Written Answers of 9 December 1988

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Physics and Chemistry
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on rationalisation plans for physics and chemistry teaching and research in universities.

  Mr. Jackson
  Reports setting out the proposed principles for rationalisation of provision were issued by the University Grants Committee to the universities for consultation on 27 October. The committee and its successor, the Universities Funding Council, will consider future provision for physics and chemistry in the light of the reports and the comments received.

  Female Teachers (Leaflet 873 PEN)
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received following the issue of leaflet 873 PEN to female teachers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  My right hon. Friend has received 58 letters from hon. Members and about 500 from individual teachers. So far, there have been 400 elections to cover previous years which will count towards a widower's pension.

  Cox Report
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what time was allowed for consultation on the Cox report on English; from whom he is seeking comments; and when he expects to announce decisions on the report.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The National Curriculum Council (NCC) is conducting statutory consultations on my right hon. Friends' proposals for English in the national curriculum for pupils aged 5 to 11. Those proposals are based on the recommendations in the first report of the national curriculum English working group, chaired by Professor Brian Cox. Consultations began on 15 November and the NCC has asked for replies by 27 January 1989. It has consulted formally those bodies which it is obliged to consult under section 20 of the Education Reform Act 1988 and a number of others of its choosing.

  Student Unions
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's review of student unions; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) when he expects to announce the results of his Department's review of student unions; and if he will make a statement.
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  Mr. Jackson
  My Department is now analysing the returns to its questionnaire on student unions. It will need a few weeks to tabulate and summarise the data. Thereafter, the Government will reach conclusions on the best action to take and will consult all those concerned about these conclusions. I cannot at present predict how long this will take.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the returned questionnaires for his Department's review of student unions(a) supported and (b) opposed automatic membership of student unions.

  Mr. Jackson
  Respondents were not asked to comment on this issue and hardly any did so.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what(a) organisations, (b) individuals, (c) institutions of higher and further education and (d) student unions will receive the results of his Department's review of student unions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply on 31 October at column 471.

  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will place in the Library a copy of the results of his Department's review of student unions; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Jackson
  My right hon. Friend expects in due course to place in the Library a copy of the Government's conclusions in whatever form they are made available for consultation.

  Research Centres
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the number of university and interdisciplinary research centres that have already been founded and those in the planning stages, together with the subjects investigated and the geographical locations and the funding for each.

  Mr. Jackson
  As regards the initiative by the advisory board for the research councils for the establishment of interdisciplinary research centres, commitments have already been made for the following centres:

  £ million

  Superconductivity—Cambridge

  7·2 over 6 years

  Molecular sciences—Oxford

  8·9 over 6 years

  Engineering design—Glasgow

  6·3 over 6 years

  Surface science—Liverpool

  10·4 over 6 years

  Semiconductor materials—London

  9·7 over 6 years

  Toxicology—Under consideration

  8·0 over 5 years

  Molecular medicine—Oxford

  3·5 over 5 years

  Human communication—Edinburgh

  2·5 over 5 years

  A substantial number of proposals for the establishment of further IRCs are currently under consideration by the research councils.

  Additionally, there already exist a large number of research centres and units in universities, some of which pursue interdisciplinary research.

  Enborne Lodge, Newbury
  Sir Michael McNair-Wilson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science which authority will now
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  be responsible for Enborne Lodge special school at Newbury; and if he will make a statement about the school's future as a place of education for young people from London boroughs with special needs.

  Mr. Butcher
  My right hon. Friend will decide the allocation of responsibility for Enborne Lodge special school and other ILEA residential special schools in the light of discussions currently taking place with all the councils concerned. The school will continue to provide education for young people from inner London with special needs whichever authority takes responsibility for it.

PRIME MINISTER

  Leader of the Opposition (Security)
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Prime Minister what are the arrangements for briefing the Leader of the Opposition on security matters, including legislative proposals affecting security matters; and if she will make a statement.

  The Prime Minister
  As a matter of normal practice I do not propose to confirm or to deny whether briefings on security matters are envisaged or have taken place.

DEFENCE

  Aircraft, Upper Heyford
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why aircraft operating from RAF Upper Heyford are heavier than they were previously, resulting in lower flight paths; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Freeman
  I refer the hon. Member to the Adjournment debate which took place on 30 November,Official Report columns 849 to 856. The weight increase to which I referred at column 853 is due partly to the changeover to a safer but heavier fuel and partly to the effect on the typical payload carried by the aircraft of changing operational requirements.

  Nuclear Submarines (Cooling Systems)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what incidents have been reported involving pressurised water reactors in nuclear submarines releasing gas from their cooling systems into the atmosphere;

  (2) what information he has on what radionuclides would be produced if air contaminated the cooling system of a pressurised water reactor in a nuclear submarine.

  Mr. Archie Hamilton
  The primary coolant water in submarine pressurised water reactors inevitably contains a very small amount of air. The dominant nuclides which form in the dissolved air are nitrogen-16, nitrogen-17 and argon-41, with half-lives of 7·1 seconds, 14·4 seconds and 1·8 hours respectively. Argon, which accumulates over time, is routinely released when necessary, with appropriate safety precautions. No Royal Navy submarine has ever been involved in an incident causing any radiological hazard to service men, base personnel or members of the public.

  Schools' Liaison Teams
  Mr. Cartwright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those local education authorities which do not allow his Department's schools liaison teams access to schools under their control.

  Mr. Freeman
  Though, for a variety of reasons, there are problems over access to some schools, I am not aware of any local education authority areas from which service schools liaison teams are excluded.

  Research
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and which university research departments are, at present, involved in projects about biological and chemical weapons for his Department in(a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  [holding answer 5 December 1988]: None.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  British Overseas Trade Board
  Sir Dudley Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what further consideration has been given to the future of the British Overseas Trade Board; and what plans he has to support United Kingdom exports.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given by my right hon. and noble Friend on 7 November, and by myself on 7 December to my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley (Mr. Cran) at columns 304–5. We will continue to draw on the British Overseas Trade Board's advice and guidance in directing DTI's export services and on issues affecting international trade in general.

  Defence Exports
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of total visible exports were accounted for by defence exports in(a) 1986 and (b)

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Defence equipment accounted for 0·9 per cent. in 1986 and 1·1 per cent. in 1987 of total United Kingdom visible exports.

  Exports
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the United Kingdom's total exports of goods and services to the rest of the EEC in the financial years 1981–82 to 1987–88, respectively, was represented by the products of(a) the manufacturing industries, (b) the food, drink and tobacco industries, (c) the textile, clothing and footwear industries and (d) oil and oil-related products.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Information on a financial year basis is not available. Figures by calendar year are in the following table:
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  United Kingdom exports of goods and services to the European Community Balance of Payments basis

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  1987

  Proportion accounted for by: (percentage)

  Manufactures1

  50

  51

  48

  49

  50

  58

  60

  Food, drink and tobacco2

  7

  7

  6

  6

  6

  8

  7

  Textiles, clothing and footwear3

  4

  4

  3

  3

  3

  4

  4

  Oil and related products4

  20

  21

  24

  25

  26

  13

  12

  1 Standard International Trade Classification Sections 5 to 8

  2 Standard International Trade Classification Sections 0 and 1

  3 Standard International Trade Classification Divisions 65, 84 and 85

  4 Standard International Trade Classification Division 33

  Note:
  Textiles, clothing and footwear, and oil are available only on the overseas trade statistics basis. Thus the shares of total exports are very slightly overstated.

  Sources:

  CSO United Kingdom Balance of Payments 1988.

  United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics.

  Department of Trade and Industry.

  Garment Labelling
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures the Government intend to take to ensure that the European Commission enforces working EEC rules on accurate labelling in garments.

  Mr. Forth
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: Fibre content labelling rules in the European Community are based on Directive 71/307/EEC, as amended by Directive 83/623/EEC. The relevant authorities in each member state are responsible for enforcing the national leglislation which implements these directives, although the Commission has indicated that it is willing to consider any evidence put to it suggesting that there is widespread misdescription of fibre content.

  After an investigation into garments made from Italian fabrics in 1987 the Commission concluded that the evidence available did not show that such garments were often significantly mislabelled. Further information has recently been brought to the attention of my officials who are considering the position.

ENVIRONMENT

  House of Commons (Lighting)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, further to his answer of 28 November, if he will take steps to install chandeliers of a similar style to those which lit the House before being destroyed in the bombing of 1941.

  Mr. Chope
  No. It would be for the House to resolve to make any changes to the present lights in the Chamber.

  Sports Clubs
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what provision he will make, under the Local Government Finance Act, for mandatory relief for non-profit making sports clubs.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  Under the Local Government Finance Act 1988 non-profit making sports clubs are eligible for up to 100 per cent. rate relief at the discretion of the charging authority. We have no plans to amend this provision.

  Augustine Road Hostel
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether, when giving approval for the costs involved in building the proposed hostel in Augustine road, in the London borough of Harrow, investigations were made into the allegations by the hon. Member for Harrow, West that the figures provided by the borough were inadequate; and if he will publish the details of the responses made by his officials to the appraisal of the scheme by Kenchington, Little and Partners;

  (2) what weight he gave in giving approval for the total indicative costs involved in building the proposed hostel in Augustine road, Harrow (a) to the susceptibility of a brickwork construction on the proposed site to movement and cracking, (b) to the requirement for piled foundations using a bored pile system designed for negative skin friction and (c) to the suspension of the ground floor slab or similar allowances against upward pressure; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Trippier
  It was primarily the responsibility of the London borough of Harrow to satisfy itself that the cost estimates provided by Network Housing Association were adequate for the works proposed, taking into account ground conditions and all other relevant factors. Payments of Housing Association grant will normally relate to t he cost estimates approved by the Department. The report by Kenchington Little and Partners was received by the Department after the project was approved; the council's observations on it have been requested.

