Written Answers of 18 April 1988

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Justices Clerks
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any plans to review the training of justices clerks in the juvenile courts; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  Training is provided for magistrates court clerks in the law, practice and procedures of juvenile courts, and such training is kept under review. Following a recent consultancy study on the future provision for staff training in magistrates courts, a unit is to be set up in the Home Office to promote and co-ordiate systematic appraisal of training needs. This will include training needs of staff working in the juvenile court.

  Nationality Applications
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the recent steps he has taken to deal with the backlog in the processing of nationality applications at Lunar house.

  Mr. Renton
  Good progress is being made with the measures I announced on 16 February at column 863.

  Prisoners (AIDS)
  Mr. Irving
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners are known to have contracted the AIDS virus while in custody;

  (2) how many of those prisoners identified as HIV antibody positive have had VI R restrictions ordered by a medical officer or stamped on their records.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  On 13 April 1988, the prison population of England and Wales included 58 inmates reported as having been identified as HIV antibody positive; 170 such cases had been reported since central monitoring began in March 1985. There is no evidence that any of the inmates became infected while they were in prison custody. It is likely that once identified, all will have been made subject to viral infectivity restrictions. The nature of the restrictions will have varied from case to case.

  Name

  First appointed

  Present appointment expires

  Present annual remuneration

  Sir Ian Trethowan, Chairman—appointed by Home Secretary1

  1 October 1982

  31 December 1990

  2£28,250

  Sir Patrick Meaney, Deputy Chairman—appointed by Home Secretary1

  18 March 1985

  28 February 1991

  2£ 11,300

  Mrs. A. McCurley, Member—appointed by Home Secretary1

  1 April 1988

  31 March 1991

  2£8,475

  Sir Thomas Pilkington, Bt Member—ex-officio (The Jockey Club)

  n/a

  n/a

  (not paid by the Levy Board)

  Police, Probation and Prison Services (Expenditure)
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the percentage increase in(a) cash terms and (b) real terms since 1981–82 in expenditure on (i) the police service, (ii) the probation service and (iii) the prison service.

  Mr. Hurd
  The increase between expenditure in 1981–82 and estimated expenditure in 1987–88 for the three services is:

  Cash terms per cent.

  Real terms per cent.

  Police

  65·4

  22·9

  Probation

  76·0

  30·8

  Prisons

  65·0

  23·0

  Trevor Monerville
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will establish a judicial inquiry into the role of the Stoke Newington police in the arrest and detention of Trevor Monerville.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  No. The allegations about Mr. Monerville's treatment by the police are already being investigated under the supervision of the Police Complaints Authority. I understand that the investigating officers continue to be denied access to the relevant medical records by Mr. Monerville's legal representatives, and that this is causing difficulties to the investigation.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Hurd
  The amount spent by my Department on official hospitality in 1987–88 was about £44,000.

  Horserace Betting Levy Board
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names of the chairmen and directors of the Horserace Betting Levy Board; and what are their periods of office and their annual remunerations.

  Mr. John Patten
  The Horserace Betting Levy Boa rd consists of a chairman, a deputy chairman and six members. Details are as follows.
  283

  Name

  First appointed

  Present appointment expires

  Present annual remuneration

  Mr. M. E. Wates, Member-ex-officio (The Jockey Club)

  n/a

  n/a

  (not paid by the Levy Board)

  Sir Neville Macready, Bt CBE Member-ex-officio (The Jockey Club) (Chairman, Horserace Advisory Council)

  n/a

  n/a

  2(paid, £11,300 as Chairman of the Horserace Advisory Council)

  Mr. A. Bruce, Member-ex-officio (Chairman, The Bookmakers' Committee)

  n/a

  n/a

  2(paid, £8,475 as Chairman of the Bookmakers' Committee)

  The Lord Wyatt of Weeford, Member-ex-officio (Chairman, Horserace Totalisator Board)

  n/a

  n/a

  (not paid by the Levy Board)

  1 Part-time appointments

  2 Paid out of the levy on bets on horse races.

  Broadcasting Standards Council
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to announce the name of the chairman of the Broadcasting Standards Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend hopes to make an announcement on this matter shortly.

  Immigration
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for leave to remain in Britain made by persons who arrived as visitors and subsequently married a settled person were outstanding at 1 April.

  Mr. Renton
  This information is not collected.

  Lunar House, Croydon
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much overtime, expressed in hours and salary cost involved, have been worked by employees of the immigration and nationality department, at Lunar house, Croydon, since 1 January.

  Mr. Renton
  The number of hours worked as overtime by staff in the immigration and nationality department at Lunar house between 1 January 1988 and 31 March 1988 was 22,768. The estimated cost of the overtime for the period is £159,000.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were being held at Lunar house on 21 March and of these how many relate to(a) applications for citizenship and (b) applications for variation of leave.

  Mr. Renton
  It is not possible to say exactly how many passports are contained in the 45,000 unopened envelopes containing citizenship applications.

  As of 11 April, there were 14,000 unopened packages containing passports and relating to applications for variations relating to leave; all these have been received since early March.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many letters that remained unsigned by his hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Renton) as at 14 April relative to immigration matters.
  284
  Mr. Renton
  No record is kept of the number of letters awaiting signature but best endeavours are always employed to complete such work as promptly as possible.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government's views on DNA fingerprinting in immigration cases will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question from the hon. and learned Member for Montgomery (Mr. Carlile) on 15 April at column 256.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons initially given temporary admission to Britain were subsequently given leave to remain in Britain on an indefinite basis in(a) 1985, (b) 1986, (c) 1987 and (d) since 1 January, respectively.

  Mr. Renton
  The information requested is not available centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Deportation
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of persons deported from Britain in 1985, 1986, 1987 and since 1 January, respectively.

  Mr. Renton
  Figures are available only for the whole of the United Kingdom. The annual totals for 1985 to 1987 were published on 17 March in table 14 of Home Office statistical bulletin "Control of Immigration : Statistics—Fourth Quarter and Year 1987" (issue 5/88), copies of which are in the Library. The figures for the first quarter of 1988 will be published in the next issue of the bulletin, in June.

  Passports
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications were made for passports at each of the passport offices in 1985, 1986, 1987 and since 1 January, respectively.

  Mr. Renton
  The information is not available in precisely the form requested. The table shows the number of new passports issued and amendments made to existing passports in each of the last three years, and in the first
  285
  three months of this year. It is estimated that about 365,000 applications of all types were at the various stages of processing within the six United Kingdom passport offices at the end of March 1988.

  1985

  1986

  1987

  l1988

  London

  576,595

  593,313

  493,653

  131,153

  Liverpool

  538,437

  661,355

  655,191

  204,167

  Peterborough

  472,669

  577.096

  580,133

  173,332

  Newport

  435,192

  503,317

  514,390

  181,106

  Glasgow

  162,338

  191,164

  190,400

  45,167

  Belfast

  53,434

  68,651

  77,198

  19,009

  Total

  2,238,665

  2,595,102

  2,510,965

  753,934

  1 January to March.

  Gipsies (Trespass)
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has had representations about the lack of effectiveness in practice of the provisions of the Public Order Act 1986 in respect of preventing trespass by gipsies on unofficial sites; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have received a few letters from hon. Members and others about the power given to the police in section 39 of the Public Order Act 1986 to direct groups of trespassers to leave land they have occupied. The provision applies equally to all groups of itinerants. Its use is an operational matter for the senior police officer at the scene.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to allow the Guernsey police and the States of Jersey police access to the police national computer.

  Mr. Hurd
  The Guernsey police and the States of Jersey police have always been able to obtain information from, and to provide information for, the police national computer through individual United Kingdom forces at the discretion of the chief constable concerned. These arrangements have recently been reviewed, following requests by Guernsey police and the States of Jersey police. With the support of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Chief Police Officers (Scotland). it has been agreed that these forces should henceforth have direct access to the PNC, through terminals situated in the islands. This facility, which will enable the forces to obtain information needed to carry out their duties and to enter information which may assist United Kingdom forces, will be subject to the same conditions as regards the protection of PNC information as apply to all other PNC users.

  EC (Passports)
  Mr. Evennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received to date on the proposed introduction of the new European Economic Community British passport.

  Mr. Renton
  About 40 letters have been received from members of the public, either direct or through hon. Members, since the announcement on 11 February 1987 that the new form of British passport would be introduced 286
  from July 1988. In responding to concerns expressed by some correspondents we have made it clear that, although in a common format agreed in 1981 with other member states of the European Community, the new machine readable British passport remains a national one issued under the royal prerogative.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Education Support Grant
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, pursuant to the reply of 26 January,Official Report, column 137, he will state (a) the names of the 22 local education authorities engaged in the pilot schemes receiving education support grant and (b) the amounts of education support grant paid in each financial year to date to each authority.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Details of the local education authorities involved and the grant paid are as follows:

  Financial years

  1985–86 £

  1986–87 £

  1987–881 £

  Local education authority

  Inner London education authority

  88,244

  169,543

  99,470

  Coventry

  112,060

  121,605

  95,939

  Wigan

  93,203

  97,860

  84,910

  Dorset

  114,750

  169,610

  87,500

  Essex

  232,395

  220,500

  178,448

  Lancashire

  43,074

  62,930

  42,840

  Leicestershire

  117,040

  122,850

  99,463

  Oxfordshire

  117,040

  122,850

  116,500

  Somerset

  117,040

  122,823

  99,400

  Suffolk

  78,260

  83,048

  66,500

  East Midlands consortiums2

  176,448

  216,246

  92,736

  Welsh joint education committee3

  155,461

  161,712

  120,893

  1 Figures relate to claims paid to date. Those for 1987–88 are not final totals.

  2 Comprising Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Nottinghamshire Local Education Authorities.

  3 Comprising Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Powys, Mid-Glamoragan, South Glamorgan and West Glamorgan Local Education Authorities.

  Polytechnics Governors
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the value of the selection contract for new polytechnics governors after the passing of the Education Reform Bill awarded to Tyzack and Partners; and whether this contract was awarded on the basis of open tender.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett) on 3 March at column 626.

  AIDS (Video)
  Mr. Peter Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if the anti-AIDS video entitled "Your Choice for Life" was produced with the intention of general exhibition to schoolchildren of secondary school age;

  (2) if he will take steps to make available to schools an alternative to the video entitled "Your Choice for Life";

  287
  and if he will undertake to include in such a film material stressing the importance of family life from the recent television broadcast entitled "Susie's Story";

  (3) if he will make it his policy to ensure that schools choosing to exhibit the anti-AIDS video entitled "Your Choice for Life" give such preparation and follow-up as is necessary to encourage pupils to recognise the effectiveness of chastity before marriage and fidelity within it as the best protection against AIDS;

  (4) what steps he has taken to ensure that the contents of his letter accompanying the anti-AIDS video entitled "Your Choice for Life" are known to the teachers concerned in the exhibition of the film.

  Mr. Dunn
  The video "Your Choice for Life" is designed for pupils aged 14-plus in a supervised setting. The accompanying users' guide for teachers emphasises the importance of follow-up discussion on the family, fidelity and chastity before marriage. Use of the package, and reinforcement of its messages, are matters for individual school's governing bodies, as my right hon. Friend's letter to the chairmen of governors made clear. It is open to governors to adopt alternative or supplementary materials, but the Government themselves have no plans to replace the video.

  Personal, Social and Health Education
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what advice he proposes to give to schools on the role of personal, social and health education in relation to the national curriculum;

  (2) what definition of personal, social and health education his Department uses for the purpose of advising schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Personal and social education covers a range of areas of the curriculum, including health, careers, political and environmental education, and economic awareness. Elements of it will be included in what children learn through the national curriculum as cross-curricular themes in science and elsewhere. We acknowledge the valuable part which the provision of personal and social education can play in preparing young people for adult life.

  Russian Language
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has as to the reasons why Russian is no longer taught at A-level in state schools in inner London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Individual schools and local authorities decide which A-level subjects they wish to offer. The Government's policy for the diversification of modern language teaching in schools should, however, lead to an increase in the number of state schools offering Russian at both GCSE and A-level.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make it his policy to encourage the teaching of Russian in state schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The statement of policy, "Modern Languages in the School Curriculum" published in January by the Secretaries of State for Education and Science and for Wales encouraged a greater diversity of languages offered in the school curriculum. Russian,288
  together with German, Italian and Spanish, should be one of the languages to benefit most from this policy. The Government are providing grants for pilot projects in some local education authorities in England to prepare and implement plans for diversification.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he has taken to implement the proposals of the Annan report on the teaching of Russian.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Annan report entitled, "The Teaching of Russian" was published 28 years ago and made recommendations about examinations, teaching materials and pupil visits to the Soviet Union. These are matters for examining bodies and local education authorities.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Department spent £21,975·44 on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Medical Research
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the proposed expenditure on medical research for 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government's planning provision for the Medical Research Council, which has responsibility for basic and clinical research, is as follows:

  £ million

  1989–90

  156

  1990–91

  152

  1991–92

  152

  These figures will be subject to review in the normal way in this year's public expenditure survey.

  The University Grants Committee funds medical school and university infrastructure through its general block grant to the universities, but it is not possible to identify sums going to medical research as such for the above years.

  Nor are figures available in respect of medical research charities and the pharmaceutical industry, both of which provide major funding for medical research.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science to what extent(a) the Government and (b) the research councils give priority fundings to specific areas of medical research; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government fund basic and clinical medical research mainly by allocations to the Medical Research Council, made on the advice of the Advisory Board for the Research Councils.

  The Government have earmarked funds for AIDS research, but it is generally for the Medical Research Council to determine its priorities for funding.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been, for each year since 1975, the expenditure on medical research at 1988 prices.
  289
  Mr. Jackson
  Since 1975–76, Government funding of the Medical Research Council, which has responsibility for basic and clinical medical research, has been as follows :

  (1988–89 constant prices)

  £ million

  1975–76

  104

  1976–77

  105

  1977–78

  98

  1978–79

  101

  1979–80

  105

  1980–81

  112

  1981–82

  143

  1982–83

  141

  1983–84

  143

  1984–85

  141

  1985–86

  139

  1986–87

  141

  1987–88

  146

  1988–89

  147

  Note:

  In 1981–82, £14 million (£20 million at 1988–89 prices) was transferred back to the science budget (MRC) from the Health Departments in respect of funds transferred from the science budget (MRC) to the Health Departments under the "Rothschild" arrangements of 1973–74 to 1975–76.

  GCSE
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to increase the academic content of the GCSE; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The GCSE is intended to provide an appropriate balance between academic content and understanding and practical applications. It is for the GCSE examining groups and the Secondary Examinations Council to review syllabuses to secure such a balance in practice.

  Information Technology Equipment
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will give details of the spending by local education authorities on information technology equipment over and above that spent by individual schools out of capitation allowances broken down by local education authority for each of the last five years for which information is available.

  Mr. Dunn
  The information requested is not available. Local authorities are required to submit returns of their total expenditure on educational equipment, but they are not required to break it down into types. Nor are they required to indicate how much came out of or was spent above the capitation sums allowed to schools. For 1988–89, the Government have approved expenditure of £19 million on "IT in Schools" for support through education support grants. All LEAs have received an allocation but no returns for actual expenditure are yet available. £8.5 million of this sum is available nationally for the purchase of microcomputer systems.

  Free School Meals
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give the numbers of children in each education authority in England, Scotland and Wales who received free school meals up to April 290
  because their parents were in receipt of family income supplement and at the discretion of the education authority, respectively.

  Mr. Dunn
  In October 1987, the latest date for which information is available, the total number of pupils in England authorised to receive free school meals because their parents were in receipt of family income supplement or at the discretion of the LEA were 128,394 and 115,806 respectively. Details relating to individual authorities are published annually in School Meals Statistics, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Information in respect of Scotland and Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales respectively.

  Student Unions
  Mr. Janman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he proposes any changes in the arrangements by which student unions affiliate to, and fund, the National Union of Students.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The Government recognise that many individual students do riot wish to be represented by the National Union of Students; they are also concerned that taxpayers' money made available to student representative bodies should be used to provide services to students and not used for political campaigning. However, to limit freedom of association, by restricting the right of local student unions to affiliate to a national body, would raise complex legal issues. I conclude that it is first necessary to look at the arrangements for student union membership and the provision of services to individual students at both local and national levels.

  To this end, I intend to gather on a sample basis up-to-date information on the organisation and cost of student services within institutions, on the legal status of local unions, and on the organisational and financial links between such unions and the NUS. I am confident that institutions and others will wish to co-operate with this survey; and I shall be glad to receive any information or suggestions which interested parties may wish to put forward. On the basis of the information I obtain, I will reach conclusions on the best action to take and will then consult all concerned about these conclusions.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are prepared to give to the reconstruction of Sri Lanka after the Indo-Sri Lankan agreement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Britain has pledged a grant of £20 million in support of a three-year programme of reconstruction which was discussed at a special meeting of the Sri Lanka aid group in Paris last December. During my visit to Sri Lanka last month I signed an undertaking giving effect to this pledge and had useful discussions with Sri Lankan Ministers about its use.

  Rajasthan
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance Her Majesty's Government have offered to India as a result of the famine in Rajasthan.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  In response to the 1987 monsoon failure, in Rajasthan and elsewhere, we have contributed :

  £3 million to the Government of India/UNICEF water
  and sanitation programme;

  £250,000 to Christian Aid for village tubewells;

  £250,000 to Save the Children Fund and £53,000 to Oxfam
  for their respective drought relief programmes.

  We are also considering a major bilateral village well drilling project.

  All these projects involve Rajasthan, though not exclusively.

  Kampuchea
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will now reconsider the provision of development assistance to Kampuchea.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I see no reason at the present time to change our stance on aid to Cambodia. The Government's view is that, while it would be wrong in principle to give development aid to the current regime in Phnom Penh, we are nevertheless prepared to consider providing humanitarian assistance in the context of an internationally-organised relief effort. In addition, we shall continue to provide assistance for Cambodians seeking refuge in the camps along the Thai-Cambodian border.

  Sub-Saharan Africa
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a further statement regarding aid to sub-Saharan Africa.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be a high priority recipient of British aid. In 1986 British aid to the region through bilateral and multilateral channels amounted to about £470 million.

  Ethiopia
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to seek to visit Ethiopia.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I hope to visit Ethiopia again later this month.

  Rhodesia and Nyasaland
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the treatment of former members of the public service of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland whose pensions have not been taken over by the British Government.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Pensions of public servants of the former federation are paid from the Central African pension fund and responsibility for awarding pension increases falls to the three former partner states (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe). However, we are aware that the 292
  majority of federal pensioners have not received any pension increases under these arrangements. The British Government are ready to play their part as one of the guarantors of the fund in the talks which are taking place between the former partner Governments to find a solution to the problem.

  UNICEF
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was Her Majesty's Government's contribution to UNICEF for each year from 1978–79 to 1987–88 at constant 1979 prices.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The information is as follows:

  Contributions at current prices (£ million)

  1978–79 prices (£ million)

  Year

  General Fund

  Special Appeals

  Total

  General Fund

  Total

  1978–79

  4·500

  0·664

  5·164

  4·5

  5·2

  1979–80

  15·800

  1·751

  7·551

  5·0

  6·5

  1980–81

  4·300

  1·456

  5·756

  3·1

  4·2

  1981–82

  5·900

  0·083

  5·983

  3·9

  3·9

  1982–83

  5·900

  0·069

  5·969

  3·6

  3·7

  1983–84

  6·000

  0·025

  6·025

  3·5

  3·5

  1984–85

  6·000

  1·000

  7·000

  3·4

  3·9

  1985–86

  29·550

  1·338

  10·888

  5·1

  5·8

  1986–87

  3·250

  6·570

  9·820

  1·7

  5·0

  1987–883

  7·000

  8·223

  15·223

  3·4

  7·5

  1 Special increase to mark International Year of the Child.

  2 £3·25 million, originally planned to be paid in April 1986 was paid in March.

  3 Figures for 1987–88 are provisional.

  GOBI Programme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has earmarked any of the Government's 1987– 88 contribution for the GOBI programme; and for what purposes.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  We do not earmark our contributions to UNICEF specifically to GOBI measures (growth monitoring, oral rehydration therapy, breast feeding and immunisation). Through our contribution to UNICEF's general fund we support GOBI programmes and initiatives and some of our contributions to UNICEF's special appeals are primarily for these measures, including immunisation.

