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Mr. Waddington : The figures requested are shown on the schedule for 1987-88 onwards. Statistics for the period 1986-87 are not readily available in the same form as those quoted for later years.


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Remand Centres                                                                                                             

Establishments    |1987-88 total |Average weekly|1988-89 total |Average weekly|1989-90 total |Average weekly               

                  |student hours |student hours |student hours |student hours |student hours |student hours                

                                 |1987-88                      |1988-89                      |1989-90<1>                   

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

South West Region                                                                                                          

Pucklechurch      |36,845        |708.5         |30,646        |589.3         |14,862        |495.4                        

                                                                                                                           

North Region                                                                                                               

Low Newton        |104,656       |2,012.6       |84,509        |1,625.1       |66,269        |2,208.9                      

Hindley           |72,187        |1,388.2       |57,692        |1,109.4       |51,423        |1,714.1                      

Risley            |34,804        |669.3         |27,960        |537.6         |19,973        |665.7                        

                                                                                                                           

Midland Region                                                                                                             

Brockhill         |24,923        |479.2         |29,423        |565.8         |20,320        |677.3                        

                                                                                                                           

South East Region                                                                                                          

Ashford           |11,752        |225.4         |9,340         |179.6         |34,185        |1,139.5                      

Brixton           |15,616        |300.3         |35,892        |690.2         |32,164        |1,072.1                      

Latchmere House   |36,496        |701.8         |40,452        |777.9         |18,868        |628.9                        

<1> To date.                                                                                                               

Mr. Greenway : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total expenditure on prison education in the most recent available year and the three years previously ; how much of the increase is attributable to inflation ; and to what extent the increase is accounted for by educational provision at new prisons.

Mr. Waddington : Total expenditure on education in prison establishments for the most recent year available and the previous three years was as follows :


          |£ million          

------------------------------

1988-89   |25.2               

1987-88   |21.4               

1986-87   |18.9               

1985-86   |21.4               

Between 1985-86 and 1988-89, the effect of inflation was £3.5 million : during the same period, £1.1 million was spent on providing education facilities at new prisons.

Horses (Tethering)

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to make the tethering of horses a criminal offence ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Horses are already protected against cruelty generally by the Protection of Animals Act 1911 and against cruel tethering, in particular, by the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988. We have no plans to introduce legislation to make all tethering unlawful.

Police Manpower

Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is given to police forces on mutual aid rates charged between neighbouring forces for seconded manpower ; and what is the average mutual aid rate in England.

Mr. Peter Lloyd : Home Office circular 38/89 entitled "Financial arrangements for mutual aid" was issued to all clerks to police authorities and chief officers of police in England and Wales on 28 April 1989. I have arranged for a copy of the circular to be placed in the Library.

Information on mutual aid payments between police authorities is not held centrally, and it is not possible to say


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what the average mutual aid rate is for England. This would vary according to the type of aid given and whether the police authorities concerned followed the circular or agreed other arrangements.

Game Licences

Mr. Onslow : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the estimated cost to public funds of administering the sale of game licences in each of the years from 1981-82 to 1988-89, inclusive.

Mr. Peter Lloyd [holding answer 26 January 1990] : Until 1988, the cost of administering the sale of both game licences and dog licences fell as a single item to the Department of the Environment, so no separate figure for game licences is available. For the years 1988-89 and 1989-90, during which the Home Office has been responsible for administering the sale of game licences, the costs were £162,809 and £172,406.

Illegal Drugs

Mr. Benn : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he has on exports from the United Kingdom of chemicals used in the production of (a) cocaine and (b) other illegal drugs ; and what licences are required for the export of such chemicals.

Mr. Mellor : I have been asked to reply.

Since 1971, trade in selected chemicals has been monitored under arrangements made between the Home Office, the law enforcement authorities and industry. Exports, imports and transhipments of chemicals destined for illicit processing of drugs in the amphetamine group have been detected ; but more recently a number of consignments for possible use in the illicit production of cocaine have been identified.

Although licences are not required for the export of such chemicals, which have wide, legitimate industrial use, the Government's plans for placing the monitoring arrangements on a statutory footing, contained in the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Bill published on 30 November 1989, will strengthen the attack on the illicit manufacture of drugs.


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ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Director of Public Prosecutions

62. Mr. Janner : To ask the Attorney-General when he last met the Director of Public Prosecutions ; and what matters were discussed.

