas HBAI normally counts individuals. The results are sensitive to the choice of equivalence scale used to adjust household income for the size and composition of the household.

3. A household is defined as one person living alone or a group of people living at the same address, who either share one meal a day together or share the living accommodation. A household will consist of one or more benefit units, where a benefit unit is a single adult or couple, together with any dependent children.

4. A pensioner household is defined as a single person over State Pension Age (SPA) or a couple where the man, defined as the head, is over SPA. The estimates are based upon the income and benefits of the pensioner unit, and do not include the income of any other household members.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner units in Scotland currently receive payments from occupational pensions. [43811]

The information requested is not available.

Council Tax Benefit

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when her Department notified local authorities in Wales that the imposition of a limit on the amount of council tax benefit awarded to persons residing in council tax band E and above would not be applied to existing recipients of council tax benefits in such properties; and if she will make a statement. [45094]

From 1 April 1998, Council Tax Benefit (CTB) for new CTB claimants living in band F, G or H properties was restricted to the maximum available in band E properties. As an integral part of implementation regulations to protect existing recipients of CTB in properties valued in bands F, G and H were laid on 30 March. On the same day the Department issued guidance to all Local Authorities notifying and explaining the change.This ensured that some 66,000 CTB recipients were protected at the point of change.

Pensions

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she expects to publish the green paper on pensions before the summer adjournment. [44835]

As set out in the Green Paper, "New Ambitions for our Country: A New Contract for Welfare" (Cm 3805), we will publish a Green Paper on pensions later this year. The precise timing is still to be determined. There will then be a period of further consultation before final proposals are developed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she received or expects to receive the report of the Pensions Committee chaired by Mr. Tom Ross; and when she will publish it. [44833]

The Report of the Pension Provision Group was published on Thursday 4 June. A copy has been placed in the Library. Copies can be obtained from The Stationery Office Bookshop, telephone 0171–873 9090, fax 0171–873 8200, priced £25 ISBN No. 0–11–762607–4.A Summary of the Group's Report is available free of charge from: DSS Pensions, Freepost, BS 5555/1, Bristol, BS99 1BL. Telephone number 0345 31 32 33.The Summary is also available on the Internet at: http://www.dss.gov.uk/hq/pubs/ppg/index.html.The Report and Summary will be published in Welsh shortly.

Pensions Education Working Group

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when she received or expects to receive the report of the Pensions Education Working Group; and when she will publish it. [44834]

We have just received the final version of the Pensions Education Working Group Report. We will be publishing it shortly.

Correspondence

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people, in term of full-time equivalents, are engaged in preparing replies to letters from members of the public in her Department's Correspondence Unit; and what is the average number of replies sent per working day. [44819]

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set outIn 1997–98, 49,319 letters from members of the public were received in the correspondence section attached to Minsters' offices. Replies to 32,168 of these were prepared by the Policy Correspondence Unit (which also prepares draft replies to letters from MPs) which had 38 staff at 1 June 1998. The remainder, together with an unquantified number of letters sent to Departmental officials, were dealt with across the Department mainly by officials for who replying to correspondence is only part of their duties.

Note:

Staffing figures are based on whole time equivalents.

Child Support Agency

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what is the current rate of non-compliance with payment of maintenance assessments by the CSA for each region within the United Kingdom; [44567]

(2) what is the current backlog of cases at the CSA; how many of those have been outstanding for over one year; when the backlog is expected to be cleared for each region within the United Kingdom; [44568]

(3) what are the levels of outstanding debt in the CSA; and what percentage of that debt is unrecoverable for each region within the United Kingdom; [44569]

(4) what are the current levels of accuracy of settlements for the CSA for each region within the United Kingdom; [44570]

(5) what percentage of payments by absent parents are for wrong amounts; and what percentage of debt balances calculated by the CSA contain errors, for each region within the United Kingdom. [44571]

One of our key aims for the Child Support Agency is to ensure that more non-resident parents pay the maintenance they owe. We are looking closely at all aspects of the Child Support scheme to see where improvements can be made and we aim to bring forward a consultation document on our proposals later this year.The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. David Rendel, dated 5 June 1998:

I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency.

I cannot provide precisely all the information that you have requested, but have provided as much as possible from the most recent information available.

