Select Committees (Hansard, 3 June 1986)

§ Mr. Mason
asked the Prime Minister what were the main recommendations accepted by Her Majesty's Government from the reports of the 14 departmental Select Committees during the year March 1985 to March 1986.

§ The Prime Minister
The table shows the main recommendations accepted by Her Majesty's Government from the reports of the departmental Select Committees published between March 1985 and March 1986. In addition, during this period there have been numerous lesser recommendations which have been accepted and suggestions or statements made in reports which the Government have noted.
435W

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Second Report: Security at Royal Ordnance Factories and nuclear bases—June 1985 That security and accounting procedures at all Royal Ordnance Factories should be subject to regular monitoring by Ministry of Defence and external auditors as appropriate.

That physical security improvements at all ROFs should be completed as a matter of urgency.

Third Report: Defence commitments and resources and the Defence Estimates 1985–86—June 1985 That a review of policy priorities should be included in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986.

That the question of British and wider European participation in Strategic Defence Initiative research required urgent consideration.

That the Committee should be able to observe a demonstration of the enhancements to 5 Airborne Brigade.

That the tables in Volume 2 of future Statements on the Defence Estimates should present constant-price information adjusted for carry-forward.

That more examples should be provided of the savings achieved through competition procurement than the one example given in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1985.

Fourth Report: The future of the Royal Dockyards—July 1985 That the Government should no: decide in favour of introducing commercial management to the Royal Dockyards unless they were confident that the objections discussed in the Committee's report could be satisfactorily met and that the advantages of a Trading Fund were outweighed by those of commercial management.

Fifth Report: The appointment and objectives of the Chief of Defence Procurement—July 1985 That the Secretary of State for Defence should inform the Commitiee of his views on the extension or otherwise, beyond the twelve month period originally envisaged, of the arrangements designed to prevent a conflict of interest between Mr. Levene's position as Chief of Defence Procurement and his former role as Chairman of United Scientific Holdings Ltd., and that the House should be informed of the Secretary of State's decision regarding this matter once taken.

Sixth Report: The Trident programme—July 1985 That the published anual revised cost estimate of the Trident programme should be only a part of a regular and detailed progress report on the state of the programme as a whole.

Session 1985–86

First Report: Further observations on the future of the dockyards—December 1985 That the Government should approach the debates on the Dockyard Services Bill with an open mind and be prepared to consider opinions expressed in such debates.

Employment

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Fourth Report: The Manpower Service Commission's Corporate Plan 1985–89—March 1985 There should be general study of the funding for training purposes.

Energy

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Seventh Report: Gas Depletion—July 1985 The Government must declare a policy on gas imports and exports.

The fiscal regime should be stable and should not distort development patterns.

The Department of Energy to investigate the Dutch statistical method used to assess the level of gas reserves.

Eighth Report: The EEO—November 1985 The commitment to effective use of taxpayers' money through efficient energy management must be universal through all Departments of State.

The opportunities which Energy Efficiency Year will offer for putting across the energy efficiency message in the domestic sector must not be lost.

The first priority for the next year must be development and public announcement of the EEO's priorities and the logic behind them.

Inside Government, energy efficiency should not be regarded as someone else's concern and there should be no complacency that it is all a matter to be sorted out by the Property Services Agency or the EEO.

Session 1985–86

First Report: Regulation of the Gas Industry— February 1986 The Gas Consumers Council should be given explicit authority by legislation to safeguard the interests of consumers on such matters as safety, installation, servicing and repair and appliance quality and performance.

436W 437W

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

The right of appeal (against transmission tariffs and terms for the supply of back-up gas) should be defined in the Gas Bill.

An assurance that Standing Charges are taken into account in the price formula.

Directions made by the Secretary of State to the Director of OFGAS to be laid before Parliament.

Environment

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1985–86

First Report: Radioactive Waste—March 1986. [Note: The Government has made only an interim response to this Report: its final response is still being considered.]

Classification of radioactive waste should be modified. [Partially accepted].

Any disposal methods chosen should reduce the "dilute and disperse element of their design" to be as small as technically possible.

The Drigg radioactive waste disposal site in the UK is not an acceptable model for future sites.

Near surface disposal facilities should only be acceptable for short-lived low level waste and must be engineered on a complete containment basis.

Serious consideration should be given to the issue of compensation to those affected by the establishment of radioactive waste disposal facilities.

Any future site should have a strong and widely representative local liaison committee, with greater power to influence decisions than is presently the case. [Partially accepted].

The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate should be more forward looking in its licensing role and should put in hand a generic safety study of solid waste disposal sites at an early date — to be published in advance of any public inquiry into such sites. [Partially accepted].

