---

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Mr. Thurnham: To ask the Attorney-General what estimate he has made of the savings to public funds from allowing the CPS rights of audience in Crown courts. [7229]

The Attorney-General: The Lord Chancellor and designated judges have not yet reached a final decision on whether Crown prosecutors should have rights of audience in the higher courts and, if so, to what extent. Pending such decisions, there are too many variables to make a reliable estimate.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Exhibitions

Mr. McGrady: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if he has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the famine decade to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall. [7386]

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 Monday 29 January to Friday 2 February 1996.

WALES

Council Tax

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what revenue was raised from council tax in Wales for the last available three years; and what is his estimate of revenue for (a) 1996-97 and (b) 1997-98. [5954]

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1191

Mr. Hague: The amounts Welsh local authorities expected to raise from council tax when setting the tax and their annual budgets were:

£325.3 million for 1993-94;
£354.4 million for 1994-95 and
£394.2 million for 1995-96.

If authorities budget in line with the spending plans announced on 13 December 1995, council tax revenue for 1996-97 would be £380.5 million. However, it will be for individual authorities to determine their own budgets for the year. Estimates for 1997-98 are not yet available.

Local Government Reorganisation

Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he intends to issue guidance to new unitary authorities with regard to arrangements for staff who will be employed by more than one authority following reorganisation. [5412]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend has no plans to issue such guidance,. It is for local authorities to advise their employees on matters relating to their employment and to comply with relevant employment legislation.

Reservoirs (Business Rates)

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the reservoirs in Wales which have a rateable value accorded to them together with the business rate or other rates paid on account of each. [7041]

Mr. Hague: At 1 April 1995 the following seven reservoirs were the subject of separate entries in the rating list. Other reservoirs in Wales form part of larger hereditaments in either the cental or local rating lists and, as a consequence, have no separate rateable values. The rate yield is calculated by multiplying the rateable value listed by the Welsh poundage for 1995-96 of 39p.

Entry	Rateable value £
Reservoir, pipeline and appurtenances BSC Waltwood Reservoir, Bishton	395,000
Reservoir and premises Port Talbot Steelworks	300,000
Reservoir Blag-y-Cwm, Ebbw Vale	62,000
Reservoir Waun-y-Pound and Rhyd-y-blew, Ebbw Vale	12,000
Reservoir and appurtenances Rhose Lan Reservoir, Cwm Bargoed, Merthyr Tydfil	13,000
Reservoir and premises BSC, Rhymney Bridge, Rhymney, Gwent	21,300
Reservoir Jepsons Road, Rhymney Common, Gwent	4,400

Arable Area Payments Scheme

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was spent in Wales in (a) set-aside payments under the arable area payments scheme and (b) total arable area payments in 1994-95. [7194]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: In 1994-95 payments in Wales under the arable area payments scheme amounted to (a) £1,104,525 for set-aside payments and (b) £7,923,953 in total.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1192

Dr. Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money is forecast to be spent in Wales in (a) set-aside payments under the arable area payments scheme and (b) total area payments in 1995-96. [7195]

Mr. Jones: The forecast expenditure in 1995-96 in Wales under the arable area payments scheme is (a) £1.1 million for set-aside and (b) £10 million in total.

Council House Funding

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new money he has made available to local authorities in Wales for the modernisation of aging council house stock. [6469]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: My right hon. Friend has made available £48.2 million for capital works to council housing in 1996-97.

Interreg II Programme

Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for (a) each county (b) Wales, the amount of money expressed in pounds sterling paid or committed under the Interreg programme for each available year since its inception. [7039]

Mr. Hague: Nil. The Wales-Ireland II programme was officially launched by the two member states on 25 November 1995. Wales has been allocated approximately £11.4 million of EC grant--at current exchange rates-- for implementation of the programme. Applications for funding are currently being considered.

Negative Equity

Mr. Welsh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the percentage of home buyers in each of the past five years experiencing negative equity in Wales. [7249]

Mr. Gwilym Jones: Estimates of the percentage of home buyers experiencing negative equity in Wales in each of the past five years are as follows:

1990: 1 per cent.
1991: 2 per cent.
1992: 3 per cent.
1993: 3 per cent.
1994: 2 per cent.

