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Mr. Waldegrave : Having considered how the lay adjudicator scheme might work in practice, the Government have decided that the first step must be to make sure that public services' own complaints systems are effective and operate in line with citizens charter principles. As announced in the "Citizen's Charter First Report : 1992" (Cm 2101), this will be achieved through two initiatives. One is Charterline, a telephone helpline to provide information about the citizens charter and individual charters ; and about whom to contact for more information about public services or to make a complaint. Charterline will be piloted in May 1993 in the east midlands. The second is a review of public service complaints systems by a review team of people with relevant experience and expertise drawn from a variety of backgrounds. The team will encourage public services to operate in line with citizens charter principles and will offer advice on setting up and improving complaints systems. The team will operate for a period of two years, at the end of which it will recommend any further measures that may be needed to address the issues identified in the citizens charter White Paper (Cm 1599). Work is in hand on the setting up of the team and I hope to make a formal announcement before the end of the month.
ENVIRONMENT
Environmental Protection
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the amounts of central Government support for local authorities under his Department's environmental protection programme for each of the last five years for each standard region of England and in total.
Mr. Maclean : The information is not held in the form requested. I will write to the hon. Member.
Animal Imports
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make representations to his EC colleagues for the amendment of CITES to secure improved enforcement of provisions under article 111 relating to the import of animals for use by souvenir photographers.
Mr. Maclean : Application of article III of CITES is already mandatory throughout the European Community under the provisions of EC Council regulation 3626/82. I shall be happy to investigate, or to pass to the European Commission or CITES secretariat, as appropriate, any evidence of failure to implement or enforce the convention.
Water Abstraction Charges
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the forthcoming changes in water abstraction charges.
Mr. Maclean : I have recently approved the National Rivers Authority's new national abstraction charging scheme for 1993-94. The adoption of the new scheme does not affect the amount to be raised within each region. The national
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average increase in bills is some 1.7 per cent., but the increase varies between regions according to the need for spending on water resource management and movements in balances.Zoo Licensing Act 1981
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to review the implementation of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981.
Mr. Maclean : None at present.
Drinking Water
Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what are the current regulations about the content of lead in drinking water in force in the United Kingdom ; and what assessment he has made of the effect on them of World Health Organisation guidelines.
Mr. Maclean : The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989 prescribe a maximum concentration at the point where water is supplied by the undertaker of 50 micrograms of lead per litre of water in any sample of drinking water. This is more stringent than the requirements of the EC drinking water directive. We are considering whether any changes are needed in the light of the revised guidelines which the World Health Organisation is expected to publish later in the year.
House Prices, Warrington
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average price of houses in Warrington, South in each year since 1984-85.
Mr. Baldry : Information on dwelling prices at regional level is published in "Housing and Construction Statistics", but figures are not available at constituency level.
Landfill Sites
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress made in meeting the targets set in the EC framework waste directive to establish the licensing of landfill sites by 1 April.
Mr. Maclean : The licensing of waste landfill sites is already required under part I of the Control of Pollution Act 1974. These will be replaced by new waste licensing provisions under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which I now propose to bring into force on 1 June this year. Some further amendments to United Kingdom legislation will also be required to implement the directive in full and appropriate regulations will be laid in due course, after relevant interests have been consulted.
Toxic Emissions
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what new initiatives he has taken to reduce the effects of toxic emissions and pollution by petrochemical industries on Merseyside.
Mr. Maclean : Under part 1 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, prescribed processes require authorisation by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution,
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and chemical plants fall into this category. In granting authorisation, the enforcing authority must seek to ensure that the best available techniques not entailing excessive cost, are employed to prevent or minimise the release of any substance prescribed for any medium.HMIP has prepared guidance, in the form of process guidance notes for inspectors, on the standards to be applied to the processes it controls. The first nine notes in the chemicals sector which cover organic chemical processes were published on 27 January in preparation for the processes coming under integrated pollution control from 1 May 1993. These notes are publicly available for the benefit of operators and other interested parties. Further guidance notes for the chemicals sector will be published during 1993. Copies of the guidance notes have been placed in the Library.
Food Availability
Mrs. Wise : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies he has made of the effect of the loss of local fresh food shops and the growth of out-of-town superstores on food availability and prices for non-car owners.
Mr. Baldry : None. But more general research led to the report "The Effects of Major Out-of-Town Retail Development", published by HMSO last year. That research informed the draft revised planning policy guidance note 6 "Town Centres and Retail Development" which we published for public consultation last October.
