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Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimate he has made of the savings to business from the Deregulation (Building) (Initial Notices and Final Certificates) Order 1996. [19500]

Mr. Clappison: The estimated saving to business that will result from this order is £68,000 per annum.

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Waste Classification

Mrs. Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when he expects the report on the consultation exercise on the system for classifying waste for the national waste classification system; and if he will publish the results; [19692]

(2) if he will make it his policy to extend the scope of the proposed category 1 of the system for classifying waste for the national waste classification system to include salt purification waste; [19696]

(3) if he will change the emphasis in the system for classifying wastes for the national waste classification system between the natural qualities of the material and their disposal method and the process through which they may pass. [19697]

Mr. Clappison: The national waste classification scheme is being introduced with several aims:

to provide a means to describe waste consistently that will assist waste producers and the waste management industry in assessing the wastes they have to deal with;
to help promote consistency of waste management licensing and the effectiveness of the duty of care; and
to assist the new environment agencies in their waste management planning roles to provide the sort of information on the production and management of waste that is needed for the development of sound waste strategies at both local and national level.

11 Mar 1996 : Column: 422

The stage 2 consultation paper on the national waste classification scheme classifies waste by both the intrinsic properties and its origins. I propose to keep to these principles in the third stage of consultation.

Responses to stage 2 of the consultation exercise, including those about the classification of salt purification waste, are being considered. The results will be published next month as part of the third stage of consultation. This will involve the introduction of the scheme on a non-statutory basis from April, so that its use can be fully assessed.

Water (Conservation and Consumer Choice) Bill

Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many representations he has received (a) supporting and (b) opposing the Water (Conservation and Consumer Choice) Bill. [19779]

Mr. Clappison [holding answer 8 March 1996]: The Department has received about 3,000 representations to date. Almost all have been inspired by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' campaign, which urges members to write in support of the Bill. The majority of the representations dealt with reflect that view.

Scientists and Engineers

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many professional scientists and engineers of each category were employed at each grade in the headquarters division of his Department in each year from 1991 to the current year. [19801]

Sir Paul Beresford: The following information gives the numbers of professional scientists and engineers each year from 1991 to the current year.

Grade	1991		1992		1993		1994		1995		1996
	Scientists	Engineers	Scientists	Engineers	Scientists	Engineers	Scientists	Engineers	Scientists	Engineers	Scientists	Engineers
Grade 3	1	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1
Grade 4	0	2	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0
Grade 5	4	8	5	9	7	6	10	7	8	6	7	6
Grade 6	19	31	20	27	22	24	23	23	23	22	22	23
Grade 7	68	90	70	88	75	94	83	85	80	80	78	72
SEO and equivalent	42	58	85	63	107	70	110	69	114	69	110	62
HEO and equivalent	14	12	14	14	19	13	20	10	12	8	11	2
EO and equivalent	0	5	0	12	0	19	0	2	0	1	0	1
AO and equivalent	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
AA and equivalent	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

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FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Public Interest Immunity Certificates

Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to amend the public interest immunity certificates issued in the litigation brought by Andrew Balfour. [18811]

Mr. Hanley: The public interest immunity certificates issued have been upheld by the Court of Appeal, and there are no plans to amend them.

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Iran

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to support the introduction of international trade sanctions against Iran. [19762]

Mr. Hanley: We have a number of serious concerns about Iranian policy which we and our European Union partners make clear to the Iranian Government. Exports to Iran are strictly controlled. But we do not believe that an international trade embargo would be practicable.

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Former Yugoslavia

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington) of 31 January, Official Report, column 766, if he will ensure that no licences will be granted for export of equipment to the former Yugoslavia that could be used in the development of indigenous arms industries. [19956]

Mr. David Davis: We will consider all export licence applications for defence equipment to the former Yugoslavia on a case by case basis as explained in the answer to which the hon. Member refers.

For the duration of the implementation force's deployment, our primary objective will be the safety of British troops.

Kenya

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions Her Majesty's Government are taking to promote increased investment from the United Kingdom to Kenya; and if he will make a statement. [17102]

Mr. Nelson: I have been asked to reply.