The industry, through a body like NIREX should retain executive responsibility for disposal of the waste in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle.

Third Report: DOE main estimates 1985–86—June 1985 The situation whereby dog licences cost more to issue than they raise in revenue should be ended.

Specific statutory authority should be sought for grants to London Zoo and certain other bodies.

The effectiveness of policy on gypsy sites should be reviewed. Steps should be taken to discourage applications for urban programme grant which are unlikely to succeed.

A full evaluation should be made of experience with the Liverpool International Garden Festival.

Means of reducing the administrative costs of the London Docklands Development Corporation should be explored.

Fourth Report: PSA Main Estimates 1985–86—June 1985 PSA should delegate to departments more operational and financial responsibility for the maintenance of their own buildings.

PSA should ensure that common standards are applied to the maintenance work for which PSA retains responsibility.

PSA should provide the Environment Committee with fuller and clearer reasons for variations in the original and current costs of projects, and, wherever possible, avoid changes in the design and construction stages.

There should be a review of the economies achieved by the Property Repayment Services system and of the way that PSA accounts for expenditure and receipts including the possibility of producing a civil accommodation account on commercial lines.

Foreign Affairs

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Second Report: Famine in Africa—April 1985 It is important that United Kingdom Embassy staff should have the training to inform themselves on the food situation in countries where food supply is a problem.

Every effort must be made to ensure that aid distribution is properly monitored and checked.

It must be a priority to get relief supplies through as urgently as possible.

Short-term and long-term needs should be considered together.

A continued commitment to the needs of African countries will be needed for many years.

Support in general for the ODA' s approach of channelling a sizeable part of the relief effort through voluntary and international agencies.

438W 439W

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Support for Government's broad approach on food aid policy.

Support for the increasing concentration of the United Kingdom bilateral programme.

Fourth Report: Overseas Programme Expenditure 1985–86—June 1985 A review should be carried out on the way the FCO is charged by the British Airports Authority for VIP lounges.

Government treatment of overseas students should be reviewed.

Home Affairs

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Third Report: Refugees and Asylum, with special reference to the Vietnamese—April 1985. Family reunion criteria should be relaxed in respect of Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum.

A considerable degree of Ministerial discretion should be retained in the granting of family reunion applications.

Britain's willingness to relax its family reunion criteria for Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum should be used as a bargaining counter to attract offers of additional resettlement places from other countries.

The aim of such negotiation should be to reduce drastically the size of Hong Kong Vietnamese refugee population and to resettle all those whose stay in camps has been prolonged.

The FCO should make resolution of Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee problem a major priority in its dealings with foreign governments.

A Joint Working Group consisting of Home Office, MSC and refugee agency representatives should be established to assess the type and scale of assistance needed in respect of training and employment and to press for it it to be provided.

The MSC should be permitted to relax its eligibility criteria in respect of the Vietnamese, particularly for YTS, and should ensure that the intended expansion of the Community Programme enables many more Vietnamese to find employment.

The Home Office (and the Department of Environment) should examine with the refugee agencies and local authorities what sort of service the agencies could provide for authorities with a few Vietnamese and how such services should be paid for.

The scale of the refugee agencies' Vietnamese Programme should be increased, and its funding should be continued for as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.

In normal circumstances, asylum seekers at ports of entry who would otherwise be detained should be granted temporary admission to a refugee hostel or other suitable and accepted accommodation.

Various recommendations on the staffing of the Home Office refugee unit and the monitoring of progress on cases have been broadly accepted.

There should be a presumption in favour of giving permanent settlement to those with exceptional leave to remain after seven years.

Statistics relating to immigration and those relating to the granting of asylum should be clearly separated if possible in separate documents.

Fifth Report: Misuse of Hard Drugs (Interim Report)—May 1985. There should be intensified law enforcement effort against drug trafficking.

The penalty for systematic dealing in hard drugs should be no less than the penalty for premeditated murder.

The Government should do all it can to assist in crop eradication and substitution schemes in drug producer countries.

The civil and criminal law of the United Kingdom should be amended to provide for the seizure and forfeiture of assets connected with drug trafficking.

Immediate steps should be taken to reform the laws of banking to remove the secrecy which now protects the international drug traffickers and makes the "laundering" of their money easy.

Sixth Report: Immigration and Nationality Department (IND) of the Home Office—June 1985. A continuing effort should be made to increase the number of immigration officers from ethnic minorities.

IND should continue and expand its programme of producing leaflets in minority languages, after appropriate consultation.

The possibility of extending charging for certain of the department's services should be considered when an opportunity for legislation arises.

Permanent arrangements should be made for independent inspection of the Immigration Service's detention facilities.