  Cyclone Bola
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance he has made to the New Zealand people to assist in reconstruction in the aftermath of Cyclone Bola.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  On the advice of our high commissioner in Wellington we provided immediate assistance in the form of a cash grant of £40,000 for the New Zealand Government to allocate for urgent relief work.

  Aid Recipients
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the six major recipients of funds from the Overseas Development Administration in each of the last three years.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  The information is as follows:
  293

  1985

  1986

  19871

  India

  India

  India

  Sudan

  Malaysia

  Bangladesh

  Bangladesh

  Bangladesh

  Kenya

  Kenya

  Zambia

  Zambia

  Indonesia

  Kenya

  Malawi

  Ethiopia

  Sudan

  Tanzania

  1 Provisional.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will detail the annual amounts expended by the Overseas Development Administration in the Falkland Islands in each year since 1979.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  Following is the information :

  £ million

  1979

  0·915

  1980

  1·015

  1981

  1·058

  1982

  4·025

  1983

  9·053

  1984

  6·016

  1985

  10·700

  1986

  10·252

  1987

  18·165

  1 Provisional.

  Africa (Aid)
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the recommendations of the United Nations advisory group on financial flows to Africa; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  As my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary told the House on 23 March, Her Majesty's Government welcome this report. It is a useful analysis of Africa's debt problem which we were among the first to highlight. We welcome the group's support for the debt initiative by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. We shall study the report and discuss it with our partners.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Land Registries
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the present backlog at land registries.

  The Attorney-General
  Applications for registration have more than doubled over the past five years and rapid growth continues. To meet the increased demand, some 1,745 new posts have been authorised since June 1987, four new offices are being opened and computerisation is being extended to all offices. It is hoped thereby to make rapid inroads into the backlog and to achieve target times for all transactions within the next two years.

  Director of Public Prosecutions
  Mr. Archer
  To ask the Attorney-General when he next proposes to meet for official discussions the Director of Public Prosecutions; and what he proposes to discuss.
  294
  The Attorney-General
  I expect to meet again the Director of Public Prosecutions in the near future. We shall discuss matters relating to the Crown prosecution service.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Attorney-General what is the latest estimate of the cost of running the legal aid service in 1987–88.

  The Attorney-General
  The estimate for total net expenditure on legal aid in 1987–88 is £438·463 million. The latest estimate for the administration of the service is £37·5 million.

  "New Statesman" (Material)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Attorney-General whether the Director of Public Prosecutions will give instructions that all the remaining items removed by the police from the office of the New Statesman in connection with inquiries into the alleged unauthorised disclosure of information about Project Zircon should now be returned; if he will list the main categories of material removed; and if he will make a statement.

  The Attorney-General
  With the exception of one item, all such material has already been returned. The material consisted of documents considered by the police to be relevant to their inquiries. The retained item is currently the subject of civil litigation.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Hind
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a further statement on the progress of the Crown prosecution service.

  The Attorney-General
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris) on 26 February 1988 at columns 353–54. I am pleased to be able to refer, too, to the pay offer that the Treasury has recently made to the unions that represent the great majority of lawyers in the Crown prosecution service. This offer would secure a substantial rise in their pay with immediate effect. I am confident that this will lead to a marked improvement in our recruitment figures, and will better reward those who have worked with such commitment since the early days of the service.

  "Spycatcher"
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will give a breakdown of the most recent available figure For the costs of all court actions in respect of the book "Spycatcher".

  The Attorney-General
  The total amount of costs expended to date in all court actions in respect of the book "Spycatcher" is about £522,000, plus about £90.000 for travelling and subsistence.

  Shops Act 1950
  Mr. Stanbrook
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on his policy towards the enforcement of the Shops Act 1950 in the light of recent court decisions about the extent to which such enforcement is compatible with the treaty of Rome.
  295
  The Attorney-General
  Enforcement of the Shops Act 1950 is, by virtue of section 71 of that Act, the duty of local authorities, which have the necessary powers. I have accordingly taken the view that action on my part to enforce the Act will only rarely be appropriate. Last month, however, I wrote to the Association of District Councils to request authoritative information about the scale of the enforcement effort. Whether the provisions of any part of the Act may be found to be incompatible with the United Kingdom's obligations under the treaty of Rome is not a question which affects the responsibility for enforcement of the Act.

  Wright Case
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Attorney-General what is his latest estimate of the total costs that Her Majesty's Government have incurred or are liable for the Wright case and ancillary litigation involving the media; and how much of this has already been disbursed, giving particulars for each case.

  The Attorney-General
  The list of proceedings in connection with the book "Spycatcher", including the litigation against the media in this country and in New Zealand and Hong Kong, with the approximate amount of costs expended to date, is as follows:

  Civil Proceedings for Breach of Confidentiality

  Amount £

  Australia:

  Attorney-General v. Heinemann (Australia) and Wright:

  494,500

  New Zealand:

  Attorney-General v. Wellington Newspapers and Others:

  74,000

  England and Wales:

  Attorney-General v. Guardian, Observer and Sunday Times:

  42,500

  Hong Kong:

  Attorney-General v. South China Morning Post:

  1,000

  Proceedings for Criminal Contempt of Court

  Attorney-General v. Independent

  15,000

  Attorney-General v. Sunday Times (including for injunction to restrain threatened contempt):

  750

  Sunday; London Daily News; Evening News:

  250

  I cannot usefully estimate future costs

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Attorney-General how much was spent by(a) the Law Officers' Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  The Attorney-General
  The total amount spent by(a) the Law Officers' Department and (b) the Lord Chancellor's Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88 was£2,550 and £16,305·99, respectively.

  Mr. Anthony Parnes
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will deposit in the Library the evidence filed with the court in Los Angeles in support of the application to extradite Mr. Anthony Parnes.

  The Attorney-General
  No.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Chile (Helicopters)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Government about their vetoing of the sale of 10 Sea King helicopters to Chile.

  Mr. Eggar
  It has been the policy of successive British Governments not to comment publicly on their discussions with other Governments relating to particular defence sales.

  Military Equipment Sales
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what have been the results of the inquiry into allegations in connection with the manufacture of military cathode ray tubes by National Regunning Ltd. under licence from Thorn EMI;

  (2) what have been the results of his Department's inquiry into the alleged supply through BTR Sarmcol, of the BTR Flexitank to the South African defence forces.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are satisfied that no British company has acted illegally in these cases.

  Buccaneer Jets
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence his Department has received of United Kingdom-supplied Buccaneer jets being used for attacks on African states.

  Mrs. Chalker
  None.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have had any recent discussions with the Government of Turkey on the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the problem of Cyprus with the Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Ozal, in Ankara on 7 April. She reaffirmed the Government's view that good-will gestures by all the parties would make the resumption of intercommunal talks easier.

  United Nations Council for Namibia
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government made any financial contribution towards the cost of the conference of the United Nations Council for Namibia in Istanbul on 21 March; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We did not contribute towards the cost of the conference.
  297
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status Her Majesty's Government attach to decisions, resolutions and decrees issued by the United Nations Council for Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Such pronouncements from the council are regarded as null and void.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Eggar
  The forecast outturn for spending on official hospitality by both wings of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the financial year 1987–88 is estimated to be £5.1 million.

  European Convention on Human Rights
  Mr. Wheeler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to ratify protocol No. 4 and protocol No. 7 to the European convention on human rights; what are the considerations which will influence this decision; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government have no plans to ratify protocol No. 4, but we are considering whether to ratify protocol No. 7. In considering ratification, we study the consequences for our law and practice, and the acceptability of these consequences, within the context of our wish to support the work of the Council of Europe so far as possible.

PRIME MINISTER

  Community Care
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Prime Minister if she plans to meet Sir Roy Griffiths to discuss his report on community care; and if she will make a statement on its conclusions with particular regard to the call for a new ministerial appointment.

  The Prime Minister
  The Government are considering carefully all the recommendations in Sir Roy Griffiths' report on community care, including the proposal for a designated Minister responsible for this area, and we will bring forward our proposals in due course.

  Offices of State
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list all offices of state to which a disqualification exists on grounds of religion; if she will state in each case the origins of that disqualification; if she will state the denominations and religions excluded from each office; and if she will state the Government's policy towards these prohibitions.

  The Prime Minister
  The office of Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland may not be held by a Roman Catholic. This disqualification is contained in the Catholic Relief Act 1829, section 12. There are no plans to introduce legislation on this matter.

  Newspapers and Periodicals
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Prime Minister what newspapers and periodicals are provided out of public funds for 10 Downing street; and how many of each are purchased.

  The Prime Minister
  10 Downing street obtains copies as necessary of a wide range of national, international and regional newspapers, periodicals and magazines.

  Hampstead and Barnet District Health Authorities
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations she has received regarding the proposed merger of the Hampstead and Barnet district health authorities and from whom; and what response she has made.

  The Prime Minister
  None. There is no such proposal.

  Staff Statistics
  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Prime Minister what was the average salary paid to members of her office(a) in 1979, (b) in 1983, and (c) in the latest year for which figures are available.

  The Prime Minister
  Figures are not now available for 1979 and 1983 and cannot be obtained except at disproportionate cost. The average salary paid to members of my office in 1987–88 was £18,403.

  Mr. Grocott
  To ask the Prime Minister how many people were employed in the Prime Minister's Office(a) in 1979, (b) in 1983, and (c) in the latest year for which figures are available.

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 12 November 1987 at columns 169–170.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Sittings (Suspensions)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Lord President of the Council when was the last time a Minister of the Crown used the powers in Standing Order No. 10 to move that the proceedings of a sitting be suspended.

  Mr. Wakeham
  14 July 1969.

ENERGY

  Coal Production
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the total amount of coal produced in(a) Wales. (b) Scotland, and (c) England in the last year for which full figures are available; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1968.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Coal production by countries was as follows:

  '000 tonnes

  Year

  (a) Wales

  (b) Scotland

  (c) England

  1968

  19,735

  14,054

  136,010

  1969

  17,431

  13,255

  124,970

  1970

  15,874

  12,705

  118,510

  299

  Year

  (a) Wales

  (b) Scotland

  (c) England

  1971

  17,154

  14,284

  117,950

  1972

  13,842

  12,065

  95,900

  1973

  14,024

  12,634

  105,400

  1974

  10,932

  10,556

  88,957

  1975

  12,096

  12,573

  104,009

  1976

  11,576

  12,189

  100,035

  1977

  11,346

  11,274

  99,530

  1978

  12,227

  11,360

  99,990

  1979

  11,585

  10,972

  99,812

  1980

  11,807

  11,832

  106,446

  1981

  11,702

  10,759

  105,008

  1982

  11,829

  10,143

  102,739

  1983

  10,920

  9,208

  99,126

  1984

  3,598

  3,581

  44,003

  1985

  8,406

  6,685

  78,956

  1986

  10,611

  6,925

  90,556

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Parkinson
  An estimated £40,600.

ENVIRONMENT

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he next expects to meet the chairman of Nirex to discuss matters relating to the management of nuclear waste.

  Mr. Moynihan
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member for Ross, Cromarty and Skye (Mr. Kennedy) on 17 February at column 673.

  Sporting Events (Attendances)
  Miss Emma Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what estimates he can give of total annual attendance figures at(a) football, (b) cricket, (c) horse-racing and (d) all professional sporting events for the years 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The information is as follows:Information held by the relevant governing bodies and the Racecourse Publicity Agency gives the following estimated attendances:
  (a) Football : League matches and the major Cup competitions.

  million

  1984–85

  21·8

  1985–86

  20·5

  1986–87

  21·4

  1987–88

  114·7

  1 Up to January 1988.

  (b) Cricket: Domestic First Class Matches, Test Matches and one Day Internationals.

  million

  1984

  0·95

  1985

  0·95

  1986

  0·82

  1987

  0·71

  300
  (c)Horseracing.

  million

  1984

  3·7

  1985

  3·7

  1986

  3·9

  1987

  4·3

  d) I am not aware of any professional sporting events. estimates of attendances at all

  Water
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements the Government have made to comply with the European Community directives with regard to dangerous substances in water; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  In England and Wales, water authorities are the competent authorities for implementing European Community directives on the discharge of dangerous substances to the aquatic environment. Guidance on implementation is issued by means of departmental circular; a revised version of the current circular (DOE 18/85; Welsh Office 37/85) will be issued soon. In Scotland, the river purification boards are the competent authorities and receive similar guidance from the Scottish Development Department. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland is responsible for implementing the directives in Northern Ireland.

  The competent authorities are responsible for authorising discharges containing substances specified in the directives and for setting emission standards. Wherever possible the United Kingdom adopts the quality objective method of compliance. Discharge consents are set to ensure that the concentration of a substance in the receiving water does not exceed that specified in the appropriate directive. Both emissions and the receiving waters are monitored regularly to ensure compliance.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements have been made between Her Majesty's Government and the European Commission for United Kingdom compliance with the European Community drinking water directive.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Government provide information to the European Commission in respect of the United Kingdom's compliance with the EC drinking water directive, and in response to any questions which the Commission may have.

  Common Land
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the Government intend to introduce a new Bill for common land as recommended by the Common Land Forum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  My right hon. Friend announced on 29 January 1987 that the Government accept the case for legislation based broadly on the Forum's report and intends to introduce a comprehensive commons Bill at a suitable opportunity when parliamentary time permits.

  Council House Sales
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will send a copy of the results of his
  301
  Department's survey of tenants' attitudes towards estate sales to the Nottingham city council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  The research, which has been commissioned in a number of local authorities, has been examining the factors which are important in a tenant's choice of landlord. The research is not yet complete, and no separate results from the small sample of Nottingham tenants who participated will be produced. When we have a report, we shall consider whether to publish it.

  Water Privatisation
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what recent discussions he has had with the trade unions regarding water privatisation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  On 18 April, officials from the Department met representatives of NALGO to discuss the proposed establishment of the National Rivers Authority and the privatisation of the water authorities' utility functions. The water authorities will themselves consult the trades unions on the schemes of re-organisation which they will be asked to prepare once the Public Utility Transfers and Water Charges Bill has received Royal Assent.

  Right to Buy (Funds)
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what funds will be made available to charitable housing associations to allow tenants who have applied to exercise their right to buy since 1 June 1987 to carry out that right; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  Tenants of charitable housing associations do not have the right to buy, but may qualify for a transferable discount under the home ownership scheme for tenants of charitable housing associations. £19 million has been allocated for the scheme in the Housing Corporation's cash-limited approved development programme for the current financial year. Applications received from 1 June 1987 are being held on a waiting list; the Department will review the position with the Housing Corporation later this year in the light of expenditure on applications in the pipeline.

  Rating Reform
  Dr. Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to receive the Price Waterhouse report commissioned by his Department on administering the community charge; and what arrangements he is making to publish the report.

  Mr. Ridley
  I expect to receive the report in May. I am considering how best to disseminate its findings.

  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the cost of extending the taper on the community charge rebate from 20 per cent. to 15 per cent.; and what additional resources will be allocated for this purpose.

  Mr. Howard
  The cost is estimated at between £115 million and £130 million in Great Britain at 1988–89 prices, in a full year. Virtually all the cost to individual local authorities of the rebates they make is met by specific grants.
  302
  Mrs. Beckett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many mentally handicapped people(a) in receipt of severe disablement allowance and (b) not in receipt of severe disablement allowance will not be exempt from the proposed poll tax;

  (2) how many severe disablement allowance claimants will be exempt from the proposed poll tax on the grounds that they are severely mentally handicapped.

  Mr. Howard
  Under the exemption proposed in schedule 1(4) to the Local Government Finance Bill, all those who are exempted from the personal community charge by reason of severe mental handicap will be in receipt of severe disablement allowance. In addition. some mentally handicapped people receiving SDA will be exempt because they are being cared for in hospitals and nursing homes. It is not possible to say how many mentally handicapped people not in receipt of SDA will riot be exempt from the community charge. The Government are reconsidering the scope of the exemption for people who are severely mentally handicapped.

  Pollution
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his estimate of the number of illegal discharges into rivers and streams of silage effluent and other toxic wastes from farms in each water authority area during 1987; and if he will state the number of prosecutions for such offences in each area during that year.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Final figures are not yet available, but full details of water pollution incidents caused by farm wastes and of prosecutions by water authorities during 1987, will be published in the next few weeks jointly by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Water Authorities' Association.

  Housing Association Maintenance Budgets
  Mr. Livingstone
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what restrictions have been imposed on housing association maintenance budgets; what steps have been taken to assess the impact of such restrictions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  No restrictions are placed on housing association maintenance budgets. However, for the purposes of establishing associations' eligibility for deficit grants and their liability to surrender rental surpluses, the reasonableness of maintenance expenditure is assessed by reference to prescribed maximum levels known as maintenance allowances. 'These allowance levels are reviewed annually to take account of price movements, and in addition a survey of maintenance expenditure is planned this year.

  Housing Corporation
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list at 1988–89 prices his Department's(a) gross provision and (b) net provision for the Housing Corporation's approved development programme (i) to provide homes for rent, under conventional funding, (ii) to provide homes for rent, under mixed funding arrangements and (iii) to provide homes for sale; and if he will give this information for each year since 1978–79, together with an estimate for 1988–89.
  303
  Mr. Waldegrave
  The available information is as follows:

  Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme

  Provision £ million 1988–89 prices

  Net

  Gross

  Of which provision for homes:

  (a)

  (b)

  1(i) rent

  2(ii) rent

  (iii) sale

  1978–79

  686

  693

  —

  —

  —

  1979–80

  719

  726

  —

  —

  —

  1980–81

  757

  775

  —

  —

  —

  1981–82

  684

  726

  667

  —

  59

  1982–83

  884

  984

  839

  —

  145

  1983–84

  775

  927

  758

  —

  169

  1984–85

  735

  818

  689

  —

  129

  1985–86

  687

  775

  645

  —

  130

  1986–87

  637

  746

  631

  —

  115

  1987–88

  666

  737

  605

  35

  97

  1988–89

  655

  737

  620

  39

  78

  1 Conventional funding.

  2 Mixed funding.

  Local authorities' housing investment programme capital allocations1

  £ millions 1988–89 prices

  Region2

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  North

  348

  270

  237

  162

  189

  138

  127

  103

  88

  77

  68

  North West

  654

  510

  477

  365

  441

  348

  319

  259

  213

  194

  148

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  429

  330

  291

  235

  279

  212

  193

  157

  132

  118

  102

  West Midlands

  548

  379

  333

  238

  266

  221

  215

  184

  161

  141

  119

  East Midlands

  400

  245

  199

  172

  199

  145

  132

  108

  91

  82

  61

  East Anglia

  131

  88

  73

  66

  85

  69

  70

  59

  47

  44

  34

  South West

  268

  191

  163

  144

  180

  131

  132

  112

  110

  87

  72

  1 For 1978–79 and 1979–80 figures are the total of HIP blocks 1, 2 and 3, including energy conservation and thermal insulation allocations. From 1980–81 figures are the initial allocations comprising basic allocations and homes insulation scheme allocations. For 1982–83 only, additional retrospective allocations are included.

  2 Regions used are standard statistical regions.

  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list at 1988–89 prices his Department's initial housing investment programme allocations(a) to English local authorities, (b) to local authorities in Greater London, (c) to metropolitan authorities outside London, (d) to non-metropolitan

  Local authorities' housing investment programme allocations: England

  £ millions: 1988–89 prices

  1978–79

  1979–80

  1980–81

  1981–82

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  1988–89

  London boroughs and GLC

  1,785

  1,356

  1,177

  768

  820

  667

  648

  542

  469

  405

  372

  Metropolitan districts

  1,339

  992

  909

  648

  783

  625

  579

  478

  407

  359

  300

  Non-metropolitan districts in South East

  702

  517

  420

  350

  389

  308

  308

  264

  228

  199

  150

  Other non-metropolitan districts

  1,439

  1,027

  864

  735

  856

  639

  610

  504

  435

  383

  305

  Total

  5,266

  3,892

  3,370

  2,501

  2,848

  2,238

  2,145

  1,788

  1,539

  1,347

  1,127

  Notes:

  1979–80 figures arc the totals of HIP blocks 1. 2 and 3, including energy conservation and thermal insulation allocations. From 1981–82, figures are the initial allocations comprising basic allocations and homes insulation scheme allocations.

