To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on trends in the use of secondary legislation. [43512]

In the ten years to 1996–97 an average of 185 instruments have been laid each session under the affirmative procedure and 1,127 under the negative procedure. While there has been a slight growth in the number of instruments laid under the negative procedure, the number of affirmatives has not altered significantly and the total (including instruments not requiring parliamentary procedure) has declined slightly. No information is yet complete for the sessions since May 1997 but I have no reason to suppose there have been any significant changes. Although the Delegated Powers and Deregulation Committee in the House of Lords examines the order-making powers in legislation laid before Parliament, no statistics are compiled on the incidence of such order-making powers in primary legislation.

To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans the Commission has to commission a fundamental spending review of the departments of the House. [44583]

The Commission will be reviewing the House's administrative spending plans for the coming three years shortly. In doing so, the Commission will seek to keep expenditure to a minimum, consistent with providing the quality of services required by Members. But the Commission has no plans for a separate review exercise.

To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will estimate the (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure on Portcullis House (i) for 1997–98 and (ii) in total to date. [44590]

Up to the end of 1997–98, a total of £98.3 million has been spent on Portcullis House, including £39.9 million in 1997–98, all of which is capital expenditure. In addition some £29,000 was spent in 1997–98 on electrical power supplies for the construction work classified as revenue expenditure.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee, pursuant to her answer of 18 May 1998, Official Report, column 246, on recycling sacks, how many sacks were sent to be recycled in 1997–98. [45416]

Records of the number of sacks sent for recycling are not maintained. However, in the year ending 31 December 1997, 737 tonnes of mixed paper and cardboard were sent for recycling.

To ask the President of the Council what steps she is taking to ensure that Government initiatives are announced in the House before being released to the Press. [25364]

Due to the administrative error following the transfer of this Parliamentary Question, this answer is unacceptably late and apologies have been conveyed for this.I can assure the hon. Member that I regularly remind Ministers that, as set out in the Ministerial Code (July 1997), they should bear in mind the desire of Parliament that the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance in Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) electricity was purchased for the heating, lighting and powering of accommodation occupied by his 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. [44085]

My Department was created in April 1992 by transferring certain areas of responsibility from six Departments. However, the following details of energy consumption and costs are only available from 1993 when the Department commenced occupation of its own buildings:

	Oil		Gas		Electricity
	KWH	Cost	KWH	Cost (£)	KWH	Cost (£)
1993–941	Nil	Nil	221,808	3,810	586,372	49,400
1994–95	Nil	Nil	1,059,183	14,599	1,074,541	64,066
1995–962	Nil	Nil	1,593,599	15,247	1,194,927	67,023
1996–97	Nil	Nil	1,450,385	11,967	1,342,571	78,655
1997–983	Nil	Nil	1,593,731	12,939	1,206,320	78,634
1 Occupation during part financial year
2 Additional premises acquired part way through the financial year
3 Replaces provisional 1997–98 figures included in my reply of 6 May 1998, Official Report, column 408.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 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 reminbursement was made and the percentage change year on year, for each year since 1989–90. [44080]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 6 May 1998, Official Report, column 408.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list, for each of the last four years, the departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by Ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside his Department; and in each case if he will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [44360]

The information requested is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will issue guidance to local library authorities producing annual library plans not to reduce funding for large print books; and what guidance he has issued on this matter to date. [44368]

The Government recognise the importance of specialist library services, and require library authorities to report on them in their Annual Library Plan. The actual level of expenditure on different types of book is for library authorities to determine, based on local priorities and resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with UNESCO concerning the repatriation of cultural artefacts. [44378]

Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with UNESCO on this issue. Officials have taken part in meetings which have touched on the issue of restitution in the normal course of business.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the Chairman and members of the Forum Working Group into Tourism. [44933]

There are 12 working groups attached to the Tourism Forum. The Chairmen and members are listed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the current average cost of a curfew order backed by electronic tagging in (a) Norfolk, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) Reading. [43879]

It is not possible on the grounds of commercial confidentiality to provide a breakdown of current average costs of a curfew order for different trial areas. Based on the experiences of the first two years of the trials of curfew orders with electronic monitoring, the cost per order for a national roll-out was estimated to be about £1,900. However, this cost does not account for any savings achieved through providing electronic monitoring for Home Detention Curfew simultaneously with curfew orders.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many cab drivers convicted of assault and rape, were (a) taxicab drivers, (b) minicab drivers who had accepted fare-paying passengers illegally and (c) minicab drivers who had accepted fare-paying passengers legally in the Greater London area in the last year for which figures are available; [44688](2) how many minicab drivers convicted of assault and rape

Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings database does not identify the profession of offenders convicted or re-convicted of violent and sexual offences.In 1996 (latest available), there were 132 prosecutions in the Metropolitan Police (including City of London) area for offences under section 167 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994—Touting for hire car service without a Public Service Vehicle operator's licence.There were also 19 prosecutions recorded under the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, but we cannot determine from the data held centrally whether any occurred under section 7 of the Act—illegally plying for hire (where a vehicle, which is not a licensed London taxi, is made available for immediate hire).In theory, provincial taxi and Private Hire Vehicle drivers could commit either of the above offences. London taxi drivers may illegally ply for hire waiting at places which are not designated ranks, but this offence is under section 33 of the London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 and, again, we can only identify prosecutions under the whole of the Act, of which there were 71 within the Metropolitan Police (including City of London) area in 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the amount spent by his Department in the two years prior to 1998–99 on research into alternatives to testing cosmetic products on animals. [44665]

Each year, the Home Office makes a budget available to the Animal Procedures Committee to fund research into replacement, reduction and refinement alternatives to the use of animals in all types of scientific procedures, not just cosmetic testing. In 1996–97, this budget amounted to £242,000 and in 1997–98 to £182,000.Applications are invited from those who are seeking sponsorship for projects relating to the development or implementation of alternatives. The Animal Procedures Committee, through its Research Sub-Committee, provides independent advice about which of these projects should be funded. During the last two years, no applications have been received for research relating to alternatives to the use of animals in cosmetic product testing.Cosmetic testing accounts for about 0.1 per cent. of all scientific procedures using animals in the United Kingdom. Available funds are best targeted at research projects which will benefit more animals.The cosmetic industry itself allocates considerable resources to the development of alternative tests, partly to meet the requirements of the 6th amendment to the European Communities Cosmetics Directive 93/35/EEC. The companies licensed to use animals in testing finished cosmetic products agreed in November 1997 to end, with immediate effect, this work in the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of compensation for hand guns in each police force area made under (i) option A, (ii) option B and (iii) option C are currently outstanding; and what amount has been paid out to date in each force area. [44867]

The information is given in the table.

	Outstanding Claims
Name of force	Option A/B	Option C	Amount paid £
Avon and Somerset	14	627	1,404,135.90
Bedfordshire	0	251	402,982.43
Cambridgeshire	1	290	509,094.10
Central Scotland	1	81	100,256.10
Cheshire	9	334	1,495,079.80
City of London	0	6	24,892.20
Cleveland	0	194	326,891.36
Cumbria	1	197	350,173.51
Derbyshire	3	426	688,420.16
Devon & Cornwall	3	799	1,602,005.03
Dorset	0	434	898,257.57
Dumfries and Galloway	3	44	79,131.35
Durham	4	219	404,494.49
Dyfed	3	265	396,507.96
Essex	13	1,109	2,402,148.43
Fife	0	82	99,228.10
Gloucestershire	0	236	399,091.11
Grampian	0	207	324,828.05
Greater Manchester	6	844	1,740,952.71

	Outstanding Claims
Name of force	Option A/B	Option C	Amount paid £
Gwent	0	281	441,227.32
Hampshire	4	865	1,496,682.03
Hertfordshire	1	483	931,438.04
Humberside	3	317	563,867.62
Kent	4	998	1,587,223.61
Lancashire	1	601	1,674,785.43
Leicestershire	9	236	1,283,815.89
Lincolnshire	0	350	543,710.63
Lothian & Borders	2	211	414,950.32
Merseyside	3	541	1,090,965.34
Metropolitan MPI	0	141	310,062.30
Metropolitan MP2	4	658	1,806,678.30
Metropolitan MP3	17	766	1,371,445.05
Metropolitan MP4	8	848	1,553,036.46
Metropolitan MP5	9	744	1,203,243.53
Norfolk	5	420	841,820.92
North Wales	3	300	1,120,196.81
North Yorkshire	10	352	2,133,358.23
Northamptonshire	2	181	595,426.78
Northern	2	190	366,290.08
Northumbria	1	457	542,259.71
Nottinghamshire	4	459	1,183,314.05
South Wales	3	606	1,061,723.07
South Yorkshire	22	440	849,971.62
Staffordshire	2	444	824,134.20
Strathclyde	6	511	698,078.86
Suffolk	0	540	560,093.40
Surrey	3	571	1,256,143.54
Sussex	12	673	1,158,589.52
Tayside	0	131	215,043.15
Thames Valley	11	1,127	3,785,513.43
Warwickshire	1	260	297,773.69
West Mercia	8	598	1,188,137.34
West Midlands	8	680	1,640,524.38
West Yorkshire	17	640	1,734,827.23
Wiltshire	1	279	488,043.13

