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AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Canine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 26 April, Official Report, column 92, what reports she has received of unconfirmed cases of spongiform encephalopathies in canines.
Mr. Soames : Since November 1986 41 brains from canines in Great Britain with signs of neurological disease have been submitted to the Ministry. None of these has been identified as being affected by a spongiform encephalopathy on laboratory examination.
We are also aware of on-going investigations into a single, unconfirmed case overseas. However, I am not in a position to provide further details, as the information was passed on in confidence.
Fisheries
Mr. William Ross : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list for each member country of the EC the number of fishing vessels, the total quota of fish by species of each country, the fishing capacity of each country as a percentage of their quota, the number of fisheries inspected and the number of fishing protection vessels and aircraft employed.
Mr. Jack : As regards the number of fishing vessels, I refer the hon. Member to the multi-annual guidance programme of each member state as set out in Commission decisions 92/588/EEC to 92/598/EEC, as amended and, as regards quotas, to regulation 3676/93. These documents are in the Library of the House. It would be misleading to compare total capacity and total quota, but the multi-annual guidance programmes do give a broad indication of the reductions needed to bring national fleets into better balance with the stocks they fish. The most recent information available about fisheries inspected and the number of fishing protection vessels and aircraft employed by each member state is in the Commission report on monitoring implementation of the common fisheries policy, published in 1992. This document, which is also in the Library of the House, contains information about inspections carried out during 1990 and about member states' enforcement resources. As from 1995, the Commission will be publishing an annual report on the enforcement activities of member states under the provisions of the new fisheries control regulation, Council regulation 2847/93, which came into operation on 1 January this year.
Animal Slaughter (Costs)
Mr. O'Hara : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements she will be making to reduce the costs on the meat slaughtering industry ; and
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what consideration she has given to (a) withdrawing the burden of veterinary supervision or (b) directly reimbursing veterinary costs.Mr. Soames : The Government's policy is that the cost of the meat inspection service should be recovered from the industry. We have taken a number of steps to minimise costs, including in particular the introduction in mid-1993 of an upper limit on local authority charges. We have developed in consultation with the industry a hygiene assessment system, the results of which will help local authorities to ensure that supervision effort is targeted at the plants which present the greatest risk. We have no plans to withdraw the requirement for veterinary supervision, which is a fundamental element of the European single market legislation.
The new meat hygiene service, due to be launched in April 1995 to take over responsibility for meat hygiene enforcement, will be required to meet demanding financial and management targets to ensure that it delivers a cost-effective service.
Fishing (Conservation)
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on how many occasions since the decision in December 1993 to suspend the operation of the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 she or the Minister of State has met representatives of the fishing industry to discuss alternative conservation strategies ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Jack : I have had various contacts with the industry since December 1993. Ministry and Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland officials met the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and representatives of the Northern Ireland Industry on 8 March to examine their technical conservation proposals in detail, and there was a meeting with the Commission services on 5 April.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements are in place for the setting up of appeals tribunals under the Sea Fisheries (Conservation) Act 1992 ; and how many departmental officials and staff were engaged in work related to the setting up of these tribunals on 1 April.
Mr. Jack : Work on the Sea Fish Licence Tribunal has been suspended, and no staff were engaged on this work on 1 April 1994.
Beef
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what evidence she has of damage to the export of British foodstuffs to Germany by the stance of the German Government towards British beef.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 29 April 1994] : According to Meat and Livestock Commission
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export survey statistics, beef exports to Germany declined from just under 2,500 tonnes in 1992 to 900 tonnes in 1993. So far in 1994, exports are running at an annualised rate of 300-400 tonnes. In addition, individual companies have given me reports of lost or threatened business for beef and other meats. The promotion of other British products has also been affected.I have made the European Commission aware of these effects, which amount to an unjustified trade barrier against British goods in the single market.