  South East is the standard region comprising the authorities in the Department of the Environment administrative Eastern (excluding East Anglia) and South Eastern regions.
  304
  Note:

  Prior to the introduction of the Approved Development Programme in 1981–82 the figures show total grants and loans on housing association schemes sponsored by the Housing Corporation.

  Housing Investment Programme
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list at 1988–89 prices his Department's initial housing investment programme allocations(a) to local authorities in the north, (b) to local authorities in the north-west, (c) to local authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside, (d) to local authorities in the west midlands, (e) to local authorities in the east midlands, (f) to local authorities in east anglia, (g) to local authorities in the south-west; and if he will give this information for each year since 1978–79, together with an estimate for 1988–89.

  Mrs. Roe
  The figures are given in the table.

  authorities in the south-east, and (e) to English non-metropolitan authorities; and if he will give this information for each of the years 1979–80, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, and 1987–88.

  Mrs. Roe
  The table contains the figures for each year from 1978–79 to 1988–89. I regret that there was an error in the 1978–79 allocation figures given in the reply to the hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury (Mr. Smith) on 31 March at columns 709–10.

  Housing Capital Expenditure
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list at 1988–89 prices his Department's gross provision for local authority housing capital expenditure during each of the years from 1978–79, together with an estimate for 1988–89.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Gross provision for local authorities' capital expenditure on housing for each year since 1980–81, expressed in 1988–89 prices, has been as follows:

  (1988–89 Prices)

  £ million

  1980–81

  3,398

  1981–82

  3,095

  1982–83

  3,351

  1983–84

  3,119

  1984–85

  2,993

  1985–86

  2,633

  1986–87

  2,778

  1987–88

  3,051

  1988–89

  3,048

  Public expenditure planning for the years 1978–79 and 1979–80 was on a different basis. Figures for those years cannot be provided, except at disproportionate cost.

  System-built Houses
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why Estate Action assistance was refused for 1988–89 by his Department to Walsall metropolitan borough council for repair work to the Wimpey no-fines properties in the Blakenall area of the borough.

  Mrs. Roe
  The Estate Action programme is directed at schemes to revitalise run-down estates, to improve management, and to increase tenant involvement. Walsall's bid for extra resources for Blakenhall did not address itself to enough of these matters to win priority in the programme.

  Local Authorities (Rating and Capital Expenditure)
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his statement in the House on 9 March.Official Report, columns 325–7, what is the position of bona fide building contractors and developers who have negotiated genuine schemes with local authorities involving planning gain and an element of barter.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Under the proposals announced on 9 March, where a local authority acquires property, or where works are carried out on property which a local authority owns and valuable consideration for the acquisition or the works is given but not in money, then prescribed expenditure will be scored as if the acquisition or works had been paid for in cash. The proposals do not affect the existing provisions under which:

  (a) nil prescribed expenditure is scored when land is acquired by way of gift; and

  (b) payments which are made to a local authority in accordance with an agreement under section 52 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 but which arc not sums received in respect of the disposal of land or other assets are treated as capital receipts which may be used in full to justify additional capital expenditure.

  National Sporting Bodies
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make it his policy to refrain from seeking to influence national sporting bodies in their decisions on overseas tours and other policy matters; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Decisions on overseas tours and other policy matters are for the governing bodies of sport. In the case of South Africa, the Government remain committed to the Gleneagles agreement and to discouraging sporting links.

  Gipsies
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment on how many occasions his Department has made use of each of its powers to effect removal of gipsies from unauthorised sites(a) if the local authority has a full number of designated sites and (b) if it does not; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Roe
  My right hon. Friend has no such powers. The control of unauthorised camping is a matter for the local authority or the landowner concerned, or in certain cases where public order is threatened, for the police.

  European Charter of Local Self-government
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his policy towards ratification of the European charter of local self-government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Chope
  The Government support the broad principles underlying the charter, but we do not accept that the content is appropriate for a binding international agreement. We therefore have no plans to sign or ratify the charter.

  London Residuary Body
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his reply of 20 January,Official Report, column 758, which of the services listed have now been transferred; and to which successor body they have gone.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 14 April 1988]: Of the services listed in my earlier reply, the housing association loans have been transferred to the boroughs and relevant district councils, and the industrial mortgages have been transferred to the boroughs in which the mortgaged properties are located.

  Water Quality
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all those waters which fall within the scope of article 1(2)(a) of directive 76/160/EEC and which do not meet the standards set by the directive.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: My hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Mr. Patten) announced the results of the 1986 survey of bathing water quality on 30 April 1987, Official Report, column 186. The results of the 1987 survey are being collated.
  307
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list, by region, the number of cases concerning excesses of industrial solvents in drinking water from 1979 to the latest available date.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: This information is not available.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the capital investment programme of each water authority in England and Wales to meet the requirements of the EEC directive on the quality of drinking and bathing water.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: We are at present discussing these programmes with water authorities as part of the corporate planning round.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects all Britain's bathing beaches to comply fully with the EEC water quality directive.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: The majority of bathing waters in the United Kingdom already meet the standards set out in the directive.

  Water undertakings are currently spending some £70 million per year on improvement programmes designed to bring all remaining identified bathing waters up to the directive's standards. The Government will shortly be reviewing progress and timetables with the water undertakings in the light of the 1987 survey of bathing waters.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list for each water authority the number of derogations sought and received from 1979 to the latest available date due to excessive levels of lead in drinking water.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: No derogations have been given for lead under article 9 of the EC drinking water directive. An application was made to the European Commission under article 20 of the directive in 1985 for a five year delay in implementation of the lead parameter in certain areas of the United Kingdom while action was taken in accordance with an agreed programme to reduce lead levels. This programme has been very successful and is now nearing completion in England. At the end of 1987, the number of water supply zones where treatment measures were being or were to be installed had been reduced to 30. These are listed by water authority area :

  Water authority

  Water supply zones

  Anglian

  8

  Northumbrian

  1

  North West

  16

  Yorkshire

  5

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will update the figures given in the Official Report on 24 April 1986, column 235, regarding the anticipated costs of bringing (a) nitrate levels and (b) lead levels in drinking water to those stipulated in EEC directives.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: The Department is currently seeking an update of the nitrate costs from water undertakers. The costs for new water treatment measures to reduce lead levels are about
  308
  £500,000 for capital and about £500,000 annual running costs. The cost of replacing lead pipes in properties has not changed significantly, although the number of properties requiring such replacements will have decreased since the numbers were last estimated.

  Conservation (Payments)
  Mr. Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the amounts and beneficiaries of payments made to date by the Nature Conservancy Council, as a result of developments not taking place on sites of special scientific interest since the inception of the scheme.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: I refer the hon. Member to the Nature Conservancy Council's annual reports, copies of which are lodged in the House Library.

  The reports contain figures on the numbers and value of management agreements concluded by the Nature Conservancy Council under section 15 of the Countryside Act 1968. Individual agreements are treated as confidential matters between owners and occupiers of sites and the Nature Conservancy Council, and it is not our policy to disclose details. The Nature Conservancy Council has no power to make management agreements under the 1968 Act over land not of SSSI quality.

EMPLOYMENT

  Adult Training Scheme
  Mr. Ray Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what are the criteria for paying supplementary grants in connection with the proposed adult training scheme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Supplementary grants will be available within the new adult programme of employment training to assist in the provision of higher cost training. The criteria for paying these grants are currently being considered by the Manpower Services Commission. The Commission expects to have more detailed information available shortly.

  Settle-Carlisle Railway Line
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects his Department to have completed an assessment of the study by John Jarvis and Sons plc on the tourism potential of the Settle-Carlisle railway line area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lee
  The study by J. Jarvis and Sons is a welcome contribution to the development of tourism in this very attractive part of the country and is being currently considered. The English Tourist Board and the Manpower Services Commission have both expressed interest in the study's findings.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the latest figures for employment in(a) the coal industry, and (b) the electricity using industries.

  Mr. Lee
  In January 1988, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 143,000 employees in
  309
  employment in the coal extraction and solid fuels industries in Great Britain. The figure has not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

  Statistics are not kept for the numbers employed in those industries which use electricity as a principal source of energy.

  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the parliamentary constituencies in which the number out of work and claiming benefit declined by more than 25 per cent. between August 1984 and February 1988, including in the table for each constituency the total for(a) August 1986, (b) February 1988 and (c) the percentage reduction.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. The table shows the number of unemployed claimants at 9 August 1984 and 11 February 1988, together with the percentage change for each parliamentary constituency in Great Britain where the number of unemployed claimants has fallen by 25 per cent. or more. The figures are affected by seasonal factors and by changes in the coverage of the count.

  Unemployed claimants

  Parliamentary constituency

  9 August 1984

  11 February 1988

  Percentage change

  Wantage

  2,391

  1,231

  -48·5

  Henley

  2,020

  1,055

  -47·8

  Chesham and Amersham

  1,742

  936

  -46·3

  Newbury

  2,650

  1,451

  -45·2

  Tunbridge Wells

  2,519

  1,389

  -44·9

  South West Surrey

  1,661

  925

  -44·3

  Horsham

  2,180

  1,217

  -44·2

  Basingstoke

  3,250

  1,818

  -44·1

  Mole Valley

  1,726

  972

  -43·7

  Witney

  2,646

  1,493

  -43·6

  Corby

  5,914

  3,400

  -42·5

  Gillingham

  5,479

  3,251

  -40·7

  Brentwood and Ongar

  2,438

  1,451

  -40·5

  Welwyn Hatfield

  3,123

  1,866

  -40·2

  Guildford

  2,097

  1,257

  -40·1

  Oxford West and Abingdon

  3,152

  1,892

  -40·0

  West Hertfordshire

  3,594

  2,159

  -39·9

  Maidstone

  3,525

  2,121

  -39·8

  North West Surrey

  2,356

  1,424

  -39·6

  Reigate

  2,023

  1,226

  -39·4

  South West Hertfordshire

  2,530

  1,536

  -39·3

  North West Hampshire

  2,361

  1,441

  -39·0

  Mid Sussex

  1,991

  1,218

  -38·8

  Esher

  1,563

  964

  -38·3

  Aylesbury

  2,741

  1,694

  -38·2

  Saffron Walden

  2,392

  1,474

  -38·1

  East Surrey

  1,625

  1,013

  -37·7

  Medway

  5,264

  3,294

  -37·4

  Sevenoaks

  2,416

  1,514

  -37·3

  North Hertfordshire

  3,573

  2,252

  -37·0

  Mid Kent

  4,837

  3,056

  -36·8

  Ruislip—Northwood

  1,779

  1,124

  -36·8

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  2,612

  1,655

  -36·6

  Spelthorne

  2,328

  1,479

  -36·5

  Woking

  2,387

  1,519

  -36·4

  Reading West

  3,334

  2,130

  -36·1

  Reading East

  3,923

  2,518

  -35·8

  Wycombe

  2,932

  1,902

  -35·1

  Congleton

  3,322

  2,156

  -35·1

  Harlow

  4,426

  2,875

  -35·0

  Croydon South

  2,023

  1,316

  -34·9

  Wokingham

  1,970

  1,282

  -34·9

  Beaconsfield

  1,700

  1,107

  -34·9

  South East Cambridgeshire

  1,892

  1,240

  -34·5

  Wealden

  1,907

  1,256

  -34·1

  Crawley

  2,485

  1,637

  -34·1

  Rochford

  2,828

  1,867

  -34·0

  310

  Parliamentary constituency

  9 August 1984

  11 February 1988

  Percentage change

  Hertford and Stortford

  2,093

  1,382

  -34·0

  East Berkshire

  3,196

  2,116

  -33·8

  Braintree

  3,283

  2,177

  -33·7

  Aldershot

  2,971

  1,974

  -33·6

  Surbiton

  1,554

  1,034

  -33·5

  Banbury

  3,263

  2,180

  -33·2

  Billericay

  3,882

  2,599

  -33·0

  Harborough

  2,566

  1,721

  -32·9

  Croydon central

  3,609

  2,435

  -32·5

  Basildon

  6,712

  4,530

  -32·5

  Chertsey and Walton

  2,099

  1,418

  -32·4

  Wimbledon

  2,894

  1,959

  -32·3

  South west Bedfordshire

  3,766

  2,550

  -32·3

  Buckingham

  2,561

  1,742

  -32·0

  Stevenage

  4,059

  2,764

  -31·9

  Dagenham

  4,311

  2,937

  -31·9

  Kettering

  3,308

  2,255

  -31·8

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  2,678

  1,827

  -31·8

  Cheadle

  2,921

  1,996

  -31·7

  South Colchester and Maldon

  4,240

  2,901

  -31·6

  Hornchurch

  3,047

  2,087

  -31·5

  Southend west

  3,590

  2,460

  -31·5

  Cambridge

  3,554

  2,437

  -31·4

  St· Albans

  2,462

  1,690

  -31·4

  Milton Keynes

  6,750

  4,637

  -31·3

  Loughborough

  3,709

  2,549

  -31·3

  Wellingborough

  4,111

  2,835

  -31·0

  Carshalton and Wallington

  2,899

  2,001

  -31·0

  Rutland and Melton

  3,473

  2,401

  -30·9

  Salisbury

  3,208

  2,228

  -30·5

  Castle point

  3,430

  2,383

  -30·5

  Oxford east

  4,025

  2,803

  -30·4

  Cirencester and Tewkesbury

  2,976

  2,074

  -30·3

  Richmond-upon-Thames and Barnes

  2,675

  1,868

  -30·2

  Slough

  4,629

  3,238

  -30·0

  Pendle

  4,597

  3,222

  -29·9

  Alyn and Deeside

  4,694

  3,296

  -29·8

  Upminster

  3,029

  2,136

  -29·5

  North Dorset

  2,181

  1,539

  -29·4

  Twickenham

  2,307

  1,628

  -29·4

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  2,408

  1,702

  -29·3

  West Gloucestershire

  4,609

  3,259

  -29·3

  South West Cambridgeshire

  2,500

  1,771

  -29·2

  Rugby and Kenilworth

  4,512

  3,202

  -29·0

  Northampton north

  4,789

  3,401

  -29·0

  Worcester

  5,030

  3,574

  -28·9

  The City of London and Westminster South

  5,423

  3,856

  -28·9

  Blaby

  2,915

  2,074

  -28·9

  East Hampshire

  2,419

  1,722

  -23·8

  Mid Worcestershire

  6,016

  4,285

  -23·8

  Davyhulme

  4,937

  3,520

  -23·7

  South Ribble

  4,626

  3,303

  -23·6

  Stratford-on-Avon

  3,314

  2,376

  -28·3

  Dudley West

  6,716

  4,822

  -28·2

  Southend east

  4,675

  3,358

  -28·2

  Huntingdon

  3,511

  2,522

  -28·2

  Uxbridge

  2,625

  1,886

  -23·2

  North Bedfordshire

  4,573

  3,286

  -23·1

  Bosworth

  3,557

  2,557

  -28·1

  Leicester east

  5,919

  4,259

  -28·0

  Macclesfield

  3,400

  2,450

  -27·9

  Dartford

  3,454

  2,494

  -27·8

  Shipley

  3,592

  2,596

  -27·7

  Chelmsford

  3,035

  2,196

  -27·6

  Stroud

  3,743

  2,713

  -27·5

  Warley east

  7,171

  5,201

  -27·5

  Eddisbury

  5,028

  3,649

  -27·4

  Barking

  4,042

  2,937

  -27·3

  Hazel grove

  3,630

  2,642

  -27·2

  Winchester

  2,057

  1,498

  -27·2

  311

  Parliamentary constituency

  9 August 1984

  11 February 1988

  Percentage change

  South Suffolk

  3,281

  2,391

  -27·1

  Rossendale and Darwen

  4,728

  3,448

  -27·1

  Coventry south west

  5,006

  3,652

  -27·0

  Leicester south

  7,612

  5,557

  -27·0

  Thurrock

  5,822

  4,252

  -27·0

  Epsom and Ewell

  1,901

  1,392

  -26·8

  North Colchester

  4,129

  3,027

  -26·7

  Bristol west

  7,347

  5,394

  -26·6

  Ribble Valley

  2,164

  1,589

  -26·6

  Sutton and Cheam

  2,029

  1,492

  -26·5

  Hyndburn

  4,170

  3,067

  -26·5

  Bath

  3,817

  2,809

  -26·4

  Aberavon

  4,762

  3,508

  -26·3

  Burnley

  5,949

  4,389

  -26·2

  Watford

  3,235

  2,388

  -26·2

  Staffordshire moorlands

  3,608

  2,664

  -26·2

  Cheltenham

  4,381

  3,235

  -26·2

  Epping forest

  2,816

  2,080

  -26·1

  Altrincham and Sale

  3,354

  2,478

  -26·1

  Leeds north west

  4,426

  3,271

  -26·1

  Leicester west

  7,299

  5,397

  -26·1

  Bury south

  4,622

  3,421

  -26·0

  Hertsmere

  2,595

  1,922

  -25·9

  Ravensbourne

  2,017

  1,495

  -25·9

  Romford

  2,776

  2,059

  -25·8

  Gravesham

  4,984

  3,701

  -25·7

  Brentford and Isleworth

  4,165

  3,093

  -25·7

  Stockport

  4,845

  3,598

  -25·7

  North Wiltshire

  3,518

  2,614

  -25·7

  Northampton south

  4,032

  3,000

  -25·6

  Ashford

  3,396

  2,528

  -25·6

  Wyre forest

  5,135

  3,823

  -25·6

  Wanstead and Woodford

  2,199

  1,645

  -25·2

  Wrexham

  5,000

  3,742

  -25·2

  Nuneaton

  5,462

  4,089

  -25·1

  Central Suffolk

  3,097

  2,319

  -25·1

  Stoke-on-Trent central

  5,909

  4,432

  -25·0

  Daventry

  2,713

  2,035

  -25·0

  Pudsey

  3,202

  2,402

  -25·0

  Bishop Auckland

  7,166

  5,378

  -25·0

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people in(a) Burnley and (b) Pendle have been unemployed for over one year; and what percentage of the work force this represents.

  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. On 14 January 1988, the numbers of unemployed claimants who had been unemployed for one year or more in the Burnley and Pendle travel-to-work areas were 1,790 and 1,162 respectively. These totals represent 4·6 per cent, and 3·9 per cent, respectively of the number of employees in employment plus the unemployed in each travel-to-work area.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total number of people unemployed in (i) Burnley and (ii) Pendle who are(a) 18 to 21 years of age, (b) 22 to 25 years of age, (c) 26 to 30 years of age, and (d) 31 to 35 years of age; and what percentage of each respective age group this represents.

  Employees in Employment changes in the levels of employment between June 1979 and June 1986

  Thousands

  Manufacturing Industries

  Service Industries

  All Employees

  Numbers

  Percentages

  Numbers

  Percentages

  South East

  -124

  -465

  -24·9

  441

  8·7

  East Anglia

  60

  -6

  -2·9

  81

  20·1

  South West

  -32

  -70

  -15·9

  68

  6·8

  West Midlands

  -224

  -289

  -29·3

  91

  8·5

  312
  Mr. Lee
  The following information is in the Library. The following table shows the number of unemployed claimants in the Burnley and Pendle travel-to-work areas on 14 January 1988, for the available age groups which most closely correspond with those requested. Unemployment rates by age are not calculated below national level.

  14 January 1988

  Unemployed claimants

  Burnley travel-to-work area

  aged 18–19 years

  368

  20–24 years

  870

  25–29 years

  662

  30–34 years

  488

  Pendle travel-to-work area

  aged 18–19 years

  278

  20–24 years

  682

  25–29 years

  464

  30–34 years

  349

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the number of people registered unemployed in the Tottenham constituency on the latest available date; what proportion of the working population this represents; and what are the corresponding figures for each month since June 1979.

