Written Answers of 19 April 1988

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Health Authorities (Armed Forces Casualties)
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's guidance to health authorities on reception arrangements for armed forces casualties who will be returned to the United Kingdom for treatment in the event of future war in Europe.

  Mrs. Currie
  No.

  Mentally Handicapped People
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his answers to the hon. Member for Monklands, West of 15 March,Official Report, columns 553–54, what steps he has taken to encourage local authorities to collect data on (a) the discharge and subsequent care of people from long-stay mental illness and mental handicap institutions, (b) the number of carers in their area, (c) the provision of home help support, district nursing services, social work support, or other services to carers and (d) the number of households with a mentally handicapped member, and the numbers receiving sitting services, respite care or holiday relief schemes.

  Mrs. Currie
  Local authorities are responsible for deciding what information they require for management of services provided for mentally ill and mentally handicapped people in their areas. The need for central collection of information from local authorities is reviewed periodically, for example a new return on residential accommodation was introduced in 1987.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the number of registered(a) mentally ill and (b) mentally handicapped patients in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale health authority area for each year from 1979 to 1987.

  Mrs. Currie
  The numbers of in-patients resident at 31 December in National Health Service mental illness and mental handicap hospitals and units managed by this district health authority are given in the table. The people concerned are not registered and may not have been resident in the area of the health authority before their admission as patients. I regret that the figures for 1987 are not yet available.

  Number of in-patients resident in mental health hospitals and units in Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale heath authority at 31 December

  Year

  Mental-illness

  Mental-handicap

  1979

  177

  1,206

  1980

  171

  1,161

  1981

  165

  1,126

  1982

  194

  1,090

  374

  Year

  Mental-illness

  Mental-handicap

  1983

  223

  1,054

  1984

  214

  1,009

  1985

  203

  940

  1986

  214

  871

  Abortions
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, what information he has as to the medical circumstances which created the need for abortions to be performed in emergency to save the life of the mother in those 126 such cases which have arisen since 1967; and if he will indicate the number of times each of those conditions has been a relevant factor.

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

  Notifications of abortions performed in emergency in order to save the life of the pregnant woman, carried out under the Abortion Act 1967, by medical condition stated. England and Wales, April 1968-September 1987 (provisional)

  Condition

  Number

  Placenta praevia and other antepartum haemorrhage

  9

  Eclampsia

  16

  Pre-eclampsia

  30

  Other hypertension

  6

  Hyperemesis gravidarum

  6

  Ectopic pregnancy

  4

  Other obstetric causes

  8

  Infectious diseases

  4

  Neoplasms

  11

  Mental disorders

  6

  Circulatory disorders

  11

  Other conditions

  15

  Total

  126

  World Health Organisation
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, what contribution the United Kingdom has made in each of the last five years to World Health Organisation efforts to assess the efficiency of different methods of treatment for drug misusers.

  Mrs. Currie
  Assessment of the efficiency of different methods of treatment for drug misusers is part of the World Health Organisation programme on prevention and control of alcohol and drug abuse. This is one of the programmes paid for from the organisation's regular budget, of which the United Kingdom's assessed contribution represents 4·77 per cent. of the whole. Within the programme, officials of the United Kingdom Health Departments have contributed to publications and taken part in expert working groups.

  NHS (Ancillary Staff)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State For Social Services if he will list the latest figures available For the number of ancillary staff employed in the National Health Service, by job title, under the terms and conditions of the Ancillary Staffs Whitley council agreements.

  Mr. Newton
  Provisional figures show that 115,000 whole-time equivalent ancillary staff were employed in the NHS in England at 30 September 1987. Since the
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  introduction of a revised grading structure in 1986, the agreements of the Ancillary Staffs Whitley council no longer provide for job titles.

  NHS Review
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if there is a deadline for the submission of evidence for the National Health Service review; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if the findings of the National Health Service review will be published.

  Mr. Moore
  I should welcome early submission of evidence for the NHS review, although there is no formal deadline. The outcome of the review will be announced to the House, but no decision has yet been taken on the nature of supporting documentation.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many individuals are paid industrial disablement pension; and how many will have this disregarded for the purpose of calculating housing benefit(a) in Nottingham, North (b) in Nottingham and (c) in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Scott
  Industrial disablement pension was in payment to about 184,000 people in the United Kingdom in April 1987, the latest date for which information is available. From April 1988, industrial disablement pension is not disregarded for the purpose of calculating housing benefit. Prior to April 1988 a statutory disregard of £4 applied. I regret that the other information requested is not available.

  Firemen
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will take steps to enable unemployed retained firemen to receive both social security benefits and moneys from incidental and drill fees; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  Payments received by retained firemen in respect of any duties performed by them have no effect on their entitlement to unemployment benefit. Payments they receive in respect of drills, retainers, turn-out and stand-by are treated as earnings for income support purposes but are automatically subject to the higher (£15) disregard. The long-service gratuity is treated as capital. There are no plans to change these provisions.

  Single Payments
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number and cost of single payments made by his Department's Corby office in each year since 1983.

  Mr. Portillo
  In the year April 1983 to April 1984, 4,601 single payments were made by the Department's Corby office. The total monetary value was £214,403. The information requested for the years April 1984 to April 1987, which is the latest complete data available, has been placed in the Library.

  Supplementary Benefit
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons were receiving supplementary benefit from the Corby local office on 1 April 1983, 1 April 1984, 1 April 1985, 1 April 1986, 1 April 1987 and 1 April 1988.

  Mr. Portillo
  This information is not available in the precise form requested.

  The number of persons receiving supplementary benefit from the Corby local office in May of each year requested is:

  Persons

  10 May 1983

  6,218

  8 May 1984

  6,493

  7 May 1985

  6,487

  6 May 1986

  6,395

  5 May 1987

  5,773

  Figures for 1988 are not available.

  Source: 100 per cent. count of cases in action.

  Cancer Screening
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will indicate the budget provision per health authority on a per capita basis for cervical and breast cancer screening.

  Mrs. Currie
  Health authorities do not have separate budget allocations for cervical cancer screening. It has been estimated that the average cost of taking and examining a cervical smear is about £10. The allocation given to each regional health authority for the continuing revenue cost of the new breast cancer screening services is based on the financial estimates in the Forrest report and is about £14 per woman screened by mammography including, where necessary, the cost of assessment and diagnosis. Between 1987–88 and 1989–90, on current plans, nearly £55 million will have been provided to set up and run the breast cancer screening service in England.

  Family Practitioner Committees
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations he has received regarding manning levels for family practitioner committees; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what the staffing levels of family practitioner committees (a) were in 1983, (b) are now and (c) are forecast to be in 1991.

  Mr. Newton
  Representations have been received from time to time about resources made available to family practitioner committees for administrative expenditure, about three-quarters of which represents staff salaries. The allocations made for the current year, however, include an overall increase of about 5·5 per cent. in real terms.

  The number of staff employed by family practitioner committees fell from 4,670 (whole-time equivalent) to 4,600 between 30 September 1983 and 30 September 1986, the latest date for which figures are available. This reduction includes some staff savings achieved as part of the programme of computerisation of patient registration data which was completed on 31 March 1988; further reductions on this account will be reflected in the figures for 1987 and 1988, when these become available.
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  No forecasts have been made of future manning levels, but the White Paper on "Promoting Better Health" (Cm. 249), which was published last November, envisages an increased role for FPCs.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether his Department has now received from all family practitioner committees their most recent annual programme and action plan; and what action he proposes to take.

  Mr. Newton
  All but one family practitioner committee in England have submitted their current annual programmes during the last six months. Each programme is discussed with the FPC with a view to establishing an agreed action plan for which the committee will be held accountable.

  Griffiths Report
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the answer of 12 April, at which date the period for taking account of views on the Griffiths report will close; and how long after that the Government will issue their own response to the report.

  Mr. Newton
  There is no formal closing date for the submission of views on Sir Roy Griffiths' report. We intend to bring forward our own proposals as soon as we have been able to give full consideration to the important issues involved.

  Hospital Statistics (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he anticipates bed availability and occupancy figures for Nottingham district health authority for 1987–88 will become available centrally.

  Mrs. Currie
  We expect to have this information available centrally by the end of August.

  Drugs (Adverse Reactions)
  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 29 March, column 445, what is his policy regarding the providing of information to interested Members when investigations into an alleged failure by a pharmaceutical company to report adverse reactions show that there has been a breach of the statutory procedures.

  Mr. Newton
  Evidence of cases of apparent failure to report adverse reactions is very rare. Whether or not the public interest would best be served by making the results of investigations into such matters public has to be considered on a case by case basis.

  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 29 March, column 445, on what date each of the investigations began into alleged failures to report adverse reactions by two pharmaceutical companies; and by when each is expected to be concluded.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the right hon. Member to my reply to him on 26 February 1988, at column 364. These investigations are complex and I am unable to estimate when they will be completed.
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  Mr. Ashley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to the reply to the right hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, South,Official Report, 29 March, column 445, how investigations are carried out by his Department into alleged failures by pharmaceutical companies to report adverse reactions; how many of his officials are normally involved; if the original data of the company is inspected; and who decides whether or not the allegations are substantiated, on the appropriate penalty and on the publicity that should be given to the findings.

  Mr. Newton
  I refer the right hon. Member to my replies to him on 27 November 1987, at columns 354–55 and on 18 December 1987, at column 931. The number and type of officials involved depends on the needs of the case. The company may be asked to submit original data to the Department. The answer to the other questions would depend on the circumstances of the case and are not the subject of any specific departmental rules or guidance.

  Personal Savings
  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what estimate he has of the number of people who have savings of(a) £3,000 or more and (b) £6,000 or more for each parliamentary constituency;

  (2) what estimate he has of the number of people who have savings of (a) £3,000 or over and (b) £6,000 or over for each DHSS office;

  (3) what estimate he has of the number of people of pensionable age who have savings of (a) £3,000 or more and (b) £6,000 or more living in each of Scotland, England and Wales;

  (4) what estimate he has of the number of people who have savings of (a) £3,000 or more and (b) £6,000 or more living in each of Scotland, England and Wales.

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

  Income Support
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people would benefit if the capital limits on social security benefits were rasied to £10,000.

  Mr. Portillo
  The only social security benefits affected by the amount of capital a person has are income support, housing benefit and family credit. The numbers (in thousands) of people who would become entitled to those benefits if the capital cut-off limit were raised to £10,000 are:

  Persons (thousands)

  Income Support

  6·0

  Family Credit :

  4·1

  Housing Benefit :

  152·0

  Mr. Higgins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his policy with regard to supplementary benefit recipients being asked for photostat copies of bank and savings accounts before the new income support grant is granted, with particular reference to those cases where such information is already on record; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Portillo
  During the exercise to convert supplementary benefit payments to income support it was necessary
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  to ensure that up-to-date information was available on all aspects of a claim. Staff are instructed to ask to see statements, bank books, and so on, but not photocopies of original documents.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will review the contents of those parts of the claim forms for income support and family credit which require claimants to declare capital of more than £2,500 rather than £3,000 and which require the divulging of personal information.

  Mr. Portillo
  Income support and family credit claimants are asked to provide details when savings are more than £2,500. This is below the £3,000 capital limit in case some assets have to be valued at more than their nominal face value (for example shares or national savings certificates).

  Mrs. Jane Tipping
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he will answer the letter from the hon. Member for Birkenhead written to him on 22 February regarding the case of Mrs. Jane Tipping.

  Mr. Portillo
  I wrote to the hon. Member yesterday.

  Medical Equipment
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will place in the Library the report on the maintenance of medical equipment compiled by Mr. David Fernandez.

  Mr. Newton
  [holding answer 16 November 1987]: The report has now been placed in the Library.

  Leeds Western Health Authority (Chairman)
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he will be taking steps to consult local organisations before making an appointment to the vacant chairmanship of Leeds western health authority; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: We are not required to consult anyone in appointing health authority chairmen. However, we take full account of any nominations we may receive from local or other sources.