  Chlorofluorocarbons
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what assessment he has made of the effect of a reduction of 85 per cent. of chlorofluorocarbons by the year 2000 on the time needed for the ozone layer shield to recover completely.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The second report of the Department's stratospheric ozone review group, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House, calculated the reductions of chlorofluorocarbon emissions required to stabilize concentrations of chlorine in the atmosphere. In the case of CFCs 11 and 12, these reductions are 77 per cent. and 85 per cent. respectively. After such reductions, further depletion of the ozone layer would not occur. A complete phase out of CFCs would
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  lead to a slow decrease in atmospheric chlorine concentrations and recovery of the ozone layer. Because of the long atmospheric lifetime of chlorofluorocarbons, however, chlorine concentrations would not return to their 1975 levels until the second half of the next century.

  The Government have called for a reduction in luchlorofluorocarbon emissions of at least 85 per cent. as soon as possible, in response to the review group's report. At the Environment Council held on 24 November the United Kingdom proposed that the Community should call for the Montreal protocol to be strengthened by requiring an 85 per cent. reduction of world-wide emissions of chlorofluorocarbons by the turn of the century.

  Fauna and Flora
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the member states which supported the draft European Community directive on the protection of natural and semi natural habitats and their wild fauna and flora at the European Community Environment Council on 24 and 25 November; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 8 December.

  Nature Conservancy Council
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the scope and terms of reference of the review he has asked the Nature Conservancy Council to undertake with regard to its landholdings and other functions; and if he will make a statement.

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Anglian

  88·4

  63·4

  47·10

  47·10

  35·90

  Northumbrian

  12·8

  9·9

  13·80

  10·20

  -4·20

  North-West

  78·9

  91·5

  0·88

  67·30

  60·70

  Severn Trent

  66·3

  43·1

  54·60

  10·50

  2·20

  Southern

  30·5

  22·9

  10·70

  -2·90

  -9·30

  South West

  6·5

  8·1

  4·30

  -1·50

  4·80

  Thames

  -0·9

  -29·7

  -76·10

  -0·91

  -0·98

  Wessex

  27·3

  16·5

  21·80

  26·80

  15·70

  Yorkshire

  29·7

  36·3

  30·30

  22·10

  0·23

  Westminster City Council
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what representations he has received on the level of rate support grant paid to Westminster city council over the last 12 months.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 7 December 1988]: The Westminster city council is not at present in receipt of block grant under the rate support grant system. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has however received several representations about Westminster's contributions to the London rate equalisation scheme.
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  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what actions he has taken to encourage the transfer of ownership of national nature reserves to voluntary conservation bodies;

  (2) what plans he has for the selling of national nature reserves; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  The Nature Conservancy Council is conducting a comprehensive review of policy towards national nature reserves (NNRs). As part of that review they are considering the size and management of the NNR network and the scope for reserves owned by the NCC to be sold to the private sector (including voluntary bodies) under appropriate conservation safeguards. We expect to receive a report from the council by the end of the year.

  Water Authorities
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list all(a) sites of special scientific interest and (b) national nature reserves owned by water authorities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  I regret the information is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much, in cash terms, each of the water authorities in England and Wales borrowed, per year, from 1983 to the latest year available, broken down by year and authority.

  Mr. Moynihan
  [holding answer 5 December 1988]: The external finance requirements of each of the English water authorities for the years from 1983–84 are set out in the table. External finances comprised borrowing and a small element of specific grant. The Welsh water authority is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Office Space (London)
  Mr. Speed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the total area of London office space occupied by Government Departments on 25 March for each of the last five years.

  Mr. Christopher Chope
  [holding answer, 7 December 1988]: The available figures relate to Government accommodation in Greater London as a whole and do not take account of marginal changes in the Property Services Agency's regional boundaries which affect only a small proportion of the total area. They are:

  at 25 March

  Square metres

  1984

  2,074,490

  1985

  2,001,116

  1986

  2,016,123

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  at 25 March

  Square metres

  1987

  2,025,612

  1988

  1,971,093

  Air Pollution
  Mr. Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what are his projections of likely carbon dioxide emissions from the United Kingdom in 1990, 1995 and 2000;

  (2) what have been the carbon dioxide emissions produced in the United Kingdom for 1987 from coal, oil, natural gas and non-fossil fuel sources, respectively, in million metric tonnes;

  (3) what have been the 1987 carbon dioxide emissions from the industrial, domestic, commercial, public and transport sectors, respectively, in million metric tonnes;

  (4) what have been the 1987 carbon dioxide emissions from coal used in power stations and other uses, respectively, in million metric tonnes, respectively;

  (5) what have been the carbon dioxide emissions in 1987 produced from power stations operated by the Central Electricity Generating Board, South of Scotland Electricity Board, North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and independent companies, respectively, in million metric tonnes;

  (6) what have been the 1987 carbon dioxide emissions from coal, oil and gas-fired power stations, respectively, in million metric tonnes.

  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  [holding answer 5 December 1988]: Estimates of United Kingdom CO2 emissions from fuel combustion will be published for the first time in the "Digest of Environmental Protection and Water Statistics" early next year. Preliminary estimates covering the hon. Member's specific questions are given in the table. The Department has no plans to publish projections of CO2 emissions given that these are subject to a wide range of uncertainty in estimates of economic growth and its relationship to energy use, fuel pricing and fuel availability.

  United Kingdom CO2 Emissions from fuel use (1987)

  Emission (million tonnes CO2)

  (a) By fuel type

  Fuel

  Coal:

  Power stations

  218·9

  Other use

  44·4

  Sub total

  263·3

  Coal

  263·3

  Oil

  172·0

  Natural gas

  109·6

  Non-fossil fuels

  n.a.

  Other fuels

  56·5

  United Kingdom grand total

  601·3

  (b) By Sector

  Power stations

  By Fuel

  Coal

  218·9

  Oil

  13·2

  Natural gas

  0·4

  Sub total

  232·5

  350

  Emission (million tonnes CO2)

  By generator:

  CEGB

  210·1

  SSEB

  17·2

  NSHEB

  1·1

  Others

  4·0

  Sub total

  232·5

  Power stations

  232·5

  Industry

  146·2

  Domestic

  87·5

  Commercial and Public

  32·5

  Transport

  99·8

  Others

  2·9

  United Kingdom grand total

  601·3

  Hardwood
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government in respect of the use of tropical rain forest-produced hardwood in its buildings and furniture.

  Mr. Chope
  [holding answer 30 November 1988]: PSA and the Crown suppliers use mainly private sector contractors for the provision respectively of Government buildings and furniture. These firms will seek to use materials which best meet the users' requirements, bearing in mind the need for economy and design. The Government take account of advice issued publicly from specialised organisations such as the Princes Risborough laboratory, the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) and the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) about the suitability and availability of alternative materials to tropical rain-forest produced hardwood, and about the availability of this product from countries that have a policy of replacing rain-forest as it is used.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Vishnu Statues
  Mr. Fisher
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he has taken in response to the telegram from Mr. Son Sann, President of Khmer People's National Liberation Front, on 3 November asking him to intervene in the sale of two statues of Vishnu which are alleged property of the Khmer people.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We have received no telegram from Mr. Son Sann. We have no locus for intervention in a commercial matter of this kind.

  Soviet Jews
  Mr. David Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a list of those Soviet Jews known by his Department who were refused permission to emigrate from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, together with the date they first applied, since 1970.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  I am writing to the hon. Member.

  Raoul Wallenberg
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Governments of(a) Sweden, (b) the United States of America and (c) Israel concerning the case of Raoul Wallenberg; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We regularly raise the case of Raoul Wallenberg with the Soviet Union both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the conference on security and co-operation in Europe. We also keep in touch with other Governments concerned.

  United Nations Convention (Ratification)
  Miss Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Her Majesty's Government will be in a position to ratify the United Nations convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The instrument of ratification was yesterday—8 December—lodged with the Secretary-General of the United Nations in New York. The convention will come into effect for the United Kingdom 30 days from that date.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Lotteries Regulations
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to lay before the House any amendments to the lotteries regulations.

  Mr. John Patten
  We expect to lay regulations to prohibit "multiple" lotteries, by insertion in the Lotteries Regulations 1977, before Christmas.

  Pet Animals (Convention)
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has now completed his consultations regarding the European convention for the protection of pet animals; and if the United Kingdom will sign the convention without any reservation on article 10 on surgical operations.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to a question from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Mossley Hill (Mr. Alton) on 1 December at column 401.

  Fire Cover (West Yorkshire)
  Mr. Lofthouse
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when inspectors last inspected standards of fire cover provided by the west Yorkshire fire and civil defence authority.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The west Yorkshire fire service was last inspected in June. As is usual, Her Majesty's inspector of fire services paid attention to the level of fire cover provided by the brigade.

  Children (Attacks)
  Mr. Brazier
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to prevent and reduce the number of violent and sexual attacks upon young children.
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  Mr. John Patten
  Attacks on young children are particularly abhorrent. It is important that parents and others know how best to advise them on reducing the risks of being attacked or molested. Such advice is contained in the crime prevention handbook "Practical Ways to Crack Crime". It deals with the threat from people known to the potential victim as well as from strangers. Since its launch in March this year more than 1·5 million copies of the handboook have been distributed, and a revised edition is now available.