Ozone Levels
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what have been the levels of high-level ozone over the United Kingdom for the last three dates for which figures have been recorded ; and what were the figures for equivalent dates in each of the last 10 years.
Mr. Maclean : The most recent three days for which total column ozone measurements are available from Lerwick, Scotland and Camborne, Cornwall are 13, 14 and 15 March. The measurements, together with measurements on the same dates for the past 10 years are as follows :
Dobson Spectrophotometer Ozone Measurement
in Dobson Units (DU)
Lerwick, Scotland Camborne,
Cornwall
|13 March|14 March|15 March|13 March|14 March|15 March
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993 |330 |360 |342 |331 |324
1992 |360 |330 |303 |447 |440 |331
1991 |350 |339 |336
1990 |337 |334 |313 |328 |393
1989 |385 |321 |352 |433 |502 |475
1988 |391 |392 |357 |456 |464 |444
1987 |403 |385 |360 |387
1986 |359 |341 |316 |342 |375 |314
1985 |358 |409 |427
1984 |378 |370 |414 |391 |360 |373
1983 |322 |353 |345 |506 |457 |408
Blanks in the table indicate where measurements could not be made, due to certain conditions of wind, rain and cloud. Data for 1990-1993 are provisional pending final calibration in the summer.
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Residential Property (Businesses)
Mr. William O'Brien : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what guidance he issues on the car parking provisions which should be provided by planning authorities when considering planning applications for the operation of a taxi business from a residential property ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will consider giving further guidelines in planning policy guidance 4 to the hours that any business may be conducted from a terraced house when the neighbouring properties are occupied as domestic living quarters ; and if he will make a statement ; (3) if he will give further consideration to improving the guidelines in planning policy guidance 4 concerning the establishing of taxi businesses from terraced houses ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : The revised planning policy guidance note No. 4 "Industrial and Commercial Development and Small Firms" was published in November 1992. It explains that planning permission will normally be required for any use of a dwelling house for business purposes which changes materially the overall character of the property's use as a dwelling house. Such a change may be indicated where the non-residential use generates visitors, traffic, noise or fumes over and above what might be expected if the property were in use as a single dwelling without any ancillary use.
It is for local planning authorities to decide whether the use of residential properties for business purposes is appropriate and acceptable development given the circumstances of each case, or whether such uses could be made acceptable by the imposition of conditions, such as those limiting working hours. The provision of adequate car-parking facilities can be material in deciding individual applications for planning permission. Guidance on the reasonableness of car-parking requirements is given in appendix D of planning policy guidance note No. 13.
Plant and Machinery (Rating)
Mr. David Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the report of the expert advisory committee chaired by Mr. Derek Wood QC which has reviewed the rating of plant and machinery.
Mr. Redwood : The Secretary of State has, together with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, published the Wood committee report as a command paper and placed copies in the Library of the House. We are grateful to the chairman and members of the Committee for the thorough way in which they have investigated the rating of plant and machinery. They invited written evidence from a wide range of interested bodies and business ratepayers and received responses from 71 of them, some of whom also gave oral evidence. Members of the Committee also undertook a series of visits to different types of industrial plants. The report is the first comprehensive review of the subject to be undertaken for over 30 years. The recommendations deal with how the rating of plant and machinery can be made more consistent with the rating valuation hypothesis and on the means to achieve harmonisation of the rating of plant and machinery throughout the United Kingdom. Specific recommendations remove anomalies and delete obsolete and
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tautologous references in the current rules. The report also suggests that valuations of plant and machinery using the contractor's basis should employ the unit cost method currently adopted in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Government would welcome views on the report by 12 May before considering the extent to which its conclusions should be implemented for the 1995 revaluation of non-domestic property. In due course, we will undertake full consultation on the necessary implementing legislation.
Environmental Assessment
Mr. Peter Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the consultation paper reviewing permitted development rights granted in the Town and Country General Development Order 1988 in relation to environmental assessment will be issued ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : I am pleased to announce the issue of the consultation paper today. It endorses the Government's commitment to ensuring that all projects which could have significant effects are thoroughly assessed before being allowed to go forward. The consultation paper invites comments on proposals to withdraw permitted development rights for projects listed in schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 1988 where they are likely to have such effects. The consultation paper will also invite views on the Government's intention to withdraw permitted development rights where a proposed development is likely to have a significant effect on a special protection area designated under the birds directive (EC directive 79/409), or a special area of conservation designated under the habitats directive (EC directive 92/43).