These estimates are prepared by the Department of the Environment on the basis of a house price index. The estimates are sensitive to the assumptions made and are intended to provide only a broad indication of the level of negative equity.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Police (Grants)

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is, for each police authority in England and Wales, (a) the revenue grant that he proposes to make in 1996-97 and the revenue grant offered for 1995-96 and for each of the previous five years, together

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1193

with (b) the actual figure of revenue grant paid where it is different from the figure offered and (c) any supplementary revenue grant offered or paid in any year. [7273]

Mr. Maclean: For allocations to each police authority in 1995-96, and proposed allocations for 1996-97, I refer to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend on 30 November, columns 891-92 to my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North-East (Mr. Congdon). Details of allocations of Home Office specific grant paid in 1995- 96 are set out in the "Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 1995-96". Details of proposed allocations for 1996-97 are set out in the draft "Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 1996-97". Copies of both are in the Library.

Information on Home Office specific grant advanced to police authorities, and actual grant paid, is set out in the Table. No supplementary revenue grant was offered or paid.

£ million

Police authority	Advances 1990-91	Grant paid in respect of 1990-91
Avon and Somerset	50.52	52.20
Bedfordshire	23.63	24.46
Cambridgeshire	28.77	28.41
Cheshire	39.36	40.62
Cleveland	31.41	32.21
Cumbria	24.85	26.37
Derbyshire	30.63	31.24
Devon and Cornwall	51.04	53.89
Dorset	23.63	25.00
Durham	21.20	22.93
Essex	50.16	53.40
Gloucestershire	18.66	20.52
Hampshire	54.08	56.69
Hertfordshire	29.24	29.96
Humberside	34.37	35.55
Kent	51.53	55.60
Lancashire	51.89	55.15
Leicestershire	31.73	31.25
Lincolnshire	20.24	21.21
Norfolk	22.99	24.54
Northamptonshire	20.01	20.44
North Yorkshire	23.40	24.17
Nottinghamshire	36.57	38.61
Staffordshire	35.11	37.88
Suffolk	20.78	21.93
Surrey	26.90	29.13
Sussex	43.79	47.43
Thames Valley	64.03	68.40
Warwickshire	17.76	18.40
West Mercia	33.86	35.04
Wiltshire	18.93	20.85
Greater Manchester	110.91	116.56
Merseryside	78.73	81.96
Northumbria	58.99	61.90
South Yorkshire	48.21	48.34
West Midlands	106.70	116.92
West Yorkshire	91.28	92.40
City of London	25.14	25.43
Metropolitan	610.23	622.94
Dyfed-Powys	15.17	15.75
Gwent	15.88	16.98
North Wales	22.60	22.81
South Wales	50.60	54.19

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1194

£ million

Police authority	Advances 1991-92	Grant paid in respect of 1991-92
Avon and Somerset	57.44	56.87
Bedfordshire	19.98	19.97
Cambridgeshire	23.81	24.03
Cheshire	35.05	34.15
Cleveland	28.20	27.95
Cumbria	22.42	22.99
Derbyshire	34.38	33.68
Devon and Cornwall	59.02	59.89
Dorset	27.51	26.52
Durham	25.23	24.78
Essex	58.76	58.93
Gloucestershire	22.58	22.75
Hampshire	62.37	63.73
Hertfordshire	32.96	32.06
Humberside	39.11	39.47
Kent	61.17	65.65
Lancashire	60.68	62.23
Leicestershire	34.38	34.27
Lincolnshire	23.34	24.09
Norfolk	27.00	27.59
Northamptonshire	22.49	23.20
North Yorkshire	26.60	26.36
Nottinghamshire	42.49	42.14
Staffordshire	41.68	41.90
Suffolk	24.13	24.52
Surrey	32.06	32.34
Sussex	52.18	54.15
Thames Valley	75.32	76.20
Warwickshire	21.69	20.32
West Mercia	38.56	39.39
Wiltshire	22.94	23.57
Greater Manchester	128.25	126.89
Merseyside	89.89	91.23
Northumbria	68.24	67.74
South Yorkshire	53.19	52.61
West Midlands	128.65	127.92
West Yorkshire	101.68	100.59
City of London	20.80	20.82
Metropolitan	677.97	696.59
Dyfed-Powys	17.21	17.93
Gwent	18.59	18.71
North Wales	24.94	25.86
South Wales	59.25	60.45