  Identity Card Scheme
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the introduction of a national identity card scheme.

  Mr. John Patten
  We receive a steady flow of correspondence and comments from right hon. and hon. Members and the public on the introduction of a national identity card scheme. The Association of Chief Police Officers has been asked for its views on the introduction of national identity cards and we will consider its response together with other views on the subject.

  Police National Computer
  Mr. John Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the maximum delays being experienced in the transfer of annual records of convictions on to the police national computer.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The definitive record of convictions which is used to supply information to the courts is maintained on microfiche by the national identification bureau. It is updated continually and a conviction would normally be recorded on the microfiche record within 10 days of its notification to the bureau. In normal circumstances, local forces would inform the bureau of the result of a conviction within two months.

  The convictions application on the police national computer is a limited record of the convictions of those who first offended in 1981 or later Details of relevant convictions may take up to six months to be recorded on this application, depending on the circumstances.

  Parking Enforcement
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring forward proposals to transfer parking enforcement functions in London from the Metropolitan police to the London boroughs.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  I am awaiting the report of the parking enforcement working party which has reviewed the effectiveness, efficiency and acceptability of the existing arrangements for parking enforcement. I understand that proposals for extending the role of local authorities in parking enforcement are among the issues being considered by the working party.

  Breath Tests
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by police force the following infomation relating to the Christmas period of 1987(a) the number of breath tests, (b) the number of

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  breath tests which were positive, (c) the percentage of breath tests which were positive, (d) the number of personal road traffic injury accidents, and (e) the number of fatal road traffic accidents.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The information requested on breath tests is published in table 6 of Home Office "Statistical Bulletin" issue 23/88—"Statistics of breath tests, England and Wales 1987", a copy of which is in the Library. I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport that the information requested on road accidents is as shown in the table.

  Road accidents involving personal injury

  England and Wales, 19–31 December 1987

  Number of accidents

  Police force area

  All accidents involving injury

  Fatal accidents

  Avon and Somerset

  145

  4

  Bedfordshire

  69

  —

  Cambridgeshire

  71

  5

  Cheshire

  107

  1

  Cleveland

  61

  1

  Cumbria

  47

  3

  Derbyshire

  94

  2

  Devon and Cornwall

  178

  1

  Dorset

  63

  2

  Durham

  51

  2

  Essex

  195

  2

  Gloucestershire

  67

  3

  Greater Manchester

  298

  6

  Hampshire

  217

  2

  Hertfordshire

  99

  1

  Humberside

  118

  3

  Kent

  162

  5

  Lancashire

  152

  9

  Leicestershire

  93

  2

  Lincolnshire

  85

  2

  London, City

  5

  —

  Merseyside

  187

  5

  Metropolitan

  1,203

  18

  Norfolk

  100

  3

  Northamptonshire

  65

  5

  Northumbria

  120

  5

  North Yorkshire

  72

  —

  Nottinghamshire

  109

  2

  South Yorkshire

  132

  5

  Staffordshire

  125

  —

  Suffolk

  78

  2

  Surrey

  125

  2

  Sussex

  147

  5

  Thames Valley

  207

  6

  Warwickshire

  59

  3

  West Mercia

  116

  3

  West Midlands

  177

  2

  West Yorkshire

  233

  5

  Wiltshire

  72

  2

  Dyfed Powys

  54

  1

  Gwent

  33

  —

  North Wales

  72

  —

  South Wales

  129

  2

  England and Wales

  5,992

  132

  Rape
  Mr. Thurnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes of rape have been committed in the Greater Manchester area during 1987 and 1988 to date; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  110 rapes were recorded by the Greater Manchester police in 1987 and 118 rapes were recorded in the period 1 January to 30 September 1988. Annual figures are published in table 3.1 of "Criminal statistics, England and Wales, Supplementary tables, Volume 3".

  Dog Fights
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to amend the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1988 so that persons who organise, aid and abet or watch dog fights face either a prison sentence or community care orders to assist such bodies as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on conviction; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no proposals for amending the present law. Organising or attending a dog fight is an offence under the Protection of Animals Act 1911. The maximum penalty for organising a dog fight is six months imprisonment or a fine of £2,000 or both. The maximum penalty for attending a dog fight is a fine of £1,000. With imprisonable offences, where the offender is aged 16 or over, the courts may make a community service order. The work performed under the order is a matter for the probation service. It may include work with a voluntary body like the RSPCA.

  Protection of Animals
  Mr. Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance is issued to chief constables to implement the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1988; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  Home Office Circular 80/1988, of which a copy is in the Library, was issued on 1 September this year. It notified Chief Officers of Police and courts of the coming into force of the Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act 1988.

  Prisoners
  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average amount of time spent by a prisoner in his cell each day; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  This information is not collated centrally. The daily routine for prisoners varies widely depending on the role of the establishment and other factors. The prisons board statement of the functions of establishments makes clear to governors that a continuing objective is to enable prisoners to spend the maximum possible time out of their cells.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of Stale for the Home Department how many prisoners have the opportunity of working or learning new skills in prison; and if he will make a statement.
  355
  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  The most recent figures available provide estimation of the number of prisoners engaged in work, education or training courses during 1987, based on the average number so employed per weekday in male establishments. There are no available figures for female establishments. The figures are detailed in the table:

  Numbers

  Vocational/Trade Training

  2,460

  Other Full-time Education

  3,590

  Pre-release Courses

  440

  Industrial Farms or Gardens

  10,140

  Other Work

  15,190

  Total

  31,820

  The opportunities for prisoners to participate are subject to constraints such as the availability of work, staffing requirements, existing facilities and regimes in establishments and the suitability of inmates for particular activities.

  The prison department attaches great importance to training, education and work experience for inmates as this helps individuals reach their full potential and eventually to play a more constructive role in custody and after release.

  In addition to the acquisition of accredited skills in vocational training courses, further consideration is presently being given to the greater integration of learning opportunities and work experience.

  Mr. McCrindle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans to allow private companies to employ prisoners in prison; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Douglas Hogg
  We have no plans for private companies directly to employ prisoners in prison workshops. Under the existing arrangements, a significant source of employment for prisoners is light assembly work for private companies, with the prison service providing the labour in prison workshops, but the private companies supplying the materials and equipment and distributing the finished goods.

  Domestic Assaults
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask police forces in England and Wales to provide his Department with regular information regarding the number of reported domestic assaults each year; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  [holding answer 7 December 1988]: Information on recorded offences of domestic violence is published in the annual reports of some police forces, for example the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. Information for England and Wales on domestic violence was published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" in 1979 and 1980. However, this was judged to be incomplete because not all police forces recorded domestic violence separately. An ad hoc survey of violent crime (including domestic assaults) recorded by the police is currently being undertaken and the results will be evaluated in 1989.

WALES

  Community Care
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what guidelines his Department has issued to health authorities with regard to remedying the problems of community care in cases where the transition from institutions to the community is costing more than anticipated.

  Mr. Grist
  Our strategic planning guidance requires health authorities to develop services flexibly so as to ensure that they meet identified needs appropriately and cost-effectively. Additional Welsh Office funding under the all-Wales mental handicap strategy is based on approved county plans which set out the costs of proposals and the sources for meeting them. These plans are subject to annual review and are amended as necessary. We propose similar arrangements in our consultation document on the development of services for those suffering from mental illness.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by health authority the amount of money spent on mental health services each year since 1979, the percentage increase in real terms and the percentage of overall spending on health services, both in the National Health Service and in the private sector.

  Mr. Grist
  The information requested cannot be provided, since only limited data on mental health services' expenditure within the National Health Service in Wales is available for the years before 1987–8 and information on health-care spending within the private sector is not collected by the Department.

  The more comprehensive information now available on NHS spending on mental health services in 1987–88 is as follows:

  National Health Service mental health services expenditure: 1987–881

  District health authority

  Mental health services' expenditure2

  Total as a percentage of overall district health authorities' services expenditure

  (£000)

  (per cent.)

  Clwyd

  7,974

  0·99

  East Dyfed

  7,649

  0·95

  Gwent

  13,923

  1·73

  Gwynedd

  4,384

  0·55

  Mid Glamorgan

  18,563

  2·31

  Pembrokeshire

  768

  0·10

  Powys

  5,587

  0·70

  South Glamorgan

  12,070

  1·50

  West Glamorgan

  6,396

  0·80

  Wales

  277,315

  9·63

  1 The figures presented are provisional at this stage.

  2 The figures in respect of mental health services relate to hospital services' expenditure and community health services' expenditure (where this can be separately identified) in respect of the mentally ill, the mentally handicapped, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry and psychotherapy. The hospital services' figures relate only to direct clinical and diagnostic services to patients and therefore do not include any attribution of expenditure in respect of general services such as administration, transport, hotel services or estate management. Similarly the community health services' figures relate

  357
  only to the nursing element of community services for these client groups.

  Source: District Health Authorities Financial Returns.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the methods of monitoring the use of the proceeds from the sales of National Health Service buildings used for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped; and if he will seek to ensure that these proceeds are put back into those services rather than the regional budget.

  Mr. Grist
  County plans, produced by Social Services and health authorities and other interests provide the basis for the development of services under the all-Wales mental handicap strategy and make clear the source of investment. Similar arrangements are proposed in our draft proposals for the future development of services for those suffering from mental illness. In addition, the strategic, operational and capital plans of district health authorities provide details of the proposed use of Health Service resources, and their source, including capital receipts.

