asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will detail all arms embargoes currently implemented by the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom currently enforces 17 arms embargoes. Under the United Nations Charter, we have a legally binding obligation to enforce arms embargoes imposed by the Security Council under Article 41 of the Charter. Other embargoes are imposed on a national basis or following agreement within the European Union (EU) or the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (formerly CSCE).Under UK law, binding UN embargoes are implemented by prohibiting the export of goods and technology on the Military List which forms Part III to Schedule 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, as amended by the Export of Goods (Control) (Amendment No. 2) Order 1996. In addition, the supply of such items from the UK or supply abroad by UK registered companies and nationals is prohibited by Orders in Council under the United Nations Act (1946). From time to time, the contents of the Military List may change—for example, to reflect technological advances or continuing international efforts to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Orders in Council extend such embargoes to the Crown Dependencies and the Dependent Territories. A licence is required for each export or supply from the UK or abroad by a UK registered company or national.National embargoes and those agreed in the EU and the OSCE prohibit only the export of goods covered by the embargo. With the exception of the embargoes on China and Iran, the UK interprets the scope of all such embargoes to cover goods and technology on the Military List as defined above.Companies are free to submit applications to export goods to any embargoed destinations. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as the licensing authority, normally refuses such applications where the goods come within the scope of the embargo. But in exceptional circumstances, the DTI might decide, after consultation with advisory departments, to grant a licence to export such goods to an embargoed destination, for example for humanitarian purposes.The UK has an end-use (or catch-all) control under which any goods may be brought under control if there is knowledge or grounds for suspicion that they might be used for activities linked to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction or missiles for their delivery. But other goods, which are not normally controlled, do not become subject to control solely because they are to be used by the military, whether or not the destination concerned is subject to an embargo.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they have taken in response to the recommendations made by Dame Elizabeth Anson in her Reports as the Independent Monitor of the Asylum and Immigration Appeals Act 1993.

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs sets great store by Dame Elizabeth's reports, and, following annual publication, circulates guidance to all entry clearance posts to ensure that her recommendations are implemented. All entry clearance staff are expected to read the report. My officials in the UK examine Dame Elizabeth's recommendations in detail, and change procedures where necessary.The independent monitor rightly considers that improved training will contribute significantly to improvements in our entry clearance operations. Acting in response to her reports, we have significantly broadened the scope of our training of entry clearance staff. Training courses and guidance have been introduced to develop the skills of entry clearance managers, locally engaged entry clearance support staff and interpreters. In her 1996 report Dame Elizabeth expressed her satisfaction with the improvements we have made to the training of our entry clearance managers and officers.We have also worked hard to meet the improved administrative standards set by the independent monitor. Increased access to IT is a continuing priority, and improvements we have made are already paying dividends. Administrative systems designed to speed up, and improve the quality of, the entry clearance process, such as the preliminary assessment system and automatic review of refusals, have been introduced and improved after recommendations in the Independent monitor's report.It is inevitable that some recommendations cannot be enacted immediately. This is true of those concerning applications by elderly relatives and couples seeking infertility treatment. However, work is in hand on both, as a result of which guidance to staff will be amended.Dame Elizabeth wrote in her 1996 report, "I am satisfied that in the three years I have monitored the standards and performance of the system of granting and refusing temporary visas, there has been a general improvement in the whole process of applying and being granted or refused a visa." I know that Dame Elizabeth also is satisfied that entry clearance staff are acting within the law, and in accordance with their obligations under the Citizen's Charter, in the discharge of their responsibilities. We take heart from these acknowledgements of our efforts, and will strive to meet the independent monitor's recommendations in the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What assessment they have made of recent Franco-German proposals in the IGC on defence.

We are a strong advocate of improved practical co-operation on defence among European countries. The decisions of the Berlin North Atlantic Council in June 1996 to support the development of the European Security and Defence Identity within NATO provide a sound framework for such co-operation, permitting the creation of militarily coherent and effective forces capable of operating under the political control and strategic direction of the Western European Union using NATO assets and capabilities when appropriate. We remain opposed to proposals to change the situation set out in the Maastricht Treaty whereby the Western European Union elaborates and implements decisions and actions of the Union which have defence implications, and to proposals to subordinate the Western European Union to the European Union and to introduce a commitment to the eventual merger of the Western European Union and the European Union. We are firmly committed to the principle that decisions with defence implications taken by the European Union shall be taken by unanimity. We are opposed to flexibility arrangements within the European Union which could lead to a group of countries taking on collective defence commitments within a European Union framework which would undermine collective defence within NATO. Proposals along these lines, such as those put forward by the French and Germans, would undermine the development of the European Security and Defence Identity within NATO.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will detail the negotiations between Estonia and Russia on the delimitation of their border, and on the implications for Estonia's aspirations for integration into the EU.

We welcome recent progress in the Estonia/Russia border negotiations; we hope that the positive steps taken by the Estonian Government will lead to early agreement. If for reasons outside Estonia's control there are further delays, there is no reason why they should obstruct Estonia's progress towards membership of the European Union. My right honourable friend, the Foreign Secretary raised this with Mr. Primakov when he saw him on 28 February.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will detail the agreement between the United Kingdom and Hungarian Governments concerning the extension and refurbishment of the Peto Institute in Budapest.

Under an agreement in 1991 with the Hungarian Government, we made a contribution of £1.75 million towards the cost of building a new International Peto Institute in Budapest to be brought into operation by 1996. It has not in the event proved possible to use this money for the purpose originally intended. We have instead agreed a proposal from the Hungarians that these funds (approximately £2 million including interest accrued) should be applied to extend and refurbish an existing Institute building in return for substantial benefits for UK citizens. These benefits include guaranteed numbers of places for British children receiving conductive education at the Institute and for British students receiving professional training, reductions in fees for British children, and access on a cost basis to a guaranteed proportion of new family and student accommodation. The Institute will continue to assist with the development of conductive education in the UK. A new Inter-Governmental Agreement incorporating these benefits and appropriate safeguards for the implementation of the project will be signed later this month by the British Ambassador in Budapest and a representative of the Hungarian Government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their position on the future of the United Nations; and what discussions the Foreign Secretary had during his recent visit to Washington.

