Written Answers of 3 February 1988

THE ARTS

  Museums (Portsmouth)
  Mr. Martin
  To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give details of the sums of money allocated to help(a) the national maritime museum and (b) other museums in Portsmouth, for both maintenance and purchase grants for the most recent convenient period; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Luce
  The national maritime museum has been allocated £205,000 for purchases for the collection and £2,510,000 for building and maintenance work in 1988–89.

  Central Government support for non-national museums in 1988–89 includes provision for £72 million within the rate support grant to English local authorities for museum capital and current expenditure, and some £4·5 million for the challenge grant schemes for, inter alia, purchases for collections and conservation and related capital work that are administered by the Museums and Galleries Commission and the English Area Museum councils.

  Portsmouth is rich in history and is endowed with some fine museums. I had the pleasure of visiting a number of them just over a year ago.

NATIONAL FINANCE

  Food (VAT)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when value added tax on selected foods was first imposed; and for what stated purpose.

  Mr. Lilley
  Value added tax on selected foods was first imposed from 1 April 1974 by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, the right hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Healey). The stated purpose was contained in his Budget statement, the relevant extract of which is in the Official Report for 26 March 1974 at columns 308–309.

  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which food products are subject to the standard rate of value added tax.

  Mr. Lilley
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson) on 1 February at column 463.

  Business Expansion Scheme
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, pursuant to his answer of 27 January on business expansion scheme investment, he will give the number of investors falling within each of the categories shown in the table.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 2 February 1988]: The table is derived from information collected in the
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  survey of personal incomes. As the notes in "Inland Revenue Statistics" indicate, at the time when the survey was conducted, it is likely that a substantial number of claims for business expansion scheme relief for investments in 1984–85 had yet to he submitted. No alternative source of information on numbers of investors is available centrally. I regret therefore that it is not possible to provide the information requested.

  Woodlands (Taxes)
  Mr. Gordon Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many taxpayers were granted capital gains tax exemption of growing timber from commercial woodlands in the last year for which figures are available;

  (2) how many taxpayers opted to have woodlands taxed under schedule B instead of schedule D in 1986–87; and if he will give for these taxpayers a breakdown showing the percentage paying tax at (i) 60 per cent., (ii) 55 per cent. and 50 per cent., (iii) 45 per cent. and 40 per cent. and (iv) 27 per cent.;

  (3) if he will estimate the value of woodland liable to tax under (a) schedule B and (b) schedule D in 1986–87.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 2 February 1988]: I regret that the information requested is not available.

  Nurses
  Ms. Harman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the percentage change of tax and national insurance as a percentage of average gross earnings, including overtime and other payments, of National Health Service nurses between 1980 and the latest year for which figures are available.

  Mr. Norman Lamont
  [holding answer 27 January 1988]: Between 1980–81 and 1987–88 the real take-home pay of nurses rose by 22 per cent. In the same period, the proportion of their earnings taken in income tax and NIC is estimated to have increased by 0·7 percentage points from 26·2 per cent. to 26·9 per cent. If the 1978–79 tax regime had been kept in place and simply adjusted for inflation the proportion of earnings taken in tax and NIC in 1987–88 would have been 28·3 per cent.

  Earnings figures are derived from the "New Earnings Survey" occupation category, "Registered and enrolled nurses, midwives" and are for those employed full-time on adult rates whose pay was not affected by absence. The nurse is assumed to be contracted out of SERPS.

SCOTLAND

  Radioactivity
  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of farms, the number of sheep and the area of land, in acres, under restriction in Scotland as a result of radioactivity from the Chernobyl accident; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  About 66,000 acres with some 63,000 sheep on 69 farms are currently under restriction in Scotland as a result of radioactivity from the Chernobyl accident.

  Health Funds
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the present value of projected budget
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  allocation for each health fund for the years 1988–89 and 1989–90, if a National Health Service pay and prices deflator of 2 per cent. above gross domestic product is assumed.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Individual allocations to health boards for recurrent expenditure are made annually and are not projected ahead to later years.

  Cheese Manufacturers (Milk Supplies)
  Mr. Home Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action has been taken, following the meeting between the Minister of State responsible for Agriculture and the hon. Members for East Lothian, for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (Mr. Foulkes), for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson) for Western Isles (Mr. Macdonald) on 11 November 1987, to improve the supply of milk to cheese manufacturers in Scotland; and if he will make a further statement on the situation in that industry with particular reference to its ability to supply both existing and potential markets.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  While some commercial elements are still to be resolved, discussions between the Scottish Milk Marketing Board and its counterparts south of the border to secure a supply of milk for manufacturers in Scotland are now at an advanced stage. All recognised cheddar plants in the Scottish board's area are currently producing cheese. Their ability to meet market demand will depend to an extent on the outcome of the inter-board negotiations.

