Written Answers of 10 April 1987

SOLICITOR-GENERAL FOR SCOTLAND

  Project Zircon
  Mr. Dalyell
  asked the Solicitor-General for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 8 April, what is his estimate of the additional man hours spent by the Crown Office as a result of parliamentary interest in the project Zircon case; and if he will make a statement.

  The Solicitor-General for Scotland
  It is not possible to estimate the man hours involved.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Kampuchea
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what(a) bilateral and(b) multilateral development aid his Department has provided to Kampuchea since 1979.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  British bilateral aid to Cambodia for 1979–85 was as follows:

  £'000s

  1979

  703

  1980

  480

  1981

  110

  1982

  18

  1983

  693

  1984

  18

  1985

  18

  We make contributions to a number of multilateral aid agencies, such as UNICEF and the world food programme, which have given aid to Cambodia. Figures for multilateral aid are available in an OECD Statistical publication "Geographical Distribution of Financial Flows for Developing Countries" a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Since 1979 Britain has provided, largely through international organisations, over £13 million to the international relief effort for refugee camps on the Thai-Cambodian border.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Mr. J. Leach (Correspondence)
  Mr. Wilson
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the letters of 27 January and 17 February from the hon. Member for Dundee, East regarding his constituent Mr. J. Leach.

  Mr. Waddington
  I shall write to the hon. Member shortly.

  Albany Prison (Disciplinary Charges)
  Ms. Harman
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disciplinary charges were made
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  against inmates in Her Majesty's prison Albany between 1 January 1986 and 30 June 1986; and in how many cases was the verdict not guilty.

  Mr. Mellor
  The readily available information is given in the following table.

  Offences1 against prison discipline dealt with at Albany prison in the period 1 January to 30 June 1986; by outcome of adjudication

  Outcome of adjudication

  Number of charges2

  Charge proved

  607

  Charge dismissed

  30

  Case referred to police

  3

  Adjudication not completed

  2

  TOTAL

  642

  1 Including offences committed at other establishments; excluding offences committed at Albany but dealt with at other establishments.

  2 The figures are those recorded centrally and are approximate, detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  Life Sentence Prisoners
  Mr. Mates
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons sentenced to life imprisonment or detention during Her Majesty's pleasure are currently serving such sentences in England and Wales; and how many were serving such sentences(a) 10,(b) 20 and(c) 30 years ago.

  Mr. Mellor
  The readily available information is given in the table below:

  Population of life sentence1 prisoners in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales on 31 December 1956, 1966. 1976 and 1986

  Year

  Number of prisoners2 3

  1956

  110

  1966

  470

  1976

  1,260

  1986

  2,290

  1 Including person detained during Her Majesty's pleasure or for life under Section 53 Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and those serving custody for life.

  2 The figures are rounded estimates based on records held centrally which are approximate, particularly for the earlier years. Detailed checking of individual cases would involve disproportionate cost.

  3 Including prisoners who had been recalled after having been released on licence.

  Mr. Mates
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average length of sentence served by prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment in England and Wales.

  Mr. Mellor
  Information on the distribution of time served under sentence by life sentence prisoners received since 1965 is published in Table 4(e) of "Prison Statistics England and Wales 1985", Cmnd. 9903.

  AIDS
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new guidelines or instructions have been issued to immigration officials concerning entry clearance of persons known or suspected to be suffering from AIDS or who are HIV positive; and if he will make a statement.
  419
  Mr. Waddington
  I have nothing to add to my reply the hon. Member's question on 2 March at column 468.

  Immigration
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 2 March,Official Report, column 468, what information he has as to the intended purpose of the visit by the airline steward refused entry at Gatwick airport.

  Mr. Waddington
  In the case reported in the press the passenger sought entry as a tourist.

  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many out of the total number of persons treated as illegal entrants in 1986 who were granted temporary entrance subsequently absconded.

  Mr. Waddington
  Out of 613 illegal entrants who were given temporary admission in 1986, a total of 51 absconded.

  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the total number of passengers granted temporary admission in 1986; and how many of these subsequently absconded;

  (2) what was the total number of passengers detained overnight under Immigration Act powers during 1986, by nationality;

  (3) how many people were detained overnight during 1986 in(a) Harmondsworth detention centre,(b) Queen's Building, Heathrow and(c) Beehive, Gatwick.

  Mr. Waddington
  I shall reply as soon as possible.

  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will provide, for the latest convenient date, a table indicating the total number or persons detained under Immigration Act powers in prison department establishments, by category and individual prison establishment;

  (2) if he will provide, for the latest convenient date, a table indicating the period of time spent in prison department establishments by persons detained under Immigration Act powers showing the numbers detained for not more than one, two, three, four, five, six and more than six months, respectively.

  Mr. Waddington
  On 31 March 1987, 63 persons were detained in prison department establishments under the deportation powers and 30 as illegal entrants.

  The number detained in individual prison establishments was as follows:

  Prison establishment

  Under deportation powers

  As illegal entrants

  Barlinnie

  —

  1

  Bedford

  1

  —

  Belfast

  —

  1

  Birmingham

  2

  —

  Bristol

  1

  —

  Bullwood Hall

  1

  —

  Canterbury

  1

  1

  Foston Hall

  —

  1

  Glen Parva

  1

  —

  Holloway

  1

  —

  Hull

  —

  1

  Latchmere House

  36

  18

  Leeds

  —

  1

  420

  Prison establishment

  Under deportation powers

  As illegal entrants

  Leicester

  4

  —

  Parkhurst

  1

  —

  Pentonville

  11

  2

  Perth

  —

  2

  Risley

  1

  —

  Saughton

  —

  2

  Wandsworth

  1

  —

  Winchester

  1

  —

  The information about the period of detention is as follows:

  Not more than

  Under deportation powers

  As illegal entrants

  One month

  27

  16

  Two months

  22

  6

  Three months

  8

  5

  Four months

  3

  —

  Five months

  1

  2

  Six months

  —

  1

  More than six months

  2

  —

  The information about passengers who were detained after refusal of leave to enter will take some time to assemble and I will write to the hon. Member.

  Remands
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the introduction of time limits for the length of time a prisoner may be remanded in custody referred to in paragraph 3 of the "Government Reply to the Third Report from the Social Services Committee, Session 1985–86", Cm. 115.

  Mr. Mellor
  As a first step, statutory time limits on periods in custody in criminal proceedings were introduced on 1 April, in three police areas: Avon and Somerset, Kent and the west midlands.

  Prisons (Medical Services)
  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the working group set up by the president of the Royal College of Physicians to advise the director of prison medical services on qualifications and training for prison medical officers.

  Mr. Mellor
  The following comprise the President of the Royal College of Physicians' working group.

  Sir Raymond Hoffenberg, KBE, MD, PRCP,(Chairman)

  Dr. H. Baderman, FRCP(Honorary Secretary)

  H-J. B. Galbraith Esq. MD, FRCP

  M. R. Baker Esq. MD, MFCM

  T. H. Bewley Esq. MD, PRCPsych

  Dr. J. Higgins, FRCPsych, DPM

  Dr. J. L. Kilgour, CB, FFCM, MRCGP

  R. Lancaster Esq. SRN(Royal College of Nursing)

  Dr. E. E. J. Martin, MA, FRCGP

  Dr. K. H. Nickol, FRCP, FFOM, DIH

  Dr. Richard Smith, MB MHB

  Mrs. E. Whitaker, OBE, JP,(Board of Visitors, Wakefield Prison)

  Observers

  Dr. Pamela G. W. Mason, FRCPsych, DPM,(DHSS)

  K. R. North Esq.(Home Office)

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since

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  July 1985 in establishing a unified nursing service for prison establishments, indicating the numbers of nursing staff currently holding formal nursing qualifications and the numbers training exclusively in service.

  Mr. Mellor
  An essential first stage in the development of a unified service is the recruitment of men and women with nursing qualifications to train as prison hospital officers (uniformed staff combining custodial management and nursing skills). Since July 1985 there has been a 60 per cent. increase in the number of hospital officers who hold a nursing qualification. Currently just under 300 members of the prison nursing service hold a qualification, including some 160 hospital officers. On 9 April, four qualified nurses were receiving or had been accepted for prison officer training with a view to becoming hospital officers and over 100 applications were under consideration.

  Mrs. Renée Short
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the proposals for changes in prison service medical documentation which have been endorsed by Ministers, indicating what changes have so far been implemented.

  Mr. Mellor
  The proposals centre on a system of discrete medical files for individual prisoners which transfer with them from one establishment to another under sealed cover for the attention of the medical officer. In addition to the modification of various medical documents, other proposed changes include a central storage facility for the medical files of discharged inmates. Medical officers will be further encouraged to seek previous medical histories on any new inmate, irrespective of category, whenever there is reason to think that to be clinically indicated. The Department will clarify with DHSS opportunities for conveying to general practitioners medical information arising during the currency of imprisonment.

  Managing medical officers have been asked to introduce the central proposal; most of them have done so and the remainder are working to that end.

  Metropolitan Police (Equal Opportunities Unit)
  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many officers of the Metropolitan police force's equal opportunities unit, and what ranks, deal with(a) sexual and(b) racial discrimination.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the designated Equal Opportunities Officer is a Deputy Assistant Commissioner, who chairs the force working parties on sexual and racial discrimination. The equal opportunities unit reports to a commander, and has one inspector and one sergeant dealing full time with sexual discrimination and one inspector dealing full time with racial discrimination.

  Prisoners (Statistics)
  Mr. Soley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average daily prison population of those detained under Immigration Act powers in 1986.
  422
  Mr. Mellor
  In 1986 the average population of persons detained under the Immigration Act 1971 in Prison Department establishments in England and Wales was 132.

  Special Constables
  Mr. Thurnham
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities authorise the wearing of reinforced helmets by special constables; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The equipment issued to special constables is a matter for each chief officer of police, and the information requested is not held centrally.

  Bilingual Forms
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that all coroners in Wales issue coroners' certificates in a bilingual format; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There is not sufficient demand to justify this. Coroners in Wales will arrange to issue certificates in bilingual format in any particular case, if requested to do so.

  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to ensure that the provisions of the Registration of Births, Still Births and Deaths (Welsh Language) Regulations 1969 and the Coroners (Welsh Forms) Rules 1970 are fully observed in Wales.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  There is no evidence of noncompliance with either of these permissive regulations.

  Coroners (Wales)
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he has as to how many of Her Majesty's coroners currently holding office in Wales, are Welsh-speaking; and how many are not Welsh speaking.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested is not readily available and I will reply as soon as possible.

  West German State Lottery
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a publicity campaign to advice United Kingdom residents that it is contrary to the law to participate in the West German state lottery; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. While the Lotteries and Amusements Act 1976 prohibits a number of activities in connection with lotteries promoted overseas, including advertising, it is not unlawful to take part in any such lottery. The Gaming Board for Great Britain draws attention to the law where there is evidence that it may have been broken.

  Maguire Case
  Mr. Heffer
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the chief constable of Surrey as to the precise date on which police

  423
  inquiries into the matters raised in paragraph 39 of his Department's memorandum on the Maguire case were completed.

  Mr. Mellor
  The inquiries on which the sixth sentence of paragraph 39 is based were made by the Metropolitan police, who first arrested the Maguire family. At the time when the memorandum was drawn up, the Metropolitan police had reported that they had no written record of Vincent Maguire showing them a stick of chalk or any similar object. Subsequently, on 10 February, we were informed that none of the Metropolitan police officers involved in the case could verify his account of the matter (on which evidence had been offered at the trial).

  In the light of comments since made on paragraph 39 of the memorandum, we shall be consulting the chief constable of Surrey.

  Mr. Denis Wilkinson
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the representations made to him by the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill, about the evidence provided by Mr. Denis Wilkinson which secured the conviction of a number of defendants.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have arranged for inquiries to be made into the allegations about the evidence provided by Mr. Wilkinson. I shall write to the hon. Member as soon as I can.

  Constituency Boundaries
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received any further recommendations from the Boundary Commission regarding minor review proposals for parliamentary constituency boundaries; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have not received any further reports from the parliamentary boundary commissions since the English commission submitted a report on 40 constituencies on 9 February 1987. In that report the commission said that it would submit a separate report on two constituencies which had been the subject of a local inquiry in February 1987.I understand that this report will be submitted very shortly. The English commission informed us on 10 December 1986 of an interim review of 55 constituencies, including Burnley. I understand that a report on 53 of these 55 constituencies will be submitted in a few weeks. The Parliamentary Boundary Commission for Wales informed us of an interim review of 21 Welsh constituencies on 17 February 1986 and I understand that a report on this review is also expected within the next few weeks.

  Police (Helicopters)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis as to how many times during the past 12 months a Metropolitan police helicopter has been used in Newham; what incidents were involved; and what arrests resulted from information received from the helicopter crew.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [pursuant to his reply, 11 February 1987, c. 218]: I understand from the Commissioner of
  424
  Police of the Metropolis that the Metropolitan police air support unit answered 165 calls in the London borough of Newham in 1986. These calls concerned various matters, including robberies, burglaries, traffic and searches for missing persons. Forty two arrests resulted from the incidents in which the helicopters were used.

  Salvador Mendoza and Reynaldo Blanco
  Mr. Tony Banks
  asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why Salvador Mendoza and Reynaldo Blanco, members of the El Salvador Human Rights Commission, were stopped and searched by immigration officals when they arrived from Ostend on 29 March.

  Mr. Waddington
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 12]: Mr. Reynaldo Blanco Rojas and another Salvadorean national arrived together at Dover from Ostend on 29 March at 2.30 pm. The immigration officer examined them for the purpose of determining whether they qualified for leave to enter in accordance with the immigration rules. They at first claimed to be students and sought entry as tourists for a period of three days. The immigration officer was not at that stage satisfied that they were genuine visitors and required them to submit to further examination. At 4 pm, after further questioning and examination of their luggage and personal effects, the immigration officer decided that they could properly be admitted as visitors and granted them leave to enter the United Kingdom for a period of one month.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Sixth Forms
  Mr. Sheerman
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what, on the basis of present local authority plans for tertiary education, are the Department's estimates of the effect on the number of places taken up in traditional sixth forms;

  (2) what effect the introduction of tertiary colleges has had on the number of places taken up in conventional sixth form provision over the last seven years.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  Brent (HMI Report)
  Mr. Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish the report of Her Majesty's inspectors on education in Brent; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has not yet received the report from Her Majesty's inspectors. He hopes to do so by Easter. He will then consider in the normal way whether to publish it.

  City Technology Colleges
  Mr. Greenway
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the progress of the establishment of city technology colleges and their funding.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Dixons Group plc announced on 8 April that it would provide sponsorship of £1 million for the establishment of a second city technology college to be
  425
  located in south Yorkshire. This is a further indication of the imaginative and encouraging response my right hon. Friend's proposals have received. Discussions with other prospective sponsors are well advanced and my right hon. Friend hopes soon to announce details of further city technology colleges.

  Local Education Authorities
  Mr. Gould
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will publish in the Official Report a table grouping local education authorities into those controlled on 1 January 1986 by the Conservative party, those controlled by the Labour party, those controlled by the alliance parties and those with no overall control, showing for each authority, the average for each group and the overall average(a) the average primary school class size for January 1985 and January 1986,(b) the average secondary school class size for pupils under 14 in January 1985 and January 1986 and(c) the average secondary school class size for pupils over 14 in January 1985 and January 1986.

  Mr. Dunn
  I shall reply as soon as possible.

  St. Anne's Secondary School, Heaton Chapel
  Mr. Andrew F. Bennett
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions there have been between Stockport metropolitan borough, the Salford diocese and himself about the rebuilding of the fire-damaged section of St. Anne's secondary school, Heaton Chapel; and when he expects the work to be completed.

  Mr. Dunn
  Discussions are currently in progress between the Salford diocese and Stockport metropolitan borough council about the rebuilding of the school's science block, for completion by September 1988.

  School Leavers (Easter)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons left school on the Easter leaving date in 1983, and in 1986; and what is his best estimate of the numbers who will leave school at Easter 1987.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information for the academic year 1985–86 is not yet available. There were 45,400 pupils reported as leaving English schools in the Spring term of 1985. The corresponding figure for 1983 was 47,100. No estimate is available for 1987.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many persons leaving school at Easter in 1986 registered to take O-level or other examinations during 1986.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information for the academic year 1985–86 is not yet available. There were 15,300 pupils reported as leaving English schools in the Spring term of 1985 who attempted GCE O-level or CSE examinations in the summer of that year.

  Autistic Children
  Mr. McNamara
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report the annual amount paid by his Department on research into autistic problems in education for each year over the
  426
  past eight years indicating the local education authorities to which it was paid, the research projects involved and the number of teachers specially trained as teachers for autistic children.

  Mr. Dunn
  No research into the educational aspects of autism has been funded over the past eight years. There are no specific qualifications for teaching autistic children.

  Mr. McNamara
  asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list in the Official Report those local education authorities which have(a) special schools,(b) centres or(c) special arrangements for the teaching of autistic children, indicating which provide boarding accommodation.

  Mr. Dunn
  The information is not available. Since 1983 special schools have not been classified in accordance with the categories of the handicap of the pupils for which they cater. No central record is maintained of centres or other arrangements for teaching children with special educational needs.

WALES

  Children (Special Educational Needs)
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales what representatives he has received concerning the training and further professional development of teachers of children with special educational needs; whether he intends making changes to established practices in this sphere; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Nicholas Edwards
  I have received one letter from a group of lecturers in Wales who are concerned about this matter, and five letters from hon. Members. The Government have accepted the recommendation of the Advisory Committee for the Supply and Education of Teachers that specialist qualifications to teach deaf children, as well as children with other disabilities, should be acquired after qualification as a teacher in the normal way and after a period of experience of teaching in an ordinary school. Under the new local education authority training grants scheme, which came into operation on 1 April 1987, over £200,000 has been allocated to authorities in Wales for the training of existing teachers to meet the special educational needs of pupils with learning difficulties. The Welsh Office will be monitoring what use the local education authorities make of these funds.

  Ysbyty Gwynedd (Opening Ceremony)
  Mr. Wigley
  asked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the cost to the Welsh Office arising from the official opening ceremony of Ysbyty Gwynedd undertaken by the Prime Minister in March.

  Mr. Mark Robinson
  One official responsible for health matters represented the Welsh Office at a cost of less than £200 in travel and subsistence. In addition, two Welsh Office press officers accompanied the Prime Minister throughout her official tour of north Wales. It would not be meaningful to attempt to allocate a cost to their time spent at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

PRIME MINISTER

  West German State Lottery
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Prime Minister if she will raise at the next meeting of the European Council the practice of the Government of West Germany of issuing letters in the English language to United Kingdom residents inviting them to participate in illegal lotteries designed solely to provide revenue for the West German Government; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  No. We are pursuing this matter with the appropriate authorities within the relevant states of the Federal Republic of Germany.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Newspapers (Takeovers and Mergers)
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been received by the Director of Fair Trading in relation to newspaper takeovers and mergers in each of the years 1980 to 1986;

  (2) how many complaints have been received by his Department in each of the years 1980 to 1986 in relation to undertakings given to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission regarding newspaper takeovers and mergers.

  Mr. Pattie
  The Director General of Fair Trading has no statutory functions in relation to newspaper takeovers and mergers. Any assurances which may be given to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission regarding newspaper takeovers and mergers have no statutory underpinning. It is, however, open to the Commission to reccomend that conditions should be attached to the Secretary of State's consent to a newspaper transfer; and it is in turn open to the Secretary of State to attach to his consent such conditions as he sees fit.

  My Department does not keep records of the number of complaints which are received concerning undertakings to the Commission or the observance of conditions attached to the Secretary of State's consent. But recently my Department has received one complaint concerning an undertaking to the Commission which was reflected neither in a condition recommended by the Commission nor in a condition attached to the Secretary of State's consent and since 1985 six complaints related to conditions attached to a consent given by the Secretary of State.

  Business Improvement Scheme (West Penwith)
  Mr. Harris
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of the business improvement scheme for West Penwith.

  Mr. Giles Shaw
  The business improvement services scheme in the Penzance and St. Ives travel-to-work area started operating in July 1986. Since then 89 offers of assistance have been made to applicants, worth £394,412.

  I am pleased to see that the scheme has been well received locally.

  South Africa
  Mr. Caborn
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the European Economic Community
  428
  code of conduct on South Africa applies to British companies with interests in South Africa which employ more than 20 black Africans; and what is his position if these employees are located at different enterprises, none of which individually employs as many as 20 black Africans.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  My Department looks for the submission of a full report in all cases where a British company holds 50 per cent. or more of the equity of a South African company. The Government recognise that provision of detailed reports would be inappropriate where the South African company's total employment includes fewer than 20 black Africans.

  Mr. Caborn
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the minimum wage recommended in the European Economic Community code of conduct on South Africa is calculated for a family of five; and what regard is paid to(a) sex,(b) marital status or(c) age.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The minimum wage recommendations in the EC code of conduct refer companies to the supplemented living level figures produced by the University of South Africa. UNISA's figures are based on survey data and calculated for families of varying sizes, including a family of five, which is the recommended minimum wage level in the EC code, regardless of sex, marital status or age.

  Housing (London)
  Mr. Raynsford
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what evidence he based the claim, in the Government's booklet in support of locating the European Community Trade Marks Office in London, that inexpensive housing is available in plenty both in and out of London.

  Mr. Pattie
  The booklet's purpose is to demonstrate the advantages of London as the location of the proposed Community trade marks office relative to other European cities contending for this Office. Houses in London are not expensive when compared with houses of a similar type and in similar areas in other contending cities.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Colvin
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will report on the Internal Market Council held on 7 April.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The Council continued discussion on proposals for Directives on the controls and formalities applicable to EC nationals at intra-Community borders, on a right of residence for EC nationals in other member states, and on a general system for the recognition of higher education diplomas for the purposes of professional qualifications.

  Rover Group
  Mr. Sumberg
  asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a further statement on progress on the disposal of Rover Group truck and bus activities.

  Mr. Giles Shaw
  On 19 February my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry informed the House that the Government had accepted the Rover Group's recommendation that Leyland Trucks, Freight
  429
  Rover, and the related parts operations and overseas subsidiaries of the Rover Group should combine with DAF Trucks in a new joint venture company. The agreement between Rover Group and DAF to transfer these businesses to the new merged company, Leyland DAF Ltd, was completed on 6 April.

  On 13 January I informed the House that the sale of Leyland Bus to a management-led consortium had been completed. The Government have now accepted the Rover Group's proposal to dispose of Leyland DAB, the Group's wholly-owned bus manufacturing subsidiary in Denmark, to its management, subject to final negotiations and procedures at the annual general meeting of Leyland DAB on 14 April.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Vietnamese Refugees
  Mr. Anderson
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held between Britain and Vietnam over the past 12 months concerning the future of Vietnamese refugees.

  Mr. Renton
  We have held no formal discussions with the Vietnamese Government on this subject.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Anderson
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been received about the Hong Kong law about the publication of false news; and what consultations have been held with the Hong Kong Government on the subject.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) on 3 April at column 643. While this is primarily a matter for the Hong Kong Government, they have kept us fully informed of developments.

  Bahrein
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on British assistance to Bahrein.

  Mr. Renton
  No money has been allocated to Bahrein from the British aid programme. There are no British loan service personnel in Bahrain at present, though some have in the past undertaken training there.

  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the supply by British companies of security specialists or former British military personnel to the Government of Bahrein.

  Mr. Renton
  We are aware that a number of British citizens have been directly recruited by the Government of Bahrain. Their employment is a private commercial arrangement between them and the government of an independent country.

  Gaza Strip
  Mr. Murphy
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on
  430
  Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the continuing role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency in the Gaza strip and the status of refugees there.

  Mr. Renton
  We fully support United Nations Relief and Works Agency's vital humanitarian work on behalf of Palestinian refugees in the Gaza strip.

  British Summer Time
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he proposes to seek the consent of the European Economic Community to extend British summer time.

  Mr. Renton
  No.

  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received in support of the extension of British summer time.

  Mr. Renton
  We have received no such representations. The primary responsibility for British summer time rests with my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary.