  Sheep Premium
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with European Economic Community agriculture Ministers about the future of the sheep variable premium scheme; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, represents the United Kingdom at the Council of Ministers (Agriculture) which has twice considered the European Commission's proposals for review of the sheepmeat regime. The negotiations, are as yet at an early stage.

  Fertilisers
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales it' he has any plans to further restrict the use of nitrogen fertilisers in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for St. Ives (Mr. Harris) on 24 November 1988 by my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

  Bovine Somatotropin
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with farm animal welfare groups in Wales regarding long-term use of the milk production hormone bovine somatotropin; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  None. Last year, the Farm Animal Welfare Council consulted a wide range of interests, including animal welfare organisations, on the welfare implications of using bovine somatotropin. The council has drawn attention to certain longer term aspects of animal welfare where further information is required. These are being considered in ongoing field trials.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Geraint Howells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what consultations he has had with both the 358
  farming unions in Wales regarding his proposals to cut his Department's budget on research and development; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  My noble Friend, the Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries arid Food, has had discussions with the farming unions and other representatives of the industry about the Government's proposals to withdraw public funding from near market research and development. My officials have also had contacts with the farming unions. The Welsh Office has no budget for agricultural research and development.

  Water Authority
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many professional staff are employed in the legal department of the shadow National Rivers Authority unit of the Welsh water authority.

  Mr. Grist
  This information is contained in Welsh Water's summary scheme of organisation for the Welsh regional unit of the National Rivers Authority, a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 2 December 1988.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Caerphilly, on 5 December,Official Report, column 22, what was the value of the land sold by the Welsh water authority for each year since 1983.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is more readily available on a financial rather than a calendar year basis. The receipts from land sold by Welsh Water since 1 April 1983 are as follows:

  £

  1983–84

  319,385

  1984–85

  351,676

  1985–86

  199,097

  1986–87

  758,266

  1987–88

  204,095

  1988 to date

  302,486

  Total

  2,135,005

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Government Revenue
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when was the last surplus of central Government revenue over expenditure; if he will express it in 1988 prices; what is the latest forecast for the current year in 1988 prices; and if he will forecast the likely change in(a) money supply and (b) the national debt in the current year.

  Mr. Lilley
  Before 1987–88, the public sector was last in surplus in 1969–70, when the surplus amounted to £0·6 billion, equivalent to £3·8 billion at 1988–89 prices. For the latest forecasts of the public sector surplus and growth of the money supply I refer the hon. Member to the autumn statement, paragraphs 20.2 and 2.48 respectively. To estimate the likely change in the national debt in the current year would involve revealing forecasts of items which by convention the Government never publish.

  Platinum Coins
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has regarding the amount and value of platinum coins held off-shore by British investors in order to avoid payment of value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Lilley
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: None.

  Single Parents
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single parents are expected to claim the additional personal income tax allowance for 1988–89 and how many are widows; how many single parents claim one-parent benefit and how many widows with children receive a child dependency addition in respect of how many children; to what extent these two benefits have been increased to take account of the reduction in the real value of child benefit and the effect of inflation on the amounts payable in March 1986; and if he will bring up to date the benefit figures quoted in paragraph 4.10 of Cmnd. 9756.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is estimated that 470,000 lone parents, including 60,000 widows, will claim the additional personal income tax allowance in 1988–89.

  There are some 670,000 lone parents claiming one parent benefit. In March 1988 there were 61,176 widows claiming child dependency additions in respect of 92,086 children. These benefits have been increased in line with the increase in the index of retail prices since March 1986. No account has been taken of changes in the real value of child benefit.

  The current rate of one parent benefit is £4·90 weekly (£5·20 from April 1989). Widowed mother's allowance is £41·15 weekly and the child dependency addition £8·40 for each child (£43·60 and £8·95 respectively from April 1989).

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what is his estimate of the number of single parents and the number of their children; how many are widows and with how many children; how many are covered by one-parent benefit and the child dependency addition and at what cost to Revenue; whether either or both of these benefits are taxable; and how many single parents claiming the additional personal income tax allowance do not claim one-parent benefit or child dependency addition, and at what saving to the Revenue;

  (2) what is his estimate of the number of single parents and the number of their children; how many are widows and with how many children; how many are covered by one-parent benefit and the child dependency addition and at what cost to the revenue; whether either or both of these benefits are taxable; and how many single parents claiming the additional personal income-tax allowance do not claim one-parent benefit or child dependency addition, and at what saving to the revenue.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  I have been asked to reply.

  The latest available statistics on the numbers of lone parents and their children, provided by OPCS, are for 1984 when there were 940,000 lone parents with 1·5 million children. These figures include 98,000 widows with 147,000 children.

  In 1984–85 565,000 lone parents received one parent benefit at a cost of £120 million. No statistics are kept on
  360
  the numbers of lone parents among recipients of child dependency additions, which are payable with certain national insurance benefits on the basis of the claimant's contribution record. One parent benefit and child dependency additions are not subject to taxation.

  A total of 460,000 lone parents, including 70,000 widows, qualified for the additional personal income tax allowance in 1984–85. Statistics are not kept on how many of these were or were not also claimants of one parent benefit or child dependency additions.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Nurses (Grading)
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff there are at Belvoir hospital; how many of the staff have now been advised of their grades; and how many appeals against their grades have been received.

  Mr. Needham
  There are 280 nursing staff employed at Belvoir hospital, all of whom have been advised of their grades. No formal appeals have been received but 48 nurses have been involved in informal discussions with management about their grades.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the value of the salary increase payable to a night sister expressed as a percentage increase over salary received prior to re-grading.

  Mr. Needham
  As a result of the clinical regrading review for nurses, midwives and health visitors, night sisters can be placed on one of three new pay scales. The value of the salary increase expressed as a percentage over salary received prior to re-grading for each payscale is as follows:

  Scale

  Range of percentage pay increase

  F

  4·2–13·3

  G

  16·0–33·6

  H

  27·9–49·4

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff there are at Ards hospital; how many staff have now been advised of their grades; and how many appeals against their grades have been received.

  Mr. Needham
  There are 293 nursing staff employed at Ards hospital, all of whom have been advised of their grades. No formal appeals have been received but 42 nurses have been involved in informal discussions with management about their grades.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff there are at Forster Green hospital; how many of the staff have now been advised of their grades; and how many appeals against their grades have been received.

  Mr. Needham
  There are 81 nursing staff employed at Forster Green hospital, all of whom have been advised of their grades. No formal appeals have been received but 13 nurses have been involved in informal discussions with management about their grades.
  361
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why charge nurses and ward sisters are required to write to the director of nursing services to request positions or positional changes at Purdysburn hospital; whether this is normal procedure at hospitals within the Eastern Board area; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  Charge nurses and ward sisters are not normally required by the director of nursing services to write to him regarding positions or positional changes at Purdysburn hospital, nor is such a procedure normal practice at any hospital within the eastern board area. Management does however reserve the right to require such requests in writing.

  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nursing staff there are at Purdysburn hospital; how many of the staff have now been advised of their grades; and how many appeals against their grades have been received.

  Mr. Needham
  There are 526 nursing staff employed at Purdysburn hospital, all of whom have been advised of their grades. No formal appeals have been received but 109 nurses have been involved in informal discussions with management about their grades.

  Nurses
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many night sisters are employed in East Antrim hospitals.

  Mr. Needham
  Ten.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many night sisters have been regraded upwards in East Antrim hospitals.

  Mr. Needham
  Ten.

  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many nurses at all levels have appealed against the grade allocated to them.

  Mr. Needham
  There have been no formal appeals by nurses against the grades allocated to them but a number have been involved in informal discussions with management about their grades.

  Elected Authorities
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list in the Official Report the anticipated increase in voters in each of the individual assembly seats and district council seats expected as a result of the provision in the Elected Authorities (Northern Ireland) Bill.

  Mr. Needham
  The Bill brings the local government franchise in Northern Ireland broadly into line with the parliamentary franchise. The franchise for the Northern Ireland Assembly has already been amended in a similar way. On the basis of the current electoral register, the total increase in the number of local government electors would be approximately 10,500.

  An analysis of the number of parliamentary electors and local government electors on the current register, by
  362
  constituency, is contained in the report of the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland for 1987–88 (HC 572), a copy of which is in the Library. Comparable information for individual districts could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Income Support
  Mr. Lester
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of families with children in Northern Ireland are expected to be(a) entitled to and (b) claiming income support or family credit in 1988–89 and 1989–90.

  Mr. Needham
  Reliable information on those entitled to these benefits is not available. The available information is as follows:

  Families with children under 19 receiving:

  Numbers (estimated)

  1Per cent

  Income support:

  1988–89

  55,600

  26

  1989–90

  55,500

  25

  Family credit:

  1988–89

  20,000

  9

  1989–90

  30,000

  14

  1Represents the percentage of all families receiving child benefit.

  Disabled Persons (Staff)
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of his Department's staff are classed as disabled.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  Within the Northern Ireland Civil Service the number of officers who have identified themselves as being registered as disabled persons under the Disabled Persons Act (Northern Ireland) 1945 was 1·4 per cent. at 1 January 1988.

  The Northern Ireland Civil Service, conscious that this percentage may understate the true extent of disabled people among its staff, is currently carrying out an exercise to obtain more accurate statistics. The results of this exercise are expected to be available next year.

