To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the public inquiry into the planning issues arising from Belmont Stables, Mill Hill, will recommence. [45439]

The principal parties and representatives of third parties were notified by a letter, dated 1 May 1998 that the inquiry into the appeals by Belmont Riding Centre Ltd, would resume on 4 August 1998 with Mr. Palmer, the original Inspector, if he were fit or, alternatively, if he were not, recommenced by a new Inspector. The letter also stated that the principal parties would be given 1 month's notice as to which alternative is adopted.The principal parties and representatives of third parties were told in letters dated 10 June 1998 that Mr. Palmer would not be returning from sick leave before 4 August. At present, therefore, an Inspector would be available to recommence the inquiry on that date. However, the parties have indicated that they may not wish to do so and other alternatives are being actively and urgently investigated.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates his Department has made of the number of passengers the London Underground's Jubilee Line extension will carry per week when the Millennium Dome is open to the public. [45760]

I understand from London Transport that an approximate estimate of Jubilee Line Extension passenger journeys per week, during the busiest period for the Millennium Dome, would be 1.6 million. (If visitors to the Dome are excluded, the estimate falls to 1.1 million passenger journeys per week).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place copies in the Library of the Traffic Commissioner's business plans. [45816]

[holding answer 15 June 1998]: Traffic Commissioners are required to submit annual reports to the Secretary of State on discharge of their Goods and Public Service Vehicle licensing functions and other responsibilities. Copies of these reports are placed in the Library. The Business Plan of the Traffic Area Network has not hitherto been published but I am placing a copy of the 1998–99 Plan in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the working group on the operation of present legislation for mobile homes has been set up; what the terms of reference and programme of work are to be; when the working group is expected to report; and if he will make a statement. [46143]

The Park Homes Working Party held its first meeting on 14 May. Its aim and terms of reference are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce regulation of the deposit scheme for people who rent property in the private sector. [46081]

We are concerned about the problem of tenants' rental deposits being withheld unreasonably by landlords at the end of tenancies. We are currently looking at legislation operating overseas to see whether there is an appropriate model for dealing with those problems. But we will need to be satisfied that any new requirements would not deter reputable small landlords, or potential landlords, and that they would achieve a fair balance between the interests of tenants and landlords.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 10 June 1998, Official Report, columns 575–76, if he will provide a regional breakdown of the households which own or rent a second home, indicating where the second homes are located. [46092]

The table shows estimates based on data from the Survey of English Housing for the three years ending March 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish a table showing for each education authority the amount allocated per pupil for each of the education SSA sub-blocks in 1998–99 attributable to the relevant population sparsity factor. [45828]

A table showing these figures has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates his Department has made of the (a) advantages and (b) savings to business and commerce which would result from the construction of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [46065]

[holding answer 16 June 1998]: The Department's case for proceeding with the Birmingham Northern Relief Road was fully set out in evidence given to the 1994–95 public inquiry. Its construction would provide a high quality alternative route to the heavily congested section of the M6 through the West Midlands for commercial and other traffic. It would better facilitate the movement of through traffic from Scotland and the North West through the West Midlands to the South East, the Channel Tunnel and ports.In strongly supporting the proposed scheme at the public inquiry, representative road haulage and business organisations pointed out the damage which the present levels of congestion on the M6 were causing in terms of delays and to competitiveness.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the cost benefit analysis of the construction of the proposed Birmingham Northern Relief Road. [46064]

[holding answer 16 June 1998]: A formal cost benefit analysis of the scheme was not carried out because it is to be privately financed. However, before deciding to award the concession to Midland Expressway Ltd., the previous Government took into account a comparative analysis of the economic benefits of the scheme with a publicly financed tolled road and a publicly financed untolled road. This showed the scheme having a benefit: cost ratio of more than 2:1. This information was contained in Department of Transport evidence on toll policy and its application to the Birmingham Northern Relief Road put to the 1994–95 public inquiry. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from (a) the Merchant Navy Association and (b) others about the establishment of a Merchant Navy Day on 3 September. [45536]

