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Travelling Showpeople

Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received from national showmen in respect of winter quarters.

Mr. Yeo [holding answer 5 March 1992] : We have recently received a number of representations on behalf of the National Showmen Fight for Rights about the advice given in circular 22/91--"Travelling Showpeople".

Mr. Harry Barnes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will put forward proposals requiring local authorities to include within their local plans their policies on the provision of facilities for travelling showpeople.

Mr. Yeo [holding answer 6 March 1992] : My Department has recently issued guidance to local planning authorities in circular 22/91, "Travelling Showpeople" which, among other things, emphasises that local planning authorities should consider the needs of travelling showpeople when preparing local plans and unitary development plans.

International Wildlife

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what steps he is taking to establish an inspection and enforcement service fully to enforce international wildlife controls as recommended in the report on international trade in wildlife ; (2) what is his estimate of the cost of implementing all the recommendations in the recent Joint Nature Conservation Committee report on international trade in wildlife as they apply to the trade in wild birds ; and if he will make a statement ;

(3) if he will introduce import taxes or charges for licence applications for traders of wild birds.

Mr. Trippier [holding answer 6 March 1992] : Implementation of many of the JNCC's recommendations, including those relating to inspection and enforcement and import taxes and charges, needs to be considered by the European Community as a whole. The European Commission's proposals for changes in the relevant Community legislation were published last month and we shall be consulting widely on them. Until agreement has been reached within the Community on the precise changes to be introduced, it will not be possible to estimate the total costs of implementation.

Wild Birds

Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what additional funding he will make available to implement the new measures to protect wild birds in trade that were announced by him on 27 February ; and if he will make a statement.


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Mr. Trippier [holding answer 6 March 1992] : The Department has made provision for staff to analyse and take follow-up action on the checklists completed in relation to imports of live animals. We shall make additional funding available for other measures as and when necessary.

Special Protection Areas

Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to issue revised guidance to local planning authorities on the treatment of designated and candidate special protection areas in the light of the Leybucht Dyke case heard in the European Court of Justice.

Mr. Yeo [holding answer 6 March 1992] : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister for Housing and Planning to my hon. Friend the member for Twickenham (Mr. Jessel) on 27 February 1992, Official Report column 562. We published draft guidance on that day, and will issue it in final form later this year in a new planning policy guidance note on nature conservation.

Mr. Win Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when officials from his Department last met staff of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee to discuss future special protection area designations ; and what was agreed.

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 6 March 1992] : My officials last met staff of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and English Nature on 13 February to discuss special protection area designations. Progress on sites already submitted to the Department was discussed and the Government expect to announce a number of further designations shortly. Discussions are continuing on the future work programme. It was agreed to maintain the momentum through 1992-93 and beyond.

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list where nuclear waste from power stations, all other nuclear installations, and imported waste, are stored in Britain.

Mr. Baldry [holding answer 6 March 1992] : Low-level radioactive waste is disposed of at British Nuclear Fuels' shallow disposal facility at Drigg. Intermediate-level radioactive waste is currently stored on site awaiting deep disposal. High-level or heat-generating radioacative waste is stored at Sellafield and Dounreay. No radioactive waste is imported into the country.

Local Government Services

Mr. Tredinnick : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what advice he provides county councils on the supply of disaggregated information about the cost of provision of the local government services to district councils.

Mr. Key [holding answer 6 March 1992] : Each year the Department of the Environment publishes a document "Standard Spending Assessment Handbook" which sets out underlying information about the service elements of standard spending assessments for each English local authority. A copy is sent to each authority and copies of


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the 1990-91 and 1991-92 editions are available in the House Library. In addition, every local authority is obliged to publish its accounts annually.

Ultraviolet Radiation

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what changes in ultraviolet radiation levels have been revealed by the continuous monitoring by the National Radiological Protection Board in the last three months ; if he will publish the relevant data ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dorrell : I have been asked to reply.

A preliminary analysis of results obtained at Chilton, Oxfordshire, as part of the National Radiological Protection Board's programme of development for solar radiation measurement, for the months December 1991 to February 1992, does not indicate any signficant differences in mean levels from those expected. Temporal variations in levels appear to be within the range of variations expected from variability in local weather conditions.