The Department of Social Security Analytical Services Division publish quarterly a summary of statistics relating to child support; the last report was published on 14 May 1998 and showed that nationally, 41% of non-resident parents were fully compliant, 29% were partially compliant and 30% were nil compliant. The full report is available in the House of Commons library. Analytical Services Division have provided details on a regional basis for Great Britain in relation to nil compliant cases and this information is shown in the table attached.

Where the Agency has taken-on cases, the length of time taken to complete a maintenance assessment is measured, and cases which exceed 52 weeks are considered to be a backlog; this backlog currently stands at approximately 110,000 down from 225,000 at 31 March 1997.

The Agency has developed and implemented a strategy for meeting its undertaking to clear this backlog. All Business Units have put in place operational plans which will guide them towards the achievement of our objective of clearing the backlog by 31 March 1999.

The amount of child support maintenance debt outstanding at the 3l May 1998, was £731,620,185.51. The Agency undertakes a Debt Analysis exercise at the end of each financial year. The analysis is performed at Agency level and cannot be broken down into regions within the United Kingdom. The Debt Analysis exercise for 1996/97 indicated that the percentage of full maintenance assessment debt regarded as probably uncollectable was 38%. Similar analysis is being carried out for 1997/98 and the results will be published in the Agency's 1997/98 Annual Report and Accounts in July 1998, in a format which will satisfy the Committee of Public Accounts recommendation that the Agency " … examine the scope for eliminating a significant amount of this debt, since it is unlikely ever to be collected …".

The Agency measures the accuracy of maintenance assessments against targets set by the Secretary of State. For 1997/98, the target was for the cash value of all maintenance assessments checked in the year to be correct in at least 85% of cases. The Agency met this target scoring an accuracy rate of 86%.

In 1998–99, the Agency is measuring the accuracy more stringently be examining the last full assessment rather than just the last work carried out, which could have been a simplified review not requiring a full assessment. The revised methodology is similar to that used by the National Audit Office. The checks will be more reliable, measuring accuracy of assessments in earlier years as well as more recent changes to assessments. However, this may result in a larger number of inaccurate assessments being identified in the short term and as a result the accuracy target is lower for 1998–99, and requires the cash value of all assessments checked in the year to be correct in at least 75% of cases. The Agency will be looking to improve on the accuracy target in 1999–2000 and beyond.

The report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the House of Commons which was published as part of the Agency's Annual Report for 1996/97 noted that when examining non-resident parents' maintenance balances, National Audit Office staff had identified errors in 85% of the cases examined. I am not able to update this assessment which was based on a sample of cases going back to the start of the Agency, but it is a matter of public record that during its first two years the Agency frequently made errors when assessing maintenance. We recognise the legacy of this problem and aim to tackle this by getting cases right first time and will review older cases as the opportunity arises, for example when a periodic review is being carried out. We estimate that by the end of 1998/99 we will have had the chance in our normal course of work and through periodic reviews to look at many of those individual accounts which stem from the start of the Agency.

I hope this is helpful.

Rates of nil compliance in the quarter to 28 February 1998, for Full Maintenance Assessment cases by region of the Parent with Care (Information taken from ASD 5% scan of Child Support Computer System at 28 February 1998)
Region	Percentage
North-east	22.8
North-west	27.2
Merseyside	26.6
Yorks & Humberside	32.6
East Midlands	31.8
West Midlands	31.8
Eastern	31.2
London	31.4
South-east	28.1
South-west	28.7
Wales	25.0
Scotland	26.9
Great Britain	30.3

Winter Fuel Payments

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints the Benefits Agency has received regarding(a) over payment and(b) underpayment of Winter Fuel Payment since the scheme came into operation. [44901]

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what sums were paid to residents in Worcester as winter fuel payments in 1997–98. [43677]

Winter Fuel payments are one of a number of initiatives the Government have taken to help vulnerable people, especially the elderly, keep warm in the winter. A total of £400 million has been committed for two years (97/98 and 98/99), to help pensioners with fuel bills to pay. This is the first time any Government have provided additional help with heating costs to all pensioners living in the United Kingdom who receive a Retirement Pension or one of a number of other qualifying benefits.The making of this year's payments has been an enormous and unprecedented exercise. In order to establish all eligible pensioners, correctly identify pensioner households, and determine the amount each should receive, it was necessary to correlate data in around 15 million computer records, involving 15 qualifying benefits, across nine computer systems. Overall, almost ten million pensioners, in over seven million households, have received a payment.The administration of winter fuel payments is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Gentleman and my hon. Friend.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Mark Oaten, dated 8 June 1998:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many complaints the Benefits Agency (BA) has received regarding over and underpayments of Winter Fuel Payments since the scheme came into operation.