  Mr. Lee
  My Department does not calculate unemployment rates for areas smaller than travel-to-work areas. Unemployment statistics for parliamentary constituencies are available only from June 1983, and are available from the Library.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what was the change in the number of employees in employment in each of the English regions, in England, and in Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland, between 1979 and 1986;

  (2) what was the change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in each of the English standard regions, and in England as a whole between 1979 and 1986;

  (3) what was the percentage change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in each of the standard English regions, and in England as a whole between 1979 and 1986;

  (4) what was the change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Great Britain, excluding Northern Ireland between 1979 and 1986; and in each case what was the percentage change.

  Mr. John Lee
  The figures are as follows:
  313

  Manufacturing Industries

  Service Industries

  All Employees

  Numbers

  Percentages

  Numbers

  Percentages

  East Midlands

  -37

  -112

  -18·5

  107

  14·2

  Yorks and Humberside

  -225

  -246

  -34·7

  85

  8·1

  North West

  -414

  -345

  -35·5

  -24

  -1·6

  North

  -170

  -142

  -34·5

  24

  3·6

  England

  -1,166

  -1,675

  -27·0

  873

  7·6

  Great Britain (excl. Northern Ireland)

  -1,550

  -1,982

  -27·9

  895

  6·8

  The figures have not been adjusted for the effects of seasonal variations.

  Some of the decrease in the manufacturing figures will he the result of the re-classification of jobs such as industrial cleaning, computer services and road haulage, previously done by manufacturers' own employees and now done by sub-contractors. This developing feature of our economy has the effect of exaggerating the extent of the move from manufacturing to service sector employment.

  "Training for Employment"
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the information in figure 5 of the paper entitled "Training for Employment" for each region of the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The information is only available at disproportionate cost.

  Job Search Boundaries
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which offices were chosen for the additional questions on job search boundaries which have been piloted in restart interviews from 1 February; and how many interviews have been conducted in each chosen office.

  Mr. Lee
  The 11 offices in which the form was launched and the number of interviews conducted at each location from 1 February 1988 to 25 March 1988 are as follows :

  Number

  Billingham

  1,600

  Dundee

  1,422

  Ea ling

  1,558

  Huddersfield

  1,192

  Leicester

  3,115

  Plymouth

  2,043

  Port Talbot

  1,240

  Preston

  1,396

  Stoke

  2,454

  Watford

  828

  Wimbledon

  1,276

  Industrial Premises (Inspections)
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report (a) the number of registered premises under the factory inspectorate and the number of factory visits by factory inspectors and (b) how frequently, on average, industrial premises can expect a routine visit from a factory inspector, for each year from 1974 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive does not hold information on the number of premises registered with the factory inspectorate for the years 1974 to 77.
  314
  The number of registered fixed premises for the years 1978 to 1987 is as follows:

  Date

  Number of premises

  1 January 1978

  280,716

  1 January 1979

  300,718

  1 January 1980

  309,915

  1 January 1981

  309,100

  1 1 January 1982

  576,456

  1 January 1983

  468,609

  1 January 1984

  393,237

  31 March 1985

  395,860

  31 March 1986

  399,885

  31 March 1987

  401,815

  1 The figure for 1982 is the first of those produced from a computerised database which was based on the Department of Employment census. The database was initially inflated by premises for which the Health and Safety Executive was not the enforcing authority.

  Factory inspectors made 153,835 visits to factories in 1974. Information for the years 1975 to 1987 is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  The factory inspectorate's programme of preventive visits is planned on the basis of a rating system. There is no fixed period between inspections, workplaces with poor standards, poor management or high risk potential being inspected more frequently. Information is not available on how frequently, on average, industrial premises can expect a routine visit from a factory inspector.

  Health and Safety
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the total funding for the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive for each year from 1974 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The total provision available to the Health and Safety Commission and Executive for each year since 1974 is:

  Year

  £ (million)

  1974–75

  13·6

  1975–76

  28·6

  1976–77

  39·3

  1977–78

  45·4

  1978–79

  48·6

  1979–80

  58·1

  1980–81

  73·7

  1981–82

  84·7

  1982–83

  86·0

  1983–84

  93·1

  1984–85

  95·4

  1985–86

  98·8

  1986–87

  100·0

  1987–88

  102·3

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish in the Official Report

  315
  (a) the number of deaths, (b) the number of serious and major injuries and (c) the number of employees in the construction industry for 1970 to 1987 inclusive for (i) public, (ii) private and (iii) public and private construction.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The available information is given in the table below.

  Year

  Numbers of reported occupational injuries to employees in Great Britain resulting in:

  Numbers of employees (construction industry)

  Death

  Major injury

  (1000's)

  1970

  204

  ..

  ..

  1971

  201

  ..

  1,159·0

  1972

  19

  ..

  1,193·0

  1973

  23

  ..

  1,269·0

  1974

  166

  ..

  1,223·0

  1975

  18

  ..

  1,207·0

  1976

  156

  ..

  1,203·0

  1977

  130

  ..

  1,167·0

  1978

  12

  ..

  1,161·0

  1979

  11

  ..

  1,201·0

  1980

  12

  ..

  1,192·0

  1981

  105

  1,690

  1,086·0

  1982

  100

  1,950

  1,034·7

  1983

  118

  2,178

  1,021·4

  1984

  100

  2,288

  1,015·8

  1985

  104

  2,239

  991·8

  1986–871

  90

  2,538

  975·3

  .. not available.

  1 provisional.

  Note:

  The construction industry is as defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1980 (SIC80) Division 5. This definition has been applied retrospectively for the years 1970–1979.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was(a) the estimated number of building sites and (b) the number of construction Health and Safety Executive inspectors for the years 1970 to 1987, inclusive.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The HSE does not keep estimates of the numbers of building sites. All inspectors in the factory inspectorate sector of the HSE may work in construction groups. The number of experienced Inspectors employed on construction work for the years 1979–87 at 1 January is as follows :

  Year

  Number

  1979

  86

  1980

  87

  1981

  90

  1982

  89

  1983

  88

  1984

  88

  1985

  86

  1986

  84·5

  11987

  75

  1 September

  No information is available centrally for the years 1970–1978. In addition to the 75 experienced inspectors, there were another 17 qualified inspectors working in construction on 1 September 1987. It is planned to recruit enough factory inspectors to bring the total number of experienced inspectors in construction groups nationally to around 100 by 1990.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how frequently the average building site has been inspected for each year from 1970 to 1987.
  316
  Mr. Nicholls
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the final outcome, in terms of(a) construction sites visited, (b) prohibition and improvement notices issued and (c) prosecutions initiated for the construction site blitzes carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in 1987.

  Mr. Nicholls
  During the construction site blitzes carried out by the Health and Safety Executive in 1987, 4,289 construction sites were visited, 1,006 prohibition and 28 improvement notices were issued, and 25 prosecutions were initiated.

  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment which areas of the country, or London boroughs, will be blitzed by construction inspectors during the current year; and when.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The Health and Safety Executive plans to carry out the following construction blitzes in 1988:

  April

  "Black Country"

  Lincoln

  Torbay

  West Wales

  Worcester

  London—(North London)

  May

  Bradford

  Hertfordshire

  North Wales

  June

  Plymouth

  Folkestone

  September

  Buckinghamshire

  Bolton

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The provisional figure for 1987–88 is £29,000.

  Ethnic Monitoring
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how he defined the term "significant employers" in the context of the review of ethnic monitoring practice in the private sector;

  (2) what firms or employees were included in the review of ethnic monitoring practice; and on what basis they were selected.

  Mr. Nicholls
  No review of ethnic monitoring practice has taken place. The figures provided by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in reply to the hon. Member on 30 March 1988,Official Report, columns 526–7, represent information gathered from the normal operational activities of this Department's race relations employment advisory service. No precise definition of "significant" is applied by the service but the major private sector employers visited are those regarded as likely to benefit from specialised advice which can assist the

  317
  employer to formulate or develop policies and practices which ensure equal opportunity. RREAS provides a confidential service and details of individual organisations visited cannot be given without seeking the consent of those organisations. Resource considerations make this impracticable.

WALES

  General Council of British Shipping
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the closure of the Cardiff office of the General Council of British Shipping; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None since 1986.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has yet reached a decision concerning the community charge in relation to the residents of Caldey Island. Pembrokeshire.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the letter I wrote to him on 15 April, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Nurses
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many nurses are currently employed by health authorities in Wales; and how many are undertaking further training to improve the scope and standard of their skills.

  Mr. Grist
  The whole-time equivalent of nursing and midwifery staff (excluding auxiliaries) employed by health authorities in Wales is given in the following table. Information on the number undertaking post-basic training courses is not immediately available but I will write to the hon. Gentleman about this as soon as possible and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

  District Health Authority

  Whole-time equivalent as at 30 September 1987

  Clwyd

  2,817

  East Dyfed

  1,598

  Gwent

  3,132

  Gwynedd

  1,547

  Mid Glamorgan

  4,025

  Pembrokeshire

  515

  Powys

  723

  South Glamorgan

  3,422

  West Glamorgan

  2,871

  Welsh Language
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales on what occasions he has met his Department's working party on the Welsh language.

  Mr. Wyn Roberts
  The Working Group has met under my chairmanship on 3 occasions since January. My right hon. Friend is fully informed of its deliberations.

  Elderly People
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to(a) ensure that health
  318
  authorities and social service departments were made aware of the fact that, from 11 April, elderly people will no longer have access to private nursing homes until their own homes have been sold and (b) increase funds for community care provision to cater for the increased number of elderly people who need nursing care and have to remain at home.

  Mr. Grist
  I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services earlier today.

  Coal industry
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people are at present employed in(a) the north Wales coalfield and (b) the south Wales coalfield; and what are the corresponding figures for 1978, 1968 and 1958.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Available data are National Coal Board/British Coal estimates of the numbers on colliery books.

  North Wales (Thousands)

  South Wales1 (Thousands)

  1958

  29·1

  399·6

  1968

  23·6

  350·6

  1978

  41·2

  429·0

  1987

  41·0

  410·2

  1 Includes Forest of Dean (1958), Somerset (1958 and 1968).

  2 Calendar year average, includes Ifton colliery, Shropshire.

  3 Time of year unknown.

  4 At 31 March.

  Steel Production
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total crude steel production in Wales in the last year for which full figures are available; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1968.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Crude steel production figures for Wales from 1968 to 1987 are given in the following table:

  Total production of crude steel

  '000 tonnes

  1968

  8,383

  1969

  7,703

  1970

  8,448

  1971

  7,910

  1972

  8,573

  1973

  8,451

  1974

  6,705

  1975

  5,471

  1976

  6,348

  1977

  6,000

  1978

  6,039

  1979

  6,936

  1980

  2,951

  1981

  4,386

  1982

  4,137

  1983

  4,854

  1984

  5,020

  1985

  4,731

  1986

  4,849

  1987

  5,431

  Source: Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau

  Fishing Industry
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of the United Kingdom fishing fleet the Welsh fleet represents; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1968.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In 1986, fishing vessels over 40 ft in length operating from Wales amounted to 2·7 per cent. of the United Kingdom total. During the period 1968 to 1985 the figure varied between 1·9 per cent. and 3 per cent. of the United Kingdom total. Comprehensive data on vessels under 40 ft are not readily available.

  Self-sufficiency
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the level of self-sufficiency of Wales in each of the following products:(a) fish, (b) mutton and lamb, (c) poultrymeat, (d) beef, (e) oats, (f) cheese, (g) liquid milk, (h) barley, (i) potatoes, (j) pigmeat, (k) eggs, (l) wheat and (m) butter.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Estimates of the ratio of production to consumption in 1987 for each of the food products are given in the following table :

  Self sufficiency (production/consumption)

  (a)

  Fish

  not available

  (b)

  Mutton and Lamb

  3·5

  (c)

  Poultry (chicken only)

  3·1

  (d)

  Beef

  3·9

  (e)

  Oats

  not available

  (f)

  Cheese

  1·9

  (g)

  Liquid milk

  3·2

  (h)

  Barley

  not available

  (i)

  Potatoes

  0·7

  (j)

  Pigmeat

  0·4

  (k)

  Eggs

  0·7

  (l)

  Wheat

  not available

  (m)

  Butter

  2·1

  Estimates of production are based on figures from the Aggregate Net Income calculation and the Milk Marketing Board. Estimates of consumption are taken from the results of the national food survey, based on a small sample of 120 households in Wales and are therefore subject to some estimation error.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the level of self-sufficiency of Wales in terms of electricity produced and consumed; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1968.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Available data for production and consumption of electricity are shown in the following table:

  Total available and supplied to distribution system

  All sales to customers1

  1968

  14,306

  11,380

  1969

  13,246

  11,885

  1970

  13,244

  12,601

  1971

  13.219

  12,554

  1972

  17,320

  12,197

  1973

  19,501

  12,754

  1974

  23,176

  12,415

  1975

  18,604

  11,859

  1976

  21,618

  12,592

  1977

  22,950

  12,920

  1978

  23,735

  13,229

  320

  Total available and supplied to distribution system

  All sales to customers1

  1979

  25,481

  14,286

  1980

  20,606

  12,707

  1981

  23,974

  12,742

  1982

  21,885

  12,844

  1983

  21,063

  13,074

  1984

  22,338

  12,988

  1985

  22,931

  13,972

  1986

  20,944

  14,748

  1 Excludes direct sales by the CEGB, which cannot be allocated between Wales and England without disclosure of figures relating to individual establishments.

  Source: Department of Energy and "Digest of Welsh Statistics".

  Exports and Imports
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total tonnage of(a) overseas export trade and (b) overseas imports trade through Welsh ports during the last year for which full figures are available; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1968.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The information requested is given in the following table:

  Foreign traffic through Welsh seaports: all overseas trading areas

  million net omnes1

  Imports

  Exports

  1968

  29

  7

  1969

  34

  9

  1970

  36

  10

  1971

  39

  10

  1972

  39

  11

  1973

  43

  11

  1974

  46

  11

  1975

  35

  9

  1976

  37

  9

  1977

  30

  8

  1978

  31

  9

  1979

  31

  9

  1980

  24

  10

  1981

  21

  212

  1982

  20

  8

  1983

  15

  8

  1984

  21

  8

  1985

  23

  9

  31986

  24

  9

  Source: HM Customs and Excise.

  1 Excluding crates and other packaging.

  2 Partly based on sample data.

  3 Provisional.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  In 1987–88, my Department spent £22,365.99 on official hospitality.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what was the change in the number of people employed in(a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Wales between 1979 and 1986;
  321
  (2) what was the percentage change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Wales between 1979 and 1986.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  Available data show the following:

  Employees in employment

  Change

  Per cent. change

  Manufacturing

  -112,000

  -35·5

  Services

  -16,000

  -2·8

  Source: Department of Employment Quarterly Series.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the change in the number of employees in employment in Wales between 1979 and 1986.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  The numbers of employees in employment in Wales at June 1979 and June 1986 were 1,033,000 and 861,000 respectively. This represents a change of 172,000.

  Economic Regeneration
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amount spent by each district authority in Wales during the last year for which full figures are available on economic regeneration; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Grist
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: It is not possible separately to identify expenditure on economic regeneration, at which a number of different activities of local authorities are wholly or partly aimed.

SCOTLAND

  Education Expenditure
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the per capita spending on primary and secondary education in each school board area.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The table, which has been compiled from local authority financial returns, gives information on current expenditure per pupil in primary and secondary schools in each education authority in 1986–87, the latest year for which information is available.

  £s at out-turn prices

  Region

  Primary

  Secondary

  Borders

  1,091

  1,601

  Central

  961

  1,651

  Dumfries and Galloway

  946

  1,713

  Fife

  1,021

  1,706

  Grampian

  1,021

  1,725

  Highland

  1,033

  1,622

  Lothian

  1,033

  1,846

  Strathclyde

  1,066

  1,787

  Tayside

  988

  1,768

  Orkney

  1,249

  2,007

  Shetland

  1,391

  2,503

  Western Isles

  1,094

  2,138

  Information about individual schools is not held centrally. The School Boards (Scotland) Bill now before Parliament will establish a separate board for each education authority school; each board will have the right to receive information on expenditure related to the school.

  Roads (Improvement)
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish a programme for trunk road improvements in Scotland to update the report, "Policy for Scottish Roads," last published in 1984.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  A further policy document will be issued, but it will need to take account of several forthcoming reports, particularly that on routes south of Edinburgh and the feasibility studies on the upgrading of the A74 to motorway. I hope that publication of the policy document will be possible in the spring of next year.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many extra posts will be created in the Scottish courts administration in 1988, 1989, 1990 as a result of the community charge legislation.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The explanatory and financial memorandum to the Abolition of Domestic Rates Etc. (Scotland) Bill estimated that up to 40 additional staff will be required. This estimate remains unchanged and additional staff will be deployed to the courts as and when required.

  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what figures were available to him, when he considered alternative introduction dates for the community charge, concerning the likely average individual charge in 1988–89.

  Mr. Lang
  Calculations of illustrative personal community charge levels have been made only on the basis of the charges which would have been required to replace actual domestic rate income. No future projections of personal community charge levels—which would be entirely speculative—have been made. My right hon. and learned Friend has always been concerned to secure the benefits of the community charge system for Scotland as soon as possible.

  Oil Landings (Shetlands)
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been paid to the Shetlands council as an automatic percentage of oil landed for every year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Lang
  That is a matter for the Shetland Islands council. I have no locus.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Rifkind
  The amount spent was £41,983.

  A96 (Roundabout)
  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has decided what kind of inquiry there will be as a result of objections to proposals to establish a roundabout at Selattic quarry on the A96 at Inverurie road; when such an inquiry is due to commence: what
  323
  notice will be given to objectors; and if objectors who have or who have not yet lodged objections will be allowed to propose alternative schemes.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I am not yet in a position to say whether or when a public inquiry into the proposed line of the Bucksburn diversion will be necessary. This will depend on whether the objections received to the published draft road order can be resolved by negotiation and also on public reaction to the draft compulsory purchase order to be published in the summer.

  If an inquiry is held, objectors will receive no less than 28 days notice in writing of the date, time and place. Objectors would have the opportunity to propose alternative schemes at an inquiry.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many objections have been lodged against proposals to establish a roundabout at Selattic quarry on the A96 at Inverurie road.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Twenty.

  MV Hebridean Isles
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has as to what sum of compensation was paid by Cochranes Ltd., of Selby to Caledonian MacBrayne for errors in the design and construction of the MV Hebridean Isles; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  No compensation payments were made by Cochranes Ltd., to Caledonian MacBrayne.

  Scottish Development Agency
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the names of the chairman and directors of the Scottish Development Agency, their periods of office and their annual remuneration.

  Mr. Lang
  The information on the chairman and board members is as follows:

  Name and Position with Period of Office

  Remuneration£

  Sir Robin G. Duthie CBE—Chairman

  30,508

  1 January 1988 to 31 December 1988

  Douglas F. Hardie CBE—Deputy Chairman

  16,760

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1988

  Iain Robertson Chief—Executive

  49,025

  1 September 1987 to 31 August 1992

  James S. Gordon CBE—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1989

  Robert Cowan—Member

  1 January 1988 to 31 July 1992

  Ian C. Wood CBE—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1989

  Sir Peter Main—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1986 to 21 December 1988

  James F. G. Anderson CBE—Member

  3,776

  1 March 1986 to 31 December 1988

  George F. Robertson FRICS—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1990

  Gavin H. Laird—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1987 to 31 December 1990

  Dr. Graham Hills FRSC, FRSE—Member

  3,776

  1 January 1988 to 31 December 1991

  Sir Alex Fletcher—Member

  3,776

  324

  Remuneration£

  1 January 1988 to 31 December 1991

  Sir David Nickson CBE—Member

  3,776

  1 July 1988 to 31 December 1988 (Chairman) 1 January 1989 to 31 December1993)

  Mr. Robert Cowan is chairman of the Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB) as well as a member of the Scottish Development Agency board. His salary is paid by the HIDB.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what was the change in the numbers of employees in employment in Scotland between 1979 and 1986;

  (2) what was the change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Scotland between 1979 and 1986;

  (3) what was the percentage change in the number of people employed in (a) manufacturing and (b) the service industries in Scotland between 1979 and 1986.

  Mr. Lang
  The table gives the available information. The figures are subject to revision when further information becomes available.

  Estimated change between June 1979 and June 1986

  Employees in employment

  Number

  Per cent.