Since the election, there have been five written representations from the Merchant Navy Association, and twelve from members of the Association writing in a personal capacity.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 June 1998, Official Report, column 32, on how many occasions he has not answered written questions from hon. Members on the grounds that he considered a matter to be closed. [46363]

This is the latest in a series of related questions from the hon. Member. I have nothing to add to my answers of 18 May 1998, Official Report, column 218, 8 June 1998, Official Report, column 413 and 15 June 1998, Official Report, columns 32 and 40.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will introduce proposals for the payment to English local authorities of the new grant for rural bus services; and if he will be issuing guidance to the authorities concerned on use of the grant. [46645]

I announced a provisional distribution of this grant on 28 April, subject to approval by Parliament in due course. Following consultation with interested parties, I have now laid before the House a Special Grant Report under Section 88B of the Local Government Finance Act 1988. This incorporates my detailed proposals for the payment of the grant and the conditions which will apply to its use. My Department is also circulating guidance to local authorities; a copy has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of the legal aid bill in 1996–97 and 1997–98 for personal injury cases was for cases won by the plaintiffs and resulted in the expenditure on legal aid being recovered from the defendants at the conclusion of the proceedings. [45166]

This information is not readily available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The proportion of the gross legal aid costs recovered in all personal injury cases closed (including medical negligence matters) during 1996/97 can be broken down as follows:

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of the legal aid bill in 1996–97 and 1997–98 for personal injury cases was liable to VAT and resulted in a revenue to the Treasury. [45167]

The information requested is not available since the Legal Aid Board is not required to account separately for VAT.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what circumstances he was asked to leave the room during the Meeting of the Euro XI to discuss the single currency at Senningen Castle, Luxembourg on 4 June; and what factors led to the Austrian finance minister taking the chair. [46254]

[holding answer 16 June 1998]: As President of ECOFIN, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was invited to attend the informal meeting on 4 June. The Chancellor took part in a constructive discussion of issues for consideration at the September meeting of Euro-XI which will involve all Member States. At an appropriate point, when issues falling within the specific responsibility of Member States joining the single currency were to be discussed, the Chancellor left the meeting.All meetings of Euro-XI will be chaired by the Presidency or, if the Presidency is held by a nonparticipating Member State, by the next Presidency in office. That is why Mr. Edlinger chaired the 4 June meeting.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many registered businesses in the United Kingdom he estimates have a value of £250,000 or less. [43612]

[holding answer 1 June 1998]:On December 31 1997, there were approximately 1.11 million VAT-registered businesses in the UK with a turnover of less than £250,000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the United Kingdom representatives at the (a) World Bank, (b) IMF and (c) African Development Bank will ensure that the multilateral institutions pursue lending policies which take a realistic account of the ability of the debtor Government to repay. [43471]

The UK Government have played a leading role in encouraging the IMF, World Bank and the Multilateral Development Banks, including the African Development Bank, to pursue policies designed to promote sustainable economic growth and reductions in poverty. In particular, it attaches importance to ensuring that lending decisions are based on a careful assessment of a country's ability to absorb new lending and repay existing loans, to ensure that their debt burden is not increased.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of progress made by pension firms in providing redress to the victims of mis-sold personal pensions. [46554]

The table shows the progress made in the period to end May 1998 by the 41 firms whose figures I have been publishing. Some 78 per cent. of all the cases these firms must review have now been completed.Many firms are now making good progress with their priority reviews. I expect the laggards to do their utmost to better the targets set for them by the regulators. I hope all firms will demonstrate the same commitment they have shown of late when they begin phase 2 of the review.I am still disappointed by the poor progress being made by many IFAs. On 10 June, PIA fined Financial Options Ltd. and Investment Options Ltd. a total of £400,000 for various failings, mostly related to the review of personal pensions. I expect IFAs to deal with their priority cases as a matter of the utmost urgency and hope the industry will continue to pursue the ABI's lifeboat initiative to help IFAs finance their reviews and process cases. Mis-selling damages the reputation of the entire industry. It is in everyone's interests to work together to complete the review.I am aware of criticisms by a number of IFAs of the FSA and PIA proposals for phase 2 of the review. Some even deny that there is a problem while others try to pass the buck. Their poor attitude tarnishes those IFAs with integrity who are making a concerted effort to complete their case reviews.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if personal imports of alcohol and tobacco from France are taken into account in calculating the RPI. [46459]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women, working (i) full-time and (ii) part-time, in (1) Worcester and (2) Worcestershire earn less than (x) £3 per hour and (y) £3.60 per hour. [46112]