First Report: Session 1985–86 Misuse of Hard Drugs—March 1986. There should be statutory protection for bankers who volunteer information to the authorities about their clients' finances when these seem to be connected with drug trafficking.

440W 441W

Scottish Affairs

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Second Report: Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB)—March 1985 To raise financial limit for any one social project.

HIDB should not adopt, in public, an independent stance on matters of public controversy.

No change required in HIDB's powers of compulsory purchase of land.

HIDB should produce a clear statement of objectives for all projects carried out at its own hand — costs and performance should be assessed against these objectives.

HIDB members should have business and commercial experience and should be appointed for 5 years initially.

HIDB must remain a source of practical support and guidance on all economic activities.

HIDB's policy of decentralising to local offices to be supported.

Staff performance indicators should be published in HIDB's Annual Report.

HIDB should explore the possibility of extending its co-operative arrangements with outside organisations.

Crofter's Commission's Livestock Loan Scheme to be reviewed.

No diminution in the functions of either HIDB or Sea Fish Industry Authority.

Responsibility for supporting tourism development projects should be retained by HIDB.

Good relations and co-operation between HIDB and the Nature Conservancy Council should be a continuing priority.

Rahory Deer Farm should not be sold and the deer farming experiment should continue.

Targets should be set for returns on factory accommodation.

Greater private sector involvement in providing finance for projects within the Board's area.

Consideration should be given to extending HIDB's boundary into certain adjoining areas.

Session 1985–86

Second Report: Fisheries Protection—March 1986 Fishery Protection Vessel Norna should be replaced.

RAF Nimrods should be replaced by a civil aircraft.

Clearer numbering and marking of fishing vessels is required.

The Government continue to oppose any relaxation regarding 10 per cent, by-catch in pout fishery.

Compulsory calibration of refrigerated sea-water tanks would aid monitoring of pelagic catches.

EC Fishery Inspectors complement should be increased.

The Government should continue to ensure that United Kingdom quotas are reserved for bona fide United Kingdom fishermen.

DAFs keep a close watch on inshore fisheries to ascertain the effect on Salmon fishing.

Social Services

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendation Accepted

Session 1984–85

Third Report: UGC Cuts and Medical Services Report—May 1985 The NHS should not be expected to engage in widespread funding of medical academic posts nor to replace many lost university posts with newly created NHS posts.

The Government should continue to monitor the effects of the reductions in academic funding on shortage and new specialities, in particular on pathology.

Continued monitoring of the spread of clinical academic job losses across grades.

The Department, the DES and the UGC together examine the effect of UGC funding reductions on clinical dental services.

Fourth Report: Misuse of Drugs—June 1985 National guidelines for developing a framework of services for drug misusers should be established.

A National Drug Advisory Service should be established.

An immediate, sizeable and recurring injection of additional money is needed for services for drug misuers.

442W 443W

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendation Accepted

Fifth Report: Medical Education Follow up to 1981 Report—June 1985 Further consideration should be given to regularising the terms and conditions of those individuals who have been in training posts for many years without the prospect of becoming consultants.

Continued monitoring by the Department of the clinical assistant grade to ensure that clinical assistant posts are not used as a substitute for consultant expansion.

A thorough local examination of the possibilities of extending cross-over as a means of further reducing onerous rotas [of junior hospital doctors].

Sixth Report: Public Expenditure on the Social Services—July 1985 The detailed results of the monitoring exercise on savings actually achieved from the introduction of the limited list be laid before Parliament.

The estimated proportion of Family Practitioner Services expenditure:met from related charges be published in each year's Public Expenditure White Paper.

Provision be made for the evaluation of the latest central initiative, "Helping the Community to Care" and that the results of other evaluations of central initiatives be made available to Parliament as they become available.

The Estimates should henceforth include brief explanatory notes on substantial real increases from the previous year's total provision in subhead or subheads.

The Department investigate in detail the reasons for the growing number of invalidity beneficiaries.

Seventh Report: The Government's Green Paper 'Reform of Social Security'—July 1985 The Government and the House allow the Department a high degree of financial flexibility with regard to the Social Fund for at least the least few years while national and local needs are established.

The White Paper should include plans for monitoring the progress of the Social Fund once it is implemented.

The structure of the Social Fund should be sufficiently flexible to cover other areas of need wherever they might be identified: it must not be enclosed in a legislative straitjacket.

The automatic payment under entitlement of the new maternity grant should be paid out of a separate and non cash-limited fund, and payments for the expenses of maternity out of the Social Fund must recognise the real costs of maternity. [Partially accepted].

Claimants under the age of 25 with children should receive the full adult rate of income support.