  None of the Home Civil Service staff of the Northern Ireland Office is currrently registered as disabled.

  Housng Executive
  Mr. Hume
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what damage, disruptions or losses have been suffered by the Housing Executive in respect of their offices, sites vehicles and housing stock as a result of paramilitary activities.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. I am advised by the Chief Executive that the information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. James Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital beds there were in(a) the Oldham health authority area, (b) the Greater

  363
  Manchester area and (c) the rest of the country in May 1979 and at the latest date for which figures are available; what was the percentage change; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Average daily available beds, Oldham HA, Greater Manchester and the rest of England, 1979 and 1987–88

  1979

  1987–88

  Percentage change

  Oldham

  1,045

  993

  -5

  Greater Manchester

  17,618

  16,202

  -8

  Rest of England

  326,419

  280,575

  -14

  Because of advances in medical treatment, periods of in-patient care have reduced and more patients are now treated as out-patients or on a day care basis. The latest figures available centrally show that patient activity increased as follows;

  NHS hospitals activity, in Oldham, Greater Manchester and in rest of England

  In-patients treated

  1979

  11987–88

  Percentage change

  Oldham

  23,542

  30,707

  30·4

  Greater Manchester

  350,892

  444,237

  26·6

  Rest of England

  5,049,228

  6,175,117

  22·3

  Out patients attendences (total)

  Oldham

  140,972

  158,079

  12·1

  Greater Manchester

  2,363,459

  2,602,003

  10·1

  Rest of England

  31,736,266

  34,148,210

  7·6

  Day cases

  1986

  Oldham

  2,085

  3,612

  73·2

  Greater Manchester

  45,283

  83,009

  83·3

  Rest of England

  546,778

  967,149

  76·9

  1 Patients attending out-patient clinics soley for attention of a minor nature and not seen by a doctor, eg. to have a dressing changed, are no longer counted. Prior to 1987–88 new outpatient attendances were first attendances at an individual hospital for a continuous series of treatments, but are now first attendances within the district when the attendance has not been initiated by the consultant or one of his staff.

  Day case figures for 1987–88 are not yet available. 1986 day case figures are given in the table.

  Radiographers
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cancer patients attending Cookridge hospital are not receiving treatment as a result of the recent shortage of radiographers.

  Mrs. Currie
  None. I understand that some treatments recently had to be rescheduled, because of equipment malfunction. The hon. Member may wish to contact the Leeds western health authority for a full explanation.

  Hospital Services (Epping)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has on the alternative arrangements to be put into effect to provide National Health Service hospital services for patients in Epping in the event of services being reduced at St. Margaret's hospital.

  Mrs. Currie
  We announced approval in principle in May this year for a £30 million scheme for the Princess 364
  Alexandra hospital, Harlow, to develop it as the district general hospital for West Essex and enable improved facilities to be provided for the population of the district, including patients in Epping. The centralisation of acute facilities from the Herts and Essex hospital, Bishops Stortford, and St. Margaret's hospital, Epping, to the Princess Alexandra has been accepted by the local community health council. Services remaining at St. Margaret's, after the redevelopment is complete, will include beds and a day hospital for the elderly and the elderly mentally ill, out-patient clinics and a breast screening unit.

  Preventive Medicine
  Ms. Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is considering to promote preventive medicine.

  Mrs. Currie
  We recognise the essential role that preventive medicine has to play in improving people's health. A wide range of preventive activity including vaccination and immunisation, health screening, health education, genetic counselling and medical research is already taking place.

  We consider that prevention is not simply a question of medicine but of lifestyle. In the coming months we will be launching the next phase of the national heart disease prevention campaign "Look After Your Heart", and we will be playing an active part in next year's "Europe Against Cancer" initiative. Following the successful launch of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine last October we hope to achieve target uptake of 90 per cent. In June we are planning a conference on the health of elderly people entitled "The Time Of Your Life". We expect to receive advice in the first part of next year from the standing medical advisory committee on the cost-effectiveness of cholesterol screening.

  Implementation of health authorities' plans for prevention will continue to be monitored through the ministerial review process to ensure they are effective, well-organised and reflect the pattern of preventable disease in the country.

  Babies
  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the recommendation that all babies should be fully examined within 24 hours of birth made in the third report from the maternity services advisory committee has yet been implemented.

  Mrs. Currie
  Yes, as far as we are aware. All babies are given a physical examination by the midwife attending the birth. We have no details at the moment on the examinations carried out by the doctor.

  It is however, the responsibility of the local health authorities through the maternity services liaison committees to ensure that recommendation A.16 is implemented.

  Child Health
  Sir Bernard Braine
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to receive the report of the joint working party on child health surveillance.

  Mrs. Currie
  I understand that the report of the independent joint working party on child health
  365
  surveillance, "Health for All Children", is due to be published by the end of February 1989 and I expect to receive a copy at that time.

  Asset Registers
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will compile asset registers of land owned by the National Health Service.

  Mrs. Currie
  We do. Registers are compiled by district valuers and are kept at the Department. We also require health authorities to keep similar records including open market value and existing use value.

  Mercury (Fish)
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has as to the acceptable level of mercury in fish beyond which they become unfit for human consumption.

  Mrs. Currie
  [pursuant to her reply, 29 November 1988, c. 198]: The provisional tolerable weekly intake of mercury should have been given as 0·3 mg per week of which no more than 0·2 mg should be organic mercury.

TRANSPORT

  Roads
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much he has budgeted for motorway and trunk road renewal in each of the three years 1989–90, 1990–91 and 1991–92.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The public expenditure provision for renewal of motorways and other trunk roads for the years in question is:

  Year

  £ million

  1989–90

  240

  1990–91

  249

  1991–92

  253

  In addition the provision for the renewal and strengthening of bridges associated with those roads is:

  Year

  £ million

  1989–90

  101

  1990–91

  103

  1991–92

  101

  Disabled Persons (Staff)
  Mr. Sean Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of his Department's staff are classed as disabled.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  As at 1 December 1988, the percentage of staff classed as disabled was 3·40 per cent. including 1·27 per cent. registered disabled persons.

  Coach Drivers
  Mr. Adley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of his Department's366
  officials in assisting the Kent police to apprehend 41 coach drivers travelling from France, most of whose vehicles were overladen with excess beer, wines and spirits; if he will bring this behaviour to the attention of the relevant licensing authority; if he will take steps to reduce to 50 mph the speed limit on coaches; and if he will restrict coaches to the inside two lanes of three-lane motorways in order to reduce intimidatory driving.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The check on coaches which took place between the hours of 1800 to midnight on Saturday 3 December was organised by the Department's traffic examiners in conjunction with the Kent police. Traffic examiners weighed all the coaches stopped and directed by the police to the A2 Boughton weighbridge site near Canterbury. Documents including tachograph charts were also checked. The Department's vehicle examiners also attended to carry out safety and mechanical checks on the coaches. Appropriate prosecution action will be taken in the name of the South Eastern Traffic Commissioner against bus operators and drivers who were found to be in contravention of the law.

  We have no plans to reduce coach speed limits or to restrict coaches to the two left-hand lanes of three-lane motorways.

  Regulations require British coaches to be fitted with road speed limiters. These limiters will physically limit coach speeds to the legal maximum of 70 mph. The fitment programme will be phased over the next few years.

  Many millions of motorway miles are already travelled safely by coaches.

  Hammersmith Broadway
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made any assessment of the implications for traffic management in London of the re-development of Hammersmith broadway.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  No. The London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is both the highway authority and the planning authority for the Hammersmith broadway redevelopment.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department has made any assessment of the implications for access for emergency service vehicles to the Hammersmith transport interchange of the proposed development of Hammersmith broadway.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The borough is both planning and highway authority. I understand that the London fire brigade has been involved in discussions about access for emergency service vehicles with the developers and the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

  Designs for the underground station will be submitted for approval to the railways inspectorate, which will consult the London fire brigade before making recommendations to me.

  Accidents (Heavy Goods Vehicles)
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were killed in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles for each year between 1979 and 1987.

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  The table shows the number of fatalities in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles in Great Britain between 1979 and 1987.
  367

  Fatalities in accidents involving heavy goods vehicles:

  Great Britain: 1977–1987

  Number

  1979

  1,063

  1980

  859

  1981

  851

  1982

  875

  1983

  811

  1984

  876

  1985

  811

  1986

  908

  1987

  910

  These numbers have to be associated with distance travelled to establish the trend in the casualty rate.

  London Assessment Studies
  Mr. Tony Banks
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many houses would be demolished and how much expenditure would be involved if he decided to proceed with the schemes contained in option 10 of the south London assessment study, option 5 of the east London assessment study, option 3A of the west London assessment study and option E of the south circular assessment study as a package.