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many special advisers, political advisers and other political appointees are working in his Department; at what annual cost to the public purse including recruitment costs, salaries, pensions and National Insurance contributions; and what was the position in the last full year of the last Government. [43325]

For details of the numbers of Special Advisers and the annual cost of employing them, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 11 June 1998, Official Report, column 664.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the sub-contracting of the pastoral supervision role of the European Voluntary Service to third parties; and if he will list the agencies his Department has approved for this purpose. [45316]

The Youth Exchange Centre is the national agency for the European Voluntary Service programme in the UK. Projects wishing to host young volunteers undergo rigorous scrutiny before being accepted into the programme. Provision for pastoral supervision is an important component of that scrutiny.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the merging of Youth for Europe and the European Voluntary Service after 1999.[46132]

Youth for Europe and the European Voluntary Service will conclude at the end of 1999. The European Commission has recently published proposals to establish a Youth Community Action Programme (2000–2004) incorporating both these programmes. The draft Decision will be considered by Member States with a view to enabling Council to reach a common position on the proposals in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received concerning the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and their educational material; and if he will assess the authenticity of the material on their website and its coverage of Buddhist traditions with a view to advising local authorities on the suitability of the material for schools. [45434]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a letter from Lord Avebury concerning allegations on another website. The Department is investigating the allegations concerning religious education and will consider whether further action is necessary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what arrangements are in place for the ongoing ethnic monitoring of the progress of those placed on one of the New Deal options; and if he will make a statement. [45437]

We have arrangements in place to provide comprehensive management information on the participation of ethnic minorities in New Deal. Our evaluation strategy will also enable us to determine the final destinations of all New Deal clients including those from ethnic minorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will provide additional financial support to Essex County Council to fund the retention from September of the current free home to school/college transport for pupils and students from the age of 16.[45473]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin) on 8 May 1998, Official Report, column 524.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many new entrants into the teaching profession there were for the years 1979 to 1997. [45551]

The numbers of new entrants to full-time teaching, in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector', for the years 1979 to 1996, are shown in the table. New entrants to part-time teaching are shown for the years 1993 to 1996. Information for previous years is not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what criteria he used for the recently-awarded funding under the New Deal for Schools Capital Programme Phase 2 for the North Somerset council area; [45992](2) what criteria are used for awarding funding under the New Deal for Schools Capital Programme Phase 2. [45993]

Applications for funding received from all Local Education Authorities (and the Funding Agency for Schools) under Phase 2 of the New Deal for Schools initiative were considered against the priorities and criteria set out in the guidance issued by this Department on 5 November 1997. A copy of the full guidance has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assets were transferred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission on 1 April. [46642]

The Criminal Cases Review Commission has been notified that certain Crown assets have been transferred to it, effective from 1 April 1998. The transfer will be free of charge. The assets comprise:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on asylum seekers from Sierra Leone. [46715]