The United Kingdom is fully committed to a strong and effective United Nations in pursuit of the objectives set out in the Charter. The United Nations plays a vital role in helping maintain international peace and security, and in promoting democracy, human rights, international law and economic and social progress around the world. As we approach the 21st century, we shall want to use the United Nations increasingly to help achieve that partnership for sustainable human development about which I addressed the General Assembly last September. The new global challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity, and threats to the environment and to natural resources because of population pressures on present patterns of production and consumption, will require the international community to agree policies and to work out practical solutions through international co-operation. The United Nations has some unique advantages for this.We welcome the commitment of the new United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in setting the United Nations on the path of reform, so that it can better measure up to these challenges. When he visited London last month the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary were impressed by his determination to give reform a high priority. We support him in his plans to secure tighter budgeting, greater management efficiency and the elimination of overlap between different UN bodies.But, to succeed, the United Nations needs not only to reform, but also to be able to rely on the financial resources which member states have voted to it. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary raised with a number of US Congressmen during his visit to Washington on 9–10 March our concerns on this score. At the end of 1996 the United States owed the United Nations some US $1.3 billion, which is approximately two-thirds of total arrears due. This backlog of unpaid obligatory financial contributions is severely disabling the United Nations from working properly and from carrying out the policies voted by the member states. It also means that countries contributing to UN peacekeeping operations such as India, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom (which is currently owed £40 million) do not get their debts paid. The Foreign Secretary made it clear in Washington that this failure to honour financial obligations under the UN Charter does the cause of UN reform no good causes resentment among friends and allies. I know that President Clinton is committed to solving this problem. We need a new and fairer system of UN financing based more closely on the principle of capacity to pay and on the assurances that all member states will in future pay in full, unconditionally and on time. Once the problem of arrears has been dealt with, we hope it will be possible speedily to complete the process of UN reform and thus to relaunch the United Nations on its urgent new agenda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the agreed action resulting from their most recent discussions in Washington and New York on overseas development co-operation matters, debt of the poorest countries and the economic, social and political situation in Africa.

During my visit to Washington from 10–12 March, I held discussions with the State Department, USAID, the Managing Director of the IMF and the President of the World Bank on a wide range of issues affecting the prospects for economic and social development across Africa and in specific countries. I also pressed for early progress on the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.In New York on 13 March, I chaired a meeting of the UN Secretary General's Panel of High Level Personalities on African Development. Discussions focused on governance and on food security but also covered the HIPC Initiative and the importance of increasing foreign investment in Africa and developing African private sector activity.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that the new time limits for detention of suspects in Turkey, announced in an Embassy Press Release of 10 March 1997, bring Turkey completely into line with the European Convention on Human Rights, and if not, why.

We welcome the reduction in detention lengths in Turkey announced on 6 March. We will urge the Turkish authorities to enforce these measures in full. The validity of any argument that the measures are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights would be for the Convention institutions to determine, not for us.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they favour increased autonomy for the Inuit populations of Canada, and if so, whether they will make representations to this effect.

Canada's constitutional arrangements are an internal matter for the Canadian government.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, if Quebec were to secede from Canada, they would make representations to protect the position of the Inuit population of Quebec.

Any secession by Quebec, and the terms for it, are hypothetical.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the meaning of Lord Chesham's statement concerning the enlargement of NATO (H.L. Deb., 14 March, col. 639) that "There is no question of delay, either to suit Russia or anyone else. The process will continue according to the timetable"; what is the character of this "timetable" that it should bind the British Government; and how this state of affairs accords with Lord Chesham's other statement (H.L. Deb., col. 340) that the enlargement process should be continued" in a measured, gradual and transparent way".

NATO Foreign Ministers decided in December 1996 that NATO should hold a Summit in July 1997 which would invite one, or more of the countries which have expressed an interest in joining the Alliance to begin accession negotiations. At the same time they expressed the hope that the new members would be admitted by the time of NATO's 50th Anniversary in 1999. We strongly support this timetable.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider the ongoing US Airborne Laser Programme to be fully compliant with the Space Treaty and with the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty on which the effectiveness of the British Trident system depends and whether there are any British participants in the Boeing ABM Programme, or any British funding.

The system to which the noble Lord refers is still in the earliest stages of development. We are assured that the US always takes into account its bilateral and international treaty obligations. We are not participating in the United States Airborne Laser programme and we are unaware of any British industrial participation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in view of development relating to the militarisation of space, in particular the development by the USA of new "satellite killers" and of lasers for use from converted Boeing 747s, the time has come to seek a uniform upward definition of national airspace; andWho is responsible for monitoring the air sovereignty of the United Kingdom, and whether he or she has been given any indication of the upper limits of this sovereignty, and if so, what it is.

The responsibility for maintaining the integrity of sovereign British airspace lies with our armed forces. No particular circumstances have arisen which have caused us to define the upper limits of British airspace. We do not consider that the negotiation of an agreement on national airspace should be a priority of the international community.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether it remains their view that there is no need to take steps to prevent an arms race in space, given the developments announced by the USA of new "satellite killers" and of lasers intended for use from converted Boeing 747s from above national airspace; andWhether they welcome the developments announced by the USA of new "satellite killers" and of lasers intended for use from converted Boeing 747s, from above national airspace, and whether these aircraft would be permitted to use British airspace.

The systems to which the noble Lord refers are still in the earliest stages of development and we have not considered the detailed implications for the United Kingdom of any eventual deployment. We do not believe an arms race in outer space presents an imminent danger and we believe that the existing international instruments are adequate.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider it would be in the interests of the United Kingdom that the United States should unilaterally abandon the restrictions imposed upon it by the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile System (the ABM Treaty).

We have seen no evidence that the United States is considering such a move. We believe that the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty continues to play an important role in maintaining the stability of the nuclear deterrence framework.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have (a) sought and (b) received assurances from the United States Administration that they would neither breach nor abrogate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, on the maintenance which the effectiveness of the British Trident force depends, nor interpret it in any way that would put the effectiveness of that force at risk.

We maintain a close and confidential dialogue with the United States on ballistic missile defence and nuclear deterrence. We believe that the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty continues to play an important role in maintaining the stability of the nuclear deterrence framework.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they plan to publish the 1996 Annual Report on Hong Kong?