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of financial and other support his Department plans to provide to Mediation UK in the current financial year. [44948]

No application has been made by Mediation UK for financial support for this financial year. Mediation UK have met Home Office officials to discuss a possible application for financial support for 1999–2000 and I have also listened to local representatives of Mediation UK to consider their work.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals were serving a prison sentence in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and what percentage were serving prison sentences for drug offences. [45158]

The available information is for the prison population as at 30 June each year and is given in the table. A more detailed breakdown of sentenced prisoners, by nationality, ethnicity and type of offence, is published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales" (Table 9.5 of the 1996 edition, CM 3732), copies of which are available in the Library.

Number of sentenced foreign nationals in prisons in England and Wales, and proportion serving sentences for drugs offences, as at 30 June 1993–97
As at 30 June	Number of sentenced foreign nationals	Proportion serving sentences for drugs offences (%)
1993	2,298	30
1994	2,309	34
1995	2,616	34
1996	2,867	35
19971	3,250	36
1 Provisional

To ask the President of the Council what action has been taken during the UK Presidency of the European Union in respect of the manufacture and distribution of (a) ecstasy and (b) other drug testing kits. [44162]

I have been asked to reply.No specific work on the general availability of drug testing kits for Ecstasy or other drugs has been undertaken at European Union level during the United Kingdom Presidency. The manufacture and distribution of such kits is essentially a matter for individual member states in accordance with their domestic legislation.As far as the application of drug testing equipment to law enforcement purposes is concerned, the European Commission is taking forward a research project to identify the requirements for roadside drug testing equipment, which will make a comparative assessment of existing equipment or prototypes. The project is expected to start before the end of 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce the preferred route for the Millennium Line. [44088]

I understand that the Chelsea—Hackney Line has been described as the Millennium Line.The scheme will be examined in the light of our current work on transport integration, the development of a Greater. London Authority incorporating a London Transport Authority and our consideration of transport priorities for London.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he collates on the proportion of leasehold commercial premises which receive individual fuel bills based upon occupancy levels. [44382]

My right hon. Friend does not collate information on the proportion of leasehold commercial premises which receive individual fuel bills based on occupancy levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the current annual salary of (a) the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation and (b) the regional directors of the Housing Corporation. [44421]

The salary of the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation is derived from Pay Bands 7 and 9 for senior civil servants. The current annual salary is £96,456 (effective from 8 April 1998). In addition, the Chief Executive is eligible for consideration of an annual performance bonus of up to 15 per cent. of current salary, and provision of a car valued for tax purposes at £6,953.The salaries for Regional Directors of the Housing Corporation are derived from Pay Bands 1 and 3 for senior civil servants and all fall within the range of £47,633 to £67,515. In addition they are each provided with the use of a car.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the annual running costs of (a) the head office of the Housing Corporation and (b) the West Midlands regional office of the Housing Corporation in (i) 1994, (ii) 1995, (iii) 1996 and (iv) 1997. [44420]

The information requested is as shown:

Annual running costs outturn
£ million
	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Headquarters	16.6	17.0	16.2	15.8
West Midlands	1.3	1.2	1.2	1.3

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on funding of the Pennine Bridleway route as far as Kirkby Stephen. [44854]

Funding for the Pennine Bridleway, including the proposed northern extension, comes from the Countryside Commission's budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a complete list of all those in Cumbria who may be owners or have an interest in the land which may be subject to one of the possible routes of the Pennine Bridleway. [44857]

The Countryside Commission, for reasons of confidentiality, does not publicise the names of those participating in its informal consultations on National Trail proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish each of the possible routes for the Pennine Bridleway which has been identified by the Countryside Commission. [44858]

The Countryside Commission is still conducting informal consultations over possible routes for the Pennine Bridleway northern extension. Once the Commission begins its formal consultation, it will publish the proposed route. The route of the Pennine Bridleway between Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire, and Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, was approved by the Secretary of State in 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has received from the Countryside Commission on their plans for the Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria; and if he will make a statement. [44855]