My right hon. Friend announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for South Derbyshire (Mr. Todd) on 1 July 1997, Official Report, column 78, that he had made a declaration under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996 that Sierra Leone had undergone such an upheaval that we would not seek to enforce the return of refused asylum seekers to that country for the time being.Since that time, the situation in the country has been carefully monitored, together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. More information has become available since the liberation of Freetown by ECOMOG troops in February this year.The democratically elected President returned to the country in March and announced his new broad-based government. Although there is fighting in the east, the rest of the country appears secure.The information received about conditions in Sierra Leone enables me to make an informed assessment of the merits of asylum applications made prior to the upheaval and subsequently, in accordance with our international obligations. If an applicant is able to demonstrate that his fear of persecution is well-founded, then asylum will be granted. In other cases, if there are clear compelling humanitarian reasons not to require a person to return, exceptional leave to enter or remain will be granted. If asylum or exceptional treatment is not merited, the normal course will be to expect applicants to return to Sierra Leone. We will continue to monitor developments in the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the results of local bids for CCTV under round four of the CCTV challenge competition. [46096]

I have placed in the Library earlier today the results of round 4 of the Closed Circuit Television Challenge competition. I am pleased to be able to inform the hon. Member that a partnership in his constituency led by Warminster Town Council has been offered an award of £74,525.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance his Department is providing in the current financial year to London local authorities that wish to install CCTV cameras within their areas. [45519]

I have placed in the Library the results of round 4 of the Close Circuit Television Challenge competition. The awards offered to crime reduction partnerships in London boroughs under the latest competition, together with the balance of awards made to schemes under earlier rounds which have yet to be paid, are listed in the table. All awards have to be taken up in the current financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the pilot schemes announced since 1 May by his Department that involve local authorities in a lead or partnership capacity; if he will list each of the local authorities involved in each case; and what revenue and capital funding each local authority will receive through the pilot in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–2001. [45335]

[holding answer 11 June 1998]: As I 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, we have identified nine local authority areas in which, in principle, we would like to pilot the new youth justice measures contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords].Four areas—the London Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster (jointly); Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight (jointly); Wolverhampton; and Sheffield—have been identified to pilot the final warning scheme; the reparation order, action plan order, child safety order and parenting order; and youth offending teams.Five areas—the London Borough of Lewisham; Luton and Bedfordshire (jointly); Devon; St. Helens; and Sunderland—have been identified to pilot the child safety order and parenting order, together with youth offending teams.In addition, Blackburn and Northamptonshire are to pilot the final warning scheme and youth offending teams in the context of pilots of procedural changes recommended by the Review of Delay in the Criminal Justice System, to which my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North also referred.We aim to establish the pilot projects from October 1998. The pilots will operate for a period of 18 months. We envisage that, in addition to funding for the evaluation of the pilots, some Home Office funding will be available to help the pilot areas put in place the programmes and forms of intervention needed to undertake work under the final warning scheme and the new court orders. Funding will also be available to support any seminars based on experience in the pilot areas run during the pilots for benefit of other areas. We will discuss with the selected pilot areas how available funds can be used most effectively within their area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters have been issued to asylum seekers since November 1996 informing them of a refusal of their claim at the same time that the Benefits Agency have been informed of the decision; and how many asylum seekers have not been issued with such a letter. [45642]

Between 4 November 1996 and 29 May 1998, 3,023 such letters were issued to applicants or their representatives. Letters could not be sent in a further 516 cases as an address was not readily available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force are (a) female and (b) from ethnic minorities. [45645]

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase recruitment to the police force from those sections of society currently under-represented. [45710]

The responsibility for making appointments to the police service in England and Wales lies with the chief officer of each police force. It is also their responsibility, with the assistance of their police authorities, to ensure that their forces represent the communities they serve. This includes those people from under-represented groups, such as those from ethnic minority communities.

The information requested is set out in the table. The figures are provisional and are subject to validation.Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary have issued two thematic inspection reports: "Developing Diversity in the Police Service" and "Winning the Race", copies of which are in the Library. Both reports offer advice on the recruitment of people from under-represented sections of society. The latter report includes "a guide to assist forces in the area of ethnic minority recruitment", which should provide a helpful checklist of action for forces to take. My right hon. Friend has made it clear that he expects each police force in England and Wales to consider the conclusions of the latter report and to act on its findings during the course of 1998. Later this year, chief constables will be asked to report on action taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many medical retirements of police officers there were for each police force area in each of the last 10 years. [45655]