Business Property Values

Mr. Edwards : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what has been the change in average business property values since April 1988.

Mr. Maples : I have been asked to reply.

There are no statistics available in relation to average business property values which would enable information to be supplied in the form requested.

Nuclear Reprocessing Plant

Mr. McGrady : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will next meet the European Commissioner for Environmental Matters to discuss the impact of the Dounreay reprocessing plant on the Irish sea and the surrounding environment.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton : I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

Rent Arrears Scheme, Hackney

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on his decision to end Hackney council's arrears- to-rents scheme.

Miss Widdecombe : I have been asked to reply.

I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Porter) on 7 February at column 324. We do not have the information to provide an estimate of the amount of housing benefit that may have already been paid.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Duchy Visit

34. Mr. John Evans : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next intends to visit the Duchy.

37. Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next plans to visit the Duchy.


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38. Mr. Simon Coombs : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next plans to visit the Duchy.

39. Mr. Winnick : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to visit the Duchy in April.

40. Mr. Bowis : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next intends to visit the Duchy.

Mr. Chris Patten : I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Mr. Enright) earlier today.

Legal Advisers

35. Mr. Cohen : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many legal advisers there are in the Duchy office.

Mr. Chris Patten : There are two legal executives employed by the Duchy in the Duchy office. The Duchy solicitor is a partner in a firm of solicitors and he regularly visits the Duchy office but is not a member of the staff.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

External Trade Statistics

Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the significance of the figures in the final column of table F2 of the monthly review of external trade statistics.

Mr. Sainsbury : The series referred to is a measure of changes in the prices of exports of manufactured goods from the United Kingdom's 11 main competitors.

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Mr. Bowis : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the outcome of his annual review of Export Credits Guarantee Department premium rates.

Mr. Sainsbury : Experience of the use of the portfolio management system indicates that it provides a sound basis for helping to determine the appropriate level of premiums. We continue to press ahead with our international initiative to encourage the use of systems which more closely match premiums to risk. Meanwhile, I have now completed the first annual review of Export Credits Guarantee Department's rates taking account of experience of the practical operation of the system, the latest forecasts of economic prospects in all the main markets, and the competitive position of British exporters. It is clear from this review that in the event current premium rates need adjusting to reflect changes both in trading patterns and in the creditworthiness of various markets so as to achieve our planned likelihood of avoiding underwriting losses. I am happy to say that we have therefore been able to make substantial reductions for many markets, though there will be some increases in others, notably those whose prospects have significantly weakened. The new rates will come into effect from 6 April. The Export Credits Guarantee Department will be in touch with exporters, and their representative associations, to inform them of the changes.


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ENERGY

Renewable Energy Sources

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on the role of renewables within the Government's overall energy strategy.

Mr. Moynihan : The Government's renewable energy policy is to stimulate the development and deployment of all technologies with prospects of commercial viability and environmental acceptability. This is being implemented by supporting a collaborative research, development and demonstration programme with industry, providing an appropriate institutional framework, and utilising the non-fossil fuel obligation which has resulted in contracts being placed for more than 600 MW of electricity from renewable sources. Moreover an independent advisory group, which I chair, is currently reviewing renewable energy strategy. I expect the group to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy in the spring.

Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make it his policy to undertake an environmental assessment of the current 100 MW target for renewables.

Mr. Moynihan : For renewables projects which require planning permission, the likely environmental impact will need to be taken into account when the application is determined. In some cases, there will be a requirement for environmental assessment. Environmental assessment will also need to be undertaken for those projects promoted by means of a private Bill.

Nuclear Levy

Mr. Moate : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what would be the cost of transferring the burden of the nuclear levy from industry to the Exchequer.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Fossil fuel levy receipts in 1990-91 were £1, 175 million, of which an estimated £300 million derived from sales to industry. The terms of the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation contracts ensure that the levy revenues needed to finance nuclear-sourced electricity will decline substantially, in real terms, by 1997-98.