Housing Associations
Mr. Sims : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assistance he proposes to offer to housing associations in the transition to community care ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young : Overall responsibility for policy on community care and monitoring its detailed implementation at local level rests with the Department of Health. Recognising the role housing associations can play in community care, I am asking the Housing Corporation to relax its rules so that, as a transitional measure in 1993-94, housing associations will continue to be eligible for special needs management allowance support for people placed in residential homes by local authorities.
I am aware that particular concern has been expressed about the future of care homes for those with an unsettled lifestyle, which may include people who misuse alcohol and drugs and people who are mentally ill. I am therefore asking the Housing Corporation to liaise closely with housing associations operating schemes for such people.
Waste Management
Mr. Congdon : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to implement the waste management licensing system under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 ; and if he will make a statement.
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Mr. Maclean : Since August 1992 the Government have been consulting on the measures needed to implement the enhanced system of waste management licensing under part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. These consultations have been complex and detailed because of the need to strike the right balance between regulations, exemptions from licensing and guidance ; the need to take account of European Community measures dealing with waste management ; and the need to keep the burden of regulation to a minimum consistent with achieving our environmental protection objectives.
Given the range and weight of the comments raised, it has not been possible to conclude considering them by the Government's previous target date for implementation of licensing of 1 April 1993. I therefore propose to bring the waste management licensing system into force on 1 June 1993 ; regulations will be laid before the House in good time before then.
Sellafield
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what emergency plans there are for Northern Ireland following an accident at the Sellafield reprocessing plant.
Mr. Atkins : I have been asked to reply.
The operators of the Sellafield plant, as with all operators of nuclear installations, are required as a condition of their site licence, to prepare emergency plans which are subject to approval by the Health and Safety Executive's nuclear installations inspectorate. These plans include a detailed planning zone around each installation and in the case of Sellafied this is 2 km. The boundary of this zone is defined in relation to the accident with the greatest off-site consequences which can reasonably be predicted given the design of the plant, its protective systems and operating limits. These plans also form the basis for an extended response in the very unlikely event that a more severe accident should occur. In the unlikely event of an accident at Sellafield the emergency arrangements detailed in existing plans would be invoked to respond to any off-site consequences. The response would be handled locally and, under existing arrangements, the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland would be notified.
Well-established procedures for dealing with nuclear emergencies were put in place following the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Northern Ireland is included in the radioactive incident monitoring response network established under the national response for the United Kingdom.
Benzene
Mr. Hall : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the benzene content of (a) standard unleaded motor fuel and (b) super unleaded motor spirit ; and at what stage additional benzene is added to (a) or (b) .
Mr. Kenneth Carlisle : As the question falls to the Department of Transport, I have been asked to reply. There is no correlation between benzene content and the grade of petrol. The benzene content of leaded, unleaded and super unleaded petrol is controlled in each case at a maximum of 5 per cent. by volume under EC Directive 85/210. Market surveys show that, in practice, petrol
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typically contains 2 to 4 per cent. of benzene by volume. Within the European Community the limit of 5 per cent. is being reviewed. Benzene is not added to petrol at any stage during refining, but is produced during the process called reforming, which is used to make high-octane petrol.HOUSE OF COMMONS
Rabbit Phone Points
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if Rabbit phone points will be installed on the parliamentary estate.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : I shall arrange for this matter to be considered by the Administration Committee.
Terrace Refreshment Points
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what discussions have taken place with the City of Westminster planning authorities about the demountable refreshment points reconstructed each year on the terrace of the Palace of Westminster.
Fire Brigade Inspections
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee if he will make a statement on the powers of the London Fire Brigade to inspect the Palace of Westminster ; when the last inspection was ; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.
Mr. Ray Powell : The London Fire Brigade has no powers to inspect the Palace of Westminster, nor has it done so. It is, however, invited to the Palace to carry out periodic familiarisation visits and training. The latest of these visits took place on 19 January. Responsibility for fire safety lies with the Crown premises inspection group of the Home Office fire inspectorate, which maintains close contact with the fire safety manager of the Parliamentary Works Directorate.
Lloyd's
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to Lloyd's, "The Heart of the London Market", to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 4 to 11 May 1993.
Worldwide Engineering
Dr. Michael Clark : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to worldwide engineering to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 10 to 17 May 1993.
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Environmental Engineering
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to environmental engineering to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Michael J. Martin : I understand that, under procedures agreed by the Administration Committee, arrangements have been made for the exhibition to be held in the Upper Waiting Hall from 21 to 28 June 1993.
SCOTLAND
999 Calls, Dunbar
Mr. Home Robertson : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the average time taken between a 999 telephone call from the Dunbar area and the arrival of the patient by ambulance at the accident and emergency department at the Royal infirmary in Edinburgh.