The Attorney-General : I meet frequently with the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss matters of departmental interest.

Lenient Sentences

63. Mr. Hind : To ask the Attorney-General how many cases he has referred to the Court of Appeal for review of overlenient sentences ; how many of these have resulted in increases in the sentence ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave today to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon, South (Mr. Marshall).

County Courts

64. Mr. French : To ask the Attorney-General if he has any plans to improve the administration of cases in the county court.

The Attorney-General : The Lord Chancellor has embarked upon a wide- ranging series of reforms which will improve the administration of cases in the county court. He has already announced his intention to increase the number of staff in the court service by around 350 during the next financial year, and subsequently by up to around a further 100 during the transitional period while the new initiatives are being introduced. In addition, a computerised summons production centre, which will improve service to plaintiffs, began operations last week. By the end of 1990, the centre expects to have issued 800, 000 summonses. This initiative, when fully operational, together with the curtailment of the county court banking function which takes place in about eight weeks' time, will release staff time savings equivalent to around 350 posts. This injection of resources and release of staff time will take place during 1990-91 and will put the courts in a strong position to implement, from 1991 onwards, the proposals flowing from the civil justice review, which include greater openness between parties and speedier case progression, and the provisions of the Children Act 1989.

Legal Aid

65. Mr. Allen : To ask the Attorney-General how many people received legal aid (a) in 1979 and (b) in 1989 ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : The information at present available is as follows : 190,677 civil legal aid certificates (including those relating to summary jurisdiction) were issued in 1979-80. A total of 247,117 civil legal aid certificates were issued in 1988-89. In 1980-81 assistance by way of representation substantially replaced summary jurisdiction certificates. In 1988-89, 69,503 ABWOR applications were granted.

In 1979 387,581 applications for criminal legal aid were granted (excluding the House of Lords). In 1988, the comparable figure was 616,366.


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66. Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Attorney-General what is (a) the highest and (b) the lowest sum paid to an individual receiving legal aid in the past year ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : Legal aid is paid to lawyers rather than their clients. The highest sums paid in respect of a single defendant in a criminal case in the Crown court during the last 12 months were £82,897.72 for a solicitor and £47,788.25 for counsel. Similar figures for civil legal aid and magistrates courts proceedings are not kept in the form requested.

House of Fraser

67. Mr. Rooker : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress of consideration by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the director of the Serious Fraud Office on the inspectors' report on the takeover of the House of Fraser.

The Attorney-General : The investigation has been concluded save for certain inquiries outside our own jurisdiction. I hope that a conclusion will be reached shortly.

City Fraud

68. Mr. Skinner : To ask the Attorney-General when he next expects to meet the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding City fraud ; and if he will make a statement.

The Attorney-General : Matters relating to City fraud are usually dealt with by the director of the Serious Fraud Office. I meet him frequently to discuss issues of departmental interest, and expect to do so shortly.

Stuart William Ross

69. Mr. Speller : To ask the Attorney-General if he will reconsider his decision not to seek a longer sentence of imprisonment upon Stuart William Ross who was convicted of killing unlawfully and with premeditation Miss Emma Worthington at Woolacombe in June 1989.

The Attorney-General : I have considered the case again, but I am satisfied that my decision is correct.

Tribunals and Inquiries (Costs)

70. Mr. Maclennan : To ask the Attorney-General if he will give favourable consideration to the proposal that the legal costs of determining issues of general public importance in tribunals and public inquiries should be paid for out of public funds.

The Attorney-General : Tribunals and public inquiries can be set up in a variety of ways. So far as ad hoc tribunals and inquiries are concerned (for example, into major accidents) the Government already pay the administrative costs. So far as the costs of legal representation of parties to any inquiry are concerned, where the Government have a discretion they always take careful account of the recommendations on costs of the tribunal or inquiry concerned. In general, the Government accept the need to pay out of public funds the reasonable costs of any necessary party to the inquiry who would be prejudiced in seeking representation were he in any doubt about funds becoming available. The Government do not accept that the costs of substantial bodies should be met from public funds unless there are special circumstances.


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Non-smokers

Mr. Amos : To ask the Attorney-General what provisions are being made in all the offices and other places under his Department's control for the convenience and comfort of non-smokers ; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy for non-smokers.

