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Quadrilateral Armaments Structure

Mr. Congdon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the quadrilateral armaments structure with France, Germany and Italy; and if he will make a statement. [3975]

Mr. Arbuthnot: I am pleased to announce that today the UK signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of a quadrilateral armaments agency with France, Germany and Italy. The UK is now fully involved on an equal basis in the agency's formation, operation and subsequent development. This important initiative will lead to a more efficient and effective approach to the management of collaborative defence programmes.

TRANSPORT

Mr. Kashieris

Mr. Deva: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the circumstances leading to the injury to Mr. Kashieris of Isleworth on 1 June 1993; if he will investigate the work of the Civil Aviation Authority in attempting to identify the aircraft involved; and if he will ensure that Mr. Kashieris is compensated. [3790]

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Mr. Bowis: My noble Friend the Minister for Aviation and Shipping wrote to my hon. Friend about this on 20 October 1995. There have been no new developments since that time.

Traffic Area Boundaries (Manchester)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations the Minister for Transport in London, local transport and road safety has received from the leader of Manchester city council on redrawing the traffic area boundaries; what reply he is sending; what action he will be taking; and if he will make a statement. [2034]

Mr. Bowis: Two letters dated 30 July and 3 October have been received from the leader of Manchester city council about redrawing the traffic area boundaries. Replies were sent on 10 August and 20 October respectively. I hope to make an announcement about traffic area boundaries shortly.

Motor Cycle Licences

Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will repeal the provision to suspend motor cycle licences upon failure to pass a test at the same time as implementing the provisions of the second EC directive on driving licences. [3083]

Mr. Bowis: The provision under which licences are suspended if a motor cycle test is not passed within two years was introduced in 1981 in order to improve motor cycle safety by providing an incentive for learner motor cyclists to take training and become qualified early in their riding careers. There are no plans to repeal it.

Fuel Duty

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what factors underlie the differential in fuel duty between private bus companies and private rail companies. [2600]

Mr. Bowis: In 1993, operators of rail passenger services were charged duty on diesel at a rate of 2.33p per litre. Bus operators of registered local bus services were eligible for fuel duty rebate and effectively paid no duty on diesel. In 1993, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer froze the level of fuel duty rebate for buses at 25.14p per litre. This coincided with the strategy of increasing fuel duty by on average at least 5 per cent. per annum above inflation every year, to contribute to the UK's Rio target that levels of carbon dioxide emissions should be at 1990 levels in 2000. It was important that the UK bus industry also played its part in improving fuel efficiency and in meeting the Rio target. It would not be possible for the red diesel scheme set up for rail, agricultural and construction uses to be applied to buses, or to charge different rates of duty for different uses of red diesel. This creates practical difficulties in changing the taxation of diesel used by rail in response to changes in the fuel duty regime for buses.

Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents

Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken to implement Council

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directive 94/56/EC establishing the fundamental principles governing the investigation of civil aviation accidents and incidents. [3997]

Mr. Bowis: This directive will be implemented by the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Air Accidents and Incidents) Regulations 1996 which come into effect on 21 November 1996.

Civil Aviation Authority

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what objectives he has set for the new chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority. [3974]

Sir George Young: I wrote to Sir Malcolm Field on 11 November and have today placed a copy of my letter in the Library.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Members of the European Parliament

Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will arrange for (a) a register of MEPs' interests, (b) a list of MEPs' attendance records and (c) copies of debates in the European Parliament to be placed in the Library. [3242]

Mr. David Davis: (a) The European Parliament agreed arrangements for a register of Members' interests in July 1996. We understand that the register will be complete around the end of the year.

Arrangements for consulting the register have not been finalised.

(b) Attendance at European Parliament sessions is recorded in the Parliament's minutes, which are placed in the House Library.

(c) Minutes of European Parliament debates and other business are already placed in the Library.

Visas

Mrs. Fyfe: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the range of charges for applications for visas; what is the average cost of processing each application; what is the reason for the policy of making no refunds, in whole or in part, in the event of an application being refused; and what was the difference between the income from visa applications and the expenditure in processing them in the last year for which figures are available. [2035]

Dr. Liam Fox: Details of the fees for receiving applications for entry clearance for the United Kingdom are given in the Consular Fees Order 1996, SI 1996 No. 1915. The average cost of processing an application ranges from £25 for a direct airside transit visa to £230 for a settlement visa. Application fees are not refundable because it is Government policy to recover the full cost of processing an application irrespective of the outcome. However, if at a preliminary assessment stage the entry clearance officer believes that an application probably will not succeed, the applicant is informed and given the opportunity to decide not to make a formal application. In

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that case, no fee is paid. In 1995-96, the income from fees was £42 million; the global entry clearance operation cost £48 million.

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many potential applicants in (a) 1995 and (b) January to October 1996 seeking visitors' visas at (i) Islamabad, (ii) Delhi, (iii) Bombay and (iv) Lagos have been advised not to pursue their application; and if he will make a statement. [3209]

Dr. Fox: The numbers of entry clearance applicants who, following preliminary assessment advice, chose not to proceed were:

	Islamabad	Delhi	Bombay	Lagos
1995	13,717	6,101	4,260	348
January-September 1996	10,643	4,905	2,618	0

Statistics of those who were advised not to pursue their applications, but who nevertheless chose to do so, are not recorded.

Entry Clearance

Mr. Fatchett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of pre-sifted withdrawals for entry clearance from (a) Islamabad, (b) New Delhi, (c) Bombay and (d) Lagos for 1995; and if he will make a statement. [3208]

Dr. Liam Fox: The numbers of entry clearance applicants who following preliminary assessment advice chose not to proceed were:

	Islamabad	Delhi	Bombay	Lagos
1995	13,717	6,101	4,260	348

Iraq

Mr. Parry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on missing Kuwait prisoners of war held in Iraq. [3172]

Mr. Hanley: Britain remains concerned about the plight of over 600 Kuwaitis and other nationals missing in Iraq since the Gulf war. We strongly support Kuwait's efforts through the International Committee of the Red Cross to establish the whereabouts of its missing citizens and will continue to play an active role.

Sadly, the Iraqis continue to show no interest in making progress. We have made it clear to Iraq that this is unacceptable.

I discussed this issue with Ministers in Kuwait in October.

Diplomatic Appointments

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions his Department places on the religious affiliation permissible to a head of mission to the state of Israel. [3339]

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Mr. Hanley: There are no restrictions on the religious affiliation of a British ambassador accredited to the state of Israel.

Mr. Alton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons his Department appoints only non-Roman Catholics as head of mission to the Holy See. [3338]

Mr. Hanley: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 11 July 1994, Official Report, column 428.

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