Mr. Stewart : We estimate that on receipt of a 999 call it takes three minutes to activate an ambulance and 13 minutes to travel to the scene. This compares favourably with the national target response time of 18 minutes. Ambulance crews usually spend about 10 minutes at the scene and the average journey time from Dunbar to the accident and emergency department at Edinburgh royal infirmary is 39 minutes. The average total time taken is therefore 1 hour 5 minutes.
Community Care
Mrs. Fyfe : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice has been given to primary care and hospital staff about the joint discharge arrangements between social work departments and health boards.
Mr. Stewart : The management executive of the national health service in Scotland is in the process of producing a guide on the principles of good practice on discharge procedures in hospital. A small multi-disciplinary team has prepared this guidance in a form in which it can be used through the service. The aim is to publish the guidance by week commencing 22 March and for it to be widely distributed to health boards and social work departments.
Committee of the Regions
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has held with the Scottish National party concerning the number of Scottish representatives in the United Kingdom delegation to the Committee of the Regions ; what undertakings he has offered in relation to separate party political affiliation in its Scottish representation ; what criteria he intends to employ in the selection of such representation ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Stewart : My right hon. Friend has listened with interest to the views expressed by the Opposition parties about Scotland's representation on the Committee of the Regions, including the question of how best to ensure that such representation reflects the diversity of Scottish political opinion.
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Community Hospitals
Mr. Welsh : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what finance and other resources are made available to general practitioner-run community hospitals by hospital in each health board.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 4 March 1993] : The information is not held centrally.
Rule 43 Prisoners
Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) men and (b) women were on rule 43 in Scottish prisons in each of the last five years.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 2 March 1993] : The rule 43 referred to is used only in prisons in England and Wales. The nearest equivalent rule in Scottish prisons is rule 36 of the Prisons (Scotland) Rules 1952. The information is not recorded in the form requested. However, as at 2 March 1993 there were 19 male prisoners and one female prisoner held under the conditions of rule 36.
Pupils' Faiths
Lady Olga Maitland : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give a breakdown by region of the faith allegiance of pupils in maintained schools and the percentage of pupils not educated in the maintained sector.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 10 March 1993] : Regional figures on the religious affiliation of pupils in education authority schools in Scotland are not judged to be sufficiently reliable for publication because of substantial survey non-response. I will write separately to my hon. Friend on this matter.
Shetland Oil Spillage
Mr. Norman Hogg : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how and when the results of early monitoring undertaken to assess the immediate impacts of the oil spillage in the Shetland Islands on fish and shellfish will be made available.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 5 March 1993] : Detailed weekly bulletins are being issued to fishing interests and others giving the results of monitoring in the waters around Shetland following the oil spill.
Forestry Commission
Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list by county the names of and size of all Forestry Commission holdings.
Sir Hector Monro [holding answer 10 March 1993] : The area of land currently managed by the Forestry Commission in each county or region is given in the table. The names and size of each individual Forestry Commission holding could be provided only at
disproportionate cost.
County or Region |Area (hectares)
---------------------------------------------------------
England
Avon |352
Bedfordshire |821
Berkshire |517
Buckinghamshire |2,038
Cambridgeshire |682
Cheshire |950
Cleveland |493
Cornwall |3,378
Cumbria |26,508
Derbyshire |3,323
Devon |10,182
Dorset |7,042
Durham |3,340
East Sussex |2,965
Essex |797
Gloucestershire |10,405
Hampshire |34,311
Hereford and Worcester |5,052
Hertfordshire |621
Humberside |360
Isle of Wight |1,531
Kent |3,639
Lancashire |1,819
Leicestershire |669
Lincolnshire |5,634
Norfolk |14,325
Northamptonshire |4,097
Northumberland |59,336
North Yorkshire |23,058
Nottinghamshire |5,644
Oxfordshire |632
Shropshire |4,699
Somerset |4,455
South Yorkshire |1,154
Staffordshire |4,495
Suffolk |9,823
Surrey |1,636
Tyne and Wear |732
Warwickshire |639
West Midlands |84
West Sussex |4,021
West Yorkshire |112
Wiltshire |3,922
Scotland
Borders |30,862
Central |29,861
Dumfries and Galloway |101,071
Fife |4,866
Grampian |62,031
Highland |244,164
Lothian |1,635
Orkney and Shetland |9
Strathclyde |193,339
Tayside |40,403
Western Isles |867
Wales
Clwyd |9,560
Dyfed |31,628
Gwent |8,897
Gwynedd |28,144
Mid Glamorgan |13,063
Powys |31,354
South Glamorgan |518
West Glamorgan |14,534
Secure Units
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how much capital money has (a) been made available and (b) spent on the provision of secure units for young people in each of the past five years ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) how much capital money has (a) been made available and (b) allocated for the provision of secure units in 1992-93 ; and if he will publish a list of the institutions concerned and the amount of money allocated in each instance.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 15 March 1993] : My right hon. Friend is empowered under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to pay capital grants to local authorities and voluntary organisations for provision of secure accommodation, taking account of the need for such accommodation over Scotland. Grants made available and spent on the provision of secure accommodation for young people in each of the last five years are given in the table.