  Normal or Above

  Moderate Impairment

  Severe Impairment

  Profound Impairment

  Total

  Borders

  10

  130

  30

  —

  180

  Central

  20

  240

  60

  60

  380

  Dumfries/Galloway

  50

  50

  40

  20

  160

  Fife

  150

  320

  120

  40

  630

  Grampian

  130

  550

  210

  110

  1,000

  Highland

  10

  270

  90

  40

  400

  Lothian

  430

  760

  240

  110

  1,550

  Strathclyde

  860

  2,170

  680

  490

  4,200

  Tayside

  50

  300

  80

  50

  480

  Orkney

  —

  —

  —

  —

  10

  Shetland

  —

  —

  —

  10

  10

  Western Isles

  —

  20

  10

  —

  30

  All Scotland

  1,710

  4,810

  1,570

  930

  9,020

  Argyll and Bute

  10

  50

  20

  10

  90

  Ayr

  30

  300

  70

  90

  490

  Dunbarton

  40

  250

  90

  80

  450

  Glasgow (City)

  580

  870

  190

  150

  1,790

  Lanark

  130

  440

  200

  80

  840

  Renfrew

  80

  270

  110

  90

  550

  Fish Farms
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will indicate what forms of assessment of the effects of predation by birds and seals at marine fish farms are taking place; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  In-house and externally commissioned research is in progress at present. The need for further research will be considered in the light of results from current studies.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland under what circumstances the killing of predatory birds by marine fish farmers is sanctioned by him; if he is in a position to indicate the number and species of birds so killed in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  No licences have been granted to permit marine fish farmers to shoot predatory birds in coastal waters.
  368
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  [holding answer 8 December 1988]: Information on the effects of the preliminary options is contained in the consultants working papers, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The options now being developed are aimed at improving conditions within each study area. It would not be appropriate to package them in the way suggested.

SCOTLAND

  Pupils (Intellect)
  Mrs. Margaret Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list in the Official Report the total number of pupils in each region and division whose intellectual functioning has been defined as (a) normal or above normal, (b) moderately impaired, (c) severely impaired or (d) profoundly impaired.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  The range of intellectual functioning of pupils in local authority special schools and departments at September 1987 is set out in the table. Information on pupils in other schools is not available.

  Seal Conservation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what use he has made of his powers, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, to grant to marine fish farmers licences for the shooting of seals; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has granted licences to marine fish farmers only under section 10(1)(c)(i) of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970 for the prevention of damage to fisheries.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland with which interested parties he consults before issuing, under the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, licences to kill seals; how many of these licences have been issued in each of the past 17 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend consults the Natural Environment Research Council on his policy regarding the granting of licences to shoot seals.
  369
  I regret that information relating to the numbers of licences issued in each of the past 17 years is not available.

  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he has any plans to introduce legislation to exempt fishermen and marine fish farmers under section 9 of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, from the prohibition order, issued under section 3 of the aforesaid Act, which outlaws the killing, injuring or taking of common seals around the coast-line; and if he will make a statement;

  (2) if he has any plans to seek to amend the Conservation of Seals act 1970, in terms of the current licensing system and other matters relating to the indentification of the periods of protection, afforded at different times of the year to the grey seal and the common seal; and if he will make a statement;

  (3) if he has plans to seek to extend section 9 of the Conservation of Seals Act 1970, so as to cover marine fish-farm cages; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to amend the Conservation of Seals Act 1970.

  Pesticides
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any proposals to prohibit the use of the pesticides Dieldrin and Aldrin; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  On 1 August 1988 the Ministers responsible for matters relating to the control of pesticides announced their decision to revoke all remaining

  Plantations

  To be planted

  Year to 31 March

  Area (hectares)

  Percentage of total land sales

  Area (hectares)

  Percentage of total land sales

  1982

  1,821

  17·5

  526

  5·0

  1983

  5,490

  45·3

  1,142

  9·4

  1984

  15,363

  34·5

  1,144

  2·6

  1985

  13,889

  48·1

  2,183

  7·6

  1986

  7,291

  44·0

  1,023

  6·2

  1987

  5,518

  50·4

  668

  6·1

  1988

  5,361

  60·0

  1,026

  11·5

  Composite records of sales of other woodland, agricultural and grazing land, and unplantable land are not held centrally, and the information asked for could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what are the areas of land, offered for sale by the Forestry Commission since 1981, which have been bought by(a) conservation bodies and (b) public bodies; and if he will make a statement.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Comprehensive records of purchasers of land from the Forestry Commission are not held centrally, and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Pacemakers
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any further information on the alleged shortfall of pacemakers from Greater Glasgow health board; and if he will make a statement.
  370
  approvals for the use of products containing Dieldrin by 30 March 1989 and for the use of products containing Aldrin by 31 December 1992.

  Forestry Commission
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the value of land sold by the Forestry Commission in each year since 1981.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  Receipts from the disposal of land and property since 1981 have been as follows:

  Year to 31 March

  £ million

  1982

  6·9

  1983

  13·8

  1984

  23·6

  1985

  22·1

  1986

  17·0

  1987

  14·7

  1988

  12·9

  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion, by area and percentage, respectively, of the land sold by the Forestry Commission in each year since 1981, was(a) under plantations, (b) other woodland, (c) to be planted, (d) agricultural and grazing and (e) unplantable.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The areas of land sold by the Forestry Commission since 1981 which were under plantations or were to be planted, and the percentages of the total land sales represented by these two categories, were as follows:

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Further investigation has shown that all the pacemakers for which the board was previously unable to account have been implanted in NHS patients. I regret that the hon. Member for Strathkelvin and Bearsden (Mr. Galbraith) has chosen to suggest that there might have been any impropriety in their use, and hope that he will apologise to the staff and members of Greater Glasgow health board.

ENERGY

  Plutonium
  Mr. Alton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy why the figure for the amount of plutonium produced by British civil nuclear power stations for the year ended 31 March was rounded up to the nearest 50 kg; and if he will make a statement.
  371
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The figures have to be rounded to take account of the fact that the plutonium content of irradiated fuel elements is calculated.

  Electricity Generation
  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many applications he has received for a licence for new independent power stations; and if he will list the sites, size in mw and proposed base load fuel.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Under existing legislation, private generators do not require a licence from Government to build or operate an independent power station but they must obtain all the relevant local planning consents.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the cost of one kilo watt hour unit of electricity generated by(a) coal, (b) oil, (c) gas and (d) nuclear power, respectively.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of electricity generation depends upon nuclear power for each country within the European Community.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, North (Mr. Speller) on 14 November 1988 at column 422.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the 13 GW extra generating capacity needed by year 2000, as outlined in his White Paper, "Privatising Electricity", he anticipates to be produced by nuclear power.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 11 May 1988 at column 112.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he plans to stipulate a minimum or maximum length for contracts between former generating companies and area supply boards; and whether such contracts are to be published.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Government are seeking a range of contract periods to enable competition to develop. The terms of the contracts will be commercially confidential.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much generation, other than by National Power and Power Generation, he expects by the year 2000.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 7 December 1988 at column 193.

  Gas
  Mr. Frank Cook
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether the twin advanced gas cooled reactor installations at Hartlepool and Heysham A are awaiting licensing consent from Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate, before the operators are permitted to 372
  undertake refuelling operations whilst the reactors are on load; whether, currently and since the commissioning of these reactors, each reactor has to be completely closed down for refuelling operations; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the CEGB. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Electricity Privatisation
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is the anticipated dividend yield that will be paid to investors in the privatised electricity supply industry;

  (2) whether the Government have yet made any provisional estimate of the asset value of the electricity supply industry on privatisation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It is premature to make any such estimates.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the anticipated total staffing level of the office of the Director General of Electricity Supply.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Electricity Bill currently before the House would provide for the appointment of a Director General of Electricity Supply, who would be supported by the staff of the office of electricity regulation (OFFER). We shall be consulting the Director General, as soon as he is identified, on the level of staffing of his office. We presently anticipate a need for a net increase of about 115 public sector posts. His staff will deal with consumer matters and meter examining as well as the regulation of the industry.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards the European Commission's proposals to harmonise the methods used by energy authorities to calculate prices; what effect the proposals will have on the privatisation of the electricity supply industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The EC Commission has said that it will shortly be tabling proposals on the transparency of energy prices for major consumers of gas and electricity. These will be carefully considered by the Government.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how the merit order system for power stations will work in the privatised electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Stations will be despatched on the basis of prices bid to the National Grid company, so ensuring that demand is met from the cheapest stations while maintaining the stability of the transmission system.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether, after electricity privatisation, one area board will be allowed to make a takeover bid for another area board.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Arrangements will be made to safeguard the independence of the privatised distribution companies.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what, after electricity privatisation, the consequences will be of the insolvency of an area board.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  As with previously privatised industries, such as British Gas, existing insolvency law would apply.
  373
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has made any estimate of the impact of 1992 and the single European market on the ability of the Government to prevent nationals of other EEC member countries owning shares in a privatised electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It is not the Government's intention to prevent nationals of other EEC member states from owning shares in the privatised electricity supply industry.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the cost of transferring the national grid to the distribution companies.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The benefits of promoting competition will outweigh any costs that might arise.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he anticipates publishing the regulatory framework for prices under the Electricity Bill.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  We intend to make draft licences, which will include descriptions of the price controls, available for the Committee stage of the Electricity Bill.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether, after electricity privatisation, contracts between large users direct with generators will be subject to any regulation.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  No. Competition law will apply to such contracts but the licences issued to National Power and PowerGen will contain a non-discrimination provision.

  Generating Costs
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he has made any estimate of the anticipated generating and operating cost per kilowatt hour of(a) nuclear power and (b) fossil fuel power up to the year 2000.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Atomic Energy
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the budget allocation to atomic energy research made by his Department for each financial year from 1979–80 to 1988–89; and what is his Department's anticipated expenditure for 1989–90.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Expenditure was, and is expected to be, as follows:

  £ million

  1979–80

  146

  1980–81

  188

  1981–82

  203

  1982–83

  212

  1983–84

  204

  1984–85

  196

  1985–86

  190

  1986–87

  158

  1987–88

  141

  1988–89

  145

  374
  Notes:
  Figures are rounded to the nearest million.
  The 1979–80 and 1980–81 figures are outturn figures taken from the 1983–84 Public Expenditure White Paper.
  Outturn figures for 1981–82 to 1986–87 are based on the Cabinet Office annual reviews of Government funded R and D which were first published in 1984.
  Figures for the years before 1986–87, when the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority was put on a trading fund basis, include some expenditure on non-R and D work.
  Figures for 1987–88 and 1988–89 are the costs incurred and expected to be incurred by the UKAEA on nuclear R and D work for the Department.
  Expenditure forecasts for 1989–90 will be published in the 1989 Public Expenditure White Paper.

