asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will identify those members of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment who have declared financial or other links with pharmaceutical companies.

A complete list of the financial interests declared by members of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) was published in the 1995 committee annual report. A copy of this report has been placed in the Library. The 1996 annual report is due to be published later this year. A copy of the draft list of financial interests declared by COT members for the relevant period has also been placed in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware of research conducted by Rodgers and Ellefson at the Southern California School of Medicine in 1992 indicating that "an allergic type response was occurring within four hours of exposure to malathion at concentrations over a thousand times lower than the levels known to produce inhibition of acetylcholinesterase" in laboratory mice and that "malathion exposure has been correlated to certain changes in the mouse immune system, implying that similar changes in the human immune system might occur upon exposure to malathion"; and what research has been, or is being, conducted in this field in the United Kingdom and with what results.

The paper by Rodgers and Ellefson relates to findings in laboratory mice receiving oral malathion to the environmental exposure of humans to malathion through insecticide spraying. Some people may suffer allergic reactions to malathion-containing medicinal products and the product information contains warnings about the use of these products in patients who are sensitive to the ingredients. We are not aware of any research being undertaken in the United Kingdom into malathion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will make available to all medical practitioners, nurses, parents and others involved in providing or recommending treatment to eradicate head lice, particularly for children and pregnant women, the information contained in the New Jersey Department of Health fact sheet on malathion.

The New Jersey Department of Health fact sheet relates to occupational exposure to malathion—mainly long term chronic exposure or acute exposure to toxic doses of malathion. This is not relevant to the use of malathion in medicinal use and there is no evidence that users of licensed medicinal products containing malathion have experienced serious adverse effects. Product information for shampoos an lotions containing malathion warns against prolonged use (for example, stating that it should not be used more than once a week and for not more than three consecutive weeks).

asked Her Majesty's Government:What is their response to the results of the research conducted on behalf of "World in Action" by Health and Safety Executive scientists in Sheffield and broadcast on 6 October 1997 which demonstrated that the levels of absorption of the organophosphate malathion from head louse treatments was many times higher than that of workers in agriculture and industry and was five to 10 times higher than safety limits; and,Whether they are aware of several research papers which indicate that organophosphates are liable to be absorbed in larger quantities through the skin of scalp, face and scrotum than other parts of the body, and whether they are satisfied that the tests conducted to determine the safe exposure limits to these chemicals in louse and scabies treatments containing organophosphates adequately reflect this property.

The Medicines Control Agency and Committee on Safety of Medicines are reviewing the evidence provided by "World in Action", and will consider the need for further studies or changes in the recommendations for use. Malathion is absorbed slowly through human skin and is rapidly detoxified in the blood and there is no evidence that people exposed to malathion through the use of head-lice and scabies treatments have experienced serious adverse effects. Product information for shampoos and lotions containing malathion warns against prolonged use (for example, stating that it should not be used more than once a week and for not more than three consecutive weeks). The papers referred to regarding organophosphate absorption relate to occupational exposure to malathion, that is long term chronic exposure or acute exposure to toxic doses. The safety limits advised for occupational exposure are not relevant to the medicinal use of malathion.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will commission a population study into the effects that lifestyle, diet and exposure to pesticides and chemical pollutants have upon the ability of children and adults to utilise vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

There are no plans to carry out such a survey because population studies are not suitable to determine the ability of children and adults to utilise vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food jointly commission a series of national diet and nutrition surveys of children and adults. Each survey collects detailed information on lifestyle characteristics, intakes of food and nutrients and blood levels of many vitamins, minerals and trace elements. The same surveys are used to estimate the exposure to pesticides and chemical pollutants of the subjects.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many cases of partial-birth abortion were recorded in this country in each of the last three years.

None. We are not aware of this procedure being used in the United Kingdom.

asked Her Majesty's Government:At what date and upon what scientific basis the reference nutrient intakes were established.

The reference nutrient intake (RNI) is the amount of a nutrient which is sufficient, or more than sufficient, to meet the nutritional needs of practically all healthy people. The scientific basis for the establishment of reference nutrient intakes can be found in the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy report "Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom" published in 1991. A copy of this report is available in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they continue to support the British Medical Association's opposition to the legalisation of euthanasia; and whether they accept that the use of advance directives can create circumstances in which euthanasia is practised.