I understand that the Countryside Commission is currently undertaking informal consultations on the route of the proposed northern extension of the Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria with a view to identifying a single route for formal consultation later this year. We expect that a proposal will be put to the Secretary of State next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the parish councils through which the proposed Pennine Bridleway might pass in Cumbria. [44856]

The route of the proposed Pennine Bridleway in Cumbria might pass through the following parish councils:

• Midgeholme
• Farlam
• Castle Carrock
• Cumrew
• Ainstable
• Kirkoswald and Renwick
• Glassonby
• Ousby
• Culgaith
• Milburn
• Long Marton
• Dufton
• Murton
• Warcop
• Musgrave
• Appleby
• Bandleyside
• Soulby
• Waitby
• Ravenstonedale.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody) of 24 March 1998, Official Report, columns 85–86, on the Transport Council, which delegates requested a study into the employment effect of the abolition of duty free; and which Ministers expressed regret at the reasoned opinions sent to the member states by the Commission on the EC/US air transport negotiations. [44891]

Discussion on the abolition of duty free was prompted by a proposal from the Irish delegation. The right hon. Member's question on EC/US air transport negotiations was not one on which formal votes were taken in the Council, and there is therefore no official record of the stance taken by delegations on it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish housing policy guidance for Cumbria including the Government's estimate of the additional housing required. [44860]

We have recently issued to all housing authorities guidance for the 1998 Housing Investment Programme round, which includes advice on housing policy, designed to assist authorities in developing their own strategies appropriate to the needs of their area.Housing figures for Cumbria, based on 1992 household projections, were issued in Regional Planning Guidance for the North West (RPG13) in May 1996. These figures were an average annual net addition of 1,500 per year between 1991 and 2011, making a total of 30,000 new dwellings. These were allocated between the individual districts in Cumbria by the County Council in its Structure Plan which covers the years 1991–2006 and was adopted in July 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to assist with the renovation of housing stock in (a) Eden, (b) Carlisle and (c) Allerdale districts. [44845]

In common with housing authorities across the country, Eden, Carlisle and Allerdale receive resource allocations under the Housing Investment Programme for that purpose. In addition, Carlisle and Allerdale also benefit from the Capital Receipts Initiative. Allocations for the year 1998–99 are as follows:

£
	Housing investment programme	Capital receipts initiative
Allerdale	1,884,000	713,000
Carlisle	1,543,000	1,240,000
Eden	799,000	Nil

Eden does not receive resources from the Capital Receipts Initiative since it is a "debt free" authority, and is therefore, unlike most authorities, able to use any capital receipts it generates to invest directly according to its local priorities.In addition, the Government have acknowledged the particular need to address investment on Allerdale's Salterbeck estate by this year approving Estates Renewal Challenge Fund bid, with provisional approval being given grant to just under £4m over the next three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list each river in England and Wales which is proposed for SSSI status. [44844]

I will ask the Chief Executives of English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales to write to the right hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to (a) evaluate and (b) introduce the Scottish Strungbow type road signs. [44861]

These signs indicate that road users can leave and rejoin a main road via a bypassed town or village. They were included in the Traffic Signs Regulations 1994, and can therefore be used by English traffic authorities as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on proposals for reducing the number of road signs in rural areas. [44482]

It is for the relevant highway authority to decide how many signs are necessary or appropriate in the light of local circumstances. The hon. Member will know, from the debate he initiated on 18 March 1998, Official Report, column 1258–61, that studies are underway which are intended to produce researched recommendations on good design practice for rural traffic management. The CTMG demonstration projects, announced by the Minister for Transport on 31 March 1998, Official Report, column 494–95, include an assessment of the effects of removing or repositioning signs from roads on Dartmoor, but the results are not expected to be published before the end of next year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the restrictions on the use of fibre optic traffic signs. [44483]

All traffic signs used in this country must conform with the requirements of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994 (SI 1519) or be specially authorised by the Secretary of State. The TSRGD do not specify any particular technology for variable signs, but fibre optic and other light emitting signs are required to meet the Secretary of State's requirements for optical performance and safety. New designs of light emitting variable signs, actuated by vehicles travelling at excessive speed, have been specially authorised at sites in North Norfolk and elsewhere as part of a monitored experiment, which is still in progress, to assess their effect on reducing speeds and improving safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on flights of nuclear material out of Carlisle airport. [44878]