The report was published today and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House. The report includes a foreword written by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary, and I commend it to the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Given their statement (H.L. Deb., 20 November 1996,

I have nothing to add to the Answers given by my noble Friend, Lord Chesham on 20 November 1996 (WA 137) and 13 March 1997 (WA 32).

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish their report on

The report is being published today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the value of that part of the United Kingdom's gold reserves which is to be shipped to Frankfurt in order to comply with European Union legislation.

The EC Treaty provides for the European Central Bank initially to manage foreign reserve assets valued up to ECU 50,000 million in aggregate. Foreign reserve assets will be provided by the national central banks of those countries which adopt the single currency. The amount provided by each of these national central banks will depend on the size of its country's population and national income. In return, each of these national central banks will have a claim on the assets of the European Central Bank in proportion to the assets which it provides. It is not possible to say at this time how much the Bank of England would need to provide if the United Kingdom were to participate. Although the European Central Bank will be located in Frankfurt, foreign reserve assets may remain in individual countries to allow more efficient use in local financial markets. The Bank of England would not need to provide any foreign reserve assets if the United Kingdom were not to adopt the single currency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the total number of non-white people living in Great Britain in 1945, and what is the total in 1997.

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics, and he has been asked to arrange a reply to be given.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the key performance targets for the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Trust Office executive agencies for 1997–98.

The following tables set out the key performance targets that I have set for the Court Service, Her Majesty's Land Registry and the Public Trust Office for 1997–98.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will set out the main elements in the legal aid schemes in each member state of the European Union.

The information requested can be found in the Guide to legal aid and advice in the European Economic Area, published by the European Commission, a copy of which has been placed in the House of Lords Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the expenditure on legal aid in each member state of the European Union in the last year for which figures are available.

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the same priorities for the provision of public money for legal aid should apply to those who are non-British citizens, and not permanently resident or domiciled in the United Kingdom, who are involved in litigation in United Kingdom courts with British third parties, as apply to litigants who are British citizens.

The award of civil legal aid to foreign nationals is perfectly proper under the terms of the existing legal aid scheme. However, the recent Legal Aid White Paper Striking the Balance, proposes a new deservingness test, and applicants will have to show that their cases deserve a share of the resources available. I will consult widely on what factors should be taken into account in making this decision.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list the individual cases over the last three years in which the cost to public funds of legal aid exceeded £1 million.

The information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

asked Her Majesty's Government:By what amount they estimate that the "radical reform programme" of the legal aid system (Written answer to Lord Marlesford, 13 March 1997), which they have now embarked upon, will reduce the costs of legal aid in each of the next five years.

The reforms set out in the White Paper will take four to five years to implement in full. But once they are completed the Government will be able to decide in advance how much to spend on legal aid. Until then, a substantial (but decreasing) proportion of the budget will remain demand-led. Meanwhile, however, the Government are introducing a number of measures to restrain growth in the short term.The cost of legal aid increased by just under 15 per cent. in the last three years. Forecast expenditure over the next three years is £1,561/1,602/1,518 million. This represents an increase of 3.2 per cent. in 1997–98 and 2.5 per cent. in 1998–99. However, legal aid expenditure is set to fall back in 1999–2000 by 5 per cent., to a figure just 0.4 per cent. higher than this year's. This reflects the Government's determination to bring legal aid spending under control, and the impact of sustained tough action and the implementation of the wider reform agenda.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What proportion of the total annual revenue of the legal profession has come from legal aid in each of the last five years.

The information sought is not collected by Her Majesty's Government. However, the table below sets out the required information for solicitors for the five-year period 1990–1995. These are the latest figures available, and are taken from the Annual Statistical Reports published by the Law Society. Comparable information for barristers is not produced.

Year	Proportion of solicitors' gross fee income derived from legal aid
1990–91	9.9%
1991–92	11.8%
1992–93	13.3%
1993–94	14.5%
1994–95	14.9%

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why the June 1996 White Paper on legal aid,

The general issue of legal aid for foreign nationals was addressed in the December 1994 consultation paper, Legal Aid for the Apparently Wealthy. The overwhelming weight of the responses supported the view expressed in the consultation paper that it would not be right to impose nationality restrictions on the availability of either criminal or civil legal aid.Last year's White Paper raised a narrower question in the context of targeting legal aid on the most deserving civil cases. Paragraph 2.17 of the White Paper said: "We also intend to consult widely about possible … criteria. This would allow us to take account of particular concerns, for example about people who use the courts here simply to take advantage of our legal aid system."

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will set out the chronology of the decisions and events which have led to the granting of legal aid to Dr. Jawad Hashim.

Dr. Jawad Hashim was granted two legal aid certificates, in January 1992 and March 1993. Initially, his assets had been frozen by the courts and the legal merits of his case were supported by the opinion of leading counsel.In June 1994, following a High Court judgment, the Legal Aid Board reviewed Dr. Hashim's legal aid status and found him to be the real owner of substantial assets, resulting in the revocation of one certificate in December 1994 and the suspension of the other. The second certificate was subsequently revoked in November 1995.Dr. Hashim appealed against the revocations of his certificates. Both revocations were converted to discharges but the certificates were not reinstated.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether all employers will receive a copy of the Code of Practice on Equal Pay.

It would not be cost effective to distribute the Code of Practice to every employer. So far, over 7,000 copies have been distributed to a wide range of employers, employer and employee organisations and others, such as the Industrial Tribunals and Job Centres. The code has also been widely publicised in various employment journals and is available to all who wish to see it free of charge from the Equal Opportunities Commission.

asked Her Majesty's Government:In what format the Code of Practice on Equal Pay is to be produced for the general public.

The Code of Practice has been produced in the form of a booklet comprising 21 pages in language readily understood by employers, employees and members of the public. It is available free of charge from the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC). I understand that the EOC have sent a copy of the code to the noble Baroness for information.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What plans there are to implement the Code of Practice on Equal Pay in the Department of Education and Employment.