The Government have no plans to change the law relating to euthanasia.It is a general principle of law and medical practice that any person with the mental capacity to make a valid decision may choose whether or not to accept medical treatment. An advance directive is a way for a patient to plan ahead for a time when he/she may lose the capacity to make or convey his/her own treatment decisions. An advance directive which is clearly applicable in the circumstances pertaining is as legally binding on health professionals as a contemporaneous refusal would be. An advance directive cannot authorise a medical practitioner to do anything which is illegal.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many abortions were performed in Great Britain between 1967 and 1997; and how many human embryos have been destroyed in British laboratories since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.

Between 27 April 1968, when the Abortion Act 1967 came into operation, and 31 March 1997, the latest quarter for which figures are available, the total number of abortions performed in Great Britain was 4,673,674. The figures requested for human embryos are not routinely collected. However, on the basis of information provided by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority last year, the number of embryos that were neither frozen nor used for treatment or other purposes between 1 August 1991 and 31 December 1994 was 90,491.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answer given by Lord Donoughue on 30 July (

A Drug Analysis Print (DAP), listing signs and symptoms associated with all suspected reactions reported to the Committee on Safety of Medicines between 1 July 1963 and 30 July 1997 for products containing vitamin B6 has been placed in the Library along with an information sheet to aid interpretation.The yellow cards completed by physicians in order to report suspected adverse drug reactions have sections where the reporting doctor can indicate any details of pre-existing conditions and co-exposure that he feels may be relevant to the report.The 411 reactions now reported to have occurred in this period (one further report of a reaction during this period has been received) originated from 160 spontaneous reports. Of these 11 reports had more than one drug listed as suspected to have caused the reaction, 78 reports had details of other medications not suspected to be related to the reaction, and five included information on pre-existing conditions. Clinical investigations are at the discretion of the reporting physician.All 649 reports referred to the Written Answer given by Lord Donoughue on 30 July at column

asked Her Majesty's Government:What studies have been conducted on individuals taking vitamin B6, or responding to it, to establish the need for supplementation of their normal diet.

The Government take expert medical advice on the level of nutrients required by the population from the Committee on Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA). COMA' s report "Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom" published in 1991 details the studies which led to the recommendations. A copy of the report is available in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they are aware that there are individuals who have difficulty either in absorbing vitamin B6 or in utilising it because of the presence of a competing aldehyde, and whether there is any evidence that a deficit of vitamin B6 may cause sensory neuropathy.

The Government are aware that there are circumstances, defined in the British National Formulary, in which individuals with metabolic deficiencies require dosage with vitamin B6. A peripheral neuritis may occur in cases of vitamin B6 deficiency.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What clinical studies have been conducted on the levels of vitamin B6 in the population of the United Kingdom to support the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, the Welsh Office (letter to Dr. Alan Williams, MP, 29 September 1997) that "deficiency is rare".

Studies of the intake of vitamin B6 have been undertaken as part of the Dietary and Nutritional Survey of British Adults, which was published in 1990 and is available in the Library. The report demonstrates that very few persons would have intakes lower than the lower reference nutrient intake (LRNI) for vitamin B6.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House a list of the "over 100 scientific papers published in national and international journals", reviewed by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food as a basis for their recommendation that the sale of non-prescription vitamin B6 should be restricted to doses of a maximum of 10mg (Letter from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, the Welsh Office to Dr. Alan Williams, MP, 5 September 1997); and whether they will indicate which of those papers demonstrated toxic reactions which occurred as a result of excessive doses of vitamin B6.

The Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) made their recommendations after considering the totality of the published literature on vitamin B6 toxicity and submissions from industry and other interested parties on vitamin B6. Lists of the scientific papers considered by the COT have already been placed in the Library. The COT statement, published on 4 July, included examples of papers which demonstrated toxic reactions to excessive doses of vitamin B6. A copy of the statement is also available in the Library.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the results of the study by Berger, Schaumberg et al

The paper by Berger, Schaumburg, Schroeder, Apfel and Reynolds (1992, Neurology, 42, 1367–1370) was one of those considered by the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment in its review of vitamin B6 toxicity. The authors' conclusions that the results confirm earlier experimental and clinical reports that vitamin B6 produces a peripheral neuropathy contributed to the development of the committee's view. The study used a valuable combination of objective measures and subjective observations but it would be difficult to apply these to larger populations.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider child protection to be a subject suited to a Royal Commission.