Fisheries Management
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether Her Majesty's Government intend to propose or introduce effort limitation in respect of United Kingdom-registered vessels currently entitled to fish in the Irish sensitive zone.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 3 May 1994] : It is the responsibility of the Commission, and not individual member states, to bring forward proposals, by 1 June 1994, for the Community arrangements which will, inter alia, replace the sensitive zone of the Irish box when current provisions expire on 31 December 1995. The regulation concerned specifies that these arrangements must provide for close monitoring of the development of fishing effort deployed and of the state of resources in order that the necessary measures may be taken, where appropriate, to preserve the balance.
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what fisheries management arrangements were proposed by her Department at the most recent meeting of the European Commission's working group dealing with the fisheries implications of Spanish accession.
Mr. Jack [holding answer 3 May 1994] : The implications of the review of the Spanish and Portuguese accession arrangements for fisheries will be the subject of proposals to be made by the Commission by 1 June 1994, for subsequent discussion in Council and decision by the Council itself before 1 January 1995.
Lamb and Sheep Exports
Dr. Strang : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what tonnage of domestically reared lamb and sheep was exported for each year since 1979 ; to which countries ; and in what form.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard [holding answer 26 April 1994] : Export data specifically referring to domestically reared lamb and sheep are not available. Total exports of lamb and sheep from the United Kingdom, by destination and form, for years 1979 to 1993, are shown in the following table.
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Exports of sheep and sheepmeat
1979 to 1993
Metric tonnes
|1979 |1980 |1981 |1982 |1983 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |<1>1993
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Live sheep and lambs
All countries |17,261 |14,281 |8,026 |5,833 |4,348 |3,564 |2,990 |5,857 |12,767 |17,835 |22,451 |22,225 |33,040 |52,051 |30,712
EC |17,222 |14,273 |7,934 |5,810 |4,333 |3,555 |2,960 |5,785 |12,760 |17,809 |22,436 |22,217 |33,023 |51,993 |30,709
Of which:
Belgium/Luxembourg |1,429 |1,517 |2,689 |1,108 |993 |- |655 |482 |70 |342 |981 |258 |1,568 |3,071 |3,572
Germany<2> |6,257 |6,770 |1,977 |1,136 |1,993 |1,111 |- |161 |- |132 |467 |- |143 |1,830 |1,060
Irish Republic |9,377 |5,623 |907 |2,169 |1,326 |1,856 |1,662 |905 |1,921 |2,071 |2,909 |3,133 |3,704 |2,540 |10
France |- |- |2,297 |1,394 |- |- |- |4,047 |10,701 |15,175 |17,645 |18,733 |26,943 |43,250 |24,193
Non-EC |39 |8 |92 |23 |15 |9 |30 |72 |7 |26 |15 |8 |17 |58 |3
Meat of sheep and lamb-Fresh/chilled/frozen
All countries |40,922 |36,949 |37,531 |37,041 |43,317 |47,330 |48,701 |60,019 |71,188 |75,985 |89,160 |79,697 |79,960 |105,146|95,059
EC |36,630 |33,304 |32,601 |34,676 |39,851 |44,239 |44,441 |57,134 |68,643 |73,689 |86,725 |77,371 |77,810 |103,173|92,684
Of which:
Belgium/Luxembourg |14,126 |13,704 |6,103 |5,584 |4,120 |4,053 |5,983 |7,016 |7,904 |8,068 |8,539 |8,936 |9,362 |9,615 |10,315
Germany<2> |13,593 |13,647 |5,138 |5,521 |4,529 |2,977 |2,453 |2,889 |2,544 |3,054 |3,662 |2,784 |2,118 |4,882 |4,174
France |5,107 |3,466 |19,797 |22,246 |29,953 |35,625 |34,550 |43,937 |53,865 |56,625 |66,402 |55,229 |53,383 |72,410 |65,147
Italy |2,361 |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |2,262 |2,796 |2,359 |3,502 |4,477 |4,624 |3,849
Spain |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |- |3,822 |5,223 |1,565 |8,380 |5,838
Non-EC |4,292 |3,645 |4,930 |2,365 |3,466 |3,091 |4,260 |2,885 |2,545 |2,296 |2,435 |2,326 |2,150 |1,973 |2,375
Of which:
Switzerland |1,630 |1,529 |1,508 |1,943 |2,271 |2,158 |2,560 |2,450 |2,170 |1,964 |2,177 |1,928 |1,882 |1,557 |1,845
<1>Data for 1993 are provisional and subject to revision.