  West German State Lottery
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the result of the representations which his Department made to the West German authorities regarding the literature sent by the West German state lottery to the hon. Member for Southend, East and to other British citizens inviting them to participate in an illegal lottery designed to provide funds for the West German Government, details of which were supplied to the Home Secretary and the Minister for Consumer Affairs in February; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Following representations made by the British Consulate General in Hamburg, the authorities who run the North West German lottery on behalf of the six states in the Federal Republic of Germany have instructed all agencies involved in promoting the lottery to take note of the relevant parts of the Lotteries and Amusements Act of 1976.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will invite the European Economic Community Commission to determine whether member states are empowered to prevent the distribution of lottery tickets being issued by member states in the same way as they can take action against such materials being issued by non-European Economic Community Governments; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  No. The terms of the Lotteries and Amusements Act of 1976 apply equally to lotteries promoted in European Community member states and in other countries.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will invite the Government of West Germany to return to the United Kingdom all payments made by United Kingdom residents in response to invitations sent by the West German state lottery to United Kingdom citizens asking for contributions to their official lottery; and if he will make a statement.
  431
  Mr. Eggar
  No. The lottery is the responsibility of states' governments rather than the Federal Government.

  Tripartite Commission for the Restitution of Monetary Gold
  Mr. Rooker
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if there have been any changes in the amount, value and disposition of gold held under the control of the tripartite commission for the restitution of monetary gold in the past three years.

  Mr. Renton
  The amount and disposition of the gold have remained unchanged. Its value has changed only in accordance with changes in world prices.

  Mr. Jeff Rooker
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list the proposed recipients of the gold held by the tripartite commission for the restitution of monetary gold after settlement of outstanding claims and state what steps he has taken to inform the proposed recipients of the procedure being used for its distribution.

  Mr. Renton
  The allocated amounts of gold have all been delivered, except that for Albania. Once that has been delivered, the remaining gold will be distributed among the claimant countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Yugoslavia) in proportion to their allocations. This final distribution will be conducted in accordance with procedures to be established by the tripartite commission.

  Mr. Rooker
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if there have been any changes in the British commissioner to the tripartite commission for the restitution of monetary gold in the past three years.

  Mr. Renton
  No. The current British commissioner is Mr. M. B. Collins OBE, commercial counsellor at the British embassy in Brussels.

  Mr. Rooker
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if any meetings of the tripartite commission for the restitution of monetary gold have taken place since his reply of 3 November 1986,Official Report, column 309.

  Mr. Renton
  No.

  Diplomatic Staff
  Mr. Dicks
  asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff accredited with diplomatic status work in the offices of the British High Commissioner in(a) Australia,(b) India and(c) Canada.

  Mr. Eggar
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c. 643]:

  Number

  (a) Australia

  26

  (b) India

  101

  (c) Canada

  22

  The figures include immigration and British Council staff. They also include subordinate posts in India but not in Australia or Canada, where staff have consular rather than diplomatic status.

EMPLOYMENT

  Job Training Scheme
  Mr. Ron Davies
  asked the Paymaster General if he will list those bodies and organisations which have applied to become managing agents for the new job training scheme in each manpower services commission area; and in each case which of those listed have been selected.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Manpower Services Commission are currently negotiating and signing contracts with managing agents. As soon as the relevant information has been assembled, I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  asked the Paymaster General if he will specify the precise dates on which each of the administrative changes made to the compilation of the unemployment figures since 1979 was introduced.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The following changes have been made to the compilation of the monthly instalment figures since 1979:

  Date for which unadjusted count was first affected

  11 November 1982
  Switch from count of registrants at jobcentres and careers offices to count of benefit claimants, following introduction of voluntary registration at jobcentres.

  6 March 1986
  Delay in compilation by two weeks to remove mistaken over-recording caused by late arrival of information about the status of claimants.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General if he will provide the figures for the numbers of people who have been(a) continuously unemployed since May 1979, (b) continuously unemployed since June 1983 and(c) who have never had a job since leaving school; and if he will provide figures for each region, and for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Lee
  Information is not available in the form requested. The following table gives the number of claimants in the regions of the United Kingdom who had been unemployed for over four years on 8 January 1987, the latest date for which an analysis of unemployment by duration is available (information on those unemployed over eight years is not available). It also shows for those areas the numbers of unemployed claimants of all ages who had not had a job since leaving full-time education at 12 February 1987, together with those aged under 18 years.

  Full-time education leavers 12 February 1987

  Region

  Unemployed Over 4 years 8 January 1987

  All ages

  Aged under 18 years

  South East

  71,218

  51,379

  10,869

  (Including Greater London)

  (39,965)

  (33,586)

  (5,904)

  East Anglia

  7,870

  4,268

  1,236

  South West

  17,842

  10,438

  3,051

  West Midlands

  54,920

  32,766

  8,806

  East Midlands

  22,960

  4,583

  4,379

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  38,172

  30,914

  9,787

  433

  Full-time education leavers 12 February 1987

  Region

  Unemployed Over 4 years 8 January 1987

  All ages

  Aged under 18 years

  North West

  65,436

  41,663

  10,825

  North

  34,877

  20,347

  6,073

  Wales

  22,699

  15,044

  4,266

  Scotland

  45,126

  40,636

  18,751

  Northern Ireland

  23,833

  8,968

  1,893

  United Kingdom

  404,953

  271,006

  79,936

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General if he will list, for each parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom(a) the number unemployed in May 1979, in June 1983 and at the last date for which figures are available, (b) the long-term unemployed on these dates and(c) the percentage increase in unemployed and in long-term unemployed from both May 1979 and June 1983.

  Mr. Lee
  I am sending the hon. Member the available information which is also in the Library. The information relates to the number of unemployed claimants in each parliamentary constituency of Great Britain in June 1983 (not available for Northern Ireland constituencies) and of the United Kingdom on 12 February 1987. It is difficult to compare these figures directly because of seasonal factors and changes in the coverage of the data.

  Statistics of unemployment for parliamentary constituencies are derived from the ward-based system and are available only from June 1983. Analyses of unemployment by duration are not available for February or June: statistics for constituencies of Great Britain at July 1983 and January 1987 are available in the Library.

  Mr. George
  asked the Paymaster General on what dates the measures taken to revise the method of computing the number of unemployed took effect; what were the measures; and how many were removed from the register.

  Mr. Trippier
  In recent years the following changes have been made to the compilation of the monthly unemployment figures:

  Date on which unadjusted count was first affected

  Approximate average effect on the unadjusted count when the change occurred

  Switch from count of registrants at jobcentres and careers offices to count of benefit claimants, following inroduction of voluntary registration at jobcentres.

  11 November 1982

  -190,000

  Delay in compilation by two weeks to remove mistaken over-recording caused by late arrival of information about the status of claimants.

  6 March 1986

  -50,000

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General if he will list the number of employees in 1981 and 1984, and
  434
  any estimate he has for 1986, and the numbers employed in(a) manufacturing,(b) construction,(c) metal manufacturing, and (d) engineering and allied industries in each Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 March 1987, c. 240–41]: Constituency figures can be provided only for those dates when censuses of employment are taken and the most recent are for September 1981. The September 1984 small area census estimates are expected to become available shortly and a copy will be placed in the Library.

  The currently available information from the 1981 census given in the table below relates only to numbers of people employed excluding self employed people, in constituencies in Great Britain. An industry breakdown and an estimate of the number of self-employed people is not available for each constituency.

  The figures are therefore not a measure of the number of jobs in each constituency.

  Employees in employment: Parliamentary constituencies: September 1981

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Barrow and Furness

  36,500

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  22,300

  Bishop Auckland

  33,300

  City of Durham

  38,400

  Copeland

  29,000

  Easington

  32,300

  Hexham

  20,500

  Langbaurgh

  15,300

  North Durham

  18,000

  North West Durham

  17,800

  Penrith and the Border

  25,800

  Sedgefield

  23,800

  Wansbeck

  29,800

  Westmoreland and Lonsdale

  28,000

  Workington

  23,500

  Blaydon

  27,200

  Blyth Valley

  19,900

  Carlisle

  35,500

  Darlington

  36,500

  Gateshead East

  29,200

  Hartlepool

  33,200

  Houghton and Washington

  28,500

  Jarrow

  21,300

  Middlesbrough

  47,400

  Newcastle upon Tyne Central

  33,300

  Newcastle upon Tyne East

  57,500

  Newcastle upon Tyne North

  18,100

  Redcar

  42,800

  South Shields

  29,100

  Stockton North

  41,700

  Stockton South

  26,400

  Sunderland North

  42,700

  Sunderland South

  24,800

  Tyne Bridge

  62,200

  Tynemouth

  28,200

  Wallsend

  37,800

  Barnsley West and Penistone

  27,400

  Beverley

  32,500

  Booth Ferry

  23,100

  Bridlington

  23,800

  Brigg and Cleethorpes

  28,400

  Calder Valley

  28,500

  Colne Valley

  23,000

  Dewsbury

  29,900

  Doncaster North

  24,400

  Don Valley

  21,700

  Elmet

  20,900

  Harrogate

  34,200

  435

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Hemsworth

  20,500

  Keighley

  29,300

  Normanton

  20,000

  Pontefract and Castleford

  37,700

  Richmond (Yorks)

  29,300

  Rother Valley

  20,400

  Ryedale

  26,400

  Scarborough

  28,700

  Selby

  32,200

  Sheffield, Hallam

  23,500

  Sheffield, Hillsborough

  25,300

  Shipley

  21,900

  Skipton and Ripon

  30,600

  Wentworth

  15,700

  Barnsley Central

  27,800

  Barnsley East

  23,200

  Batley and Spen

  31,800

  Bradford North

  38,900

  Bradford South

  24,300

  Bradford West

  62,300

  Doncaster Central

  55,400

  Glanford and Scunthorpe

  34,500

  Great Grimsby

  44,900

  Halifax

  45,200

  Huddersfield

  42,500

  Kingston upon Hull East

  25,100

  Kingston upon Hull North

  22,000

  Kingston upon Hull West

  62,400

  Leeds Central

  141,200

  Leeds East

  19,600

  Leeds North East

  13,700

  Leeds North West

  21,100

  Leeds West

  23,800

  Morley and Leeds South

  29,600

  Pudsey

  26,800

  Rotherham

  42,700

  Sheffield, Attercliffe

  32,800

  Sheffield, Brightside

  23,300

  Sheffield Central

  120,900

  Sheffield, Heeley

  15,600

  Wakefield

  50,100

  York

  59,100

  Amber Valley

  29,200

  Ashfield

  38,200

  Bassetlaw

  31,800

  Blaby

  27,200

  Bolsover

  20,000

  Bosworth

  33,000

  Broxtowe

  33,200

  Corby

  25,900

  Daventry

  23,200

  East Lindsey

  26,400

  Erewash

  28,500

  Gainsborough and Horncastle

  22,700

  Gedling

  20,700

  Grantham

  30,700

  Harborough

  29,700

  High Peak

  28,300

  Holland with Boston

  27,100

  Kettering

  26,700

  Loughborough

  36,300

  Mansfield

  31.800

  Newark

  31,800

  North East Derbyshire

  23,100

  North West Leicestershire

  33,300

  Rushcliffe

  24,500

  Rutland and Melton

  31,000

  Sherwood

  34,300

  South Derbyshire

  19,000

  Stamford and Spalding

  26,800

  Wellingborough

  32,600

  West Derbyshire

  33,700

  Chesterfield

  45,400

  Derby North

  31,600

  Derby South

  75,600

  Leicester East

  35,300

  436

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Leicester South

  72,900

  Leicester West

  52,100

  Lincoln

  46,200

  Northampton North

  25,200

  Northampton South

  58,200

  Nottingham East

  45,900

  Nottingham North

  18,700

  Nottingham South

  96,500

  Bury St. Edmunds

  40,800

  Central Suffolk

  24,200

  Great Yarmouth

  31,100

  Huntingdon

  27,200

  Mid Norfolk

  17,700

  North East Cambridgeshire

  25,200

  North Norfolk

  21,600

  North West Norfolk

  32,000

  South East Cambridgeshire

  22,900

  South Norfolk

  20,900

  South Suffolk

  31,600

  South West Cambridgeshire

  34,100

  South West Norfolk

  26,600

  Suffolk Coastal

  29,500

  Waveney

  35,400

  Cambridge

  52,700

  Ipswich

  52,500

  Norwich North

  21,500

  Norwich South

  72,400

  Peterborough

  59,600

  Barking

  25,100

  Battersea

  31,100

  Beckenham

  22,700

  Bethnal Green and Stepney

  55,200

  Bexleyheath

  14,400

  Bow and Poplar

  29,100

  Brent East

  28,700

  Brent North

  25,100

  Brent South

  54,900

  Brentford and Isleworth

  57,900

  Carshalton and Wallington

  23,500

  Chelsea

  54,100

  Chingford

  16,800

  Chipping Barnet

  26,000

  Chislehurst

  19,100

  Croydon Central

  75,800

  Croydon North East

  15,700

  Croydon North West

  32,900

  Croydon South

  19,000

  Dagenham

  45,900

  Dulwich

  17,300

  Ealing, Acton

  49,700

  Ealing North

  25,200

  Ealing, Southall

  42,200

  Edmonton

  25,300

  Eltham

  13,400

  Enfield North

  45,700

  Enfield, Southgate

  15,000

  Erith and Crayford

  22,600

  Feltham and Heston

  76,000

  Finchley

  20,200

  Fulham

  27,700

  Greenwich

  25,500

  Hackney North and Stoke Newington

  16,800

  Hackney South and Shoreditch

  64,400

  Hammersmith

  51,400

  Hampstead and Highgate

  28,900

  Harrow East

  39,300

  Harrow West

  16,400

  Hayes and Harlington

  48,500

  Hendon North

  25,400

  Hendon South

  25,000

  Holborn and St. Pancras

  179,600

  Hornchurch

  14,900

  Hornsey and Wood Green

  34,300

  Ilford North

  17,300

  Ilford South

  31,900

  Islington North

  31,800

  437

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Maidstone

  46,700

  Medway

  53,000

  Mid Kent

  18,600

  Mid Sussex

  32,000

  Mole Valley

  31,600

  Newbury

  37,500

  New Forest

  23,500

  North Thanet

  18,900

  North West Hampshire

  27,000

  North West Surrey

  36,300

  Reading East

  67,600

  Reading West

  21,800

  Romsey and Waterside

  28,300

  Sevenoaks

  27,100

  Shoreham

  24,300

  South Thanet

  24,600

  South West Surrey

  27,500

  Tonbridge and Malling

  39,400

  Tunbridge Wells

  36,300

  Wealden

  20,500

  Winchester

  50,400

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  43,000

  Woking

  33,900

  Wokingham

  25,200

  Brighton, Kemptown

  18,400

  Brighton, Pavilion

  49,700

  Chertsey and Walton

  38,100

  Crawley

  54,400

  Eastbourne

  34,000

  Eastleigh

  43,800

  Epsom and Ewell

  26,200

  Esher

  22,100

  Gillingham

  16,300

  Gosport

  22,800

  Havant

  30,500

  Hove

  27,700

  Portsmouth, North

  42,500

  Portsmouth, South

  56,300

  Reigate

  34,900

  Slough

  59,000

  Southampton, Itchen

  67,200

  Southampton, Test

  33,100

  Spelthorne

  42,700

  Worthing

  33,200

  Bridgwater

  28,600

  Christchurch

  23,300

  Cirencester and Tewkesbury

  37,500

  Devizes

  36,100

  Falmouth and Camborne

  23,900

  Honiton

  20,400

  Islington South and Finsbury

  81,600

  Kensington

  28,900

  Kingston upon Thames

  43,900

  Lewisham, Deptford

  26,300

  Lewisham East

  16,900

  Lewisham West

  18,500

  Leyton

  19,800

  Mitcham and Morden

  22,700

  Newham North East

  14,200

  Newham North West

  36,000

  Newham South

  24,600

  Norwood

  19,200

  Old Bexley and Sidcup

  18,400

  Orpington

  17,300

  Peckham

  25,100

  Putney

  26,300

  Ravensbourne

  24,500

  Richmond and Barnes

  24,100

  Romford

  30,300

  Ruslip-Northwood

  18,800

  Southwark and Bermondsey

  87,500

  Streatham

  21,700

  Surbiton

  18,100

  Sutton and Cheam

  26,200

  The City of London and Westminster South

  790,400

  Tooting

  23,600

  438

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Tottenham

  26,900

  Twickenham

  30,500

  Upminister

  16,700

  Uxbridge

  41,600

  Vauxhall

  90,700

  Walthamstow

  22,100

  Wanstead and Woodford

  12,000

  Westminster North

  42,500

  Wimbledon

  36,700

  Woolwich

  28,600

  Aylesbury

  40,900

  Banbury

  33,100

  Beaconsfield

  28,100

  Billericay

  25,400

  Braintree

  34,900

  Brentwood and Ongar

  26,700

  Buckingham

  26,000

  Chelmsford

  45,900

  Chesham and Amersham

  23,700

  Epping Forest

  24,600

  Harlow

  41,100

  Harwich

  24,200

  Henley

  22,900

  Hertford and Stortford

  36,500

  Northavon

  25,700

  North Cornwall

  25,200

  North Devon

  25,800

  North Dorset

  18,600

  North Wiltshire

  31,200

  St. Ives

  20,700

  Salisbury

  35,500

  Somerset and Frome

  21,500

  South Dorset

  27,700

  South East Cornwall

  15,500

  South Hams

  20,100

  Stroud

  32,900

  Taunton

  36,800

  Teignbridge

  24,600

  Tiverton

  24,000

  Torridge and West Devon

  22,500

  Truro

  34,200

  Wansdyke

  24,400

  Wells

  27,300

  Westbury

  38,400

  West Dorset

  26,700

  West Gloucestershire

  30,800

  Weston-Super-Mare

  25,700

  Woodspring

  19,900

  Yeovil

  34,000

  Bath

  39,900

  Bournemouth East

  35,300

  Bournemouth West

  24,800

  Bristol East

  58,800

  Bristol North West

  49,200

  Bristol South

  34,300

  Bristol West

  65,600

  Cheltenham

  48,300

  Exeter

  54,300

  Gloucester

  50,800

  Kingswood

  26,600

  Plymouth, Devonport

  33,800

  Plymouth, Drake

  42,800

  Plymouth, Sutton

  16,500

  Poole

  40,300

  Swindon

  52,300

  Torbay

  30,200

  Bromsgrove

  19,700

  Burton

  39,700

  Cannock and Burntwood

  25,100

  Hereford

  34,000

  Leominster

  19,200

  Ludlow

  21,100

  Meriden

  17,300

  Mid Staffordshire

  32,400

  Mid Worcestershire

  37,300

  North Shropshire

  27,800

  439

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  North Warwickshire

  30,500

  Nuneaton

  27,300

  Rugby and Kenilworth

  36,700

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  35,900

  South East Staffordshire

  19,300

  South Staffordshire

  19,500

  South Worcestershire

  31,600

  Stafford

  46,600

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  24,900

  Stratford-on-Avon

  30,700

  Warwick and Leamington

  47,500

  Wyre Forest

  31,100

  Aldridge-Brownhills

  20,800

  Birmingham, Edgbaston

  43,000

  Birmingham, Erdington

  44,900

  Birmingham, Hall Green

  12,100

  Birmingham, Hodge Hill

  21,800

  Birmingham, Ladywood

  116,200

  Birmingham, Northfield

  37,300

  Birmingham, Perry Barr

  16,400

  Birmingham, Selly Oak

  34,800

  Birmingham, Small Heath

  87,100

  Birmingham, Sparkbrook

  42,100

  Birmingham, Yardley

  32,100

  Coventry North East

  19,000

  Coventry North West

  24,600

  Coventry South East

  74,400

  Coventry South West

  24,400

  Dudley East

  42,300

  Dudley West

  26,900

  Halesowen and Stourbridge

  35,800

  Newcastle-under-Lyme

  29,000

  Solihull

  43,300

  Stoke-on-Trent Central

  55,800

  Stoke-on-Trent North

  31,300

  Stoke-on-Trent South

  39,200

  Sutton Coldfield

  19,600

  The Wrekin

  36,900

  Walsall North

  30,000

  Walsall South

  53,800

  Warley East

  24,200

  Warley West

  32,100

  West Bromwich East

  34,300

  West Bromwich West

  43,400

  Wolverhampton North East

  36,000

  Wolverhampton South East

  40,100

  Wolverhampton South West

  31,000

  Worcester

  42,500

  Bolton West

  21,800

  Chorley

  26,600

  City of Chester

  41,400

  Congleton

  27,700

  Crewe and Nantwich

  39,400

  Eddisbury

  22,400

  Ellesmere Port and Neston

  46,200

  Fylde

  32,000

  Halton

  39,100

  Hazel Grove

  19,800

  Heywood and Middleton

  20,500

  Knowsley North

  29,600

  Knowsley South

  33,000

  Lancaster

  28,600

  Littleborough and Saddleworth

  18,200

  Macclesfield

  32,500

  Makerfield

  19,000

  Morecambe and Lunesdale

  18,200

  Ribble Valley

  24,300

  South Ribble

  34,800

  Stalybridge and Hyde

  29,000

  Tatton

  33,800

  West Lancashire

  29,600

  Wirral South

  23,800

  Wirral West

  8,800

  Worsley

  19,400

  Wyre

  23,000

  Altrincham and Sale

  25,600

  440

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Ashton under Lyne

  30,000

  Birkenhead

  44,300

  Blackburn

  43,700

  Blackpool North

  36,400

  Blackpool South

  17,000

  Bolton North East

  36,300

  Bolton South East

  35,400

  Bootle

  37,200

  Burnley

  39,700

  Bury North

  30,800

  Bury South

  20,700

  Cheadle

  20,000

  Crosby

  16,200

  Davyhulme

  34,300

  Denton and Reddish

  42,400

  Eccles

  36,800

  Hyndburn

  25,400

  Leigh

  29,800

  Liverpool, Broadgreen

  33,300

  Liverpool, Garston

  23,400

  Liverpool, Mossley Hill

  24,600

  Liverpool, Riverside

  125,700

  Liverpool, Walton

  32,700

  Liverpool, West Derby

  13,800

  Manchester, Blackley

  16,400

  Manchester Central

  214,500

  Manchester, Gorton

  11,800

  Manchester, Withington

  19,900

  Manchester, Wythenshawe

  25,900

  Oldham Central and Royton

  40,300

  Oldham West

  30,900

  Pendle

  29,200

  Preston

  63,500

  Rochdale

  36,000

  Rossendale and Darwen

  30,100

  St. Helens North

  16,000

  St. Helens South

  48,700

  Salford East

  40,600

  Southport

  24,000

  Stockport

  28,700

  Stretford

  47,900

  Wallasey

  17,100

  Warrington North

  48,200

  Warrington South

  26,800

  Wigan

  38,900

  Aberavon

  28,400

  Alyn and Deeside

  24,000

  Blaenau Gwent

  21,600

  Brecon and Radnor

  18,000

  Bridgend

  30,900

  Carnarfon

  16,600

  Caerphilly

  23,700

  Carmarthen

  22,200

  Ceredigion and Pembroke North

  19,900

  Clwyd North West

  24,800

  Clwyd South West

  17,000

  Conwy

  25,400

  Cynon Valley

  17,700

  Delyn

  20,700

  Gower

  15,000

  Islwyn

  17,700

  Llanelli

  27,700

  Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

  10,700

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  23,600

  Monmouth

  26,900

  Montgomery

  14,900

  Neath

  22,100

  Newport East

  16,100

  Newport West

  40,900

  Ogmore

  13,000

  Pembroke

  29,800

  Pontypridd

  36,200

  Rhondda

  16,300

  Torfaen

  27,100

  Vale of Glamorgan

  21,900

  Wrexham

  28,400

  441

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Ynys Mon

  16,700

  Cardiff Central

  68,800

  Cardiff North

  24,100

  Cardiff South and Penarth

  34,100

  Cardiff West

  18,700

  Swansea East

  24,400

  Swansea West

  49,500

  Angus East

  21,100

  Argyll and Bute

  20,500

  Ayr

  37,000

  Banff and Buchan

  25,000

  Caithness and Sutherland

  13,300

  Carrick Cumnock and Doon Valley

  22.200

  Central Fife

  25,400

  Clackmannan

  18,500

  Clydebank and Milngavie

  15,600

  Clydesdale

  20,100

  Cumbernauld and Kilsyth

  14,200

  Cunninghame North

  15,400

  Cunninghame South

  21,600

  Dumbarton

  24,100

  Dumfries

  30,200

  Dunfermline East

  23,500

  Dunfermline West

  23,900

  East Kilbride

  28,300

  East Lothian

  21,400

  Eastwood

  14,200

  Falkirk East

  25,700

  Falkirk West

  29,300

  Galloway and Upper Nithsdale

  22,000

  Gordon

  34,300

  Inverness Nairn and Lochaber

  42,300

  Kilmarnock and Loudoun

  26,900

  Kincardine and Deeside

  13,300

  Kirkcaldy

  31,400

  Linlithgow

  22,600

  Livingston

  29,000

  Midlothian

  24,200

  Moray

  24,400

  North East Fife

  17,100

  North Tayside

  22,300

  Orkney and Shetland

  17,100

  Perth and Kinross

  33,500

  Renfrew West and Inverclyde

  18,000

  Ross Cromarty and Skye

  18,700

  Roxburgh and Berwickshire

  17,200

  Stirling

  30,500

  Strathkelvin and Bearsden

  18,200

  Tweeddale Ettrick and Lauderdale

  19,300

  Western Isles

  8,200

  Aberdeen North

  27,100

  Aberdeen South

  77,400

  Dundee East

  20,700

  Dundee West

  56,500

  Edinburgh Central

  113,400

  Edinburgh East

  17,800

  Edinburgh Leith

  40,500

  Edinburgh Pentlands

  18,000

  Edinburgh South

  18,700

  Edinburgh West

  21,300

  Glasgow Cathcart

  15,500

  Glasgow Central

  83,300

  Glasgow Garscadden

  12,600

  Glasgow Govan

  19,500

  Glasgow Hillhead

  120,200

  Glasgow Maryhill

  25,800

  Glasgow Pollock

  20,800

  Glasgow Provan

  9,000

  Glasgow Rutherglen

  17,300

  Glasgow Shettleston

  24,400

  Glasgow Springburn

  29,700

  Green and Port Glasgow

  33,200

  Hamilton

  27,800

  Monklands East

  17,100

  Monklands West

  19,500

  Motherwell North

  24,100

  442

  Constituency

  Number of employees

  Motherwell South

  30,600

  Paisley North

  52,100

  Paisley South

  16,000

  Restart
  Mr. Spearing
  asked the Paymaster General if he will review the rule that prevents a young person being employed under a Manpower Services Commission scheme who has gained the relevant skills under the restart programme.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have no knowledge of such a rule.