We do not believe that a Royal Commission on child protection is required at present. The Government are firmly committed to high quality child protection services and research shows that the child protection system generally works effectively in dealing with serious cases of abuse. However, we believe that more emphasis needs to be given to meeting the needs of the most deprived children and their families, and to intervening at an earlier stage to support families experiencing difficulties. The welfare of children needs to be placed at the centre of the work of all agencies involved—social services, health, education, the voluntary sector, police, probation and the courts—and that services are directed to support those children and families whose needs are greatest. We are also firmly committed to breaking down the barriers which sometimes seem to have existed in the past between the work of agencies and between the work of Government departments. The National Commission of Inquiry into the Prevention of Child Abuse last year produced a wide-ranging and thought provoking report and we are giving careful consideration to its recommendations. In the light of these, and other work taken forward by the Department of Health, we are in the process of developing a number of strategies to ensure that children are protected from all forms of abuse.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether an applicant has the right of appeal against additional conditions (as opposed to mandatory conditions) imposed on the grant, renewal or variation of a firearm certificate and if not, why not; and whether they intend to ensure that in future certificate holders will be able to appeal against such conditions imposed by chief constables.

A recent court decision held that conditions imposed by a chief constable cannot be varied on application and that no right of appeal existed. The court noted that in law there was a distinction between variation of conditions subject to which a certificate is held, and variation of the certificate. It concluded that Section 29(1) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended, contains provisions for amending the conditions subject to which the certificate is held, while Section 29(2) contains provision for the amendment of the certificate itself. In the first case a chief constable has an unfettered right to vary a condition; only in the latter case has the applicant a right of appeal to the Crown Court if he is in disagreement with the chief constable's decision. We have no plans at present to amend the law on this issue.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will place in the Library of the House drafts of the proposed memorandum of guidance on the administration of the firearms Acts up to 1997, for the purposes of clarity and open consultation before final versions are published.

I do not believe that placing drafts of individual Home Office circulars and guidance in the Library will be helpful and could even cause confusion about the status of any particular piece of guidance. Only final versions of guidance that are actually issued to police forces are placed in the Library. Next year we plan to revise the comprehensive document, Firearms Law: Guidance to the Police issued in 1989. We shall be consulting the main interested parties about this before it is eventually published.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentages of all those applicants granted asylum in the United Kingdom relates to requests for political asylum.

The criteria for recognition as a refugee, and hence the granting of asylum, are set out in the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the status of refugees. The convention defines a refugee as a person who has "a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality and unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country".A breakdown of asylum grants, according to the basis of the application, is not available as such information is not centrally recorded.

asked Her Majesty's Government:When the statistics on export licences issued and refused for the second half of 1996 will be placed in the Library of the House.

It has been normal practice for statistics relating to decisions on applications for standard individual export licences for strategic goods to be placed periodically in the Library. However, a number of problems have been identified with the Export Control Licence Information Processing System, (ECLIPS), which came into operation in March 1995, on which details of such applications are recorded.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What was the outcome of the Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission held on 20 to 24 October in Monaco.