My Department has received 6 such representations since May 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the £140 million of new Government money for the Channel Tunnel Link becomes due, how much of it will depend on the completion of Phase II of the line. [44885]

LCR expect to complete the CTRL by 2007. The sum of £140 million, the payment of which depends on Eurostar revenues, would not be payable before 2010—so it is not linked to any particular phase of CTRL construction.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the benefits for Coventry and the West Midlands region, from the proposed Channel Tunnel Rail Link via Stratford. [44723]

My right hon. Friend took account of the evident enthusiasm for Regional Eurostar services including that from the West Midlands in reaching his recent agreement with LCR which he announced on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367–70. He has asked the transport operator who will take responsibility for Eurostar (UK) Ltd to assess the feasibility of running regional services and report by the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the terms of Railtrack's option to build the second phase of the CTRL through London. [45410]

It is intended that Railtrack shall be granted by LCR an exclusive option to commit to purchase the assets relating to the second phase of construction of the CTRL; that this option must be exercised no later than 1 July 2003; and that in the event that Railtrack does not exercise that option, LCR will be obliged to find another third party, or complete the second phase itself.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the new agreement on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link makes provision for sleeper services running on the link; and if he will make a statement. [44672]

The deal announced by my right hon. Friend on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367–70, does not involve provisions for sleeper services. In July 1997 European Night Services Ltd. announced that they had dropped their plans for services from the regions to Paris. I understand that the Joint Venture have no plans for sleeper services.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how long it is estimated the journey time will take from Heathrow to Paris by the proposed new service announced by the Eurostar consortium; [44886]

My right hon. Friend announced on 3 June 1998, Official Report, columns 367–70, that the Eurostar operator intends to run services from Heathrow through the Channel Tunnel from 2001. Precise routes, service patterns and journey times have yet to be defined.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to amend legislation relating to travellers; and if he will make a statement. [44604]

My Department has no plans to amend sections 77 to 80 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which give local authorities powers to deal with unauthorised camping, and which repealed local authorities' duty to provide sites and the Secretary of State's power to pay grant for such sites.My Department is committed to issuing good practice advice to local authorities on unauthorised camping, and it is proposed to launch this on 29 October at a conference organised by the National Association of Gipsy and Traveller Officers in Coventry.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he plans to take to impose obligations on fuel suppliers to give advice on energy efficiency; and if he will make a statement. [44881]

The relevant regulators already require electricity and gas suppliers to provide customers, on request, with advice on energy efficiency. For the future, the Government's Green Paper "A Fair Deal for Consumers" proposes that Ministers will issue statutory guidance to the regulators on social, environmental and energy efficiency matters, including matters (such as advice to customers on energy efficiency) which are already dealt with in the present regulatory framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many local authority refusals of planning permission for telecommunications masts were overturned on appeal by planning inspectors in the year 1997–98. [44951]

54 out of a total of 122 appeals made against local planning authority refusals for telecommunications masts/towers were allowed in the year 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement regarding the future development of the mobile telecommunications industry in rural areas. [44484]

This Government's general policy on telecommunications development is to facilitate the growth of telecommunications systems while protecting the environment. Mobile services are important to an efficient modern national telecommunications network. This will help bring considerable economic and social benefits to all parts of the country, including rural areas. The establishment of such a network should not, however, happen at disproportionate cost to the environment. For that reason, we announced our expectation that operators would provide evidence to local planning authorities that they have carefully considered the use of existing masts, buildings and other structures before seeking to erect any new mast.Local planning authorities continue to have the opportunity to exercise control over individual mast developments, whether that be through the consideration of a full planning application or the determination of a prior approval application under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans she has to repeal those sections of the Local Government and Housing Act 1990 which require that housing benefit is paid from the housing revenue account of local authorities. [44946]

We are considering all aspects of housing finance as part of our Comprehensive Spending Review. We expect to announce conclusions from the Review in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if, in the case of housing development, only the building regulations in force at the time of submission of a planning application apply to the construction, irrespective of the date of construction; [44902](2) if the Government plan to make Part M of the Building Regulations apply to all buildings constructed after the making of the regulations, irrespective of the date of the planning consent. [44903]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: I am aware of the cases in the hon. Member's constituency which have given rise to concern that housing developers may seek to use building control procedures to circumvent the changes I have announced that will apply Part M of the building regulations to new dwellings. I understand that two initial building control notices for a total of 12,000 houses will not now take effect. These related to land for which I understand there is no current prospect of planning permission for housing.I share the hon. Member's concern that building control procedures should not be used to circumvent the new requirements for access and facilities for disabled people. The general position is that building work is subject to the requirements in force at the time the relevant building control notice is given.I have previously announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela Smith) on 9 March 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made into the impact of second homes on the supply of local housing. [44932]