The Attorney-General : No specific provision is made, in the offices and other places of the Departments for which I am responsible, for the convenience and comfort of non-smokers. However, arrangements are made to ensure that, as far as is practicable, a smoking member of any of the Departments concerned (legal secretariat to the Law Officers, Treasury Solicitor's Department, Crown prosecution service and Serious Fraud Office) does not share office accommodation with a non-smoker, and so that those who smoke may do so without harm or irritation to others. Smoking in common areas is generally discouraged.

Children's Ombudsman

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement about Government plans to appoint a children's ombudsman to deal with cases of parental custody and kidnapping.

The Attorney-General : The Government have no such plans.

Conciliation Services

Mrs. Mahon : To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the future of the conciliation services.

The Attorney-General : It is premature to reach a view on the future of the conciliation services until it is clear what appropriate role conciliation might play in any possible new divorce process. The Law Commission is presently reviewing the law on divorce and is expected to present its report later this year. Meanwhile, the Law Commission's discussion paper "Facing the Future", and the report published by Newcastle university in April 1989 on the cost and effectiveness of conciliation, are under detailed consideration.

Paul Malone

Mr. Terry Fields : To ask the Attorney-General if, pursuant to the reply in the Official Report, column 431, on 19 January, document DHH/1 is included in the five reports already processed by the Director of Public Prosecutions ; and if this document can be released to Paul Malone's legal representative so that further forensic tests can be done on this original document.

The Attorney-General : As I indicated to the hon. Member in my answer of 19 January at column 431, the DPP is still considering all six reports. It would therefore not be appropriate to release the document DHH/1 to Paul Malone's legal representative.

Public Record Office

Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes have been made to the class XX, vote 11, cash limit and running costs limit for the Public Record Office.

The Attorney-General : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the


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cash limit for class XX, vote 11 will be increased by £238,000 from £16,332,000 to £16,570,000. This increase will be charged to the reserve. The increase arises as a result of additional costs incurred in respect of retirement and dismissal compensation, audit costs and a VAT surcharge.

The running costs limit for the Public Record Office will as a result also be increased by £238,000 from £14,610,000 to £14,848,000.

Lord Chancellor's Department

Mr. Wilshire : To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes will be made to the Lord Chancellor's Department's cash limit and running costs for 1989-90.

The Attorney-General : Yes. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for the Lord Chancellor's Department, class XI, vote 5, will be increased by £11, 798,000 from £248,480,000 to £260,278,000. This reflects mainly an increase of £11,000,000 to maintain progress on the court building programme and £1,500,000 to meet previously unexpected VAT on rents. The overall increase is partly offset by an increase in net recoveries from fees of £1,500,000. This net increase will be charged to the reserve.

The Supplementary Estimate also gives effect to the transfer of £50,000 from the Home Office (class XI, vote 3) for the purchase of recording equipment to be used in the Crown court ; a reorganisation of expenditure within the sub-heads ; a grant in aid of £163,000 to the Council for Licensed Conveyancers ; and the recovery of £50,000 from the Public Record Office (class XX vote 11) in respect of audit costs.

The running costs limit for the Department will be increased by £165,000 from £238,334,000 to £238,499,000. This reflects the increase of £1,500,000 in respect of increased VAT on rents, partly offset by a reduction of £1,335,000 to compensate for an overspend in 1988-89.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

Education Standards, EC

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if his Department has commissioned any research studies into education standards in the EEC ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : The Department has not commissioned any such studies and has no present plans to do so.

Private Educational Establishments

Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list by name the private educational establishments in England and Wales, stating the amount of public assistance, financial or otherwise, which each one receives.

Mr. Alan Howarth : Information about assistance from local education authorities to individual independent educational institutions is not collated centrally. Grants paid by the Department to independent educational institutions in England in the financial year 1988-89 were as set out below. In addition to these sums, fee remission and incidental expenses totalling £50.9 million were paid by the Department in support of 27,083 pupils holding


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assisted places at 226 independent schools in England ; and fee remission and incidental expenses totalling £3.7 million were paid in support of 509 pupils holding aided places under the music and ballet scheme at five independent specialist schools in England. Expenditure in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.