  Employment Census
  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Paymaster General to what factors he attributes the delay in the availability to regional planning authorities of the county, borough and ward level data from the employment census 1984, known as ER2 data; and whether he is able to give a date on which those data will be made available to the greater Manchester district authorities.

  Mr. Lee
  The processing of the 1984 census estimates for small areas has been delayed as a result of the difficulties arising out of sampling in the census. However, it is hoped that these estimates will become available for release within about a month or so. My officials will be writing to local planning authorities later this month to advise them as to availability.

  Labour Force Survey
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General what consideration is being given to, or what consultations have taken place on, the future of the labour force survey; and if he proposes to conduct it on a more frequent basis.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  My officials continually assess the quality of the Department's statistical series and seek ways to improve them. I have taken no decision to alter the present frequency of the labour force survey.

  Part-time Work
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General how many men and women he estimates to be in search of part-time work.

  Mr. Lee
  Preliminary labour force survey results for the spring of 1986 indicate that of those unemployed according to the definition conventionally used in measuring the labour force 72,000 men and 411,000 women were looking for work as part-time employees.

  Benefit Claimants
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General(1) what is his estimate for the United Kingdom for June 1983 and presently of(a) the number of married women or cohabitees who are out of work but not included in the benefit claimants monthly count and(b) the number of married men or cohabitees who are out of work but not included in the benefit claimants monthly count;
  443
  (2) how many persons over 60 years he estimates to be out of work but not required to register as unemployed to claim benefit for the following dates: June 1983, February 1986 and February 1987.

  Mr. Lee
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General what new proposals he is considering, or what consultations are taking place, in relation to the accuracy of the monthly count of unemployed benefit claimants.

  Mr. Lee
  There are no such proposals being considered or consultations taking place.

  Advertising
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Paymaster General what proportion of his Department's budget for advertising and promotion is spent on regional and local newspaper advertising; and if he will make a statement.

  Programme

  Date

  Number

  Area

  Community Programme

  31 March 1987

  2,148

  Walsall Metropolitan Borough

  Job Release Scheme

  1 March 1987

  148

  Walsall Travel to Work Area

  Enterprise Allowance Scheme

  7 April 1987

  812

  Wolverhampton and Walsall Area

  YTS

  5 April 1987

  2,688

  Walsall Local Authority District

  There are currently no people on community industry, the young workers scheme or the job splitting scheme in the Walsall area.

  Availability-for-Work Test
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General how many people have been interviewed under the new availability-for-work procedures; how many have had their claims for benefit stopped, how many appeals have been made; and how many have been successful.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 37]: Claimants to unemployment benefit have always been disallowed benefit by independent statutory adjudicating authorities, in accordance with long-standing legal rules adopted by successive Governments, where they are not available for work. There have therefore always been some interviews and some refusals of claims for as long as the national insurance system has operated since its establishment in its present form in 1947. If the hon. Member is asking for information about the position since we last modified the procedures and revised the form which has always been used to enforce the rules, the answer as at 27 February 1987 is as follows:

  Number

  Numbers of claimants who have completed the latest version of the availability questionnaire (UB 671)

  1,077,836

  Number of claimants who have been disallowed benefit.

  8,866

  Information is not readily available about the number of appeals made against disallowance of benefit or their outcome.

  Mr. Janner
  asked the Paymaster General how many people have been refused full or partial unemployment
  444
  Mr. Trippier
  The proportion of the Department of Employment's advertising budget spent on regional and local newspaper advertising is 4·1 per cent.

  Job Creation Programmes
  Mr. George
  asked the Paymaster General how many people are engaged in the following special employment and training measures within the employment area covering the Walsall, South constituency.(a) community industry,(b) community programme,(c) the YTS, (d) the young workers scheme, (e) the job release scheme, (f) the job-splitting scheme and (g) the enterprise allowance scheme.

  Mr. Trippier
  It is not possible to give a precise total figure because of the various basis on which local information is collated. The number of people participating in the following employment training and enterprise measures are:

  benefit as a result of information obtained by the new availability-for-work test in Leicester and the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c. 37]: Ever since the national insurance system in its present form was set up in 1947, some claimants to unemployment benefit have always been disallowed benefit by independent statutory adjudicating authorities, in accordance with long standing legal rules adopted by successive Governments, where they are not available for work.

  If the hon. and learned Member is asking how many claims have been disallowed in this way since we last modified the procedures and revised the form which has always been used to enforce the rules, the answer, as at 27 February 1987, is 78 claimants in Leicester and 8,866 claimants in Great Britain.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Paymaster General (1) when he expects to announce revised local unemployment rates, based on the employment figures contained in the 1984 census of employment;

  (2) if he will publish the revised national and regional unemployment rates for each month since June 1983, based on his updated employment figures contained in the 1984 census of employment.

  Mr. Lee
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: Revised unemployment rates incorporating employment estimates which take account of the 1984 census of employment results will be published within the next two months. At that time revised national and regional rates will be available in the Library.

  Bradford (Job Clubs)
  Mr. Madden
  asked the Paymaster General how much the Manpower Services Commission is paying the Norfolk Gardens hotel in Bradford to establish a job club; how many job clubs have been established in the Bradford district in private premises and at what cost in each case; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  Nine job clubs had been opened in the Bradford metropolitan district by 31 March as part of the Manpower Services Commission's expansion to 1,000 job clubs nationally. Two of these job clubs, run by MSC staff, are temporarily located in accommodation rented from the Norfolk Gardens hotel, pending a move to permanent premises. Negotiations for such premises are at an advanced stage.

  In addition, seven job clubs are run on the commission's behalf by external organisations.

  I regret that information about individual financial and contracting arrangements is confidential, but the average cost of job clubs in the Bradford metropolitan district is £18,600 per annum.

ENERGY

  Pollution
  Mr. Bright
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if any experiments on the introduction of metallic elements into the flame areas of boilers using untreated fuel oil in power stations in order to reduce the formation of acidic gases have been conducted by the Central Electricity Generating Board or by any body for which he is responsible;

  (2) what has been the outcome of experiments at the Coal Research Establishment on the addition of antifouling additives in terms of the quantity of oxides of nitrogen produced by combustion in coal-fired boilers of the kind used in power stations;

  (3) if consideration has been given to the treatment of fuels prior to combustion in power stations as a means of inhibiting acid rain.

  Mr. Goodlad
  The Central Electricity Generating Board maintains a wide ranging programme of research into methods of reducing acid emissions from power stations including the treatment of fuels prior to combustion. I understand that the evidence to date does not support the use of such techniques for emission control at the board's plant. I also understand that the introduction of metal compounds into the flame area of oil fired boilers has been found to be effective as a means of reducing acid dewpoint corrosion in the plant and the formation of acid smuts but not as a means of reducing emissions of sulphur and nitrogen oxides.

  British Coal informs me that the coal research establishment has not undertaken any tests on the effect of anti-fouling additives in boilers of the type used in a large modern power plant. Such tests are under way for industrial boilers but the results, in terms of the quantity of oxides of nitrogen emitted, have not been promising.

  Coal Industry (Accidents)
  Mr. Patchett
  asked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) pursuant to his answer of 6 April,Official Report, column 6, if he will take steps to produce details of all fatal
  446
  accidents which have occurred in the coal industry for the year 1986–87, broken down according to coalfield areas, as soon as possible;

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 6 April,Official Report, column 7, if he will take steps to produce details of all serious accidents which have occurred in the coal industry for the full year 1986–87, broken down according to coalfield areas, as soon as possible.

  Mr. David Hunt
  I shall publish the information requested when it becomes available.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Accommodation Agencies
  Mr. Frank Cook
  asked the Attorney-General for each year since 1975,(a) how many accommodation agencies have had summonses issued against them under the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953,(b) how many accommodation agencies have been successfully prosecuted under the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953, (c) how many directors of accommodation agencies have had summonses issued against them under the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953 and (d) how many directors of accommodation agencies have been successfully prosecuted under the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953.

  Mr. Mellor
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information in the form requested is not available. The information readily available to me, which may be incomplete, is given in the following table:

  Defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts for offences under the Accommodation Agencies Act 1953 England and Wales 1975–85: Number of defendants

  Year

  Proceeded against

  Found guilty

  1975

  2

  2

  1976

  2

  2

  1977

  9

  9

  1978

  2

  2

  1979

  —

  —

  1980

  4

  4

  1981

  3

  1

  1982

  4

  3

  1983

  4

  3

  1984

  5

  2

  1985

  5

  2

  Licensed Conveyancers
  Mr. Harris
  asked the Attorney-General what information the Lord Chancellor has as to the number of licensed conveyancers who have so far registered with the Council for Licensed Conveyancers under the transitional arrangements and as to the number of applications for registration.

  The Attorney-General
  Two hundred and forty five notices of intention to apply for a licence have been received by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers. The council cannot issue licences until the relevant statutory provisions comes into force.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Self-Employed Persons
  Ms. Clare Short
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the number of self-employed in each tax band in each year since 1979.

  Single people and married couples liable to tax with main source self employment income

  thousands

  Marginal rate of tax1 (per cent.)

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  25

  2257

  ..

  ..

  ..

  ..

  ..

  30

  21,120

  1,340

  1,380

  1,460

  1,590

  1,670

  40

  44

  42

  53

  54

  47

  55

  45

  38

  35

  43

  42

  46

  51

  50

  29

  31

  36

  33

  36

  35

  55

  13

  13

  18

  17

  15

  16

  60

  17

  23

  27

  26

  23

  24

  Total

  1,520

  1,490

  1,550

  1,630

  1,760

  1,850

  1 Highest rate of income tax on total income (including investment income) excluding investment income surcharge.

  2 Figures for 1979–80 are on a slightly different basis from that for later years. As a result, the total of those liable at 25 and 30 per cent. may be understated relative to later years by about 20,000. Differences for higher rates are negligible.

  Personal Equity Plans
  Mr. Bright
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why investment trust companies are excluded from participating in the provision of personal equity plans.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The prime aim of the personal equity plan is to encourage direct investment in British companies. Holdings of investment trusts in personal equity plans are allowed up to £420 a year or 25 per cent. of investors' annual subscriptions, whichever is the higher. The purpose of this limit is to enable small investors to have a reasonable spread of risk, without undermining the main objective of the scheme. Though investment trusts are companies under law, they cannot provide a sufficiently close relationship between the investor and the companies in which the trust invests. Also, many investment trusts have large holdings in foreign companies and gilts.

  Reliefs and Allowances
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will show tax and national insurance in 1987–88 as a proportion of earnings, together with a breakdown of the reliefs and allowances applicable in the cases of a married man with earnings of £100,000 per annum, making an annual investment of £40,000 from his earnings under the business expansion scheme and claiming tax relief on(a) a mortgage loan of £30,000, assuming a monthly interest payment of £281·25,(b) the maximum contribution to a personal pension scheme from 4 January 1988, having no contracted-out employer's scheme prior to that date,(c) a life insurance policy taken out before 13 March 1984 and with an annual premium of £1,000 and (d) the maximum monthly tax-free investment into a personal equity plan;

  (2) if he will show tax and national insurance in 1987–88 as a proportion of earnings together with a breakdown of the reliefs and allowances applicable in the case of a married man with earnings of £30,000 per annum, and
  448
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Information from the survey of personal incomes is as follows:

  making an annual investment from his earnings of £5,000 under the business expansion scheme as well as claiming tax relief on(a) a mortgage loan of £30,000, assuming a monthly interest payment of £281.25,(b) the maximum contribution to a personal pension scheme from 4 January 1988, having no contracted-out employer's scheme prior to that date,(c) a life insurance policy taken out before 13 March 1984 and with an annual premium of £200 and (d) the maximum monthly tax-free investment into a personal equity plan;

  (3) if he will show tax and national insurance in 1987–88 as a proportion of earnings together with a breakdown of the reliefs and allowances applicable in the cases of(a) a married man with earnings of £100,000 per annum,(b) a married man on the level of average male earnings assumed for 1987 and(c) a single person earning £100 per week.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  I shall let the hon. Member have replies as soon as possible.

  Leeds-Bradford Airport (Customs Clearance)
  Mr. Madden
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from Freight Forwarders in the Leeds-Bradford area about its proposals to introduce a system of customs clearance by direct computer link covering Leeds-Bradford Airport and Leeds Containers base; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. O'Brien
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received proposing the development of a customs and excise depot at the Leeds-Bradford Airport.

  Mr. Peter Brooke
  I shall let the hon. Members have replies as soon as possible.

  Pensions
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, following his Budget proposals, any of the pension rights secured by additional voluntary

  449
  contributions can be commuted into a tax-free lump sum, whether any restrictions will apply only to contributions paid after 17 March 1987 regardless of when the arrangements to pay such contributions was entered into; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 March 1987, c. 108]: I regret the delay in replying. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given in my written reply on 7 April 1987 to my hon. Friend the Member for Cannock and Burntwood (Mr. Howarth) at columns 164–65.

  Tax Exemption
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is the rate of tax payable in the current financial year on(a) interest and(b) dividends paid to overseas holders of United Kingdom securities; and if he will provide a forecast of the yield in each case together with his estimate of the amount of tax forgone by virtue of exemption granted in the case of interest paid on certain government stocks;

  (2) whether he will publish in the Official Report his estimate of the saving to the Exchequer in 1987–88 of ending the tax exemption on the interest paid on gilt-edged securities to overseas residents.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1987, c. 213]: The rate at which tax is payable on interest paid to non-resident holders of United Kingdom securities will depend on the nature of the security and the terms of any double taxation agreement between the United Kingdom and the country of residence of the recipient. Interest on certain British Government securities is not liable to income tax. Under the imputation system of corporation tax, the shareholders' liability to basic rate income tax on dividends paid by United Kingdom companies is regarded as met by the advance corporation

  Income tax plus national insurance contributions1 Multiples of average earnings

  ½

  ⅔

  1

  5

  10

  (a)£ per week

  (b) Per cent.

  (a) £ per week

  (b) Per cent.

  (a) £ per week

  (b) Per cent.

  (a) £ per week

  (b) Per cent.

  (a) £ per week

  (b) Per cent.

  Single person

  1978–79

  10·92

  23·5

  17·03

  27·5

  29·25

  31·5

  242·17

  52·2

  625·97

  67·5

  1985–86

  25·99

  26·2

  38·89

  29·4

  64·69

  32·6

  451·12

  45·5

  1,046·62

  52·7

  1986–87

  27·52

  25·8

  41·04

  28·8

  68·07

  31·9

  487·04

  45·6

  1,127·24

  52·8

  1987–88

  28·32

  24·9

  41·96

  27·7

  62·94

  30·5

  520·05

  45·8

  1,201·95

  52·9

  Married couple with part-time working spouse

  1978–79

  7·43

  12·5

  13·54

  17·1

  29·28

  24·6

  285·80

  48·0

  726·82

  61·1

  1985–86

  18·77

  15·0

  31·68

  19·0

  62·89

  25·1

  539·41

  43·1

  1,235·19

  49·3

  1986–87

  20·16

  15·0

  33·68

  18·8

  66·62

  24·8

  579·85

  43·1

  1,328·71

  49·4

  1987–88

  21·21

  14·8

  36·82

  19·3

  68·51

  23·9

  614·06

  42·9

  1,412·89

  49·3

  Married couple plus two children2 with part-time working spouse

  1978–79

  1·13

  1·9

  7·13

  9·0

  22·87

  19·2

  277·77

  46·7

  718·49

  60·4

  1985–86

  4·97

  4·0

  17·88

  10·7

  49·09

  19·6

  525·61

  42·0

  1,221·39

  48·8

  1986–87

  6·02

  4·5

  19·54

  10·9

  52·48

  19·5

  565·71

  42·0

  1,314·57

  48·9

  1987–88

  6·71

  4·7

  22·32

  11·7

  54·01

  18·8

  599·56

  41·8

  1,398·39

  48·8

  1 Less child benefit where appropriate.

  2 Both under 11.

  Allowances
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish in the Official Report
  450
  tax payable by the company in respect of the distributions made by it. If, under the terms of a double taxation agreement a non-resident recipient is entitled to a tax credit, the aggregate of the dividend and the tax credit is taxed at the restricted rate specified in the agreement.

  The information required to forecast the tax yield from interest paid to overseas holders of United Kingdom securities is not available. The yield from the taxation of dividends paid to overseas holders of United Kingdom securities and their accompanying tax credits was approximately £150 million in 1985–86, the latest year for which this information is available.

  The estimated reduction in tax liabilities in 1986–87 resulting from the exemption for overseas holders of British Government securities is £350 million. A figure for 1987–88 is not available.

  Tax and National Insurance
  Dr. McDonald
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to 1987–88 the information on tax and national insurance contributions provided in his reply of 30 January to the hon. Member for Thurrock,Official Report, columns 413–16.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1987, c.216]: The following table shows(a) income tax plus national insurance contributions less child benefit at current prices and(b) income tax plus national insurance contributions less child benefit as a percentage of gross income. The calculations assume that the taxpayer has no reliefs other than the appropriate personal allowances and that national insurance contributions are at the contracted-in rate. Average earnings are those for full time males and part-time females paid at adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence. Figures for 1986–87 and 1987–88 are provisional.

  a table showing the cost to the Exchequer of an increase of £100 in each of the allowances at the standard rate of income tax.
  451
  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c.76]: The estimated direct revenue costs in a full year at 1987–88 income levels for each of the main personal allowances are as follows. The calculation assumes that the increase in each allowance would reduce liability at the basic rate of tax only.

  Allowance

  Cost at 1987–88 income levels £ millions

  Single person's

  250

  Wife's earned income

  105

  Married man's

  275

  Additional personal

  12

  Widow's bereavement

  2

  Married age (taxpayers aged 65 to 79)

  22

  Married age (taxpayers aged 80 and over)

  4

  Single age (taxpayers aged 65 to 79)

  24

  Single age (taxpayers aged 80 and over)

  4

  Pension Schemes (Approvals)
  Mr. Tim Smith
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the superannuation funds office has returned to employers pension schemes submitted to them for approval before Budget day.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: I assume my hon. Friend has in mind the decision of the Inland Revenue superannuation funds office not to give formal tax approval to occupational pension schemes until the Finance Bill has received Royal Assent. This is because the tax reform package for pensions announced in the Budget requires pension schemes to have rules which conform with the Budget proposals and, until the Finance Bill is enacted, the precise form of these rules cannot be known. However, schemes established before Royal Assent should generally benefit from the usual tax reliefs on a provisional basis until such time as they can finalise their rules and obtain approval.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy towards the eventual privatisation of all nationalised industries and public corporations.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: It is the Government's policy to privatise most of the remaining state-owned sector of industry in the rest of this Parliament and the next.

TRANSPORT

  Light Dues
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will publish in the Official Report the increase in constant price terms of light dues for shipping for the years 1970–71, 1974–75, 1978–79 and 1985–86.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The table shows, for each financial year since 1970–71, the percentage difference in constant price terms between the 1987–88 light dues rates and the rates in earlier years. In calculating these differences the latest Treasury GDP deflators have been used:452

  Percentage

  1970–71

  19·9

  1971–72

  12·5

  1972–73

  21·1

  1973–74

  23·3

  1974–75

  16·6

  1975–76

  133·7

  1976–77

  24·8

  1977–78

  26·2

  1978–79

  18·3

  1979–80

  4·2

  1980–81

  8·0

  1981–82

  19·1

  1982–83

  13·0

  1983–84

  0·6

  1984–85

  5·2

  1985–86

  11·8

  1986–87

  8·8

  1987–88

  —

  1 This increase took effect on 26 September 1975 and subsumed a smaller increase effective from 1 April 1975.

  Coaches (Vehicle Excise Duty)
  Mr. Stephen Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what was the net yield of payments made by the express coach service sector through vehicle excise duty and fuel duty, taking into account the rebate which is claimed by operators, in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Vehicle excise duty and fuel duty receipts are not collected separately for the express coach service sector.

  British Transport Police
  Mr. Terlezki
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to increase the manpower available to British Transport police in the South Wales area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  This is a matter for the railways board and the British Transport police. I understand that they have no immediate plans to increase police manpower in South Wales, but the situation is under review.

  Trains (Vandalism)
  Mr. Terlezki
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has of the number of incidents of vandalism on late evening trains in South Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I understand from the British Transport Police that in the first 3 months of 1987 there have been 14 reported offences involving criminal damage on late evening trains in South Wales.

  Petroleum (Cetane Value)
  Mr. Adley
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on proposals to reduce the cetane value in petroleum products and on the effect of this on the environment.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Following discussions with Government Departments and the industries concerned proposals have been made by the British Standards Institution to amend the standard for diesel fuel for road vehicles BS 2869. The proposals follow changes in the
  453
  quality of crude oil available, the mix of oil products in demand and the technical possibilities for controlling various characteristics of diesel fuel. The minimum cetane number would be reduced from 50 CN to 48 CN, a figure nearer the European average. It is expected that this would result in marginal increases in smoke and noise emission from some engines. On the other hand new density limits, a stability requirement and tighter viscosity and distillation characteristics would be introduced to act as a safeguard against diesel fuel quality declining in other respects. On balance we believe this package of changes will best secure the needs of industry and the protection of the environment.

  Railways (Consultative Committees)
  Mr. Madden
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he has issued to British Rail management concerning the making of representations by it about transport consultative committee appointments.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I have neither issued any guidance to, nor received any representations from, British Rail on TUCC appointments. TUCC appointments are, in any case, entirely a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

  Roads (Safety)
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department is seeking low-cost safety measures for implementation on roads taken over from the former Greater London council.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Yes. A top priority on taking over these roads was to review their safety record. Our current programme will put in remedial schemes at the rate of two a week right across the London trunk road network throughout the coming year. This is part of our expanding programme of low-cost accident prevention measures which will pay high dividends in terms of lives saved.

  Borough Traffic Orders
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the rate of clearance of borough traffic orders by his Department; and how it compares with the clearance rate by the former Greater London council.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  An object of giving boroughs their own traffic management powers was to cut out wasteful delays. Boroughs have been making good use of their new freedom to get ahead speedily with local schemes to handle traffic more effectively and safely. Where orders have to come to this Department, they are cleared within a maximum of one month and generally far less. This compares favourably with the many months some GLC orders used to take.

  Woolwich Ferry
  Mr. Spearing
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals have been made by consultants concerning the operation of the Woolwich free ferry; what changes in hours of service are envisaged; what effects there would be on manpower; and what would be the estimated savings in one year in actual and percentage terms.
  454
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  At a meeting with me yesterday afternoon, Greenwich council undertook to complete its input to the consultants final report as quickly as possible. I hope to have the consultants' proposals soon.