For many years it has been Civil Service policy to eliminate all unfair discrimination in its pay and personnel policies and procedures. The DfEE constantly monitors the effectiveness of its policies and revises these as necessary. The DfEE therefore welcomes the EOC Code of Practice.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How contributions towards costs are calculated from companies involved in defence industry promotional events on board Her Majesty's ships, and what is to be the total amount received from the nearly one hundred firms renting space and facilities on Her Majesty's ships engaged in Ocean Wave.

Participating companies contribute towards the additional cost of mounting defence industry days on board Her Majesty's ships. These costs normally include catering and the hire of equipment, such as awnings, used by the exhibitors. No charge is made for the rental of space. Final receipts from companies taking part in events related to OCEAN WAVE 97 are not known, as details of the companies participating in some of the later events have yet to be finalised; it is estimated that receipts will be in the region of £60,000.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is the current relationship between British firms and the Israeli firms producing Arrow anti-ballistic missile missiles and other related systems.

Any commercial relationships between British and Israeli companies are a matter for the parties concerned.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any decisions on the subject of ballistic missile defences were taken in NATO at the December 1996 meeting, and whether any further action is anticipated, and if so what.

As part of the process of embedding the conclusions of the NATO Senior Defence Group on Proliferation into the established NATO defence planning system, Defence Ministers agreed in December a number of force goals, including one in respect of Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (TBMD) for deployed forces. Alliance work is also in hand to develop programme options for possible common procurement of TBMD for deployed forces.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether any exercises in which British forces take part currently involve theatre missile defence (TMD) issues; if so whether these TMD exercises comply with the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (the ABM Treaty), as determined by both the Russian and US signatories to that treaty; and whether that compliance has been confirmed by the relevant British legal advisers; andWhether it is their view that, when British forces engage in exercises involving theatre missile defence issues, compliance with the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (the ABM Treaty) should be left to the United States to determine; if so, whether this view has been discussed with the Russian Government; and whether they have informed Parliament of all such activities.

No exercises in which British forces take part currently involve theatre missile defence issues.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What ballistic missile defence arrangements are in operation or planned under the authority of the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT); whether British forces assigned to NATO have been or are expected to be involved; and, if so, what scenarios are planned.

There are no ballistic missile defence arrangements currently in operation, or planned, under the authority of SACLANT. The UK continues to participate in work within NATO on ballistic missile defence. At this stage it is impossible to say what the involvement of British forces assigned to NATO would be in any future ballistic missile defence arrangements.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the statement from the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Mr. Soames (of 24 February 1997, HCWA 118) that "there are no plans, nor is there any requirement, to renew the arrangements at RAF Menwith Hill" currently under the executive management of the US Army, indicates that these arrangements are to cease, and, if so, when; and, if not, whether it indicates that these arrangements are permanent and Menwith Hill is effectively no longer under sovereign control.

In 1956 and again in 1976, in connection with US funding arrangements, assurances were given to the US Government that Menwith Hill would be made available to them by HMG for a period of 21 years. The precise nature of these assurances and other administrative arrangements are confidential between the Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States. There is no requirement to review these assurances and RAF Menwith Hill continues to be Crown freehold.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether the airspace checking facilities at RAF Feltwell are under full British control, and whether the United States uses are exclusively for NATO purposes.

The Deep Space Tracking Facility at RAF Feltwell is under the command of the United States Air Force Space Command. It is not part of a NATO programme, although Her Majesty's Government and other NATO Governments have access to data collected by the station.

asked Her Majesty's Government:On what grounds they have filed a claim against Iraq for environmental damage caused during the Gulf War, and what agreement within NATO precludes them from the claiming against the United States for the environmental damage from toxic wastes left behind in Holy Loch by the US Forces based there.

Under UN Security Council Resolution 687, Iraq is liable in international law for any environmental damage which resulted from its illegal invasion and occupation of Kuwait. In accordance with Decision 7 of the Governing Council of the UN Compensation Commission, the Government submitted a claim for compensation in respect of:

(a) the UK's contribution to the expenditure by International Maritime Organisation in tackling oil pollution in the Gulf;

(b) expenditure on the provision of oil skimmers to assist the Government of Bahrain in defending ecologically sensitive areas against the threat of oil; and

(c) expenditure on a survey of bird life in the Gulf.

There is no specific agreement within NATO which precludes claiming against the United States for environmental damage from toxic material. However, the overall volume of such material which has been found at Holy Loch, in the latest survey work, is very small. Only a certain amount of this could be attributed to the United States activities. The debris in the Loch comprises mainly scrap metal and other accumulated rubbish. In addition, a number of wrecks have been identified.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If the analysis of low flying activity in the United Kingdom has been completed.

The analysis has been completed, from which it is clear that, although close attention has been paid to the need to balance military training demands against the avoidance of undue disturbance to the public, variations in the intensity of such activity across the country still exist. Although this is, in part, unavoidable because of operational and geographic factors such as the location of aircraft operating bases, aircraft range, avoidance areas, controlled airspace and weather conditions, we concluded that even within these constraints, further efforts should be made to manage the activity as equitably as possible.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they expect to publish the report of the Office for Public Management on ethnic minority employment initiatives in the Ministry of Defence.

I have today placed a copy of the Office for Public Management report in the Library of the House. The report covers a six-month review of both Service and MoD civilian recruitment practices and makes a number of recommendations which have now been considered within my department.We accept the broad thrust of the report. While there are different messages for the Armed Forces and the MoD Civil Service in what the consultants found, there is much common ground, primarily concerning the development of goals in which ethnic diversity is a central theme. It is clear that, while some advances have been made, more can and should be undertaken, if the department is to see an increase in the numbers of ethnic minority personnel employed in both the Armed Forces and the Civil Service in MoD.My department is committed to reflecting more closely the ethnic balance of the United Kingdom. This is an issue which must be met positively and which requires unambiguous leadership from those at the top of the Armed Forces and the Civil Service to ensure that in the Armed Forces and MoD all can work and realise their full potential without fear of racial prejudice, discrimination or harassment. All personnel have responsibilities for ensuring that greater efforts are made to remove any unacceptable attitudes and must, individually, play their part in ensuring that the department and the Services are seen by all as organisations in which racial equality is fully embraced.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements have been made to ensure that the information paper on meat hygiene, which was referred to in the statement repeated by Lord Lucas (col. 1971–2) is publicly available.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food laid in the Library of the House on 18 March 1997 a copy of the information paper Driving up meat hygiene standards. It is freely available on request from the MAFF Helpline (phone 0645–33–55–77). My honourable friend the Member for Tiverton (Mrs. Browning) is also sending copies to industry, enforcement and consumer organisations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets have been set for the Meat Hygiene Service for 1997–98.