  Energy Efficiency Office
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what was the budget allocated for the Energy Efficiency Office for each financial year from 1979–80 to 1988–89; and what is his Department's anticipated expenditure for 1989–90.

  Mr. Peter Morrison
  The Energy Efficiency Office was established on 31 October 1983. Its net budget allocation has been as follows:

  £ million

  1984–85

  16·8

  1985–86

  20·5

  1986–87

  26·0

  1987–88

  24·5

  1988–89

  20·8

  Figures for my Department's estimated expenditure for 1989–90 will be published in the Public Expenditure White Paper.

  Advanced Gas Cooled Reactors
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many years the advanced gas cooled reactors at(a) Dungeness, (b) Hartlepool and (c) Heysham 1 are behind schedule; and what has been the cost of delay for each individual advanced gas cooled reactor to date.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the Central Electricity Generating Board. I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member.

  Sulphur Emissions
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department has any plans to research into magnetohydrodynamics as a means of reducing sulphur emissions from coal-fired power stations.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Magnetohydrodynamics is not considered to have sufficient promise to justify the substantial funds required to develop it. The advanced coal based generators—such as pressurised fluidised bed and the integrated coal gasification combined cycle generators—reported in Energy Paper 56 (a copy of which is in the Library of the House) are considered preferable and sufficient to meet United Kingdom requirements.

  Electricity Industry
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what were the staffing levels for the electricity supply industry for each financial year from 1979–80 to 1988–89; and what is the planned level for 1989–90.
  375
  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The number of staff employed by the electricity supply industry of England and Wales in post on 31 March of each year from March 1979 to March 1988 and the planned levels for March 1989 and 1990 are as follows:

  Year

  Total Staff (all grades)

  Outturn1

  March

  1979

  159,825

  1980

  158,780

  1981

  154,910

  1982

  146,655

  1983

  141,385

  1984

  137,210

  1985

  133,718

  1986

  131,446

  1987

  131,087

  1988

  130,217

  Planned2

  March

  1989

  130,200

  1990

  129,580

  1 Data from the Handbook of Electricity Supply Industry Statistics, published by The Electricity Council.

  2 Industry forecasts.

  Electricity Disconnections
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how many domestic electricity disconnections were there in the years 1979–80 to the most recent year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The Electricity Council informs me that the figures for disconnections in England and Wales are as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1979–80

  98,894

  1980–81

  118,221

  1981–82

  108,266

  1982–83

  91,334

  1983–84

  90,722

  1984–85

  91,039

  1985–86

  102,714

  1986–87

  98,823

  1987–88

  88,870

  There is a continued downward trend in disconnections and in the 12 months ending 31 October 1988 the total was 80,592, the lowest since records began in 1976.

  Advertising and Promotional Budgets
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the advertising and promotional budget for the Central Electricity Generating Board, including the area boards for the years 1978–79 to 1987–88; and what is the anticipated expenditure for the next five years.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is an operational matter for the industry. I have asked the chairman of the Electricity Council to write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the advertising and promotional expenditure by his Department for each of the last five and next five years.

  Mr. Parkinson
  Advertising and promotional expenditure for the years 1986–87 and 1987–88 was £37 million 376
  (of which £24·6 million represents advertising costs associated with the privatisation of British Gas) and £5·6 million respectively. The provision for 1988–89 is £6·5 million. It is not possible to identify separately all advertising and promotional expenditure before 1986–87. Forecasts of the Department's advertising and promotional expenditure for future years are not available. Further information on the Department's publicity budget will be published in the 1989 public expenditure White Paper early in the new year.

  Nuclear Plants
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much money has been set aside by the Central Electricity Generating Board in each of the last 10 years for(a) the decommissioning of nuclear plant and (b) the disposal of nuclear waste.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  These figures are available in the CEGB's report and accounts for the relevant years, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Pressurised Water Reactors
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the anticipated cost of building the family of four new pressurised water reactors.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the CEGB.

  Power Stations (Construction)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the major projects in hand for the construction of power stations by companies or groups other than National Power and Power Generators.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  The details of the proposed projects are provided to the Department on a commercialin-confidence basis. It is for the companies to announce details of their plans.

  Electricity Supply (Channel Link)
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has plans to increase the capacity of the Channel link between the Central Electricity Generating Board and Electricite de France.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  It is for the CEGB and, after privatisation, the successor companies to bring forward any proposals for a second link.

  Coal-fired Power Stations
  Mr. Blair
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on the intention of the Central Electricity Generating Board on proceeding with the coal-fired power stations at West Burton and Kingsnorth.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  My right hon. Friend is currently considering the CEGB's application for consent to construct a coal-fired power station at West Burton.

  He has received no application from the CEGB for consent to construct a coal fired power station at Kingsnorth. It is for the CEGB to decide whether and when to apply for consent to construct any new power station.

  Chapelcross Nuclear Installation
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what contribution has been made by the Central Electricity Generating Board towards the cost of decommissioning the Chapelcross nuclear installation; and what further contributions the board or its successors will make towards these costs;

  (2) what contributions have been made by Departments of State and public corporations, other than the South of Scotland Electricity Board, the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board and the Central Electricity Generating Board, to the costs of decommissioning the Chapelcross nuclear installation; and what further contributions such bodies will make towards these costs;

  (3) on what basis the various contributions towards the costs of decommissioning the Chapelcross nuclear installation, whether from the Scottish electricity boards, the Central Electricity Generating Board, or from other public bodies and Departments of State, have been calculated;

  (4) what contributions have been made by the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board towards the cost of decommissioning the Chapelcross nuclear installation; and what further contributions the boards or their successors will make towards these costs.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  Neither the Central Electricity Generating Board nor its successors has any liability for the costs which will be incurred in decommissioning the nuclear facilities at Chapelcross.

  No contributions have yet been made by customers towards the costs of decommissioning the Chapelcross facilities, since these facilities are still in operation. The eventual contributions of British Nuclear Fuels plc and other bodies towards these costs will be assessed on the basis of the relevant share of usage of the facilities. Where appropriate, provisions have been made for such decommissioning in the accounts of the bodies concerned on the basis of current cost estimates.

EMPLOYMENT

  Training Statistics (Nottingham)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish his Department's operating statistics for each completed month of employment training for Nottingham, specifying(a) the end of month profile for each region, (b) the actual number in training in each region, (c) the number of starts in each month in each region, (d) the number of leavers each month, (e) how many of the trainees are on employment training training allowance and (f) how many are still receiving wages from the Community programme.

  Mr. Nicholls
  Most of the information requested is given in the following table. Regional profiles for starts are used for internal management purposes only. It is not yet possible to give figures on employment training leavers as the Training Agency's management information system does not differentiate between those who were on the new job training scheme or the community programme and those who were entrants to employment training.378

  Employment Training Statistics—Nottingham

  September 1988

  October 1988

  Starts

  319

  667

  In-training on allowances

  970

  1,319

  In-training on CP wages

  2,513

  2,118

  Total in-training

  3,483

  3,437

  Vacancies (London)
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the level of unfilled vacancies in Greater London.

  Mr. Lee
  In October 1988 the number of unfilled vacancies registered at jobcentres in the Greater London region, seasonally adjusted was 29,000. This figure does not include all vacancies in the economy. A survey conducted in June 1988 showed that there were around 150,000 vacancies in total in Greater London, around four and a half times the level of vacancies recorded al the jobcentre at that time.

  Skills Shortages
  Mr. Stern
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what proposals he has to reduce skills shortages in British industry; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Cope
  I refer my hon. Friend to the chapter on training in the White Paper "Employment in the 1990's" and the statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State of Monday 5 December 1988.

  Radiation
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he expects the Health and Safety Commission working group on ionising radiations to report on its review of dose limits for acceptable levels of exposure to radiation.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The working group on ionising radiation is currently finalising its end of year report which will include advice on dose limitation. The report will be submitted to the Health and Safety Commission in the new year.

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment at what time the last set of monthly unemployment figures were made available to the press(a) in Nottingham and (b) nationally.

  Mr. Lee
  The latest unemployment figures, both national and regional were first available to all enquirers at 11.30 am on 17 Novermber 1988.

  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his Department's estimate of the number of economically inactive people who would like a job.

  Mr. Lee
  It is estimated from the labour force survey (LFS) that in spring 1987 there were 2,180 thousand people without a job who were economically inactive using the ILO/OECD definition—that is, either not seeking or not available for work—aged 16 and over in Great Britain, who said they would like a job.

  Playground Accidents
  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the number of children who turn up at hospital because of playground accidents for every month since his Department started collecting figures; and if he will make a statement about those figures.

  Mr. Nicholls
  The table shows the available information. Before 1986 reports of playground injuries cannot be separately identified. While a large number of these major injuries would have required attention at hospital I have no information on the exact numbers. Non-fatal injuries in playgrounds other than those specified as major are not reportable. I shall be writing to the hon. Member about the monthly breakdown of the figures.