  Vehicle Passengers (Risks)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has on the relative risk of accident and injury for passengers travelling in(a) minibuses(b) motor caravans and(c) passenger service vehicles and coaches.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Relative injury-rates for these categories are not available, because: (i) the STATS 119 accident report form does not distinguish between(a) and(b); and (ii) traffic figures giving vehicle kilometres of exposure include (b) with traffic, and(a) with either car traffic or with(c).

  In plain English: not much.

  Minibuses (Safety)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to lay down standards for the safety of minibuses equivalent to that required for the occupants of other forms of fare-paying passenger transport; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Each class of vehicle used for fare paying passenger transport is subject to appropriate safety standards which have regard to the particular constructional characteristics of that class. The requirements for minibuses are set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will initiate any studies to monitor the effect of increased minibus passenger travel on the rate of accidents involving minibuses.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Accidents involving minibuses are monitored through the accident reporting system, and I shall watch the situation carefully.

  Road Accident Statistics
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to amend STATS 19 forms to allow a distinction to be made between minibus and motor car accidents as part of the process of monitoring the effects of bus-deregulation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The existing STATS 19 form distinguishes between (i) cars, (ii) minibuses-motor-caravans, and (iii) larger buses. There is no distinction under (ii) between private motor caravans and minibuses running on public services. We hope to obtain agreement from the Association of Chief Police Officers to record seating capacity of type (ii) vehicles. This should help in the monitoring of bus-deregulation.

  Minibuses (Passenger Mileage)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Transport, what information he has about minibus passenger mileage for 1985; and what information he proposes to collect to facilitate monitoring of the effects of bus de-regulation.
  455
  Mr. David Mitchell
  No separate information is available for minibus passenger mileage for 1985. The Department has a programme for monitoring the effects of bus deregulation covering national data, area and case studies. The first report was published in January of this year and a further report is expected in the summer which will include general information on the development of minibus services in the study areas.

DEFENCE

  Scottish Universities (Contracts)
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts his Department has placed with each Scottish university in the past three years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Research agreements and contracts have been placed by MOD with a wide range of Scottish universities as follows.

  Number

  1984

  10

  1985

  23

  1986

  29

  It is for the universities concerned to confirm their individual involvement.

  Project Zircon
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if, in preparing his forthcoming defence White Paper, he will make it his policy to identify separately expenditure on project Zircon; and if he will provide similar information for previous years.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  No.

  AWACS
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department intends to build hardened shelters for United Kingdom-based airborne warning and control system aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  My Department has no intention to build hardened shelters for United Kingdom-based airborne warning and control system aircraft.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether airborne warning and control system aircraft will be able to refuel from Victor K2 tankers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes. All Victor K2 tankers are fitted with an E-3 compatible refuelling system.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether airborne warning and control system aircraft will be able to refuel from VC10 K1 tankers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  There are no VC10 K1 aircraft in service. However, the United Kingdom's VC10 K2 and VC10 K3 tanker fleet will be compatible with the United Kingdom E-3 force.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence whether airborne warning and control systems aircraft will be able to refuel from Tristar Q1 tankers.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Yes.
  456
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence for how many hours airborne warning and control system aircraft will be able to remain on station with air-to-air refuelling.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to reveal details of operational capabilities.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how long the airborne warning and control system mission system avionics can be kept in operation in the air without need for maintenance.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to reveal details of operational capabilities. However, most elements of the mission system are duplicated providing an automatic in-flight redundancy thereby ensuring a high degree of efficiency in the MSA.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours Royal Air Force airborne warning and control system aircraft will he able to stay on station over the Faroes/Iceland area of the North sea without air-to-air refulling.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  It is not our practice to reveal details of operational capabilities.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the vulnerability of Royal Air Force advanced warning and control system aircraft on the ground in the event of war.

  Mr. Stanley
  I will write to the right hon. Gentleman.

  Tanker Aircraft
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many squadrons of tanker aircraft are currently in Royal Air Force service.

  Mr. Stanley
  Three.

  Air-to-Air Refuelling
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions his Department has had with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies on air-to-air refuelling capability.

  Mr. Stanley
  Recent discussions have been held with the United States on air-to-air refuelling interoperability. This and other aspects of air-to-air refuelling have been, and will be, under discussion in various NATO fora.

  Sea Wolf
  Mr. O'Neill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the reason for the delay in awarding the Sea Wolf missile contracts.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  A review of Sea Wolf missile stocks and future requirements is currently underway. On successful completion of this review a decision will be made on the timing of any further contract awards.

  Mr. O'Neill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence when orders will be placed for Sea Wolf.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  Many individual orders have been placed under under the Sea Wolf programme since its inception in the 1970s. It is not possible to be precise about the timing of further such orders.

  Invincible Class Vessels (Refurbishment)
  Mr. O'Neill
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what plans exist for the refurbishment of ships in the Invincible class over the next three years; and what timetable exists for the undertaking of the necessary work.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  HMS Invincible is currently undergoing a refit at Devonport dockyard. For all vessels of the class, maintenance in dock will be undertaken at approximately six-monthly intervals. Refit plans are under review.

  Atomic Weapon Trials, Australia
  Mr. Holt
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the history of the British atomic weapons trials in Australia, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The book "A Very Special Relationship" provides a factual account of the British atomic weapon trials in Australia based mainly on a large volume of contemporary material, and also evidence provided during the inquiries of the Australian Royal Commission. It has been written by Lorna Arnold, a research assistant under Professor Margaret Gowing at the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. I have placed a copy in the Library today.

  Tactical Missile System
  Mr. Best
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about United Kingdom involvement in plans for a new tactical missile system.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [pursuant to his reply, 12 February 1987 c.304]: I shall write to the hon. Member.

  Defence Budget
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  asked the Secretary of state for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 4 March 1987, Official Report, column 602, why the savings made in his budget during 1986–87 are not expected for 1987–88; what criteria he uses for the slection of priorities; what assessment he has made of the implications for progress towards the Government's energy efficiency targets of the reduction in the budget for 1987–88; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c.88]: The savings in the 1986–87 budget arose on fuel Votes as a result of engergy efficiency measures previously introduced. The fuel Votes have now been reduced to reflect the lower and more efficient consumption levels.

  Energy efficiency measures are normally funded from works budgets and may at times have to give way to building projects which operationally are of greater urgency. Such building projects will increase energy efficiency on the defence estate over and above the measures for which funds have been specifically allocated, although the cost is not separately identifiable.

  Within the Government's overall energy efficiency initiative the Ministry of Defence has set a target of a 25 per cent. reduction in usage of non-operational energy over the 5 year period 1986–87 to 1990–91. The reduction in the 1987–88 budget should not prejudice achievement of this target.

  Greenham Common (Vehicle Transfer)
  Mr. Skinner
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to why 10 Dodge Ram support vehicles were transferred from Greenham common to Alconbury on 1 April; and to what use they will he put.

  Mr. Stanley
  [pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1987, c.172.]: I am informed by the United States authorities that they are not aware of any transfer of USAF Dodge Ram vehicles from RAF Greenham Common to RAF Alconbury on 1 April.

  Mr. Skinner
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has as to the purpose for which United States service personnel were transferred from Greenham common to Alconbury on 1st April.

  Mr. Stanley
  [pursuant to his reply, 7 April 1987, c. 172.]: I am informed by the United States authorities that they are not aware of any transfer of United States service personnel from RAF Greenham common to RAF Alconbury on 1 April.

  Publications
  Mr. Tony Banks
  asked the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how much has been spent by his Department in each of the past five years on publications for: (a) free distribution and (b) sale under £1;

  (2) what has been the total cost of producing publications on aspects of Her Majesty's Government's defence policies in each of the past five years.

  Mr. Stanley
  [pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1987]: In the time available it is not possible to produce figures in the precise form requested. or for a full five-year period. However, all material produced on public relations Votes is free of charge and in the last three financial years expenditure was as follows:

  £

  1984–85

  340,125

  1985–86

  269,440

  1996–87

  1408,273

  1Forecast of outturn.

  In addition the MOD produces considerable amounts of material in support of recruitment to the armed forces. Figures over the same period are, as follows:

  £

  1984–85

  1,559,000

  1985–86

  1,345,000

  1986–87

  1,302,000

  The MOD produces a wide range of material for sale both through HMSO, the Crown Publishers, and on a repayment basis through the single service forms and publications stores. The amounts spent in each of the past five years on publications for sale at less than £1, and on aspects of defence policies separately from other MOD publications, cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

SCOTLAND

  Community Charge
  Mr. Bruce
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take to ensure that the

  459
  introduction of the community charge does not deter students from outside Scotland applying to take courses at Scottish universities.

  Mr. Ancram
  My noble Friend the Minister of State at the Scottish Office agreed, during discussion of the Abolition of Domestic Rates etc., (Scotland) Bill at Committee Stage in the House of Lords on Thursday 2 April, to consider the position of students, including students from outside Scotland, under the proposals to replace domestic rates by a system of community charges. I do not however consider that the proposals will represent a significant disincentive to students from outside Scotland undertaking university and college courses in Scotland.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. McTaggart
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report how many people under the age of 25 years (a) are unemployed and (b) have been unemployed for more than six months in (i) Glasgow, Central and (ii) the whole of Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested, for the latest available date, is given in the table :

  Unemployed claimants aged under 25 years as at 8 January 1987

  Unemployed over 6 months

  Total

  Glasgow Central parliamentary constituency

  1,545

  2,825

  Scotland

  64,906

  142,439

  Private Medicine (Glasgow)
  Mr. McTaggart
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list how many general practitioners are carrying out private work in health centres in the Glasgow area; and what is the proportion of private to Health Service general practice care in the Greater Glasgow health board area.

  Mr. John MacKay
  I understand that the number of general practitioners authorised to undertake private practice in health centres in the area of the Greater Glasgow health board was 156 at the end of March 1987. Information about the proportion of private to Health Service general practice in the board's area is not available centrally.

  Education (Expenditure)
  Mr. David Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on education in each of the past 10 years in cash and constant price terms.

  Mr. John MacKay
  The information is set out in the table:

  Total expenditure on education within Secretary of State for Scotland's responsibility

  £ million

  Financial year

  Cash

  Constant price1 terms

  1976–77

  754

  1,796

  1977–78

  805

  1,684

  1978–79

  901

  1,703

  460

  Financial year

  Cash

  Constant price1terms

  1979–80

  1,032

  1,669

  1980–81

  1,273

  1,735

  1981–82

  1,432

  1,778

  1982–83

  1,503

  1,740

  1983–84

  1,575

  1,745

  1984–85

  1,616

  1,717

  1985–862

  1,680

  1,680

  1Calculated by applying GDP deflator, base year 1985–86.

  2 Provisional outturn figure based on most recent information from local authorities.

  Education (Statistics)
  Mr. David Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scotland's gross domestic product was spent on education in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

  Mr. John MacKay
  The information, in respect of the education expenditure within my right hon. and learned Friend's responsibility is set out in the table below :

  Per cent.

  1981

  7·9

  1982

  7·5

  1983

  7·2

  11984

  7·0

  11985

  6·6

  1 Figures are provisional.

  Notes:

  (1) GDP figures used are at factor cost by calendar year, expenditure figures are for financial years, ie the 1981 percentage is expenditure in 1981–82 as a percentage of GDP in 1981.

  (2) The average cash growth in GDP for the years quoted was 8·6 per cent., while the average cash growth in education spending was 4·1 per cent., hence the latter declines as a percentage of the former.

  Tourism
  Mr. Henderson asked
  the Secretary of State for Scotland what funds were made available in cash and real terms to the Scottish tourist board in the years 1978·79 and 1982·83; and how much has been provided for the year ahead.

  Mr. Lang
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 2 March at column 485.

  Children (Health and Development)
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what evidence from surveys his Department has about the relative standard of health and development of children of the unemployed compared with the rest of the population.

  Mr. John MacKay
  No surveys designed to determine the existence of any relationship between child health and development and parental unemployment have been carried out in Scotland.

  Cigarette Smoking
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the incidence of cigarette smoking by percentage by social class in Scotland at the latest date and 10 years previously.

  Mr. John MacKay
  The information is as follows :
  461

  Prevalence of cigarette smoking by socio-economic group, Scotland 1974 and 1984

  Socio-Economic Group

  Percentage Smoking Cigarettes Both Sexes

  1974

  1984

  Professional

  34

  25

  Employers and Managers

  41

  32

  Intermediate and junior non-manual

  41

  30

  Skilled manual and own account non-professional

  52

  45

  Semi-skilled manual and personal service

  55

  47

  Unskilled manual

  52

  41

  Total

  48

  39

  Source General Household Survey unpublished tables.

  Births, Stillbirths and Infant Deaths by Social Class of Father, Tayside Region, 1985 (rates per 1,000 births)

  I

  II

  III N

  III M

  IV

  V

  Stillbirths1

  2·9

  2·6

  3·9

  3·9

  8·5

  3·7

  Perinatal1

  8·8

  5·2

  7·9

  5·5

  10·3

  3·7

  Neonatal

  8·9

  2·6

  3·9

  2·4

  5·2

  —

  Postneonatal

  3·0

  1·3

  5·9

  1·6

  3·4

  —

  Infant Deaths

  11·8

  3·9

  9·9

  4·0

  8·6

  —

  1 Rate per 1.000 live and still births.

  Births, Stillbirths, and Infant Deaths by Social Class of Father, Dundee District, 1985 (Rates per 1,000 births)

  I

  II

  III N

  III M

  IV

  V

  Stillbirths1

  6·3

  7–1

  5·1

  3·4

  4–0

  5·9

  Perinatal1

  12·7

  7·1

  10·2

  3·4

  4·0

  5·9

  Neonatal

  12·7

  —

  5·1

  1·7

  —

  —

  Postneonatal

  —

  3·6

  10·3

  —

  —

  —

  Infant Deaths

  12·7

  3·6

  15·4

  1·7

  —

  —

  1 Rate per 1,000 live and still births.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the standardised mortality rates of men of working age by social class in Dundee and Tayside at the latest available date or period.

  Mr. John MacKay
  Information on standardised mortality ratios by social class for men aged 20–64 for Tayside for the period 1979–83 is as follows. The ratios are based on information front death registrations and the 1981 Census, and are subject to error because of different methods of collecting information on occupation. Information for Dundee is not available.

  Standardised mortalily ratios for men aged 20–64, by social class, Tayside Region, 1979–83

  Social Class

  Standardised Mortality Ratio

  I

  60

  II

  67

  III N

  90

  III M

  87

  IV

  96

  V

  139

  Note:

  The standardised mortality ratio for men in the total of all social classes in Great Britain is 100.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the standardised mortality rate for

  Mortality Statistics
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the number of (a) stillbirths, (b) perinatal deaths, (c) neonatal deaths, (d) postneonatal deaths and (e) infant deaths per 1,000 total births in Dundee and Tayside in the latest year, by social class of the father.

  Mr. John MacKay
  The information requested is:

  death by the following category in Scotland at the latest available date or period for manual and non-manual groups : (a) all causes, (b) lung cancer, (c) coronary heart disease and (d) cerebro-vascular disease.

  Mr. John MacKay
  The latest information is contained in "Mortality Differentials in Scotland and England and Wales in Manual/Non-Manual Occupational Groups 1969–73 to 1979–83" which was published in the vital statistics return to the Registrar General for Scotland, Weeks 41–44, 1986. A copy of this publication is in the Library.

  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the standardised mortality rate of women aged 20 to 59 years by social class in Dundee and Tayside at the latest available date or period.

  Mr. John MacKay
  Information on standardised mortality ratios by social class for women aged 20–64 for Tayside for the period 1979–83 is as follows. The ratios are based on information from death registrations and the 1981 Census, and are subject to error because of different methods of collecting information on occupation. Information for Dundee is not available.
  463

  Standardised mortality ratios for women aged 20·64, by social class, Tayside Region, 1979–83

  Social Class

  Standardised Mortality Ratio

  I

  61

  II

  71

  III N

  67

  III M

  84

  IV

  92

  V

  107

  Note The standardised mortality ratio for women in the total of all social classes in Great Britain is 100.

  Radioactive Waste (Storage)
  Mr. Home Roberston
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if any sites in East Lothian have been considered for the storage of low level radio active waste material; and if any such sites are being considered for the storage of intermediate level radioactive waste material.

  Mr. Ancram
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the permanent disposal of waste. The selection of sites for geological investigation as a possible shallow burial repository for the disposal of low level waste is a matter for UK NIREX Ltd. Neither the Government nor NIREX consider that it would be appropriate to release details of all the sites considered before the four currently under investigation in England were selected.

  NIREX are currently considering possible options for the disposal of intermediate level waste, including deep burial in a repository on land, tunnelling beneath the seabed from the shore and disposal into the seabed from a sea-based rig. A number of alternative sites will be considered by NIREX. At this stage, no area has been ruled out.

  Salmon
  Mr. Onslow
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what additional staff his Department is making available to support the advisory committee on salmon stocks.

  Mr. John McKay
  The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland is in the process of recruiting an additional principal scientific officer to assist in the consideration of scientific matters raised by the salmon advisory committee. Existing scientific staff will also contribute to that work. In addition, the Department provides the committee's deputy secretary from existing staff resources.

  Grant Assistance
  Mr. Maclennan
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the organisations whose applications for grant assistance for 1987–88 under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 have been approved; and what are the sums to be made available to those organisations.

  Mr. John MacKay
  Grants available under the National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 for the financial year ending 31 March 1988 are as follows:

  £

  National Library of Scotland

  4,132,000

  National Museums of Scotland

  5,017,000

  464

  £

  National Galleries of Scotland

  3,417,000

  Scottish Museums Council

  440,000

  Royal Society of Edinburgh

  273,000

  Royal Scottish Geographical Society

  3,000

  Cultural Organisations formerly grant-aided under the Further Education (Scotland) Regulations 1959

  National Youth Orchestra of Scotland

  23,000

  Scottish Youth Theatre

  39,500

  Scottish Community Drama Association

  24,000

  Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association

  5,000

  Scottish Council for Dance

  4,000

  An Comunn Gaidhealach

  35,000

  Sabhal Mor Ostaig

  40,000

  Comunn na Gaidhlig

  45,000

  Comhairle nan Sgoiltean Araich

  32,000

  Orkney and Shetland
  Mr. Wallace
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, further to his answer of 6 March, Official Report, column 716, if he will visit Orkney and Shetland during the course of the Easter recess.

  Mr. Rifkind
  No.

  Hip and Knee Joint Operations
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his latest estimate of the numbers waiting for (a) hip joint and (b) knee joint operations in Scotland.

  Mr. John MacKay
  This information is not available centrally.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his estimate of the average waiting time for knee and hip joint replacement operations; and what are the authorities which have the longest waiting times.

  Mr. John MacKay
  This information is not available in precisely the form requested. The table gives the mean waiting time (in days) for those who received treatment in 1985 for knee and hip joint replacement after admission from the waiting list and were discharged in that year.

  Mean Wait (days)

  Health board

  Knee replacement

  Hip replacement

  Argyll and Clyde

  200

  206

  Ayrshire and Arran

  221

  166

  Borders

  83

  114

  Dumfries and Galloway

  176

  191

  Fife

  144

  213

  Forth Valley

  189

  275

  Grampian

  158

  303

  Greater Glasgow

  135

  128

  Highland

  400

  323

  Lanarkshire

  154

  144

  Lothian

  379

  203

  Orkney

  —

  —

  Shetland

  —

  —

  Tayside

  317

  283

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  Scotland

  219

  202

  Kidney Dialysis
  Mr. Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many persons are waiting for kidney dialysis treatment in Scotland.
  465
  Mr. John MacKay
  All patients referred for treatment for end-stage renal failure who are considered likely to benefit from renal dialysis are receiving appropriate treatment, and there are no waiting lists.

  Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he intends to lay a commencement order bringing sections 4, 8(1), 9 and 10 of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986 into force; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John MacKay
  As indicated in my written reply of 10 February 1987 to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. McQuarrie) at columns 67–8 my right hon. and learned Friend hopes to implement a number of provisions in the Act with relatively slight resource implications in the course of 1987–88 including those referred to in the question. Consultations have taken place with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities only very recently and he expects to indicate the timing he proposes immediately following the Easter recess.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Mr. David Marshall
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the Scottish Development Agency's annual budget for all promotional purposes for each of the last five years; and what percentage of its total budget these figures represent;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report, the total value of work of all kinds put out to consultants by the Scottish

  Crimes Recorded by Police Force Area, Scotland 1986

  Crime

  Central

  Dumfries and Galloway

  Fife

  Grampian

  Lothian and Borders

  Northern

  Strathclyde

  Tayside

  Scotland Total

  Total Crimes

  20,450

  7,321

  23,828

  37,466

  79,900

  12,621

  246,610

  35,641

  463,837

  Violence against the Person

  565

  273

  607

  911

  2,843

  313

  6,497

  900

  12,909

  Burglary

  3,871

  1,171

  4,972

  6,576

  14,209

  1,727

  57,051

  7,328

  96,905

  Theft

  9,071

  3,135

  10,254

  17,374

  37,476

  5,389

  112,561

  15,379

  210,639

  Fraud and Forgery

  1605

  524

  1,566

  2,109

  8,122

  1,143

  13,112

  2,389

  30,570

  Criminal Damage

  4,180

  1,600

  4,585

  8,203

  10,581

  2,127

  40,831

  6,782

  78,889

  Notes:—The categories listed above have been derived from the categories of the Scottish crime classification as follows:

  'Violence against the Person': all non-sexual crimes of violence (Group 1 of the standard classification) apart from robbery, those crimes of indecency (Group 2) which contain a violent element, and certain crimes involving malicious and reckless conduct

  . 'Burglary': housebreaking.

  'Theft': opening lockfast places and clandestine removal in addition to theft per se.

  'Fraud and Forgery': fraud, forgery and uttering, bankruptcy and currency offences.

  'Criminal Damage': fire-raising, vandalism and other crimes of malicious and reckless conduct not involving violence against the person.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has as to how the current produce of domestic rates in Scotland and in each of the regions in Scotland might be raised through community charge or local income tax with and without resource equalisation in the cases of (a) a single person on 125 per cent. of an average male manual worker's wage, (b) a married man with earnings as in (a), whose wife's earnings are the average for women in full-time employment, (c) a married man with earnings as in (a), whose wife's earnings are the average for women in part-time
  466
  Development Agency for each of the last five years, the name of each company and the value of each contract awarded; whether the contract was awarded on the basis of tenders in each case; and if he will give the reasons in those cases where tenders were not invited.

  Mr. Lang
  I shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Dalyell
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to the answer of 8 April, what is his practice with regard to causing replies to be sent on his behalf by his Private Secretary to official letters addressed to him as Secretary of State; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Rifkind
  My private secretary operates in accordance with my instructions. These ensure that I have the opportunity to see and approve the replies to correspondents which he sends on my behalf.

  Criminal Statistics
  Mr. Kaufman
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, following the publication of the crime figures for Scotland 1986, he will list in respect of each police force area in Scotland in 1986 the total number of (a) offences notified to the police, (b) offences of violence against the person, (c) burglaries, (d) thefts, (e) offences of fraud and forgery and (f) offences of criminal damage.

  Mr. Lang
  The table sets out the requested figures on crimes recorded by the police, using the best available approximations in the Scottish crime classification to the categories listed in the question.

  employment, (d) a married man with earnings as in (a), whose wife has no income, (e) a married couple with earnings as in (b), living with a son or daughter aged over 18 years whose earnings are the average for full-time workers in the 18–24 year age group, (f) a married couple with earnings as in (b), living with a son or daughter aged 18–24 years who is unemployed, (g) a single person on 100 per cent. of an average male non-manual worker's wage and (h) a married man with earnings as in (g), whose wife's earnings are the average for women in full-time employment.

  Mr. Ancram
  The estimated average local tax bills under the community charge system and under a local
  467
  income tax system with and without resource equalisation needed to replace domestic rates in 1985–86, are as follows for the specific cases requested.