  Census (Languages)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he hopes to be able to announce the format of 1991 census questions on(a) Scots Gaelic speakers in Scotland, (b) Irish Gaelic speakers in Northern Ireland, (c) Welsh speakers in Wales, (d) speakers of indigenous languages other than English in England and (e) speakers of non-indigenous languages in the United Kingdom.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: No decisions have yet been taken on the content of the 1991 census. Proposals for Great Britain will be published as a White Paper later this year. It is planned to test the proposed questionnaire in early 1989 and thereafter to lay before Parliament a draft Order in Council prescribing the content of the census. The final format of the 1991 census questions will be included in the census regulations which are expected to be laid before Parliament in 1990.
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  The 1991 census for Northern Ireland will be taken under separate legislation. This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Hampstead and Haringey DHAs
  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) if he will place in the Library all documents regarding the proposed merger of Hampstead and Haringey district health authorities; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) what is the financial basis of the proposed merger between the Hampstead and Haringey district health authorities; and what other criteria are involved;

  (3) what discussions he has had regarding the possible merger of Hampstead and Haringey district health authorities; and with whom.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: I understand that North East Thames regional health authority is examining, with the two district health authorities concerned, the possibility of a merger between Hampstead and Haringey health authorities. Consideration of this matter is at an early stage and the hon. Member may wish to write to the chairman of the regional health authority for further information about any proposals which may be made. If, following public consultation, the regional health authority decides to proceed with a proposal for the merger of the two health authorities, such a proposal will need to be approved by Ministers. As part of the approval process we would expect to enter into discussions with a wide range of interested parties prior to any final decision.

  Mr. Bernie Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services whether the decision to merge the Hampstead and Haringey district health authorities will affect in any way the previous decision to retain the regional cancer screening unit at the North Middlesex hospital; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: No decision has been taken to merge the Hampstead and Haringey health authorities. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also stated that we are not prepared to agree to the closure of the radiotherapy unit at the North Middlesex hospital.

  District Health Authorities (Land Holdings)
  Mr. Ralph Howell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Norfolk, North on 26 November 1987,Official Report, columns 319–21, if he will list in league order, with the highest at the top, by acreage of land held, district health authority areas within the National Health Service in England, showing the valuation in each case (a) before the recent revaluation and (b) at the present valuation as decided by the district valuer.

  Mrs. Currie
  [pursuant to her reply, 18 February 1988, c. 694]: The preliminary aggregation of the 1987 returns from district valuers has now been completed. The open market value of the NHS estate of approximately 44,000 acres was about £6·8 billion at 1987 prices. This figure is subject to revision as the returns are analysed in detail. A breakdown of the respective 1985 and 1987 valuations by district health authority in a league order by site areas has been placed in the Library.

  Nurses
  Sir Peter Hordern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of nurses per thousand population in each of the regional health authorities.

  Mr. Newton
  The number of nursing and midwifery staff per thousand population employed in each regional health authority is given in the table:

  NHS nursing and midwifery staff1 in post per thousand population 1986

  Regional health authority

  Ratio

  Northern

  8·9

  Yorkshire

  8·4

  Trent

  8·0

  East Anglian

  7·8

  North West Thames

  8·2

  North East Thames

  9·1

  South East Thames

  8·4

  South West Thames

  8·2

  Wessex

  8·0

  Oxford

  6·8

  South Western

  8·5

  West Midlands

  8·2

  Mersey

  9·2

  North Western

  9·5

  London postgraduate special health authority

  *

  England2

  8·5

  Source: DHSS annual census of NHS non-medical manpower; Office of Population Censuses and Surveys mid-year estimates.

  1 Includes agency nursing and midwifery staff. Ratios calculated on unrounded figures. Staff in post relate to 30 September 1986; population figures are mid-year estimates for 1986.

  2 Includes staff employed by London postgraduate special health authorities.

  * Ratio calculation not possible— separate population figure does not exist for special health authorities.

ENERGY

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what recent discussions he has had with the trade unions regarding privatisation of the electricity industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend and I met representatives of the Electricity Supply Trades Union Council on 13 April and we will continue to hold regular meetings to discuss matters of common interest.

  Wind Farms
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what role his Department is playing in the study and development of wind farms in both the private and public sector; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My Department is involved in a collaborative programme with the Central Electricity Generating Board which will include evaluating the public acceptability of wind farms. The programme is expected to cost some £30 million and is expected to involve the establishment of three wind farms in England and Wales and, I hope, at least one in Scotland.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Redmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the number of full-time employees in the coal industry for(a) Yorkshire and (b) Don Valley constituency; and what proportion of the number employed eight years ago this represents.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Uranium
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if any uranium import contracts or uranium processing contracts have been signed or carried out since 1979 between BNFL plc. or BNFL and NUFCOR of South Africa which have required(a) bilateral, (b) International Atomic Energy Agency and (c) Euratom safeguards provisions.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  [holding answer 25 March 1988]: British Nuclear Fuels plc has a long-standing agreement with the Nuclear Fuels Corporation of South Africa, which was renewed in 1985, to process uranium ore concentrate. All civil uranium imported into the United Kingdom for processing and subsequent re-export is under safeguards.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Mr. Freddie Andrews
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) if he will inquire into the handling of the affairs of Freddie Andrews by the Official Solicitor; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he will obtain from the Official Solicitor details of all transactions carried out on behalf of Freddie Andrews listing (a) the properties disposed of, (b) the date of sale, (c) the purchaser, (d) the value of property sold and (e) where the sums realised have been deposited; and if he will request the High Court to make available the above information to the Andrews family.

  The Attorney-General
  No. I refer the hon. Member to my earlier replies to him about this case on 25 February 1988, at columns 257–58.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Namibia
  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what status the British Government accord to the United Nations Council for Namibia.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We do not recognise the claim of the United Nations Council for Namibia to be the administering authority for the territory. The United Nations General Assembly acted beyond its competence under the charter in establishing such a body.

  Mr. Grylls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he was represented at the United Nations Council for Namibia conference(a) in Instanbul on 21 March and (b) on past occasions; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mrs. Chalker
  We have not been represented at conferences of the United Nations Council for Namibia, which we do not recognise.

  News Conference, Jordan
  Mr. Latham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's ambassador in Amman has reported to him on the reasons advanced by the Jordanian Government for preventing the broadcast of the recent news conference held by the United States Secretary of State, as reported by Voice of Palestine radio on 10 April; and whether Her Majesty's Government have expressed any concern to the Jordanian Government about this.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have not raised this matter with the Jordanians.

  North Atlantic Assembly (Parliamentary Delegation)
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the composition of the United Kingdom parliamentary delegation to the North Atlantic Assembly.

  Mr. Mellor
  My noble Friend the Lord Colnbrook has replaced the late Earl de la Warr as a member of the delegation.

PRIME MINISTER

  London Docklands Development Corporation
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Prime Minister when she next expects to meet the chairman of the London Docklands Development Corporation, in order to discuss the finances of the corporation.

  The Prime Minister
  I have at present no plans to do so.

  EC (Government's Achievements)
  Mr. Patnick
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list the achievements of Her Majesty's Government since 1979 with regard to the European Community.

  The Prime Minister
  We have concentrated on making European Community policies cost-effective, relevant and equitable. At Fontainebleau in 1984 we agreed that the United Kingdom should pay only its fair share of the EC budget. That agreement has already saved the taxpayer £3 billion. In our presidency in 1986, and at the Brussels European Council this February, we secured major reforms of the common agricultural policy, including a binding ceiling on agricultural spending and automatic cost-cutting regimes for all commodities.

  We have made it the Community's top priority to complete the single European market for goods and services by 1992 so as to give our industry improved access to important markets in Europe and a better base from which to compete in world markets. We have championed measures to help our citizens such as less regulation, cheaper air fares and higher product safety standards.

  We supported the entry of Greece, Spain and Portugal into the Community, thereby underpinning their democracy and strengthening NATO. At British initiative the EC member states have agreed an internationally binding basis for closer co-operation in foreign policy. We
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  have supported moves to liberalise the international trading system in the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations, which was launched in 1986 under the United Kingdom presidency.

  By modernising our own economy we have been able to argue from strength for up-to-date policies for the Community as a whole. We have taken Britain from the sidelines to the mainstream of Europe.

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Prime Minister what child care provision is provided by the Cabinet Office for the pre-school aged children of Cabinet Office employees; what child care provision, for school holiday and/or after-school care, is provided for employees' children aged five and over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.

  The Prime Minister
  At present no child care provision is provided by the Cabinet Office for employees' children. There are no plans to introduce such facilities in the next five years.

  Government Employees
  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister how many employees of central Government are employed in(a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) each of the English regions, (d) Northern Ireland and (e) elsewhere; and what proportion of the total they represent.

  The Prime Minister
  Geographical analyses of all employees of central Government (including the National Health Service, Northern Ireland Government and other bodies) are not available centrally. Information for the Civil Service is as follows:

  Staff in post at 1 April 1987

  Area

  Number (Thousands)

  Percentage

  Wales

  32·4

  5·4

  Scotland

  62·6

  10·5

  South east

  225·7

  37·8

  South west

  68·9

  11·5

  West Midlands

  35·3

  5·9

  North west

  52·9

  8·8

  Northern

  33·6

  5·6

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  34·6

  5·8

  East Midlands

  23·0

  3·8

  East Anglia

  15·2

  2·5

  Northern Ireland

  5·0

  0·8

  Elsewhere

  8·7

  1·5

  All areas

  597·8

  100·0

  Engagements
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Boyes
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.
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  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Prime Minister if she will list her official engagements for Tuesday 19 April.

  The Prime Minister
  This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.

WALES

  Regional Development Grant
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the(a) shortest time, (b) longest time, (c) median time and (d) arithmetic mean time that it took to process straightforward regional development grant applications processed in 1987.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: There is no generally accepted definition of a straightforward regional development grant application. Of the total applications dealt with by my Department during 1987, 90 per cent. were processed within four months of receipt. Of these 90 per cent. of cases: (a) the shortest processing time was one day, (b) the longest time was 17 weeks; (c) the median time was eight weeks and (d) the arithmetic mean time was eight weeks. The longer processing time incurred under (b) reflected the need to secure additional supporting information from applicants and to consider policy issues raised by particular applications.

  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will publish in the Official Report the number of regional development grant applications under consideration by his Department on 31 March.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: 1,935 regional development grant applications are under consideration following the ending of the scheme. I am delighted that so many firms have come forward with applications following my invitation to apply for regional development grants before they were phased out. This total of applications received between January and March compares with only 520 in the same period last year. I am delighted that the manner in which the Government have phased out the existing RDG grant in order to make way for increased expenditure by the WDA and on regional selective assistance has resulted in this massive injection of investment into the Welsh economy.

  Child Care
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what child care provision his Department provides for preschool age children of the Department's employees; what child care provision, for school holiday and/or after-school care, is provided for employees' children age five and over; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years; and how these are to be funded.
  386
  Mr. Peter Walker
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: None, but a study is under way to examine the interest in and feasibility of a day care facility for children of Welsh Office staff.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Home Ales, Nottingham
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will meet the chairman of Scottish and Newcastle Breweries to discuss the situation of the tenants of Home Ales in Nottingham; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The chairman of Scottish and Newcastle Breweries has not requested a meeting.

  I understand that the brewery is in negotiation with its tenants over the terms of their tenancy contracts. This is a commercial matter on which it would not be appropriate for me to comment.

  Bovine Somatrophin
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the purpose, with particular reference to(a) safety and (b) efficacy of the secret trials currently being undertaken the use of bovine somatrophin in milk production.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: The trials which are being conducted by pharmaceutical companies in the United Kingdom and other countries are to provide information on the use of the product under field conditions. Before any such trial involving a medicinal product can take place in the United Kingdom it must be authorised by means of an animal test certificate (ATC) issued under the Medicines Act 1968. Such certificates are issued only when the safety of the product to be used in the trial has been satisfactorily demonstrated.

  Section 118 of the Medicines Act prohibits the disclosure of any information supplied to the licensing authority as part of an application. It is therefore not possible to give details about the trials.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Inner London (Further Education)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the future provision of post-16 education in inner London.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  Under the Government's proposals, each inner London council will be responsible for securing the provision of post-16 education in its area. This will be one of the subjects the boroughs will be required to cover in their development plans.

  University Funding
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen concerning university funding.

  Mr. Jackson
  While we have received a number of representations, including some from hon. Members,
  387
  about the position of Aberdeen and Dundee, we have had no recent approaches from the universities themselves. The two universities are in continuing discussion with the University Grants Committee about planning for the future.

  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the University Grants Committee to discuss the funding of Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the University Grants Committee to discuss future funding of Scottish universities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 19 January, at column 675. to the hon. Members for Fife, Central (Mr. McLeish) and for Kirkaldy (Dr. Moonie).

  Workers Educational Association
  Mr. Graham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the Workers Educational Association to discuss future funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet representatives of the Workers Educational Association to discuss future funding; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has no immediate plans to meet the Workers Educational Association. Officials from the Department are currently discussing the future of the association with its representatives.

  Education Tests (Departmental Correspondence)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from persons or organisations who have submitted information in confidence to his Department about the implications for the preservation of its confidentiality of the recent unauthorised disclosure of a letter from Mr. Paul Gray in the Prime Minister's Office to Mr. Tom Jeffrey in his Office, concerning education tests; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  None.