£ million

Police authority	Advances 1992-93	Grant paid in respect of 1992-93
Avon and Somerset	61.52	63.40
Bedfordshire	21.40	22.55
Cambridgeshire	25.46	25.51
Cheshire	37.49	37.21
Cleveland	30.99	30.50
Cumbria	24.02	25.25
Derbyshire	36.82	38.65
Devon and Cornwall	63.98	65.42
Dorset	29.47	28.38
Durham	27.03	27.15
Essex	62.93	64.17
Gloucestershire	24.18	24.51
Hampshire	66.81	69.07
Hertfordshire	35.31	34.95
Humberside	41.89	42.90
Kent	66.58	70.23
Lancashire	65.00	65.62
Leicestershire	36.83	37.12
Lincolnshire	25.00	26.04
Norfolk	29.13	30.13
Northamptonshire	25.39	25.81
North Yorkshire	28.59	29.81
Nottinghamshire	45.51	45.64
Staffordshire	44.64	44.75
Suffolk	25.85	25.87
Surrey	34.68	36.15
Sussex	57.93	58.71
Thames Valley	82.46	81.86
Warwickshire	21.69	21.67
West Mercia	41.34	42.16
Wiltshire	24.57	26.21
Greater Manchester	142.04	138.82
Merseyside	96.59	96.53
Northumbria	72.95	69.63
South Yorkshire	58.82	59.95
West Midlands	139.07	144.98
West Yorkshire	108.90	106.45
City of London	22.92	22.57
Metropolitan	734.80	756.06
Dyfed-Powys	19.69	19.84
Gwent	19.79	19.87
North Wales	27.67	28.58
South Wales	63.99	64.92

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1195

£ million

Police authority	Advances 1993-94	Grant paid in respect of 1993-94
Avon and Somerset	64.47	67.53
Bedfordshire	23.63	24.46
Cambridgeshire	28.77	28.41
Cheshire	39.36	40.62
Cleveland	31.41	32.21
Cumbria	24.85	26.37
Derbyshire	39.53	39.89
Devon and Cornwall	68.39	69.69
Dorset	29.78	29.36
Durham	27.65	29.10
Essex	66.40	68.62
Gloucestershire	26.09	25.65
Hampshire	69.84	73.01
Hertfordshire	36.27	36.99
Humberside	44.09	45.36
Kent	74.12	72.93
Lancashire	68.79	70.76
Leicestershire	38.09	38.68
Lincolnshire	26.60	27.60
Norfolk	31.13	31.71
Northamptonshire	27.31	27.24
North Yorkshire	31.07	31.35
Nottinghamshire	48.49	48.74
Staffordshire	45.68	47.98
Suffolk	26.67	27.77
Surrey	37.18	38.07
Sussex	61.92	61.04
Thames Valley	88.15	88.71
Warwickshire	23.37	23.50
West Mercia	44.19	45.71
Wiltshire	27.75	27.31
Greater Manchester	151.84	150.97
Merseyside	98.68	103.27
Northumbria	77.36	78.99
South Yorkshire	62.88	63.56
West Midlands	148.67	149.06
West Yorkshire	114.53	111.80
City of London	25.14	25.43
Metropolitan	773.71	787.90
Dyfed-Powys	20.64	21.17
Gwent	20.06	21.12
North Wales	29.38	29.68
South Wales	66.47	66.75

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1196

£ million

Police authority	Advances 1994-95	Grant paid in respect of 1994-95
Avon and Somerset	67.90	70.85
Bedfordshire	25.37	25.98
Cambridgeshire	29.46	29.27
Cheshire	41.42	42.20
Cleveland	34.46	33.36
Cumbria	26.92	27.11
Derbyshire	41.68	42.29
Devon and Cornwall	69.47	71.08
Dorset	31.13	31.75
Durham	29.88	29.82
Essex	70.31	72.72
Gloucestershire	26.94	27.68
Hampshire	74.97	77.82
Hertfordshire	38.36	39.78
Humberside	46.23	46.20
Kent	77.52	77.15
Lancashire	72.20	72.21
Leicestershire	38.59	40.65
Lincolnshire	29.03	29.42
Norfolk	32.16	33.83
Northamptonshire	28.21	29.66
North Yorkshire	31.77	31.49
Nottinghamshire	52.98	52.29
Staffordshire	48.84	50.21
Suffolk	27.84	28.59
Surrey	41.34	42.61
Sussex	63.12	65.19
Thames Valley	95.76	95.01
Warwickshire	23.62	24.66
West Mercia	46.48	48.82
Wiltshire	30.78	29.99
Greater Manchester	158.65	158.93
Merseyside	106.88	107.02
Northumbria	82.54	86.18
South Yorkshire	69.23	67.08
West Midlands	154.46	154.70
West Yorkshire	115.71	116.67
City of London	26.75	26.36
Metropolitan	795.96	816.37
Dyfed-Powys	21.53	22.63
Gwent	21.60	21.90
North Wales	31.22	31.19
South Wales	66.87	66.90

Mr. Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is, for each police authority in England and Wales, (a) the capital grant that he proposes to make in 1996-97 and the capital grant offered for 1995-96 and for each of the previous five years, together with (b) the actual figure of capital grant paid where that is different from the figure offered and (c) any supplementary capital grant offered or paid in any year for special or designated purposes. [7274]