  (a) A single person on 125 per cent. of average earnings for a full-time male adult manual worker in Scotland

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income tax (£)

  Unequalised local income lax (£)

  Borders

  158

  364

  262

  Central

  187

  432

  542

  Dumfries and Galloway)

  155

  356

  330

  Fife

  210

  491

  364

  Grampian

  157

  364

  262

  Highland

  153

  356

  271

  Lothian

  225

  525

  635

  Strathclyde

  229

  533

  559

  Tayside

  194

  449

  550

  Scotland

  207

  483

  474

  (b) A married man with earnings as in (a), whose wife's earnings are the Scottish average for adult women in full-lime employment

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income tax (£)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Borders

  316

  482

  347

  Central

  374

  572

  717

  Dumfries and Galloway

  310

  471

  437

  Fife

  420

  650

  482

  Grampian

  314

  482

  347

  Highland

  306

  471

  359

  Lothian

  450

  695

  840

  Strathclyde

  458

  706

  740

  Tayside

  388

  594

  728

  Scotland

  414

  639

  628

  (c) A married man with earnings as in (a) whose wife's earnings are the average for adult women in part-lime employment

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income lax !£)

  Unequalised local income lax (£)

  Borders

  316

  330

  238

  Central

  374

  392

  492

  Dumfries and Galloway

  310

  323

  300

  Fife

  420

  445

  330

  Grampian

  314

  330

  238

  Highland

  306

  323

  246

  Lothian

  450

  476

  576

  Strathclyde

  458

  484

  507

  Tayside

  388

  407

  499

  Scotland

  414

  438

  430

  (d) A married man with earnings as in (a) whose wife has no income

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income lax (£)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Borders

  316

  310

  224

  Central

  374

  368

  462

  Dumfries and Galloway

  310

  303

  281

  Fife

  420

  419

  310

  Grampian

  314

  310

  224

  Highland

  306

  303

  231

  Lothian

  450

  447

  541

  Strathclyde

  458

  455

  476

  Tayside

  388

  383

  469

  468

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income tax (£)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Scotland

  414

  411

  404

  (e) A married couple with earnings as in (b) living with a son or daughter aged over 18 whose earnings are the average for full-time workers in the 18–24 year age group

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income tax (£)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Borders

  474

  647

  466

  Central

  561

  767

  963

  Dumfries and Galloway

  465

  632

  587

  Fife

  630

  873

  647

  Grampian

  471

  647

  466

  Highland

  459

  632

  482

  Lothian

  675

  933

  1,129

  Strathclyde

  687

  948

  993

  Tayside

  582

  798

  978

  Scotland

  621

  858

  843

  (f) A married couple with earnings as in (b), living with a son or daughter aged 18–24 who is unemployed

  Area

  Community charge (rebated) (£)

  Equalised local income tax (£)

  Unequalised local income lax (£)

  Borders

  429

  482

  347

  Central

  488

  572

  717

  Dumfries and Galloway

  422

  471

  437

  Fife

  543

  650

  482

  Grampian

  430

  482

  347

  Highland

  419

  471

  359

  Lothian

  574

  695

  840

  Strathclyde

  584

  706

  740

  Tayside

  507

  594

  728

  Scotland

  536

  639

  628

  (g) A single person on 100 per cent. of average earnings for a full-time male adult non-manual worker in Scotland

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income lax £)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Borders

  158

  406

  293

  Central

  187

  482

  604

  Dumfries and Galloway

  155

  397

  368

  Fife

  210

  548

  406

  Grampian

  157

  406

  293

  Highland

  153

  397

  302

  Lothian

  225

  585

  708

  Strathclyde

  229

  595

  623

  Tayside

  194

  500

  614

  Scotland

  207

  538

  529

  (h) A married man with earnings as in (g), whose wife's earnings are the average for women in full-time employment

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income lax (£)

  Unequalised local income tax (£)

  Borders

  316

  524

  378

  Central

  374

  621

  800

  Dumfries and Galloway

  310

  512

  475

  Fife

  420

  706

  524

  469

  Area

  Community charge (£)

  Equalised local income lax (£)

  Unequalised local income lax (£)

  Grampian

  314

  524

  378

  Highland

  306

  512

  390

  Lothian

  450

  755

  914

  Stralhclyde

  458

  767

  804

  Tayside

  388

  646

  792

  Scotland

  414

  694

  682

  Notes:

  (1) The average community charges for 1985–86 used in the tables were published in the Official Report on 20 February 1986.

  (2) The underlying local income tax rates (with resource equalisation) have been estimated on the assumption that some form of resource equalisation would make the yield of 1p in the £ the same per adult in all areas.

  (3) Published information on taxable resources in local authority areas is only available up to 1982–83. The sample size is small and the regional pattern shows considerable variation from year to year. Estimates of local income tax rates without resource equalisation are therefore subject to some uncertainty. Those in the table have been produced by applying the pattern of unequalised tax rates calculated for 1982–83 to 1985–86 average earnings.

  (4) Estimates of average gross earnings have been taken from the 1985 New Earnings Survey. The average figures for Scotland have been used in each case with the exception of average earnings for the 18–24 year age group, where only GB figures were readily available.

  (5) In applying local income tax rates to cases (a) to (h) it is assumed that earnings arc the only sources of income and that only

  Average Household Consumption by Income Group in Great Britain (oz/person/week)

  1975

  Income Group

  Al

  A2

  B

  C

  D

  El

  E2

  OAP

  Income levesl1

  £110 and over

  £82 and under £110

  £49 and under £82

  £28 and under £49

  less than £28

  £28 or more

  less than £28

  n.a.

  White bread (standard loaves)

  17·72

  21·67

  27–77

  30–68

  30·14

  22·93

  25·39

  25·40

  Brown bread (incl. wholemeal)

  4·98

  4·09

  2·89

  2·76

  2·79

  6·14

  5·38

  5·16

  Other bread

  4·80

  2·94

  3·42

  3·59

  4·91

  4·29

  3·87

  4·75

  Sugar

  6·38

  9·24

  10·55

  12·14

  12·09

  10·66

  13·23

  15·21

  Total fats

  10·49

  10·39

  10·79

  11·09

  11·94

  13·76

  11·46

  13·06

  Fresh fruit

  26·75

  22·87

  17·06

  14·45

  13·98

  30·77

  21·80

  19·61

  Fresh vegetables

  29·91

  24·81

  24·44

  23·69

  25·32

  35·35

  27·91

  31·98

  Potatoes (excl. processed)

  31·68

  40·74

  43·25

  47·67

  49·02

  40·05

  40·74

  39·56

  n.a. =Not applicable.

  1 Defined as the gross weekly income of the head of household. Income groups Al to D include households with an earner; El and E2 are income groups without an earner. OAP households are those in which at least three quarters of total income derived from National Insurance retirement or similar pensions and/or supplementary pensions or allowances paid in supplementation or instead of such pensions.

  1985

  Income Group

  A1

  A2

  B

  C

  D

  E1

  E2

  OAP

  Income levels1

  £395 and over

  £300 and under £395

  £165 and under £300

  £85 and under £165

  less than £85

  £85 or more

  less than £85

  n.a.

  White bread (standard loaves)

  10·73

  11·38

  16·17

  21·53

  27·61

  12·28

  22·96

  21·01

  Brown bread (incl. wholemeal)

  8·79

  7·97

  7·57

  6·52

  4·83

  12·44

  7·31

  9·89

  Other bread

  3·74

  4·41

  4·45

  4·39

  3·80

  4·79

  4·08

  4·04

  Sugar

  5·40

  6·06

  6·50

  8·52

  9·76

  9·64

  10·42

  14·34

  Total fats

  8·92

  8·68

  9·07

  10·13

  9·47

  12·29

  11·72

  13·51

  Fresh fruit

  29·41

  23·69

  19·63

  16·01

  11·28

  32·89

  16·50

  21·59

  Fresh vegetablcs

  32·73

  26·30

  25·43

  23·52

  20·96

  35·05

  26·59

  31·49

  Potatoes (excl. processed)

  24·90

  30·11

  36·26

  42·70

  54·66

  38·99

  47·92

  42·78

  470
  personal tax allowances apply.

  (6) In case (f) it has been assumed that the unemployed son or daughter will be in receipt of unemployment benefit.

  Food Consumption
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what information his Department has on food consumption in Scotland by income group at the latest date and 10 years previously for the following foods: (a) white bread, (b) brown bread (including wholemeal), (c) sugar, (d) total fats, (e) fresh fruit, (f) fresh vegetables and (g) potatoes.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Data are not readily available in the precise form requested by the National Food Survey provides the following information:

  Average Household Consumption in Scotland (ozs/person/week)

  1975

  1985

  White bread (standard loaves)

  30·36

  19·34

  Brown bread (incl. wholemeal)

  2·23

  6·04

  Other bread

  5·99

  6·65

  Sugar

  10·72

  8·04

  Total fats

  10·00

  9·01

  Fresh fruit

  14·85

  16·02

  Fresh vegetables

  18·38

  18·63

  Potatoes (excl. processed)

  45·7

  39·45

  471
  n.a.= Not applicable.

  1Defined as the gross weekly income of the head of household. Income groups A1 to D include households with an earner; E1 and E2 are income groups without an earner. OAP households are those in which at least three quarters of total income derived from National Insurance retirement or similar pensions and/or supplementary pensions or allowances paid in supplementation or instead of such pensions.

  Primary Schools
  Mr. Home Robertson
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many primary schools with fewer than three teachers there are in each of Scotland's regions and island areas and if he will give a breakdown of figures to show the number in each district.

  Mr. John MacKay
  [pursuant to his reply, 2 April 1987,c.563]: The numbers of education authority primary schools in each region and island area in which less than three full-time equivalent teachers were employed in 1984 are as follows. Education statistics are not collated at district level.

  Number

  Borders

  36

  Central

  22

  Dumfries and Galloway

  47

  Fife

  23

  Grampian

  82

  Highland

  113

  Lothian

  18

  Strathclyde

  96

  Tayside

  61

  Orkney

  10

  Shetland

  19

  Western Isles

  36

  Reckless Driving (Deaths)
  Mr. Milian
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many motorists alleged to have caused death by reckless driving have been charged with that offence and how many with culpable homicide in each of the last 10 years.

  Table 1: School expenditure on text and library books—at out-turn prices

  (£'000)

  Region

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  11985–86

  Borders

  66

  94

  1,397

  130

  163

  76

  208

  242

  Central

  209

  279

  316

  365

  21,166

  21,343

  21,367

  21,572

  Dumfries and Galloway

  155

  168

  170

  166

  189

  193

  209

  222

  Fife

  319

  363

  360

  452

  403

  1,239

  509

  506

  Grampian

  394

  1,575

  1,667

  667

  716

  655

  708

  631

  Highland

  460

  203

  256

  790

  899

  21,507

  21,556

  21,325

  Lothian

  687

  703

  931

  798

  718

  739

  650

  750

  Strathclyde

  3,333

  3,304

  2,844

  3,346

  3,741

  3,151

  3,757

  3,153

  Tayside

  219

  234

  248

  277

  291

  331

  369

  423

  Orkney

  87

  78

  65

  55

  36

  39

  33

  35

  Shetland

  26

  33

  38

  53

  66

  178

  169

  54

  Western Isles

  142

  59

  76

  223

  182

  101

  65

  78

  1 Provisional.

  2 These figures include expenditure on other educational tools and equipment as well as on text and library books.

  Table 2: School expenditure on text and library books—at November 1978 prices

  (£'000)

  Region

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  11985–86

  Borders

  66

  82

  1,031

  83

  92

  36

  87

  91

  Central

  209

  242

  233

  232

  2655

  2628

  2574

  2588

  Dumfries and Galloway

  155

  146

  125

  106

  106

  90

  88

  83

  472
  Mr. Rilkind
  [pursuant to his reply, 6 April 1987, c.53]: The available information is given in the table.

  Information on persons charged is not collected centrally.

  Persons proceeded against

  Scotland

  Causing death by reckless driving

  Culpable homicide as a result of a road traffic death

  1977

  59

  n/a

  1978

  51

  n/a

  1979

  38

  n/a

  1980

  47

  n/a

  1981

  35

  2

  1982

  31

  0

  1983

  31

  0

  1984

  22

  0

  1985

  31

  0

  1986 (provisional)

  33

  0

  n/a = Not available.

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Wallace
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by each local education authority in Scotland on the purchase of text books in each year since 1978–79 in terms of (a) current prices and (b) 1978–79 prices.

  Mr. John MacKay
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987] : The information available is given in the following tables, which have been compiled from local authority financial returns. There have been some variations in the basis of recording of expenditure under the heading of text and library books, both between authorities and from year to year. In addition to those cases specifically noted in the table, there may be other cases where the figures given also include other equipment as well as text and library books.
  473

  Region

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  11985–86

  Fife

  319

  315

  266

  288

  226

  580

  214

  189

  Grampian

  394

  1,367

  1,230

  425

  402

  306

  297

  236

  Highland

  460

  176

  189

  503

  505

  2705

  2653

  2496

  Lothian

  687

  610

  687

  508

  403

  346

  273

  281

  Strathclyde

  3,333

  2,868

  2,099

  2,131

  2,102

  1,474

  1,577

  1,180

  Tayside

  219

  203

  183

  176

  163

  155

  155

  158

  Orkney

  87

  68

  48

  35

  20

  18

  14

  13

  Shetland

  26

  29

  28

  34

  37

  83

  71

  20

  Western Isles

  142

  51

  56

  142

  102

  47

  27

  29

  1 Provisional.

  2Thcse figures include expenditure on other educational tools and equipment as well as on text and library books.

  Scottish Association of Interpreters for the Deaf
  Mr. Dewar
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give for each of the last five years the total grant paid by central Government under section 9 and section 10, respectively, of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 or under any other heading to the Scottish Association of Intepreters for the Deaf.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: Grants are payable by my right hon. and learned Friend under section 9 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 for training and under section 10(1) for other purposes. The association has not hitherto requested any payments of grant under section 9 of the Act. Annual payments of grant under section 10(1) during the period in question have been as follows:

  £

  1982–83

  nil

  1983–84

  nil

  1984–85

  2,604

  1985–86

  5,585

  1986–87

  8,571

  Deaf People (Interpreters)
  Mr. Dewar
  asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many qualified interpreters for the deaf there are in Scotland; and how many of these hold the Certificate in Communication with the Deaf as a result of attendance at the course run at Moray House college of education.

  Mr. Rifkind
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: Information of this kind is not held centrally, but my Department has ascertained that there are 16 interpreters on a register maintained by the Scottish Association of Interpreters for the Deaf, 10 of whom qualified through the Moray House course, and that there are 14 trainees currently working towards assessment.

ENVIRONMENT

  Water Mains (Bursts)
  Mr. Sheerman
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the volume of water lost through burst mains each year in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John Patten
  It is not possible for individual water undertakers to identify water losses resulting from mains bursts, and therefore no national estimate can be made.

  Anti-fouling Paint Regulations
  Mr. Weetch
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to be able to announce the date for publication of anti-fouling paint regulations; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I am currently considering the comments received during the formal consultation on the draft regulations published in the London, Belfast and Edinburgh Gazettes on 13 March. I shall make a further announcement shortly.

  Government Buildings (Lift Maintenance)
  Mr. Michael Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many persons are currently employed by the Property Services Agency on lift maintenance.

  Mr. Chope
  126.

  Mr. Michael Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will place the contract for the maintenance of lifts in Government buildings in London with a private sector company; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  Lifts in most Government buildings throughout the United Kingdom, including many in London, are already maintained by contract with private sector companies.

  The policy of the Property Services Agency is to continue to use contractors for this work whilst making economic use of existing direct employees.

  Financial Detriment Compensation
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the report from the London and Metropolitan Staff Commission on financial detriment compensation for Greater London council and metropolitan council staff.

  Mr. Chope
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham) on 16 March 1987 at column 404.

  "Paying for Local Government"
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to complete his consideration of the responses to the Green Paper, "Paying for Local Government"; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Boyson
  My right hon. Friend announced, on 15 December, that the Government intend to introduce legislation no later than the first session of the next
  475
  Parliament to implement the main Green Paper proposals. A number of detailed issues remain to be resolved, and decisions on these will be taken in due course, in the light of the responses to the Green Paper and other representations that have been made.

  Kidbrooke Training Centre, Rochester Way
  Mr. Cartwright
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) when the Kidbrooke training centre at Rochester way, S.E.3, was closed; and what use has been made of the site and building by the Property Services Agency since then;

  (2) what proposals are under consideration by the Property Services Agency for the site of the former Kidbrooke training centre at Rochester way, S.E.3.

  Mr. Chope
  The former MSC training centre on part of this Ministry of Defence site was closed in 1982. Plans were considered for meeting the requirements of both Inland Revenue and DHSS for computer centres here and on another vacant part of the site. In the event these did not proceed. With its potential development value in mind occupants of other buildings on the site have been moved elsewhere with a view to its disposal as a whole. The MOD intend to move their remaining operation from the site, and the PSA have appointed agents with a view to its early marketing and disposal.

  Royal Arsenal Gatehouse, Woolwich
  Mr. Cartwright
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received about the restoration of the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse at Woolwich; and what reply he has given.

  Mr. Chope
  None.

  Brixton
  Mr. Shelton
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether, in view of the degree of dereliction, unemployment and poor housing in Brixton in the London borough of Lambeth, he will consider the setting up of an urban development corporation for that area.

  Mr. John Patten
  I have noted with great interest my hon. Friend's suggestion.

  Planning Control
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the results of his consultations on regulations excluding minor forms of development from planning control.

  Mr. Tracey
  I take it my hon. Friend is referring to the consultation on a draft revised text of class I of schedule I to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order. This class defines development which is permitted within the curtilage of a dwelling house. We published the draft text on 5 January and invited commeints by 2 March. We have now placed in the Libraries of both Houses copies of the responses from those individuals and organisations who agreed to our doing so. We are at present considering all the responses and are not yet ready to make any announcement.

  Control of Advertisement Regulations
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now in a position to announce his conclusions on the recommendations of his Department's working party set up to review the operation of the control of advertisement regulations in general, and in respect of estate agents' boards in particular.

  Mr. Tracey
  We are considering what action we should now take in the light of the responses to the consulation paper.

  River Pollution
  Mr. Onslow
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what statistics on the causes of river pollution are available to him, with particular reference to instances of oil and chemical pollution, either from static storage facilities or from road transport accidents; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  While total numbers of reported water pollution incidents in each water authority area are published annually, no detailed analysis by type of incident is available on an industry-wide basis. Such information can only be obtained from individual water authorities.

  The Department is currently discussing with the industry how this sort of information might be made more readily available.

  Rates
  Mr. Clay
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each local authority the projected opening and closing rate fund balances which appeared in their rate estimates for 1987–88.

  Mr. Chope
  I have today placed the information available, in the House of Commons Library.

  Courts Centre (Newcastle)
  Mr. Merchant
  asked the Secretarty of State for the Environment when he expects work on the construction of the new courts centre at Newcastle Quayside to start.

  Mr. Chope
  I have now authorised the Property Services Agency to invite tenders for the contract for the construction of a new major courts centre at Newcastle Quayside for the Lord Chancellor's Department. The building will provide 10 Crown courts, three county courts, together with associated accommodation. The construction is expected to take about three years to complete and will provide welcome employment for a substantial number of building workers in the area.

  Advertising
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what proportion of his Department's advertising and promotional budget is spent in regional and local newspapers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  During the financial year 1986–87 my department, including the Property Services Agency, spent £1,980,900 on advertising and other forms of paid publicity (other than on recruitment, tendering and statutory notices). Expenditure in regional and local newspapers amounted to £3,000.

  Housing Defects
  Mr. Woodcock
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he has any plans to increase the funds available to local authorities to implement the provisions of the Housing Defects Act; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Department is currently considering bids for additional resources from authorities which consider they will have particularly high expenditure on obligations under the housing defects legislation in 1987–88, in relation to the size of their capital programme. Decisions about additional allocations will be announced shortly.

  Mr. Woodcock
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has of local authorities deliberately delaying their implementation of the provisions of the Housing Defects Act.

  Mr. John Patten
  Local authorities are responsible for implementing the scheme of assistance, in accordance with the provisions of the housing defects legislation. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on particular cases; but we do look to all authorities to implement the Act in a reasonable fashion.

  Mr. Woodcock
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has of contractors withdrawing from work on the reinstatement of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses.

  Mr. John Patten
  The National House Building Council is making very good progress with approved repair methods for various types of designated PRC properties and repair works are now getting under way in many parts of the country. We have no evidence of contractors wishing to withdraw from this work.

  Mr. Woodcock
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of protracted delays experienced by private owners of prefabricated reinforced concrete houses in effecting reinstatement of their homes, he will review the implementation of the Housing Defects Act.

  Mr. John Patten
  Repairs arc now progressing in many parts of the country. Under the terms of the designations owners do still have over seven years in which to seek and obtain assistance; it can he helpful for authorities and owners to reach an understanding on a likely timetable for assistance. My Department is continuing to monitor progress but we have no current plans to amend the legislation.

  Community Charge
  Mr. Sheerman
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will prepare estimates of the likely level of the community charge without safety nets in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees;

  (2) what will be the effect of the community tax on the average householder's payment in Kirklees.

  Dr. Boyson
  Figures were placed in the Library on 1 April illustrating the possible effect of our community charge and non-domestic rate proposals on all local authorities. I have today written to the hon. Member with details of the possible effects of our proposals in Kirklees.

  Housing
  Mr. Soames
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken, and intends to take in the future, to maintain and improve the existing housing stock in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Public Sector Dwellings
  Mr. Lilley
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has about the proportion of domestic dwellings owned by public sector authorities in other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries; and what is the figure for the United Kingdom.

  Mr. John Patten
  I will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Oppenheim
  asked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) by how much gross county council expenditure has risen in Derbyshire, in real terms, between (a) 1980–81 and (b) 1981–82 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how these figures compare with the average gross county council expenditure rises over the same period of time;

  (2) by how much current county council expenditure has risen in Derbyshire, in real terms, between (a) 1980-–81 and (b) 1981–82 and the latest date for which figures are available; and how these figures compare with the average current county council expenditure rises over the same period of time.

  Mr. Chope
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: The available information, based on returns received from local authorities, is as follows :

  Percentage change in real1 terms

  Net current expenditure2

  1981–82 to 1986–87

  Derbyshire County Council

  15·9

  Average for Shire County Councils

  8·1

  Gross expenditure3

  1981–82 to 1985–86

  Derbyshire County Council

  6·6

  Average for Shire County Councils

  -0·6

  1 Using GDP deflator to convert cash values to constant prices.

  2 "Net current expenditure" represents Rate Fund Revenue Account spending on services, ie excluding debt charges and other on current items, net of income such as sales fees and charges and non-relevant specific grants but gross of rate income, Rate Support Grant and Relevant Specific and Supplementary Grants.

  3"Gross expenditure" represents Rate Fund Revenue Account gross spending on employees, other running expenses, debt charges and Revenue Contributions to Capital Outlay.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Purity
  Mr. Willie W. Hamilton
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on recent steps taken to improve the purity of food.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  There is already a range of legislation regulating the safety and quality of food. Regulations are kept under review so that appropriate initiatives can be taken in response to new developments.

  Radioactivity
  Mr. Austin
  Mitchell asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which of the results of radionuclide level tests between 1980 and 1986 in Cumbria have been published by his Department; and in which publications they appear.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Results of tests carried out for radionuclide levels in the aquatic environment for all parts of the country in the years 1980 to 1985 inclusive were published in annual reports entitled "Radioactivity in Surface and Coastal Waters of the British Isles", copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. Results for 1986 will be published later this year in the same way. An additional report was also published last year describing the results of the Department's monitoring for Chernobyl fallout in the aquatic environment in the months immediately following the Chernobyl accident.

  Results of the tests carried out in the agricultural and terrestrial environment in Cumbria were not in the past published on a regular basis. Some results are contained in a scientific paper entitled "Radioactivity in Environmental Samples Taken in the Sellafield and Ravenglass areas of West Cumbria 1977–1982 (Bradford, Curtis and Popplewell)" which was published in "Science of the Total Environment (1984) volume 35 pp 267–283.

  Results for 1986 will, however, be published later this year in the first annual report of this Department's expanded programme of testing in the agricultural and terrestrial environment in the vicinity of major nuclear sites in England and Wales which commenced on 1 January 1986. Results of testing undertaken in May to December 1986 following the Chernobyl accident were published in "Radionuclide Levels in Food, Animals and Agricultural Products: Post-Chernobyle Monitoring in England and Wales", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Salmon
  Mr. Onslow
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what additional staff his Department is making available to support the advisory committee on salmon stocks.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The staff of the branch which provides the secretary to the committee has been strengthened by two additional posts and we are recruiting additional scientific staff at the fisheries laboratory to assist in the examination of subjects of concern to the committee.

  Hungarian Frozen French-Fried Potatoes
  Mr. Freud
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details of the import of Hungarian frozen French-fried potatoes; what steps he has taken to assess the quality of such products; and if he will make a statement on future agricultural imports from Eastern bloc countries.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  There were no such imports in recent years. Imports from Hungary are subject to a quantitative restriction which is under review in the context of a possible EC/Hungary agreement on trade and commercial and economic co-operation.