The White Paper contain a fuller explanation of the Government's proposals for increasing budgeting help through loans.

The Department put forward in the White Paper proposals for some sort of review mechanism.

The proposed changes in the assessment procedure be reconsidered in the White Paper and any proposals made be fully supported by evidence and argument.

Ministers seriously reconsider the proposal for a combined rent and rates taper.

Session 1985–86

Second Report: Resettlement Units and Re-establishment Centres — February 1986. In developing new provision for the itinerant homeless, the Department make every effort to ensure that those staff whose skills are not suitable for re-employment elsewhere in the Department can be offered the opportunity of transfer to positions in the replacement facilities provided by local authorities or voluntary organisations.

The Government issue immediate guidance to local authorities and voluntary organisations clarifying how, and to what extent, replacement provision will be funded, with regard to both capital and revenue.

The Secretary of State postpone closure of the restablishment centres until he can demonstrate that the MSC is able to fill the gap that their closure may create.

Trade and Industry

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

Third Report: Trade with China—July 1985 Provision of soft loans where necessary to secure competitiveness of UK exporters.

Transport

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1984–85

444W 445W

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Fourth Report: Transport Aspects of the 1985 Public Expenditure White Paper—March and July 1985 The Government agreed: to consider how to include in the White Paper more information on measurement of output against objectives; in particular for road schemes built and under construction, and on benefits from local roads;

that schemes which appear in Estimates will continue to be included in the White Paper until completed. (The Department will continue to include schemes over £25 million which are firmly committed but for which no expenditure is expected in expenditure year. Additional information on contracts will be provided with the Supply Estimates);

the importance of preserving the real level of investment in National Roads Programme and maintaining present level of output subject to overall public expenditure constraints. (Extra funds for National Roads Programme have been made available in PES.);

that there is a need to promote efficient planning of capital projects; this will be taken into account in the current review of the whole system for controlling local authority capital expenditure;

to encourage and help local authorities to give road maintenance high priority in 1986–87.

Fifth Report: Marine Pilotage—August 1985 The Government accepted: that the Danish system of auxiliary and permanent auxiliary pilots or variations thereof be considered for this country;

that it should be for future pilotage authorities to set the criteria for the issue of certificates but that the criteria should pay due regard to the high standard of expertise and safety awareness needed to navigate in confined waters;

that separate pilotage accounts should continue to be made.

Treasury and Civil Service

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1985–86

Third Report: The Government Expenditure Plans 1986–87 to 1988–89 —February 1986 Charts showing total civil service manpower and targets for future years and civil service manpower by Departments should be included in future [Public Expenditure] White Papers. [Partially accepted].

Reference to reductions together with an explanation of underlying policy and other considerations … should be included in Volume 1. [Partially accepted].

Give urgent consideration to how it can assist local authorities to plan ahead with greater certainty. [Accepted in principle].

A table analysing gross and net interest payments be included again in future White Papers.

The goods and services category in the economic category analysis tables should be divided into capital and current spending.

Welsh Affairs

Committee, Session, Report and Date Main Recommendations Accepted

Session 1985–86

First Report: Coastal Sewage Pollution in Wales—December 1985 The Welsh Office should commission surveys of coastal water quality at periodic intervals from bodies independent of the Welsh Water Authority (WWA), and publish the results. [Partially accepted].

Private discharges to coastal waters should be catalogued by the WWA and when full implementation of COP A 1974 permits their regulation, consent procedures should ensure they do not discharge un-disintegrated faecal material to recreational areas. Progress should also be made in eliminating such discharges in other coastal waters.

The WWA should accelerate its policy of replacing those antiquated crude sewage outfalls which deposit human excrement in recreational waters with carefully sited long sea outfalls discharging screened macerated effluents. Urgent attention should be given to maintenance and repair of existing sewage outfalls.

Research should be carried out by a body such as the Water Research Centre to determine the fate of viruses discharged to the sea in sewage and sufficient resources to support the work should be allocated by the Government

There should be a total exclusion of faecal solids from bathing waters and compliance with the E Coli standard of the EEC Directive.

The environmental health officers of the ADC should increase their efforts to make the public aware of the dangers of eating shellfish that have not been properly treated and purified

The WWA should retain its virological facility and encourage its expansion as a reference centre for the water industry, financed by contractual work from other water authorities.

The necessary capital should be made available to allow the tidal water schemes to be carried out in order of priority.

446W 447W

§ Mr. Mason
asked the Prime Minister what was the cost to Her Majesty's Government of providing briefing material and other services in connection with the activities of the 14 departmental select committees of the House of Commons during the financial year 1985–86.