The International Whaling Commission's (IWC) 49th annual meeting was held in Monaco from 20–24 October. The UK delegation was composed of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, assisted by officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and representatives of environmental organisations and veterinary experts. My honourable friend the Parliamentary Secretary (Commons) attended the first day of the conference and took the opportunity to meet with representatives of the environmental organisations and the chairman of the IWC.At this meeting we made clear the United Kingdom's continued opposition to commercial whaling. We stressed that the UK does not believe that there is any justification for any whaling to take place, other than some subsistence whaling by indigenous peoples, and would like to see all other forms of whaling ended. We believe whaling does not serve any genuine need and involves unacceptable cruelty. We also emphasised our continuing support for the current moratorium on commercial whaling. We are pleased to say that a request by Japan for a quota of 50 minke whales, which we and many others considered would have breached the moratorium, was again defeated.Before the meeting, Ireland had indicated that it intended to put forward a number of ideas for consideration. At the meeting Ireland explained that it was concerned that the inability of the IWC to reach agreement on fundamental issues relating to whale conservation made progress on this impossible and might lead to the break-up of the IWC. It wished therefore to explore whether there was any scope to reach an agreement between those opposed to and those in favour of whaling.With this objective, Ireland suggested:The Revised Management Scheme, (RMS) should be completed and adopted; the RMS, which is currently being developed by the IWC, is intended to ensure that any future whaling only takes place on a sustainable basis and under the full control of the IWC;Any quotas granted under the RMS should be restricted to coastal areas of nations that are currently whaling, creating a de facto ocean sanctuary.Any quotas should be for local consumption only, to prevent the development of international trade in whalemeat.So-called "scientific whaling" should be phased out over a period.Regulations for whalewatching should be prepared to minimise disturbance to whale populations.There was a preliminary discussion of these ideas. The UK made it clear that while we were ready to explore all ways of improving whale conservation, we would only support measures which we were convinced would contribute positively to this objective. We wished to see the current moratorium on commercial whaling made permanent, which we believed would be the most effective way of creating a global whale sanctuary, and we strongly supported ending scientific whaling. On the other hand, we had serious reservations about the Irish ideas on coastal whaling, and could not accept any definition of coastal whaling which would allow it to take place up to 200 miles from the coast.While there was a good deal of support for Ireland's wish to break the current deadlock, a number of other delegations expressed reservations about particular aspects of the proposals. The Irish Commissioner, who was elected IWC chairman at the end of the meeting, will now consider how best to carry matters forward before the next IWC meeting in Oman in May 1998. The UK delegation remains to be convinced aspects of the Irish proposal will assist whale conservation.At recent IWC meetings the UK has, with New Zealand, been pressing Japan to end the use of the electric lance, a device used to kill whales wounded but not killed by an explosive harpoon. We believe that there is conclusive evidence that use of the electric lance is inhumane. At this year's meeting we again raised this issue, and we are pleased to say that Japan has undertaken to end use of the electric lance, except in exceptional circumstances, from the start of the next whaling season. We believe that this is a significant success and demonstrates what can be achieved by persistence linked to sound science.As in previous years the UK delegation made clear our opposition to the whaling activities of Norway and Japan. We supported a resolution calling on Norway to reconsider its objection to the moratorium and to halt all commercial whaling operations. We also supported two resolutions strongly criticising Japan's scientific whaling programme and calling on Japan to end scientific whaling.The IWC agreed a number of new aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas. These include a quota for grey whales, for which the United States have been seeking a small quota for use by the Makah Indians. Since the IWC sets quotas for particular stocks of whales, the quota ultimately agreed also took account of a bid by Russia for a quota for use by the indigenous people of the Chukotka peninsular in Siberia. In discussion, the UK pressed for a reduction in the level of quota sought; we also argued that the Makah, who have not whaled for over 70 years, have not established a valid claim for an aboriginal quota. We are pleased to say that the quota finally agreed is significantly lower than was originally proposed; in agreeing it the UK made it clear that our agreement did not imply that we accepted the validity of the case made on behalf of the Makah.New quotas were also agreed for bowhead whales and for whales hunted by aboriginal subsistence whalers in Greenland.During these discussions the UK expressed concern about the humaneness of aboriginal subsistence whaling. In the light of these concerns, we proposed a resolution which, while welcoming the steps taken so far to reduce the pain and distress caused to whales by these hunts, called for further improvements. The resolution, which was adopted by consensus, also ensures that this issue will be revisited annually by the IWC.A number of other issues were discussed during the meeting. The UK promoted a resolution on small cetaceans, calling on all member countries to take appropriate steps .to reduce by catches and directed takes and to encourage further scientific research. We also supported a resolution endorsing the work of the scientific committee on threats posed to cetaceans by climate change and pollution and encouraging further research.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they, or the European Union, have taken or intend to take any steps in support of the United Nations Secretary-General's statement of 1 October urging Turkey to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq as soon as possible; whether on 20 October the road between Dohuk and Shaqlawah was closed while Turkish military vehicles delivered arms and ammunition to the Kurdish Democratic Party, and whether any of this material was irregularly diverted from NATO supplies.