  Teachers
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement about proposed future machinery for the determination of pay and conditions for teachers.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Government are considering responses to the Green Paper "Teachers' Pay and Conditions: A Consultative Document".

  Mr. Flannery
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the teachers unions to discuss future arrangements for the determination of payment conditions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The Green Paper "Teachers' Pay and Conditions: A Consultative Document" set out the Government's proposals for future arrangements for 388
  determining school teachers' pay and conditions. Several organisations have asked to see my right hon. Friend about future machinery and such meetings will take place in the next few months.

  Solvent Abuse
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue a circular to local authorities about the control of solvent abuse by pupils in secondary schools; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Bob Dunn
  The Department issued a safety bulletin to all local education authorities in 1984, providing advice about solvent misuse. Guidance specifically on health education concerning solvent misuse was also provided in Her Majesty's inspectorate document "Health Education from 5 to 16", issued to all schools in 1986. My right hon. Friend has no plans to issue further advice.

  Home Tutors
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the pay and conditions of home tutors.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I understand the concern of my hon. Friend about the pay and conditions of home tutors in Cheshire. The Department is in touch with the local education authority about the position.

  School Closures
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many applications for school closures are currently being considered by his Department; and what is the average length of time they have been awaiting decisions.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend is currently considering 84 proposals to cease to maintain schools. The average length of time since the date of publication of these proposals is 5·4 months; this includes the period of two months allowed for the receipt of objections and the further month for the local education authority to comment on these.

  Educational Maintenance Allowances
  Mr. Stott
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet the Association of County Councils to discuss future provision of educational maintenance allowances for 16 and 17-year-olds.

  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to meet with the Association of Metropolitan Authorities to discuss future provisions of education maintenance allowances for 16 and 17-year-olds.

  Mr. Dunn
  No.

  Nursery Nurses
  Ms. Primarolo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has held any recent discussions with the Nursery Nurses Examination Board about career structure for nursery nurses; and if he will make a statement.
  389
  Mr. Dunn
  No. My right hon. Friend has no powers governing the career structure of nursery nurses. The career development of nursery nurses working in the public sector is the responsibility of their local government employers, but less than one third of those qualifying annually are initially employed in this way.

  Further and Higher Education
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement concerning the future organisation and funding of higher and further education in inner London.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Government's intention is that from April 1989 the Polytechnics and Colleges Funding Council (PCFC) will have power to fund most non-university higher education in inner London, and that from April 1990 the responsibility for the provision of further education in inner London, and such non-university higher education as is not funded by the PCFC, will transfer from the Inner London education authority to the inner London councils.

  Student Finance
  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a further statement on the progress of his review on student finance.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Harborough (Sir J. Farr).

  GCSE
  Mr. Madden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Eduation and Science what representations he has received on Her Majesty's inspectorate's report on the introduction of the general certificate of secondary education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer which my right hon. Friend gave earlier to the hon. Member for Blaydon (Mr. McWilliam).

  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the effectiveness of funding to prepare pupils for the new general certificate of secondary education examinations.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has received various representations from teachers, school governors and others about funding for the GCSE. These, and the recently published HMI interim report on the GCSE, indicate that concern about the availability of resources in schools for the new examinations has generally diminished. The Government have allowed for expenditure of over £100 million in each of the years 1987–88 and 1988–89 for the introduction of the GCSE, including specific grant for books and equipment and for the in-service training of teachers. It is for local education authorities and schools to ensure that the funds are spent where they are most needed.

  16-year-olds
  Mr. Jack Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the staying-on rate at the age of 16; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Allen McKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the staying-on rate at the age of 16 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  As stated in the 1988 public expenditure White Paper, the Government wish to encourage greater participation in post-16 education and training. My right hon. Friend aims to raise the level of attainment of young people and to encourage a more positive attitude to continuing education and training. He considers that the examination reforms and new forms of provision already introduced, together with the curriculum and other school reforms proposed in the Education Reform Bill, will help to achieve this objective.

  Education Reform
  Mr. Batiste
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further consideration he has given to the advice and information which he will provide to the parents and governors of schools who are considering opting for grant maintained status.

  Mr. Dunn
  Once the Education Reform Bill has been enacted, my right hon. Friend intends to publish guidance for all interested parties on the proposals for grant-maintained schools. This will include information for parents and governors contemplating grant-maintained status for their school.

  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations he has had with representatives of ethnic minority groups about the Education Reform Bill; and, in particular, the provisions to abolish the Inner London education authority.

  Mr. Dunn
  Copies of all the consultation documents on the proposed provisions of the Education Reform Bill were sent to a wide range of organisations known to have an interest in education, and further copies were freely available from the Department of Education and Science. Comments were received from a substantial number of organisations representing ethnic minority groups, in response to the various documents, and copies of these responses have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to publish in full the latest version of his proposed national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bootle (Mr. Roberts) earlier today.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has received any representations concerning the admissions procedure to grant maintained schools which may be established after the enactment of the Education Reform Bill.

  Mr. Dunn
  A significant number of the representations which my right hon. Friend received in response to the
  391
  consultation document on grant-maintained schools showed an interest in the admissions arrangements which such schools would adopt.

  National Association of Head Teachers
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what plans he has to meet the leadership of the National Association of Head Teachers; and what matters he intends to discuss with it.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has accepted an invitation to address the annual conference of the National Association of Head Teachers on 3 June.

  LINK Programme
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will seek additional funding for the expansion of the LINK programme in 1989–90.

  Mr. Jackson
  Funding in 1989–90 for LINK programmes and for the science base generally will be subject to review in this year's public expenditure survey.

  Social Sciences
  Dr. Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what recent examination he has made of the adequacy of funding of social sciences in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Jackson
  The social sciences are mostly funded through the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the recurrent grant distributed to the universities by the University Grants Committee. The Advisory Board for the Research Councils each year considers the research proposals and funding needs of the ESRC as part of the preparation of advice on the allocation of the science budget. In allocating funds to universities the UGC takes into account planned student numbers in the social sciences, as in other subjects. The committee is currently reviewing national provision for sociology and social policy as part of its programme of subject reviews. Given these arrangements, my right hon. Friend has not thought it necessary to make any additional examination of the funding of the social sciences.

  Advisory Council on Science and Technology
  Dr. Bray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he last attended a meeting of the Advisory Council on Science and Technology.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend had an informal meeting with members of the council on 7 December 1987.

  Nursery Education
  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his policy for nursery and pre-five school education, in the light of the report by Professor Peter Mortimore, "School Matters", a copy of which has been sent to him.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has so far seen only press accounts of this report, which indicate that it did not include any study of under-fives education. But my hon. Friend no doubt has in mind the broad conclusion reflected in its title. The Government accept that children 392
  can benefit from pre-school experience but believe they are being realistic in their policy of maintaining both the current discretionary arrangements and level funding of this sector in real terms.

  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to increase the level of nursery education; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) on 19 January at column 805.

  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received urging him to take steps to ensure that the provision of nursery education in inner London is maintained following abolition of the Inner London education authority.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has received about 60 representations on this matter.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the average cost per pupil of local authority nursery education in(a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales;

  (2) what is the proportion of local authority education budgets spent on nursery education in (a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk and (c) England and Wales.

  Mr. Dunn
  Local education authorities do not provide separate figures for expenditure on nursery classes in primary schools. The following table shows the net institutional recurrent expenditure per pupil in nursery schools for 1986–87 and the proportion of the authorities' net recurrent expenditure on education that was spent on nursery schools.

  Expenditure per nursery school pupil £ cash

  Proportion of total expenditure Per cent.

  East Anglia1

  1,340

  0·2

  Suffolk

  1,165

  0·1

  England

  1,500

  0·4

  1 Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

  Information relating to Wales is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the proportion of children in the three to five year age group receiving private nursery education in(a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk, (c) Waveney and (d) England and Wales;

  (2) what is the number of children attending private nursery schools in (a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk, (c) Waveney and (d) England and Wales.

  Mr. Dunn
  This information is not collected centrally. Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the proportion of children in the three to five year age group receiving local authority nursery education in(a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk, (c) Waveney and (d) England and Wales.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information for areas within local education authorities is not available centrally. In January 1987 the
  393
  number of children aged under five as a proportion of the estimated three and four population receiving local authority nursery education in East Anglia, Suffolk and England was 10, 14 and 23 per cent., respectively.

  Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Mr. David Porter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what is the number of children in local authority nursery schools in(a) East Anglia, (b) Suffolk, (c) Waveney and (d) England and Wales.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information for areas within local education authorities is not available centrally. In January 1987 the number of children under five attending maintained nursery schools in East Anglia, Suffolk and England was 1,199, 162 and 49,502, respectively.

  Figures for Wales are the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Teacher-Administrator Ratios
  Mr. Holt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the five education authorities with the highest teacher-administrator ratio and the five with the lowest teacher-administrator ratio.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The figures show the ratio of qualified school teachers to school administrative and clerical staff. They are based on estimates published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in its "Education Statistics: 1987–88 Estimates".

  Local Authority

  Five highest teacher/ administrator ratios

  Dyfed

  46:1

  Powys

  35:1

  Kirklees

  26:1

  South Tyneside

  25:1

  Cumbria

  25:1

  Kingston

  12:1

  Rochdale

  12:1

  Barking

  10:1

  Leeds

  10:1

  Surrey

  10:1

  Electromagnetic Fields
  Mr. Maxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what research he is supporting into the effects of electromagnetic fields on health in general, and on the incidence of leukaemia in particular.

  Mr. Jackson
  I understand that the Medical Research Council is not at present supporting work specifically to investigate the effects on health of electromagnetic fields. The council is, however, supporting several studies on the clustering of cancer cases, including leukaemia, and their possible causes. These studies may establish whether there is any association between the presence of electromagnetic fields and the incidence of cancer.

  Research Grants
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he seeks from research councils on the subsequent careers of recipients of their grants.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Department and the Advisory Board for the Research Councils ask the research councils to supply such information as they collect for their own 394
  purposes about the first employment destinations of holders of post-graduate student awards. The Department will be discussing with the award-making bodies how the data might be improved and, in particular, how they might be collated on a consistent basis.

  School Building
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy with regard to privatising the building of new schools.

  Mr. Dunn
  I have written to my hon. Friend on this matter.

  Small Rural Schools
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further steps he proposes to take to encourage small rural schools.

  Mr. Dunn
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply that my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Mrs. Rumbold) gave him on 16 February at column 819.

  Scientific Equipment
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will undertake a comparative survey of the scientific equipment available in academic and academically related research in the United Kingdom and other industrial countries.

  Mr. Jackson
  The Advisory Board for the Research Councils (ABRC) has commissioned a study of scientific equipment in United Kingdom higher education institutions. The board expects to advise my right hon. Friend about the outcome of the study, around the end of the year, taking into account such results as are available of similar studies in other countries.

  Child Health and Early Education
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he as any plans to implement the findings of the Child Health and Education Study which reported in 1987 on "The Effects of Early Education"; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  My right hon. Friend has taken note of t he findings of this report, which was commissioned by my Department and has been published. The broad conclusion of the report is that children can benefit from pre-school experience of a variety of forms. The Government have always accepted this and believe that their current policy of maintaining the discretionary basis of provision is therefore right.

  Truancy
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received about his Department's plans to reduce the level of truancy in schools.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The responsibility for taking action on truancy rests with local education authorities and with schools and parents. In the course of preparing circular 2/86, "School Attendance and the Education Welfare Services", and following its publication, the Department
  395
  received information and representations from interested parties. The Department is considering issuing a further circular relating to school attendance, which would be subject to a similar process of consultation.

  Secondary Schools, Northamptonshire
  Mr. William Powell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list all secondary schools in Northamptonshire, stating how many pupils are currently in each school and how many empty places exist in each school.