My right honourable friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Wales have set the following targets for the Meat Hygiene Service in 1997–98.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets have been set for the Central Science Laboratory for 1997–98.

The relocation of the Central Science Laboratory to the new purpose-built laboratory near York, with the subsequent closure of four major sites and several smaller sites, will be completed during the summer of 1997. In view of the major changes taking place within CSL, I have decided that during 1997–98 the baseline should be established which will allow efficiency and productivity improvements to be measured in subsequent years. I have set the following demanding but achievable targets for 1997–98 in relation to other areas.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they intend to report to Parliament on the implementation of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act as required by Section 10.

The primary purpose of the Sea Fish (Conservation) Act 1992 was to make provision for the introduction of restrictions on time spent at sea implementing legislation in the form of the Sea Fish Licences (Time at Sea) (Principles) Order 1993 was introduced but the policy was subsequently suspended following a legal challenge which was referred to the European Court of Justice.Despite the European Court's endorsement of the legality of measures adopted by this House, it was decided it would not be sensible to implement the planned arrangements for the days at sea policy for the reasons set out in the reply given by my honourable friend the Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the honourable Member for Great Grimsby on 25 October 1995 (

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements have been made for the financial support to the meat disposal chain in 1997–98.

Support arrangements for the rendering industry in 1997–98 have now been finalised following consultation with interested parties. These implement the previously announced policy of making up to £59 million support available to the disposal chain as it adjusts to the changed value of animal by-products. They take the form of a non-statutory scheme (the Rendering Industry Support Scheme 1997). Copies of the scheme are being placed in the Library of the House.The scheme provides for:Payments to individual rendering companies for the rendering of "clean" material (i.e. excluding the products of the Over Thirty Month Scheme);Payments to be on a degressive basis phased out over the financial year and based on the actual amount of tallow produced and of meat and bone meal disposed of;Tallow and MBM to attract different support rates (relating to average past values), phased out over different time-scales in recognition of future values.Individual rendering companies will be free to set charges and prices to their suppliers on the basis of commercial judgement, taking account of support. Support levels will be transparent to suppliers of animal by-products. The Office of Fair Trading will continue to keep the competitive situation within the market under review.The scheme will be administered by the Intervention Board.In order to inform Ministers' decisions on the design of these support arrangements, Coopers & Lybrand were commissioned to report on the prospects for recovery in the markets for renderers' products. Their report is being published and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 17 to 19 March.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food represented the United Kingdom for part of the Agriculture Council in Brussels on 17–19 March and for the remainder of the period the UK was represented by my noble friend the Under-Secretary of State, Scottish Office, and officials.The Council reached unanimous agreement on important proposals on cattle identification and beef labelling on a basis of Article 43 of the Treaty. The identification proposal requires the establishment of computerised systems for tracing cattle movements throughout their lives, improved cattle tagging, and a system of cattle passports similar to the one introduced in Great Britain last summer. Adoption of this proposal will facilitate the implementation of plans to develop a fully computerised database of cattle movements in Great Britain. The arrangements agreed on labelling provide for member states to decide whether or not to require the compulsory labelling of beef from the year 2000, and for the details of what information should be provided on labels under a compulsory system to be decided by the Council in the light of member states' experience between now and 1999. The labelling proposal as adopted met UK concerns to have a flexible, informative and less bureaucratic system than that originally put forward by the Commission, and this was secured in the final outcome.The Council also agreed unanimously a proposal from the Commission determining measures and compensation relating to appreciable currency revaluations affecting farm incomes. The United Kingdom had strongly opposed the original proposal on the grounds that it discriminated against United Kingdom farmers faced with significant revaluations of the agricultural conversion rate for sterling. As a result, the proposal was substantially modified in the course of negotiation and the discriminatory elements removed on terms which fully met United Kingdom requirements.On BSE, my noble friend reported to the Council on progress in the United Kingdom on fulfilling the terms of the Florence Agreement, and the recent submission to the Commission of a proposal for excluding meat from certified UK herds from the EU export ban. He urged the early submission of this proposal to the appropriate scientific committees, as provided for in the Florence Agreement.The Council had a first discussion of the Commission's proposals on agricultural prices for 1997/98, which include a long-standing proposal to reduce arable aid and set-aside payments. The United Kingdom endorsed the Commission's intention to achieve budgetary savings, but regretted the absence of moves to reduce agricultural support prices generally, or of proposals for the early reform of sectors such as milk, beef and cereals.In a third structured dialogue with the countries of central and eastern Europe, the Council considered with those countries how to assist in the implementation of the EU's veterinary and phytosanitary regulations. There was agreement on the need for a better exchange of information on EU policy and legislation in this area, and for help from the PHARE programme to establish the required control and inspection facilities.The Council discussed, at the request of France, the need for changes in the operation of the early marketing scheme for veal and the calf processing scheme. It was agreed that the beef management committee would address these issues as a matter of urgency on 21 March, and would consider inter alia a possible reduction in the rate of calf processing premium in response to a long standing UK request.The Council agreed some changes to the mandate of the European Commission in its negotiations with the USA on a veterinary equivalence agreement, and adopted by qualified majority (Spain, Portugal and Italy voting against) a proposal to open a malting barley quota for the USA in order to fulfil the EU's obligations under the World Trade Organisation.The United Kingdom raised in the Council the need for an urgent report and proposals from the Commission on the welfare of battery hens, on which the Commissioner promised early action. The UK also backed a German request for the rapid submission to the Council of proposals on the transport of animals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the document defining standards for clean livestock is to be published.