§ The Prime Minister
A study was carried out in 1980–81 of the work of the departmental Select Committees. which costed the time spent by Departments on this work; a copy of this study was placed in the Library on 10 December 1982. It would not be possible to update this information for the financial year 1985–86 without an extensive new study at disproportionate cost; in general, however, the work occasioned by departmental Select Committees in 1985–86 has not changed markedly from the year on which the 1980–81 study was based.

Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Second Report: Security at Royal Ordnance Factories and nuclear bases—June 1985	That security and accounting procedures at all Royal Ordnance Factories should be subject to regular monitoring by Ministry of Defence and external auditors as appropriate.
	That physical security improvements at all ROFs should be completed as a matter of urgency.
Third Report: Defence commitments and resources and the Defence Estimates 1985–86—June 1985	That a review of policy priorities should be included in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1986.
	That the question of British and wider European participation in Strategic Defence Initiative research required urgent consideration.
	That the Committee should be able to observe a demonstration of the enhancements to 5 Airborne Brigade.
	That the tables in Volume 2 of future Statements on the Defence Estimates should present constant-price information adjusted for carry-forward.
	That more examples should be provided of the savings achieved through competition procurement than the one example given in the Statement on the Defence Estimates 1985.
Fourth Report: The future of the Royal Dockyards—July 1985	That the Government should no: decide in favour of introducing commercial management to the Royal Dockyards unless they were confident that the objections discussed in the Committee's report could be satisfactorily met and that the advantages of a Trading Fund were outweighed by those of commercial management.
Fifth Report: The appointment and objectives of the Chief of Defence Procurement—July 1985	That the Secretary of State for Defence should inform the Commitiee of his views on the extension or otherwise, beyond the twelve month period originally envisaged, of the arrangements designed to prevent a conflict of interest between Mr. Levene's position as Chief of Defence Procurement and his former role as Chairman of United Scientific Holdings Ltd., and that the House should be informed of the Secretary of State's decision regarding this matter once taken.
Sixth Report: The Trident programme—July 1985	That the published anual revised cost estimate of the Trident programme should be only a part of a regular and detailed progress report on the state of the programme as a whole.
Session 1985–86
First Report: Further observations on the future of the dockyards—December 1985	That the Government should approach the debates on the Dockyard Services Bill with an open mind and be prepared to consider opinions expressed in such debates.

Employment
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Fourth Report: The Manpower Service Commission's Corporate Plan 1985–89—March 1985	There should be general study of the funding for training purposes.

Energy
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Seventh Report: Gas Depletion—July 1985	The Government must declare a policy on gas imports and exports.
	The fiscal regime should be stable and should not distort development patterns.
	The Department of Energy to investigate the Dutch statistical method used to assess the level of gas reserves.
Eighth Report: The EEO—November 1985	The commitment to effective use of taxpayers' money through efficient energy management must be universal through all Departments of State.
	The opportunities which Energy Efficiency Year will offer for putting across the energy efficiency message in the domestic sector must not be lost.
	The first priority for the next year must be development and public announcement of the EEO's priorities and the logic behind them.
	Inside Government, energy efficiency should not be regarded as someone else's concern and there should be no complacency that it is all a matter to be sorted out by the Property Services Agency or the EEO.
Session 1985–86
First Report: Regulation of the Gas Industry— February 1986	The Gas Consumers Council should be given explicit authority by legislation to safeguard the interests of consumers on such matters as safety, installation, servicing and repair and appliance quality and performance.

Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
	The right of appeal (against transmission tariffs and terms for the supply of back-up gas) should be defined in the Gas Bill.
	An assurance that Standing Charges are taken into account in the price formula.
	Directions made by the Secretary of State to the Director of OFGAS to be laid before Parliament.