  All industries

  -214,000

  -10

  Manufacturing (SIC 2 to 4)

  -194,000

  -32

  Service industries (SIC 6 to 9)

  +36,000

  +3

  Education (Ministerial Correspondence)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer of Tuesday, 12 April,Official Report, column 44, what resources are being devoted by his Department to the investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of recent correspondence between his office and that of the Prime Minister concerning opting out of the education system in Scotland.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I have nothing to add to my reply of 12 April to the hon. Member at column 44.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish statistics showing nursery education provision in each of Scotland's regions.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The information is set out in the table.

  Pupils aged 2 to 5 years in education authority nursery schools and departments (provisional figures for September 1987)

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time and part-time

  Borders

  —

  397

  397

  Central

  12

  2,493

  2,505

  Dumfries and Galloway

  3

  432

  435

  Fife

  201

  4,078

  4,279

  Grampian

  261

  2,440

  2,701

  Highland

  5

  619

  624

  Lothian

  779

  7,238

  8,017

  325

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time and part-time

  Strathclyde

  1,123

  16,607

  17,730

  Tayside

  487

  1,915

  2,402

  Orkney

  —

  85

  85

  Shetland

  —

  110

  110

  Western Isles

  —

  —

  —

  Scotland

  2,871

  36,414

  39,285

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of Scotland's three and four-year-olds receive nursery education; how many are full-time; and how many are part-time in their attendance.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Mrs. Clwyd) on 25 February at columns 277–78.

  Fines
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to come to a decision on whether to introduce a unitary or day fines system in Scotland.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  This is one of several proposals which we shall consider when we have the results of the current study of the effectiveness of the 15 fines officers appointed to work in the sheriff courts, which we expect to receive in the near future.

  Anthony Cavendish
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the latest costs in Scotland in the proceedings relating to Anthony Cavendish.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Proceedings in Scotland in relation to Anthony Cavendish's book "Inside Intelligence" have been brought by the Lord Advocate on behalf of the Government. The costs which have been incurred to date in relation to those proceedings arise from court dues and printing costs and amount to £931·06. These costs do not include any element in respect of the expenses incurred by parties to the proceedings in the nature of fees and other expenses, and liability for their payment will only be known once the proceedings are concluded and when accounts have been lodged and taxed by the relevant authorities.

  Bus Services
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the problem of bus services being withdrawn while the route is subject to a process of competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Regional and islands councils in Scotland have the power to subsidise any service which they consider to be socially necessary and which is not being provided on a commercial basis. If it appears that the time scale of the normal tendering process might lead to a gap in the provision of a service, the local authorities have the power under section 91(2) of the Transport Act 1985 to enter into temporary emergency agreements to maintain or replace services or to secure a new service.

  Pay Beds
  Mr. McAllion
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the number of private patients using pay beds in the Tayside health board area on the latest available date; and what are the corresponding figures for each year since 1979.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  [holding answer 24 March 1988]: The information requested is given in the table:

  Year

  Number of private patients

  1979

  56

  1980

  43

  1981

  30

  1982

  15

  1983

  83

  1984

  123

  1985

  137

  1986

  115

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Developing Countries (Debt)
  Miss Lestor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all the developing countries which have outstanding official debts, including export credits, to the United Kingdom and give figures for (i) their outstanding official debts in 1978 and in the latest year for which figures are available and (ii) the total amount of debt relief and cancellation of their debts between 1987 and the latest year.

  Mr. Peter Lilley
  [holding answer 14 March 1988]: It is not the practice of this or previous Governments to reveal the exposure of the Export Credits Guarantee Department to individual countries. Figures for amounts at risk and debt restructuring by area are published in ECGD's "Summary of Audited Trading Results 1986–87." Information relating to other official debts is listed as follows:

  Official debts outstanding to United Kingdom1 in 1978 and 1986

  (£ millions)

  Country

  Amount of Principal Outstanding

  Debt relief2 1978–1986

  at end 1978

  at end 1986

  Antigua and Barbuda

  0·495

  0·457

  —

  Barbados

  3·225

  6·517

  —

  Belize

  1·971

  13·429

  —

  Bolivia

  0·404

  0·271

  —

  Botswana

  18·542

  22·596

  20·682

  Brazil

  5·665

  3·675

  0·961

  British Virgin Islands

  2·460

  2·488

  —

  Cameroon

  1·610

  26·796

  —

  Cayman Islands

  0·986

  3·224

  —

  Colombia

  3·928

  3·124

  —

  Costa Rica

  6·726

  27·392

  0·929

  Cote d'Ivoire

  2·839

  21·959

  0·280

  Cyprus

  1·079

  0·989

  —

  Dominica

  1·943

  5·989

  —

  Ecuador

  8·494

  7·562

  —

  Falklands Islands

  0·281

  0·167

  —

  Fiji

  13·304

  29·915

  —

  Gambia, The

  5·173

  0·581

  5·219

  Ghana

  21·739

  3·717

  50·877

  Gibraltar

  2·336

  1·327

  —

  Grenada

  1·310

  2·379

  —

  Guyana

  24·003

  27·550

  —

  Honduras

  —

  16·531

  —

  327

  Country

  Amount of Principal Outstanding

  Debt relief2 1978–1986

  at end 1978

  at end 1986

  India

  519·116

  264·171

  3—

  Indonesia

  39·064

  31·506

  39·853

  Jamaica

  31·330

  73·268

  8·894

  Jordan

  30·323

  39·233

  —

  Kenya

  32·999

  29·936

  0·750

  Lao, Peoples Democratic Republic

  —

  0·035

  —

  Lesotho

  0·866

  1·597

  0·404

  Liberia

  0·086

  5·925

  —

  Malawi

  53·217

  32·636

  30·884

  Malaysia

  38·336

  38·336

  2·020

  Malta

  2·658

  8·859

  —

  Mauritius

  10·569

  12·472

  —

  Montserrat

  0·087

  0·003

  —

  Nicaragua

  0·615

  0·585

  —

  Nigeria

  34·377

  12·002

  —

  Papua New Guinea

  0·350

  17·626

  —

  Paraguay

  5·062

  4·220

  —

  Peru

  5·062

  4·194

  —

  Philippines

  —

  14·939

  —

  St. Kitts and Nevis

  1·782

  0.947

  —

  St. Lucia

  5·328

  5·262

  —

  St. Vincent

  1·371

  0·919

  —

  Senegal

  —

  1·000

  —

  Seychelles

  2·085

  11·687

  —

  Sierra Leone

  9·000

  1·236

  10·409

  Singapore

  26·443

  11·188

  —

  Solomon Islands

  4·220

  13·182

  —

  Sri Lanka

  25·531

  8·866

  25·210

  Sudan

  8·860

  0·665

  9·914

  Swaziland

  19·708

  32·187

  —

  Tanzania

  6·263

  20·063

  6·198

  Thailand

  3·799

  42·596

  —

  Tonga

  1·198

  1·988

  —

  Trinidad and Tobago

  0·690

  2·436

  —

  Tunisia

  0·742

  0·431

  —

  Turkey

  39·348

  84·235

  18·842

  Uganda

  19·136

  3·316

  22·090

  Vanuatu

  0·265

  0·814

  —

  Vietnam

  1·981

  1·970

  —

  Yemen, Peoples Democratic Republic

  3·749

  4·163

  —

  Zambia

  49·894

  97·256

  7·313

  Zimbabwe

  6·436

  49·581

  455·821

  1 Relates to amounts outstanding to Overseas Development Administration and Commonwealth Development Corporation.

  2 Includes amounts for cancellation of aid loans and amounts for rescheduled aid loans by ODA. (Principal and interest).

  3 In place of normal debt forgiveness £564 million is being givenin the form of local costs grants.

  4 Relate to debts of former Rhodesian Government (mostly excluded from 1978 figures).

CIVIL SERVICE

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Civil Service how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Luce
  Final figures for 1987–88 are not yet available. The latest estimate of the amount spent by my Department on official hospitality during that period is £14,500.

THE ARTS

  Van Dyck Portrait (James, 1st Duke of Hamilton)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will make a statement on the decision of his reviewing 328
  committee to put a four-month stop on the export of Sir Anthony Van Dyck's portrait of James, 1st Duke of Hamilton.

  Mr. Luce
  The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art considered Sir Anthony Van Dyck's portrait of James, 1st Duke of Hamilton, in the context of the Waverley criteria, as it does all items referred to it for consideration. The committee concluded that the portrait satisfied the Waverley criteria and, therefore, recommended a four-month deferral of a decision on the export licence application. It further recommended that if, after one month, no public collection had shown interest in acquiring the portrait, consideration should be given to granting an export licence at that stage.

  National Theatre Board (Chair)
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts what relevant experience of arts administration he took into account when appointing Lady Soames as the new chair of the National Theatre Board.

  Mr. Luce
  The most important quality required for senior posts of this kind is that of leadership.

  Museums and Galleries
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Minister for the Arts (1) how many staff at(a) the Tate Gallery, (b) the British museum (c) the Victoria and Albert museum work (i) full-time and (ii) part-time on inventory records;

  (2) what is his estimate as to how many additional staff would be needed at (a) the British museum and (b) the Victoria and Albert museum to bring inventories up to date within three years;

  (3) what has been (i) the purchase grant and (ii) the conservation grant at (a) the Tate Gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in each of the last 10 years;

  (4) what have been the budgets for (i) storage, (ii) security, (iii) research and scholarship, (iv) administration, (v) advertising and manufacturing, (vi) exhibition and (vii) training at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in each of the last 10 years;

  (5) by how many (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum will need to increase their staffing on assuming responsibility for maintenance from the Property Services Agency in April;

  (6) what additional information on the condition of (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum has been produced by the Property Services Agency in the process of preparing to transfer responsibility for maintenance of these museums to their trustees;

  (7) what are the aspects of the Property Services Agency's biennial visual survey of (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum; and whether he will publish the last three Property Services Agency biennial surveys of its museums;

  (8) what he estimates is the cost of backlog maintenance and restoration of the fabric of the building at (a) the British museum and (b) the Victoria and Albert museum;

  (9) to what posts the additional maintenance staff will be appointed, and at what cost, at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum;
  329
  (10) what estimate has been made as to how many conservation staff would be needed to be employed in order to clear the conservation backlog within 10 years at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum;

  (11) what is the conservation backlog at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum;

  (12) how many individual students have used the research facilities at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in each of the last five years;

  (13) how many applications for access by students and others for scholarship and research have been received by (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in each of the last five years;

  (14) what was the cost of storage space in (a) 1977 and (b) 1987 at (i) the Tate gallery, (ii) the British museum and (iii) the Victoria and Albert museum;

  (15) when the existing security systems at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum were (i) installed and (ii) uprated;

  (16) what action has been taken to rationalise security procedures at the British museum; and when;

  (17) how many security staff were employed at (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in (i) 1977 and (ii) 1987;

  (18) whether he will list all objects stolen or otherwise missing and unaccounted for from (a) the Tate gallery, (b) the British museum and (c) the Victoria and Albert museum in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Luce
  I shall write to the hon. Member and will place copies of my letter in the Library of the House.

  South Bank Board
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will place in the Library the terms of the trust deed setting up the South Bank Board as an independent body.

  Mr. Luce
  [pursuant to his reply, 14 March 1988, c. 432.]: I have today placed a copy of the trust deed in the Library of the House.

DEFENCE

  Civilian Employees
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many civilian employees have left the armed services in each year since 1974;

  (2) how many civilian employees have left the Army in each year since 1974;

  (3) how many people have joined the Army as civilian employees in each year since 1974;

  (4) how many people have joined the armed services as civilian employees in each year since 1974;

  (5) how many civilians were employed in the Army in each year since 1974.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There are no civilians employed in the armed services. Ministry of Defence civil servants work in support of the armed services and the following tables show the numbers of full-time equivalent United Kingdom-based civilian staff, excluding casuals, in the MOD as a whole, in the three service Departments taken together and in the Army Department alone on 1 April for 330
  each year from 1974 to 1987 and for 1 March 1988, the latest date for which information is available, together with the available details on intake to and outflow from these areas for the 1985–86 and 1986–87 financial years and for the 1987–88 financial year to 1 March 1988. Such data were not available prior to 1985–86 and the figures given exclude data in respect of a small proportion of staff whose records are not held centrally.

  Ministry of Defence United Kingdom based civilian staff1

  As at 1 April

  Total

  In navy, army and air force departments

  In army department

  1974

  248,876·0

  173,786·0

  66,626·0

  1975

  247,600·0

  167,511·0

  65,031·0

  1976

  244,547·0

  165,576·0

  63,531·0

  1977

  235,905·0

  160,699·0

  61,108·0

  1978

  227,506·0

  156,269·0

  59,131·0

  1979

  224,697·0

  155,365·0

  58,730·0

  1980

  218,026·0

  150,181·0

  56,018·0

  1981

  208,761·0

  144,501·0

  53,097·0

  1982

  197,491·0

  136,358·0

  50,279·0

  1983

  190,334·0

  133,557·0

  49,440·0

  1984

  181,183·0

  126,241·0

  47,564·0

  1985

  174,077·0

  122,062·0

  46,267·5

  1986

  169,462·5

  119,203·5

  45,673·5

  1987

  164,002·5

  115,346·0

  43,489·0

  19882

  144,315·5

  96,777·0

  42,283·0

  1 Full time equivalent staff, excluding casual employees and royal ordnance factory staff.

  2 Figure is for 1 March 1988.

  Intake of United Kingdom civilian staff1

  During

  In total

  To navy, army and air force departments

  To army department

  1985–86

  13,874·0

  10,463·0

  5,443·5

  1986–87

  13,889·0

  10,075·5

  4,757·0

  1987–882

  12,688·5

  9,345·5

  4,939·5

  1 Intake from outside MOD, including transfers from other Government Departments.

  2 Up to 1 March 1988.

  Outflow of United Kingdom based civilian staff1

  During

  In total

  From navy, army and air force departments

  From army department

  1985–86

  17,925·5

  12,999·5

  6,037·5

  1986–87

  18,455·0

  14,206·0

  6,572·0

  1987–882

  331,441·5

  327,395·5

  5,861·5

  1 Outflow to outside MOD, including transfers to other Government Departments.

  2 Up to 1 March 1988.

  3 Includes 16,546 staff lost through the contractorisation of the Devonport and Rosyth dockyards.

  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many deaths by suicide have been recorded among civilian employees on defence contracts in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No record of deaths of civilian employees of defence contractors is kept by my Department.

  NATO Exercise (Firth of Clyde)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the size, nature, extent and purpose of the NATO
  331
  exercise to be held in the Firth of Clyde in August and September; what consultation is taking place with fishing, recreational, industrial and other interests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to Exercise Teamwork 88, a major NATO maritime exercise to be held later this year in the Atlantic and Norwegian sea areas.

  Detailed plans for associated exercise activity in the Clyde are not yet finalised, but it is expected that some ships will depart from the Clyde. There will probably be some exercise mine-laying activity in the area, and, as part of the routine planning process, mine-laying areas have been discussed and agreed with representatives of fishermen who work the area. A local area warning message about the exercise mine-laying activity will also be issued well in advance of the exercise, in accordance with our normal procedures.

  Combat Body Armour
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects combat body armour to enter general service in the Army; and how many vests will be procured during 1989.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Subject to the outcome of the troop trial, we plan to introduce combat armour into service in 1989. We plan to procure 15,000 vests during the 1989–90 financial year.

  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sets of combat body armour have been produced for troop trialling; when the trials are planned to take place; and when contracts are likely to be placed for bulk delivery.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  2,000 sets of combat armour have been procured for the troop trial. It is due to start in May and be completed by November. If the trial is successful, the first contracts for bulk delivery are expected to be placed by April 1989.

  Procurement Expenditure
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of his Department's procurement expenditure was spent in(a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) each of the standard English regions, during the last available financial year.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Percentage regional estimates of the Ministry's equipment procurement expenditure during the financial year 1986–87 are as follows :

  Area

  Percentage distribution1

  Wales

  2

  Scotland

  5

  Northern Ireland

  1

  North

  8

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  3

  East Midlands

  3

  East Anglia

  3

  South East

  49

  South West

  13

  West Midlands

  4

  North West

  9

  332
  1 These individually rounded estimates are based only on the location of the main contractors, and do not allow for subcontract work done in different regions. Expenditure on international collaborative projects is excluded.

  Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd.
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet the management of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd., to discuss the progress of the inquiries as to(a) why a large section of a new nuclear-powered submarine came to be welded on upside down at the Barrow yard and (b) why sections of a Trident submarine were lost overboard from a Bahamas registered cargo vessel off the Mull of Galloway and Walney Island in February.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I have no plans to meet the management of VSEL at present.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  The amount spent on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88 was £3,111,845. The amount quoted represents total expenditure borne on defence votes for the provision of official entertainment, apart from a small element of expenditure overseas which has yet to be brought to account. The figure includes therefore expenditure incurred not only by the Ministry of Defence itself, but also by formations and establishments of the armed forces at home and overseas, and by individual officers occupying command and international appointments for which entertainment allowances are payable.

  Weapons and Ammunition (Transport)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the categories of weapons currently being transported by road from the base at Caerwent.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. It is not our practice to provide details of weapons or ammunitions stocks at particular sites.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider the safety implications at Royal Air Force Caerwent of changing the transport of ammunition from road to rail.

  Mr. Freeman
  I am satisfied with the current arrangements for the transport of ammunition to and from RAF Caerwent, which involves movement both by rail and by road.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he has any propoals to improve the security of the transport of ammunition by contractors employed by the United States Army during collection, parking, and delivery of the loads.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. These responsibilities fall to the United States authorities who are subject to the same regulations governing the storage and handling of ammunition as Her Majesty's forces.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, in the interests of safety, he will stipulate that at least two drivers per vehicle are employed in the transport of ammunition from Royal Air Force bases.
  333
  Mr. Freeman
  In accordance with the provisions of the Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977, attendants are provided for each driver, or, where there is an organised convoy, in the leading, last and every fifth vehicle.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements are made to ensure that drivers of ammunition lorries at the Caerwent base are sober and in a fit condition to drive before their vehicles are loaded at the base, Newport docks or other loading centres.

  Mr. Freeman
  The authorised explosives representative at the site is responsible for ensuring that ammunition is handled in accordance with the provisions of the Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if lorries transporting ammunition from the Caerwent base are escorted by military personnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  No.

  Drinking Clubs
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review arrangements for the establishment and regulation of drinking clubs on Royal Air Force bases including the admission of civilian personnel.

  Mr. Freeman
  Bar facilities are limited to the provision of officers' messes, sergeants' messes, junior ranks' clubs and in certain cases civilian canteens. These are well regulated and arrangements are kept under local review. The admission of civilian personnel to service facilities is only by invitation and is subject to strict control of local commanders.

  Ammunition (Storage and Handling)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what checks are carried out to ensure that personnel responsible for the storage and handling of ammunition are not working under the influence of alcohol.

  Mr. Freeman
  The handling of military explosives is strictly regulated. Unit standing orders specify that no person under the influence of alcohol is to be allowed to enter ammunition storage or handling areas. The transportation of military explosives is also strictly regulated (Statutory Instrument 1977 No. 888—Conveyance by Road of Military Explosives Regulations 1977) and imposes similar restrictions in relation to vehicles.

  Benbecula (Visit)
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the purpose of the visit of a group of United States military officers to Benbecula on 15 February.

  Mr. Freeman
  Two United States military officers from HQ 3rd air force transited through Benbecula on 15 February following their visit to a joint RN/RAF exercise in the north atlantic area.

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the minimum height at which Royal Air Force aircraft are permitted to fly over land in Cyprus;

  (2) what is the minimum height at which Royal Air Force aircraft are permitted to fly over land in Belize;

  (3) what is the minimum height at which Royal Air Force aircraft are permitted to fly over land in the Falkland Islands.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 22 February 1988]: RAF aircraft are stationed in Cyprus, Belize and the Falkland Islands for operational rather than training purposes. It is not our practice to comment on operational details.