<2>Data pre-1991 covers the Federal Republic only.
<3>Data pre-1988 also includes meat of goats.
Sources:
CSO/Department of Trade Annual Edition of Overseas Trade Statistics and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise.
LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
Official Entertainment
Mr. Boyes : To ask the Lord President of the Council what was the total cost of official entertaining in his office in each year since 1990- 91 ; if he will list the receptions held in each year at his office's expense ; and what was the cost of each reception.
Mr. Newton : The cost of official entertainment in the Privy Council Office in 1992-93 was £9,776, and in 1993-94 £9,892. Figures for previous years were not recorded. Expenditure on hospitality is, however, included within the running cost expenditure for my Department which is published each year in the annual report. Expenditure on entertainment covers a variety of functions, including receptions. Details of the expenditure attributable to particular functions could not be provided except at disproportionate cost.
Bolton Institute of Higher Education
Mrs. Ann Taylor : To ask the Lord President of the Council when he intends to announce his decision on the application by Bolton Institute of Higher Education in May 1993 for research degree awarding powers under the procedures and criteria formulated by the Higher Education Quality Council.
Mr. Newton : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 3 May, Official Report, column 460.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many parliamentary questions to his Department have not been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally over the last five years ; how many could be answered now due to computerisation and/or more effective operational systems ; and if he will list each such question along with the name and constituency of the hon. Member who tabled it.
Mr. Newton : I and my predecessors have answered more than 900 questions, of which 1.7 per cent. have not
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been answered because of disproportionate costs or because the information requested was not held centrally. Information on how many of these questions could now be answered and details of the questions and the hon. Member who tabled them could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.HOUSE OF COMMONS
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones : To ask the Lord President of the Council what plans he has to ensure that adequate opportunities are made available for full parliamentary scrutiny of agreements made in the GATT negotiations.
Mr. Newton : I have no current plans for a debate on GATT. However, I will certainly keep the matter under consideration.
Christmas Cards
Mr. Bayley : To ask the Lord President of the Council how many official Christmas cards were sent out in 1993 by (a) Ministers, (b) civil servants and (c) staff of Government agencies working in or to his Department ; and how much these cards cost (i) to buy, (ii) to post and (iii) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes.
Mr. Newton : Last year 175 Christmas cards were sent out by me and 63 were issued by my private office at a cost, including second class postage, of approximately £312. It is not possible to ascertain the staff costs involved.
European Works Councils
Mr. Jenkin : To ask the Lord President of the Council, pursuant to his answer of 18 April, Official Report, column 371, about scrutiny of activities of countries of the European Community, what official debate there has been on the proposed EC Council directive on mechanisms for informing and consulting employees in Community-scale undertakings or groups of undertakings prior to the Social Affairs Council of 19 April ; and what draft reports have been available to hon. and right hon. Members.
Mr. Newton : The European Commission's proposal for the establishment of European Works Councils--
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Council document reference 4466/91--was debated in European Standing Committee B on 3 July 1991. Both it and the subsequent amended proposal--Council document reference 8319/91--have been the subject of explanatory memoranda by the Department of Employment as follows : 4466/91 : Explanatory memoranda dated 4 February and6 March 1991 ;8319/91 : Explanatory memoranda dated 18 November 1991, 29 January 1992, 24 March, 20 May and 22 October 1993.
The Commission informed the Council on 19 April of its intention to table a revised version of the proposal under the agreement on social policy concluded between 11 member states. The revised proposal will not apply in the United Kingdom.