The making of Winter Fuel Payments to almost ten million eligible pensioners in over seven million households, before the end of March 1998, has been a challenging task for the BA. This was achieved whilst maintaining normal benefit business.

Individual representations from customers are dealt with by each of the BA's 109 Districts. Information is not available relating to complaints about either over or underpayments of Winter Fuel Payments.

We are aware of 649 eligible pensioners who received two £50 payments. This includes 211 who erroneously received two payments due to being in receipt of both Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance for at least one day in the qualifying week. In accordance with legislation, only one payment should have been made. Also, due to a computer operator error, 40,801 invalid girocheques were sent out with an incorrect date of issue. The error was quickly identified and all the invalid payments were replaced within 72 hours. The letter which accompanied the replacement payment apologised for the error and advised the recipient to destroy the invalid girocheque or if they had encashed it, to return the replacement to the nearest Benefits Agency office. It appears that in 438 instances both the invalid and replacement girocheque were cashed.

In addition we are aware that 9,357 £50 payments have been made to customers who were not entitled to them. All other payments have been made in accordance with legislation which states that the amount payable will be based on official records and therefore are not regarded as overpayments.

I hope that this is helpful.

Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Michael J. Foster, dated 8 June 1998:

The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking what sums were paid to residents in Worcester as winter fuel payments in 1997/98.

The making of winter fuel payments to almost 10 million pensioners, in over seven million households, before the end of March 1998 has been a challenging task for the Benefits Agency (BA). This has been achieved whilst maintaining normal benefit business.

Around one and a half million of the poorest pensioners, those receiving Income Support (IS) or income-based Jobseeker's (JSA), received their payment of £50 during January. Other eligible pensioners were entitled to a payment of £20 where they lived alone or were the only eligible pensioner in a household, otherwise, they were entitled to £10 if they were in receipt of a qualifying benefit (including each person in a pensioner couple).

Not all of the information requested is available as the BA collates IS and JSA statistics by BA District Office. These Districts do not correspond to constituency boundaries. Such information as is available relates to the number of pensioners in the Worcester BA District who received a £50 IS payment.

Following a scan of the computer systems in January, 5,156 £50 payments totalling £257,800 were issued. It is likely that a small number of additional payments will also have been made locally because details for the eligible pensioner were not held on the computer system at the time the scans were completed.

The information relating to other pensioners who received payments of £20 or £10 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

I hope that this is helpful.

Volume 313: debated on Tuesday 9 June 1998

Written Answers To Questions

Northern Ireland

European Structural Funds

Belfast Agreement

Home Department

Vulnerable Or Intimidated Witnesses

Correspondence

Community Sentence Orders

Young Offenders

Police Complaints And Discipline

Cardiff And Parc Prisons

Prison Site, Middleton Sands

Duchy Of Lancaster

Cottage Industries

Lord Chancellor's Department

Magistracy (Ethnic Minorities)

Correspondence

Fines (Greater Manchester)

Foreign And Commonwealth Affairs

Sierra Leone

Indonesia

Ethnic Minority Employees

Ottawa Treaty

Arms Exports

Defence

Pay And Personnel Agency

Arms Tactical Training Centre

Territorial Army

Armed Service Personnel (Germany)

Land Disposal

Reserve Forces

Departmental Energy Use

Employees (Wales)

Culture, Media And Sport

Bbc

Departmental Energy Use

English Tourist Board

Tourism (National Lottery)

Treasury

Quarrying Tax

Government-Guaranteed Loans

International Debt

Economic And Monetary Union

Eu Contributions

Low Pay

Education Qualifications

Breast Cancer

Scotland

Towns (City Status)

Procurator Fiscal Service

School Books

Legal Aid

Trade And Industry

Seaward Petroleum Licensing

Parcel Services

Electricity

Arms Exhibitions

Export Credits

Miners

Tobacco Products

Uk Investors (Russia)

Internet Watch Foundation

Wind Farming

Gas-Fired Power Stations

Renewables

European Structural Funds

Crown Post Office, Watford

Printing, Packaging And Graphics Communications Industry

President Of The Council

Reviews

Environment, Transport And The Regions

Regional Development Agencies

Council Tax (Second Homes)

Inland Waterways

Brown-Field Sites

Social Housing

Local Government Finance

Housing Benefit