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Research and Technological Development

Mr. Ingram: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the total sums allocated to (a) the United Kingdom and (b) each other EU state under the European Union's framework programme for research and technological development in each of the years from the establishment of the programme. [13364]

Mr. Ian Taylor: Payments from European Community expenditure programmes are not allocated to member states in the legislation supporting the programmes.

Framework IV, which runs from 1994-98 is the EU's main research and development programme. It has a budget of 13.1 billion ecu--approximately £10.9 billion. It is administered by the European Commission, which receives applications and manages the project selection process. The budget is not pre-allocated in any way among member states. Projects are selected on the basis of scientific excellence. UK researchers have participated strongly in successive framework programmes.

Official Receiver

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 1995, Official Report, column 600, what contracts have been awarded with regard to the functions of the official receiver. [13112]

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 17

Mr. Oppenheim: Following the conclusions of the initial and financial evaluation of the six tenders received for the case administration work of official receivers, I have agreed to an extension of the timetable to allow additional discussions to take place with those bidders most likely to be able to offer increased value for money. It is now my intention to make an announcement on the outcome of this exercise before the end of February.

Company Procedures

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 12 December 1995, Official Report, column 600-01, what progress he has made with the British Bankers Association on a binding code of practice. [13113]

Mr. Oppenheim: The British Bankers' Association has accepted the invitation to develop a code of practice.

Departmental Publicity

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) of 26 January, Official Report, column 424, how much has been spent by his Department on publicity and media relations for each year since 1990, including staff costs and how many press officers have been employed by his Department in each year since 1979. [13114]

Mr. John M. Taylor: (a) Expenditure from centrally managed budgets on publicity and media relations, including staff costs, has been as follows:

1990-91: £18,199,000
1991-92: £12,326,000
1992-93: £13,002,000
1993-94: £11,482,000
1994-95: £10,685,000

(b) Some 19 press officers are currently employed in the Department's Press Office. Corresponding figures for previous years are as follows:

1995: 19
1994: 17
1993: 19

The numbers of press officers before 1993 are not separately identifiable.

Departmental Running Costs (Limits)

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 20 December, Official Report, column 1265, when he expects the MINIS process currently being used to seek savings in all areas of the Department's running costs completed. [13591]

Mr. Lang: The MINIS 96 process is continuing on schedule. I expect to publish the outcome for the financial year 1996-97 by May 1996. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 18

European Legislation

Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how he ensures that the negotiating brief for his officials discussing EU legislation takes fully into account the need to minimise the burdens on United Kingdom business. [13685]

Mr. Page: Official guidance on how officials are to apply deregulatory principles when negotiating EC regulations are contained in the booklet "Getting a Good Deal in Europe". This guidance has also been supplemented by the recent publication of guidance on the preparation of compliance cost assessments which stresses that the likely burdens on business highlighted by UK compliance cost assessments of EC proposals should be integral to the UK's negotiating strategy.

Copies of both these guidance booklets have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Electricity Privatisation

Mr. Pike: To ask the President of the Board of Trade after which date National Power and PowerGen can dispose of sites owned at the time of privatisation without a share of the proceeds going to Her Majesty's Government; and if he will make a statement. [12856]

Mr. Page: The provisions of the property clawback regime will continue to apply to all of the privatised electricity companies until 31 March 2000.

Mr. Pike: To ask the President of the Board of Trade which power stations or other sites have closed or become surplus to requirements since privatisation by (a) PowerGen and (b) National Power; which of such sites have been sold; and what Her Majesty's Government have received in each instance. [12855]

Mr. Page: Detailed questions about the classification, use or sale of sites are a commercial matter for the companies. Since 1990, under the property clawback provisions which apply to all the privatised electricity companies HM Government have received £0.56 million and £0.89 million from National Power and PowerGen respectively.

Combat-induced Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Mr. McNamara: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what research is or has been undertaken by the Medical Research Council into combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder. [12905]

Mr. Ian Taylor: The Medical Research Council is not currently carrying out, and has not carried out any research into combat-induced post-traumatic stress disorder.

HEALTH

Private Health Care (Referrals)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients were referred to private health care by NHS doctors in 1995-96. [12938]

Mr. Malone: This information is not available centrally.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 19

Psychiatric Hospitals

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the number of medium secure beds provided in each year since 1985 by each private psychiatric hospital, analysed by location and health authority; and what is the average current cost of such beds as compared with equivalent NHS beds; [12297]

(2) how many medium secure psychiatric hospital beds there have been in each region in each year since 1985; [12296]

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 20

(3) how many of the patients currently in medium secure provision in each of the private psychiatric hospitals live within their health authority catchment area; and how many come from homes outside the area. [12298]

Mr. Bowis: The tables show the number of purpose-built medium secure places in each region. Since 31 March 1995 a further 160 places have opened. There are also about 450 places nationally in interim secure psychiatric units, many of which are of medium secure standard. The other information requested is not available centrally.

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 19

Purpose-built medium secure places by region

Regional health authorities	31-01-85	31-01-86	31-01-87	31-01-88	31-01-89	31-01-90	31-01-91	31-01-92	31-01-93
East Anglia	36	36	36	36	36	34	34	34	34
Oxford	--	--	14	26	36	36	25	25	25
North-east Thames	10	10	10	14	14	14	14	14	14
North-west Thames	--	40	40	40	40	40	46	46	48
South-east Thames	75	90	90	90	82	85	85	85	85
South-west Thames	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
South western	30	30	30	60	46	60	60	60	65
Wessex	31	31	31	31	22	26	26	28	29
West Midlands	--	--	--	40	58	63	77	77	77
Trent	45	22	45	30	45	45	45	48	48
Yorkshire	48	48	48	48	39	44	44	44	44
Northern	30	30	30	25	15	15	21	25	27
North Western	20	102	102	86	73	74	82	82	82
Mersey	50	50	50	50	36	36	36	36	36
National total	375	489	526	576	542	572	595	604	614

5 Feb 1996 : Column: 19

Purpose built medium secure places by region

Regional health authorities	31 March 1994	31 March 1995	5 January 1996
Anglia and Oxford	89	121	121
North Thames	108	108	165
South Thames	90	90	141
South and West	94	108	112
West Midlands	77	77	95
Trent	48	48	48
Northern and Yorkshire	101	101	131
North West	110	139	139
National total	717	792	952

Regional health authority boundaries changed in 1994 and the date on which the figures were collected changed from 31 January to 31 March. These figures are for medium secure places in the new regions.

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