Orimulsion

Mr. Pike : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the burning of orimulsion ; and to which power stations they relate.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations mostly relating to National Power plc's application to fit electrostatic precipitators in order to use orimulsion as a fuel at its Pembroke power station, and also in relation to the burning of orimulsion at Grain, Richborough and Ince power stations. My right hon. Friend has decided not to proceed further with National Power plc's application until he has received the considered views of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.

Plutonium

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what weights of plutonium arising from foreign nuclear fuel reprocessed at Sellafield were returned to the


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respective countries of origin in (a) 1990 and (b) 1991 ; and if he will specify which countries were involved and under which safeguards arrangements.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : None.

Nuclear Proliferation

Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list (a) all measures taken by his Department in the last 12 months to prevent nuclear proliferation, (b) the number of personnel in his Department working to prevent nuclear proliferation and (c) his Department's total expenditure on control of nuclear proliferation in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My Department has been involved in several important initiatives in the last 12 months, aimed at strengthening nuclear non-proliferation controls.

As the lead Department on safeguards issues and provider of the United Kingdom representation on the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors, we have been developing policy on measures to strengthen IAEA safeguards, in consultation with other Departments and our international partners. My Department has supported the IAEA and its role in the United Nations special commission's activities in Iraq, in facilitating the availability of technical advice and assistance from United Kingdom nuclear experts.

My officials continued to advise DTI on export licence applications for nuclear related materials and equipment. They provide technical advice to other Departments and take part in United Kingdom delegations to international export control organisations such as the European Community political co-operation group on nuclear non-proliferation, the nuclear suppliers group, and the Zangger committee.

Nine administrative and technical staff from the Department's atomic energy division, are directly involved to some degree on nuclear non-proliferation issues. Figures are not readily available on expenditure specifically related to this work.

Gas-fired Power Stations

Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the permissions granted for the construction of new gas-fired power stations by company and planned generating capacity.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Holborn and St. Pancras (Mr. Dobson) on 24 February at columns 397-400.

The hon. Member will, however, wish to know that my right hon. Friend has now given consent to the application by Citigen Ltd to construct a 90 MW station fuelled by gas and fuel oil at Charterhouse street, London EC1.

Consultants

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list each private sector consultancy firm which has been retained by each agency within his Department, and for his Department as a whole, for the purposes of advising on the market testing programme ; and whether the appointment in each case was the result of competitive tendering.


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Mr. Wakeham : No consultancy firm has been appointed so far.

Coal

Mr. Simon Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the energy intensity figure, in tonnes coal equivalent per $1,000 gross domestic product, for each of the European Community and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries in (a) 1973 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available in each case.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Figures for energy intensity in member countries, on the basis of tonnes of coal equivalent per $1,000 of GDP--at 1985 prices and exchange rates--are as follows :


               |1973|1989     

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

Australia      |0.86|0.79     

Austria        |0.73|0.56     

Belgium        |1.22|0.89     

Canada         |1.12|0.93     

Denmark        |0.73|0.50     

Finland        |0.94|0.77     

France         |0.74|0.63     

Germany        |0.89|0.67     

Greece         |0.85|1.04     

Iceland        |0.87|0.70     

Ireland        |1.01|0.78     

Italy          |0.73|0.54     

Japan          |0.64|0.44     

Luxembourg     |2.73|1.39     

Netherlands    |1.05|0.80     

New Zealand    |0.72|0.96     

Norway         |0.73|0.62     

Portugal       |0.77|1.10     

Spain          |0.67|0.74     

Sweden         |0.83|0.74     

Switzerland    |0.39|0.39     

Turkey         |1.32|1.31     

United Kingdom |0.97|0.68     

United States  |0.98|0.73     

Sources: Energy Balances of   

OECD Countries 1987-1988 (    

OECD,                         

1990) and Energy Balances of  

OECD Countries 1980-1989 (    

OECD,                         

1991).                        

Figures for energy intensity in member countries are published by the OECD, on the basis of tonnes of oil equivalent per $1,000 of GDP. The figures have been converted to the basis of tonnes of coal equivalent per $1,000 of GDP, using the standard conversion factor of 1.7.

Petroleum Production

Mr. Burns : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what are Her Majesty's Government's latest forecasts of levels of United Kingdom petroleum production.