As foreshadowed in the statement which my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food made on 12 March 1997 (Official Report, col. 372–4) the existing guidance in the Meat Hygiene Service Operations Manual has been enhanced today to provide a pictorial guide on dirty animals and the appropriate action to take when such animals are presented for slaughter. This will reinforce to all those involved in slaughtering, as well as other sectors of farming and associated industries, what is expected of them and the controls which will apply if they do not meet the appropriate standards. This issue was included in the interim report of the Expert Group on E. coli being chaired by Professor Pennington.Proposals for publicising the potential sources of contamination and how to ensure that contaminated animals do not enter the food chain are being sent to interested organisations today for comment. Once comments have been considered, the Meat Hygiene Service proposes to launch a publicity campaign.We have placed in the Library of the House copies of the amendment to the Operations Manual and draft publicity material sent to interested parties.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets have been set for the Veterinary Laboratory Agency for 1997–98.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has set the Veterinary Laboratories Agency the following strategic performance targets for 1997–98.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets have been set for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate for 1997–98.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has set the following targets for the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in 1997–98.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What targets have been set for the Pesticides Safety Directorate for 1997–98.

My right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has set the following targets for the Pesticide Safety Directorate in 1997–98

asked Her Majesty's Government:What arrangements they have put in place to control and monitor additives in tobacco products.

A new 10 year voluntary agreement between the Tobacco Manufacturers Association, the Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council and the Department of Health has been successfully negotiated and will come into force shortly. The new agreement covers the additives which may now be included in tobacco products and arrangements for the approval by the Department of Health of new additives in the future. Manufacturer have undertaken to sign a certificate that their products conform to the terms of the agreement one year from the date when it comes into effect. Current arrangements for monitoring the constituents of tobacco products and their smoke by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist remain in place. Copies of the text of the agreement have been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the performance of the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency against its targets for 1996–97 and the setting of targets for 1997–98.

The agency is on course to meet the key performance targets for 1996–97 which my right honourable Friend, the Secretary of State for Scotland, set out in his Written Answer of 3 April 1996.For 1997–98 I have set the agency the following key performance targets:—Fulfilment of the Service Level Agreement with SOAEFD within the running costs allocated to SASA for 1997–98;—Continuation of the programme of consultation with all customers on the quality of the work done by the Agency;—Completion of 93 per cent. of all scientific tests and analyses within the timescales set by customers;—Improvement in the unit cost of the scientific work of the Agency (cost per direct scientist hours);—Publication of a comprehensive review of the scientific work of the agency 1992–97.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will place in the Library a further memorandum concerning the prior options reviews of the Scottish Office Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.

I have placed in the House Library a memorandum setting out the rationale underlying the Government's decisions on the prior options reviews of the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the spending plans of the Department of the Environment, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services for the years 1997–98 to 1999–2000.

My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment has today published the Department of the Environment's Annual Report for 1997, which sets out in detail the outcome of the Public Expenditure Survey as announced in the November 1996 Budget Statement, as it affects the Department of the Environment's areas of responsibility. The report shows how the Department of the Environment, Ordnance Survey and the Office of Water Services have discharged their functions over the past year. It provides background on each spending programme, and sets out our achievements to date and plans for the future.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was achieved at the North Sea Conference Intermediate Meeting of environment and fisheries Ministers in Bergen on 13 and 14 March; whether they are satisfied with the outcome; and how the meeting is to be followed up.

The North Sea Fisheries and Environment Ministers and the responsible Members of the European Commission were able to reach political agreement on the principles, objectives and strategies which should guide fisheries and environmental management in the North Sea. Within this framework, they invited the competent authorities to consider a wide range of actions which are set out in the Statement of Conclusions which they adopted. I have arranged for a copy of the statement to be placed in the Library of each House.The conclusions call for the development of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and environmental conservation and protection; and recognise that the same principles of sustainable management should apply to industrial fisheries as to human consumption fisheries. The detailed measures put forward include:—the introduction of new target and limit reference points as a basis for stock management, underpinned by recovery plans for specific stocks;—measures to protect juvenile fish, notably by minimising discards;—measures to protect species and habitats, notably by adjusting fishing practices;

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the average length of time in England over the last five years from the application for planning consent for retail development to its final approval or rejection.

Information is not available in the precise form requested. However, the table below shows the percentage of planning applications relating to retail, distribution and servicing developments which were decided within eight weeks and within 13 weeks of receipt in England in the five years 1992 to 1996.

	Percentage of planning applications for retail, distribution and servicing developments which were decided:
Year	within 8 weeks of receipt	within 13 weeks of receipt
1992	55	80
1993	58	82
1994	60	83
1995	60	82
1996	58	81

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why World Heritage Sites do not appear among the "designated areas" in which "special considerations" should apply in the Table of Contents of Planning Policy Guidance PPG7 (revised) of February 1997,

Guidance on World Heritage Sites is included in Planning Policy Guidance note 15 (PPG15)—Planning and the Historic Environment. Advice on historic designations in Planning Policy Guidance note 7 should be read alongside the more detailed advice in PPG15. PPG15 acknowledges that World Heritage sites have been designated for their outstanding universal value, and advises local planning authorities to place great weight on the need to protect them for the benefit of future generations as well as our own.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What progress has been made with regard to establishing integrated regional government offices to co-ordinate the work of government departments at regional level and setting out the staffing at each of the established offices.

Ten Government Offices integrating the former regional offices of the Departments of Environment, Trade and Industry, Transport, and Education and Employment (formerly Employment) were established in April 1994. Their staff levels at 1 November 1996 were:

	Number
North East	332
North West	308
Yorkshire and the Humber	302
Merseyside	137
West Midlands	341
East Midlands	241
Eastern Region	185
South West	218
South East	220
London	295

These figures include casual staff and those on fixed term appointments; they also include staff seconded out, and those on career breaks, maternity leave , and special leave without pay. The figure for the Government Office for the North East includes those in the Import Licensing Branch of the Department of Trade and Industry, which is based in Billingham.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they will publish the United Kingdom Action Plan for the phasing out and destruction of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and dangerous PCB substitutes.