DES Financial Assistance to Independent Educational Institutions,               

Financial Year 1988-89                                                          

                                                    |Expenditure £              

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Capital Grants to Independent Colleges of                                    

   Further Education Catering for Handicapped                                   

   Students                                                                     

Queen Alexandra College, Birmingham Royal                                       

   Institute for the Blind                          |30,000                     

                                                                                

2. Direct Grant Establishments                                                  

Royal Hospital School, Holbrook                     |6,104                      

Edith Cadbury Nursery School                        |5,488                      

Selly Oak Nursery School                            |3,193                      

                                                                                

3. Capital Grant paid under the Education (Grants)                              

   (Royal Ballet School) Regulations 1988                                       

Royal Ballet School                                 |250,000                    

                                                                                

4. Capital Grants to Non-maintained Special Schools                             

Birkdale                                            |787                        

Burton Hill House                                   |9,969                      

David Lewis                                         |3,141                      

Dawn House                                          |60,739                     

Lingfield Hospital                                  |28,310                     

Mary Hare                                           |10,006                     

Muntham House                                       |7,506                      

St. Elizabeths                                      |72,550                     

St. Francis                                         |48,682                     

West of England                                     |7,820                      

Student Maintenance

Dr. Hampson : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of student maintenance costs are borne by parental contributions currently ; and what was the comparable proportion for 1979- 80.

Mr. Jackson : The information is not available in the precise form requested.

In 1987-88, the latest year for which figures are available, assessed contributions from parents, spouses and students themselves accounted for 40.4 per cent. of students' total assessed requirements under the mandatory awards arrangements. In 1979-80 the comparable figure was 20.5 per cent.

How much in practice is contributed by parents and spouses is not known.

Governing Bodies

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will identify by name and by size of governing body in each case only those colleges and polytechnics in the PCFC sector for which he has agreed revised instruments of government under the Education Reform Act 1988 where the size of the governing body is in excess of 21 persons ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : For those institutions in the PCFC sector re- established as higher education corporations (HECs) under sections 121 and 122 of the Education Reform Act 1988, the size of the governing body is governed by the


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provisions of schedule 7 to the ERA within which the size of each governing body is decided by the institution itself. Those HECs with governing bodies in excess of 21 persons are as follows :


                                          |Number       

--------------------------------------------------------

Buckinghamshire College of Higher                       

  Education                               |25           

Polytechnic of East London                |25           

Humberside College of Higher Education    |25           

Lancashire Polytechnic                    |25           

The London Institute                      |25           

Luton College of Higher Education         |23           

Newcastle Polytechnic                     |25           

Salford College of Technology             |25           

Sheffield Polytechnic                     |25           

Teesside Polytechnic                      |24           

Thames Valley College of Higher Education |23           

Assisted institutions which were designated under section 129(2) of the ERA were asked to bring their intruments in line with those of the HECs, and these were subsequently agreed by my right hon. Friend. Those with governing bodies in excess of 21 persons are as follows :


                                       |Number       

-----------------------------------------------------

City of London Polytechnic             |25           

Polytechnic of North London            |25           

Thames Polytechnic                     |25           

Central School of Speech and Drama     |25           

Derbyshire College of Higher Education |25           

Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will identify by name and by size of governing body in each case only those further education and higher education colleges in the maintained sector for which he has agreed revised instruments of government under the ERA 1988 where the size of the governing body is in excess of 21 persons ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : To date my right hon. Friend has approved for the following institutions instruments of government which provide in each case for a governing body in excess of 21 members :


                                                 |Members        

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Blackburn College                                |22             

Bradford and Ilkley Community College            |22             

Croydon College                                  |23             

Newcastle College                                |22             

Preston College                                  |22             

Sandwell College of Further and Higher Education |22             

Solihull College of Technology                   |22             

South Tyneside College                           |22             

Suffolk College of Higher and Further Education  |22             

In addition, my right hon. Friend has indicated that he would be prepared to approve an instrument of government for Central Manchester college of technology providing for a governing body of 22 members.

School Buses

Mr. Speller : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek powers to require a no smoking sign to be displayed in all school buses.

Mr. Alan Howarth : It is for local education authorities to decide whether such signs should be displayed. My right


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hon. Friend does, however, fully support the campaign launched recently by the Health Education Authority to encourage schools to eliminate smoking from educational establishments and out-of- school activities involving pupils in the four to 19 age range.

Education Regulations

Mr. Hanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about the Education (School Curriculum and Related Information) Regulations 1989.