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1197

Mr. Maclean: Details of capital grant proposed for allocation to each police authority in 1996-97 and allocated in each of the previous six years are given in the table. Figures for proposed allocations in years prior

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1198

to 1996-97, and for additional sums paid in year, are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1197

Capital grant allocated to police authorities in England and Wales 1990-91 to 1996-97(5) £ million

	1990-91	1991-92	1992-93	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96(6)	1996-97(7)
Avon and Somerset	3.953	3.845	3.110	3.862	5.283	5.144	2.122
Bedfordshire	0.143	0.375	0.773	0.806	0.735	0.944	1.167
Cambridgeshire	0.338	0.806	1.200	1.625	1.092	0.812	0.629
Cheshire	0.656	1.234	1.234	1.429	1.139	1.154	0.961
City of London	0.322	0.416	0.454	0.756	1.222	0.505	0.421
Cleveland	0.460	0.573	0.880	0.885	0.889	0.888	0.740
Cumbria	0.579	0.673	0.771	0.885	0.794	0.702	0.585
Derbyshire	0.402	0.929	1.371	2.314	1.891	1.156	1.122
Devon and Cornwall	1.087	2.056	3.511	3.745	2.143	2.262	1.907
Dorset	0.606	1.362	2.355	2.026	1.355	0.797	0.666
Durham	0.328	1.249	1.559	2.172	1.280	0.853	0.870
Dyfed Powys	0.298	0.999	1.163	1.653	0.737	0.606	0.477
Essex	1.100	1.584	3.055	2.937	3.144	3.895	3.728
Gloucestershire	0.701	0.942	0.866	1.180	0.971	1.136	1.015
Greater Manchester	2.754	4.180	4.747	5.817	5.762	4.802	4.286
Gwent	1.602	1.897	1.998	1.049	1.092	1.200	0.680
Hampshire	1.039	1.917	2.064	2.489	2.267	2.524	2.911
Hertfordshire	0.809	1.076	1.044	1.052	0.996	1.079	1.375
Humberside	0.799	1.679	1.448	1.434	1.269	1.350	1.593
Kent	0.654	1.614	2.222	2.134	1.880	2.736	3.338
Lancashire	1.431	1.551	3.039	2.459	3.412	2.557	1.699
Leicestershire	2.847	1.866	1.601	1.809	1.561	2.837	1.982
Lincolnshire	0.707	0.865	1.329	1.902	1.071	1.589	1.465
Merseyside	1.194	2.708	2.784	2.925	3.504	3.558	3.245
Norfolk	0.150	0.681	0.934	1.124	1.046	0.950	1.283
Northamptonshire	0.435	0.972	1.186	1.270	0.961	0.762	0.876
Northumbria	3.505	2.484	3.074	3.838	5.324	5.844	4.334
North Wales	0.406	0.851	0.825	1.328	0.861	1.235	1.079
North Yorkshire	0.446	0.945	0.836	0.836	1.032	0.841	1.092
Nottinghamshire	1.261	1.771	3.371	3.354	3.016	2.610	3.042
South Wales	0.627	1.743	2.263	2.516	3.352	4.197	3.573
South Yorkshire	1.939	1.798	2.416	2.097	3.270	2.840	2.791
Staffordshire	1.502	1.378	2.018	2.099	1.686	1.821	1.788
Suffolk	0.381	1.175	0.869	0.843	0.729	0.732	0.609
Surrey	1.621	1.448	1.565	1.844	1.920	2.546	3.021
Sussex	1.968	3.051	2.553	2.104	1.948	3.886	3.746
Thames Valley	3.096	2.389	2.822	2.571	3.203	3.425	3.485
Warwickshire	0.307	0.795	1.052	1.291	1.535	0.971	0.521
West Mercia	3.747	2.247	3.659	4.586	2.513	1.893	2.036
West Midlands	4.940	5.452	4.667	5.573	6.419	5.889	4.570
West Yorkshire	4.020	6.798	7.221	4.090	3.590	4.449	3.918
Wiltshire	0.572	0.665	0.761	1.838	2.326	1.441	0.747
Metropolitan Police	28.507	34.214	32.968	36.327	34.383	33.723	27.749
	84.239	107.253	119.638	128.874	124.603	125.141	109.244

(5) Excludes grant paid to lead forces for regional crime squads.(6) Position as at 19 December 1995. £1.365 million still to be allocated for

purchase of building sites.

(7) Position as at 19 December 1995. £5.006 million still be to allocated for purchase of building sites and central funding for air support.

20 Dec 1995 : Column: 1197

---