  Employment and Training (Accident Statistics)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for each year since 1983 the number of fatalities and accidents involving participants in Government employment and training schemes in Scotland.

  Mr. Lang
  Figures for fatalities and accidents to participants on employment and training schemes are not available, other than for YTS. For YTS the information is set out in the table.

  Accidents1

  Period

  Fatal

  Major

  Minor

  1983 (1 April to 31 December)

  1

  11

  73

  1984

  1

  33

  227

  1985

  1

  28

  263

  1986 (1 January to 31 March)

  —

  8

  68

  1986 (1 April to 31 December)2

  1

  38

  143

  19872

  —

  56

  265

  1 The figures are compiled on a similar basis to those prepared by the Health and Safety Executive on employed persons, but also include a number of accidents, in particular road traffic accidents during scheme time and accidents in educational establishments, which may not have been reportable to the HSE had the individuals been employed. The fatality in 1984 was a road traffic accident in scheme time.

  2 Up to 31 March 1986 major injuries were classified according to the criteria in the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980. From 1 April 1986 major injuries have been classified according to the criteria in the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1986. This has had the effect of reclassifying some accidents from the minor to the major category and means that figures before and after 31 March 1986 are not directly comparable.

  Respite Care
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what hospitals offer respite care in Scotland.

  Mr. Michael Forsyth
  Detailed information is not held centrally. Respite care facilities are available in most psychiatric and geriatric hospitals and units and in units for the younger physically handicapped. Such facilities are also available in a number of general hospitals.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Lord Advocate proposes any changes to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service cash and running cost limits for 1987–88.

  Lord James Douglas-Hamilton
  The cash limit on class XX, vote 21, will be reduced by £250,000 from £17,706,000 to £17,456,000 and the running costs limit by £250,000 from £16,892,000 to £16,642,000 subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate. Class XX, vote 22, will be increased by £250,000 from £3,586,000 to £3,836,000.

  Mr. Allan Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he proposes to make any further changes to the cash limits for 1987–88 within his responsibility.

  Mr. Rifkind
  I shall be making the following changes. As announced on 23 July 1987, at columns 434–36, the cash limit for class XVI, vote 2 (Agricultural Services and Fisheries, Scotland) was increased by £1·400 million, from £69·959 million to £71·359 million to reflect the carry forward of capital underspends allowed under the end year flexibility scheme. Following expected savings on a number of services this cash limit can be reduced by £800,000 to give a revised cash limit of £70·559 million.

  This reduction will partly offset an increase of £1·876 million on class XVI, vote 3 (Regional and General Industrial Support, Scotland) from £127·029 million to £128·905 million. The increase results from an expected shortfall in receipts from the European Community of £2·395 million. This is partly offset by decreases of £500,000 in the grant-in-aid to the Scottish Development Agency which expects to realise additional receipts of that amount and £19,000 net from miscellaneous subheads.

  The cash limit on class XVI, vote 11 (Administration of Justice, Scotland) will be reduced by £100,000 from £13·121 million to £13·021 million. This reduction, which arises from lower than anticipated expenditure on a computer project, is partly to offset increased expenditure of £550,000 on class XVI, Vote 13 (Legal Proceedings, Scotland) which is not cash limited.

  The cash limit for class XVI, vote 14 (Prisons, hospitals and community health service etc., Scotland) will be increased by £12·650 million from £1,721·125 million to £1,733·775 million. Of this increase £7·6 million was announced by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Education on 18 December 1987 to allow extra funding for hospitals and community health services. The remainder reflects the net extra cost of implementation in Scotland of the fresh start initiative in the prison service, and is offset by extra receipts, £3·750 million, and from provision not now required on class XVI, vote 12 (Police Grant, Legal Aid and Criminal Injuries Compensation, Scotland) £1·3 million.
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  I shall also be seeking parliamentary approval to increase class XVI, vote 26 (Privatisation of the electricity supply industry, Scotland) by £310,000 to give a revised cash limit of £680,000. This allows for higher than anticipated advisers' fees in preparation for the privatisation of the South of Scotland Electricity Board and the North of Scotland Hydro Electricity Board. It will be fully met from a cash limit reduction on class XVI, vote 21 (Scottish Office Administration) which will reduce the cash limit from £114·584 million to £114·274 million.

  There is a related increase in the running costs limit for the Scottish Office of £6 million from £171·956 million to £177·956 million arising from the implementation of fresh start.