  Bovine Somatotropine Hormone
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received concerning testing of the bovine somatotropine hormone on cattle in Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I have received representations from two organisations in Yorkshire against the use of bovine somatotropine. Current field trials are authorised under the Medicines Act 1968.

  Mr. Alton
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has as to whether milk produced by cattle being treated with the bovine somatotropine hormone is being delivered to creameries; and what research or monitoring is being done to the side effects of the consumption of such milk.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Trials on cattle using this substance are being carried out under the authority of animal test certificates issued under the Medicines Act 1968. Had there been any doubts about the safety to consumers the certificates would not have been issued and the trials could not take place.

  There is no requirement that milk from cows involved in the trials should be treated differently to that from other cattle either in the United Kingdom or, so far as I can ascertain, in any of the other countries where trials are being conducted.

  Forestry
  Sir Richard Body
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will state, for each country in the European Economic Community, the percentage of its land surface that is afforested.

  Mr. John MacKay
  I have been asked to reply. The information requested is as follows:

  Percentage of total land surface afforested (including unproductive woodland)

  Country

  Percentage

  United Kingdom

  9

  Belgium

  20

  Luxembourg

  32

  Denmark

  11

  France

  28

  West Germany

  30

  Greece

  45

  Republic of Ireland

  6

  Italy

  27

  Netherlands

  10

  Spain

  25

  Portugal

  35

  Vineyards
  Mr. Steen
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what grants are currently available for the establishment of English vineyards and ancillary purposes in the light of his alternative land use policy.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: Grants are currently available for certain works in vineyards under the agriculture improvement scheme. As my right hon. Friend announced on 9 February, he intends to introduce new grants to assist farm diversification, including on-farm processing of agricultural products. A consultative document will be issued shortly, which I shall send to my hon. Friend.
  481
  Mr. Steen
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider making grants available for the establishment of English vineyards for (a) the purchase of vines, (b) their support, (c) trellising, (d) wiring and (e) windbreaks.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: The growing of grapes is among the activities for which grants are available, subject to eligibility, under the agricultural improvement scheme. The scheme makes specific provision for grants towards the cost of stakes and wireworks and for certain types of shelter screens. Grants are not, however, available for the purchase of vines.

  Mr. Steen
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to ensure that only English-produced sugar and not rectified concentrated grape must from Italy is permitted to be added to the fermentation process of English wine until such time as enrichment is necessary or permitted.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: The Community wine regulations provide for the addition of sugar, concentrated grape must or rectified concentrated grape must in the process of wine fermentation. While enrichment using sugar is the normal practice among English wine producers there is no reason why they should be prevented from using the approved alternatives and it would be contrary to Community law were the United Kingdom seek to limit their choice in the way suggested.

  Mr. Steen
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy to resist any attempts to impose rectified concentrated grape must in the production of English wine until such time as enrichment is necessary and permitted.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987] : Under article 20 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 822/87, the European Commission is committed to studying the possibilities for enriching wine with sugar, or concentrated grape must, whether or not rectified. This study and its conclusions are due to be reported to the Council in 1990, although it is possible that the Council may decide in the context of this year's price fixing proposals that the date should be brought forward. When the study is completed, I shall consider in consultation with all the interests concerned any recommendations it may make for changes to Community law, including a recommendation, should there be one, to require the use of rectified concentrated grape must for enrichment.

  Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
  Mr. Steen
  asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is his policy regarding the manifestation of phylloxera in English vineyards;

  (2) if he will abandon his policy of attempted eradication of phylloxera in English vineyards.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: We have reviewed policy in relation to phylloxera. We have decided that we should not require the compulsory grubbing-up of infested vines. Where a vineyard is infested, we shall impose statutory restrictions which will not permit vines to be moved from the premises. In addition, access to infected areas of vineyards will he restricted, although care will be taken to allow tourist
  482
  access to continue to the greatest possible extent consistent with plant health safety. When vineyard owners do grub up vines from infested vineyards, the Ministry will monitor the operation and, if the pest is found, will require the land to he kept clear of vines for 12 months, after which replanting with certified resistant grafted rootstock will be permitted. These measures are designed to cause the minimum disruption of the normal activities of vineyards consistent with minimising the risk of spread of the disease. The plant health and seeds inspectorate will continue to monitor and inspect imports of vines. Phylloxera remains a notifiable disease.

  The technical advice is that the best defence against phylloxera is the use of vines on resistant grafted rootstocks. Growers can protect themselves by using such vines when re-planting.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  AIDS
  Mr. Alexander
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what extra resources have been allocated to Trent regional health authority in 1987–88 to help to deal with AIDS.

  Mr. Newton
  At the end of March 1987, the Trent region had 12 reported AIDS patients, of whom six had died. No additional funds have been allocated to the Trent regional health authority specifically for the treatment and care of patients with HIV infection and AIDS. It has however received an increase of 6·3 per cent. in its allocation of the resources available for spending on hospital and community health services in 1987–88, which is above the national average increase in regional health authority allocations; and we have provided £44,000 in 1987–88 for the haemophilia reference centre located in the Trent region which is specifically to assist in the provision of AIDS counselling facilities for haemophiliacs.

  Mr. Forth
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will give the latest figures for AIDS carriers and deaths in the United Kingdom with the causes or sources available.

  Mr. Fowler
  The first quarterly report which I have published today, together with the regular monthly update, provides the information which my hon. Friend has requested. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  The report does three things:
  First, it gives a breakdown of reported cases of AIDS by patient characteristics (table A) and by region from which the report is made (table B).
  Second, it provides the first of a series of quarterly breakdowns of people who are infected but who have not yet developed the disease. These are broken down by patient characteristics for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (table C) and for Scotland (table D) and by English regions, Wales and Northern Ireland (table E).
  Third, it explains how the information is collected and checked.
  I believe that it is important that we provide regular full and prompt information about AIDS so that the public know what the position really is. It is equally important that the information is as accurate as we can make it. That is why the computer records have been rigorously

  483
  rechecked and duplicate records removed. The apparent low increase in the monthly AIDS figures is explained by this. Thirty-one new cases were in fact reported in March.

  We must continue to take all possible action to prevent the spread of AIDS. The public education campaign will continue and one of the next campaigns will be directed at drug misuse and the sharing of equipment.

  Mr. McTaggart
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the estimated cost to each health board, of the increased staff required in order to carry out testing for the AIDS virus; and if these costs are included in the Government's stated expenditure on AIDS.

  Mr. Newton
  Information on staff costs which health authorities incur on HIV testing is not available centrally and has not been included in the Government's stated expenditure on AIDS. Many of these tests are dealt with by laboratories of the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). It is estimated that PHLS spent £0·75 million on work connected with HIV tests in 1986/87. Part of this will have been for staff, but I regret that we do not have a breakdown between staff and other costs.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he intends to introduce further screening for the AIDS-related virus HTLV 1; and if he will make a statement.

  (2) whether his Department is monitoring the number of people in Britain with the aids-related virus HTLV 1; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what figures he has for the number of people carrying the HTLV 1 virus;

  (2) what plans he has to test blood supplies for the HTLV 1 virus;

  (3) what plans he has to combat the spread of the HTLV 1 virus; what facilities he is making available to screen people for the HTLV 1 virus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1987, c.71–72]: Although the HTLV 1 virus is thought to belong to the same family as the AIDS virus, HIV, it does not cause AIDS.

  Research studies carried out to date suggest that the virus is not prevalent in this country. There are at present, therefore, no plans to introduce measures for routine screening of individuals or blood donations for this virus. However, appropriate measures would be considered should further research show that they were needed.

  NHS (Hospital and Community Services)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to answer the question on National Health Service hospital and community services from the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey to which he gave holding replies on 27 February, Official Report, column 449, and on 23 March, Official Report, column 82.

  Mr. Newton
  I replied to the hon. Member today.
  484
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will provide figures for the change in real expenditure on National Health Service hospital and community health services for each year between the earliest year after 1974 and the most recent year for which comparable figures are available as measured using (a) the gross domestic product deflator and (b) the National Health Service pay and price deflator, by Greater London district health authorities in total, and by Inner London district health authorities in total;

  (2) when he will answer the question on National Health Service hospital and community services from the honourable Member for Southwark and Bermondsey to which the Minister for Health the hon. Member for Braintree, gave a holding reply on 27 February, Official Report, column 449.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his replies, 27 February 1987, c. 449 and 23 March 1987 c.827]: Since expenditure on hospital and community health services forms part of an overall health service policy which seeks also to build up family practitioner services in the community, the table shows gross expenditure in 1985–86 prices as measured by the gross domestic product deflator, for:
  hospital and community health services, family practitioner services and community health and family practitioners services in Greater London between 1978–79 and 1985–86;
  hospital and community health services and hospital and community health and family practitioner services in Inner London between 1982–83 and 1985–86;
  family practitioner services in Inner London between 1978–79 and 1985–86.

  Comparable figures for hospital and community health services in Inner London prior to the 1982 reorganisation of the National Health Service are not available. Information relating to Greater London prior to 1978–79 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  It is inappropriate to revalue district health authority expenditure by reference to centrally assessed movements in NHS pay and prices as the composition of that expenditure can differ substantially from the national average.

  It is important to set the figures in the context of a London population which has been falling (there was a decrease of some 17 per cent. between 1971 and 1985) and the policy of redistributing resources to areas which historically have been deprived of services or have high population growth. However, the process of change can present transitional difficulties in those Health Regions receiving less than average growth. For that reason we have established a special fund of £15 million in each of the years 1987–88 and 1988–89 to provide appropriate transitional help. The Thames Regions and London Postgraduate SHAs have been allocated £12·9 million from the £15 million available for 1987–88. This means that Inner London health authorities collectively can expect real terms growth over financial years 1986–87 and 1987–88 of the order of 2 per cent.
  485

  Gross expenditure1 in 1985–86 prices as measured by the gross domestic product deflator (£000)

  Greater London

  Inner London

  Hospital and Community Health Services2

  Family Practitioner Services

  Hospital and Community Health Services and Family Practitioner Services

  Hospital and Community Health Services2

  Family Practitioner Services4

  Hospital and Community Health Services and Family Practitioner Services5

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  £

  1978–79

  1,981,618

  391,645

  2,373,263

  3n.a.

  153,109

  n.a.

  1979–80

  1,995,687

  389,693

  2,385,380

  3n.a.

  153,303

  n.a.

  1980–81

  2,178,856

  406,154

  2,585,010

  3n.a.

  159,262

  n.a.

  1981–82

  2,209,495

  425,382

  2,634,877

  3n.a.

  167,572

  n.a.

  1982–83

  2,180,987

  451,141

  2,632,129

  1,221,102

  178,199

  1.399,301

  1983–84

  2,197,472

  454,667

  2,652,138

  1,240,221

  179,661

  1.419,882

  1984–85

  2,191,632

  481,043

  2,672,676

  1,231,395

  189,493

  1.420,888

  1985–86

  2,162,075

  482,598

  2,644,673

  1,211,235

  188,752

  1.399,987

  Percentage real terms growth 1978–79 to 1985–86

  9·1

  23·2

  11·4

  n.a.

  23·3

  n.a.

  1Figures are based on total gross expenditure (revenue and capital) from the summarised income and expenditure accounts of area, district and special health authorities and family practitioner committees.

  2Greater and Inner London have been defined as comprising the following health authorities:

  (i) Inner London health authorities:

  1982–83 to 1985–86

  Hammersmith and Fulham/Victoria}(Riverside in 1985–86)

  Paddington

  Hampstead Bloomsbury

  Islington

  City and Hackney

  Newham

  Tower Hamlets

  West Lambeth

  Camberwell

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  Wandsworth

  Special Health Authorities for the London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals

  ii. Greater London health authorities

  1982–83 to 1985£86

  Inner London health authorities listed at 2(i) above

  Barnet

  Harrow

  Brent

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  Ealing

  Hillingdon

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  Enfield

  Haringey Redbridge Waltham Forest

  Bexley

  Greenwich Bromley

  Croydon

  Kingston and Esher

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  Sutton and Merton

  1978–79 to 1981–82

  Barnet

  486

  Brent and Harrow

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  Hillingdon

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  Barking and Havering

  Camden and Islington

  City and East London

  Enfield and Haringey

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  Greenwich and Bexley

  Bromley

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  Croydon

  Kingston and Richmond

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  Boards of Governors for the London Postgraduate Teaching Hospitals

  3 Details of expenditure by district is not available centrally prior to 1982–83.

  4 Inner London FPC and DHA boundaries are not coterminous. It is not possible therefore to measure FPC expenditure within Inner London as defined at 2(i) above. The definition of Inner London used in this column comprises the following FPCs:

  Kensington, Chelsea and. Westminster

  Camden and Islington

  City and East London

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  5Comprises the health authorities listed at 2(i) and the family practitioner committees listed at (4) above.

  NHS Staff
  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the percentage change each year since 1979 in the number of National Health Service staff as follows (a) medical and dental, (b) nursing and midwifery, (c) professional and technical, (d) works, (e) maintenance, (f) administrative, (g) clerical, (h) ancillary and (i) ambulance personnel.

  Mr. Newton
  The figures are shown in the table.
  487

  NHS directly employed staff by main staff group: year-on-year percentage changes based on whole-time equivalent staff in post at 30 September each year

  England1

  Percentage change

  Medical and Dental2

  Nursing and Midwifery3 4

  Professional and Technical5

  Works

  Maintenance

  Administrative and Clerical6

  Ancillary5

  Ambulance (including officers)

  1979–80

  + 3·0

  + 3·2

  + 2·9

  + 5·8

  + 2·3

  + 2·4

  (7)

  + 3·7

  1980–81

  + 2·1

  + 5·9

  + 5·4

  +4·1

  + 2·2

  + 3·2

  + 0·1

  + 2·5

  1981–82

  + 1·1

  + 1·4

  + 3·1

  -1·3

  + 0·1

  (7)

  -1·0

  + 0·6

  1982–83

  + 1·9

  (7)

  + 2·2

  -2·1

  -1·0

  + 1·1

  -2·5

  + 0·4

  1983–84

  + 0·2

  + 0·1

  + 5·8

  + 0·7

  -3·0

  + 0·3

  -8·4

  -1·6

  1984–85

  + 1·6

  + 0·9

  + 2·3

  + 1·2

  -2·3

  + 0·7

  -8·4

  + 0·5

  1985–868

  + 0·6

  + 0·2

  + 2·4

  -3·9

  -3·2

  + 0·3

  -10·9

  + 5·0

  Source DHSS Annual Censuses of Medical and Non-Medical Manpower.

  1 Includes staff at the Dental Estimates Board, Prescription Pricing Authority, London Post-Graduate Special Health Authorities and Family Practitioner Committee Staff on health authority payrolls.

  2 Includes permanent paid, honorary and locum staff in hospitals and community health services, hospital practitioners and part-time medical/dental officers (clinical assistants).

  3Includes agency staff.

  4Not adjusted for reduction in nurses' working hours in 1980 (from 40 to 37·5 hours per week).

  5On 1 April 1984 approximately 2,600 (wte) Operating Department Assistants were re-classified from the Ancillary to the Professional and Technical staff group. The figures had not been adjusted for this re-classification.

  6 There is no standard break-down of staff within the Administrative and Clerical staff group into separate "Administrative" and "Clerical" categories-these staff have therefore been shown as a single group.

  7 Less than 0·05 per cent.

  8Figures for 1986 are provisional.

  Senior Registrars (Upgrading)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer of 20 February, if he will estimate the additional cost of upgrading 500 currently employed senior registrars at the top of their incremental scale to consultant grade, starting at the bottom of their incremental scale.

  Mr. Newton
  The bottom of the consultant salary scale is currently £23,500. The top of the senior registrar scale is £16,750 but on average senior registrars will receive an additional £5,528 as payment for units of medical time. The additional basic salary cost of upgrading a senior registrar at the top of the scale would thus be some £1,200 in the first year on average, increasing in subsequent years as the newly-appointed consultant ascends the consultant scale. Employer's contributions to superannuation and national insurance would increase this to about £1,400. The total net salary cost of upgrading 500 senior registrars would thus be some £700,000 in the first year.

  Ranking of Regions by percentage change in the number of patients on the in-patient waiting list between 1976 and 1986

  Health authority

  Numbers of patients on in-patient waiting list

  In-patient cases treated

  September 1976

  September 1986

  Change between 1976 and 1986

  Change between 1975 and 1985

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  North Western

  66,893

  61,143

  -5,750

  -8·6

  164,147

  36·2

  South Western

  44,389

  43,686

  -703

  -1·6

  94,122

  30·0

  Mersey

  30,221

  30,126

  -95

  -0·3

  63,255

  23·6

  North West Thames1

  43,421

  43,710

  289

  0·7

  36,142

  9·4

  Oxford

  31,606

  33,249

  1,643

  5·2

  64,221

  27·5

  Northern

  34,364

  36,880

  2,516

  7·3

  86,159

  24·8

  West Midlands

  72,536

  79,261

  6,725

  9·3

  165,946

  33·2

  South West Thames1

  30,295

  36,073

  5,778

  19·1

  48,077

  16·2

  Trent

  50,885

  60,842

  9,957

  19·6

  164,224

  39·7

  South East Thames

  45,797

  56,768

  10,971

  24·0

  97,004

  24·0

  East Anglian

  22,031

  27,860

  5,829

  26·5

  75,708

  43·4

  Wessex

  32,591

  42,726

  10,135

  31·1

  89,720

  33·5

  Yorkshire

  34,689

  46,597

  11,908

  34·3

  113,910

  28·2

  North East Thames1

  41,077

  74,926

  33,849

  82·4

  104,463

  23·9

  488
  There could however be wider consequential cost implications of a considerable order, but for which there is at present no basis for a precise estimate. A reduction in senior registrar numbers alone would not be sufficient to solve the underlying problems of hospital medical staffing; and as I pointed out in my earlier reply, however, the changes in the hospital staffing structure proposed in "Achieving a Balance" do not envisage converting senior registrar to consultant posts on anything like this scale.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list, in numerical order, the 10 regional health authorities which have achieved the greatest percentage reduction in (a) general in-patient waiting lists and (b) general in-patient waiting lists over the last 10 years.
  Mr. Newton
  The available information is given in the table.
  489

  Health authority

  Numbers of patients on in-patient waiting list

  In-patient cases treated

  September 1976

  September 1986

  Change between 1976 and 1986

  Change between 1975 and 1985

  Number

  Percentage

  Number

  Percentage

  SHA's1

  7,469

  8,054

  585

  7·8

  10,964

  13·7

  England

  588,264

  681,901

  93,637

  15·9

  1,378,062

  27·7

  1Figures for 1976 are not strictly comparable with those for 1986 because of NHS restructuring in 1982.

  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons on the hospital waiting list in Merseyside have been waiting for (a) more than six months, (b) more than a year and (c) more than two years; and if he will give comparable figures for each year since and including 1979.

  Mr. Newton
  I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member all the information he seeks. The information available centrally is given in the table.

  Number of persons on in-patient waiting list as at 30 September, Merseyside District Health Authorities1

  Number of non-urgent cases on waiting list for more than a year

  Year

  Number

  1979

  6,552

  1980

  5,916

  1981

  5,446

  1982

  6,108

  1983

  5,735

  1984

  4,269

  1985

  3,362

  1986

  3,592

  1 Liverpool DHA, St. Helens and Knowsley DHA, Southport and Formby DHA, South Sefton DHA and Wirral DHA.

  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Mid-Staffordshire on 19 December 1986, Official Report, column 787, if he will now make a further statement regarding the pilot scheme operated by the West Midlands regional health authority on computerised hospital waiting lists.

  Number of cases on in-patient waiting list with national ranking by percentage change—NHS hospitals

  Change September 1982 to March 1986

  District/Special health authority

  September 1982

  March 1986

  Number

  Percentage

  Milton Keynes1

  6

  2,121

  2,115

  35,250·0

  Malton

  7

  319

  312

  4,457·1

  Islington

  1,098

  2,410

  1,312

  119·5

  West Essex

  2,555

  5,012

  2,457

  96·2

  Huntington

  471

  840

  369

  78·3

  Hounslow and Spelthorne

  3,127

  5,173

  2,046

  65·4

  Airedale

  1,686

  2,649

  963

  57·1

  Lewisham and North Southwark

  5,335

  8,243

  2,908

  54·5

  Dartford and Gravesham

  2,916

  4,414

  1,498

  51·4

  The Hospitals for Sick Children

  1,456

  2,197

  741

  50·9

  Bromsgrove and Redditch

  1,475

  2,219

  744

  50·4

  Bloomsbury

  9,632

  14,405

  4,773

  49·6

  Ealing

  1,489

  2,219

  730

  49·0

  Barking, Havering and Brentwood

  4,474

  6,640

  2,166

  48·4

  Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton

  2,313

  3,325

  1,012

  43·8

  Harrogate

  1,274

  1,799

  525

  41·2

  West Berkshire

  3,256

  4,593

  1,337

  41·1

  Isle of Wight

  1,349

  1,854

  505

  37·4

  Bexley

  1,123

  1,532

  409

  36·4

  Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospitals

  128

  173

  45

  35·2

  South West Surrey

  2,385

  3,210

  825

  34·6

  Waltham Forest

  3,271

  4,341

  1,070

  32·7

  City and Hackney

  4,586

  6,071

  1,485

  32·4

  490
  Mr. Newton
  The project is progressing. Selected groups of general practitioners are receiving monthly bulletins on waiting times for general surgery in the Region. Their referrals will be analysed to see whether information in this form affects decisions made about where best to refer patients. Groups of patients are being identified from amongst those referred by the selected general practitioners and they will be interviewed at various stages about their waiting experiences.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the numbers waiting for (a) hip joint and (b) knee joint operations.

  Mr. Newton
  I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information he seeks. Waiting list information is held centrally by consultant department and not according to intended method of treatment.