My right honourable friend the Minister for Construction, Planning and Energy Efficiency is publishing today the Action Plan which forms part of our strategy for fulfilling the commitment, which was made by the United Kingdom at the Third North Sea Conference at The Hague in 1990, to phase out and destroy identifiable PCBs. It is also the first step towards meeting the requirements of EC Directive 96/59/EC, which will be implemented by regulations in due course.It has long been recognised that PCBs pose an environmental threat, particularly to marine life. That is why, in 1986, we banned their sale and most uses. There are many organisations, including factories, offices, schools and hospitals, which may have equipment containing PCBs.A key element of the action plan is that there should be co-operation between the competent authorities, companies who destroy PCBs and those who may have equipment containing them. Our proposals are designed to ensure an orderly phase-out and the most effective use of destruction capacity, in the interests of industry and the environment.A copy of the action plan has been sent to all local authorities, education authorities, health authorities and universities throughout the United Kingdom as well as the relevant trade associations. Copies of the action plan have also been placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If they intend to continue the trials of curfew orders with electronic monitoring after March 1997.

My right honourable friend has decided to continue the existing trials in Berkshire, Manchester and Norfolk until March 1998.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the legal restrictions upon the acceptance by political parties of financial contributions from foreign government or business interests towards the campaigning expenses of a General Election.

There are no restrictions on political parties receiving such donations, but each of the major political parties has adopted a voluntary code of practice which prohibits acceptance of donations from foreign governments or rulers.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have received a written protest from 90 detainees at HMP Haslar, Portsmouth, against their conditions of detention; what were the matters complained of; and whether they will review the practice of detaining asylum seekers without charge and for indefinite periods.

We have received a copy of a letter from 90 detainees criticising food, water supply, health care, living conditions and staff attitudes at Haslar Holding Centre. The detainees also complain about length of detention and lack of information about their immigration position, including arrangements for removal.The then Chief Inspector of Prisons, in his inspection in 1995, found that conditions and facilities for immigration detainees at Haslar were good. These good standards have been maintained. The water supply is checked on a regular basis and has been found to be satisfactory. Detainees are fully aware of the avenues of complaint available to them but no complaints have been received.Detention is used only as a last resort and every effort is made to keep periods of detention to an absolute minimum. All detainees receive monthly reports of progress on their cases and it is Immigration Service practice to notify detainees' legal representatives of arrangements for removal. The Government are satisfied that adequate procedures exist for detention to be reviewed both internally and independently and see no need for a review of their detention policy and procedures.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why they have sanctioned the design and establishment of different integrated central registers of inmates detained in prison in the different parts of the United Kingdom, and whether they are satisfied that there will be full on-line access to each system from each system and through the police national computer.

Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there are any plans for contractually managed prisons to hold sentenced young offenders.

The Prison Service intends to hold sentenced young offenders in the new prisons which will be built and managed through the Private Finance Initiatives at Bridgend and Fazakerley after these open, during the coming financial year. This will give the service greater flexibility in its use of the contractually-managed estate and help to meet its requirement for additional young offender places. My right honourable friend will today lay a statutory instrument before the House which makes the necessary consequential changes to the Young Offender Institution Rules.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If he will make a statement on the present position on the availability of information from the Prison Service mandatory drug testing programme.

As part of the programme of mandatory drug testing in prison establishments the Prison Service collect a range of statistical information, including information about the percentage of prisoners who test positive for drugs in the tests which are carried out at random. Since April 1996 the number of random tests that prove positive, expressed as a percentage of the total number of random tests carried out, has been one of the Prison Service's key performance indicators.As a result of internal checking, a number of errors have been found in the information held centrally. The main problems are thought to relate to the recording of results of confirmation tests (carried out where a prisoner pleads not guilty at adjudication in response to an initial positive result) and to cases where an initial positive result should subsequently have been discounted because the prisoner concerned was on a course of prescribed medication.The Prison Service have commissioned the National Addiction Centre to carry out an independent validation of a sample of the available statistical information on mandatory drug testing covering the period April 1996 to June 1996. This involves a detailed scrutiny of the information held in prison establishments and comparison with the information held centrally. The validation exercise should provide a measure of the extent of the errors, the possible implications for performance against the key indicator, and more generally, of the reliability of data on mandatory drug testing held by the Prison Service. There is no reason to suppose, from the work completed so far, that the statistical information for the period from April 1996 is other than broadly accurate.Once the exercise is complete, the Prison Service expect to be in a position to provide reliable information on performance against the key indicator for the period April 1996. However, until such information is available, all previously published figures relating to the percentage of prisoners who test positive for drugs should be regarded as provisional.In addition, no firm conclusions, including conclusions on any apparent trends on the use of drugs in prison, should be drawn from data relating to the first phase of the mandatory drugs testing programme (February 1995 to March 1996), since not all establishments were involved and some differences in testing protocols were in place. We are not yet in a position to say whether the use of cannabis has declined since mandatory drug testing was introduced. It remains the case that there is no clear evidence of switching from cannabis to opiates or vice versa.This Answer should be taken as correcting any inadvertently misleading statements which may have been made in relation to mandatory drug testing statistics.

asked Her Majesty's Government:If they will announce the outcome of the second stage of the quinquennial review of the Office of the Data Protection Registrar.

The second stage of the review examined the Office's internal organisation and performance. My right honourable friend has placed a copy of the report in the Library. It endorses the Registrar's programme of changes to improve efficiency, and suggests some further management improvements. We are inviting the Registrar to consider these and prepare an implementation plan. Account will be taken of any relevant changes arising from implementation of the European Community Data Protection Directive.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What recent progress they have made in implementing their programme of criminal justice initiatives announced at the 1993 Conservative Party Conference.