Former Members
Mr. Meale : To ask the Lord President of the Council (1) if he will list the names of all former hon. Members who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment ;
(2) if he will list the names of all former British representative members in the European Parliament who since 1979 have been appointed to quasi- autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment ;
(3) if he will list the names of all individuals who are or were members of the House of Lords who since 1979 have been appointed to any quasi- autonomous non-governmental organisations, excluding appointments as
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justices of the peace, giving in each case the title of the post, any salary payable and the duration of the appointment ;(4) if he will list the names of all living former hon. Members of this House since 1964, giving their seats by region.
Mr. Newton : I regret this information is not available in an easily accessible form and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Executive Agencies
Mr. Kaufman : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for each of the "next steps" agencies now in operation and for each such agency due to come into operation for which the relevant information is available, (a) its chairman or chairwoman, (b) its chief executive and (c) other directors, executives and officers ; and if he will set out the annual salary and emoluments for each, together with the cost to public funds, and number of employees, of each agency.
Mr. Waldegrave : There are 96 agencies and the name of the chief executive and the number of staff, as at 1 October 1993, of each is set out in the table. There are a further 56 agency candidates and four chief executives-designate have been appointed, who are also listed.
There are no chairmen or chairwomen ; chief executives normally report directly to the responsible Minister. Information on the salaries and emoluments of chief executives and officers and the cost to public funds is not held centrally but can be obtained from the annual reports and accounts of each agency, which are available in the Library of the House. Some of the information will also be available in departmental annual expenditure reports.
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Accounts Services Agency |Michael Hoddinott |95
ADAS |Dr. Julia Walsh |2,320
Army Base Repair Organisation<1> |Brigadier Jim Drew |3,785
Building Research Establishment |Roger Courtney |660
CADW |John Carr |230
Central Office of Information |Mike Devereau |540
Central Science Laboratory |Dr. Peter Stanley |700
Central Statistical Office |Bill McLennan |1,265
Central Veterinary Laboratory |Dr. Tony Little |645
Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment<1> |Dr. Graham Pearson CB |625
Chessington Computer Centre |Bob Edwards |415
Civil Service College |Dr. Stephen Hickey |245
Coastguard |Chris Harris |580
Companies House |David Durham |940
Compensation Agency (Northern Ireland) |John Robinson |150
Defence Accounts Agency |Mike Dymond |2,000
Defence Analytical Services Agency<1> |Paul Altobell |110
Defence Animal Centre<1> |Colonel Paul Jepson |210
Defence Operational Analysis Centre<1> |Dr. David Leadbeater |180
Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency<1> |Brigadier Michael Browne |500
Defence Research Agency<1> |John Chisholm |9,645
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency |Stephen Curtis |4,160
Driver and Vehicle Licensing (Northern Ireland) |Brendan Magee |230
Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency (Northern Ireland) |Brian Watson |250
Driving Standards Agency |Dr. John Ford |1,785
Duke of York's Royal Military School<1> |Colonel Gordon Wilson |100
Employment Service |Mike Fogden |44,245
Fire Service College |Brian Fuller CBE |280
Forensic Science Service |Dr. Janet Thompson |635
Government Property Lawyers |Tony Osborne |130
Highways Agency |Lawrence Haynes |2,400
Historic Royal Palaces |David Beeton |400
Historic Scotland |Graeme Munro |650
Her Majesty's Land Registry |John Manthorpe |8,970
Her Majesty's Prison Service |Derek Lewis |38,105
HMSO |Dr. Paul Freeman CB |2,955