Mr. Wakeham : The latest forecasts for the United Kingdom petroleum production in the years 1992 to 1996 are as follows :


        |Million        

        |Tonnes         

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

1992    |85-105         

1993    |85-115         

1994    |95-130         

1995    |95-130         

1996    |90-130         

As in previous years, the forecasts are presented in the form of a range of outcomes for each year. These take into


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account the many uncertainties involved. The figures include stabilised crude oil, natural gas liquids--NGLs and condensates. NGL and condensate production is expected to contribute between 4 million and 10 million tonnes annually to these figures.

Electricity Prices

Mr. Hardy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what response he has given to representations from high-energy-using industry, including the engineering steel industry, about proposed increases in electricity prices.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend asked major energy users, including the engineering and steel industries, to provide detailed information on electricity prices so that the Government may better understand their position. This work has made good progress.

Nuclear Safeguards

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on issues discussed, proposals rejected and decisions taken at the most recent special meeting of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency that focused upon international nuclear safeguards.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : A report on the issues discussed at the February board of governors has been made by the International Atomic Energy Agency in the form of a press release, No. PR 92/12, dated 26 February. A copy of the press release has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Mr. Cryer : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the United Kingdom ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna has made any additional pledge of resources, scientific expertise or technology for safeguards at the IAEA board of governors special meeting on improving international nuclear safeguards that opened in Vienna on 24 February.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No.

Coal Mining

Mr. Patchett : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to meet the National Union of Mineworkers to discuss the future of coal mining in Britain ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend and I have no plans at present to meet the National Union of Mineworkers to discuss the future of coal mining in Britain.

Nuclear Transport Ships

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the liability coverage (a) currently in place or (b) planned, for (i) Pacific Nuclear Transport Ltd. ships and (ii) Nuclear Transport Ltd. ships registered in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : As the licensed operator of the Sellafield site, British Nuclear Fuels plc is responsible for complying with the provisions of the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, as amended, with regard to insurance for the


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transport of nuclear materials to or from the site. The insurance arrangements for meeting these requirements in respect of ships registered in the United Kingdom and owned by Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited--PNTL--are a commercial matter for BNFL and PNTL. Nuclear Transport Limited owns no such ships.

EMPLOYMENT

Craft Apprentices

Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) if he will tabulate the number of craft apprentices as defined by legal indentures currently attending either day release or sandwich courses at colleges of higher or further education, showing the number by convenient classes or categories of craft, trade, or future occupation ;

(2) if he will tabulate the number of craft apprenticeships entered into in each year since 1980 in convenient classes or categories of craft, trade, or future occupation.

Mr. Jackson : The information is not available in the precise form requested. Estimates for Great Britain from the labour force survey of the number of people undertaking craft apprenticeships at the time of the survey are given in the table.


Spring each |Thousands              

Year                                

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

1983        |229                    

1984        |196                    

1985        |201                    

1986        |170                    

1987        |173                    

1988        |177                    

1989        |206                    

1990        |201                    

Note: Information for 1981 from the 

Labour Force Survey is not          

comparable with that for other      

years. There was no Labour          

Force Survey in 1980 or 1982.       

Of the 201,000 craft apprentices in the spring of 1990, around 90, 000 were attending day release or sandwich courses.

Customs Clearance Agents

Mr. Mallon : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what compensation or redundancy arrangements will be available for customs clearance agents and their employees after 1 January 1993.

Mr. Forth : Statutory entitlements to redundancy payments, based on age and length of service, are provided for in part VI of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978, and, in Northern Ireland, the Contracts of Employment and Redundancy Payments Act (Northern Ireland) 1965.

Employers (Disability Adaptations)

Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what information he has on levies on employers in other EC countries who do not adapt premises or equipment for employees with disabilities.

Mr. Jackson : We have no information to suggest that any EC country places a levy on employers in this way.


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Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make it his policy to place a levy on employers who do not adapt premises or equipment for employees with disabilities in order to subsidise other employers to carry out such works ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : We have no intention of adopting such a policy. Under the aids to premises and equipment--APE--scheme, the Employment Service currently makes grants available to employers towards the cost of adapting premises or equipment for an existing disabled employee or a new recruit who is disabled to enable them to work more effectively and productively.