  Aircraft Accidents
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the rate of major accidents per 10,000 flying hours, in each year since 1971, for(a) Royal Air Force fast jet aircraft, and (b) all British military fast jet aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 31 March 1988]: Since 1971, the major accident rates for fast jet aircraft of the Royal Air Force have been as follows:

  Fast·Jet Cat. 4/5 Accident Rate Per 10.000 Flying Hours

  Year

  Rate

  1971

  2·35

  1972

  1·89

  1973

  1·21

  1974

  1·19

  1975

  1·10

  1976

  1·21

  1977

  0·80

  1978

  0·90

  1979

  1·49

  1980

  1·13

  1981

  1·28

  1982

  1·22

  1983

  1·25

  1984

  0·86

  1985

  0·73

  1986

  0·58

  1987

  0·84

  The major accident rates since 1971 for all Royal Air Force aircraft are as follows:—

  Year

  Major accident rate per 10.000 flying hours

  1971

  0·66

  1972

  0·46

  1973

  0·51

  1974

  0·32

  1975

  0·45

  1976

  0·58

  1977

  0·34

  1978

  0.49

  1979

  0.52

  1980

  0·48

  1981

  0·50

  1982

  0·49

  1983

  0·46

  335

  Year

  Major accident rate per 10,000 flying hours

  1984

  0·38

  1985

  0·33

  1986

  0·31

  1987

  0·28

  336
  Tri-service information of this kind is not recorded centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost and effort.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Green Pound
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of the green pound in the light of the intended fiscal harmony within the EEC in 1992.

  Mr. MacGregor
  The completion of a single Community market for agricultural products by 1992 requires removal of monetary compensatory amounts which are applied in agricultural trade. I have told the Agriculture Council that it would be appropriate to take a measured step in that direction in the context of the 1988 price fixing.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The provisional figure for expenditure in 1987–88 is £44.000.

  Milk (Hormones)
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to prevent growth hormones being used to boost milk yields; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I see no justification for such steps.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has about the health consequences for milk consumers of additional fat in milk stemming from the use of growth hormones in dairy cattle; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  I understand that the fat content of milk over a whole lactation from dairy cows treated with bovine somatotropin lies within the range of fat content of milk from untreated dairy cows.

  Surplus Food
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what responses he has received from organisations which wish to take advantage of the European Community scheme for distributing surplus food; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: I shall be making an announcement soon.

  Green Pound
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to have achieved a 9 per cent. devaluation of the green pound; what steps he proposes to take to reduce the competitive disadvantages currently suffered by British farmers within the EEC; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. MacGregor
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: Devaluations of green currencies are generally best made in the context of the annual price fixing, when their effect
  338
  on consumers and taxpayers, as well as on farmers, can be properly assessed. I have made it clear to the Agriculture Council that some devaluation is justified in the current price-fixing and will be pressing for it. In the pigmeat sector, where MCAs are creating rather than preventing distortions, I am pressing for the abolition of our MCAs, but there are conflicting views within the Council and this will not be easy to achieve.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State For Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Stanley
  £247,882 was spent by the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments.

  School Assemblies
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what direction or regulation the state schools in Northern Ireland have been given the authority to hold, during their assemblies, a public signing of the peace pledge organised by the "Choose Life Campaign"; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: No directions have been issued to schools on the matter, nor is it covered by any regulation.

  Rallies
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) under what direction or regulation the divisional youth offices of the Northern Ireland education and library boards have been given authority to provide transport to a "Choose Life" rally in the King's hall, Belfast, on 23 April;

  (2) what is his policy towards the provision of free transport by education and library boards for attendance at rallies to be addressed by persons who have made public statements accusing the security forces of murder; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Mawhinney
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: The provision of transport in the circumstances described is a matter for decision by individual education and library boards.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department has made any studies of the cost to the National Health Service of transport-related accidents.

  Mrs. Currie
  No specific study of these costs has been carried out, but the Department does form an estimate of the likely annual cost of treating casualties of road traffic accidents. The latest available estimate (England 1985) puts the cost at £124 million.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people will receive reduced
  339
  housing benefit or no housing benefit as a result of the changes in social security on 11 April because of (a) the rise in the rent taper from 60 to 65 per cent, (b) the 20 per cent. contribution to rates, (c) the £6,000 capital rule, (d) the changes to non-dependant deductions and (e) other changes, broken down into (i) two-parent families with children, (ii) one-parent families with children, (iii) pensioners, (iv) young single people under 25 years and (iv) others;

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what are his latest estimates of the number of households and global sums concerned in the recent changes in social security benefit in respect of(a) the number of households who will be required to pay an additional contribution to rates, (b) the median sum concerned and (c) the global additional national sum for which affected householders will be now liable;

  (2) if he will state in respect of the recent and immediately forthcoming changes in social security benefits (a) the number of households who, other than any increased contributions to the rates, will be disadvantaged, (b) the median sum per household and (c) the total national global reduction for those concerned in (a) above.

  Mr. Portillo
  Answers to these questions in the form requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the latest number of losers as a result of changes in housing benefit in each local authority area in England.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will break down the £650 million to be saved on housing benefit into claimant categories of (i) families with children, (ii) pensioners, (iii) young single people under 25 years and (iv) others; and what proportion of the savings is due to the 20 per cent. contribution to rates in each case.

  Mr. Portillo
  We estimate that the requirement for ratepayers to pay a minimum of 20 per cent. of domestic rates saves some two thirds of the total housing benefit saving of £650 million. It is not possible to break these figures down by claimant categories.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the level of savings under which housing benefit is payable to £10,000 on the assumption that(a) the rules for other benefits are unaltered, (b) the interest actually received on savings and not an arbitrarily assumed return is used in assessing benefit and (c) no change is made to the rule that those with savings of under £3,000 receive benefit in full.

  Mr. Portillo
  Of the order of £60 million.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many of those receiving housing benefit in each of the last three years had(a) no savings, (b) savings of under £3,000, (c) savings of £3,000 and under £6,000, (d) savings of £6,000 and under £10,000 and (e) savings of over £10,000.

  Mr. Portillo
  I regret that we hold no data on the capital holdings of those who have received housing benefit over 340
  the last three years. Government estimates of the effects of the new capital rule are based on extrapolations from the family expenditure survey.

  Bronchitis and Emphysema
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has now received the reports of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council investigations into the possible extension of bronchitis and emphysema as industrial diseases; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eadie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to have the report from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council dealing with the prescription of chronic bronchitis and emphysema as an industrial disease; and whether he intends to ensure it is published without delay.

  Mr. Scott
  I refer the hon. Members to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Bexhill and Battle (Mr. Wardle) and the hon. Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Mr. Lofthouse) on 14 March 1988 at column 472.

  Nurses
  Mr. Prescott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how his Department calculates the number of nurses registered with the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting who are not currently practising nursing, and who are to be targeted in the campaign to recruit and retain nurses launched on Thursday 24 March.

  Mr. Newton
  An analysis has been carried out of the live register of United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC), concentrating particularly on those nurses, midwives and health visitors who have confirmed or updated their registration details, but not paid the new periodic fee. The rationale for concentrating on this group is that, while their non-payment of the fee implies that they are not working in nursing, their desire to maintain a correct record of their registration particulars suggests the possibility of their availability for nursing work at a later date or if work become available to suit their personal circumstances. The UKCC estimates there will be a United Kingdom total of 85,000 people in this category once the periodic fee exercise is complete. The UKCC has advised district health authorities of the service it is able to provide in forwarding recruitment literature to this group of people.

  Oldham Home-making Scheme
  Mr. Meacher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what representations he has received from Oldham metropolitan borough concerning the Oldham home-making scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We have received representations about the delay in RHA funding for this scheme. It was one of a number considered by the RHA against its target of resettling a record level of 150 patients in the community in 1988–89. I understand that three schemes for Salford, Bolton and Manchester have been given priority for this year with other schemes including the Oldham home-making scheme remaining under consideration for funding in subsequent years.

  Age Allowance
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the value in 1971 money of the 25p age allowance for those aged over 80 years, which was introduced in 1971.

  Mr. Scott
  At 1971 prices, the 25p age addition is currently worth five pence.

  Nursing Homes
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he has taken to(a) ensure that health authorities and social services departments were made aware of the fact that from 11 April elderly people will no longer have access to private nursing homes until their own homes have been sold; and (b) increase funds for community care provision to cater for the increased number of elderly people who need nursing care and have to remain at home.

  Mr. Portillo
  It is not necessary for a person to sell his home before entering private care. However, when he takes up permanent residence in a residential care home or nursing home he will not be entitled to income support if the net value of his former home together with any other capital goods he has exceeds £6,000. The value of the previous home will he disregarded in certain circumstances including if it is occupied by the person's partner.

  The need for additional community services should not arise and there was no need to consult social services or health authorities.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what discussions he has had with the major clearing banks regarding the availability of loans for persons needing immediate access to capital locked up in their home for use to pay nursing home fees, in the light of the withdrawal under the new social security regulations of loans from his Department for this purpose.

  Mr. Portillo
  We have written to all the major clearing banks. They have assured us that loans will be made available in these circumstances, subject to the normal conditions.

  Local Offices (Partitions)
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost of strengthening partitions in public sections in his Department's offices in Bradford south and west; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  Work to strengthen partitions has been carried out only at Bradford, south local office and this cost £309·75.

  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the total cost of strengthening partitions in public sections of his Department's offices in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  There has been no change in the Department's policy with regard to the level of protection provided for staff. Local office managers have responsibility for deciding the appropriate level of protection, in consultation with their local staff and trade unions.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Moore
  Estimated expenditure on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88 is £86,250. In addition, the Department spent £56,235 in its role as host to the world summit on AIDS.

  Supplementary Benefit
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his latest estimate of the number of people on supplementary benefit broken down into (i) claimants, (ii) dependants, (iii) children and (iv) families with children.

  Mr. Portillo
  In February 1986, the latest date for which information is available, the position was as follows:

  Number

  Claimants

  4,938,000

  Partners

  1,127,000

  Children under 16 years

  2,123,000

  Other dependants

  104.000

  Families with children under 16 years

  1,137,000

  Source: Annual Statistical Enquiry.

  Industrial Death Benefit
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services for what reasons he has decided to withdraw future payments to widows in respect of industrial death benefit; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on the withdrawal of industrial death benefit from widows to whom it was awarded before April 1988, in the light of his Department's social security notes of February 1988, which stated that in existing cases payment would continue.

  Mr. Scott
  Industrial death benefit has been abolished in respect of deaths occurring on or after 11 April 1988. In these cases, industrial widows will have access to the same weekly benefits as national insurance widows, including the tax-free lump sum of £1,000, where appropriate, but they will not have to satisfy the contribution conditions. Where an industrial death occurred before 11 April 1988, industrial death benefit will still be payable, though its higher weekly rate has been aligned with that of national insurance widows' pension. This has entailed removal of the industrial preference of 55p a week. However, people in receipt of industrial death benefit will retain the important right to receive other benefits based on their own contributions (for example, retirement pension) on top of their death benefit. The reasons for these changes were set out in a consultation paper on the industrial injuries scheme, issued by the Department in December 1985, and were based on the proposals contained in the 1981 White Paper "Reform of the Industrial Injuries Scheme" Cmnd. 8402.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total amount collected from
  343
  (a) employers and (b) employees in national insurance contributions in the last financial year; and what amount from these contributions went into the National Health Service funds.

  Mr. Portillo
  The information is as follows :

  Estimated receipts1 from Class 1 National Insurance Contributions in 1987–88 (Great Britain)

  £ million

  Estimated receipts

  Allocated to National Health Service

  (a) Employers

  213,700

  1,250

  (b) Employees

  12,600

  1,350

  1 Provisional estimated outturn.

  2 Net of Statutory Sick Pay and Statutory Maternity Pay deductions of £950 million.

  Social Fund
  Mr. John Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what local contingency arrangements have been made in the Port Talbot and Neath local offices of his Department in the event of the office's social fund budgets being exhausted before the end of the 1988–89 financial year.

  Mr. Portillo
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) on 4 March at column 746.

  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the 1988–89 social fund budget for his Department's offices serving the London borough of Barnet.

  Mr. Scott
  The local offices serving the London borough of Barnet are Barnet, Edgware, Hendon, Highgate, Neasden and Wood Green. Information on their social fund allocations for 1988–89 was contained in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) on 4 November at columns 774–81.

  Pensioner Households (Expenditure)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what surveys have been undertaken to discover the extent to which pensioner households have different expenditure patterns from those of other households.

  Mr. Scott
  The annual family expenditure survey measures the income and expenditure patterns of a nationally representative sample of households, and the results, which are published, are broken down between pensioner and non-pensioner households.

  Social Security Upratings
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will make it his policy to use the all-items retail prices index to uprate income support at future social security upratings; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  We will announce our decisions concerning the uprating of income support at the time of the general uprating statement in the autumn.

  Expenditure
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the real increase in expenditure in social security between 1978–79 and 1987–88 broken down into the main reasons for the increase on the same basis as contained in the "Government's Expenditure Plans 1987–88 to 1989–90", volume II, 3.15, paragraph 39.

  Mr. Scott
  Over the period 1978–79 to 1987–88 the social security programme increased by £13 billion (at 1987–88 prices) or by 39 per cent. in real terms. The main
  reasons for the increase were:

  (i) £4 billion due to real increases in the average amounts of benefit paid (whether due to changes in the basic rates of benefit or other factors)

  (ii) £3·75 billion due to increased numbers of unemployed people receiving benefits

  (iii) £2·5 billion due to increased numbers of retirement pensioners

  (iv) £2·25 billion due to increased numbers receiving disability benefits

  (v) £1·5 billion due to increased numbers of single parents receiving benefits

  (vi) £0·75 billion reflecting the increased costs of administering a larger number of claims for benefits offset by reductions of:

  (vii) £1 billion reflecting the introduction of statutory sick pay and a decrease in the incidence of short term sickness.

  (viii) £0·75 billion from reductions in the numbers of widows and children and in the numbers of women receiving maternity benefits.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what are the current numbers of people waiting for (i) urgent and (ii) non-urgent operations in each specialty in the Leicestershire district health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  The latest available information is given in the table. The September 1987 waiting list figures are being compiled and will be published as soon as possible. Following the recommendations of the steering group on the health services information, the classification of cases as urgent or non-urgent has been dropped, and much more detailed information about waiting times will be available.
  345

  Patients on in-patient waiting list at 31 March 1987 District health authority: Leicestershire

  Specialty

  Total

  Numbers Urgent cases

  Numbers Non-urgent cases

  All

  On list more than one month

  All

  On list more than one year

  Percentage non-urgent cases on list more than one year as percentage of total

  General medicine

  6

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Paediatrics

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Thoracic medicine

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Dermatology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Neurology

  11

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Cardiology

  183

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Rehabilitation

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Genito-urinary medicine

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Rheumatology

  4

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Geriatrics

  10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Units for younger disabled

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  General surgery

  928

  —

  —

  —

  44

  4·7

  Ear, nose and throat

  1,553

  —

  —

  —

  195

  12·6

  Traumatic and orthopaedic

  1,340

  —

  —

  —

  218

  16·3

  Ophthalmology

  727

  —

  —

  —

  29

  4·0

  Radiotherapy

  14

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Urology

  452

  —

  —

  —

  7

  1·5

  Plastic surgery

  1,091

  —

  —

  —

  568

  52·1

  Thoracic surgery

  446

  —

  —

  —

  22

  4·9

  Oral surgery

  260

  —

  —

  —

  30

  11·5

  Orthodontics

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Neurosurgery

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Gynaecology

  1,151

  —

  —

  —

  10

  0·9

  Psychiatry children

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Mental handicap

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Mental illness

  15

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Adolescent psychiatry units

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  G. P. other

  9

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  G. P. dental

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Accident and emergency

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Anaesthetics

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Audiological medicine

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Cardiac surgery

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Child assessment unit

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Clinical pharmacology and therapeutics

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Endocrinology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Forensic psychiatry

  10

  —

  —

  —

  1

  10·0

  Gastroenterology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Haematology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Medical oncology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Nephrology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Paediatric surgery

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Pathology

  0

  —

  —

  —.

  —

  0·0

  Psychogeriatric

  68

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1·5

  Radiology

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Restorative dentistry

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Spinal injuries unit

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Paediatric dentistry

  0

  —

  —

  —.

  —

  0·0

  Other

  0

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·0

  Surgical specialties—sub-total

  7,962

  —

  —

  —

  1,123

  14·1

  All specialties—total

  8,278

  —

  —

  —

  1,125

  13·6

  Consultants
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on the proportion up to 10 per cent. of National Health Service salaries earned by consultants from private practice.

  Mr. Newton
  This information is not collected centrally.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects his Department to publish Dr. Joe Smith's report on monitoring HIV infection; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  As I said in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Suffolk, South (Mr. Yeo) on 9 February at column 168, we propose to publish this report. I cannot yet give a precise date, but expect it to be fairly shortly.

  Yorkshire RHAs
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the financial position at the end of the first half of the current budgetary year of each of the 17 Yorkshire regional health authority districts, together with the four districts in South Yorkshire covered by the Trent regional health authority.

  Mr. Newton
  Both the initial allocation of funds and the release of funds to DHAs during the year are the responsibility of the regional health authority concerned. The hon. Member may therefore wish to contact the chairmen of the Yorkshire and Trent RHAs for details of the allocations for 1988–89. At the same time, she may wish to discuss arrangements for receiving details regarding districts mid year financial positions when they become available.

  Disregard Threshold
  Mr. Churchill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what would be the cost of raising the disregard threshold for social security benefits from £6,000 to £10,000.

  Mr. Portillo
  £70 million, assuming that the tariff income begins at £3,000.

  Doctors' Pay
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement on doctors' pay.

  Mr. Newton
  The hon. Member must await the publication of the report of the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration.

  Adjudication Officers' Guide
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when the adjudication officers' guide will be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  [pursuant to his reply, 31 March 1988, c. 661–621 In addition to the adjudication officer's guide, the third annual report of the Chief Adjudication Officer is being published today and copies have been placed in the Library. It provides information on the standards of social security adjudication. I thank the CAO for his detailed report and I welcome the recognition that the new income support scheme and other aspects of the reform of social security should lead to an improvement in adjudication standards.

  National Health Service Building Programme
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the National Health Service capital expenditure projects, costing more than £1 million, which have been completed in the Staffordshire, Moorlands parliamentary constituency during the past 14 years and those projected in the next five years.

  Mrs. Currie
  [pursuant to her reply, 12 April 1988, c. 81]I am sorry that my earlier reply was incomplete.

  The information requested is as follows:

  Completed schemes:

  New Cheadle geriatric unit—completed July 1987—cost £5 million.

  348
  Projected schemes:

  Leek Moorlands hospital redevelopment— estimated completion date 1989—cost £2·079 million.

  Biddulph Neighbourhood hospital— estimated completion date 1993—cost £1·65 million.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Jamaica and Windward Islands
  Mr. Sackville
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received about bilateral trade agreements with Jamaica and the Windward Islands.

  Mr. Maude
  None.

  Space
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what progress has been made in identifying a new director general for the British National Space Centre; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the Government's policy on the RADARSAT and Columbus space station projects; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to review the position of British participation in European space ventures; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The Government have considered carefully the options for the Columbus polar platform and RADARSAT earth observation projects. I am pleased to announce that we shall be proposing today to our European Space Agency partners that the United Kingdom should take a leading role in the polar platform. This represents a sensible next step, based on our consistent policy of supporting earth observation, where a commercial market can be developed through the acquisition and processing of data for sale to end users. We joined the ERS-1 project under ESA in March 1982; ERS- I is due to be launched in 1990. I announced on 10 February 1988, at column 250, our decision to establish a new Earth observation data centre at Farnborough costing an additional £20 million. We are now set to proceed with our next major project, the polar platform, at a cost, including the associated instrumentation, of over £250 million during the next 10 years.

  I am also pleased to announce that industry will be contributing up to £5 million of the cost of the polar platform. This demonstrates in the clearest possible way British industry's support for our decision and its confidence in the longer-term commercial prospects.

  Having decided to enter Columbus, the Government will not be entering the Canadian RADARSAT project. RADARSAT is a good project and we have spent £4·5 million examining it carefully, but it is essentially a one-off project on a smaller scale than Columbus and we would not have offered as good a base for commercial exploitation. To pursue both Columbus and RADARSAT would involve expensive parallel development of different platforms. We expect to receive most of the information RADARSAT would provide through our membership of ERS-1 and Columbus.