Mr. MacGregor : In the light of representations I have decided to bring forward amendments to those provisions of the Education (School Curriculum and Related Information) Regulations 1989 which cover the submission of statistical information (the annual curriculum return). I gave details of my intentions in my speech to the Society of Education Officers on 25 January, copies of which have been placed in the Library. My proposals will represent a substantial reduction in the burden on primary schools, from which the main anxieties about the annual curriculum return have come.

I intend to bring forward these amendments in time for them to come into effect for completion of the first returns by schools this summer term. I shall be consulting shortly about the details of what I propose, as required by section 22 of the Education Reform Act 1988.

Non-smokers

Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what provisions are being made in all the offices and other places under his Department's control for the convenience and comfort of non-smokers ; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy for non-smokers.

Mrs. Rumbold : Smoking is prohibited in lifts and toilets but the Department's policy generally is to encourage staff who wish to smoke to have regard to the convenience and comfort of non-smokers. It is customary not to smoke in conference rooms or in shared offices unless a majority of the staff sharing the office agree to allow it.

GCSE

Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received concerning reforms of the operation of the GCSE examination system.

Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend and I have received a substantial amount of correspondence from parents, teachers and other interested parties. The vast majority have been supportive of the principles behind the new examination.

Geography Working Group

Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received in respect of the interim curriculum report from the geography working group.

Mrs. Rumbold : The national curriculum geography working group has received just over 700 letters from schools, organisations and individuals commenting on its interim report, which was published on 20 November last.


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Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to receive the working group's final report on the geography curricula.

Mrs. Rumbold : The terms of reference given to the geography working group on its establishment in May last year require it to submit a final report by 30 April 1990.

Head Teachers

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many letters he has received from head teachers expressing concern about conditions and morale in their school, for each education authority.

Mrs. Rumbold : The information is not readily available in the form requested. My right hon. Friend frequently receives correspondence from head teachers about various aspects of education provision.

Gaelic and Welsh

Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received any recent representations concerning the position of the Gaelic and Welsh languages in the European Community's Mercator programme of information and documentation networks on minority languages ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : The Department has received no representations. Schools are free to provide any language they wish after they have met the requirement of the national curriculum.

Playing Fields, Bexley

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he intends to grant his consent to the request from the Inner London education authority for the disposal of the playing fields at Camdale road, Welling in the borough of Bexley ; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold : My right hon. Friend is considering the Inner London education authority's application for consent and will inform the authority of his decision as soon as possible.

Universities Funding Council

Mr. Ian Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the criteria used by the Universities Funding Council for determining guide prices for the public funding of university students.

Mr. Jackson : Details of these matters, which are for the Universities Funding Council, were given in the council's circular letter 39/89, "Funding and Planning : 1991-92 to 1994-95", in particular the recently issued annex D, a copy of which is being placed in the Library.

Vocational Training

Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what statistics he collects relating to the allocation of discretionary grants made by local authorities for full-time vocational training ; and what information he has on the effect of such grants on full-time vocational training ;


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Mr. Janner : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he collects statistics relating to the allocation of discretionary grants made by local education authorities for full-time vocational training ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : I have been asked to reply to the first question. Departmental statistics do not routinely distinguish vocational training. However, in 1987-88 about 138,000 awards were made by local education authorities in England and Wales under section 2 of the Education Act 1962 to students undertaking full-time and sandwich further education (FE) courses of all types. These awards cover maintenance grants, and fees where applicable. Overall, there were 354,000 full-time and sandwich students on FE courses of all types at colleges in England in 1987-88 and 367,000 in 1988-89.

Portage Schemes

Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make it his policy to continue funding support for portage schemes ; what assessment he has made of current schemes ; and what assessment he has made of the consequences of ending Government financial support for the schemes.

Mr. Alan Howarth : I have been asked to reply.

The Department will continue to fund those portage schemes to which it has committed expenditure up to 1990-91 through the education support grant (ESG). The ESG funds provided from 1986-87, and amounting to more than £8 million, were made available for pump-priming purposes. LEAs are free to continue funding portage schemes after the Department's three-year commitment ends, and to develop others from within their own resources, if they wish to do so. Many are doing just that. An HMI survey on portage projects funded by ESGs will be published on 9 February. I shall be placing a copy in the Library in the normal way.


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