Hydrographic Office<1> |Rear Admiral Nigel Essenhigh |830
Insolvency Service |Peter Joyce |1,585
Intervention Board |Guy Stapleton |925
Laboratory of the Government Chemist |Dr. Richard Worswick |315
Marine Safety Agency |Robin Bradley |350
Medicines Control Agency |Dr. Keith Jones |350
Meteorological Office |Professor Julian Hunt |2,480
Military Survey<1> |Major General Mike Wilson |1,190
National Physical Laboratory |Dr. Peter Clapham CB |755
National Weights and Measures Laboratory |Dr. Seton Bennett |45
Natural Resources Institute |Anthony Beattie |470
Naval Aircraft Repair Organisation<1> |Captain David Symonds |1,560
NEL |William Edgar |345
NHS Estates |John Locke FRICS |105
NHS Pensions Agency |Alec Cowan |530
Northern Ireland Child Support Agency |Pat Devlin |575
Occupational Health Service |Dr. Elizabeth McCloy |120
Ordnance Survey |Professor David Rhind |2,220
Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland |Michael Brand |210
Patent Office |Paul Hartnack |990
Paymaster |Keith Sullens |810
Pesticide Safety Directorate |Geoff Bruce |170
Planning Inspectorate |Stephen Crow |610
Public Record Office |Mrs. Sarah Tyacke |450
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre |Marcus Buck |70
Queen Victoria School |Julian Hankinson |65
Radiocommunications Agency |Jim Norton |530
RAF Support Command's Maintenance Group Defence Agency<1> |Air Vice Marshal Richard Kyle MBE|10,875
RAF Training Group Defence Agency<1> |Air Vice Marshal Chris Coville |8,500
Rate Collection Agency (Northern Ireland) |David Gallagher |280
Recruitment and Assessment Services Agency |Michael Geddes |165
Registers of Scotland |James Barron |1,225
Royal Mint |Roger Holmes |955
Royal Parks Agency |David Welch |265
Scottish Agricultural Science Agency |Dr. Robert Hay |145
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency |Andrew MacLeod |220
Scottish Office Pensions Agency |Norman McLeod |175
Scottish Prison Service |Edward Frizzell |4,605
Scottish Record Office |Patrick Cadell |115
Security Facilities Executive |John King |1,160
Service Children's Schools (NWE) |Ian Mitchelson |900
Social Security Agency (Northern Ireland) |Alec Wylie |5,290
Social Security Benefits Agency |Michael Bichard |64,885
Social Security Child Support Agency |Mrs. Ros Hepplewhite |4,220
Social Security Contributions Agency |Miss Ann Chant |9,790
Social Security Information Technology Services Agency |Ian Magee |4,220
Social Security Resettlement Agency |Tony Ward |310
Social Security War Pensions Agency |Peter Mathison |1,405
Student Awards Agency for Scotland |Ken MacRae |135
Teachers' Pensions Agency |Mrs. Denyse Metcalfe |325
The Buying Agency |Stephen Sage |95
Training and Employment Agency |Julian Crozier |1,470
Transport Research Laboratory |John Wootton |600
United Kingdom Passport Agency |John Hayzelden |1,285
Valuation and Lands Agency (Northern Ireland) |David Bell |330
Valuation Office |John Langford |4,935
Vehicle Certification Agency |Derek Harvey |75
Vehicle Inspectorate |Ron Oliver |1,655
Veterinary Medicines Directorate |Dr. Mike Rutter |85
Wilton Park Conference Centre |Richard Langhorne |30
Agency Candidates
Court Service |Michael Huebner |8,210
Medical Devices Directorate |Alan Kent |165
Ministry of Defence Police<1> |John Reddington |5,060
Public Trust Office |Julia Lomas |590
<1>Figures include military personnel.
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Parliamentary Accountability
Mr. McMaster : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans he has to improve the accountability to Parliament of quangos and executive agencies.
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Mr. Waldegrave : Non-departmental public bodies, formerly called quangos, are fully accountable for the use of public funds. All executive NDPBs publish an annual report and accounts which enable Parliament, the taxpayer and customers to judge whether that NDPB is securing value for money. The National Audit Office, which reports to Parliament, is either the auditor of, or has inspection rights to, all executive NDPBs. The Public Accounts Committee scrutinises the activities of NDPBs closely and may summon the chief executive to give evidence, if necessary.