  Over the last 10 months, we have been urged to enter a wide range of space projects which would have cost the

  349
  taxpayer well over £1 billion in total. I believe that I have now made a sensible choice to join those projects which offer the best value for money for the British taxpayer and British industry. We have also appointed a new director general for the British National Space Centre. He is Mr. Arthur Pryor, a senior official in my Department. One of his main tasks will be to work closely with industry in order to maximise returns from our new investment in the polar platform.

  Tyneside City Action Team
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what has been the annual expenditure of the Tyneside city action team for 1985–86, 1986–87 the half year to October 1987, indicating the amounts which have been spent on(a) research and development, (b) enterprise agencies, (c) advice and consultancy to small businesses, (d) grants to service and (e) grants to manufacturing industry.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The city action team based in Newcastle comprises the regional directors of my Department, the Department of Employment and Department of the Environment. Expenditure by the three Departments in the area of CAT for the period requested by the hon. Member was :

  Year

  Amount £

  1985–86

  109,181,000

  1986–87

  162,501,000

  April to October 1987

  84,728,000

  Expenditure in the categories requested was as follows:

  £000s

  1985–86

  1986–87

  April-October 1987

  Research and Development

  50

  73

  27

  Enterprise Agencies

  nil

  100

  87

  Advice and Consultancyto small businesses

  2,347

  3,138

  1,385

  Grants to service industry

  1,394

  2,204

  2,503

  Grants to manufacturing industry

  24,968

  52,215

  25,871

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what liaison arrangements he has established between the Northern industrial development advisory board, the Tyneside city action team and the Tyne and Wear urban development corporation.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The main task of the North Eastern industrial development advisory board is to advise on applications for regional selective assistance under section 7 of the Industrial Development Act 1982 and on industrial opportunities in the region. The regional director attends the board and is also a member of the city action team. The city action team also works closely with the Tyne and Wear urban development corporation through a system of regular meetings.

  South Africa
  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to ensure that United Nations Security Council resolution 558 is being respected within Britain.
  350
  Mr. Maude
  We implement fully the terms of the
  voluntary United Nations Council Resolution 558 of 1984.

  Mr. Steel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of
  Lancaster if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the advertisement of South African-manufactured arms in British publications.

  Mr. Butcher
  The Government are not aware of such
  advertisements. However, we operate a strict and rigorously controlled embargo on the import of arms, ammunition, military vehicles and paramilitary equipment from South Africa.

  Engagements
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list his official engagements in the County Palatine since he assumed office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  I have undertaken seven official engagements in the County Palatine since 1 assumed the office of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, twice in my capacity as Chancellor, as follows :

  14 July 1987 pm
  Minister of State engagement : Keynote speech and panel discussion at the Alvey Conference, university of Manchester institute of science and technology, Manchester.

  24 July 1987 am
  Chancellor of the Duchy engagement : Chancellor, Mrs. Clarke, Mr. Smith (Principal Private Secretary) and Mrs. Smith joined Her Majesty the Queen for lunch at Crewe Hall Farm, Cheshire.

  24 July 1987 pm
  Minister of State engagement : Launch of Preston task force at Preston town hall. Accompanied by Mr. Atkins.
  Chancellor of the Duchy engagement : Attendance at Magistrate's Association annual summer training conference round-up dinner at Lancaster university, keynote speaker right hon. Douglas Hurd, MP.

  9 October 1987 pm
  Minister of State engagement : BBC Radio 4's "Any Questions Panel" in Liverpool.

  19 February 1988
  Political engagements: Meeting with Manchester action committee (St. James' Club, Manchester); tour of Salford quays; Cheadle Conservative association champagne buffet and reception (Bramhall).

  26 February 1988 am
  Inner cities visit: accompanied Prime Minister for launch of information technology institute at Salford university; opening of Campbell's new manufacturing facility at Salford quays.

  14 June 1988
  Inner cities visit : Inner cities working breakfast in Liverpool. Accompanied by Mr. Trippier. Opportunities for other Liverpool inner city/regional engagements to be added as the Minister wishes.

  13 July 1988 (notified to DTI-NW am 15 April 1988)
  Inner cities visit : Opening new premises at Plastics (Manchester) Limited in Levenshulme. Mr. Clarke has also agreed to open Hoskyn Group Plc's new premises in Sale. Again, opportunities for other Manchester/ Salford inner city or regional engagements to be added, as the Minister wishes.

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the amounts of regional development grants in Lancashire in each year since 1975; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  It is not possible to provide figures in respect of the "old" regional development grant scheme because information was not maintained by individual areas.

  The following regional development grants have been offered to businesses in the west Lancashire district, which is the area in Lancashire with development area status and eligible for regional development grant :

  £

  1984–85

  12,000

  1985–86

  1,405,422

  1986–87

  2,742,827

  1987–88

  7,150,822

  Burton Group
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) when he estimates his Department will complete the section 447 investigation into the Burton Group; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he has considered ordering a section 432 investigation into the Burton Group's takeover of Debenham; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  Inquiries under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985 into Burtons are in progress, as the company has itself stated. Beyond that I cannot comment.

  Takeovers
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has considered ordering a section 432 investigation into the Guinness Group takeover of Bells; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The inspectors appointed on 28 November 1986 to investigate the affairs and membership of Guinness may inquire into this matter to the extent that they consider necessary.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will institute an inquiry into whether any two or more of(a) the following persons, Roger Seelig, Anthony Parnes, Lord Spens, David Mayhew, Gerald Ronson and Sir Jack Lyons and (b) the companies Morgan Grenfell or Cazenove have been involved jointly in any takeover other than Guinness's takeover of Distillers within the past five years.

  Mr. Maude
  No.

  Enterprise Initiative
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department intends to spend on promoting the enterprise initiative in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  Expenditure by my Department on promoting the enterprise initiative during 1987–88 totalled £6·8 million.

TRANSPORT

  Channel Tunnel
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to meet the chairman of British Rail to discuss British Rail's investment proposals under section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Not at this stage. BR is not required to publish its section 40 plan until the end of 1989. It intends to use the time to consult widely with interested parties in the regions.

  Accident Statistics
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were injured on the roads in 1987.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Too many.

  The number of casualties in 1987 is provisionally estimated at 308,000. This is the lowest number recorded in any year since 1958. Motor traffic has increased by 380 per cent. since 1958. The provisional estimate of the number of deaths, at 5,110, is the lowest since 1954. The number of pedestrians killed is the lowest since records began in 1926.

  A full breakdown of the provisional estimates is given in statistical bulletin No. [88]10 which is available in the Library.

  Metropolitan Counties
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with bus operators in metropolitan county areas.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I met a delegation of public transport company managing directors from the metropolitan areas on 22 September 1987. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, also met representatives of the Bus and Coach Council on 22 February of this year. From time to time I meet various operators to keep myself informed as the benefits of deregulation unfold.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there has been in the number of passengers using bus services in the metropolitan counties following bus deregulation.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  In 1986–87, the latest date for which figures are available, bus patronage in the metropolitan areas outside London declined by 12 per cent. over the previous year.

  Air Traffic Control
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the ability of United Kingdom air traffic control to handle the volume of traffic expected during the summer months.

  Mr. Channon
  The Civil Aviation Authority tells me that the national air traffic services will be able to handle the traffic expected this summer, subject to peak hour flow management.

  Railways (Overcrowding)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to which rail lines are currently subject to particular overcrowding.

  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has as to which rail lines are currently subject to particular overcrowding.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 29 March at column 455.

  Mr. Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish all information he has on overcrowding on trains.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  1 have asked the board to set out, in its annual report and accounts, progress towards achievement of its quality of service objectives which, for network South East, include load factor standards.

  Mr. Snape
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has discussed with the chairman of British Rail the problem of overcrowding on trains; and if he will make a statement.

  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has discussed with the chairman of British Rail the problem of overcrowding on trains; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has discussed with the chairman of British Rail the problem of overcrowding on trains; and if he will make a statement.

  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has discussed with the chairman of British Rail the problem of overcrowding on trains; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will ask the chairman of British Rail to meet him to discuss overcrowding on trains.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I meet the chairman regularly to discuss matters of mutual interest including, from time to time, quality of service.

  Road Transport (Driving Hours)
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy towards the proposed European Economic Community regulation to amend the permitted driving hours in road transport.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We still await a formal proposal from the European Commission to amend the drivers' hours regulations.

  Transport Safety
  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to seek to increase his enforcement powers in relation to transport safety.

  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to seek to increase his powers to enforce safety standards on foreign companies operating within the United Kingdom.
  354
  Mr. Channon
  The safe movement of people and goods is one of my top priorities irrespective of whether the operator is British or foreign. Effective enforcement of safety standards is an essential and regular part of that. I keep my powers for this purpose under regular review but have no immediate plans to seek to increase them.

  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to provide funding specifically for improvements in transport safety.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Transport safety is one of our main priorities. A large part of the resources the Department provides are directed to maintaining and improving it.

  Ms. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that safety should be a higher priority than financial cost in making regulations concerning transport policy.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The main reasons why we make transport regulations are to ensure safety and provide environmental protection. When drawing up regulations, we also take account of convenience and the efficient use of resources.

  British Rail
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend last met the chairman of British Rail on 28 March. A variety of railway matters were discussed.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many deaths have occurred in transport related incidents in the United Kingdom in the past year.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The number of deaths in transport accidents in Great Britain during the period July 1986 to June 1987, the most recently available 12 months, was 5,860.

  These statistics are obtained from death registration data and include all transport-related accidental deaths.

  Approximately 95 per cent. of these accidents are accounted for by road accidents. The remaining accidents are accounted for by rail, sea and air accidents.

  Departmental Staff (Safety Matters)
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he intends to increase staffing levels for safety-related matters within his Department.

  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of all staff in his Department are employed to improve safety standards in transport.

  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department are employed solely to enforce or improve safety standards in transport.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Fostering and improving transport safety is one of the objectives of the Department and is of concern to all staff. Some groups with particular responsibilities for supervision and enforcement are:
  355

  Number

  Railways inspectorate

  37

  Surveyor generals organisation

  407

  HM Coastguard

  569

  Driver testing and training

  1,715

  Road safety policy and vehicle standards and engineering

  92

  Vehicle inspectorate

  1,550

  Vehicle components approval

  70

  Air accidents investigation branch

  41

  Many of the 628 staff at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory are directly engaged on safety improvement research, and a major part of the work of the 5,401 staff at DVLC is concerned with documentation required for road safety purposes.

  Road Haulage Cabotage
  Mr. Ingram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed road haulage cabotage with other EEC Transport Ministers.

  Mr. Channon
  On 16 December last year, at the Transport Council in Brussels.

  Subsidiary

  Date of sale

  Purchaser

  1

  National Holidays Ltd.

  14 July 1986

  Pleasurama PLC

  2

  Devon General Ltd.

  19 August 1986

  Management

  3

  Badgerline Ltd.

  23 September 1986

  Management

  4

  The Southern Vectis Omnibus Co. Ltd.

  7 October 1986

  Management

  5

  Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Co. Ltd.

  31 October 1986

  Management

  6

  Maidstone and District Motor Services Ltd.

  7 November 1986

  Management

  7

  Cambus Ltd.

  5 December 1986

  Management

  8

  PMT Ltd.

  15 December 1986

  Management

  9

  South Midland Ltd.

  19 December 1986

  Management

  10

  Midland Red (West) Ltd.

  22 December 1986

  Management

  11

  Midland Red Coaches Ltd.

  22 December 1986

  Management

  12

  The Eastern National Omnibus Co. Ltd.

  23 December 1986

  Management

  13

  Trent Motor Traction Company Ltd.

  30 December 1986

  Management

  14

  City of Oxford Motor Services Ltd.

  15 January 1987

  Management

  15

  The Yorkshire Traction Co. Ltd.

  28 January 1987

  Management

  16

  West Riding Automobile Co. Ltd.

  29 January 1987

  Management

  17

  National Travel (East) Ltd.

  29 January 1987

  ATL Holdings Ltd.

  18

  East Yorkshire Motor Services Ltd.

  3 February 1987

  Management

  19

  Eastern Counties Omnibus Co. Ltd.

  26 February 1987

  Management

  20

  Alder Valley Engineering Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  21

  Bristol Engineering Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  22

  Carlyle Works Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  23

  Eastern National Engineering Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  24

  H & D Distribution Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  25

  Kent Engineering (NBC) Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  26

  Southdown Engineering Services Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  27

  United Counties Engineering Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  28

  East Kent Road Car Company Ltd.

  5 March 1987

  Management

  29

  Hampshire Bus Company Ltd.

  2 April 1987

  Stagecoach Ltd.

  30

  Pilgrim Coaches Ltd.

  2 April 1987

  Stagecoach Ltd.

  31

  National Welsh Omnibus Services Ltd.

  7 May 1987

  Management

  32

  Northern General Transport Co. Ltd.

  7 May 1987

  Management

  33

  Provincial Bus Company Ltd.

  8 May 1987

  Management/Employees

  34

  South Wales Transport Company Ltd.

  8 May 1987

  Management

  35

  Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach Co. Ltd.

  8 May 1987

  Management

  36

  Wilts and Dorset Bus Company Ltd.

  24 June 1987

  Management

  37

  Shamrock and Rambler Coaches Ltd.

  3 July 1987

  Drawlane Ltd.

  38

  Cumberland Motor Services Ltd.

  22 July 1987

  Stagecoach Holdings Ltd.

  39

  Wessex National Ltd.

  23 July 1987

  Management

  40

  Western National Ltd.

  6 August 1987

  Plympton Coachlines

  41

  Milton Keynes City Bus Ltd.

  7 August 1987

  Management

  42

  Midland Fox Ltd.

  18 August 1987

  Management

  43

  Luton and District Transport Ltd.

  21 August 1987

  Management-Employees

  44

  West Yorkshire Road Car Company Ltd.

  25 August 1987

  Mr. Alan

  Stephenson+ Parkdale

  Holdings plc

  National Bus Company
  Mr. Roger King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many former constituent businesses of the National Bus Company have been bought by their management; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Some 40 of the National Bus Company's 70 privatised subsidiaries were bought by management or employee teams. This excellent figure reflects our policy of spreading wealth in the community instead of concentrating it in the hands of the state.

  Mr. Robert Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list, in chronological order with sale dates, each of the National Bus Company subsidiaries sold to date, stating in each case the individual or company to whom the company was sold, and whether the sale was to a management buy-out, staff buy-out or outside bidder.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The information requested is as follows :
  357

  Subsidiary

  Date of sale

  Purchaser

  45

  Bristol Omnibus Co. Ltd.

  18 September 1987

  Midland Red West Holdings Ltd.

  46

  Voyage National SA

  23 September 1987

  Gurna Ltd.

  47

  Southdown Motor Services Ltd.

  2 October 1987

  Management

  48

  Northumbria Motor Services Ltd.

  21 October 1987

  Management

  49

  Alder Valley South Ltd.

  30 October 1987

  Frontsource Ltd.

  50

  United Counties Omnibus Company Ltd.

  18 November 1987

  Stagecoach Holdings Ltd.

  51

  United Automobile Services Ltd.

  2 December 1987

  West Riding Automobile (through Caldaire Ltd.)

  52

  Ambassador Travel (Eastern Counties) Ltd.

  4 December 1987

  Eastern Counties Omnibus Company- Management

  53

  Midland Red (South) Ltd.

  10 December 1987

  Cheltenham and Gloucester Omnibus Co. (through Western Travel Ltd.)

  54

  Berks Bucks Bus Company Ltd.

  15 December 1987

  Len Wright Travel

  55

  Hastings and District Transport Ltd.

  16 December 1987

  Management

  56

  Crosville Wales Ltd.

  21 December 1987

  Management

  57

  London Country Bus (North West) Ltd.

  5 January 1988

  Management

  58

  Midland Red (North) Ltd.

  27 January 1988

  Drawlane Ltd.

  59

  Lincolnshire Road Car Company Ltd.

  28 January 1988

  Yorkshire Traction Company Ltd.

  60

  East Midland Motor Services Ltd.

  5 February 1988

  Management

  61

  London Country Bus (South West) Ltd.

  19 February 1988

  Drawlane Ltd.- Speyhawk Land and Estates Ltd.

  62

  Gatwick Engineering Company Ltd.

  29 February 1988

  Frontsource Ltd.

  63

  Ribble Motor Services Ltd.

  2 March 1988

  Management

  64

  Kentish Bus and Coach Company Ltd.

  15 March 1988

  Northumbria Motor Services (through Proudmutual Ltd.)

  65

  North Western Road Car Company Ltd.

  16 March 1988

  Drawlane Ltd.

  66

  National Express Ltd.

  17 March 1988

  Management

  67

  National Travelworld Ltd.

  24 March 1988

  Badgerline Holdings Ltd.

  68

  Crosville Motor Services Ltd.

  25 March 1988

  ATL Holdings Ltd.

  69

  North Devon Ltd.

  29 March 1988

  Management

  70

  Southern National Ltd.

  29 March 1988

  Management

  In view of the number of people involved in these purchases it would not be practicable to list them individually. If the hon. Gentleman would like details of particular sales perhaps he would write to me.

  It should be noted that a number of management and third party sales included provision for equity participation by employees generally.

  Airline Competition
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received on the future of airline competition policy in the United Kingdom and in the European Community.

  Mr. Channon
  I have received many representations from airlines and other interests, the majority supporting competition in the provision of air transport services.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement as to the implications for airline competition of the recent statement by the European Commissioner for Transport.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend welcomes the agreement reached between the European Commission and British Airways, following the merger with British Caledonian Airways. The agreement is compatible with BA's proposals accepted by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, which opened up major opportunities for other United Kingdom airlines to operate services on domestic and European routes.
  358
  The Government remain committed to their policy, set out in the 1984 White Paper, of encouraging a sound competitive multi-airline industry, promoting competition in all markets, and ensuring adequate safeguards against anti-competitive behaviour.

  Nationalised Industries (Safety)
  Mr. Jim Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to seek to extend his powers to enforce safety improvements on nationalised industries.

  Mr. Channon
  None at present, but I shall be studying carefully any recommendations made by the investigation into the King's Cross fire on the monitoring and enforcement of safety provisions.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on current standards of road safety.

  Mr. Bottomley
  We are making good progress. Despite a 5 per cent. increase in traffic, last year road accident deaths were down 5 per cent., seriously injured down 8 per cent. and child pedestrian casualties down 9 per cent.

  Most road accident indicators show a decline over the last 20 years when related to the growth in traffic. We have the best road safety record in the European Community and one of the best in the world. That is no cause for complacency.
  359
  In publishing last July the report of the interdepartmental review of road safety we set the objective of accelerating the reduction in road accident casualties so as to reduce the number by one third—from 300,000 per year to 200,000—by the year 2000.

  Motorways
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further proposals he has for motorway road construction and repairs to existing motorways.

  Mr. Channon
  We are continuing to develop and improve the motorway network. Seven schemes are currently under construction and a further 26 are in preparation with a total value of over £1 billion.

  There is a continuing programme of major structural maintenance. In 1988–89 we expect to renew some 80 miles of existing motorway.

  Network SouthEast
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of British Rail to discuss passenger safety on Network SouthEast.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I meet the chairman regularly to discuss various matters of mutual interest. At our last meeting the chairman briefed me on the recent tragic incident on the Orpington-Victoria line and on the measures that British Rail is considering in the light of that.

  Passenger Transport Authorities'
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairmen of the passenger transport authorities; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend saw chairmen of the passenger transport authorities on 13 July 1987 to discuss precept control. Since then, I have seen the chairmen of some of the authorities to discuss their individual expenditure levels and precept limits; the chairman of the West Yorkshire passenger transport authority also led a delegation of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities which called on me on 2 March to make representations about the proposed change of the passenger transport authorities from precepting to billing authorities.

  Manchester Airport
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next intends to visit Manchester airport.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans for a visit.