The Survey of English Housing conducted annually for my Department indicates that about 200,000 households with their main residence in England also own or rent a second home in England. That figure excludes households whose second home is the main residence of another household, and households with a second home which they intend to sell.Local authorities should take account of second homes in their assessments of housing need. These assessments inform authorities' housing strategies (including empty homes strategies where they exist) and development plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much council tax is currently raised from second-home owners. [44488]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing gave to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Mr. George) on 9 June 1998, Official Report, column 509.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of the 50 per cent. reduction in council tax for second-home owners. [44487]

If a local authority has a high proportion of second homes that receive a 50 per cent. discount, and therefore a reduced tax base, it will receive more grant to compensate. Contrary to some of the concerns that have been expressed, the level of council tax bills paid by local residents will therefore not be affected unless the local authority is spending above the "standard spending" level fixed by Government as a basis for distributing grant. We have received a number of representations about the council tax and second/holiday homes. We are considering these and will set out our proposals in a White Paper this summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many staff have been made redundant by Kent County Council as a result of the creation of the new Medway Unitary Authority in the year 1997–98; and how many will be made redundant in 1998–99. [44213]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: I understand from Kent County Council that, as a result of local government reorganisation, 330 of their staff were made redundant in 1997–98 and fewer than 50 are expected to be made redundant in 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many crashes occurred involving (a) road vehicles, (b) aircraft and (c) trains carrying radioactive material in the United Kingdom in 1997 and 1998 to date. [44986]

The numbers of such crashes notified to the Department are:

Year	Number
(a)
1997	3
1998	none to date
(b)
1997	none
1998	none to date
(c)
1997	none
1998	3 to date

In none of these crashes was there any loss of radioactive material from any package.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is the Government's policy not to limit the number of movements of radioactive material by air provided International Atomic Energy Agency standards are met. [44959]

I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 14 July 1997, Official Report, column 15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures are currently in place to ensure the safe transportation of mixed oxide plutonium within the United Kingdom. [44724]

Mixed Oxide Fuel and plutonium, in common with all radioactive materials, are subject to the following regulations:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what legal requirements merchant shipping employees on sick leave were required to fulfil in June 1991 when returning to work offshore after instructions from their employer; [45033](2) what legal requirements employers of merchant seamen were required to fulfil in June 1991 when instructing employees on sick leave to return to work offshore; [45034](3) if he will make a statement on amendments made since 1986 to Merchant Shipping Notice No. 1536 and Merchant Shipping Notice No. 1331 in respect of diseases of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum; [45035](4) what Health and Safety Executive regulations, relating to record keeping, were in force in May 1991 in respect of the transfer of sick merchant seamen to oil platforms in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea. [45037]

In terms of Merchant Shipping (Medical Examination) Regulations 1983, applicable in 1991, a seafarer cannot be employed on a ship covered by the Regulations unless he holds a valid medical fitness certificate. Under Merchant Shipping legislation, there are no specific or additional requirements relating to return to work after sick leave.Merchant Shipping Notice M1536, which listed doctors approved by the Secretary of State to carry out seafarer medicals, and M1331, setting out the medical standards for seafarers, have both been updated. While the medical fitness standards have been kept under review by the Department's medical advisers, no change has been made in respect of diseases of the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum.There were no regulations relating to record keeping for the transfer of sick merchant seamen to oil platforms in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, although the offshore Installations (Logbooks and Registration of Deaths) Regulations 1972 required a record to be kept of all persons arriving at or departing from an installation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many representatives of Government there will be on the Board of LCR and the Eurostar management company; and if their rights, duties and responsibilities will be the same in company law as the private sector directors. [45403]

It is not intended that there will be any Government appointments to the Board of either LCR or the Eurostar management company.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to protect areas of outstanding natural beauty from overdevelopment; and if he will make a statement. [44478]

Planning Policy Guidance note 7 affords special protection from development to Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, along with other statutorily designated areas. Policies in structure and local plans and development control decisions should in general favour conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape. It would normally be inconsistent with the aims of designation to permit the siting of major industrial or commercial development in these areas. Only proven national interest and lack of alternative sites can justify an exception.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the sites of special scientific interest in the United Kingdom distinguishing those which are in (a) England and (b) Norfolk. [44489]

