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Written Answers to Questions

Friday 29 November 1996.

ENVIRONMENT

Mineral Planning Guidance

Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the revision of mineral planning guidance note 7. [6735]

Sir Paul Beresford: I am pleased to announce that the document was published today. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Sellafield

Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which of the plants and facilities at Sellafield belong to (a) British Nuclear Fuels plc, (b) the UK Atomic Energy Authority and (c) other bodies; and which have been subject to (i) an environmental audit and (ii) an environmental impact assessment. [5720]

Mr. Page: I have been asked to reply.

Details of which organisations own the various plants and facilities on the Sellafield site are administrative, and commercially sensitive, matters for the operators. For security reasons, it is not the practice to disclose information on individual buildings. All the operators are required to meet the applicable environmental and licensing requirements.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Overnight Facilities

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee in what circumstances hon. Members, officers and staff of the House can use the overnight facilities in each of the parliamentary buildings; what was the total cost of the provision of such facilities in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [5608]

Mr. Michael J. Martin: This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms. I have asked him to write to my hon. Friend.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Grant-maintained Schools

Mr. Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of secondary schools are currently grant maintained. [6758]

Mr. Forth: Grant-maintained secondary schools make up 18 per cent. of maintained secondary schools in England.

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Pupil Selection

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many and what proportion of the consultees on the White Paper, "Self-Government for Schools", who responded to the pupil selection proposals were in favour of increased selection. [6924]

Mr. Forth: We received 637 responses to the White Paper "Self-Government for Schools". Over three-quarters were from LEAs and LEA-maintained schools. Some 397 respondents commented on the proposals to give schools greater freedom to introduce or extend selection. Of these, 10--3 per cent.--expressed support for the proposals.

Office for Standards in Education

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will give a breakdown of spending on Ofsted in 1996-97 and of budgeted spending in 1997-98. [6935]

Mr. Robin Squire: This is a matter for Her Majesty's chief inspector of schools, who heads the Office for Standards in Education. I have asked Mr. Chris Woodhead to write to the hon. Member.

Pupils (Islington)

Mr. John Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many children from Islington were educated outside Islington; and how many children from outside Islington were educated in Islington in the last year for which figures are available. [6761]

Mr. Robin Squire: As at January 1996, some 3,750 pupils aged five to 15 from Islington were estimated to be educated outside Islington. At the same date, some 3,900 pupils aged five to 15 from outside Islington were estimated to be educated in Islington.

Pre-school Provision

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was (a) the number and (b) the percentage of four year-olds in (i) nursery schools, (ii) nursery classes in primary schools and (iii) reception classes in primary schools, in each local education authority and nationally, at January 1996. [5953]

Mr. Robin Squire: Information on pupils aged four in maintained nursery and primary schools for England is shown in the following table. The Department does not publish information on participation rates of individual age cohorts by local education authority.

Pupils aged four in maintained nursery and primary schools(1)

England		January 1996
	Number	Percentage of population
Nursery schools	20,800	3.2
Nursery classes in primary schools	134,200	20.4
Infant classes in primary schools	343,400	52.2
All pupils aged four in nursery and primary schools	498,400	75.8

(1) These figures are not directly comparable with those released in previous years due to changes in the data collected.

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Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was (a) the number and (b) the percentages of four-year-olds in pre-school provision in each local education authority and nationality in January 1996. [5954]

Mr. Squire: Information on pupils aged four in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools for England is shown in the table. The Department does not publish information on participation rates of individual age cohorts by local education authority.

Pupils aged four in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in maintained primary schools(2)

	Number	Percentage of population
Nursery schools	20,800	3.2
Nursery classes in primary schools	134,200	20.4
All pupils aged four in nursery and primary schools	155,000	23.6

(2) These figures are not directly comparable with those released in previous years due to changes in the data collected.

DEFENCE

Services Sound and Vision Corporation

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what developments there have been affecting his Department's relationship with the Services Sound and Vision Corporation since his answer of 15 October, Official Report, column 863; and if he will make a statement. [7270]

Mr. Soames: The contracts mentioned in the answer given on 15 October have been offered to, and accepted, by SSVC. The MOD's relationship with the SSVC is now the same as its relationship with any commercial supplier and the corporation's non-departmental public body status has been revoked accordingly.

Edinburgh Castle

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the regulations which govern which flag flies over Edinburgh castle; what plans he has to alter these regulations to ensure that the Saltire or the Lion Rampant flies over Edinburgh castle while the Stone of Scone rests in the castle; and if he will make a statement. [5944]

Mr. Soames [holding answer 26 November 1996]: The rules governing flag flying over Army flag stations such as Edinburgh castle are set out in Queen's regulations for the Army. These state the type, size and occasions on

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which flags are to be flown. I have no plans to amend these regulations. The Saltire will fly from the Half Moon battery at Edinburgh castle on Saint Andrew's day and for the forseeable future thereafter.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

Indemnity Undertakings

Mr. Legg: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage how many indemnity undertakings were given by Departments under section 16 of the National Heritage Act 1980 for the six-month period ended 30 September; and what was the value of (a) any contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time under that section which remain outstanding as at 30 September and (b) non-statutory Government indemnities in respect of loans handled by the Government art collection which remain outstanding as at 30 September. [7271]

Mrs. Virginia Bottomley: The provision for the Government indemnity scheme is made by the National Heritage Act 1980. The scheme facilitates public access to loans of works of art and other items for public display made to museums, galleries and other such institutions by private owners and non-national institutions. It does this by indemnifying lenders against loss or damage to their loan. Loans covered by the scheme must be for public benefit. The scheme also covers loans of such objects for study purposes within institutions where this would contribute materially to the public's understanding or appreciation of the loan--for example through a scholarly publication.

In the six-month period ended 30 September 1996, the following undertakings to indemnify were given by the relevant Departments for objects on loan to national and non-national institutions:

	Numbers
Department of National Heritage	453
Scottish Office Education Department	164
Welsh Office Education Department	70
Department of Education for Northern Ireland	30

The value of contingent liabilities in respect of such undertakings given at any time under section 16 and which remain outstanding at 30 September are:

	£
Department of National Heritage	1,388,795,250
Scottish Office Education Department	348,112,981
Welsh Office Education Department	49,547,929
Department of Education for Northern Ireland	7,013,664

The value of non-statutory Government indemnities to cover loans handled by the Government art collection and which were outstanding at 30 September 1996 is:

Value: £9,000,000.

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