  Motorways (Speed Limits)
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of motorway traffic he estimates exceeds the mandatory speed limit.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A national speed survey was carried out in 1987 and the results were published in January. This showed :360

  Percentage exceeding limit

  1987

  1983

  (a) Vehicle subject to 70 mph

  Cars

  36

  40

  Two-wheeled motor vehicles

  50

  47

  Buses and coaches

  9

  31

  Vans

  22

  19

  Minibuses

  12

  22

  (b) Vehicles subject to 60 mph

  HGVs—Rigid

  21

  30

  HGVs—Articulated

  22

  50

  (c) Vehicles subject to 50 mph when survey taken in 1983, now 60 mph

  Car towing

  7

  64

  Although the proportion exceeding the 70 mph limit on motorways has fallen, there has regrettably been no decrease in the proportion exceeding 75 mph.

  London Underground
  Ms. Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department last made a study of the threat to passenger safety caused by the danger of fires on the London Underground.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Fire is one of the risks to passenger safety that is monitored by the Department's Railway Inspectorate. Specific studies of this risk were made in connection with the inspectorate's formal inquiries into the underground fires at Finsbury Park (1976), Goodge Street (1981) and Bounds Green (1982). Published reports are available on these inquiries. Following the fire at Oxford Circus in 1984, London Underground Limited and the London fire brigade carried out a joint inquiry. The inspectorate has monitored the implementation of the inquiries' recommendations, which address wider issues of fire safety generally on the underground. The inspectorate also studies the reports of the annual fire prevention inspections carried out by the London fire brigade. Where new work is concerned, such as the Heathrow extension, the inspectorate requires an assurance that the fire authority is satisfied as to fire precautions before the works are opened to the public.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on safety standards on the London Underground.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Safety standards on the London underground are primarily the responsibility of London Regional Transport. LRT and London Underground Ltd. have a statutory duty to observe the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act and, where applicable, they are also required to observe my Department's published railway construction and operation requirements. The chief inspecting officer of railways provides an annual commentary on the underground's safety record in his reports on railway safety in Great Britain, copies of which are in the Library. The record has been generally satisfactory. It would be wrong for me to make any comments on matters that are currently under investigation as a result of the King's Cross fire.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the chairman of London Regional Transport to discuss the performance of London Underground Limited.
  361
  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend and I meet the chairman of London Regional Transport from time to time as and when the need arises.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has about the reduction in numbers and percentage of employees of London Underground Ltd. in the regional and telecommunications departments since 1984; what authorisations he has given to such reductions; and if any reference to such changes has been made by Her Majesty's inspectors of railways.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Staffing both in aggregate and in particular departments is a matter for the boards of London Regional Transport and London Underground Ltd. The Department has no information about staffing levels in the areas referred to. Changes in those levels would not need to be referred to the Department in general or the railways inspectorate in particular.

  Central London
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for controlling the amount of traffic entering central London.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  There are no plans for direct control of the amount of traffic entering central London.

  Concessionary Bus Fares
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will now seek to introduce a national concessionary bus fare scheme for pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  No. It is for local authorities to decide what arrangements to make for concessionary travel in their areas, and how to help elderly people most effectively within the resources available to them.

  Air Traffic (Delays)
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he will take to reduce delays for air travellers flying from London's airports.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on Monday 28 March at column 355. The Government seek to discharge their functions at the London airports with the same efficiency as at other airports.

  Vehicle Seat Belts
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has made of the safety implications of the greater use of vehicle seat belts.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Rear-seat passengers are seven times more likely than front-seat occupants to be ejected from vehicles in crashes because they are less likely to be wearing restraints. Wearing a seat belt undoubtedly cuts deaths and injury.

  The Department's monitoring exercise of the effects of the 1983 introduction of compulsory wearing of seat belts and an independent assessment in 1985 by Professors Durbin and Harvey both identified at least 200 fewer deaths and 7,000 fewer serious injuries per year among front-seat occupants of cars and light vans.
  362
  All cars first registered from 1 April 1987 must also be fitted with rear-seat belts. From next October vulnerable seats in new coaches will have to be equipped similarly. Everyone is well advised to use them.

  Departmental Expenditure (Safety Matters)
  Mr. Buckley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of all spending by his Department is used for safety improvements.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A key objective for the Department is to promote and improve safety across the transport modes. Safety-related expenditure is incurred, for example, on constructing and improving roads, on investigation of road, rail, sea and air accidents, on licensing drivers of private vehicles, buses and lorries, on inspecting vehicles of all types and approving vehicle components and systems, on regulating the bus, lorry and shipping industries and the carriage of hazardous substances, on the coast guard, on research and on publicity.

  It is not practicable to specify the proportion of all spending by the Department which is used for safety improvements. Direct expenditure on safety is bound up with expenditure incurred for other reasons (for example, in the case of road construction), and safety-related expenditure varies widely in character, from physical measures such as road improvements, to research projects, to administrative costs and overheads associated with regulation, licensing, inspection and enforcement.

  Manchester Airport
  Mr. Sackville
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to meet the chairman of British Airways to discuss the future development plans for Manchester airport.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  My right hon. Friend meets the chairman of British Airways from time to time to discuss matters of mutual interest.

  British Caledonian Routes
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received regarding competition on air routes previously operated by British Caledonian.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We have received numerous letters on the subject. Applications from British Airlines for licences for routes previously served by British Caledonian will be considered by the Civil Aviation Authority over the next few months.

  Coaches (Speed Limiters)
  Mr. Conway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when new coaches will be subject to speed limiters.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The regulations will apply to coaches as shown in the following table:

  Date of first use

  Date from which regulation applies

  I April 1974 to 31 March 1984

  1 April 1991

  1 April 1984 to 31 March 1989

  1 April 1990

  On or after 1 April 1989

  Date of first use

  Roads Budget
  Mr. David Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the national roads budget was last reduced.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The national roads budget was last reduced, by £14·9 million, in the financial year 1983–84 from £738 million to £723 million. During that year, public expenditure was running ahead of planning totals and a Cabinet decision was taken to cut cash limits on all votes.

  1983–84 was an exception to the steady, upward trend of provision for national roads which has resulted in real terms growth of about 30 per cent. between 1978–79 and 1987–88.

  Since 1979 provision for national roads has been steadily rising as follows :

  National roads public expenditure provision

  £ million

  Year

  Cash

  Real terms (at 1986–87 prices)

  1978–79

  377

  733

  1979–80

  443

  738

  Estimated changes in national casualties during the winter

  Pedestrians

  Others (under 25)

  Others (over 25)

  All road users

  KSI

  Total

  KSI

  Total

  KSI

  Total

  KSI

  Total

  Per cent. reduction

  3.6

  2.2

  1.5

  0.7

  1.0

  0.8

  1.9

  1.1

  Casualty reduction

  300

  590

  180

  350

  100

  400

  580

  340

  No estimates are available on potential accident benefits from a combination of British standard time and double British summer time.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has made any studies of the cost to the economy of transport-related accidents.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department of Transport publishes annual estimates of the cost of road accidents. The total cost of road accidents in Great Britain in 1986, the latest available date, was estimated to be £3·8 billion, of which £2·8 billion is due to accidents involving personal injury. The cost of road accidents divided up for different severities of injury is as follows :

  Injury

  Estimated cost £

  Fatal Accidents

  1·5 billion (39 per cent.)

  Serious accidents

  1·1 billion (28 per cent.)

  Slight accidents

  0·3 billion (8 per cent.)

  Damage only accidents

  1·0 billion (25 per cent.)

  Included in the cost of personal injury accidents are estimates of the loss of output due to death or injury (30 per cent.), medical and ambulance costs (5 per cent.), the cost of police and insurance administration (2 per cent.), property damage (11 per cent.) and an allowance for pain, grief and suffering (52 per cent.).

  The Department does not assess routinely the cost of accidents on railways, in shipping or aviation.
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  Year

  Cash

  Real terms (at 1986–87 prices)

  1980–81

  536

  754

  1981–82

  685

  878

  1982–83

  739

  883

  1983–84

  723

  826

  1984–85

  795

  869

  1985–86

  816

  841

  1986–87

  893

  893

  1987–88

  976

  936

  Road Accidents (Summer Time Changes)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates are available to him of the predicted number of fatal and other serious road accidents which would be avoided by a changeover to British standard time or a combination of British standard time and double British summer time.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  A TRRL study published in 1986 estimated, with a number of caveats, that the potential accident benefits of re-introducing British standard time—as during the 1968 to 1971 experimental period—might be as follows:

  Western Environmental Improvement Route Project
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals he has for public consultation on the western environmental improvement route project; and when any public consultation will be carried out.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  We hope it will be possible to seek the public's views on the Department's proposals for the western environmental improvement route towards the end of this year.

  Eurotunnel
  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the chairman of Eurotunnel.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I last met the chairman on 15 February

  Trunk Roads
  Mrs. Golding
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of trunk road schemes planned to start between April 1987 and March 1989 have had their commencement delayed.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Of the schemes listed in the 1987 White Paper "Policy for Roads in England : 1987" (Cm 125), for a start of works by March 1989, just under one-third are not now expected to achieve this. These schemes have slipped for a variety of reasons, principally delay in the statutory procedures and technical and design problems.

  Highways (Agency Arrangements)
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to the interim report of the Audit Commission into improving highways agency arrangements between counties and districts.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department is considering the report and discussing its implementation with the local authority associations. We welcome the emphasis on securing more businesslike agency arrangements, and look to authorities to review their arrangements in the light of the report.

  Heathrow Airport (Underground Travel)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last made an official journey by underground train to Heathrow airport.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Neither my right hon. Friend nor I have made any recent official journeys on the underground although we have both made unofficial journeys recently.

  Settle-Carlisle Line
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has held with local authorities regarding the Settle-Carlisle railway line.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Last Wednesday, I received the terms of the local authorities' revised offer of support for the line. I am studying that, and especially the conditions they have attached to their offer.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will indicate the main implications for his Department of the feasibility study carried out by John Jarvis and Sons plc of the Settle-Carlisle railway; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The report by J. Jarvis and Sons described the potential development of tourist projects in the Settle-Carlisle corridor, rather than the future of that railway itself. The tourist potential of the area is one of the aspects I am taking into account in considering the future of the line.

  Consultants
  Mr. Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many private consultants his Department has employed during the last year on studies of safety standards in transport provision.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In the calendar year 1987, the Department used nearly 50 different private consultants, industrial companies or associations on just over 70 studies concerned with safety standards in transport provision.

  Litter
  Dr. Michael Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last discussed with the chairman of British Rail his plans to remove litter and rubbish from the tracks at British Rail stations; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. David Mitchell
  These are operational matters for British Rail and we have not discussed them with the chairman.

  Road Projects (Transport Supplementary Grant)
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why road projects with a negative net present value can qualify for transport supplementary grant.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  In assessing the merits of schemes for transport supplementary grant, we take into account the extent to which they provide value for money in terms of benefits to traffic, to the community, to industry and commerce, and improvements in road safety and the environment. In certain cases, a scheme with a negative net present value may provide significant benefits which cannot be reflected in the calculation.

  ScotRail
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the management of ScotRail to discuss rail investment.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  My right hon. Friend discusses such matters when appropriate with the chairman of the British Railways Board; it would not be appropriate to hold separate discussions with regional managements.

  Light Rail Systems
  Mr. Jacques Arnold
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in developing light rail systems.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Tyne and Wear Metro and the London docklands light railway are both in operation. Studies of further light rail proposals for London are under way and a number of authorities are proposing such systems elsewhere.

  London Airports (Runway Capacity)
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will undertake a review of the adequacy of runway capacity at London airports in the 1990s.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Our 1985 White Paper "Airports Policy" (Cmnd. 9542) set out the pattern of development of airport capacity, including runway capacity, to meet London area demand into the mid-1990s. The first step in any further work is the preparation of up to date forecasts of air travel demand. The Department is preparing such forecasts, which it expects to publish towards the end of this year.

  Tyneside Metro
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if there are any plans to extend the Tyneside Metro to Sunderland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I understand that the Tyne and Wear passenger transport authority and executive are considering the possibility of extending the Tyneside Metro to Sunderland, but no proposals have yet been put to my Department.

  Vehicle Registration
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he proposes to take on the main conclusions of the report of the consultative group on the vehicle registration system; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  I refer to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport to my hon. Friend the Member for Beaconsfield (Mr. Smith) on 3 February 1988 at column 622.

  Foreign Cars (Safety)
  Mr. Warren
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will review safety and legal problems associated with the import of foreign cars for sale which do not carry spare wheels of the same design as those fitted to the vehicle.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No. Regulations permit the use of spare wheels of different design on a temporary-use basis up to a maximum speed of 50 mph. We are not aware of safety or legal problems.

  Traffic (Haringey)
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the increase in the volume of traffic by vehicle type since 1979 in the borough of Haringey.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Estimates of changes in traffic volume since 1979 are not available at a borough level.

  Official Hospitality
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by his Department on official hospitality in the financial year 1987–88.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The Department spent £84,789 in 1987–88 on the full range of official hospitality.

  Ammunition (Transport by Road)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will introduce regulations to apply stricter controls to prevent drivers employed in the transport of ammunition by road driving under the influence of alcohol; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) whether he will review precautions for dealing with fire explosion, collision or other accidents involving ammunition in transit by road; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) whether he will review the regulations for the transport of projectile ammunition by road; and if he will make a statement;

  (4) whether he will review the regulations for the transport of explosive ammunition by road; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  Later this summer we expect to make the Road Traffic (Carriage of Explosives) Regulations, which will provide up-to-date and coordinated controls covering all aspects of the carriage of explosives by road including the transport of ammunition. They will deal with such matters as the marking of vehicles, training and instruction, and the procedures to follow in the event of an accident. They will reaffirm the 368
  existing prohibition on people under the influence of alcohol being in or in attendance on a vehicle carrying explosives.

  Transport in London (Attacks)
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many attacks there have been on(a) members of the public where transport staff have been involved in assisting those attacked and (b) members of the public unassisted by staff on (i) London buses, (ii) London Underground and (iii) British Rail in the London area in the last 12 months; what were the comparable figures five and 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  This information is not available.

  Road Programme
  Mr. Carttiss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he proposes to add any further schemes to the road programme.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The last major review of our road programme, which we announced last April, added 82 new schemes to it. On 7 March, as part of the Government's inner cities initiative, we announced further schemes with an estimated construction cost of £109 million. We have now decided to add seven more schemes, expected to cost about £41 million, as follows:

  Schemes added to the road programme

  Region

  Estimated works cost £ million

  All-purpose trunk roads

  1. A11 Roudham Heath to Attleborough Improvement

  ERO

  9.9

  2. A12 Lowestoft Second Harbour Crossing

  ERO

  10.4

  3. A31 Ashley Heath to Ringwood Improvement

  SWRO

  2.5

  4. A46 Pennsylvania to M4 Tormarton Improvement

  SWRO

  4.0

  5. A6 Rothwell and Desborough Bypass

  EMRO

  5.1

  6. A23 Wadden Marsh Bridge

  LRO

  14.0

  Motorway

  7. M—Blackburn Southern Bypass: Extension to Bamber Bridge Bypass2

  NWRO

  5.0

  40.9

  Note

  1 Including private sector contribution of £3 million

  2 Motorway number to be decided

  Bus Services
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation to amend the present statutory provision which results in bus companies being unable to cross-subsidise their more profitable runs with the lossmakers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  There is no statutory provision preventing a bus operator from cross-subsidising unprofitable services with profitable ones. But the Government believes that it is wrong to restrict
  369
  competition in order to facilitate cross-subsidisation. It is better for socially necessary but uneconomic services to be supported openly by local authority subsidy.

  Under the Transport Act 1985 local authorities must go out to competitive tender for any socially necessary services which operators are unwilling to provide on a commercial basis. This ensures value for money and the Government have no plans for amending these provisions.

  Dangerous Materials (Shipping)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what regulations govern the transport of dangerous materials by merchant shipping; and whether such dangerous materials include tins of paint.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The transport of packaged dangerous goods materials by merchant shipping is governed by the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) Regulations 1981 (SI 1981 No. 1747) as amended by the Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods) (Amendment) Regulations 1986 (51 1986 No. 1069). Tins of paint are defined as dangerous goods when the paint itself is flammable and has a flashpoint of 61°C or below.

  PTAs (Funding)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the representations he has received regarding the proposed changes in the funding of passenger transport authorities;

  (2) if he will list the representations he has received in favour of the proposed changes in the funding of passenger transport authorities;

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the responses he has received to his letter, headed "Proposed changes in financing of passenger transport authorities";

  (2) if he will make available in the Library copies of all the responses received to his letter, headed "Proposed changes in the financing of passenger transport authorities".

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Those who made the 45 written responses to the discussion paper are listed as follows. Almost all were opposed. Thirteen hon. Members have also written to me about it. I have discussed the proposal with representatives of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and hon. Members representing constituencies in Greater Manchester.

  Copies of all the written responses received up to 30 March were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on that day, as I announced in my reply of that date to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. King). I am today placing copies of subsequent responses in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Responses received up to 30 March 1988

  City of Birmingham

  Bolton Metropolitan Borough

  City of Bradford Metropolitan Council

  Bus and Coach Council

  Metropolitan Borough of Bury

  City of Coventry

  Greater Manchester Buses Ltd.1

  Greater Manchester PTA

  Greater Manchester PTE

  Greater Manchester Transport Action Group

  Greater Manchester Transport Consultative Committee

  Knowsley Borough Council

  Manchester City Council

  370

  Merseyside PTA

  North Manchester Pensioners' Association

  National and Local Government Officers Association

  City of Newcastle Upon Tyne (1)

  Oldham Metropolitan Borough

  Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

  Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

  Metropolitan Borough of St. Helens

  Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

  Borough of Sunderland

  Trafford and South Manchester Pensioners' Association

  Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

  Transport 2000—Derbyshire and Peak District Group

  North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

  Borough of South Tyneside

  South Yorkshire PTA

  South Yorkshire PTE

  Tyne and Wear PTA

  Tyne and Wear PTE

  Tyne and Wear PTE Group

  City of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council

  West Midlands PTA

  West Midlands PTE

  West Yorkshire PTA

  West Yorkshire PTE

  Wharfdale Rail Users' Group

  Responses received after 30 March

  Crosville Motor Services Ltd.1

  Finglands South Manchester Coachways Ltd. 1

  Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council

  Metropolitan Borough of Stockport

  City of Newcastle Upon Tyne (2)

  Reddish Association of Retired People

  1Forwarded by Greater Manchester PTE

  Level Crossing (Representations)
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether in view of the mislaying of the letter to him dated 15 March sent by the chief executive officer of the Rutland district council objecting to the British Railways (Luffenham) Level Crossing Order he will extend the consultation period to allow for these representations by the council to be properly considered by his Department.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  While I have still not received a letter from Rutland district council making representations about the Luffenham Level Crossing Order, a copy of the letter has now been obtained from my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham). The representations contained in the letter will be given full consideration if or when the British Railways Board officially applies for the order to be made.

  Freightliners Ltd.
  Mr. Michael Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what is the cost per annum of repairing and maintaining British Rail's subsidiary, Freightliners Ltd's fleet of rail wagons; what steps are being taken to reduce this cost; and if consideration has been given to renting wagons from the private sector;

  (2) what guidelines his Department has laid down for British Rail and its subsidiary Freightliners Ltd., relating to the repair and maintenance of container wagons by British Rail Engineering Ltd., in the current year and whether the option of renting container wagons from the private sector has been considered;

  (3) if he will make a statement on his policy towards British Rail's proposals for investment in its subsidary Freightliners Ltd.;
  371
  (4) when he expects to complete his Department's review into British Rail's total demand for container wagons in the light of probable need for additional wagons to run through the Channel tunnel in 1993.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The comprehensive objectives set by the then Secretary of State in 1986 on 21 October 1986 at columns 772–74, require BR's non-supported businesses, including Freightliners, to continue to plan on 372
  the basis of a required rate of return of 5 per cent. on its programme of new investment. BR is also asked to take vigorous measures to broaden the participation of the private sector in the provision of services to the railway.

  Within this framework, it is for BR to assess the numbers and types of wagons needed, taking account of forecast freight movements by rail through the Channel tunnel, and how they should be sourced, repaired and maintained.

  RADARSAT AND COLUMBUS POLAR PLATFORM
  RADARSAT AND COLUMBUS POLAR PLATFORM
  HOTOL
  HOTOL
  PLANT VARIETIES AND SEED CERTIFICATION: REPORT
  PLANT VARIETIES AND SEED CERTIFICATION: REPORT