  These changes represent a net charge on the Reserve of £9·141 million and will not therefore increase the planned total of public expenditure.

  Parliamentary approval for the changes in voted expenditure will be sought through Supplementary Estimates.

ENERGY

  Coal Reserves
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has on assessed coal reserves in(a) England as a whole and (b) Northumberland.

  Mr. Michael Spicer
  This is a matter for the British Coal Corporation, and I have asked the chairman to write to the hon. Member. The Department does not undertake its own assessments of coal reserves vested in British Coal.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Suspension Statistics
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Lord President of the Council how many hon. Members have been suspended from the service of the House in each year since 1974; and if he will break these figures down by party affiliation of the hon. Members concerned.

  Mr. Wakeham
  The information requested is as follows:

  Session

  Number of members suspended

  1974

  None

  1974–75

  None

  1975–76

  None

  1976–77

  None

  1977–78

  None

  1978–79

  None

  1979–80

  None

  1980–81

  1 Democratic Unionist 1 Labour (twice)

  1981–82

  3 Democratic Unionist

  1 Labour (twice)

  1982–83

  None

  1983–84

  3 Labour

  1984–85

  None

  1985–86

  1 Labour

  1 Plaid Cymru

  1986–87

  None

  1987–881

  3 Labour

  1 Plaid Cymru

  1 To date.

  Guidance to Ministers
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Lord President of the Council whether(a) the Cabinet Office, (b) the Cabinet Secretary or (c) the Prime Minister have ever issued guidance to departmental Ministers as to Government policy on the extent of detail given in ministerial replies to parliamentary questions.

  Mr. Wakeham
  No such guidance has been issued to Ministers by (a) the Cabinet Office, (b) the Cabinet Secretary or (c) the Prime Minister. The extent of detail given in replies to parliamentary questions is a matter left to the judgment of individual departmental Ministers subject to parliamentary conventions and considerations such as cost.

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT

  Apartheid
  Mr. Caborn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he has made to provide increased assistance to the victims of apartheid in line with the Commonwealth Okanagan statement.

  Mr. Chris Patten
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to my hon. Friends the Member for Birmingham, Hall Green (Mr. Hargreaves) on 1 December 1987, at column 483, and for Orpington (Mr. Stanbrook) on 11 January, at column 12.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Property (Sussex)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the cost of the alterations to the former Foreign and Commonwealth Office radio station at Kings Standing, Sussex for uses as a nuclear shelter;

  (2) what use is to be made by the general public of the nuclear shelter currently under construction at Kings Standing in Sussex.

  Mr. John Patten
  Part of this site is being developed as an administrative centre for use in a possible emergency. It is not the practice to give detailed information about facilities of this kind. The building is not intended for use by the general public.

  Criminal Damage (Compensation)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will initiate a scheme to compensate, in a similar way to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, those who have suffered damage to property as the result of crime; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. John Patten
  There are no plans to initiate such a scheme.

  Juvenile Crime
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile crimes have been dealt with in Seaham and Peterlee magistrates' courts in the last five years.
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  Mr. John Patten
  The readily available information relates only to indictable offences and is given in the following table:

  Defendants aged 10 and under 17 proceeded against for indictable offences in the Easington division1

  Year

  Total proceeded against

  1982

  303

  1983

  229

  1984

  245

  1985

  238

  1986

  167

  1 Includes Seaham and Peterlee magistrates' courts. Figures for 1986 are published in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales supplementary volumes" a copy of which is in the Library.

  BBC Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Controller of BBC Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Renton
  My right hon. Friend has not yet had the opportunity to meet the Controller of BBC Wales.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to make any changes to the 1987–88 cash limits within his responsibilities and to his Department's running cost limit.

  Mr. Hurd
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on class XI, vote 2, Prisons, England and Wales, will be increased by £38,159,000 which, after the surrender of the increase of £3,233,000 for end year flexibility announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 23 July 1987 at columns 434–8, will increase from £681,137,000 to £716,063,000.

  The Home Office running cost limit will also be increased by £22,387,000 from £758,815,000 to £781,202,000.

  This additional provision is necessary partly to cover the cost of accommodating prisoners in police cells and the measures taken to cater for the unforeseen surge in the prison population during the first half of the year, and partly to meet extra costs incurred as a result of the delayed and phased implementation of the Fresh Start package of reforms in working practices and management structures in penal establishments.

  This additional provision now required for class XI, vote 2, is found partly from money set aside to meet possible additional costs associated with Fresh Start when this cash limit for 1987–88 was agreed, partly from savings on the Central Administration, Miscellaneous and Community Services and Civil Defence, England and Wales, class XI, vote 3 and partly from the reserve. There is therefore no increase to the planned total of public expenditure.