  Mr. Dunn
  Information on school places is not available centrally. In January 1987 the maintained secondary schools in Northamptonshire and the number of pupils on roll in each school were as follows :

  Maintained secondary schools in Northamptonshire January 1987

  Name of school

  Number on roll

  Towcester Sponne school

  1,051

  Weavers school, Wellingborough

  1,210

  Rothwell Montsaye school

  1,203

  Irthlingborough Huxlow school

  630

  Henry Gotch school

  621

  Moulton school, Moulton, Northampton

  1,050

  Manor school, Raunds

  740

  Chichele school, Rushden

  777

  Rushden boys school

  638

  Wellingborough John Lea school

  727

  Roade comprehensive school

  1,047

  Daventry school

  805

  Wollaston school

  1,024

  Kingsbrook school

  685

  Guilsborough county school

  1,129

  Beanfield comprehensive school

  621

  Kettering boys school

  696

  Southfield school for girls, Kettering

  713

  Corby Lodge Park school

  943

  Kingswood comprehensive, Corby

  947

  Bugbrooke Campion school

  1,262

  Prince William school upper

  856

  Southbrook comprehensive school, Daventry

  884

  Latimer school

  839

  Northampton Trinity school

  789

  Duston upper school

  971

  Weston Favell upper school

  1,172

  Northampton Mereway upper school

  497

  Lings upper school

  866

  Kingsthorpe upper school

  1,070

  Northampton school for girls

  831

  Northampton school for boys

  636

  Wellingborough Wrenn school

  949

  Grange comprehensive school

  892

  Chenderit school, Middleton Cheney

  909

  Montagu school, Kettering

  748

  Net institutional recurrent expenditure per pupil (£; cash prices) maintained primary and secondary schools

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  South Yorkshire Met. County

  Barnsley

  818

  894

  959

  1,016

  1,122

  Doncaster

  818

  890

  946

  1,005

  1,145

  Rotherham

  749

  813

  875

  933

  1,054

  Sheffield

  898

  992

  1,012

  1,111

  1,255

  North Yorkshire Met. County

  Bradford

  788

  832

  906

  984

  1,107

  Calderdale

  784

  828

  870

  944

  1,091

  Kirklees

  752

  779

  835

  919

  1,057

  Leeds

  759

  837

  875

  946

  1,084

  396

  Name of school

  Number on roll

  The Ferrers school

  749

  Queen Elizabeth school

  888

  Sir Christopher Hatton, Wellingborough

  953

  Magdalen College school, Brackley

  1,068

  Bishop Stopford Church of England school, Kettering

  960

  Our Lady and Pope John XIII Roman Catholic school

  792

  Thomas Becket Roman Catholic upper school

  882

  Schools (Expenditure)
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how much is spent per pupil on education in primary and secondary schools; what are the comparable figures in cash and real terms five and 10 years ago; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Dunn
  The information is provided in the following table.

  Net Institutional Recurrent Expenditure1 Per Pupil in England

  1978–79 £

  1983–84 £

  1986–873 £

  Primary Schools

  Cash

  365

  725

  895

  1986–87 Real Terms2

  710

  830

  895

  Secondary Schools

  Cash

  530

  1,015

  1,340

  1986–87 Real Terms2

  1,035

  1,160

  1,340

  1. Net institutional recurrent expenditure covers the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. It does not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges or revenue contributions to capital outlay.

  2. The cash prices for the earlier years have been repriced to 1986–87 prices using the gross domestic product (market prices) deflator.

  3. The latest information available on actual expenditure is for the financial year 1986–87.

  Expenditure (Yorkshire)
  Mrs. Peacock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what is the expenditure per pupil for each local authority area in Yorkshire for each of the past five years.

  Mr. Dunn
  The available information is given in the table. The figures include the cost of salaries and wages, premises and certain supplies and services. They do not include the cost of school meals, central administration and inspection, debt charges and revenue contributions to capital outlay.
  397

  1982–83

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  Wakefield

  752

  847

  892

  988

  1,122

  North Yorkshire

  793

  846

  871

  943

  1,040

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what further representations he has received concerning the implications of the Education Reform Bill for children with special educational needs.

  Mr. Dunn
  Numerous representations on the Bill have been received from organisations and individuals. Of these, a substantial minority dealt with its implications for children with special educational needs.

  Polytechnics and Colleges of Higher Education (Formation Committees)
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress has been made in the appointment of formation committees for the polytechnics and colleges of higher education.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend has selected the members of over three-quarters of the formation committees and the institutions concerned are today being informed. We hope to complete these appointments shortly.

  Teachers (Pay and Conditions)
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, when the report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers' pay and conditions will be published.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  The report of the interim advisory committee on school teachers' pay and conditions is being published today. I am also initiating the consultation required by section 3(1) of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1987 by writing today to the relevant local authority associations, teacher unions and bodies representing the interests of the governors of voluntary schools setting out my proposals. The text of the letter is as follows :Text of letter of 19 April from the Secretary of State for Education and Science to the relevant local authority associations, teacher unions and bodies representing the interests of the governors of voluntary schools.

  TEACHERS' PAY AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
  1. On 27 October 1987 asked the Interim Advisory Committee on School Teachers' Pay and Conditions to examine and report to me on certain issues. I enclose a copy of the Committee's report which is being published today. The Committee's recommendations are summarised in Chapter 7 of its report. I propose to make an Order giving effect to the recommendations referred to in paragraphs 2 to 6 below. But before I take a decision on what provision I should make, I invite your views. This letter therefore initiates the consultation required by Section 3(1) of the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Act 1987.

  2. I propose to accept the Committee's recommendation that the salaries of all qualified teachers should be raised by a uniform percentage to the figures set out at paragraph 4.4.1 of the Committee's report with effect from 1 April 1988. As a result of accepting the recommendation in paragraph 4.1.16 about the distribution of the £300m, the salaries and allowances for unqualified teachers and the allowance for teachers of the visually impaired and hearing would be increased by the same percentage as for qualified teachers.

  398

  3. I propose to accept the recommendation in paragraph 5.3.6 that the rates of the London area allowances should be increased by 7·5 per cent. with effect from 1July 1987.

  4. I propose to accept the recommended increases in the value of the incentive allowances (paragraphs 4.3.9, 4.3.11 and 4.3.12) to the following annual amounts with effect from 1 April 1988.

  Rate

  Annual Amount £

  A

  800

  B

  1,200

  C

  2,400

  D

  3,200

  E

  4,400

  5. I see advantages in the Committee's recommendation in paragraph 4.3.7 that the programme of introduction of the A allowances should be accelerated. I had been envisaging that there would be a further 12,000 A allowances from September 1988 with additions of a similar number in each of the two subsequent Septembers. In the light of the Committee's recommendations about accelerating the introduction of A allowances I believe that this further expansion of 36,000 A allowances should be spread over two years rather than three, with 18,000 further A allowances from September 1988 and a further 18,000 from September 1989. This will mean some revisions to the limits relating to incentive allowance A in Annex A to Appendix I of the 'School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document 1987'.

  6. I propose to accept the Committee's recommendation in paragraph 5.4.11 about the social priority allowance.

  7. The Order I propose to make to give effect to all of the above would do so by bringing into effect a new School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document. The Committee's remaining recommendations do not require other changes to this year's revision of the Document : I do not therefore propose to change the Document in response to these recommendations. Nor is it intended to revise the RSG settlements for 1988–89 on account of the proposals set out in paragraph 2 to 6 above.

  8. Any comments on the proposals set out above and on any other matters raised in the report are invited by 10 May. If you would like to express your views in a meeting would you let my office know of this as soon as possible so that any meetings with myself or officials can take place by 13 May at the latest.

  9. Following these consultations a revised version of the Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document will be prepared. There will then be opportunity to comment on the precise wording of the amendments to the Document prior to the publication of the new Document and the laying before Parliament of an Order which will give effect to the provisions in the revised Document.

  10. The Interim Advisory Committee say that they hope it will be possible for a copy of the report to be seen by teachers in every maintained school. Enough copies of the report are being sent to each local education authority for a copy to be circulated to each school.

SCOTLAND

  Recidivism
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the recidivism rate for(a) young offenders, (b) short-term offenders, and (c) long-term offenders, in Scottish prisons.
  399
  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  I regret that this information is not available.

  Under-Sixes (Education)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when he intends to publish the report reviewing the provision of under-sixes education in Scotland;

  (2) what expenditure was incurred in compiling the Scottish Education Department report reviewing the provision of under-sixes education.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 16 March 1988 given to the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood).

  Student Loan Scheme
  Mr. Galloway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has had from the British Medical Association-Associate Members group on the subject of a student loan scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  We have received a number of representations from two of the British Medical Association associate members' representatives, including one submitted by the hon. Member, together with a relatively small number of representations from individual medical students, both direct and from hon. Members. All representations received individual replies.

  No conclusions have yet been reached on the future pattern of student support. We hope to publish Government proposals in the summer, when the student support review group has completed its work.

  Highlands and Islands Development Board
  Mr. Barry Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the total subsidy expressed per head of population of the islands for the last five years paid to the Highlands and Islands Development Board.

  Mr. Lang
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Water Rates
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the water rate applicable for 1987–88 and 1988–89 for each regional and islands authority in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  The information requested is set out in the table below.

  Domestic Water Rates 1987–88 and 1988–89

  1987–88 Per cent.

  1988–89 Per cent.

  Borders

  5·7

  5·1

  Central

  4·7

  5·0

  Dumfries and Galloway

  4·0

  4·0

  Fife

  4·0

  5·0

  Grampian

  6·5

  6·8

  Highland

  5·5

  5·5

  Lothian

  6·1

  5·1

  Strathclyde

  4·0

  4·0

  Tayside

  4·5

  5·5

  Orkney

  11·0

  12·0

  Shetland

  3·0

  7·5

  Western Isles

  11·5

  12·0

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Bill Walker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration he has given to the comments by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, in its 18th report, on the Community Charges (Registration) (Scotland) Regulations 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lang
  The Joint Committee commented on Regulation 12(2)(b) and on the related supplementary inquiry form, contained in schedule 4 to the regulations, by means of which community charge registration officers may make follow-up inquiries of responsible persons in respect of premises in his area as part of the procedures for setting up the community charges register.

  The first point made by the Joint Committee relates to whether the supplementary inquiry form is intended to seek information which is supplementary to the information already provided in response to the inquiry form, or which is supplementary to the matters mentioned in the inquiry form. My right hon. and learned Friend's view, as expressed in the memorandum submitted by the Scottish Office to the Joint Committee, was that what was being requested was supplementary information about the matters specified in the form, while the Joint Committee takes the view that, as drafted, the supplementary information relates to information already provided by the responsible person. That criticism of the drafting of the regulations is a question of interpretation, but in my right hon. and learned Friend's view there is no practical difference in the result.

  The Joint Committee's second criticism relates to the nature of what may be requested as supplementary information. The instructions to registration officers contained in square brackets in the supplementary inquiry form suggest that documents or evidence might be requested. The Joint Committee says that it does not consider that documents or evidence can constitute information. My right hon. and learned Friend disagrees with that view. In any case, it is important to note that where the information requested does not involve documents or evidence, the point will not arise.

  The Joint Committee also questions whether, if documents or information are to be provided, there is provision for them to be returned : and it says that, if documents are information and information is to be "given" to the registration officer its ownership must change. My right hon. and learned Friend does not accept that the word "given" necessarily carries that implication. The intention is simply that the information, whether or not embodied in documents, should be provided to the registration officer in response to his inquiry. Where documents are involved, the registration officer may be expected to return them to the responsible person in due course.

  The comments made by the Joint Committee deal with matters of drafting and interpretation and relate only to certain specific uses to which the supplementary inquiry form might be put. They do not otherwise question the regulations, which have been made and are fully in force, and have been debated by Parliament. In particular, the Joint Committee made no comment upon, and has cast no doubt upon, the soundness of the registration process as a whole and the Committee's comments in no way prevent that process from going ahead as planned.

TRANSPORT

  Bus Services
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the number of bus services registered as from 26 January 1987 and the numbers of services discontinued since that date.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The number of new bus services registered from 26 January 1987 was 6,930 and the number deregistered was 6,229.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is(a) the reduction in conventional bus service provision and (b) the increase in minibus service provision since (i) the implementation of the Transport Act 1985 and (ii) the implementation of full deregulation on 26 January 1987.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  Information is not available in the form requested. Since deregulation there has been a substantial growth in the number of minibuses which now represent some 10–15 per cent. of the vehicles used on local services. Passengers in over 250 areas are now benefiting.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has assessed the effect on bus transport facilities for the disabled arising from the Transport Act 1985; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, which was set up under the Transport Act 1985 to advise the Secretary of State, is

  Precepts and Districts Share of total contribution Existing System (Community Charge)

  1987–88

  1986–87

  Now

  CC

  Now

  CC

  Greater Manchester

  Passenger transport authority precept

  12·96p

  (£78·8m)1

  19·99p

  (£83·5m)1

  District share of precept2

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Bolton

  9

  (10)

  9

  (10)

  Bury

  6

  ( 7)

  6

  ( 7)

  Manchester

  23

  (18)

  23

  (18)

  Oldham

  7

  ( 8)

  7

  ( 8)

  Rochdale

  6

  (8)

  6

  ( 8)

  Salford

  9

  ( 9)

  9

  ( 9)

  Stockport

  12

  (11)

  12

  (11)

  Tameside

  6

  ( 8)

  6

  ( 8)

  Trafford

  11

  ( 9)

  12

  ( 9)

  Wigan

  10

  (12)

  10

  (12)

  Merseyside

  Passenger transport authority precept

  28·48p

  (£67·)m1

  44·88p

  (£81·5m)1

  District share of precept

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Knowsley

  11

  (11)

  11

  (11)

  Liverpool

  35

  (33)

  35

  (34)

  St. Helens

  12

  (13)

  12

  (13)

  Sefton

  18

  (20)

  18

  (20)

  Wirral

  23

  (23)

  23

  (23)

  South Yorkshire

  Passenger transport authority precept

  34·21p

  (£46·1m)1

  44·07p

  (£59·3m)1

  District share of precept

  402
  keeping in close touch with the impact of the Act on the transport needs of disabled people. The Act places a duly on local authorities, in the provision of bus services, to have regard to the transport needs of the public who are disabled. In addition, section 106 of the Act enables local authorities to make grants for providing, maintaining or improving any vehicle, equipment or other facilities to facilitate travel by disabled people.