In the summary paper published in 1990 "Evaluation of special schemes for people with disabilities" the large majority of employers interviewed who had benefited from the APE scheme said they would have been prepared to pay more towards the costs of an adaptation. Nevertheless, there was no call either from those employers or from individual beneficiaries for a levy of employers who did not adapt premises or equipment. There is no evidence that such a levy would improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what discussions he has had with his EC counterparts on harmonising duties of employers to provide facilities for employees with disabilities ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jackson : We have had no such discussions. EC countries provide for the employment and training needs of people with disabilities in a variety of ways, according to the circumstances which exist in the country concerned. We are in the process of improving the effectiveness of our employment and training services for people with disabilities, following extensive consultations. We take the experience of other countries, including EC countries, into account as appropriate. We also take opportunities to inform representatives from other member states about developments in the United Kingdom.

YTS Fatalities

Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the date of, cause of and compensation paid in each fatality on a youth training scheme since 1979, or latest convenient date.

Mr. Jackson : The information on dates and causes of fatalities is in the table.

The Employment Department does not pay damages in compensation to families of trainees fatally injured on YT, or the former YTS. However, training providers are contractually obliged to obtain insurance to cover any claims to compensation or damages. Payments made by either insurance companies or YT training providers are a private matter between them and the trainees' families. The Employment Department is not informed of these settlements.



Cause of fatality                        |Date                               

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

Lorry hit horse, trainee run over        |27 June 1983                       

Trainee fell down disused mine shaft     |7 September 1983                   

Trapped under fork lift truck            |12 October 1983                    

Crushed by reversing tractor             |1 February 1984                    

Road Traffic Accident                    |27 July 1984                       

Motorcycle accident                      |22 August 1984                     

Dumper truck overturned into stream      |24 September 1984                  

Shock to lungs caused by burning         |28 January 1985                    

Traumatic asphyxiation                   |26 February 1985                   

Electrocution                            |29 July 1985                       

Road Traffic Accident                    |20 August 1985                     

Road Traffic Accident                    |7 May 1986                         

Fall from ladder                         |12 May 1986                        

Road Traffic Accident                    |30 June 1986                       

Trapped whilst loading lorry             |3 October 1986                     

Trapped whilst directing vehicle         |11 November 1986                   

Electrocution                            |26 November 1986                   

Road Traffic Accident                    |22 December 1986                   

Trapped in farm silo                     |4 March 1987                       

Hit by girder carried on fork lift truck |18 March 1987                      

Road Traffic Accident                    |13 April 1987                      

Trapped under wheels of tractor          |17 August 1987                     

Trapped under worktops                   |23 October 1987                    

Trapped between tractor and building     |16 November 1987                   

Trapped in silage machine                |14 December 1987                   

Knocked down by motorcycle               |12 January 1988                    

Drowned at sea                           |14 January 1988                    

Killed in explosion                      |5 August 1988                      

Fall from ladder                         |15 August 1988                     

Digger bucket collapsed on trainee       |18 August 1988                     

Road Traffic Accident                    |14 September 1988                  

Road Traffic Accident                    |5 October 1988                     

Road Traffic Accident                    |2 November 1988                    

Acetate caught fire                      |2 November 1988                    

Electrocution                            |3 March 1989                       

Fell through roof opening                |19 April 1989                      

Trapped in fire                          |18 May 1989                        

Road Traffic Accident                    |1 December 1989                    

Crushed by dumper truck                  |17 January 1990                    

Decapitation at sea                      |1 October 1990                     

Caught in explosion                      |18 January 1991                    

Hit by car                               |21 March 1991                      

Found in building on fire                |21 March 1991                      

Hit by speeding motorcycle               |19 September 1991                  

Unemployment Benefit

Mr. Nellist : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many unemployment benefit claimants there were in Coventry, in December 1978 and December 1991.

Mr. Jackson : In December 1991, there were 18,520 people claiming unemployment-related benefits in the Coventry local authority district. Information on the numbers claiming unemployment related benefits for local areas such as local authority districts has been available only since June 1983.


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