The Government are committed to applying citizens charter principles to NDPBs and to encouraging executive NDPBs to prepare management statements, as a means of clarifying respective roles and responsibilities. The Government also want to see increasing emphasis placed on the use of performance targets covering financial performance, quality of service and efficiency ; and publication of how those targets have been met.
Executive agencies are units within Government which were set up as a result of the "next steps" initiative. All staff in executive agencies are civil servants, or military personnel in defence agencies. They are accountable to Ministers, and through them to Parliament, in the same way as all other civil servants in Departments.
The "next steps" initiative has increased the accountability of whole areas of civil service work, through greater openness and clearer lines of responsibility. The Minister responsible sets each agency a number of annual targets covering efficiency, effectiveness and service to customers. Its performance is monitored by Ministers, and full details are reported to Parliament and published in its annual report and accounts. Agency chief executives may be called before the PAC and other Select Committees to account for the discharge of their responsibilities. However, the main line of accountability remains to the Minister, who is in turn accountable to Parliament.
Privatisation (Consultants)
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged.
Mr. Waldegrave : There has been no such expenditure by the Office of Public Service and Science.
DEFENCE
Nuclear Material (Transport by Rail)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if British Transport Police are informed of the movement by rail of nuclear warheads and nuclear material ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : The British Transport police are informed whenever nuclear submarine fuel cores are transported by rail. Rail transport is not used for the movement of our nuclear warheads.
HMS Unseen
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long HMS Unseen and her sister submarine have been in active service ; when it is planned to withdraw
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them from service ; what has been the cost to his Department of maintaining these vessels to date ; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Hanley : The four Upholder class submarines were accepted by the Royal Navy from builders on the following dates :
HMS Upholder--6 December 1990
HMS Unseen--19 July 1991
HMS Ursula--2 June 1992
HMS Unicorn--23 July 1993
HMS Unseen and HMS Upholder were withdrawn from service on 6 April and 28 April 1994 respectively. Although it is not our practice to reveal the planned pay-off dates of individual vessels, we have previously made clear that the entire class will be withdrawn by 1995.
The cost incurred in maintaining the vessels of the Upholder class since their acceptance from builders has been approximately £2,690, 000.
Naval Exercises (English Channel)
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which area of the English channel was closed to traffic on 5 and 6 April due to a Sea Wolf missile failing to explode during a Royal Navy exercise.
Mr. Hanley : On 5 April, HMS Brazen was conducting routine training off Portland Bill, Dorset, which involved firing Sea Wolf missiles. Due to a minor technical malfunction, one missile veered off its intended course and fell into the sea. As a purely precautionary measure, the Portland naval authorities alerted HM Coastguard. A safety broadcast, advising shipping to avoid a 2-mile radius around the point where the missile fell into the sea, was issued immediately. Once it became clear that there was no risk to traffic in the area, HM Coastguard was advised and the safety broadcast was cancelled. The Sea Wolf is a fragile missile which travels at high speed and would almost certainly have disintegrated on impact with the sea.
Recruitment
Mr. Donohoe : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military recruiting establishments are currently operating throughout the United Kingdom ; how many of these lie in Scotland ; how many recruits have been recruited through these facilities ; what plans he has to rationalise these facilities ; and what is the annual cost of operating these facilities.
Mr. Hanley : At present, there are 251 service careers information offices in the United Kingdom. Of these, 31 are located in Scotland. In the financial year 1993-94, 10,494 personnel were recruited, of whom, 1,117 were recruited in Scotland. These recruiting figures reflect reduced targets as a result of the force restructuring under "Options for Change". The operating costs of the CIOs totalled £45, 090,000 in financial year 1993-94, of which £5,320,000 related to the offices in Scotland.
It is our policy to collocate CIOs in bi-service or tri-service premises wherever practicable and cost-effective. Many CIOs are already collocated and future requirements are kept under regular review. In addition, recruitment arrangements are being considered as part of the "Defence Costs Study".