All 27 points have been taken forward. In the last three years recorded crime has fallen by 10 per cent.The 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act:reformed the right of silence (1). The number of suspects refusing to answer police questions has nearly halved;introduced faster court procedures for evicting squatters (2);introduced new powers for the police to stop trespassers disrupting lawful activities like country sports (3);introduced tougher new powers for the police to stop and search people suspected of terrorist activity (4);created a new offence of gathering information for terrorist purposes (5);created a new offence of possessing anything that gives reasonable suspicion of being connected to terrorist activities (6);gave the police the power to take DNA samples in connection with all recordable crimes (7). Our national DNA database, the first of its kind in the world, now has over 113,000 samples on it. To date 1,400 matches have been made;created a new crime of witness intimidation (8). In 1995, 500 people were charged with committing that offence and significantly more in 1996;abolished judges' warnings to juries in rape trials about the truthfulness of women (9);gave the police the power to arrest for breach of police bail (10);banned those on bail from serving on juries (11);ended the presumption in favour of bail for anyone accused of offending while on bail (12);gave the police the power to attach conditions to bail (13);allows the courts to revoke bail if new information comes to light (14);introduced automatic custody for anyone convicted of rape, manslaughter or murder who is subsequently accused of the same category of crime (15);allowed new prisons to be designed, constructed, managed and financed by the private sector (16);gave the Prison Service the power to test prisoners' urine for drugs compulsorily (17). Mandatory drug testing had been introduced throughout the Prison Service by March 1996;doubled the maximum sentence in young offender institutions for 15–17 year-olds to 2 years (18);gave the courts the power to order 12 to 14 year-old persistent offenders into secure training centres. These powers will be triggered once that accommodation is available (19). The first contract has just been signed.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer given by Viscount Goschen on 18 March 1997 (HL Deb.,

The report of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) into the sinking of the "Pescado" was delayed until criminal proceedings concerning the incident were completed. Now that proceedings are at an end, MAIB will complete the statutory procedures prior to publication of the report, which include a requirement to consult those criticised in the report. MAIB will then submit the report to the Secretary of State. It will be published as soon as possible after it is received.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When they learned that the St. Pancras gasholders are the oldest still operational in the country (viz. older than those gasholders in Carlisle, which have been listed and are to be preserved) and what consequences for the eventual treatment of the gasholders will flow from this information, which was not available last year to the Select Committee on the Channel Link.

The importance of the listed gasholders at St. Pancras has been recognised since the beginning of the CTRL planning process. The use of St. Pancras as the CTRL terminus means that there is no alternative to displacing the triple gasholders. Agreement has however been reached between London and Continental Railways and English Heritage regarding the arrangements for dismantling and re-erecting all the listed gasholders on a nearby site.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are satisfied that the Highways Agency is fulfilling its obligation under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to keep its road network clean, in respect of the A.11, A.12 and A.14 trunk roads and M.11 motorway respectively; when these roads were last cleared of litter; and when they are next due to be cleared of litter.

Under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 responsibility for litter clearance on motorways and a small number of all purpose trunk roads lies with the Highways Agency. Responsibility for litter clearance on the rest of the all purpose trunk road network, including the A.11, A.12 and A.14, lies with district councils.The funding available for the Highways Agency's routine maintenance work this year has been extremely tight. In these circumstances the agency have taken the view that their prime concern must be to maintain the safety of the motorway and trunk road network. Consequently, those activities directly related to safety have first call on their funds.This means that the normal programme of routine maintenance work carried out by their agent authorities, including regular proactive litter clearance on the motorways and the all-purpose trunk roads for which they have responsibility for litter, has had to be curtailed. The Highways Agency have instructed their agent authorities to clear litter only after it has built up to the intervention levels illustrated in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. We are satisfied that this fulfils the Highways Agency's obligations under the Act.The last general litter clearance on the M.11 in Cambridgeshire was carried out in March 1996. It will be cleared again before the end of March 1997. The last general litter clearance on the M.11 in Essex was carried out in August 1996. A further clearance programme started on 27 February 1997. It is anticipated this work will be completed by the end of March.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will list all those road schemes with an estimated cost of over £10 million which are still in the United Kingdom road programme, showing in respect of each the stage reached, the estimated final cost and the estimated completion date.

This information has been compiled from the respective road programmes of the Department of Transport representing trunk roads in England and from the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Offices for trunk roads in those countries. The information available is in varying formats and appears below.For trunk roads in England, Table 1 shows those schemes under construction with their tender costs, Table 2 shows DBFOs and Table 3 lists schemes in the main programme. Estimated completion dates will depend upon the availability of funds and the satisfactory completion of statutory procedures.For trunk roads in Wales, details are shown for those road schemes under construction, programmed or in preparation as published in the Welsh Office's Forward Trunk Road Programme, published in their departmental report for 1996. It does not include those schemes identified for longer term consideration where no resources are being applied at present. Further details of the revised forward programme will be published in the Welsh Office's departmental report for 1997 on 20 March.

Table 1	Schemes under construction
Route	Scheme	Standard	Tender cost £ million
M1/M621	Link Road, Leeds MB	D2	15.4
M5	J18–19 Widening, City of Bristol, North West Somerset	D4	49.9
M25	J7–8 Widening, Surrey	D4	46.0
M25	J8–10 Widening, Surrey	D4	93.0
M65	Blackburn Southern Bypass Contract 1, Lancashire	D2/D3	66.0
M65	Blackburn Southern Bypass Contract 2, Lancashire	D2	80.0
M66	Denton—Middleton Contract 1, Tameside MB, Oldham MB	D2/D3/D4	120.00
M66	Denton—Middleton Contract 2, Oldham MB, Manchester MB	—	49.0
A1(M)	Walshford—Dishforth, North Yorkshire	D3	53.8
A12	Hackney Wick—M11 Link Contract 1, LB Hackney, Waltham	D2/D3	25.3
A12	Hackney Wick—Mil Link Contract 2, Waltham Forest, Newham	D3	79.0
A12	Hackney Wick—M11 Link Contract 3, Waltham Forest	D2	32.0
A12	Hackney Wick—M11 Link Contract 4, Redbridge, Waltham Forest	D2/D3	31.5
A13	Thames Avenue—Wennington, LB Barking and Dagenham	D3	71.0
A13	Wennington—Mar Dyke, Essex, Havering MB	D3	30.8
A13	West of Heathway—Thames Avenue Imp, LB Barking and Dagenham	D3	50.9
A34	Newbury Bypass, Berkshire, Hampshire	D2	73.3
A50	Blythe Bridge—Queensway Phase 1, Staffordshire	D2/D3	51.5
A50	Blythe Bridge—Queensway Phase 2, Staffordshire	D2	21.3
A406	Sliver Street—Fore Street Imp, LB Enfield	D2/D3	36.6
A406	East of Falloden Way—Finchley High Road, LB Barnet	D3	27.0
A564	Derby Southern Bypass and Derby Spur Contract A, Derbyshire	D2/D3	109.5
* Main works tender cost, excluding land, preparation and supervision costs and VAT.