Provisional figures for medical retirements from forces in England and Wales in 1997–98 are set out in the table. Similar data for the years from 1990 to 1996–97 are included in the report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary "Lost Time: The Management of Sickness Absence and Medical Retirement in the Police Service", published in December 1997. A copy of the report is in the Library. Such information is not available for the period before 1990.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) black and (b) Asian people are employed in (i) West Midlands Police force and (ii) Leicestershire Police force; and at what grade. [45686]

It may be helpful if I provide tables showing the numbers employed and the percentage in that category of employment for (i) black people, (ii) Asian people and (iii) ethnic minorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to investigate claims of race discrimination in West Midlands police force. [45676]

No allegations of racial discrimination in West Midlands Police have been made to me. It would be a matter for the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to investigate any such claims made to him or the police authority, in consultation with the police authority as necessary. In general, I would expect such allegations to be put direct to the individual police force.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was paid out by the English police forces in compensation cases in the last year for which figures are available. [46015]

Payment of compensation by police forces, which is provided for in section 88 of the Police Act 1996, is a matter for individual police forces, and information about amounts paid out by individual forces is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue rules to police forces on the use of CS gas. [46014]

Any use of force is governed by section 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967, which provides that a person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders. It must be remembered that the use of CS spray can prevent serious physical injury not only to police officers but also to bystanders and to the person who is being restrained. It is a form of force, but one whose effects are normally very short-term and transitory. Each individual police officer is responsible for his actions, and it is ultimately for the courts to judge whether the force used in any particular circumstances was reasonable. The Home Office has issued general guidelines to chief police officers on the use of CS grenades for dealing with serious public disorder. The routine carriage by officers of CS spray for self-defence is an operational matter and not something on which it would be appropriate for the Home Office to issue guidelines. Operational guidelines, copies of which have been placed in the Library, have been issued by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend the Sunday Trading Act 1994 to prevent shops with a relevant floor area of more than 280 square metres from trading on Easter Sunday by conducting their transactions in the open air. [46190]

We have no plans to do so. The Sunday Trading Act 1994 prohibits large shops from opening on Easter Sunday for the serving of retail customers. Interpretation of the law is a matter for the courts. I understand that a recent judgment by the High Court has upheld the conviction of a large store for trading from the external areas of its premises on Easter Sunday.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings he has had, or plans to have, with owners of large retail outlets with a relevant floor area of more than 280 square metres who open on Easter Sunday. [46214]

None.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions it has been necessary for neighbouring prisons to provide support to Fazakerley Prison; and in what circumstances. [46073]

There have been no occasions on which neighbouring prisons have provided support to Altcourse Prison, Fazakerley.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to announce a decision on the fishing rights for the Solway Firth and Border Esk rivers. [45687]

My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have carried out a consultation on the management arrangements which should apply to the Border Esk. The responses, together with concerns that have been expressed about the future exercise of fishing rights in the Solway Firth, are being taken into account in the consideration of the provision at clause 100 of the Scotland Bill.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the key performance targets he has set for the Fisheries Research Services in 1998–99.[46644]

My right hon. Friend has set the following targets for Fisheries Research Services:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library on a monthly basis a report on those archaeological discoveries his advisers assess to be (a) significant and (b) less significant in the course of excavations relating to work on the building to house the Scottish Parliament, together with relevant diagrams conveying information relating to each stratum uncovered of the Holyrood site. [44647]

It would not be possible to provide meaningful information of the kind requested on a regular basis, because of the complexity of the project. However, I am arranging to have a copy of the desk assessment of the site placed in the Library and will be happy to place further reports there as significant stages of the archaeological work are completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will place in the Library a copy of the 1994–95 HMIPI study into radioactive doses received by people living or working on selected merse sites. [45863]

The information referred to was published at Annexe E, in the final report of Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution Inspectorate for Scotland, for the period 1 April 1992 to 31 March 1996. I have arranged to have copies of the report placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the radiation monitoring stations on the West Coast of Scotland between the English border on the Solway and Cape Wrath; and what factors underlie the siting of these stations. [45862]

