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HOME DEPARTMENT

Polystyrene (Fire Risks)

Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for Transport of 29 November, Official Report, column 418, if he will place in the Library copies of the research undertaken by the fire research and development group and the fire research station into the fire and smoke hazards of polystyrene, together with their findings. [7812]

Mr. Sackville: I have arranged for this information to be placed in the Library.

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Offenders

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of the (a) male and (b) female population over the age of 30 years has committed at least one (i) minor criminal offence and (ii) serious criminal offence; and if he will make a statement. [7509]

Mr. Maclean: Information available centrally on the percentage of the population with a criminal record relates to convictions for standard list offences only. Standard list offences include all indictable offences, including those triable either way, plus the more serious summary offences. All standard list offences are considered to be serious offences.

Results from criminal histories of a sample of offenders born in 1953 indicate that 31 per cent. of males and 7 per cent. of females born in that year were convicted of at

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least one standard list offence before the age of 30; and that 34 per cent of males and 8 per cent of females were convicted of at least one standard list offence before the age of 40.

Asylum Seekers

Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the report, "A Second Exile. The Mental Health Implications of Detention of Asylum Seekers in the United Kingdom", by C. K. Pourgourides, S. P. Sashidharan and P. J. Bracken at the North Birmingham Mental Health trust; and what plans he has to implement its recommendations. [8646]

Mr. Kirkhope: Copies of this report have been forwarded to us. We cannot accept its main recommendation--that the policy of detaining asylum seekers should be abandoned--but we will take account of its detailed recommendations in taking forward detention policy.

Detention under the powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971 is used only as a last resort. Temporary admission is granted wherever possible. The primary consideration is whether a person is likely to comply with any restrictions upon him, including any arrangements for his removal from the country. Detention is unavoidable in a small number of cases if we are to retain an effective immigration control.

NATIONAL HERITAGE

National Lottery

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage (1) how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling (a) lottery tickets and (b) scratch cards to children; and if she will make a statement; [8201]

(2) how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling (a) lottery tickets and (b) scratch cards to children in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement; [8199]

(3) how many retailers have been prosecuted for selling (a) lottery tickets and (b) scratch cards to children in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [8202]

Mr. Sproat: These are operational matters for Camelot Group plc. I have, therefore, asked the Director General of the National Lottery, who is responsible for regulating the operation of the lottery, to write to the hon. Member, placing copies of his response in the Library of the House.

British Academy of Sport

Dr. Twinn: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will announce the names of those bids to establish and run the British Academy of Sport that are going forward to the second stage of the evaluation process. [9136]

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Mr. Sproat: Thirteen of the 26 bids received to establish and run the British Academy of Sport are going forward to stage 2 of the evaluation process. The 13 bids are:

The Athletes Bid (Hertfordshire)
Bath
Birmingham West Midlands
Central Consortium (Loughborough, Nottingham, Lilleshall)
De Montford University
Houghton Grange (Huntingdon)
Kent Thameside
Manchester
Merseyside
Sheffield
Sports City Foundation (Kettering)
UK Academy 2000 (Yorkshire)
Upper Heyford (Oxfordshire).

We expect to reach a final decision in the early spring of next year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Iraq

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the United Nations to implement and monitor the oil for food deal in Iraq under the provisions of UN resolution 986. [8652]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We welcome UN Security Council resolution 986 (1995) which took effect on 10 December. Saddam Hussein's failure to agree to implement this humanitarian gesture for over 18 months has caused the Iraqi people much unnecessary suffering. The UN in New York will monitor contracts for the export of oil from Iraq. It has appointed inspectors to monitor the export of oil from Iraq and the import of humanitarian goods. The UN has also appointed observers to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of humanitarian goods once they are inside Iraq.

European Monitoring Centre for Racism and

Xenophobia

Mr. Stephen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the cost to United Kingdom public funds of the establishment of a European monitoring centre for racism and xenophobia. [8671]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Discussions are continuing about the form which the European monitoring centre for racism and xenophobia should take. It is too early to estimate its likely cost to United Kingdom public funds.

Mr. Stephen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will veto plans to establish a European monitoring centre for racism and xenophobia. [8670]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: No. Agreement was reached at the Florence European Council on 21 to 22 June 1996, on the principle of a European monitoring centre for racism and xenophobia.

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Human Rights

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the British Government are taking to promote the safeguarding of human rights worldwide. [8788]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: We participate actively in bodies dealing with human rights, including the United Nations, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth. We raise human rights concerns with individual Governments bilaterally and with European Union partners.

Nuclear Disarmament

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the British Government are taking in respect of the International Court of Justice ruling of 8 July 1996, relating to nuclear disarmament. [8789]

Mr. David Davis: We do not believe that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of nuclear weapons gives rise to any new factors affecting the fundamental principles of United Kingdom and NATO defence policy, including the continuing importance of nuclear deterrence in maintaining peace and stability in Europe.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

Farm Woodland Premium Scheme

Mr. Fabricant: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the outcome of the consultation on proposed changes to the farm woodland premium scheme; and what conclusions have been reached on payment rates. [9216]

Mr. Baldry: A wide range of organisations were consulted on the proposed changes to the FWPS announced to Parliament on 24 July, Official Report, column 624. Most organisations welcomed the proposed changes though there were a number of different, often conflicting views. In light of the consultation we will be making some minor modifications to our original proposals and a statutory instrument will be laid before Parliament early next year. Subject to approval by Parliament and the European Commission, it is intended that most of the proposals will be implemented with effect from 1 April 1997. A list of the changes is being placed in the Library of the House.

The rates of payment to apply from 1 April 1996 will be as follows:

	FWPS £/hectare/year	FWS £/hectare/year
Land eligible for Arable Area payments
Outside of the Less Favoured Areas	300	230
Disadvantaged Areas of the Less Favoured Areas (DA)	230	180
Severely Disadvantaged Areas of the Less Favoured Areas (SDA)	160	120
Other Cropped Land and Improved Grassland
Outside of the Less Favoured Areas	260	200
DA	200	160
SDA	140	110
Unimproved Land
Less Favoured Areas	60	30

Where land is to count against the farmer's set-aside obligation, the payment rate will be restricted to the set-aside rate.

The FWS was closed to new applicants in 1992.

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