My colleague, Doug Henderson, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, met the Turkish Foreign Minister on 14 October and underlined our concern that Turkish troops should withdraw from northern Iraq as soon as possible. We are not aware of any closure of the Dohuk/Shaqlawah road.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What reports they have received about forced sterilisation in Tibet, and whether they will refer the matter to Ms Radhika Coomaraswamy, the United Nations special rapporteur on violence against women, its cause and consequences.

We are deeply concerned about reports of forced sterilisation in China, including Tibet, and strongly oppose any form of coercion in family planning. Although we have no plans to refer the matter Ms Coomaraswamy, the Government would expect the special rapporteur to take an interest in this matter. The UK co-sponsored a resolution calling for the elimination of violence against women, in all its forms, at the Commission on Human Rights meeting in Geneva in March/April 1997.We also fully endorse the need for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) to improve the understanding and practice of standards of family planning agreed at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many copies of the BBC Monitoring Service's Summary of World Broadcasts are taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

We receive 1,254 printed copies each week. We expect that most of our requirement will, in due course, be met electronically.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many copies of

We take four copies.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they recognise the government of Mr. Sassou Nguesso in Congo-Brazzaville; whether they recognise governments which come to power through military coups in general; whether they recognise governments installed with the aid of foreign military forces in particular; and what are the principles on which their recognition of governments attaining power by non-constitutional means is based.

It is the practice of Her Majesty's Government to recognise states (including the Republic of the Congo), not governments. We deplore the violent overthrow of constitutional governments and unlawful military interventions.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they consider that the situation in Congo-Brazzaville constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the region, and, if so, whether they intend to seek a meeting of the Security Council to take appropriate measures for the restoration of the democratically elected president.

Her Majesty's Government and the international community are deeply concerned about the situation in Congo (Brazzaville). The UN Secretary-General issued a report on 21 October. On 22 October the UN Security Council discussed the situation, with particular emphasis on the humanitarian problem. The UN will continue to follow events closely and the Security Council will meet again soon to discuss possible further action.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What are the purposes of the new facility being operated by the United States Air Force on Ascension Island and whether the United Kingdom authorities are to be given comprehensive information about the results of its operation.

The new radar site on Ascension Island is undertaking an investigation into the distortion of very high frequency/ultra high frequency signals as they travel out of the atmosphere and back to earth. The US will share the results of their experiments with us if we so wish.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will ask the Chinese authorities to release the former abbot of Tashilunpo monastery in southern Tibet, Chadrel Rinpoche, who was sentenced last April to six years in jail for "conspiring to split China and for leaking state secrets"; and whether they will propose that the United Nations working group on arbitrary detention should seek an invitation to visit Tibet to investigate a report, published in September by a seven member delegation of the German Bundestag's subcommittee on human rights, that 200 monks and nuns are arbitrarily imprisoned in Tibet.

On 18 September a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Department for International Development delegation visiting China raised Chadrel Rinpoche's case with the authorities. The United Nations working group on arbitrary detention visited Tibet during their recent 10 day trip to China.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What action they propose to take in the light of a recent Gallup poll which showed an 87 per cent. majority in favour of the Government negotiating a global treaty to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons.

We have consistently made clear that our goal is the global elimination of nuclear weapons. We are considering the best way to encourage progress towards this goal, particularly in the context of the strategic defence review.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What decision they have taken on licensing the export of armoured Land Rover vehicles to the UN High Commission for Refugees in Rwanda.

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has recommended approval of an export licence for this item, which has been issued by the Department of Trade and Industry. UN Security Council Resolution 1011 prohibits the export of military goods to non-governmental agents in Rwanda. However, the UN secretariat have confirmed that this embargo does not cover the export of equipment destined for UN operations. This export follows similar exemptions made for UNHCR in the fomer Republic of Yugoslavia.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether there have been any new exceptions to the arms embargo on Argentina.