The information can best be obtained from the report "Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 1996". Copies of that report are held in the Library of the House.The factors underlying the selection of monitoring locations are given in the report at chapter 3 and sub-chapters 7.3 and 9.7.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many leukaemias were (a) recorded and (b) expected in the 0 to 24 age group in the postcode sectors (i) DG5.4, (ii) DG7.1 and (iii) DG6.4 in the periods (a) 1980 to 1984, (b) 1985 to 1989, (c) 1990 to 1994, and (d) 1995 to present. [45864]

No cases of leukaemia were observed in the 0–24 age group in postcode sector DG5.4 and DG6.4 during the periods 1980–84, 1985–89, 1990–94 or 1995–96 (the most recent year for which information is available). There were two cases of leukaemia registered in residents of postcode sector DG7.1; one in the period 1980–84 and one in the period 1985–84.The numbers of cases observed and the expected number of cases of leukaemia, based on background rates in Scotland as a whole, for each of the postcode sectors are shown in the tables:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in respect of how many cases of hip joint replacement operations conducted in Scotland since 1980, patients have been readmitted to hospital for further hip replacement surgery within (a) five years and (b) 10 years of the original operation. [45775]

Information on the number of discharges following total hip replacement operations in the years 1980 to 1990, and the number of patients readmitted within 5 years and 10 years following their original operation is provided in the tables.The number of readmissions do not directly relate to revision or failure of the original total hip replacement operations. Patients may be readmitted for operations on their other hip without any fault or problem with their earlier operation, if better or newer types of hip joint become available which would improve their quality of life.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the latest situation in Sudan. [46643]

The World Food Programme have reassessed the humanitarian needs in southern Sudan. They now estimate the numbers in need of assistance at approximately 1.226 million. This includes those in the Bahr-el-Ghazal region and is a significant increase on previous assessments.In response to this, my Department is committing a further £15 million of assistance to the relief operation in Sudan. £10 million will be provided immediately for food and logistics to support the World Food Programme's enhanced food distribution in southern Sudan. The remaining £5 million will be available to support the relief work of UN agencies and non-governmental organisations participating in Operation Lifeline Sudan and to support selected operations outside Operation Lifeline Sudan where new needs are emerging. This will bring our total assistance since February to £25.23 million and since 1991 to £160 million.As I have made clear since the beginning of the current emergency, we alongside other governments will provide the funding needed for the Sudanese emergency. The problem remains one of access rather than resources. The EU General Affairs Council on 25 May again called for a ceasefire for humanitarian purposes, which remains the most urgent requirement in order to provide help to the people in need.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many special advisers, political advisers and other political appointees are working in his Department; at what annual cost to the public purse including recruitment costs, salaries, pensions and National Insurance contributions; and what was the position in the last full year of the last Government. [43314]

For details of the numbers of Special Advisers and the annual cost of employing them, I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Prime Minister gave the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox) on 11 June 1998, Official Report, column 664.National Insurance contributions are excluded from the figure but are paid under the same rules and at the same rates as for other civil servants. Information on the paybill costs for Special Advisers within individual Departments is not provided in order to protect the privacy of the individuals concerned.Information on the costs of employing Special Advisers in previous years was given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 25 November 1997,

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on class sizes in Wales. [45887]

At January 1997, the average size of registered classes in primary schools was 25.9 pupils, the same as in 1996. Results from the January 1998 Schools Census are not yet available. No information is collected centrally about class sizes in secondary schools, however in 1997 the pupil-teacher ratio in secondary schools was 16.2, compared with 16.0 in 1996.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for the North Wales Region of the WDA; and if he will make a statement.[45892]

The allocation of its resources is primarily an operational matter for the Welsh Development Agency to determine in the light of its overall budget, commitments and priorities. I will, therefore, ask the Agency's Chief Executive to write to my hon. Friend with information on its funding for the North Wales area; and will arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what sums were allocated to assisted places in Wales in (a) 1990 and (b) 1997; and if he will make a statement.[45888]