My Department, together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Overseas Development Administration, is offering assistance to the Kenyan Government in their efforts to attract investment through financial and technical assistance and the introduction of key Kenyan individuals to UK organisations for attracting inward investment. We are also making potential UK investors aware of the opportunities in Kenya through our trade promotion programme.

Sierra Leone

Mr. Rowe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Sierra Leone with particular reference to allegations of breaches of human rights. [19342]

Mr. Hanley: Any lasting improvement in the political and human rights situations in Sierra Leone depends on the restoration of accountable, civilian government and an end to the rebel war. We therefore welcome the elections held on 26 and 27 February as well as the opening of peace talks between Sierra Leone authorities and the Revolutionary United Front.

Mr. Omar al Hassan

Miss Emma Nicholson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about Mr. Omar al Hassan; and if he will make a statement. [17855]

Mr. Hanley: From time to time, this Department receives information about Dr. al Hassan and the Gulf Centre for Strategic Studies.

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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

British Coal Enterprise

Mr. Battle: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) upon what criteria the successful bids for British Coal Enterprise will be chosen; and if he will make a statement; [19894]

(2) how many bids have been made for British Coal Enterprise; and by whom. [19893]

Mr. Page: The sale of British Coal Enterprise is a matter for British Coal. I understand, however, that the corporation has announced that two management buy-out teams have been identified as preferred bidders for the business funding and outplacement arms of BCE. Discussions will be continuing with a number of parties about the sale of the company's property portfolio.

When launching the sales process for BCE, British Coal indicated that it would be considering proposals for the company in the light of its statutory duties and the importance of ensuring continuation of effective assistance to coalfield communities.

Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many bids (a) he has received, (b) he has rejected and (c) are still under consideration for British Coal Enterprise; and if he will make a statement; [19127]

(2) what criteria the bidding party has to fulfil to be accepted as the buyer of British Coal Enterprise; and if he will make a statement; [19128]

(3) if he will make it his policy that the present level of economic regeneration in coal mining communities be maintained after the sale of British Coal Enterprise; [19129]

(4) if the sale of British Coal Enterprise will go ahead if the European Commission requires repayment of some or all of European regional development fund loans; [19130]

(5) if he will make it his policy that the money generated from the sale of British Coal Enterprise be used on new projects to regenerate coalfield areas; and if he will make a statement; [19131]

(6) if he will make it a condition of sale of British Coal Enterprise that the buyer will retain its activities in the United Kingdom coalfields; and if he will make a statement; [19132]

(7) what extra funding the coalfield areas fund will receive after the sale of British Coal Enterprise; [19133]

(8) when he will announce which bid has won the contract to buy British Coal Enterprise. [19134]

Mr. Page: The sale of British Coal Enterprise is a matter for British Coal. When launching the sales process, British Coal indicated that it would be considering proposals for the BCE in the light of its statutory duties and the importance of ensuring continuation of effective assistance to coalfield communities.

The Government's continuing support for economic regeneration in the coalfields is provided through regional selective assistance and the single regeneration budget, in addition to the availability of European structural funds.

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Where projects supported by ERDF grant or the associated grant payments are complete, the Government do not believe that the sale of BCE or of its workspace activities, will affect the status of the projects or of the grants, provided that the assets continue to be used for eligible purposes and in accordance with the terms of the relevant offers of grant.

Where projects supported by ERDF grant or the associated grant payments are not complete, or where offers of grant are still to be made in response to applications from BCE, the Government will seek assurances from any prospective purchaser of BCE, or of its work space activities, that it will complete the projects in accordance with the terms of the offer of ERDF grant, continue to use the assets for eligible purposes and comply with the other requirements, both of the Government and of European Community law, as they relate to the offer of those grants.

The corporation has announced that two management buy-out teams have been identified as preferred bidders for for the business funding and outplacement arms of BCE. Discussions will be proceeding with a number of parties about the sale of the company's property portfolio. The corporation expects that the process will be concluded at or shortly after the end of March 1996.

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