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Orders

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23314]

Mr. Lang: One.

Overseas Visits

Mr. Hall: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will place in the Library a list of all overseas visits made by all Ministers of his Department since 1990, including (a) details of the places visited and brief reasons for the visit, (b) details of the size, composition and cost

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to public funds of the delegation and (c) the names of non-ministerial members of each delegation and the capacity in which each was present. [17484]

Mr. Lang [holding answer 1 March 1996]: The lists for the years 1992 to present have been placed in the Library of the House. Recovery of data for the years 1990 to 1992 would incur disproportionate costs. Details of the size, composition and function of each delegation would also incur a disproportionate cost. Business people accompanying Ministers are not normally paid for by public funds and the need for officials to accompany Ministers is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

China and Taiwan

Sir Nicholas Scott: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make clear to the Government of China during his forthcoming visit that the attempts of China to interfere by the threat of force in the democratic politics of Taiwan are unacceptable to the United Kingdom, that a programme of interference in recognised international sea and air routes by firing shells and missiles is also unacceptable and that any renewal of either of these will result in restrictions on investment in trade with China. [22207]

The Deputy Prime Minister: We have already made very clear to the Chinese Government our grave concerns about their recent military activity. We will continue, on every appropriate occasion, to urge restraint and an early resumption of dialogue with Taiwan.

HMSO

Mr. Patrick Thompson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he plans to HMSO's external finance limit for 1995-96. [24344]

Mr. Freeman: Due to adverse trading conditions and costs associated with an on-going redundancy programme, HMSO is now expected to have a positive external finance requirement in the current year. An external finance limit will therefore be set for 1995-96 at £20,000,000. The increased requirement will be funded from the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

Civil Service Management Functions

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which civil service management functions he proposes to delegate to Departments and agencies from 1 April 1996. [24343]

Mr. Freeman: I have agreed that, under the terms of the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992, Ministers and office holders in charge of Departments should have delegated authority from 1 April 1996:

(a) to prescribe the qualifications (so far as they relate to age, knowledge, ability, professional attainment, aptitude and potential) for the appointment of home civil servants (with the exception of the fast stream development programme) in their respective departments; and

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(b) to determine in respect of home civil servants in their respective departments the number and grading of posts outside the senior civil service and the terms and conditions of employment in so far as they relate to the following:


(i) classification of staff, with the exception of the senior civil service;


(ii) remuneration and allowances, with the exception of the senior civil service;


(iii) allowances for the senior civil service in respect of service overseas;


(iv) expenses;


(v) holidays, hours of work and attendance;


(vi) part-time and other working arrangements;


(vii) performance and promotion;


(viii) retirement age and redundancy;


(ix) re-deployment of staff within and between departments.

A revised management code, taking account of the new delegations and the creation of the senior civil service, has been issued to Departments and agencies. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

ENVIRONMENT

Secondary Liquid Fuels

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will require manufacturers of secondary liquid fuels to make publicly available their chemical composition. [22954]

Mr. Clappison: If a cement or lime kiln is to use secondary liquid fuel, the operator sends the fuel specification to Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution. This specification includes the technical data that the inspectorate needs for the statutory regulation of the process at the kiln. The specification is put on the public register. Chemical analyses are provided if they are relevant. If the inspectorate decides to authorise the process, the authorisation, which includes the details of the fuel, also appears on the public register. A further requirement would impose upon industry without returning regulatory benefit to the public.

Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date trials of secondary liquid fuel began at Barrington cement works. [23248]

Mr. Clappison: Trials began on 9 November 1993, for 25 per cent. substitution of fuel.

Mr. Bennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on what date use of secondary liquid fuel at Barrington was approved. [23246]

Mr. Clappison: Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution issued a variation to the company's authorisation for the burning of secondary liquid fuel on 8 November 1995, which came into effect on 13 November 1995.

Environmental Pollution Reports

Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on which criteria and within which time scale he expects to respond to reports produced by the royal commission on environmental pollution. [23063]

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Mr. Clappison: We have told the chairman of the royal commission that our general aim is to respond to its reports in nine to 12 months, but that a different timetable may be appropriate in particular cases.

Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number and title of the reports of the royal commission on environmental pollution to which the Government have (a) responded and (b) not responded indicating for (b) the factors underlying the absence of response. [23064]

Mr. Clappison: The Government have responded to the following reports by the royal commission on environmental pollution:

First Report.
2nd Report: "Three Issues in Industrial Pollution".
3rd Report: "Pollution in some British Estuaries and Coastal Waters".
4th Report: "Pollution Control: Progress and Problems".
5th Report: "Air Pollution Control: an Integrated Approach".
6th Report: "Nuclear Power and the Environment".
7th Report: "Agriculture and Pollution".
8th Report: "Oil Pollution of the Sea".
9th Report: "Lead in the Environment".
10th Report: "Tackling Pollution--Experience and Prospects".
11th Report: "Managing Waste: The Duty of Care".
12th Report: "Best Practicable Environmental Option".
13th Report: "The Release of Genetically Engineered Organisms to the Environment".
14th Report: "GENHAZ--a system for the critical appraisal of proposals to release genetically modified organisms into the environment".
15th Report: "Emissions from Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles".
16th Report: "Freshwater Quality".
17th Report: "Incineration of Waste".

The Government have not yet responded to the following:

18th Report: "Transport and the Environment". The Government are considering the royal commission report in the light of responses to the national transport debate. A report drawing together all the threads of the national debate will be produced during 1996.
19th Report: "Sustainable Use of Soil". The Government are considering this report, which was published on 29 February, and will respond in due course.

Orders

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many orders under the negative resolution procedure have been brought into effect on the day they have been made since January 1995. [23313]

Sir Paul Beresford: None.

Civil Estate (Efficiency Scrutiny)

Mr. Mans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the report of the implementation of the recommendations of the efficiency unit's scrutiny of the management of the civil estate will be available. [24288]

Mr. Gummer: Following the scrutiny of the management of the civil estate, the responsibilities for

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property on the civil estate currently exercised by the Department of the Environment's property holdings are being transferred to departments. This transfer will take effect on 1 April 1996. I have placed in the Library of the House the final report of the scrutiny action manager on the action taken to implement the 84 detailed recommendations of the scrutiny.

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