  Injuries to children, 18 years of age or younger, reported to the Health and Safety Executive's Factory and Agriculture Inspectorates for years beginning 1 April

  1986–87

  11987–88

  Fatal

  2Major

  Fatal

  2Major

  Resulting from sports activities in school playgrounds

  0

  995

  2

  765

  Resulting from indoor and outdoor play activities in school

  0

  2,161

  1

  1,234

  In playgrounds other than those in schools

  1

  87

  1

  84

  1 Provisional

  2 Major injuries as scheduled under the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1986 (RIDDOR).

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Atomic Energy (Departmental Unit)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many people have been employed in the Atomic Energy (Unit C) section of his Ministry in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The information requested is as follows:

  Number

  1978–83

  3 or 4

  1984

  6

  1985

  8

  1986

  9

  1987

  14

  1988

  16

  I am satisfied that Unit C of the Ministry's food science division, now known as the food safety (radiation) unit, has been adequately staffed to carry out its duties throughout this period.

  Radioactive Caesium Deposition (Cumbria)
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has made the preliminary contour map of radioactive caesium deposition resulting from the aeriel survey of Cumbria available to all the farmers in the restricted area of that county; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  No. Only the final report on this survey will be published.
  380
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make the preliminary contour map of radioactive caesium deposition resulting from the aerial survey of Cumbria available in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  I have nothing to add to the reply that I gave to the hon. Member on 28 November at column 190.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many farmers and landowners(a) from the restricted area of Cumbria and (b) from outside the restricted area attended the meeting at Edenbridge house, Carlisle on 23 November to discuss the aerial survey of post-Chernobyl radioactivity; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ryder
  The farmers and landowners who attended the meeting on 23 November were chosen by their representative organisations. I understand that all of them farm within the original restricted area of Cumbria, though the farms of three of them are no longer under restriction.

  Veterinary Products
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his powers to ban a veterinary product if that product has satisfied the Veterinary Products Committee in terms of its safety, quality and efficacy and has therefore been granted a product licence were last used; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  It has rarely been necessary to use my power in this way, the last occasion being The Medicines (Hormones Growth Promoter) (Prohibition of Use) Regulations 1986, re-enacted in 1988, made to implement a Community decision which we had contested.

  Pollen Beetle
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps his Ministry is taking to contain the spread of the metogethes, or pollen beetle.

  Mr. Ryder
  The pollen beetle is indigenous to and widespread in the United Kingdom. There are a number of approved pesticides which are effective against it.

  Improvement Scheme
  Mr. Ron Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the expenditure by county in England and Wales under the agricultural improvement scheme for each of the last three years.

  Mr. Ryder
  I regret that the information is not available in the form requested.

  Total expenditure under the Agriculture Improvement Scheme was as follows:

  £ million

  1985–86

  1986–87

  1987–88

  11988

  England

  0·127

  6·670

  14·572

  4·672

  Wales

  0·054

  3·249

  5·88

  1·396

  1 April to June

  381

  Percentage distribution by Divisional Office was as follows:

  Division

  Financial year 1986–87 (includes any 1985–86 expenditure) percentage

  Financial year 1987–88 percentage

  June quarter 1988 percentage

  Beverley

  7·34

  5·52

  6·21

  Carlisle

  4·75

  10·61

  9·22

  Newcastle

  6·14

  7·10

  3·95

  Northallerton

  9·67

  8·81

  7·66

  Crewe

  7·99

  6·23

  7·19

  Nottingham

  5·29

  5·57

  6·86

  Worcester

  3·44

  4·63

  5·22

  Preston

  13·74

  7·32

  6·13

  Lincoln

  3·07

  2·61

  4·63

  Huntingdon

  1·77

  1·96

  0·61

  Norwich

  1·89

  2·25

  2·57

  Guildford

  3·69

  4·68

  6·98

  Maidstone

  0·99

  3·36

  1·94

  Oxford

  2·14

  1·48

  0·85

  Exeter

  12·88

  8·66

  6·35

  Gloucester

  3·50

  3·62

  3·31

  Taunton

  4·45

  3·46

  4·56

  Truro

  3·96

  5·25

  5·07

  100·00

  100·00

  100·00

  Caernarvon

  8·79

  11·17

  11·16

  Cardiff

  3·06

  8·93

  3·07

  Carmarthen

  49·90

  38·65

  29·81

  Llandrindod Wells

  32·91

  34·00

  45·91

  Ruthin

  5·34

  7·25

  10·05

  100·00

  100·00

  100·00

  Chickens (Salmonella Enteritidis)
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many chickens slaughtered for meat are tested for the presence of salmonella enteritidis; and how many are found to carry the bacteria.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Testing is not a statutory requirement and no firm information is available. Advice has been issued to enforcement authorities on the identification and rejection of birds showing visible signs of salmonella enteritidis at post-mortem inspection. We have asked the industry to consider urgently what other steps can be taken. Salmonella is destroyed if poultry is cooked properly.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on which social security benefits expenditure is cash-limited; and which are not so limited.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  None.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) fathers and (b) mothers claim child benefit.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Information available relates to men and women rather than fathers and mothers—child benefit is sometimes claimed by someone other than the parent, for example a grandparent. In Great Britain at 31 December 1987, about 135,000 child benefit claimants were men and about 6,545,000 claimants were women.
  382
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the rate of child benefit in 1979; and by what percentage the rate has increased between April 1979 and April 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  The April 1979 rate of child benefit was £4.00; the increase in the rate between that date and April 1988 was 81.3 per cent.

  Disability Benefit
  Ms. Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claims in Stoke-on-Trent, North for disability benefit and for reduced earnings allowance are currently pending; what is the average length of time claimants in Stoke-on-Trent, North are having to wait from the date when their claim is first submitted to the date when the medical examination is done; what is the average waiting time between the receipt by his Department of the medical examination report and the payment of benefit; if he will consider paying disability benefit and reduced earnings allowance in cases which are pending, and how many consultants are currently available to undertake medical examinations to claimants in Stoke-on-Trent, North.

  Mr. Scott
  Claims from people living in Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency are dealt with by Stoke North local office, but their boundaries are not coterminous. The information which can be provided without incurring disproportionate cost is as follows.

  As at 6 December, Stoke-on-Trent, North local office had 68 claims for disablement benefit and reduced earnings allowance at the stage of initial enquiries and which had yet to be medically examined.

  Because payment of benefit is directly linked to an initial medical assessment of the degree of disablement, payment of benefit pending that assessment would not be appropriate.

  There are 79 NHS consultants in the Stoke-on-Trent area who may be asked to carry out medical examinations of claimants.

  Crisis Loans
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security why local offices of his Department will not give crisis loan applications forms to local advice agencies.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  Local offices of the Department are authorised to issue representative samples of social fund forms, including the crisis loan application form, to local advice agencies. I am satisfied that this arrangement is operating effectively. To issue other than representative quantities would be counter-productive as both the forms and the information contained within them are constantly under review.

  Cold Weather Payments
  Mr. Amos
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the relative merits of(a) the Leeming and (b) the Newcastle weather stations to determine the eligibility for cold weather payments for people in the Hexham constituency.

  Mr. Scott
  The Newcastle weather station is not used for the purposes of the social fund cold weather payments
  383
  scheme since its location in the City tends to make it warmer than the area covered by the Department's local offices in the Hexham constituency. The weather station at Leeming, in the Vale of York, though further away, experiences temperature more representative of the Hexham constituency.

  Invalid Care Allowance
  Mr. Alfred Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what action he is taking to trace the women who are entitled to back-payments of the invalid care allowance in consequence of the decision by the European Court of Justice in the case of Lucy Mabel Hood of Horsham:; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Scott
  The case of Mrs. Hood's claim to invalid care allowance has not been before the European Court of Justice. She was however recently awarded benefit by a Social Security commissioner. We are now considering carefully the wider implications of the commissioner's decision.

  Income Support
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he intends to implement the recommendation in the report "I can't go back to Mum and Dad", published by Barnados of a premium payment for care leavers; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  We are monitoring the impact of the reformed benefit on all income support recipients, including the young people covered by the report. Once that exercise has been completed, we shall consider what, if anything, needs to be done.

  Retirement Pension
  Sir Ian Gilmour
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the basic national insurance pension in 384(a) as a percentage of average earnings in 1958 and (b) in 1988 prices and as a percentage of average earnings in 1988.

  Mr. Peter Lloyd
  In January 1958 the full basic national insurance retirement pension was 19·8 per cent. of the average earnings of all male manual workers. In April 1988 it was 20·5 per cent. The full basic pension in 1958 at 1988 prices was £21·75.

  Mortgage Interest
  Mr. Fatchett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be(a) the overall varying and (b) benefit to the Exchequer for 1989–90 from calculating benefit increases on the retail prices index calculated without the inclusion of mortgage interest payments.

  Mr. Scott
  [holding answer 6 December 1988]: Between September 1987 and September 1988 the retail prices index excluding the cost of mortgage interest payments rose by 5·2 per cent. If the April 1989 uprating has been calculated using this figure the cost would have been reduced by around £160 million, as shown in the table:

  Benefit

  £ million

  Retirement pension

  - 137

  Widows benefit

  - 6

  Unemployment benefit

  - 6

  Invalidity benefit

  - 26

  Attendance allowance

  - 8

  Mobility allowance

  - 5

  Other benefits

  - 13

  Income support

  + 32

  Rent rebate and allowance

  + 10

  Total

  - 159