The Government have recently approved the export of a single sporting rifle to Argentina following its repair by the original manufacturer in the UK. This is an exception, but not a change, to the embargo.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they will announce what decision they have taken on licensing the export of riot shields to the United States Army in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Government recently approved the export of 340 riot shields of UK manufacture to the US Army for use in Bosnia to protect US SFOR troops. Given the tension in Bosnia around the time of the municipal elections on 13–14 September we were glad to be able to approve this export as an exception to the EU common position on arms exports to the former Yugoslavia. This decision does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU common position.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many members of Her Majesty's Armed Forces and other individuals at the site of 32 Field Hospital may have been affected by chemical agents released following the bombing of the Khamisiyah weapons dump on or after 4 March 1991; whether they had any protective equipment or medication; and whether there has been any follow-up of their medical cases; and,Whether, at the time of the bombing of the Khamisiyah weapons dump on 4 March 1991, there were any means of measuring the levels of nerve gas or other chemicals released in the vicinity of 32 Field Hospital; and if there were, what were the levels.

In the time available so far it has not been possible to complete appropriate inquiries in order to provide an answer to these questions. As soon as I have sufficient information, I will write to the noble Countess. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have studied the proposals made by the Africa Group for an agreed programme to ensure that, after a transitional period, no nation emits more than its fair share of a safe global limit for greenhouse gas emissions and what their response will be at the Third Climate Change Convention in December.

The Government recognise the importance of long term reductions in emissions taking into account issues of equality and the need for developing countries to develop their economies and combat poverty. The proposals of the Africa Group merit consideration as one of a number of approaches to the long term control of greenhouse gas emissions. In the meantime we believe that developed countries must take the lead and agree at Kyoto to making legally-binding significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions after 2000. The EU proposal for a 15 per cent. reduction in emissions by 2010 provides the best way of achieving this.

asked Her Majesty's Government:How many asylum seekers from eastern Europe have been housed by Kent County Council.

On 27 October, Kent County Council's social services department was accommodating approximately 215 asylum seekers from eastern Europe, of whom more than 100 were children. In addition, on the same date, Dover District Council was accommodating 44 asylum-seeking families from eastern Europe under the homelessness legislation.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they intend to recall the products of the five kit and replica manufacturers given single vehicle approval (SVA) after 1 January 1998 for re-test in order for these products to be re-tested in accordance with the amendments they propose to announce in their final SVA specifications contained in the Motor Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 1996 which came into force on 1 July 1997 and which have been the subject of a consultation exercise that will end on 14 November 1997.

No. Once a vehicle passes the single vehicle approval (SVA) test it can be licensed and registered for use on roads in Britain. If elements of the test are changed as proposed in our current consultation, the changes will not be retrospective; existing Minister's approval certificates issued under the existing SVA requirements will remain valid.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have any plans to delay, are able to delay, or will consider delaying the final implementation date of their single vehicle approval specifications beyond the 1 January 1998 following their statement that it is anticipated that amendments will be made to the Motor Vehicle (Approval) Regulations 1996 by 1 January 1998 following a consultation exercise ending on 14 November 1997.

We do not at the moment have any plans to delay the implementation date of the single vehicle approval specifications, but a final decision on how best to proceed can only be made after the responses to the current consultation exercise have been considered.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether, in the interest of public safety, they are considering introducing a requirement for kit and replica car manufacturers to supply notification about design changes to their vehicles.

No. The new single vehicle approval test for amateur-built cars will establish whether or not it is safe for a vehicle to enter service on public roads. Because each vehicle will be tested individually, it will not be necessary for kit-car manufacturers to notify any changes in the design of their vehicles.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Why some London taxis are not fitted with passenger seat belts; and what steps they are taking to remedy this deficiency.

Taxis are regarded as cars for the purposes of the seat belt regulations. As in cars, rear seat belts are only required in all taxis first used on or after 1 April 1987 and we do not require rear seat belts to be fitted in vehicles which are older than this.Many older vehicles were not equipped with seat belt anchorage points when they were manufactured; in these it may be technically difficult to fit seat belts properly. Even where anchorages were installed at the time of manufacture, it would be unreasonable to insist on belts being retro-fitted now as such vehicles have an extremely limited life remaining.By 1 Janaury 2000, all taxis in London will have to he wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair accessible taxis were introduced in 1989 so, apart from a small number of pre-1989 cabs which are being converted for wheelchair access, by January 2000 virtually all taxis in London will have rear seat belts.