As at 5 June 1998 there were 6,517 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the United Kingdom. 3,991 in England and 155 in Norfolk. I shall arrange for a copy of the full list of sites to be placed in the Library of the House shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he will make available under the local government reorganisation costs scheme to Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council for reorganisation costs incurred by them in 1998–99; and if he will make a statement. [45432]

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council did not submit a bid at the initial stage of the Local Government Reorganisation Costs Scheme for 1998–99. They have since identified £400,000 of costs that are eligible under the scheme. After careful consideration, I have decided that it would be appropriate to allocate a maximum amount of £400,000 to Redcar and Cleveland Council to cover these costs in full.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what changes he has decided to make to his policy on international access to regional airports in the United Kingdom following the consultation exercise on this issue earlier in the year. [45433]

The Government wish to encourage international access to regional airports by pursuing a policy of liberalisation. We have decided that open access to all UK airports, except Heathrow and Gatwick, should be offered to all of our bilateral air services partners, provided that UK airlines are also allowed to operate on the same routes. My officials will be writing to all of our bilateral partners where such access is not already available with details of this change of policy.This change in policy will allow both UK airlines and the airlines of the country concerned to operate to and from that country on such routes without restrictions on capacity or frequency, and without the need for international aviation negotiations to establish such services. This will enable UK and foreign airlines to plan the development of services with confidence that future growth will not be limited by bilateral restrictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on the finance, management and policy review of the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. [45745]

My Department has completed the first stage of the review, and we have decided to continue to sponsor the Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards. In the light of new evidence emerging on the effects of air pollution, and of growing interest in pollutants not yet covered by the Panel, we believe that the need for expert advice on these issues remains. The Expert Panel is best placed to provide that advice. The Expert Panel has served the Department extremely well over the last five years, and we are grateful for its very significant contribution to the development of air quality policy over the last five years.The Department will now review how the Panel should operate in future, looking at all aspects of its management, including its membership and working procedures and at its work programme for the next five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list by authority and service area the recorded deficits made by local authority direct labour or services organisations in Scotland that have failed to meet the rate-of-return requirements under the terms of the Local Government (Planning and Land) Act 1980 and the Local Government Act 1988 in (a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98 in (i) cash and (ii) constant prices; [43907]

[holding answer 3 June 1998]: I have arranged for a detailed list, taken from annual reports submitted by authorities, of the surpluses and deficits achieved by direct labour and direct service organisations of Scottish local authorities in 1995–96 to be placed in the Library. A partial list is provided for 1996–97. This covers the authorities for which annual reports have been received. Information for 1997–98 is not yet available.I am committed to ensuring local authority direct labour and direct service organisations achieve efficiency and value for money. Direct labour and direct service organisations exist to provide quality services competitively and I shall not hesitate to use my powers to deal with those who fail to perform as they should.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the total cost of the investigation which he has ordered into the financial affairs of the direct labour organisations in all Scottish local authorities. [44707]

[holding answer 8 June 1998]: The cost of the inquiries which are being undertaken by my Department and by the Accounts Commission for Scotland will be met within existing public expenditure provision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to promote business sponsorship of the arts. [44203]

The Government fully recognise the importance of business sponsorship of the arts, which brings a range of benefits both to the sponsor and to the sponsored organisation.Active encouragement is given to businesses to sponsor the arts, mainly through Government funding of the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts Pairing Scheme, which provides financial awards to arts organisations which have secured sponsorship for individual projects. The Government also provide financial support for specific initiatives which aim to bring relevant business skills and improved management capabilities to arts organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of registered unemployed among 18 to 25 year olds in (a) Dundee, (b) Perth and Kinross and (c) Angus found work and signed off as unemployed in (i) January, (ii) February, (iii) March and (iv) April in each year since 1986. [43411]

[holding answer 4 June 1998]: Data on the destination of leavers from the claimant count are available from the Office for National Statistics for 1998 onwards for the areas requested. Information is not readily available on the numbers aged 18 to 25 claiming unemployment related benefits and so the numbers who found work, in the table, are given for those aged 18 to 24.