  Mr. Dobson
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each health authority the percentage rise or fall in the total hospital waiting list between September 1982 and March 1986, ordered so that the health authority with the biggest increase is first and that with the biggest decrease is last, giving the numbers waiting in each health authority at those two points.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 19 January 1987, c. 431–32]: The information requested is given in the table.
  491

  Change September 1982 to March 1986

  District/Special health authority

  September 1982

  March 1986

  Number

  Percentage

  West Suffolk

  2,027

  2,641

  614

  30·3

  Worcester and District

  2,651

  3,449

  798

  30·1

  Rochdale

  2,342

  3,033

  691

  29·5

  North West Surrey

  2,315

  2,989

  674

  29·1

  West Surrey and North East Hampshire

  3,708

  4,760

  1,052

  28·4

  East Surrey

  1,257

  1,601

  344

  27·4

  Hillingdon

  6,009

  7,648

  1,639

  27·3

  North East Essex

  3,510

  4,413

  903

  25·7

  Cheltenham

  1,782

  2,189

  407

  22·8

  Kidderminster and District

  1,070

  1,298

  228

  21·3

  East Dorset

  4,361

  5,290

  929

  21·3

  Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's

  2,167

  2,617

  450

  20·8

  South Cumbria

  1,152

  1,357

  205

  17·8

  Lancaster

  1,784

  2,100

  316

  17·7

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  3,288

  3,868

  580

  17·6

  Chorley and South Ribble

  651

  764

  113

  17·4

  South East Staffordshire

  2,026

  2,374

  348

  17·2

  Trafford

  1,301

  1,522

  221

  17·0

  Herefordshire

  2,272

  2,656

  384

  16·9

  Brent

  1,737

  2,010

  273

  15·7

  Barnet

  3,628

  4,186

  558

  15·4

  The National Heart and Chest Hospital

  1,073

  1,231

  158

  14·7

  West Norfolk and Wisbech

  1,688

  1,926

  238

  14·1

  Tower Hamlets

  6,003

  6,808

  805

  13·4

  West Dorset

  2,015

  2,264

  249

  12·4

  Greenwich

  2,362

  2,632

  270

  11·4

  Wolverhampton

  3,677

  4,094

  417

  11·3

  Bristol and Weston

  7,142

  7,944

  802

  11·2

  Mid Essex

  3,246

  3,610

  364

  11·2

  Leiestershire

  7,177

  7,962

  785

  10·9

  Canterbury and Thanet

  4,136

  4,588

  452

  10·9

  Paddington and North Kensington

  2,813

  3,111

  298

  10·6

  Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde

  4,117

  4,524

  407

  9·9

  Rotherham

  3,871

  4,213

  342

  8·8

  Swindon

  2,825

  3,063

  238

  8·4

  Mid Surrey

  2,150

  2,327

  177

  8·2

  Stockport

  4,430

  4,713

  283

  6·4

  Exeter

  4,436

  4,719

  283

  6·4

  West Lambeth

  6,038

  6,405

  367

  6·1

  South Birmingham

  6,878

  7,291

  413

  6·0

  South Warwickshire

  3,194

  3,366

  172

  5·4

  Eastbourne

  2,552

  2,685

  133

  5·2

  Hampstead

  1,979

  2,073

  94

  4·7

  Southern Derbyshire

  6,322

  6,507

  185

  2·9

  Basildon and Thurrock

  5,888

  6,044

  156

  2·6

  North Staffordshire

  8,862

  9,023

  161

  1·8

  Leeds Western

  4,330

  4,397

  67

  15

  Central Manchester

  5,358

  5,436

  78

  1·5

  Winchester

  2,309

  2,341

  32

  1·4

  Brighton

  3,863

  3,915

  52

  1·3

  Hastings

  2,547

  2,530

  -17

  -0· 7

  York

  2,710

  2,689

  -21

  -0·8

  Moorfields Eye Hospital

  1,458

  1,446

  -12

  -0·8

  East Suffolk

  3,097

  3,071

  -26

  -0·8

  Somerset

  4,949

  4,904

  -45

  -0·9

  Maidstone

  2,190

  2,157

  -33

  -1·5

  South West Hertfordshire

  1,986

  1,956

  -30

  -1·5

  Bromley

  1,931

  1,900

  -31

  -1·6

  Northumberland

  1,896

  1,861

  -35

  -1·8

  Kettering

  2,848

  2,790

  -58

  -2·0

  Southend

  3,248

  3,177

  -71

  -2·2

  Redbridge

  1,719

  1,673

  -46

  -2·7

  Liverpool

  8,553

  8,321

  -232

  -2·7

  Basingstoke and North Hampshire

  3,698

  3,589

  -109

  -2·9

  Riverside

  5,888

  5,696

  -192

  -3·3

  Bradford

  6,663

  6,411

  -252

  -3·8

  Enfield

  3,068

  2,915

  -153

  -5·0

  The National Hospitals for Nervous Diseases

  441

  417

  -24

  -5·4

  North Warwickshire

  1,944

  1,833

  -111

  -5·7

  Salisbury

  4,770

  4,489

  -281

  -5·9

  Hull

  7,050

  6,627

  -423

  -6·0

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  9,080

  8,492

  -588

  -6·5

  Wigan

  4,677

  4,355

  -322

  -6·9

  Worthing

  3,756

  3,455

  -301

  -8·0

  Leeds Eastern

  6,169

  5,663

  -506

  -8·2

  492 493

  Change September 1982 to March 1986

  District/Special health authority

  September 1982

  March 1986

  Number

  Percentage

  North Hertfordshire

  3,155

  2,895

  -260

  -8·2

  Crewe

  5,128

  4,695

  -433

  -8·4

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  6,831

  6,247

  -584

  -8·5

  South Bedfordshire

  2,382

  2,177

  -205

  -8·6

  Shropshire

  8,441

  7,696

  -745

  -8·8

  Wycombe

  1,134

  1,033

  -101

  -8·9

  East Cumbria

  3,323

  3,018

  -305

  -9·2

  East Berkshire

  8,244

  7,470

  -774

  -9·4

  Plymouth

  5,897

  5,281

  -616

  -10·4

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  5,238

  4,689

  -549

  -10·5

  Preston

  5,287

  4,725

  -562

  -10·6

  South Lincolnshire

  4,428

  3,948

  -480

  -10·8

  Warrington

  3,037

  2,672

  -365

  -12·0

  Gloucester

  4,959

  4,346

  -613

  -12·4

  North Devon

  1,558

  1,358

  -200

  -12·8

  Chichester

  2,786

  2,420

  -366

  -13·1

  Oldham

  5,071

  4,381

  -690

  -13·6

  Solihull

  2,278

  1,967

  -311

  -13·7

  Walsall

  3,324

  2,856

  -468

  -14·1

  Peterborough

  3,770

  3,239

  -531

  -14·1

  Harrow

  1,370

  1,176

  -194

  -14·2

  Mid Downs

  2,621

  2,233

  -388

  -14·8

  Merton and Sutton

  3,639

  3,098

  -541

  -14·9

  North Bedfordshire

  2,657

  2,255

  -402

  -15·1

  Pontefract

  2,569

  2,179

  -390

  -15·2

  Calderdale

  1,166

  986

  -180

  -15·4

  Bolton

  3,348

  2,828

  -520

  -15·5

  Great Yarmouth and Waveney

  4,194

  3,524

  -670

  -16·0

  Southport and Formby

  1,373

  1,145

  -228

  -16·6

  North Birmingham

  2,723

  2,267

  -456

  -16·7

  Oxfordshire

  7,003

  5,792

  -1,211

  -17·3

  Wandsworth

  3,239

  2,649

  -590

  -18·2

  West Lancashire

  2,433

  1,984

  -449

  -18·5

  Huddersfield

  3,308

  2,697

  -611

  -18·5

  West Birmingham

  4,269

  3,479

  -790

  -18·5

  Sandwell

  1,721

  1,399

  -322

  -18·7

  Sheffield

  14,678

  11,903

  -2,775

  -18·9

  Kingston and Esher

  3,194

  2,576

  -618

  -19·3

  Sunderland

  4,889

  3,890

  -999

  -20·4

  Tunbridge Wells

  6,220

  4,949

  -1,271

  -20·4

  Camberwell

  3,388

  2,681

  -707

  -20·9

  East Hertfordshire

  1,847

  1,456

  -391

  -21·2

  Dudley

  5,441

  4,244

  -1,197

  -22·0

  Cambridge

  6,708

  5,196

  -1,512

  -22·5

  Salford

  5,371

  4,156

  -1,215

  -22·6

  North Lincolnshire

  4,129

  3,158

  -971

  -23·5

  Hartlepool

  1,841

  1,405

  -436

  -23·7

  Northampton

  6,793

  5,164

  -1,629

  -24·0

  Croydon

  3,093

  2,350

  -743

  -24·0

  Central Nottinghamshire

  7,154

  5,425

  -1,729

  -24·2

  Doncaster

  6,132

  4,641

  -1,491

  -24·3

  Torbay

  2,368

  1,781

  -587

  -24·8

  Bury

  979

  735

  -244

  -24·9

  North Derbyshire

  3,511

  2,633

  -878

  -25·0

  Newcastle

  11,524

  8,632

  -2,892

  -25·1

  Southmead

  2,958

  2,214

  -744

  -25·2

  Nottingham

  10,988

  8,215

  -2,773

  -25·2

  South Manchester

  8,120

  6,012

  -2,108

  -26·0

  Scarborough

  2,200

  1,611

  -589

  -26·8

  East Birmingham

  4,600

  3,367

  -1,233

  -26·8

  West Cumbria

  1,870

  1,349

  -521

  -27·9

  Haringey

  1,708

  1,225

  -483

  -28·3

  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale

  3,542

  2,540

  -1,002

  -28·3

  Wakefield

  3,216

  2,269

  -947

  -29·4

  Darlington

  3,140

  2,214

  -926

  -29·5

  North Tyneside

  1,721

  1,207

  -514

  -29·9

  Central Birmingham

  7,635

  5,346

  -2,289

  -30·0

  Mid Staffordshire

  2,440

  1,706

  -734

  -30·1

  Coventry

  8,759

  6,091

  -2,668

  -30·5

  Gateshead

  1,661

  1,155

  -506

  -30·5

  North West Hertfordshire

  2,697

  1,848

  -849

  -31·5

  Bassetlaw

  1,185

  809

  -376

  31·7

  Bath

  8,079

  5,449

  -2,630

  -32·6

  South East Kent

  3,946

  2,658

  -1,288

  -32·6

  Northallerton

  623

  419

  -204

  -32·7

  494 495

  Change September 1982 to March 1986

  District/Special health authority

  September 1982

  March 1986

  Number

  Percentage

  Wirral

  4,714

  3,138

  -1,576

  -33·4

  South Tyneside

  1,047

  682

  -365

  -34·9

  Medway

  3,273

  2,105

  -1,168

  -35·7

  Norwich

  10,980

  6,915

  -4,065

  -37·0

  Barnsley

  3,934

  2,463

  -1,471

  -37·4

  South West Durham

  803

  498

  -305

  -38·0

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley

  3,294

  2,042

  -1,252

  -38·0

  Chester

  2,940

  1,805

  -1,135

  -38·6

  Rugby

  864

  528

  -336

  -38·9

  Frenchay

  5,855

  3,506

  -2,349

  -40·1

  South Tees

  10,319

  6,149

  -4,170

  -40·4

  Aylesbury Vale1

  6,450

  3,813

  -2,637

  -40·9

  North Manchester

  4,726

  2,753

  -1,973

  -41·7

  South Sefton

  6,332

  3,657

  -2,675

  -42·2

  East Yorkshire

  1,924

  1,108

  -816

  -42·4

  Tameside and Glossop

  2,866

  1,639

  -1,227

  -42·8

  Dewsbury

  1,181

  661

  -520

  -44·0

  Durham

  1,489

  820

  -669

  -44·9

  Grimsby

  2,355

  1,245

  -1,110

  -47·1

  Macclesfield

  2.302

  1,159

  -1,143

  -49·7

  Newham

  2,222

  1,117

  -1,105

  -49·7

  North West Durham

  1,325

  664

  -661

  -49·9

  The Royal Marsden Hospital

  331

  164

  -167

  -50·5

  Scunthorpe

  4,609

  2,030

  -2,579

  -56·0

  North Tees

  1,958

  810

  -1,148

  -58·6

  1The waiting list for Milton Keynes was formerly held by Aylesbury Vale Health Authority but was taken over by Milton Keynes Health Authority in 1984 following the development of Milton Keynes General Hospital. The above table shows a comparable reduction in the Aylesbury Vale figures.

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the cost of a prepayment certificate for National Health Service prescriptions in June 1979; and what were the effective dates of subsequent increases and the new cost in each case.

  Mr. Newton
  The information requested is as follows:

  Prescription prepayment certificates

  6 months £

  4 months £

  Annual £

  1 April 1971

  2·00

  —

  3·50

  16 July 1979

  4·50

  —

  8·00

  1 April 1980

  —

  4·50

  12·00

  1 December 1980

  —

  5·50

  15·00

  1 April 1982

  —

  7·00

  20·00

  1 April 1983

  —

  7·50

  21·50

  1 April 1984

  —

  8·50

  24·00

  1 April 1985

  —

  11·00

  30·50

  1 April 1986

  —

  12·00

  33·50

  1 April 1987

  —

  12·50

  35·00

  Personal Social Services (Cost)
  Sir Brandon Rhys Williams
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish figures showing the costs of the personal social services in the United Kingdom in 1985–86, distinguishing between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and also distinguishing between the main categories of expenditure.

  Mr. Newton
  Levels of gross current expenditure on the personal social services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for 1985–86 are shown in the table. Although returns have not yet been received from all English authorities in relation to 1985–86, sufficient data are available to enable provisional figures to be provided.
  496

  Gross current expenditure on personal social services in the United Kingdom 1985–86 (£ million)1

  England

  Wales

  Scotland

  Northern Ireland

  Residential (children)

  300·1

  11·8

  28·0

  4·9

  Residential (other)

  993·2

  58·9

  99·3

  25·8

  Domiciliary support

  549·8

  34·7

  77·6

  19·5

  Day services and miscellaneous

  494·0

  25·2

  59·7

  34·0

  Field work

  446·2

  22·3

  82·2

  17·1

  Research and development

  9·8

  0·4

  2

  2

  Total

  2,793·1

  153·3

  346·8

  101·0

  1All figures provisional.

  2Expenditure on research and development not separately identified.

  Hospitals (Liverpool)
  Mr. Alton
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the longest period a patient has had to wait for treatment at St. Paul's eye hospital in Liverpool.

  Mr. Newton
  I am sorry I cannot give the hon. Member the information required. Information on length of stay on the waiting list at individual hospitals is not available centrally. The hon. Member way wish to write to the chairman of the Liverpool health authority for the information he seeks.

  Health Education Authority
  Mr. Kirkwood
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answer of 19 March Offical Report, column 625, if he will list in the Official Report the voluntary organisations, including pressure groups and charities and professional associations (a) who wrote to

  497
  him and (b) with whom he had meetings in connection with his determination of the membership of the Health Education Authority.

  Mr. Newton
  Among the representations made to my right hon. Friend were those from the following voluntary and professional bodies:

  Association of District Medical Officers

  Council of the Royal College of General Practitioners Institute of Environmental Health Officers

  National Association of Health Authorities

  National Consultative Committee of Health Education Officers

  Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

  Society of Family Practitioner Committees

  South East Thames Health Promotion Consortium and Group

  No meetings were held with these organisations.

  North West RHA (Finance)
  Mr. Pike
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he now proposes to make any additional financial resources available to the North West regional health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  Regional health authorities were notified of their cash limits for 1978–88 in January North Western regional health authority received a revenue increase of 5·6 per cent. In addition the region was allocated £1·2 million from the £15 million special fund we established to provide transitional help to those regions receiving less than average growth, bringing North Western Regional Health Authority's initial cash increase in 1978–88 to 5·7 per cent.

  Since January further allocations totalling £2·6 million have been made. The largest of these was from the £25 million waiting list fund from which North Western received £2·3 million.

  Nurses
  Mr. Craigen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received against the proposal by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing and Midwifery to do away with enrolled nurses; and what consideration he is giving to the report.

  Mr. Newton
  I am not aware of any proposal to do away with enrolled nurses. However, we have received a number of representations expressing concern at the suggestion that enrolled nurse training should cease. This is one of a number of proposals on the future of nurse education and training put to Ministers by the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting. We are now consulting health authorities and others on these proposals.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will answer the question on numbers of National Health Service nurses from the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey to which he gave a holding reply on 24 February, Official Report, column 236.

  Mr. Newton
  I replied to the hon. Member yesterday.

  Chief Scientist
  Mrs. Renee Short
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the terms and conditions of appointment, including salary, of the chief scientist to his Department.

  Mr. Newton
  Professor Francis O'Grady's appointment is on a part-time advisory basis and took effect from 1 September 1986. He remains Professor of Microbiology at the University of Nottingham, which is responsible for his salary and is reimbursed for the five sessions a week that he devotes to his duties as chief scientist. The appointment is for two years initially with the possibility of an extension.

  Trent Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Skinner
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people are currently on hospital waiting lists in the Trent regional health authority area.

  Mr. Newton
  For the latest centrally available information I refer the hon. Member to "Hospital In-Patient Waiting List, England" at 30 September 1986, national, regional and district summaries, copies of which have been placed in the Library. For current figures he may wish to write to the Chairman of the Trent regional health authority.

  Child Abuse
  Mr. Ashley
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if the problem of sexually abused children has been reviewed within his Department since Childline started operating; and if any new initiatives have been undertaken, or approaches to local authorities made, as a result.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey, South-West (Mrs. Bottomley) on 8 April at columns 240–41.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for 1987–88 his estimate of the number of male and female employees expected to pay contributions at the 5 per cent., 7 per cent. and 9 per cent. rates, together with the forecast amount of the employers' and the employees' contributions at each rate; and if he will divide the figures between those contracted in and those contracted out.

  Mr. Major
  The information is as follows:

  Estimated average number of contributors 1987–88 Great Britain

  Class 1 standard rate

  per cent.

  Men thousand

  Women thousand

  Total thousand

  Contracted out

  5

  —

  100

  100

  7

  100

  200

  300

  9

  6,200

  2,500

  8,700

  Not contracted out

  5

  300

  1,300

  1,600

  7

  400

  1,300

  1,700

  9

  4,400

  1,300

  5,700

  499

  Estimated full year contributions yields payable in 1987–88 Great Britain

  Men

  Women

  Total

  Class 1 standard rate

  per cent.

  Primary £ million

  Secondary £ million

  Primary £ million

  Secondary £ million

  Primary £ million

  Secondary £ million

  Total £ million

  Contracted out

  5

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7

  —

  —

  50

  50

  50

  50

  100

  9

  5,100

  5,500

  1,550

  1,450

  6,650

  6,950

  13,600

  Not contracted out

  5

  50

  50

  150

  150

  200

  200

  400

  7

  150

  150

  350

  350

  500

  500

  1,000

  9

  3,900

  4,900

  1,000

  1,100

  4,900

  6,000

  10,900

  Notes:

  (1) In one or two entries the apparent nil yield from contributions is caused by rounding.

  (2) The secondary contributions paid at 9 per cent. includes secondary contributions paid at 10·45 per cent.

  (3) All estimates are based on the assumptions used in the Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No. 2) Order 1986 and the Social Security (Contributions Re-rating) (No. 2) Order 1986 (Cm. 24).

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply dated 25 March, Official Report, column 197, concerning reduced rate national insurance contributions, if he will provide figures for the gross and net contributions taking into account the figures supplied on the same date in reply to a question asking for an update of table 40.13 of "Social Security Statistics 1985," 25 March, Official Report, column 198.

  Mr. Major
  It is estimated that the abolition of the reduced rate paid by married women and widows would increase gross national insurance contribution revenue by £250 million during 1987–88. This would be offset by £50 million contracted out rebate on employees' contributions for those who are members of contracted-out superannuation schemes. The other information requested is as follows:

  Estimated average number of contributors paying the reduced rate for Married Women, 1987–88 Great Britain.

  Thousands

  Contracted Out

  400

  Not Contracted Out

  700

  Estimated full year contributions yields payable in respect of those paying the reduced rate for Married Women. Great Britain £ million 1987–88

  Primary

  Secondary

  Contracted Out

  100

  200

  Not Contracted Out

  100

  200

  Total

  200

  400

  All estimates are based on the assumptions used in the Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating (No 2) Order 1986 and the Social Security (Contributions Re-rating) (No 2) Order 1986 (Cm 24).

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring up to date for the year 1987–88 the information given in his answer of 10 December, Official Report, column 204, to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby concerning the distribution of incomes and national insurance contributions, adding (a) the saving on the abolition of the reduced rate contribution, and (b) the numbers contracted-in and contracted out together with their contributions.

  Mr. Major
  [pursuant to his reply, 25 March 1987, c.195–96]: The information on the distribution of incomes is as follows:
  500

  Estimated number of total earned incomes received by persons aged less than 65 by range of income: 1987–88 (Thousands). (United Kingdom).

  Range of Total Earned Income (Lower Limit)

  Single Persons

  Married Couples with-out wife's Earned Income

  Married Couples with wife's Earned Income

  £3,000

  767

  67

  51

  £4,000

  794

  106

  51

  £5,000

  981

  165

  57

  £6,000

  841

  187

  65

  £7,000

  794

  210

  101

  £8,000

  642

  289

  137

  £9,000

  521

  301

  203

  £10,000

  746

  698

  559

  £12,000

  453

  760

  1,009

  £15,000

  251

  488

  1,358

  £20,000

  130

  315

  1,121

  Total

  6,919

  3,588

  4,711

  Note: The sum of the components does not necessarily equal the totals because of rounding.

  It is estimated that during 1987–88 £14·1 billion will be due from employers and £12·5 billion will be due from employees in respect of Class 1 National Insurance contributions, taking account of the lower contribution rates for those in contracted-out employment. If the upper earnings limit were abolished for employees' Class 1 National Insurance contributions in 1987–88, but retained for the contracted-out rebate, then the full year contributions yield would rise by £0·9 billion.

  Assuming that during 1987–88 single persons paid 5 per cent. of earnings above £2,000 and married couples paid 4 per cent. of earnings over £5,000 and that other changes to the contributions system were as described in the hon. Member's earlier questions, then the gross yield from employees' contributions would be £5·3 billion. It is not possible to estimate the effect of the contracted-out rebate in these calculations and this figure therefore compares with an estimated notional gross yield during 1987–88 for primary Class 1 contributions under the existing rates structure of £14·1 billion.

  I refer the hon. Member to my replies to him on 25 March 1987 at columns 197–98 for the information on the saving resulting from the abolition of the reduced rate contribution for certain married women and the numbers of contributors who are contracted in and out, and their contributions. Information on the number of married

  501
  women optants who are in contracted-out and not contracted employments, and their contributions, is presented in my other reply to him today.

  All estimates are based on the assumptions used in the Report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Uprating (No. 2) Order 1986 and the Social Security (Contributions, Re-rating) (No. 2) Order 1986 (Cm 24).

  Benefits
  Mr. Cohen
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what reply he had made concerning representations by CIPFA on the proposed housing benefit reorganisation.

  Mr. LyelI
  None. CIPFA has made representations on the draft housing benefit regulations and on aspects of future subsidy arrangements for the new scheme. The Secretary of State is required formally to consult only the local authority associations but we have welcomed the many comments and suggestions received informally from CIPFA and other organisations. We are considering them carefully in the context of finalising the details of the new scheme.

  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what groups within the 1979 family expenditure survey were used to calculate the average expenditure on food, referred to in clause 1736 of the "Guidelines for Supplementary Benefit Officers and Procedural Instructions — Supplementary Benefits" (S Manual) in the calculation of the extra costs of special diets.

  Mr. Major
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mr. Hume) on 23 March at columns 77–78.

  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he proposed to lay regulations for the 1988 housing benefit reforms.

  Mr. Major
  I shall be writing to the local authority associations shortly.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons previously registering as unemployed and claiming unemployment or supplementary benefit have, in the last 12 months been transferred to sickness benefit claims.

  Mr. Lyell
  [pursuant to his reply, 9 April 1987]: The information is not available in the form requested. The latest year for which figures are available is the year ending 30 March 1985. There were 236,000 spells of sickness starting in that year for which sickness benefit was claimed by people who had previously been unemployed.

  Disabled Persons
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions have been held with voluntary organisations concerning the implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  On 1 April I met members of the Steering Committee set up by the major voluntary organisations representing disabled people to monitor implementation of the Disabled Persons (Services, Consultation and Representation) Act 1986. We discussed a number of 502
  issues relating to the implementation of the Act. Members of the steering committee suggested that voluntary organisations could make a valuable contribution to further consideration of these issues, and asked that they should be given an opportunity to do so. I undertook to consider what they had said, and to write to them as soon as possible suggesting a framework for involving voluntary organisation where appropriate in future work on the implementation of the Act.

  Mrs. S. E. Parker
  Mr. Heddle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the reason why the Cannock Chase district council is not carrying out calculations to ascertain whether Mrs. S. E. Parker of 56 Park View Terrace, Rugeley, Staffordshire, is entitled to housing benefit supplement to enable his Department's Cannock office to ascertain her eligibility for exceptionally cold weather benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Major
  Entitlement to housing benefit supplement is first assessed by the relevant local authority who then refer the award to the supplementary benefit office for formal authorisation. The Department's Cannock office has now received and authorised an HBS award for Mrs. Parker and is therefore able to consider her claim for an exceptionally cold weather payment.

  Wheelchairs
  Mr. Hannam
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people have (a) a powered and (b) a non-powered wheelchair on loan from the Department of Health and Social Security at the latest date for which figures are available.

  Mr. Major
  At 31 March 1987, 461,806 non-powered wheelchairs and 19,994 powered wheelchairs, were on issue through the Department's wheelchair service. These figures do not accord exactly with the number of people who have a wheelchair on loan because some patients have more than one chair. No central figures of actual patient numbers are available.

  Hip Operations
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what action has been taken by the North West Thames regional health authority to speed up hip replacement operations; what was the percentage increase in total hip replacements over the period 1980 to 1984; and how this compared with the national increase.

  Mr. Newton
  The requested information is given in the table.

  Estimated number of operations for total hip replacement or other arthroplasty of hip, NHS hospitals

  Estimated number

  Percentage change 1980–84

  1980

  1984

  N W Thames Regional Health Authority

  1,770

  2,350

  + 32·8

  England

  33,420

  37,970

  + 13·6

  My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the North West Thames regional health authority for further information on its policy for hip replacement operations.

  North West Thames RHA (Finances)
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans the North West Thames regional health authority has to invest more money into expanding services for the elderly, mentally handicapped, the mentally ill and the very young; what financial allocation is being made to Hillingdon for 1987–88; and what was the comparable figure for 1986–87.

  Mr. Newton
  My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of the North West Thames regional health authority for details of the regional plans for future investment in the services listed, and the allocations to Hillingdon district health authority.

  Housing (Greater London)
  Mr. Spearing
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will tabulate in the Official Report the number of dwellings at the disposal of each district health authority in the Greater London area for use by their staffs at the end of 1982 and 1986, respectively.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that this information is not held centrally.