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|Budget allocation |Actual expenditure
|£ |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88
Voluntary sector |350,000 |71,500 |Rossie School
|165,000 |St. Mary's School
|-------
|237,000
1988-89
Voluntary sector |69,000 |69,770 |Rossie
1989-90
Voluntary sector |73,000 |36,600 |Rossie
|21,200 |St. Mary's
|-------
|57,800
1990-91
Voluntary sector |77,000 |41,300 |Rossie
|37,100 |St. Mary's
|-------
|78,400
Local authorities |400,000 |63,000 |Brodie Unit (Central)
1991-92
Voluntary sector |79,000 |59,100 |Rossie
|60,100 |St. Mary's
|-------
|119,200
Local authorities |500,000 |-
1992-93
Voluntary sector |181,000 |<1>67,400 |Rossie
|<1>113,600 |St. Mary's
Local authorities |150,000 |<1>140,000 |Howdenhall Centre (Lothian)
<1> Estimate.
Caledonian MacBrayne
Dr. Godman : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grant in aid has been provided in each of the past 10 years by way of (a) the Scottish Office and (b) the European Community (i) for the maintenance of the Caledonian MacBrayne passenger ferry fleet and (ii) to provide assistance in relation to the purchase of replacement vessels.
Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 16 March 1993] : The operating deficit which Caledonian MacBrayne incurs in providing a network of approved services is funded by the Scottish Office by means of an annual revenue deficit grant. CalMac has not to date received central Government grant towards the cost of new vessels although the company has received assistance from the European regional development fund for this purpose. The information requested is set out in the table :
|Revenue deficit |ERDF grant
|grant
|£ million |£
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983-84 |6.650 |1984 |2,280,000
1984-85 |6.987 |1985 |850,000
1985-86 |7.500 |1986 |425,000
1986-87 |7.400 |1987 |6,270,500
1987-88 |6.900 |- |-
1988-89 |6.540 |- |-
1989-90 |6.280 |- |-
1990-91 |5.722 |- |-
1991-92 |5.800 |- |-
1992-93 |6.050 |- |-
Dysentery
Mr. Chisholm : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many instances of dysentery have been reported in Scotland in each year since 1988.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 8 March 1993] : The number of cases of bacillary dysentery notified in Scotland since 1988 is as follows :
Year |Notifications ------------------------------------------ 1988 |196 1989 |154 1990 |235 1991 |1,526 1992 |<1>3,506 <1>Provisional.
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Supervisory Orders
Mr. Darling : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the cost of operating a supervisory order made by a court in Scotland.
Mr. Stewart [holding answer 15 March 1993] : Under the 100 per cent. funding arrangements the average cost of providing a community service order which involves supervised work in the community was approximately £1,150 for 1991. This is the most recent year for which information is available. Similar figures are not yet available for the cost of a supervised attendance order.
EDUCATION
Animal Schemes
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to establish a licensing scheme for all visiting animal scheme organisers.
Public Bodies
Dr. Wright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many appointments to the public bodies listed in "Public Bodies" for his Department were made from names supplied by the public appointments unit ; and if he will list them.
Mr. Boswell : It is difficult to ascribe every appointment made to this Department's public bodies to a single source. Members are appointed by the Secretary of State on the basis of their personal qualities in the light of advice from various quarters. The public appointments unit provides names of suitably qualified candidates for consideration for a wide range of appointments and is used to provide information about names suggested by others. Six appointments to this Department's public bodies which are listed in "Public Bodies" are known to have been suggested by the public appointments unit. They are :
Education Assets Board
Mr. K. Bridge
Miss A. Lees
National Youth Agency
Mrs. S. Joiner (nee Gardner)
National Curriculum Council and Schools Examination and Assessment Council
Mr. J. P. Whitehouse
Schools Examination and Assessment Council
Mr. J. Day
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