Environment
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1985–86
First Report: Radioactive Waste—March 1986.	[Note: The Government has made only an interim response to this Report: its final response is still being considered.]
	Classification of radioactive waste should be modified. [Partially accepted].
	Any disposal methods chosen should reduce the "dilute and disperse element of their design" to be as small as technically possible.
	The Drigg radioactive waste disposal site in the UK is not an acceptable model for future sites.
	Near surface disposal facilities should only be acceptable for short-lived low level waste and must be engineered on a complete containment basis.
	Serious consideration should be given to the issue of compensation to those affected by the establishment of radioactive waste disposal facilities.
	Any future site should have a strong and widely representative local liaison committee, with greater power to influence decisions than is presently the case. [Partially accepted].
	The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate should be more forward looking in its licensing role and should put in hand a generic safety study of solid waste disposal sites at an early date — to be published in advance of any public inquiry into such sites. [Partially accepted].
	The industry, through a body like NIREX should retain executive responsibility for disposal of the waste in accordance with the "polluter pays" principle.
Third Report: DOE main estimates 1985–86—June 1985	The situation whereby dog licences cost more to issue than they raise in revenue should be ended.
	Specific statutory authority should be sought for grants to London Zoo and certain other bodies.
	The effectiveness of policy on gypsy sites should be reviewed. Steps should be taken to discourage applications for urban programme grant which are unlikely to succeed.
	A full evaluation should be made of experience with the Liverpool International Garden Festival.
	Means of reducing the administrative costs of the London Docklands Development Corporation should be explored.
Fourth Report: PSA Main Estimates 1985–86—June 1985	PSA should delegate to departments more operational and financial responsibility for the maintenance of their own buildings.
	PSA should ensure that common standards are applied to the maintenance work for which PSA retains responsibility.
	PSA should provide the Environment Committee with fuller and clearer reasons for variations in the original and current costs of projects, and, wherever possible, avoid changes in the design and construction stages.
	There should be a review of the economies achieved by the Property Repayment Services system and of the way that PSA accounts for expenditure and receipts including the possibility of producing a civil accommodation account on commercial lines.

Foreign Affairs
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Second Report: Famine in Africa—April 1985	It is important that United Kingdom Embassy staff should have the training to inform themselves on the food situation in countries where food supply is a problem.
	Every effort must be made to ensure that aid distribution is properly monitored and checked.
	It must be a priority to get relief supplies through as urgently as possible.
	Short-term and long-term needs should be considered together.
	A continued commitment to the needs of African countries will be needed for many years.
	Support in general for the ODA' s approach of channelling a sizeable part of the relief effort through voluntary and international agencies.

Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
	Support for Government's broad approach on food aid policy.
	Support for the increasing concentration of the United Kingdom bilateral programme.
Fourth Report: Overseas Programme Expenditure 1985–86—June 1985	A review should be carried out on the way the FCO is charged by the British Airports Authority for VIP lounges.
	Government treatment of overseas students should be reviewed.

Home Affairs
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Third Report: Refugees and Asylum, with special reference to the Vietnamese—April 1985.	Family reunion criteria should be relaxed in respect of Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum.
	A considerable degree of Ministerial discretion should be retained in the granting of family reunion applications.
	Britain's willingness to relax its family reunion criteria for Vietnamese in camps in countries of temporary asylum should be used as a bargaining counter to attract offers of additional resettlement places from other countries.
	The aim of such negotiation should be to reduce drastically the size of Hong Kong Vietnamese refugee population and to resettle all those whose stay in camps has been prolonged.
	The FCO should make resolution of Hong Kong's Vietnamese refugee problem a major priority in its dealings with foreign governments.
	A Joint Working Group consisting of Home Office, MSC and refugee agency representatives should be established to assess the type and scale of assistance needed in respect of training and employment and to press for it it to be provided.
	The MSC should be permitted to relax its eligibility criteria in respect of the Vietnamese, particularly for YTS, and should ensure that the intended expansion of the Community Programme enables many more Vietnamese to find employment.
	The Home Office (and the Department of Environment) should examine with the refugee agencies and local authorities what sort of service the agencies could provide for authorities with a few Vietnamese and how such services should be paid for.
	The scale of the refugee agencies' Vietnamese Programme should be increased, and its funding should be continued for as long as necessary to achieve its objectives.
	In normal circumstances, asylum seekers at ports of entry who would otherwise be detained should be granted temporary admission to a refugee hostel or other suitable and accepted accommodation.
	Various recommendations on the staffing of the Home Office refugee unit and the monitoring of progress on cases have been broadly accepted.
	There should be a presumption in favour of giving permanent settlement to those with exceptional leave to remain after seven years.
	Statistics relating to immigration and those relating to the granting of asylum should be clearly separated if possible in separate documents.
Fifth Report: Misuse of Hard Drugs (Interim Report)—May 1985.	There should be intensified law enforcement effort against drug trafficking.
	The penalty for systematic dealing in hard drugs should be no less than the penalty for premeditated murder.
	The Government should do all it can to assist in crop eradication and substitution schemes in drug producer countries.
	The civil and criminal law of the United Kingdom should be amended to provide for the seizure and forfeiture of assets connected with drug trafficking.
	Immediate steps should be taken to reform the laws of banking to remove the secrecy which now protects the international drug traffickers and makes the "laundering" of their money easy.
Sixth Report: Immigration and Nationality Department (IND) of the Home Office—June 1985.	A continuing effort should be made to increase the number of immigration officers from ethnic minorities.
	IND should continue and expand its programme of producing leaflets in minority languages, after appropriate consultation.
	The possibility of extending charging for certain of the department's services should be considered when an opportunity for legislation arises.
	Permanent arrangements should be made for independent inspection of the Immigration Service's detention facilities.
First Report: Session 1985–86 Misuse of Hard Drugs—March 1986.	There should be statutory protection for bankers who volunteer information to the authorities about their clients' finances when these seem to be connected with drug trafficking.