The sums spent on assisted places in Wales in financial years (a) 1990–91 and (b) 1997–98 were £1,756,283 and £4,105,238 respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the impurities produced when Pyridostigmine Bromide is (a) exposed to intense sunlight,(b) subjected to large temperature variations and (c) stored for long periods under these conditions.[40142]

Between 1987 and 1992, the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency conducted studies to assess the storage stability of the Ministry of Defence's Nerve Agent Pretreatment Set (NAPS) tablets, which contain pyridostigmine bromide (PB) as the active ingredient. The tablets were exposed to a range of temperatures between 5 and 41°C and storage times of up to 5 years.The only significant detectable degradation product of PB identified during these studies was 3-hydroxy1-methyl pyridinium bromide, which is also the major metabolite produced when PB is taken orally. The other known degradation products of PB, which were not detected in any long term stability studies due to their transitory nature, are 3-hydroxy pyridine and pyridy1- 3-dimethyl carbamate. Neither of these, nor 3-hydroxy1-methyl pyridinium bromide, are known to be harmful to humans.My Department is not aware of any research having been conducted to investigate the way in which PB reacts when exposed to intense sunlight. However, the specification for NAPS tablets for use by UK forces requires that they are wrapped in lacquered aluminium foil which is light impermeable, and they would not therefore normally be exposed to sunlight until this wrapping had been broken open to allow the first tablet to be extracted for immediate consumption. As each packet of NAPS contains 21 tablets, one to be taken every 8 hours, a packet would normally be consumed within a week.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Royal Navy and British Army Equipment Exhibition. [45544]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, South and Shoreditch (Mr. Sedgemore) on 8 June 1998, Official Report, column 423.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when he estimates the first contract to build a Project Horizon frigate will be placed; [45846](2) what is his estimate of the overall cost of Project Horizon; [45845](3) how many Project Horizon frigates the United Kingdom will purchase; [45843](4) what is his estimate of the

The contract for completion of the design and build of the three first of class Horizon frigates, i.e. one for each nation, UK, France and Italy, is expected to be placed next year. The total project cost is commercially confidential. It is currently expected that we will order 12 ships, but any decisions will, of course, be subject to the outcome of the Strategic Defence Review. The current projected in service date of 2004 is subject to discussions and negotiations with industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 21 April 1998, Official Report, column 556, what is the value of defence exports against which his forecast that £56 million of commercial exploitation levies would be raised from defence export sales in the next financial year was made; and what is the levy income as a percentage of the export sales figure. [44433]

The target figure for new defence export orders in 1998–99 is £5 billion. The forecast of £56 million is a broad estimate of the commercial exploitation levies that are likely to be raised against those exports which may attract such levies in financial year 1998–99. There is, however, no direct correlation between this estimate and the overall export target for two main reasons. First, there is a delay between the agreement of export contracts and the receipt of commercial exploitation levies. Secondly, such levies are payable only on contracts covering the supply of equipment the development costs of which were funded wholly or partly by the Ministry of Defence. Contracts for the supply or equipment developed by the commercial sector, or for support, training and construction series, do not attract commercial exploitation levies. The rate of levy charged will vary for each item depending on the extent to which its development was funded by the MOD.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to public funds for the last two years incurred by branches of his Department other than DESO in the promotion of British defence exports. [46110]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 March 1998, Official Report, column 324, on riot control agents, for what reasons his Department is currently reviewing the quantity of CS which it holds; when the review started; who is carrying it out; and when it is expected to be completed. [45312]

Stockholdings of riot control agents are regularly reviewed as a normal part of the equipment management and procurement process. In addition, MOD began in March to review our future requirements. This review will assist us to decide on the planned disposal of certain stocks and the modernisation, as necessary, of others. The review is being carried out by MOD operational requirements staff. The aim is to complete it by the end of August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the payment to Army service men's wives of allotment was introduced; how many wives currently receive payment; and by what means the allotment has been paid throughout the period of its operation. [45631]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.