  Family Expenditure
  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what were the average expenditures per week on food for the following supplementary benefit claimants as recorded by the family expenditure survey of 1979 (a) an adult, (b) a person 16 to 17 years old, (c) a child of 11 to 15 years old, and (d) a child under 11 years old.

  Mr. Major
  Data in the family expenditure surveys relate to expenditure by the household as a whole and cannot be allocated to individual members, for example dependent children. In the 1979 survey, the average recorded expenditure on food of one-adult households in receipt of supplementary benefit was £8·10. Sample data in respect of 16 to 17-year-old claimants living alone are insufficient to provide a reliable estimate.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Jessel
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will set out in the Official Report the cost of an average medical bed and, where appropriate, an average surgical bed, per year in (a) the West Middlesex community hospital, (b) the Ashford hospital, (c) Kingston hospital, (d) the Queen Mary's hospital, Roehampton, (e) the Teddington Memorial hospital and (f) St. Mary's hospital, Hampton.

  Mr. Newton
  Information is not collected centrally in this form. The cost returns submitted by health authorities to the Department show average costs per in-patient day for each hospital but do not distinguish between different categories of beds within hospitals.

  In 1985–86 the average cost per in-patient day for the hospitals named was:

  £

  West Middlesex Community Hospital

  86·01

  Ashford Hospital

  77·15

  Kingston Hospital

  100·31

  504

  £

  Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton

  104·47

  Teddington Memorial Hospital

  47·81

  St. Mary's Hospital, Hampton

  46·38

  Mr. Jessel
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services which district health authorities in the South West Thames and in the North West Thames regions pay under contractual arrangements for beds for those patients who do not need either nursing or medical care in private or voluntary residential or nursing homes; approximately how many beds are so provided by each authority; and if, in the case of each authority, he will state the average cost.

  Mr. Newton
  I shall let my hon. Friend have a reply as soon as possible.

  Maternity Payments
  Mr. Lambie
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Cunninghame, South claimed the maternity grant in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Major
  Information is not available in the form requested.

  The Cunninghame, South constituency is covered by the Department's local office at Irvine although its boundaries are not conterminous with the constituency. The number of claims for maternity grant received at the Irvine local office during the 1986 calendar year was 1,451.

  Mr. Lambie
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many women in Cunninghame, South received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Major
  Information is not available in the form requested. But in the 12 months ending April 1986, the latest year for which figures are available, 1,113 claims to maternity allowance were made at the Department's office in Irvine which covers the constituency although the boundaries are not conterminous.

  Kidney Patients
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons are waiting for kidney dialysis treatment.

  Mr. Newton
  I regret that this information is not available centrally. The treatment of individual patients is a matter for the clinical judgment of the doctors concerned.

  Health Care (Inequalities)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement of his policy towards social inequalities in health and health care provision.

  Mr. Newton
  The overall health of the nation has improved steadily amongst all social groups, and the Government have made significant increases in the resources available to the Health Service.

  Unhealthy life-styles and unhealthy diets create major risks to health. The prevention of disease and the promotion of good health have always been primary

  505
  objectives of the Government's health policy. One of the Government's main aims in setting up the new Health Education Authority was to give a greater emphasis to disease prevention and health promotion. We are determined that all social groups, particularly the less well off, should have the information they need to protect their health. The first major campaign of the new authority, in conjunction with the Government, will be directed at coronary heart disease, which particularly affects people from lower socio-economic groups.

  The Government remain committed to the principle of allocating health authority resources more fairly across the country using the resource allocation working party's approach. Substantial progress has been made in bringing regions closer to their RAWP targets, and this year no region is more than 4 per cent. below its target. The current review of the RAWP formula is looking, amongst other things, at whether the formula needs to be adjusted to make it more sensitive to the impact of social deprivation. An initial report on the review, published in December, recommended a further programme of research and analysis including further study of measures of the need for health care. This research is now under way.

  Well Women Clinics
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received about the closure of family planning clinics and well women clinics in north Hertfordshire.

  Mr. Newton
  We have received eight representations from hon. Members, the North Hertfordshire community health council, and members of the public about the closure of family planning clinics and well women clinics in North Hertfordshire district health authority.

  Harefield Hospital
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has as to how many patients can be treated in the thoracic medicine ward at Harefield hospital; what part this branch of medicine plays in the cardio-thoracic services provided by the hospital; and how many patients occupying beds in the ward are, on average, resident within the borough of Hillingdon.

  Mr. Newton
  My hon. Friend may wish to contact the chairman of Hillingdon district health authority for information about the thoracic medicine ward at Harefield hospital.

  Laurel Lodge Clinic, Hillingdon
  Mr. Shersby
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consult the North West Thames regional health authority concerning the resources allocated to Hillingdon district health authority for services provided by the Laurel Lodge Clinic. Harlington Road, Hillingdon; and if he will list the services provided and the degree of priority attached by the authorities concerned to their provision in the future.

  Mr. Newton
  My hon. Friend may wish to contact the Chairman of Hillingdon district health authority for details of services provided at this clinic and any plans for its future.

  Convalescent Care (Leeds)
  Mr. Meadowcroft
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will make it his policy to ensure that facilities for convalescent patients at the Grove hospital, Leeds are maintained; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will make a statement on the future of National Health Service convalescent care within the Leeds West health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  The level and extent of provision of beds for convalescence is a matter for individual health authorities. The hon. Member may therefore wish to contact the chairman of Leeds western health authority about convalescent care in Leeds western district health authority in general, and specifically provision at the Grove hospital, Leeds. Any proposals to change the current level of provision would require full public consultation in the usual way.

  NHS (Convalescent Care)
  Mr. Meadowcroft
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the level of Government expenditure given to the National Health Service for convalescent care; and what percentage that is of total Government expenditure on the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  Provision for convalescent care is not separately identified in the cash allocations to regional health authorities. The level of funding within the overall resources available is decided by health authorities in the light of national policies and local needs.

  For 1985–86, the costing returns submitted by health authorities in England showed total current expenditure on hospitals categorised as pre-convalescent and convalescent as £5·5 million. Figures for expenditure on convalescent care in other hospitals or in the community are not collected centrally.

  Blindness and Partial Sight (Certificates)
  Mr. Galley
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he has taken any decision on the proposals to revise and simplify the form BD8 used for certifying blindness and partial sight.

  Mr. Major
  I am now able to announce the outcome of the Department's consultation exercise on the revision of the BD8 form. We have decided that the form should be revised along the lines originally proposed by the Department, that is restricted to a simple certificate of blindness/partial sight containing no clinical information. A separate anonymised epidemiological return will be made to central Government.

  In reaching this decision we are well aware of the concern of those responsible for follow-up and rehabilitation services for visually handicapped people—particularly social services departments — that they should not be deprived of information through lack of cooperation between the agencies concerned. Detailed inquiries made by the Department in several areas of the country have suggested that co-ordination between local agencies at the critical time when someone is certified as blind or partially sighted, is often not as close as it might be.

  In order to improve this situation, and to ensure that service providers receive adequate information, we have

  507
  decided to establish a working group at national level to consider the principles of collaboration and communication to be observed between the various agencies involved in the provision of rehabilitation services to visually handicapped people. The working group will be chaired by a senior official from the Department, and representatives from health, social services, voluntary and consumer interests will shortly be invited to take part.

  While the group will not be considering the content of the BD8 itself, its work will form the basis of guidance to accompany the revised form. The objective of this will be to encourage more effective co-operation between agencies over the way visual handicap is established and follow-up/ rehabilitation services are triggered off. The group will be asked to consider what the resource implications of their recommendations might be.

  The chairman will be asked to make his report within 6–9 months of the working group being set up. The current BD8 will be discontinued as soon as the working group's guidelines have been disseminated and the recommended procedures can be brought into effect.

  The effect of those changes should be to ensure that medical confidentiality is not breached, but that social services departments and other service providers are nevertheless able to obtain the specific information they need in order to provide their respective services in the most effective way.

  Family Planning and Pregnancy Counselling Projects
  Mr. Moynihan
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Salisbury of 25 July 1986, Official Report, column 742, which district health authorities he has selected to mount the proposed family planning and pregnancy counselling projects for young people under 25 years of age.

  Mr. Newton
  We have selected projects in City and Hackney, South Sefton and Milton Keynes district health authorities to be supported by central funding until the end of the financial year 1988–89. The projects will be evaluated by Isobel Allen of the Policy Studies Institute.

  Residential Care
  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the report of the joint central and local government working party on supplementary benefit and residential care.

  Mr. Lyell
  I have been informed that the working party now expects to complete its work by the end of May.

  Pensions (Investor Protection)
  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will now announced the investor protection arrangements for occupational and personal pensions.

  Mr. Major
  I have published today a paper setting out our proposals for the investor protection arrangements that will apply to personal pensions and contracted out money purchase occupational pension schemes under the 508
  Social Security Act 1986. Copies are available in the Library. The paper is being given a wide circulation to interested parties, and comments are invited by 11 May.

  The investor protection proposals confirm that the Government intend to rely wherever practicable on the extensive investor protection regulatory framework provided by the Financial Services Act 1986. The marketing and selling of personal pensions will be subject to rules made under the Act, though separate arrangements are proposed for those types of pension scheme that do not fall within the scope of the Act. Administrative charges for personal pensions will not be controlled, at least for the time being, in the expectation that charges will stabilise at acceptable levels as a result of competition and disclosure.

  For completeness, the paper also sets out the Government's proposals on investment controls and disclosure of information. Draft regulations on these subjects have already been published for comment.

  In preparing the investor protection framework our aim has been to strike a balance between the need to safeguard scheme members' interests on the one hand and the necessity of ensuring that effective competition between pension providers is not hampered by overregulation. We believe the balance is right, and I am glad to acknowledge the invaluable assistance we have received from members of the group convened by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to advise us on these matters.

  SERPS (Rights)
  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what arrangements he is making to inform people of the build-up of their rights in the state earnings-related pension scheme.

  Mr. Major
  I am pleased to say that, as promised in our White Paper "Reform of Social Security", we have launched a new service which will provide people, on request, with a personal statement of the value of their additional pension rights built up in the state earnings-related pension scheme. The statement will also include, where possible, estimates of how much additional pension the person might expect to earn by state pension age if he or she continues earning and remains in SERPS. We hope that this information will be helpful to people who may be considering taking out a personal pension. Application forms for this new service are in leaflet NP38 which can be obtained from the Department's local offices.

  Health Expenditure
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what was (a) the overall and (b) the per capita spending on health each year since 1979 in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and West Germany; and what percentage of each country's gross domestic product the overall spending represented.

  Mr. Newton
  The tables give the available information in respect of both total health spending, including that undertaken privately, and of public expenditure on health.
  509

  a.i Total Health Expenditure (in current United Stales $ million GDP Purchasing Power Parities)

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United States

  1979

  21,517

  36,561

  40,387

  215,052

  1980

  25,034

  41,659

  46,633

  248,013

  1981

  28,472

  47,638

  52,518

  285,828

  1982

  30,344

  54,026

  54,463

  322,329

  1983

  34,346

  56,977

  n/a

  355,400

  1984

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  a.ii Public Health Expenditure (in current United Stales $ million GDP Purchasing Power Parities)

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United Stales

  1979

  19,281

  26,443

  32,691

  90,860

  1980

  22,470

  29,978

  37,762

  105,843

  1981

  25,476

  34,241

  42,400

  121,667

  1982

  26,820

  38,387

  43,904

  135,844

  1983

  30,374

  40,589

  n/a

  148,783

  1984

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: OECD "Measuring Health Care 1960–1983" Tables A.1, H.7

  b.i Per Capita Spending on health (in current United States $ GDP Purchasing Power Parities)

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United States

  1979

  382·7

  683·7

  658·2

  955·6

  1980

  446·6

  775·6

  757·4

  1,089·0

  1981

  505·0

  882·8

  851·4

  1,242·6

  1982

  538·6

  996·4

  883·6

  1,387·5

  1983

  609·2

  1,046·6

  n/a

  1,515·6

  1984

  658·0

  1,145·0

  1,079·0

  1,637·0

  b.ii Per Capita Spending on Public Health (in current United States $ million GDP Purchasing Power Parities)

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United States

  1979

  343·0

  494·5

  532·8

  403·7

  1980

  399·1

  558·1

  618·4

  464·8

  1981

  451·9

  634·5

  687·4

  528·9

  1982

  476·1

  708·0

  712·3

  584·8

  1983

  538·8

  745·6

  n/a

  634·5

  1984

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Source: OECD "Measuring Health Care 1960–1983" Tables A.1, H.1, H.7. "International Health Care Spending" George J. Schieber and Jean Pierre Poullier in Health Affairs 1986(4).

  c.i Ratio of total health expenditure to GDP

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United States

  1979

  5·3

  8·3

  7·8

  9·0

  1980

  5·8

  8·5

  8·1

  9·5

  1981

  6·1

  8·9

  8·3

  9·7

  1982

  5·9

  9·3

  8·2

  10·6

  1983

  6·2

  9·3

  n/a

  10·8

  1984

  5·9

  9·1

  8·1

  10·7

  c.ii Ratio of public health expenditure to GDP

  United Kingdom

  France

  Germany

  United States

  1979

  4·7

  6·0

  6·3

  3·8

  1980

  5·2

  6·1

  6·5

  4·1

  1981

  5·4

  6·4

  6·7

  4·1

  1982

  5·2

  6·6

  6·6

  4·5

  1983

  5·5

  6·6

  n/a

  4·5

  1984

  5·2

  6·4

  6·3

  4·4

  Source: OECD "Measuring Health Care 1960–1983" Tables A.1, H.3. G. Schieber and Jean Pierre Poullier op. cit.

  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the latest figures available for the percentage of gross domestic product spent on health, health expenditure per head of population, number of practising doctors per 100,000 of the population and hospital beds per 1,000 population for the United
  510
  Kingdom; and what information is available on comparable figures in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, and the EEC on average, the United States of America and Sweden.
  511
  Mr. Norris
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the real growth in the United Kingdom in each year between 1978 and the latest year for which information is available of (a) total health spending per head and (b) public health spending per head; and what information he has about the equivalent figures for other member states in the European Economic Community and for Sweden and the United States of America.

  Ratio of public health expenditure to GDP 1983

  Ratio of total expenditure to GDP 1983

  Public health2 expenditure per capita USS 1983

  Total health2 expenditure per capita USS 1983

  Practising3 doctors per 100,000 population 1984

  Hospital beds per 1,000 population 1983

  Real growth of public-health spending per head 1978–83

  Real growth of total health spending per head 1978–83

  United Kingdom

  5·5

  6·2

  538·8

  609·2

  222

  77·5

  19·17

  21·29

  Belgium

  6·0

  6·5

  636·4

  689·6

  275

  19·5

  14·85

  7·46

  Denmark

  56

  6·6

  646·6

  765·3

  251

  7·4

  7·26

  7·62

  France

  6·6

  9·3

  745·6

  1,046·6

  226

  11·6

  19·22

  20·19

  Germany

  16·6

  18·2

  1712·3

  1883·6

  252

  1111

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Greece

  13·4

  4·7

  203·8

  256·9

  4253

  16·2

  18·71

  16·54

  Irish Republic

  7·5

  8·2

  507·5

  551·4

  126

  89·7

  24·15

  16·64

  Italy

  6·2

  7·4

  537·1

  641·0

  5397

  7·7

  10·2

  17·67

  Luxembourg3

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  n.a.

  174

  130

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Netherlands

  6·9

  8·8

  709·1

  899·3

  215

  120

  10·72

  9·41

  Portugal

  3·9

  15·7

  174·3

  1248·0

  1220

  15·1

  9·86

  n.a.

  Spain

  4·4

  16·3

  1302·0

  1417·0

  6301

  45·4

  n.a.

  n.a.

  Sweden

  8·8

  9·6

  1,188·6

  1,298·9

  241

  140

  12·29

  12·28

  USA

  4·5

  10·8

  634·5

  1,515·6

  4194

  45·9

  22·04

  22·65

  11982.

  2 Measured in 1983 current GDP purchasing power parity rates.

  3Source: Number of physicians and dentists in the member states of the community statistical office of the European Communities 1986. For Portugal, Sweden and USA OECD report used. Definition of practising doctors is not standard between countries.

  4 1981.

  5 Including dentists.

  61983.

  7Source: DHSS statistics.

  81980.

  Source OECD Measuring Health Care 1960–83.

  Drugs and Medicines
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to increase the conspicuousness of warning labels on those drugs which, when taken in combination with alcohol increase the risks of driving a motor vehicle.

  Mrs. Currie
  [pursuant to her reply, 26 January 1987, c.927]: The Transport and Road Research Laboratory is at present carrying out a long-term research study into this complex question of causal links between medication and road accidents in collaboration with the national poisons centre at New Cross hospital. When the results are available, the Government will consider whether they should propose amendments to the Medicines (Labelling) Regulations. At present these Regulations require explicit warnings not to drive or operate machinery, and to avoid alcohol, on the labels of those anti-histamine medicines which are obtainable without a doctors' prescription; for prescription medicines the data sheets advise doctors of the particular precautions, warnings, and contraindications, with a view to appropriate advice being given to the individual. Proposals to amend the Regulations would, under Section 129(6) of the Medicines Act, require consultations with those concerned, including the health professions and the pharmaceutical industry.
  512
  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 15 January 1987, c.302]: The table shows the information requested so far as this is readily available. International comparisons of this kind are affected by different definitions of what constitutes health care and the relative costs of health care. These differences and many others mean that precise comparisons cannot be made.

  The Government will, of course, continue to stress the risk to drivers of alcohol itself.

  Occupational Therapists
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what new funds are being allocated for occupational therapists' training to overcome the current shortage in qualified people to fill all the funded posts;

  (2) how many funded positions for occupational therapists in the National Health Service and local authorities are at present vacant due to shortage of applicants.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 10 February 1987 c. 211]: The results of the most recent sample survey by health authorities suggest that nationally just under 13 per cent. of funded posts for occupational therapists were unfilled after three months at 31 March 1986. For information on numbers of vacancies in social service authorities I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Islington, North (Mr. Corbyn) on 2 December 1986 at column 624.

  Pensions (Benefits)
  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many pensioners, and what percentage have

  513
  (i) other state benefits than retirement pensions, (ii) occupational pensions, (iii) state earning related pensions and (iv) income from savings which is in each case (a) £0 to £5 per week, (b) £5 to £10 per week, (c) £10 to £20 per week, (d) £20 to £30 per week, (e) £30 to £40 per week, (f) £40 to £50 per week, (g) £50 to £60 per week, (h) £60 to £70 per week.(i) £70 to £80 per week, (j) £80 to £90 per week, (k) £90 to £100 per week and (l) more than £100 per week.

  Mr. Major
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 March 1987, c. 259]: The available information is shown in the tables. In Table 1, information on receipt of benefit other than retirement pensions, on occupational pensions and on savings is derived from the Family Expenditure Survey for 1985. It relates to numbers of pensioner tax units, which may be either single pensioners or married couples where the husband is aged 65 or over. It is not possible to include supplementary pension in those figures.Table 2 expresses the information in Table 1 as a percentage of all pensioner tax units.Table 3 shows the numbers of pensioner households in receipt of supplementary pension who are also in receipt of basic retirement pension, by level of supplementary pension received. These figures are for December 1984. They exclude households in receipt of supplementary pension who did not receive basic retirement pension (about 105,000), but include widows over 60 who have chosen to retain widows' pension. It is not possible to express these figures accurately as a percentage of all pensioners because of differences in the dates for which statistics are available.Table 4 shows the numbers and percentages of individual pensioners receiving state earnings-related pension, at those levels for which information is available for September 1986. These figures are for net additional pension; they exclude guaranteed minimum pension, but include amounts of additional pension payable as a result of uprating to recipients of guaranteed minimum pensions.

  Table I

  Number of pensioner tax units in receipt of income from various sources, 1985

  Thousands

  Benefits other than state retirement pensions and supplementary benefit

  Occupational pensions

  Savings

  All income levels

  4,090

  3,440

  4,810

  Less than £5

  1,187

  468

  2,577

  £5-£10

  624

  597

  603

  £10-£20

  1,200

  766

  617

  £20-£30

  617

  387

  325

  £30-£40

  176

  217

  210

  £40-£50

  129

  190

  81

  £50-£60

  81

  122

  68

  £60-£70

  34

  102

  68

  £70-£80

  14

  108

  47

  £80-£90

  14

  108

  34

  £90-£100

  7

  81

  20

  Over £100

  —

  285

  163

  Source Family Expenditure Survey 1985.
  514

  Table 2

  Proportion of Pensioner Tax Units in Receipt of Income from Various Sources 1985

  Per cent.

  Benefits other than state retirement pension and supplementary benefit

  Occupational pensions

  Savings

  All income levels

  60·3

  50·7

  70·9

  £

  Less than 5

  17·5

  6·9

  38·0

  5–10

  9·2

  8·8

  8·9

  10–20

  17·7

  11·3

  9·1

  20–30

  9·1

  5·7

  4·8

  30–40

  2·6

  3·2

  31

  40–50

  1·9

  2·8

  1·2

  50–60

  1·2

  1·8

  1·0

  60–70

  0·5

  15

  1·0

  70–80

  0·2

  1·6

  0·7

  80–90

  0·2

  1·6

  0·5

  90–100

  0·1

  1·2

  0·3

  Over 100

  —

  4·2

  2·4

  Source: Family Expenditure Survey 1985

  Table 3

  Pensioners receiving supplementary pension in addition to basic retirement pension (numbers of claimants ), December 1984

  Thousands

  All income levels

  1,578

  £

  Less than 5

  1,127

  5–10

  264

  10–20

  92

  20–30

  33

  30–40

  13

  40–50

  5

  50–60

  4

  60–70

  7

  70–80

  6

  80–90

  6

  90–100

  4

  Over 100

  17

  Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry, December 1984

  Table 4

  Number and proportion of pensioners in receipt of state earnings-related pension, September 1986

  Number of pensioners in receipt of state earnings-related pension (Thousands)

  Percentage of all pensioners in receipt of state earnings related pension 1

  All income levels

  1,799

  18·5

  £

  Less than 4·99

  1,543

  15·9

  5–7·99

  145

  1·5

  Over 8

  110

  15

  Source: Retirement Pension Biannual Enquiry

  1Expressed as a percentage of all pensioners, excluding those with graduated pension only.

  Medicines
  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what measures he is taking to foster competition between drug manufacturing companies in the provision of medicines; and if he will make a statement.
  515
  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c.657]: The Department encourages price competition in the supply of generic medicines to the National Health Service. For patented, branded medicines, to which normal market price competition does not generally apply, we operate a scheme to regulate the maximum level of profit which individual companies can achieve overall from supplying medicines to the National Health Service.

  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consider whether the system of licensing and approving new improved drugs could be assisted by encouraging limited trials within the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c.657]: Most clinical trials conducted during the development of a new medicine already take place in the National Health Service. The extent of such trials must depend upon the nature of the information about the use of the medicine in patients that is required. Clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the Medicines Act 1968 and European legislation and are expected to take account of guidelines issued by the United Kingdom licensing authority and the European Community. The licensing authority, advised by expert scientific committees, must consider the safety, quality and efficacy of a medicine before licensing a medicinal product.

  Mr. McCrindle
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will consult with doctors on whether further opportunities exist to reduce the number of drugs available on the limited list; if he will further consider the effects of such a reduction on patient care; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 April 1987, c. 657]: The advisory committee on National Health Service drugs
  516
  gives advice on the medicines which should be available for prescription under the National Health Service in the seven therapeutic categories covered by the selected list scheme, and we have no plans for consulting on their advice.

  Health Education Council
  Mr. Meacher
  asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons who worked for the Health Education Council have resigned, or given notice of resignation, since Her Majesty's Government made clear their intention to abolish the Health Education Council; what positions they held; and what percentage they represent of staff at each occupational grade.

  Mr. Newton
  [pursuant to his reply, 27 March 1987 c.306]: In the four months following the announcement to reconstitute the Council, 16 members of staff resigned. The resignations represented 25 per cent. of managerial, 16 per cent. of professional and 23 per cent. of support staff. The positions held were:

  Audio copy typists (2)

  Assistant director (Professional Development) Assistant secretary

  Clerk

  Executive assistant

  Film and broadcast officer

  Liaison assistant

  Liaison officer

  Personal assistants (3)

  Publication officers (2)

  Research officers (2)

  It should however be noted that resignations from the HEC staff, which averaged about one or two per quarter until the spring of 1986, rose sharply to 7 in the April-June 1986 quarter and 5 in the June-September 1986 quarter, and appeared to be maintained at a higher average level than formerly.