  Passenger Transport Authorities
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the precepts and the district share of the total precept levy income paid into each metropolitan county passenger transport authority by each of the constituent districts in 1986–87 and 1987–88;

  (2) what is his estimate of the poll tax precept and the district share of the total precept levy income to the paid to each metropolitan county passenger transport authority by each of the constituent districts on the basis of actual spending levels in 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  The figures are given in the following table. Percentage shares under the two systems are based on rateable values and population respectively. As these are fairly stable, year on year, there is very little difference between the shares for 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  The change in the percentage share under the new system is a consequence of the introduction of the community charge and is not related to the proposed change to billing.
  403

  1987–88

  1986–87

  Now

  CC

  Now

  CC

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Barnsley

  14

  (17)

  14

  (17)

  Doncaster

  22

  (22)

  22

  (22)

  Rotherham

  18

  (19)

  18

  (19)

  Sheffield

  46

  (42)

  47

  (42)

  Existing System (Community Charge)

  1987–88

  1986–87

  Now

  CC

  Now

  CC

  Tyne and Wear

  Passenger transport authority precept

  14·51p

  (£57·7 million)1

  24·27p

  (£;63·9 million)1

  District share of precept

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Gateshead

  17

  (18)

  17

  (18)

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  32

  (25)

  32

  (25)

  North Tyneside

  16

  (17)

  17

  (17)

  South Tyneside

  12

  (14)

  12

  (14)

  Sunderland

  22

  (26)

  22

  (26)

  West Midlands

  Gross passenger transport authority precept

  7·81p

  (£56·0 million)1

  10·32p

  (£58·1 million)1

  District share of precept

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Birmingham

  39

  (38)

  39

  (38)

  Coventry

  11

  (12)

  11

  (12)

  Dudley

  11

  (12)

  11

  (12)

  Sandwell

  12

  (12)

  12

  (12)

  Solihull

  8

  (8)

  8

  (8)

  Walsall

  9

  (10)

  9

  (10)

  Wolverhampton

  10

  (10)

  10

  (10)

  West Yorkshire

  Passenger transport authority precept

  23·78p

  (£59·3 million)1

  26·50p

  (£61·3 million)

  District share of precept

  Percentage

  Percentage

  Bradford

  20

  (22)

  20

  (22)

  Calderdale

  8

  (9)

  8

  (9)

  Kirklees

  15

  (18)

  15

  (18)

  Leeds

  41

  (35)

  41

  (35)

  Wakefield

  16

  (15)

  15

  (15)

  Notes

  1 Under the community charge system, precepting authorities levy a gross amount on the collection fund to cover all their expenditure. Grant in respect of their expenditure is paid into the district collection fund together with grant for expenditure by other tiers of local government and the share of the national non-domestic rate. It is not, therefore, possible to provide a figure for the passenger transport authority demand net of grant.

  2 Percentages may not total 100 owing to rounding.

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

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I have received no representations. I understand that the office in question is still open at present. It is for the General Council of British Shipping to decide what local offices it wishes to operate.

  Roads (Skid Resistance)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the frequency of monitoring the skid resistance of trunk roads and motorways within the United Kingdom.
  404
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  On 19 January we announced a new policy which now requires the Department's agents to carry out a routine skid resistance survey on all trunk roads and motorways over a three-year period. This will make the best use of the limited number of specialist machines which are available during the summer survey period and the funds available for this work.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what type of material and seal coats are used to provide the necessary skidding-resistance on the trunk roads and motorways in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The type of material and seal coats used to provide skidding resistance on trunk roads and motorways will vary according to the condition of the road, the volumes of traffic using the road and particular characteristics of the site to be treated. The type of
  405
  treatment chosen for a particular site is a matter of judgment for the local maintenance agent in discussion with the Department's regional office.

  Roads (Surfaces)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the allotted funding for the surface testing, and treatment when necessary, for all trunk roads and motorways in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  It is estimated that over the first four years of this new approach the cost of surveying and treating the trunk road and motorway network will be £36 million. Thereafter it is estimated that the annual cost of continuing this policy will be approximately £2·5 million per annum. When the standard is fully implemented financial benefits from accident reductions on trunk roads will amount to £35 million a year, representing a return of £5 . 50 for every £1 spent.

  Motorway Safety
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about his recently announced initiatives to improve motorway safety.

  Mr. Channon
  On 7 April I announced the outcome of a review of motorway safety begun shortly before last Christmas. Although motorways remain our safest roads, they account for nearly 250 deaths and 1,600 serious injuries each year. And when accidents occur at high speed the consequences are horrific. In the course of our review we looked at where and why accidents happen, ways of improving driving standards and skills, relevant aspects of road design and equipment, and the scope for improvements to vehicles, with the object of improving features which are particularly important on motorways. In the light of the review, we now propose to take action in the following areas:—encouragement and promotion of better driving skills on the motorway, including encouragement to newly qualified drivers to take additional tuition in respect of motorway driving.
  —introduction of mandatory speed limits at all major motorway contraflows and roadworks, and special requirements for heavy goods vehicles in contraflows.
  —improved communication with drivers, through more consistent use of matrix signs, and the introduction of new, clearer versions of the "lane restriction" and "end of restriction" signs.
  —changes to some regulations and standards for vehicle lighting, and improvements to measures to prevent vehicle fires.
  —improvements to the design and protection of roadside features, to make them safer in the event of accidents.

  I have also published, and shall be widely distributing, a new leaflet advising motorists on safe motorway driving. I am arranging for copies of this leaflet, and the pamphlet giving fuller details of all the measures to be placed in the Library of the House.

  London City Airport
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is yet able to announce the formal arrangements for public safety zones at London City airport.

  Mr. Channon
  The London Docklands Development Corporation is today being informed of the arrangements 406
  for public safety zones. The Civil Aviation Authority is also making formal arrangements to safeguard the airport in respect of future building in the vicinity which could be a hazard to aircraft flying close to the airport. In accordance with normal practice, the arrangements allow for possible development of the airport over the next 12 to 15 years. But they do no more than keep open existing options for the time being: any such development would be subject to normal planning controls.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police Establishment (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy to approve the appointment of 91 additional police officers over the next three years, and 45 new police officers during the current year, as applied for by the chief constable of Leicestershire.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 18 February at column 707.

  Nationality Applications
  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality he has received during the year 1987; how many of these his Department has commenced processing; and how many remain (a) unacknowledged, and (b) unprocessed.

  Mr. Renton
  The information is not readily available in the form requested.

  In 1987 we estimate that about 290,000 citizenship applications were received of which all but 33,000 had been acknowledged by 11 April. Provisional figures for 1987 indicate that grants of citizenship were made to 64,800 applicants.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality he has received since 1 January 1988; how many of these his Department has commenced processing; and how many remain(a) unacknowledged, and (b) unprocessed.

  Mr. Renton
  We estimate that we have received about 12,000 citizenship applications since 1 January 1988. Applications are acknowledged and processed broadly in order to receipt. Only a few applications received by post in 1988 have yet been acknowledged since priority has been given to acknowledging those received in 1987.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports he estimates are at present held at Lunar house, received from applicants for British nationality; and what is the minimum, the maximum and the average time during which such passports are held.

  Mr. Renton
  It is not possible to say exactly how many passports are contained within the 45,000 citizenship applications currently awaiting opening and acknowledgement at Lunar house.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality he estimates have been lost during the past six months; and what steps are being taken in order to find the same.

  Mr. Renton
  There is no reason to suppose that any applications have been lost.

  Mr. Paul Hill (Marriage)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the names, addresses and professions of the persons, excluding prison staff, who were present at(a) the marriage and (b) the reception following the marriage of Paul Hill to Miss Maria Seranville at Long Lartin prison : and what was the cost of this ceremony to public funds.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I do not think that it would he right to disclose the personal details requested. There were no additional costs to public funds arising from the ceremony.

  US Armed Forces (British Citizens)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any requests for extradition of British citizens deserting from the United States armed forces have been received from the United States Government or its armed forces in the last three years in respect of individuals who did not have dual citizenship.

  Mr. John Patten
  The total number of requests from the United States authorities for the return of deserters from the United States armed forces during the last three years was three. I now understand that one of these requests was in respect of a British citizen who does not also hold United States citizenship. I regret that the information given in my reply to a question by the hon. Member on 12 April, at column 5, was incorrect in this respect.

  Inquests (Police Investigations)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for reports from the appropriate chief constables as to whether there were any police investigations prior to verdicts being recorded at the inquests of Mr. Vimal Daihjhai, Mr. Peter Peapell and Mr. David Sands and as to whether there have been further investigations subsequently.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I understand from the appropriate chief constable that each of these cases was fully investigated by the police both before and after the inquests.

  Transfrontier Broadcasting
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made at the ministerial conference in Vienna towards the establishment of a European convention on transfrontier broadcasting; if he expects such a convention to be ready for adoption and signature at the second ministerial conference on mass media policy due to take place in Stockholm in November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  I represented the United Kingdom at an informal meeting of Council of Europe Broadcasting Ministers which took place in Vienna on 12–13 April. The object of the meeting was to discuss various outstanding points of difficulty on the draft Council of Europe convention on transfrontier broadcasting with a view to guiding the further work of the Council's steering committee on the mass media which is charged with finalising the text of the draft instrument.

  The meeting endorsed the general framework of the draft convention and made useful progress towards
  408
  resolving a number of issues, including European programme content, duration of advertising, the field of application of the convention, and its enforcement procedures.

  The main issue still outstanding concerns the rules governing advertising breaks within programmes, on which no formula has yet been found which satisfactorily accommodates the differing arrangements in individual member states of the Council. Further meetings of the steering committee are plannned over the next few months at which the text will be considered in the light of the ministerial discussions, and it remains our hope that the convention can be finalised and opened for signature at or before the ministerial conference in Stockholm in November.

  Residential Care Licence Applications
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will appoint additional staff to clear the backlog of accommodation for residential care licence applications; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  No.

  Citizenship Applications
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the measures announced by the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex on 16 February,Official Report, column 863, to reduce the delays in the processing of citizenship applications.

  Mr. Renton
  Good progress has been made as a result of the measures announced, and I am grateful for the cooperation of the staff and trade union side at Lunar House which has helped us achieve this. Of the 150,000 applications for citizenship received before the deadline of 31 December 1987, 117,000 have now been acknowledged, and any passport inside has been returned. Provided the present rate can be maintained, the remaining 33,000 applications will have similarly been dealt with by the middle of May 1988.

  It is the Government's aim that all citizenship applications received by 31 December 1987 should be completed within two years, and further measures to achieve this will be announced shortly.

  Passports
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the service to those who telephone his Department's passport processing office at Peterborough so that they no longer continually get the engaged tone.

  Mr. Renton
  [holding answer 31 March 1988]As I said in answer to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Mr. Latham) on 7 March, at column 4, a new 24-exchange line telephone system was installed at the Peterborough passport office in July 1987.

  The recorded message facility to which I previously referred is now installed and provides information simultaneously to 12 waiting callers : as this should answer many general inquiries, callers will on average ring off earlier, freeing more lines for incoming calls.

  Prisoners (Brixton and Holloway)
  Mr. Bermingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were remanded to(a) Brixton prison and (h) Holloway prison for the purposes of social inquiry and psychiatrict reports in each of the years from 1980 to 1987.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  [holding answer 31 March 1988]Figures relating to remands for social inquiry reports are not available. Numbers of prisoners on whom psychiatric reports were prepared by prison medical officers in the years in question were as follows:

  Psychiatric reports by Medical Officers on persons remanded in custody

  Brixton

  Holloway

  1980

  2,440

  638

  1981

  2,502

  653

  1982

  2,551

  612

  1983

  3,137

  568

  1984–851

  3,202

  613

  1985–86

  2,885

  477

  1986–87

  2,624

  403

  1 15 month period.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Home Helps
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the pay increase to home helps in the current year: and what was the percentage increase.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]With effect from 1 July 1987 home helps' basic weekly pay was increased by £16·40, which represents 16·95 per cent.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the number of home help hours available in each unit of management in the Western health and social services hoard area in(a) 1975–76, (b) 1980–81 and (c) each year since then, including the projection for 1988–89, showing for each year the percentage change on the previous figure and the number of persons receiving home help in each year, and the applications refused.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]The information is given in the following tables.