Scottish Affairs
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Second Report: Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB)—March 1985	To raise financial limit for any one social project.
	HIDB should not adopt, in public, an independent stance on matters of public controversy.
	No change required in HIDB's powers of compulsory purchase of land.
	HIDB should produce a clear statement of objectives for all projects carried out at its own hand — costs and performance should be assessed against these objectives.
	HIDB members should have business and commercial experience and should be appointed for 5 years initially.
	HIDB must remain a source of practical support and guidance on all economic activities.
	HIDB's policy of decentralising to local offices to be supported.
	Staff performance indicators should be published in HIDB's Annual Report.
	HIDB should explore the possibility of extending its co-operative arrangements with outside organisations.
	Crofter's Commission's Livestock Loan Scheme to be reviewed.
	No diminution in the functions of either HIDB or Sea Fish Industry Authority.
	Responsibility for supporting tourism development projects should be retained by HIDB.
	Good relations and co-operation between HIDB and the Nature Conservancy Council should be a continuing priority.
	Rahory Deer Farm should not be sold and the deer farming experiment should continue.
	Targets should be set for returns on factory accommodation.
	Greater private sector involvement in providing finance for projects within the Board's area.
	Consideration should be given to extending HIDB's boundary into certain adjoining areas.
Session 1985–86
Second Report: Fisheries Protection—March 1986	Fishery Protection Vessel Norna should be replaced.
	RAF Nimrods should be replaced by a civil aircraft.
	Clearer numbering and marking of fishing vessels is required.
	The Government continue to oppose any relaxation regarding 10 per cent, by-catch in pout fishery.
	Compulsory calibration of refrigerated sea-water tanks would aid monitoring of pelagic catches.
	EC Fishery Inspectors complement should be increased.
	The Government should continue to ensure that United Kingdom quotas are reserved for bona fide United Kingdom fishermen.
	DAFs keep a close watch on inshore fisheries to ascertain the effect on Salmon fishing.

Social Services
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendation Accepted
Session 1984–85
Third Report: UGC Cuts and Medical Services Report—May 1985	The NHS should not be expected to engage in widespread funding of medical academic posts nor to replace many lost university posts with newly created NHS posts.
	The Government should continue to monitor the effects of the reductions in academic funding on shortage and new specialities, in particular on pathology.
	Continued monitoring of the spread of clinical academic job losses across grades.
	The Department, the DES and the UGC together examine the effect of UGC funding reductions on clinical dental services.
Fourth Report: Misuse of Drugs—June 1985	National guidelines for developing a framework of services for drug misusers should be established.
	A National Drug Advisory Service should be established.
	An immediate, sizeable and recurring injection of additional money is needed for services for drug misuers.

Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendation Accepted
Fifth Report: Medical Education Follow up to 1981 Report—June 1985	Further consideration should be given to regularising the terms and conditions of those individuals who have been in training posts for many years without the prospect of becoming consultants.
	Continued monitoring by the Department of the clinical assistant grade to ensure that clinical assistant posts are not used as a substitute for consultant expansion.
	A thorough local examination of the possibilities of extending cross-over as a means of further reducing onerous rotas [of junior hospital doctors].
Sixth Report: Public Expenditure on the Social Services—July 1985	The detailed results of the monitoring exercise on savings actually achieved from the introduction of the limited list be laid before Parliament.
	The estimated proportion of Family Practitioner Services expenditure:met from related charges be published in each year's Public Expenditure White Paper.
	Provision be made for the evaluation of the latest central initiative, "Helping the Community to Care" and that the results of other evaluations of central initiatives be made available to Parliament as they become available.
	The Estimates should henceforth include brief explanatory notes on substantial real increases from the previous year's total provision in subhead or subheads.
	The Department investigate in detail the reasons for the growing number of invalidity beneficiaries.
Seventh Report: The Government's Green Paper 'Reform of Social Security'—July 1985	The Government and the House allow the Department a high degree of financial flexibility with regard to the Social Fund for at least the least few years while national and local needs are established.
	The White Paper should include plans for monitoring the progress of the Social Fund once it is implemented.
	The structure of the Social Fund should be sufficiently flexible to cover other areas of need wherever they might be identified: it must not be enclosed in a legislative straitjacket.
	The automatic payment under entitlement of the new maternity grant should be paid out of a separate and non cash-limited fund, and payments for the expenses of maternity out of the Social Fund must recognise the real costs of maternity. [Partially accepted].
	Claimants under the age of 25 with children should receive the full adult rate of income support.
	The White Paper contain a fuller explanation of the Government's proposals for increasing budgeting help through loans.
	The Department put forward in the White Paper proposals for some sort of review mechanism.
	The proposed changes in the assessment procedure be reconsidered in the White Paper and any proposals made be fully supported by evidence and argument.
	Ministers seriously reconsider the proposal for a combined rent and rates taper.
Session 1985–86
Second Report: Resettlement Units and Re-establishment Centres — February 1986.	In developing new provision for the itinerant homeless, the Department make every effort to ensure that those staff whose skills are not suitable for re-employment elsewhere in the Department can be offered the opportunity of transfer to positions in the replacement facilities provided by local authorities or voluntary organisations.
	The Government issue immediate guidance to local authorities and voluntary organisations clarifying how, and to what extent, replacement provision will be funded, with regard to both capital and revenue.
	The Secretary of State postpone closure of the restablishment centres until he can demonstrate that the MSC is able to fill the gap that their closure may create.