Number of 18 to 24 year olds, leaving the register and finding work1
Unitary Authorities
	Dundee	Perth and Kinross	Angus
January 1998	55	42	46
February 1998	146	108	145
March 1998	137	98	117
April 1998	139	93	95
1 Excluding clerical claims and claims with missing or invalid postcodes

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into stocks of monkfish and megrim; and if he will make a statement about the future of fisheries research funding. [44806]

The Government are committed to ensuring that the monkfish and megrim fisheries are exploited on a sustainable basis, and are therefore expanding their programme of scientific research in this particular area. The Fisheries Research Services (FRS) Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen routinely samples landings of monkfish and megrim into Scotland, and participates in the annual stock assessments undertaken by the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management (ACFM). In addition, the FRS is this year initiating a new biennial survey of deep-water species such as these in the West of Scotland; and is next year undertaking a dedicated monkfish and megrim survey. The FRS and Scottish Fishermens Federation (SFF) are also liaising on further data collection, and on a possible EU-funded research project on the distribution and exploitation of monkfish and megrim.Overall the Government retain their commitment to the funding of fisheries research, as demonstrated by the introduction into service of the new research vessel Scotia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on road accident deaths in Scotland. [44684]

As part of a continuing programme of road safety research, The Scottish Office has commissioned, in the past 10 years, 6 research studies which have included consideration of road accident deaths. These studies, which are listed below, looked at all categories of road accident casualties from fatal to slight: none has looked only at deaths. All have been evaluated by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit except for the study on the circumstances of child pedestrian accidents, which is due for completion later this year.

"Must Do Better"—A Study of Child Pedestrian Accidents and Road Crossing Behaviour in Scotland, published 1989;

"The Pedestrian Casualty Problem in Scotland—Why So Many", published 1996;

"Accidents at Signal Controlled Junctions and Pelican Crossings in Glasgow", published 1996;

"Linking Road Traffic Accident Statistics to Census Data in Lothian", published 1996:

"Impact of the Road Network on Scotland's Accident Rates", published 1997;

"The Circumstances of Child Pedestrian Accidents", (not yet published).

A Review of The Scottish Office Road Safety Research Programme 1989–97 was published in 1997 by The Scottish Office Central Research Unit.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what net savings in legal aid will be achieved by the implementation of the Government's proposals to remove legal aid from personal injury work and other areas to which conditional fee agreements will apply. [44131]

Our intention is neither to increase nor to reduce in real terms expenditure on legal aid. We have, of course, estimated what the effect on the fund's cashflow would be of removing legal aid from the categories suggested in the consultation paper, Access to Justice with Conditional Fees. These estimates are:

• 1998–1999: £0 million
• 1999–2000: -£69 million
• 2000–2001: -£100 million.

The saving would diminish in later years, when case costs would be recovered to benefit the fund.What we intend is, within a controlled legal aid budget overall, to re-focus limited resources on those most in need, particularly in the areas of social welfare law.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what investigations his Department has carried out into the capacity of the Bar to do conditional fee agreement work. [44132]

Barristers are already taking cases on a conditional fee basis. I, and my officials, have had several meetings with the Bar Council during the development of the proposals to extend the availability of conditional fee agreements. They have responded in detail to the consultation paper "Access to Justice with Conditional Fees", as have a number of other organisations representing banisters. These, together with all the other responses, are being carefully considered before decisions are taken.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government will make detailed proposals for the fast-track system. [44134]

Detailed proposals for fast-track procedures were the subject of public consultation last summer. In the light of that consultation, rules of court have been drafted and considered by the Civil Procedure Rule Committee. Officials are currently placing the latest drafts of the rules on the website [http:www.open.gov.uk/lcd] of the Lord Chancellor's Department and these drafts should be available for viewing before the end of this month. I expect to make an announcement about a costs regime in the fast-track shortly.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what resources the Government intends to provide to ensure adequate judicial training, management administration and technology for the effective implementation of Lord Woolf s proposals. [44133]

The Judicial Studies Board estimated that it would require £400,000 this financial year to fund the training of the full-time judiciary in the civil justice reforms. The Board also bid for £256,000 in the next financial year to train the part-time judiciary. These sums have been allocated.The introduction of IT to other areas of administrative work in the civil courts will release staff to support the introduction of the Civil Justice Reforms in April 1999.The cost of technological support has been provided for in the Court Service's expenditure plans although the exact amounts have yet to be finalised. It is currently involved in negotiations with its IT supplier. I am not prepared to jeopardise those negotiations by disclosing indicative costs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many receptions have been held at No. 11 Downing Street for members of regional Labour parties; what was the total cost of such receptions; and who paid for them. [44218]