  Table 1 Home Help Hours worked

  Financial year

  Hours worked

  Per cent. change from previous year

  Londonderry-Limavady-Strabane UoM

  1975–76

  Not available

  —

  1979–80

  604,349

  —

  1980–81

  592,285

  -1·99

  1981–82

  602,877

  +1·78

  1982–83

  631,771

  +4·79

  1983–84

  649,001

  +2·72

  1984–85

  609,112

  -6·15

  1985–86

  635,385

  +4·31

  1986–87

  578,952

  -8·88

  1987–88

  575,327

  -0·63

  1988–891

  511,000

  -11·18

  Omagh UoM

  410

  Financial year

  Hours worked

  Per cent. change from previous year

  1975–76

  Not available

  —

  1979–80

  242,639

  —

  1980–81

  216,197

  -10·9

  1981–82

  253,291

  + 17·16

  1982–83

  256,448

  + 1·24

  1983–84

  244,380

  -4·70

  1984–85

  254,615

  + 4·19

  1985–86

  248,467

  -2·41

  1986–87

  217,226

  -12·57

  1987–88

  228,469

  + 5·18

  1988–891

  205,000

  -10·27

  Fermanagh Uom

  1975–76

  Not available

  —

  1979–80

  266,632

  —

  1980–81

  261,503

  -1·92

  1981–82

  284,650

  +8·85

  1982–83

  300,075

  +5·42

  1983–84

  295,088

  -1·66

  1984–85

  302,137

  +2·39

  1985–86

  299,326

  -0·93

  1986–87

  276,271

  -7·70

  1987–88

  273,732

  -0·92

  1988–891

  247,000

  -9·77

  1 Projection

  Table 2 Persons receiving Home Help Service

  Year ended 31 December

  Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane

  Omagh

  Fermanagh

  1975

  1,171

  611

  549

  1980

  1,869

  615

  678

  1981

  1,905

  689

  822

  1982

  2,066

  754

  985

  1983

  2,144

  734

  1,078

  1984

  2,227

  757

  1,110

  1985

  2,552

  759

  1,173

  1986

  2,646

  780

  1,206

  Table 3 No. of Applications not approved for Home Help Service

  Year ended 31 December

  Londonderry, Limavady and Strabane

  Omagh

  Fermanagh

  1975

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  1980

  82

  n/a

  18

  1981

  117

  n/a

  9

  1982

  135

  n/a

  11

  1983

  55

  n/a

  46

  1984

  35

  n/a

  23

  1985

  51

  n/a

  18

  1986

  35

  n/a

  58

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Clothing, Hats and Gloves
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will publish the number of production units classified to clothing, hats and gloves on the register maintained by the Business Statistics Office.

  Mr. Atkins
  In 1987 there were 9,865 such units classified to group 453 of the Standard Industrial Classification 1980, that is clothing, hats and gloves. Figures in respect of the individual headings within that group, and within the production sector as a whole, are published in table 8 of Business Monitor PA 1003.

  Records and Tapes
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has on the increase in the volume of United Kingdom trade deliveries of records, CDs and tapes between 1986 and 1987.

  Mr. Atkins
  Figures released by the British Phonographic Industry show that the percentage changes between 1986 and 1987 in United Kingdom trade deliveries were as follows:

  percentage

  Singles

  -6

  LPs

  0

  Cassettes

  + 7

  CDs

  + 117

  Combined Albums

  + 11

  Techsearch Programme (Newcastle)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what support he has given to the Newcastle technology centre's Techsearch programme; what conclusions and evaluation he has made of this programme; and what further development of this programme he proposes to support.

  Mr. Atkins
  Under the business improvement services scheme a grant of 55 per cent. of the cost of providing database services to eligible small firms (Techsearch) up to a maximum of £145,323 was offered on 13 August 1986 for the period up to 31 March 1989. Techsearch is a pilot project which is monitored by DTI/NE officials to ensure compliance with the terms of the offer before payments are made. Progress measured by numbers of initial subscribers has been satisfactory. It is too early for a fuller evaluation, which will be influenced by the ability of Techsearch to continue on a self-financing basis when grant payments have ended. There are no present plans to support further development on Techsearch.

  Northern Region
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all the projects in the northern region sponsored under his Department's support for marketing, support for quality, and support for design schemes : to provide a regional breakdown of(a) number of projects and (b) expenditures under each of these three schemes; and if he will list all the consultants engaged in these schemes, and their main or principal office.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The detailed information requested is available only at disproportionate cost. However, the hon. Member may wish to know that in DTI's north-east and north-west regions 232 companies have been assisted under the support for marketing scheme, 494 under the support for quality scheme and 295 under the support for design scheme. Payments made by DTI totalled £0·99 million, £1·82million and £0·91 million respectively.

  Enterprise Scheme
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications for assistance under the DTI enterprise scheme have been received during its first 412
  three months of operation; and how many have been granted for each of the consultancy functions being offered.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  In the period from 13 January, when the consultancy initiatives were launched, and 14 April, 3,929 applications for assisted consultancy were received.

  Referral of applications to the relevant scheme contractor (who matches consultant to applicant) takes place on the basis of a short initial Business Review carried out by a DTI enterprise counsellor.

  By 14 April, 1,422 applications had been referred, as follows:

  Referrals

  (a) Schemes available from 13 January 1988:

  Marketing Initiative

  638

  Design Initiative

  243

  Quality Initiative

  307

  Manufacturing Initiative

  150

  (b) Additional schemes available from 1 April 1988:

  Business Planning Initiative

  55

  Financial and Information Systems Initiative

  29

  Support for Design Scheme
  Mr. Rathbone
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications for assistance were received and granted under the support for design scheme for each quarter of its operation.

  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  The numbers of applications received and granted under the support for design scheme in each quarter, until its replacement by the design initiative in January 1988, were as follows :

  Applications received

  Applications granted

  1985

  Quarter 2

  429

  0

  Quarter 3

  416

  38

  Quarter 4

  488

  134

  1986

  Quarter 1

  553

  219

  Quarter 2

  525

  291

  Quarter 3

  535

  283

  Quarter 4

  503

  315

  1987

  Quarter 1

  455

  378

  Quarter 2

  446

  280

  Quarter 3

  567

  246

  Quarter 4

  495

  321

  1988

  Quarter 1

  120

  262

  Totals

  5,532

  2,767

  Vosper Thornycroft
  Mr. Peter Griffiths
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, in the light of the flotation of Vosper Thornycroft, and the price secured, Her Majesty's Government's policy remains that the compensation to the original shareholders was adequate, prompt and effective.

  Mr. Maude
  The recent flotation of Vosper Thornycroft is not material to the valuation of the business
  413
  at the time it was nationalised. The Government's policy is still as was stated by the then Secretary of State for Industry on 7 August 1980, that there was no satisfactory way to alter the compensation terms imposed by the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977.

  Leyland Bus
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the reply of 12 April,Official Report, column 28, what information he has as to how much of the £680 million of state aid to the Rover Group plc was used to fund (a) the write-off of the debts of Leyland Bus and (b) the restructuring costs arising from its sale, respectively; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  My Department receives regular returns from Rover Group giving details of the expenditure of the £680 million in its former commercial vehicle businesses and how this compares with the estimated amounts at the time of the injection. I am sure that the hon. Member will appreciate that these details (including how much, if any, remains to be spent in any business) are commercially confidential.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the answer of 12 April,Official Report, column 28, if his Department was informed of the arrangements made for the payment of the purchase price of Leyland Bus from the Rover Group plc; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  No. The arrangements for the payment to the Rover Group plc of the purchase price of Leyland Bus were a matter for the companies concerned.

  Steel
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of the crude steel production of the United Kingdom was produced in(a) each of the standard English regions, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in the last year for which full figures are available.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The figures are as follows:

  Proportion of total crude steel production in 1987

  Per cent.

  North

  18·7

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  33·2

  East Midlands

  0·1

  South East

  3·4

  West Midlands

  0·6

  North West

  1—

  Wales

  31·2

  Scotland

  12·8

  Total

  100·0

  1 Negligible.

  Source Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.

  Working Breakfasts
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the total cost of the working breakfast in Newcastle on 13 April; how many business people attended; and how many civil servants were present.
  414
  Mr. Kenneth Clarke
  [holding answer 18 April 19881: The working breakfast in Newcastle on 13 April was the first of six such presentations to be held during the next three months and was not costed separately. The overall estimated cost of these presentations was given in my reply to the hon. Member on 14 March 1988.

  Over 200 business people and representatives of major public corporations attended the working breakfast. About 50 civil servants from headquarters and regional offices were present in a working capacity in the reception area, in the associated exhibition and as management arid information support.

  British Shipbuilders Ltd.
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what information he has to what sum of compensation was paid by British Shipbuilders Ltd. to Caledonian MacBrayne for errors in the design and construction of, the MV Isle of Mull; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: No compensation has yet been paid to the Scottish Transport Group though the basis for claims, which are likely to prove considerable, has been agreed. The taxpayer will also have to bear British Shipbuilders' costs for essential modifications to the vessel. These will also be considerable.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he has any plans to reduce the annual state subsidy paid to British Shipbuilders Ltd.; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: Although no new decisions have been taken since last autumn on the level of annual state subsidy paid to the corporation, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster has made it quite clear to the House that the costs of British Shipbuilders are far too high.

  Airbus
  Mr. Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if any progress has been made in reviewing the financing and company structure of the Airbus company, following the initiative he took in asking Sir Jeffrey Sterling to review the situation; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Atkins
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Irving) on 13 April.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Chris Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to the answer to the hon. Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith)Official Report, 14 March, column 429, he will indicate on what basis the figure of £270 million reduction in tax take due to debt write-down has been calculated; and what profit level has been assumed in arriving at this figure.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The estimate was arrived at by comparing the tax paid in 1987–88 with the estimated
  415
  amounts that would have been paid if no deduction had been available in respect of losses on irrecoverable loans in the tax computations for the relevant accounting periods. The calculations are based on the taxable profits of individual banks for the relevant accounting periods where these have been agreed, and on estimated figures where tax computations have not been finalised.

  Taxation
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax units paid the basic rate of tax only in 1979–80, 1983–84, and for the latest available financial year; what the total revenue received in respect of those units was, in each of the three years; and what percentage this was of total income tax revenue.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Estimates are as follows:

  Tax units liable at basic rate only

  Year

  Number of tax units1 (million)

  Tax liability (£ million)

  Percentage of total tax liability (per cent.)

  1979–802

  220·9

  18,500

  81

  1983–84

  19·6

  27,200

  78

  1988–893

  19·7

  31,100

  70

  Percentage of gross income paid in income tax, NIC and VAT

  Multiple of average male earnings

  ½

  1

  1½

  2

  3

  5

  10

  One earner couple with 2 children under 11

  1978–79

  Income tax and NIC

  2·5

  20·9

  26·2

  27·9

  34·8

  48·8

  65·6

  VAT

  —

  2·6

  2·7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1988–89

  Income tax and NIC

  6·1

  20·0

  23·2

  24·8

  29·9

  33·9

  37·0

  VAT

  —

  5·1

  5·7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Two earner couple with 2 children under 11

  1978–79

  Income tax and NIC

  -4·6

  12·9

  21·8

  26·2

  31·2

  36·2

  52·3

  VAT

  —

  3·4

  3·3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1988–89

  Income tax and NIC

  -5·6

  14·1

  21·3

  24·5

  27·3

  30·9

  35·5

  VAT

  —

  6·1

  6·1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Notes:

  Child benefit treated as negative income tax for consistency with 1978–79 when there were still child tax allowances.

  Two earner couple assumed to jointly earn the multiple of male average earnings, split 60 per cent. earned by the husband and 40 per cent. by the wife.

  Reliefs and Allowances
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the gross cost to the Exchequer in 1989–90, or the most recent available date, of all reliefs and allowances other than personal tax allowances;

  (2) if he will show the proportion of tax revenues forgone in 1989–90, or the most recent available date, through tax reliefs and allowances other than personal allowances which accrued to (a) the top 1 per cent., (b) the top 5 per cent., (c) the top 10 per cent., and (d) the bottom 50 per cent. of all taxpayers.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The total direct revenue cost of all tax reliefs and allowances other than personal
  416
  1 Single people and married couples.