Trade and Industry
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85
Third Report: Trade with China—July 1985	Provision of soft loans where necessary to secure competitiveness of UK exporters.

Transport
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1984–85

Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Fourth Report: Transport Aspects of the 1985 Public Expenditure White Paper—March and July 1985	The Government agreed: to consider how to include in the White Paper more information on measurement of output against objectives; in particular for road schemes built and under construction, and on benefits from local roads;
	that schemes which appear in Estimates will continue to be included in the White Paper until completed. (The Department will continue to include schemes over £25 million which are firmly committed but for which no expenditure is expected in expenditure year. Additional information on contracts will be provided with the Supply Estimates);
	the importance of preserving the real level of investment in National Roads Programme and maintaining present level of output subject to overall public expenditure constraints. (Extra funds for National Roads Programme have been made available in PES.);
	that there is a need to promote efficient planning of capital projects; this will be taken into account in the current review of the whole system for controlling local authority capital expenditure;
	to encourage and help local authorities to give road maintenance high priority in 1986–87.
Fifth Report: Marine Pilotage—August 1985	The Government accepted: that the Danish system of auxiliary and permanent auxiliary pilots or variations thereof be considered for this country;
	that it should be for future pilotage authorities to set the criteria for the issue of certificates but that the criteria should pay due regard to the high standard of expertise and safety awareness needed to navigate in confined waters;
	that separate pilotage accounts should continue to be made.

Treasury and Civil Service
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1985–86
Third Report: The Government Expenditure Plans 1986–87 to 1988–89 —February 1986	Charts showing total civil service manpower and targets for future years and civil service manpower by Departments should be included in future [Public Expenditure] White Papers. [Partially accepted].
	Reference to reductions together with an explanation of underlying policy and other considerations … should be included in Volume 1. [Partially accepted].
	Give urgent consideration to how it can assist local authorities to plan ahead with greater certainty. [Accepted in principle].
	A table analysing gross and net interest payments be included again in future White Papers.
	The goods and services category in the economic category analysis tables should be divided into capital and current spending.

Welsh Affairs
Committee, Session, Report and Date	Main Recommendations Accepted
Session 1985–86
First Report: Coastal Sewage Pollution in Wales—December 1985	The Welsh Office should commission surveys of coastal water quality at periodic intervals from bodies independent of the Welsh Water Authority (WWA), and publish the results. [Partially accepted].
	Private discharges to coastal waters should be catalogued by the WWA and when full implementation of COP A 1974 permits their regulation, consent procedures should ensure they do not discharge un-disintegrated faecal material to recreational areas. Progress should also be made in eliminating such discharges in other coastal waters.
	The WWA should accelerate its policy of replacing those antiquated crude sewage outfalls which deposit human excrement in recreational waters with carefully sited long sea outfalls discharging screened macerated effluents. Urgent attention should be given to maintenance and repair of existing sewage outfalls.
	Research should be carried out by a body such as the Water Research Centre to determine the fate of viruses discharged to the sea in sewage and sufficient resources to support the work should be allocated by the Government
	There should be a total exclusion of faecal solids from bathing waters and compliance with the E Coli standard of the EEC Directive.
	The environmental health officers of the ADC should increase their efforts to make the public aware of the dangers of eating shellfish that have not been properly treated and purified
	The WWA should retain its virological facility and encourage its expansion as a reference centre for the water industry, financed by contractual work from other water authorities.
	The necessary capital should be made available to allow the tidal water schemes to be carried out in order of priority.