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South African National Defence Force
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role his military representatives will play in the integration of the new national defence force in South Africa ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him to an identical question on 27 April, Official Report, column 227 .
Market Testing
Mr. Loyden : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what sections of his Department he plans to make the subject of market testing.
Mr. Aitken : The Department intends to pursue vigorously market testing opportunities across the whole range of defence support activities with the aim of maximising value for money for the defence budget. The "Defence Costs Study" will, however, have a significant influence on the scale of the future programme and decisions on future plans will therefore be taken in the light of the outcome of the study.
Bosnia
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops there are currently on active service in Bosnia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : There are currently some 3,500 British service personnel deployed on the ground in Bosnia and Croatia in support of United Nations peacekeeping operations. In addition, there are some 3,000 service personnel deployed offshore and in Italy in support of operations in the region.
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British aircraft there are in use in Bosnia ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Hanley : There are currently 33 British aircraft, both rotary and fixed wing, deployed in the Adriatic theatre in support of United Nations and NATO operations in the former Yugoslavia.
Royal Devonport Dockyard
Mr. Jamieson : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the total amount paid to consultants byhis Department for work concerned with the privatisation of HM Royal Devonport dockyard.
Mr. Aitken : Since October, when my right hon. and learned Friend announced our policy towards the future management of the royal dockyards, Official Report, 18 October 1993, columns 39-41, total expenditure of some £2 million has been incurred in the use of specialist consultants for work related to the proposed privatisation of the royal dockyards. Costs attributable to Devonport cannot be separately identified.
Privatisation (Consultants)
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the cost of employing consultants in connection with privatisation programmes in which his Department has been engaged since 1980.
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Mr. Aitken : The only privatisation programme for which information on the use of consultants can be made available without disproportionate cost and effort is that in connection with the proposed privatisation of the royal dockyards at Devonport and Rosyth, about which my right hon. and learned Friend made an announcement on 18 October last, Official Report, columns 39-41. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Mr. Jamieson).
Defence Budget
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the reason for the removal from the defence budget from 1994-95 of the financial provisions for the security and intelligence services, as set out in note one to figure 10 of paragraph 502 of the "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1994", Cm. 2550.
Mr. Hanley : As foreshadowed by the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Robinson) on 24 November 1993, Official Report, column 52, expenditure on the security and intelligence services has been brought together into a single Cabinet Office vote from 1994-95--class XIX, vote 2.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Bosnia
17. Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Mr. Slobodan Milosevic regarding Bosnia.
Mr. Hurd : I have not met President Milosevic since the European Union Foreign Ministers' meeting with the parties in November 1993. My right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs is meeting President Milosevic in Belgrade today.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what offers he has made to international relief agencies to treat casualties of the Bosnian war in British hospitals.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We have told the International Organisation for Migration, which is responsible for the placement abroad of patients from Bosnia, that we will consider applications on a case-by-case basis. After the recent events in Gorazde, we exceptionally agreed to take up to 50 of those wounded by the shelling.
Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is available from the International Red Cross, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other United Nations sources about the number of people who require major medical attention which, because of the war, cannot be met within Bosnia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees medical committee has to date identified 763 patients in need of medical treatment unavailable in Bosnia. Of these, 626 patients have already been evacuated, 41 have places abroad and are waiting to travel, and 96 are awaiting placement.
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Mr. Worthington : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests are being made by the Red Cross and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for medical attention to the wounded from the war in Bosnia ; and what representations they have made about the adequacy of the international response when those wounded people cannot be treated in Bosnia.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Both the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have issued appeals for their operations in the former Yugoslavia, which include provision for medical supplies and health care. The International Organisation for Migration appealed to Governments in August 1993 for offers of hospital places for patients from the former Yugoslavia who could not be treated locally. As a result, 2,277 places were offered by 33 countries.
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