  2 Including 2·7 million tax units liable only at the reduced rate of 25 per cent. with liability of £250 million (1 per cent.)

  3 Forecast.

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the yield in 1989–90 of an alternative minimum tax of 20 per cent. of gross income minus personal allowances for all taxpayers with incomes in excess of £22,000.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The full year yield at 1988–89 levels of income from an alternative minimum tax of 20 per cent. of gross income less personal allowances for taxpayers with incomes over £22,000 is estimated to be £130 million. An estimate for 1989–90 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the proportion of gross income paid in income tax, national insurance contributions and value added tax by(a) a married man with a non-earning wife and two children and (b) a married man with an earning wife and two children at half, one, one and a half, two, three, five and 10 times national average earnings in 1988–89; and what were the comparable figures in 1979.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: Estimates of VAT payments are only available between three quarters and one and a half times average earnings. The available figures are shown in the table.

  allowances cannot be estimated reliably. Costs of each relief are published annually in the White Paper on the Government's expenditure plans.

  The proportion of the cost of reliefs other than personal allowances going to quantile groups of income tax payers can be estimated for reliefs for mortgage interest, the business expansion scheme and pension contributions by employees and the self-employed. Estimates for 1988–89 are as follows:

  Quantile group of taxpayers

  1Per cent.

  Top 1 per cent.

  9

  Top 5 per cent.

  24

  417

  Quantile group of taxpayers

  1Per cent.

  Top 10 per cent.

  36

  Bottom 50 per cent.

  16

  1 Proportion of cost of reliefs.

  Estimates are provisional and subject to error.

  Net Earnings
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update to April the information on net earnings provided in his reply of 10 February 1987, to the hon. Member for Fulham (Mr. Carrington),Official Report, columns 177–8.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  Estimates of the levels of earnings for the top 5 per cent. of earners are not published. The information in the table for April 1979 and April 1987 is based on estimates of these levels derived from distributions of earnings published in the relevant new earnings surveys. Information for 1988 is not available yet. Earnings levels are for full-time men or women as appropriate paid at adult rates with pay unaffected by absence. Taxpayers are assumed to have no reliefs or allowances other than the appropriate personal allowances.

  Earnings after tax, national insurance contributions1 and child benefit at the level of earnings for the lop 5 per cent, of earners

  (£ per week)

  April 19794

  April 1987

  Single man

  At current prices

  114·17

  294·25

  At constant April 1987 prices2

  214·05

  294·25

  Married man3

  At current prices

  117·98

  304·79

  At constant April 1987 prices2

  221·19

  304·79

  Married man3 with two children under 11

  At current prices

  125·98

  319·29

  At constant April 1987 prices2

  236·18

  319·29

  Single woman

  At current prices

  72·23

  181·36

  At current April 1987 prices2

  135·41

  181·36

  Range of total income in 1988–891

  Number of units paying tax in 1988–89

  Reductions in income tax with 1978–79 indexed compared regime

  £

  (million)

  Amount (£ million)

  Average per tax unit(£)

  Under 5,000

  2·50

  400

  2120

  5,000–10,000

  7·00

  2,490

  2350

  10,000–15,000

  5·20

  3,430

  660

  15,000–20,000

  2·90

  2,810

  980

  20,000–30,000

  2·30

  3,510

  1,540

  30,000–50,000

  0·80

  2,580

  3,310

  Over 50,000

  0·25

  4,780

  20,760

  Total

  20·90

  20,000

  910

  1 All information is in terms of tax units that is, married couples are counted as one and their incomes combined.

  2 By reference to the estimated numbers who would be liable to pay tax under the indexed 1978–79 regime; this number is some 1,100,000 greater than the numbers paying tax in 1988–89, some 900,000 in the income range below £5,000 and 200,000; in the range £5,000 to £10,000.

  418
  1 At the contracted in rate

  2 By reference to the retail prices index.

  3 Assuming no wife's earnings.

  4 Under the April 1979 tax/benefit regime.

  SAYE Schemes
  Sir William Clark
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the cost to the Exchequer for SAYE schemes for the years 1985–86, 1986–87 and 1987–88.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  The cost to the Exchequer of exempting from tax any interest and bonus received under SAYE contracts is estimated at about £25 million in each of the three years.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the reductions in income tax liabilities, at 1988–89 income levels, of the proposed 1988–89 allowances, thresholds and rates and comparable figures for the 1978–79 regime indexed to 1988–89 showing(a) the number of tax units, (b) the total amount of reduction and (c) the average reduction per tax unit in each of the following income ranges : under £5,000, £5,000 to £10,000, £10,000 to £15,000, £15,000 to £20,000, £20,000 to £30,000, £30,000 to £50,000 and over £50,000.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 30 March 1988]: The table shows estimates of reductions in income tax liabilities at 1988–89 income levels of the proposed allowances, thresholds and rate for 1988–89 compared with an indexed 1978–79 regime. For the comparison, the 1978–79 allowances and thresholds have been indexed in line with the increase in the RPI between December 1977 and December 1987. As child tax allowances were being phased out in 1978–79, they have been excluded from the comparison.
  419
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value to the Treasury of income tax receipts from Scotland in 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89 and 1989–90; and if he will express these figures as a percentage of total income tax receipts.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 13 April 1988]: Available information for Scotland is from the 1985–86 survey of personal incomes and relates to liability to income tax rather than amount of income tax collected. Total liability in that year in Scotland was £3,420 million, before allowing for mortgage interest relief given at source. This was 8·5 per cent. of the corresponding United Kingdom figure. Information for later years is not yet available.

  Budget Proposals (Effects)
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average individual gain arising from each relevant

  Gains (£ per week) from the main income tax proposals in the 1988 Budget

  Multiples of average earnings1

  ½

  ¾

  1

  1½

  2

  5

  10

  Single person (Non·aged)

  Current prices: change in personal allowances

  0·93

  0·93

  0·93

  0·93

  1·56

  2·08

  2·08

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3·50

  3·50

  3·50

  reduction in basic rate

  1·45

  2·67

  3·89

  6·34

  7·42

  7·42

  7·42

  abolition of higher rates above 40 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2·35

  119·01

  363·71

  Total2

  2·38

  3·60

  4·83

  7·27

  14·83

  132·01

  376·71

  Net of indexation: change in personal allowances

  0·47

  0·47

  0·47

  0·47

  0·78

  1·04

  1·04

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·75

  1·75

  1·75

  reduction in basic rate

  1·45

  2·67

  3·89

  6·34

  7·42

  7·42

  7·42

  abolition of higher rates above 40 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·58

  114·49

  359·19

  Total2

  1·91

  3·14

  4·36

  6·81

  11·53

  124·70

  369·40

  Married Man (Non·aged)

  Current prices: change in personal allowances

  1·56

  1·56

  1·56

  1·56

  2·60

  3·46

  3·46

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3·50

  3·50

  3·50

  reduction in basic rate

  0·87

  2·10

  3·32

  5·77

  7·42

  7·42

  7·42

  abolition of higher rate above 40 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·92

  113·28

  357·98

  Total2

  2·43

  3·65

  4·88

  7·32

  14·44

  127·66

  372·36

  Net of indexation: change in personal allowances

  0·78

  0·78

  0·78

  0·78

  1·30

  1·73

  1·73

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·75

  1·75

  1·75

  reduction in basic rate

  0·87

  2·10

  3·32

  5·77

  7·42

  7·42

  7·42

  abolition of higher rate above 40 per cent.

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0·15

  108·76

  353·46

  Total2

  1·65

  2·87

  4·10

  6·54

  10·62

  119·66

  364·36

  1 Full time adult males (all occupations) forecast earnings for 1988–89 £244·70 week.

  2 Due to rounding, components may not sum to total.

  Gains (£ per week), net of indexation, from the main income tax proposals1 in all budgets from 1979 to 1988, at 1988–89 income levels

  Multiples of average earnings1

  ½

  ¾

  1

  1½

  2

  5

  10

  Single Person (non-aged)

  change in:

  personal allowances

  2·98

  2·98

  2·98

  2·98

  4·52

  7·50

  7·50

  reduced rate band

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2·56

  2·56

  2·56

  reduction in basic rate

  5·78

  10·67

  15·57

  25·36

  29·69

  29·69

  29·69

  higher rates and thresholds

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4·12

  232·79

  758·90

  Total3

  6·22

  11·12

  16·01

  25·80

  38·35

  270·01

  796·11

  Married man (non-aged) change in:

  420
  component of the 1988 Budget, both at current prices and net of indexation for those at (a) one half, (b) three quarters of average, (c) average, (d) one and a half, (e) two, (f) five and (g) 10 times average earnings; and if he will provide comparable figures for each Budget since 1979.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 30 March 1988]: Information is in the tables. Further information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. Average earnings are those for men in all occupations paid at adult rates who work a full week and whose pay is unaffected by absence. The level of average earnings for 1988–89, £244·70 per week, is a projection in accordance with the assumptions given to the Government Actuary for reviewing national insurance contributions in paragraph 3.02 of the Autumn Statement 1987; estimates are therefore provisional.
  421

  Multiples of average earnings1

  ½

  ¾

  1

  1½

  2

  5

  10

  personal allowances

  4·89

  4·89

  4·89

  4·89

  6·97

  12·29

  12·29

  reduced rate band

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  -2·54

  basic rate limit

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2·56

  2·56

  2·56

  reduction in basic rate

  3·49

  8·38

  13·28

  23·06

  29·69

  29·69

  29·69

  higher rate and thresholds

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1·69

  220·47

  746·58

  Total 3

  5·84

  10·73

  15·62

  25·41

  38·37

  262·48

  788·58

  1 Excluding abolition of investment income surcharge

  2 Full time adult maleds (all occupations) forecast earnings for 1988–89 £244·70 per week.

  3 Due to rounding, components may not sum to total.

  Allowances
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the cost to the Exchequer at the 1988–89 tax rates announced in the Budget of the married man's tax allowance in excess of the corresponding single person's allowance; how much of this cost is attributable to taxpayers aged below 65 years; and what is the weekly value of this extra relief to the married man paying income tax at the standard rate.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 30 March 1988]: The direct revenue cost, at 1988–89 levels of income, of the married man's allowance in excess of the single person's allowance is estimated at £4·7 billion, of which £4·1 billion is attributable to those aged under 65. The extra relief is worth £7·16 per week to a basic rate taxpayer not entitled to age allowance.

  Age Allowance
  Mr. Squire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost in the income tax year 1988–89 of amending the withdrawal rate of age allowance for pensioners incomes over £10,600 per annum so as to prevent any pensioner paying(a) more than a 40 per cent. effective tax rate and (b) more than a 25 per cent. effective tax rate.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 28 March 1988]: The full year cost of reducing to 40 per cent. the effective rate on the band of income over which age allowance is withdrawn would be about £1·5 million at 1988–89 levels of income. An effective rate of 25 per cent. Could be achieved only if age allowance was not withdrawn at all, which would cost about £190 million. Both costs are calculated by comparison with the income tax regime for 1988–;89 proposed in the 1988 Budget.

  Privatisation
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give for each year since 1979 the amount of debt written off in each of the industries privatised, showing the amount of this expenditure which was met from(a) the relevant departmental programme as given in the public expenditure White Paper and (b) the reserve.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 28 March 1988]: The normal practice on privatisation (of a nationalised industry or company wholly or majority owned by Government) is to repay, rather than write off debt. This repayment may be financed from the company's existing resources, the injection of new equity, or new debt finance. In some cases, the Government provide the finance to
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  repay debts (for example, by an equity injection). Such finance is shown in the relevant departmental programme of the public expenditure White Paper. Subsequent sales of the Government's interests in a company are recorded in the privatisation programme in the PEWP.

  National loan fund debt has been formally written off only in the following cases :

  Year

  Company

  Amount £

  1980–81

  National Freight Corporation (under Section 45 of the Transport Act 1980)

  100,000,000

  1982–83

  British Transport Docks Board (under Section 6(1) of the Transport Act 1981)

  81,293,616

  1984–85

  British Telecom (BT (Extinguishment of Loans) Order 1982)

  2,789,865,772

  1986–87

  BAA (under section 3 of the Airports Act 1986)

  43,503,340

  However, these write-offs had no direct effect on public expenditure in as much as they represented a reconstruction of the balance sheets of the industries concerned. In each case, having had NLF debt written off, the successor company issued new securities to be held by the Secretary of State as assets of the Consolidated Fund pending realisation.

