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Inward Investment

Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the number of direct inward investment projects attracted to Wales in each of the years 1992-93 to 1995-96. [9971]

Mr. Hague: The number of overseas generated inward investment projects attracted to Wales in each of the years 1992-93 to 1995-96 are provided in the following table:

	Projects
1992-93	87
1993-94	77
1994-95	57
1995-96	69

Figures based on financial year.

Secondary Schools (Expenditure)

Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the amount spent per secondary school pupil in each of the (a) grant-maintained and (b) LEA schools in Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available. [9997]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: Comparable information on expenditure per pupil in LEA and grant-maintained schools is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member to provide him with the information and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

Class Sizes

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the average class size in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each of the past 10 years. [10654]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: The information requested is shown in the following table:

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 106

Average class size(36)

Year	Primary schools	Secondary schools
January 1996	25.9	20.2
January 1995	25.9	20.2
January 1994	25.6	20.1
September 1992	25.0	21.4
September 1991	25.0	21.5
September 1990	24.8	21.0
September 1989	24.8	20.5
September 1988	24.8	20.7
September 1987	24.5	21.3
September 1986	24.4	21.6

Notes:

(36) Average class size is calculated as the number of pupils divided by the number of classes. In the case of primary schools, the number of classes used is the number of registered classes (including ordinary, special and nursery classes) whereas for secondary schools it is the number of classes in which the pupils were taught in a specified period on the day of the schools' census.

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average class size in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area in Wales. [10673]

Mr. Evans: The information requested is shown in the following table. Both LEA maintained and GM schools are included.

Average class size

Local education authority	Primary schools	Secondary schools
Blaenau Gwent	27.8	18.9
Bridgend	27.7	20.2
Caerphilly	26.9	20.7
Cardiff	27.4	22.3
Carmarthenshire	22.9	20.1
Ceredigion	21.2	19.3
Conwy	25.6	19.5
Denbighshire	25.8	20.0
Flintshire	27.5	19.6
Gwynedd	22.6	18.0
Isle of Anglesey	22.6	19.5
Merthyr Tydfil	26.9	19.5
Monmouthshire	27.2	19.8
Neath Port Talbot	25.0	20.5
Newport	28.8	22.3
Pembrokeshire	23.9	20.1
Powys	22.1	17.9
Rhondda, Cynon, Taff	27.0	19.6
Swansea	26.1	20.8
Torfaen	27.6	20.0
The Vale of Glamorgan	26.9	20.4
Wrexham	26.9	21.8
Wales	25.9	20.2

Source:

January 1996 Schools' Census.

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 107

Schools

Mr. Ainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of schools in Wales (a) have no spare places and (b) are less than 75 per cent. full. [10655]

Mr. Jonathan Evans: Information is currently available centrally only for most schools outside the former county of Gwynedd. Of those schools, in 1995 approximately (a) 30 per cent. had no spare places and (b) 25 per cent. were less than 75 per cent. full.

TRANSPORT

London Underground

15. Mr. MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure safety on London Underground. [8771]

Mr. Bowis: Safety is the top priority for both the Government and for London Transport. The Railways (Safety Case) Regulations 1994 required London Underground to prepare a safety case setting out its approach to safety management, and this was accepted by HM railway inspectorate last January. London Underground intends to update its safety case on a regular basis and to publish an annual safety plan.

20. Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve the existing infrastructure of the London Underground system. [8766]

Mr. Bowis: The Government's plans for improving public transport in London, including services on the existing London Underground network, were set out in the transport strategy for London.

London Transport

17. Mr. Keith Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of London Transport to discuss London's transport needs. [8769]

Mr. Bowis: I last met the chairman of London Transport on 9 January when we travelled on the first passenger-carrying run of the new Jubilee line extension

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 108

trains. We were able to see and celebrate the remarkable progress in this expansion of London Underground services.

River Transport

18. Sir Michael Neubert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions in the last 12 months he has travelled on the River Thames in his official capacity to assess river transport. [8768]

Sir George Young: I have travelled on the River Thames once in the past year in my official capacity, when I visited the Port of London Authority in June last year.

Heathrow-London Rail Link

19. Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of establishing an underground connection at Ealing on the Paddington to Heathrow express line; and if he will make a statement. [8767]

Mr. Bowis: None. The Heathrow express scheme to which my hon. Friend the hon. Member refers is being developed by BAA plc and it would be a matter for it to consider if it wished to introduce a stop at Ealing or on any other part of the route. However, a stopping service is proposed to run from St. Pancras to Heathrow. This is likely to include a stop at Ealing Broadway.

Fenchurch Street Line

21. Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on the Fenchurch Street line. [8765]

Mr. Watts: None.

Road Users (Medicinal Drugs)

22. Mr. Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the dangers posed by road users who are under the influence of medicinal drugs. [8764]

Mr. Bowis: Some prescribed and over-the-counter medications may impair driving skills. However others, if taken as advised, will improve driving performance by removing the adverse effects of the medical condition. A 1989 study by the Transport Research Laboratory found that the incidence of medicinal drugs in fatal accidents was six times lower than that of alcohol. We recently began a further three-year survey of road fatalities to update our knowledge in this area.

Motorway Noise

23. Mr. William O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has to reduce noise from increased traffic levels on existing motorways affecting domestic properties; and if he will make a statement. [8763]

Mr. Watts: Tighter noise emission standards for new vehicles were introduced on 1 October 1996. In addition, when renewing the surface of a road the Highways Agency considers the materials and technology available. Some of the surfacing products now available generate

13 Jan 1997 : Column: 109

significantly less tyre noise than older surfaces, and they can be used where they are no more expensive in whole-life cost terms than conventional surface treatment.

Manchester Airport

24. Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received concerning his Department's open skies policy at Manchester airport. [8762]

Sir George Young: I have received a number of letters recently, including one from my hon. Friend, as a result of Manchester airport's open skies campaign.

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airlines have a right of veto in respect of air services between Bangkok and Manchester airport; what assessment he has made of the conformity of such vetos with fair competition policy; how many such vetos exist; and what proposals he has to remove them from bilateral agreements. [9885]

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