  Student Covenants
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of students supported by covenants who, following the measures announced in the Budget will(a) receive an increase in grant from their local education authority and (b) receive no such increase; and if he will give (a) the saving to the Exchequer in withdrawal of the tax relief on student covenants and (b) the expected cost of any increase in grant payments which results from the Budget measures.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: Under the Budget proposals student covenants made on or after 15 March 1988 will not be eligible for tax relief. But students receiving payments under covenants made before 15 March will continue to be eligible for tax repayments under the previous rules. The changes in levels of grant paid by local education authorities apply essentially to new students.

  The yield to the Exchequer from the withdrawal of tax relief on new covenants to students is estimated at £35 million in 1988–89 rising to £135 million by 1991–92. The cost of the increase in grant payments is estimated at some £15 million in 1988–89 rising to about £50 million in 1991–92.

  Mortgage Tax Relief
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the saving that would accrue to the Exchequer from limiting all mortgage tax relief to the basic rate in 1988–89.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: The direct revenue yield in a full year, at 1988–89 income levels, from restricting mortgage interest relief to the basic rate is estimated to be £280 million. This estimate is based on the mortgage interest rate of 10·25 per cent. at the beginning of 1988–89 and makes no allowance for the effect of any consequential changes to the distribution of outstanding mortgages.

  Personal Tax Allowance
  Mr. O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the question of making the personal tax allowance fully transferable between the spouses where the income into the household is low; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 15 April 1988]: We continue to receive representations from time to time in support of the system of transferable allowances for husband and wife described in the 1986 Green Paper, "The Reform of Personal Taxation" (Cmnd. 9756).

  In his Budget my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed a new system of independent taxation of husband and wife to take effect from April 1990. Under these proposals there will be a new married couple's allowance which will go to the husband unless he has insufficient income to use it himself, in which case any unused part can be transferred to his wife.

  Taxation Receipts
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the value to the Treasury in 1987–88 of(a) expenditure taxes raised in Scotland and (b) national insurance and other contributions raised in Scotland; and if he will express both figures as a percentage of total Treasury receipts in respect of these two categories.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 13 April 1988]: This information is not available.

  Multiple Mortgage Tax Relief
  Mr. Robin Cook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has estimated the effect of the withdrawal of multiple mortgage tax relief on the take-up of low-cost 100 per cent. mortgages being offered by the Nationwide Building Society to nurses and announced by the Minister of Health, on 15 December 1987,Official Report, columns 495–6.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: Take-up of mortgages being offered by the Nationwide Anglia Building Society under the special mortgage scheme for nurses and other National Health Service staff will depend on many factors. It is not possible to produce estimates of the impact which the changes to mortgage interest tax relief proposed in the 1988 Budget will have on take-up.

  Consumer Credit (Tax)
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received in favour of a tax on consumer credit; what response he made; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has received no recent representations.

  Tax Credit
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost of introducing a system of tax credits on the basis of the personal income tax threshold and rates proposed for 1988–89 and of the new social security system, assuming that no person in receipt of benefit would be made worse off; and if he will give the estimated cost for each of the next five years assuming that(a) the rate of inflation averages 4 per cent. per annum, (b) the lowest rate of income tax is reduced to 20 per cent., (c) tax thresholds rise at twice the amount needed to keep pace with inflation, and (d) benefits are increased in line with inflation.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 12 April 1988]: It is not possible to estimate the cost since my hon. Friend has not provided sufficient information about the types of individual who would be covered by the tax credit scheme or about the level of tax credits which would be payable.

ENVIRONMENT

  CFCs and Halons
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer of 8 March, to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan,Official Report, column 119, what action he is taking to help producers and users of chlorofluorocarbons and halons to switch to environmentally safe substitutes; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The Montreal protocol itself provides an incentive to switch to environmentally safe substitutes even before consumption of CFCs and halons has to be reduced. British producers and users are actively engaged in research and development. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has awarded a grant for development of a process for recycling CFCs used in the manufacture of polyurethane foam. He will consider any application for support for research and development of substitute products, technology or processes against the criteria and objectives of the schemes which his Department operates.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he proposes to take in the light of the judgment in the Queen's Bench Division on 29 March in the case of Regina v. Secretary of State for the Environment, ex parte Enfield London borough council.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We are considering the implications of the judgment in this case.

  Richmond House
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) of 28 March,Official Report, columns 302–3, whether consideration was given to the use of his own staff for the valuation of Richmond house prior to the decision to employ outside contractors.

  Mr. Chope
  No. For the reasons I have already explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Warrington. North (Mr. Hoyle), I decided that an independent valuation was required in this case.

  Common Land
  Mr. Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will place in the Library copies of the responses to the Department's common land consultation paper.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Some 336 responses were received to this consultation paper. I have today arranged for copies of those where the respondents have agreed to their comments being open to public inspection to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament.

  Planning Applications
  Sir Hugh Rossi
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of recent announcement that many major planning applications will require environmental assessments in accordance with EC directive 85/337 from 3 July, he has any proposals to streamline the development control system at local authority level in order to reduce delays in handling planning applications.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We expect only a small proportion of applications to require environmental assessment in accordance with EC directive 85/337. The figures which we publish quarterly show that a significant proportion of authorities find it perfectly practicable to deal with planning applications promptly under the existing system. We have commended to all authorities the National Development Control Forum's recent guidelines for the handling of planning applications.

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

  Mr. Ridley
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: The 1987–88 provisional outturn for expenditure on official hospitality by my Department (including the PSA) is £66,000.

  Don Valley UDC
  Mr. Duffy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects to publish the names of(a) the chairman and vice-chairman and (b) the other members of the new urban development corporation in the lower Don Valley of Sheffield.

  Mr. Trippier
  [holding answer 18 April 1988]: I hope to do so as soon as possible.

DEFENCE

  Joint Defence Procurement
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent he co-operates with other Commonwealth countries in joint defence procurement.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  There is regular contact with various members of the Commonwealth to explore co-operative opportunities in joint defence procurement, and I expect this process to continue. A number of equipments have resulted, including the CL89 drone and a magnetic anomaly detector with Canada, and the Ikara antisubmarine system, Barra sonobuoy and Jundivik target drone with Australia.

  Mr. Peter Peapell
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work Mr. Peter Peapell was involved in whilst in the employment of his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Mr. Peter Peapell, was a lecturer at the Royal Military college of science, Shrivenham.

  Dr. John Brittan
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work Dr. John Brittan was involved in whilst in the employment of his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  It is not our policy to disclose details of the work of employees at the Ministry of Defence.

  Professor Keith Bowden
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Professor Keith Bowden was ever employed by his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  Professor Keith Bowden was a part-time member of one of the advisory boards operating under the auspices of the Defence Scientific Advisory Council.

  Mr. Richard Pugh
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether Mr. Richard Pugh was ever employed by his Department.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No.

  Nuclear Weapons Transport
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what have been the conclusions of his Department's constant review of procedures concerning nuclear weapons convoys following an incident in which one of these convoys was left standing on a public road by a locked gate of RNAD Dean hill on 9 April; whether any military of civil organisation was requested to grit the roads used by this convoy; what steps his Department has taken to seek to improve the road from West Grinstead to RNAD Dean hill subsequent to the accident involving a weapons convoy in January 1987; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  As has been the practice of successive Governments, I am not prepared to discuss the movements
  427
  of nuclear weapons or their associated procedures, nor to confirm or deny that they may have been in any particular location at a particular time.

  Harrier GR5
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the order for production of the second batch of Harrier GR5s.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  I am pleased to announce that, following the earlier announcement of the placing of orders for long lead items, an order is being placed with British Aerospace for the production of a second batch of 34 Harrier GR5s, making a total of 96 ordered for the Royal Air Force. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 1990. the additional aircraft will maintain the Harrier GR5 force into the 21st century.

  Belize (Overflying)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum height at which Royal Air Force aircraft are permitted to fly over land in Belize.

  Mr. Freeman
  1 refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 April 1988, at column 336.

  Low-flying Aircraft
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the land area of Wales is included within the United Kingdom low-flying system.

  Mr. Freeman
  The whole of the land area of Wales is included within the United Kingdom low-flying system.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the average duration of a low-flying sortie by a fast jet.

  Mr. Freeman
  The average duration of a low-flying sortie by a fast jet is approximately 42 minutes.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what geographical area, expressed(a) by county and (b) by parliamentary constituency, is covered by low-flying area 3.

  Mr. Freeman
  Low-flying area 3 covers(a) part of the county of Cornwall and (b) the parliamentary constituencies of St. Ives, Falmouth and Camborne, and most of the constituency of Truro.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of complaints received about low flying in 1987 were identified as relating to(a) British military aircraft, (b) United States Air Force aircraft and (c) other military aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  1 refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 15 April 1988, at column 249.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the reasons for the decline in the number of low-flying sorties over the United Kingdom in 1987 as compared with 1986; and whether he expects this downward trend to continue in 1988.

  Mr. Freeman
  Low-flying activity is influenced by several factors, including the number of aircrew in training, their experience, timing of major exercises,428
  budgetary constraints and the weather. While no increase in low-flying activity is expected for the foreseeable future, the reduction in low-flying activity between 1986 and 1987 was very small and not considered significant.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many confirmed breaches of low-flying regulations in each year since 1974 were caused by inadvertent negligence on the part of aircrew;

  (2) how many confirmed breaches of low-flying regulations in each year since 1974 were caused by wilful negligence on the part of aircrew.

  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested cannot be provided without disproportionate effort.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy of 21 January,Official Report, column 776–7, what impact the planned reductions in Royal Air Force fast jet operational training flying hours is expected to have on the number of low-flying sorties over the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Freeman
  It is too early to quantify the expected reductions in fast jet flying hours referred to in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 21 January, although the effect on low-flying sorties is likely to be minimal.

  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the minimum height at which Royal Air Force aircraft are permitted to fly over land in Norway.

  Mr. Freeman
  [holding answer 22 February 1988]: RAF fixed wing aircraft training over land in Norway may be authorised to fly down to a minimum height of 250 ft in Norwegian low flying areas. RAF helicopters may fly below 500 ft.

  RAF (Accident Statistics)
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the accident rate for Royal Air Force fast jet aircraft in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Workington (Mr. Campbell-Savours) on 18 April 1988, at column 336.

  Tornado Crash, Nevada
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the circumstances surrounding the crash of a Royal Air Force Tornado in Nevada in late March.

  Mr. Freeman
  On the 30 March a Royal Air Force Tornado GR 1 of 20 Squadron, RAF Laarbruch crashed in the Nevada desert, USA during the course of the tactical flying exercise, Green Flag. Both crew safely ejected.

  The Royal Air Force has convened a board of inquiry into this accident, which will examine fully all the circumstances with a view to establishing its cause, and preventing recurrence. A summary of the board's findings will be published in due course in the usual way.

  Aircraft Accidents
  Dr. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all major accidents to British military aircraft in 1987, giving the date, location and type of aircraft in each case.
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  Mr. Freeman
  The information requested is as follows:

  Date

  Service

  Location

  Aircraft type: lost/severely damaged

  1 February

  RAF

  Ben More, Scotland

  Wessex

  24 February

  Navy

  Falmouth Bay

  Sea King

  27 February

  RAF

  Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands

  Chinook

  19 March

  RAF

  Binbrook, Lincs.

  Lightning

  23 March

  Army

  Soest, Federal Republic of Germany

  Lynx

  30 March

  RAF

  Near Wesel, Federal Republic of Germany

  Tornado

  22 April

  RAF

  North Sea, off Wick

  Buccaneer

  3 June

  RAF

  Manby, Lincs.

  Tornado

  17 June

  RAF

  Near Keswick

  Jaguar/Tornado

  24 June

  RAF

  Near Builth Wells

  Jaguar

  1 July

  RAF

  Near Akrotiri, Cyprus

  Lightning

  16 July

  Army

  BATUS, Canada

  Gazelle

  27 July

  RAF

  Fadmoor, Yorkshire

  Tornado

  26 August

  RAF

  Near Aberystwyth

  Phantom

  7 September

  RAF

  North Sea

  Phantom

  23 September

  Navy

  Culdrose

  Sea King

  15 October

  Navy

  At Sea, off North West Scotland

  Sea Harrier

  16 October

  Navy

  Off Lizard, Cornwall

  Wessex

  23 October

  Army

  Middle Wallop

  Gazelle

  2 November

  RAF

  Otterburn Range, United Kingdom

  Harrier x 2

  16 November

  RAF

  Welton, Lines.

  Hawk x 2

  25 November

  Navy

  Predanneck, Cornwall

  Gazelle

  PRISONS: PRIVATE SECTOR PROVISION PROPOSALS
  PRISONS: PRIVATE SECTOR PROVISION PROPOSALS