  The cash limit for the Central Administration, Miscellaneous and Community Services and Civil Defence, England and Wales, is reduced by £10,500,000 from £408,320,000 to £397,820,000. This reduction includes the surrender of the increase of £2,000,000 for end year flexibility announced 23 July 1987.

  Chimpanzees, Baboons and Gorillas
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many chimpanzees, baboons and gorillas were imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last 10 years, showing for each year for what purposes and from which countries of origin.

  Mr. Moynihan
  The best available statistics are published by the Department and by the European Commission in annual reports for the years 1978 to 1985 under the convention on international trade in endangered species. These and statistics as yet unpublished for 1986 and 1987, indicate the following imports during the last 10 years:

  Year

  Number

  Purpose

  Country of origin

  Chimpanzees

  1978

  —

  —

  —

  1979

  —

  —

  —

  1980

  —

  —

  —

  1981

  1

  Trade

  Kenya

  1982

  —

  —

  —

  1983

  1

  Zoo

  Zaire

  1984

  —

  —

  —

  1985

  1

  Exhibition

  USA (captive bred)

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  4

  Breeding/Exhibition

  Kenya

  Baboons

  1978

  230

  Not stated

  Kenya

  116

  Not stated

  Senegal

  50

  Not stated

  Ethiopia

  1979

  —

  —

  —

  1980

  758

  Trade

  Ethiopia

  605

  Trade

  Kenya

  411

  Trade

  Senegal

  1981

  780

  Commercial

  Ethiopia

  160

  Commercial

  Senegal

  132

  Commercial

  Kenya

  1982

  1,121

  Trade

  Ethiopia

  300

  Trade

  Kenya

  50

  Trade

  Senegal

  6

  Research

  USA

  1983

  690

  Trade

  Ethiopia

  310

  Trade

  Kenya

  10

  Trade

  Senegal

  1984

  578

  Not stated

  Ethiopia

  212

  Not stated

  Kenya

  1985

  651

  Not stated

  Ethiopia

  10

  Not stated

  Senegal

  1986

  745

  Scientific

  Ethiopia

  129

  Scientific

  Kenya

  18

  Personal

  South Africa

  12

  Breeding/Exhibition

  Kenya

  8

  Scientific

  Senegal

  1987

  207

  Scientific

  Ethiopia

  80

  Scientific

  Kenya

  21

  Personal

  Zimbabwe

  3

  Scientific

  Senegal

  Gorillas

  1978

  —

  —

  —

  1979

  —

  —

  —

  1980

  —

  —

  —

  1981

  —

  —

  —

  1982

  1

  Zoo

  Gabon

  1983

  —

  —

  —

  1984

  1

  Breeding/Exhibition

  Congo

  1985

  —

  —

  —

  1986

  —

  —

  —

  1987

  3

  Breeding/Exhibition

  Congo

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Crown Prosecution Service (Cash Limit)
  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Attorney-General whether any changes will he made to the Crown Prosecution Service's cash limit and running costs limit for 1987–88.

  The Attorney-General
  Yes. The cash limit on class XX, vote 25 (Law Charges, England and Wales) will be reduced by £22,209,000 from £107,009,000 to £84,800,000 and the running costs limit by £21,209,000 from £103,209,000 to £82,000,000. This is because the Department has, so far, failed to recruit sufficient staff to carry out its statutory duties. Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the non-cash limited class XX, vote 26 (Crown Prosecutions, England and Wales) will be increased by £8,100,000 gross. It will be offset by additional receipts of £4,500,000 increasing the net provision by £3,600,000 from £44,900,000 to £48,500,000. Most of this increase is needed to hire private agents to perform the functions of Crown prosecutors. The balance of £18,609,000 will be surrendered to the reserve.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicle Registration
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made with his Department's review of the vehicle registration numbering system: and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Channon
  The consultative group which was asked to undertake the review has now submitted its report. The group examined a wide range of possible systems and conducted a major public consultation exercise. The majority of responses, from a wide variety of interested parties, showed a clear preference for the present system. After considering these responses, the group has unanimously recommended that the present registration numbering system, with the year prefix letter changing each August, should remain in place, having carefully considered the group's report, I have decided to accept its recommendation, and thus to retain the existing system unchanged.

  The report is today being published and I am placing copies in the Library of the House.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes are proposed to the 1987–88 cash limit on his Department's votes and to his Department's running costs limit.

  Mr. Channon
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class VIII vote 4 is to be increased by £1,477,000 from £116,179,000 to £117,656,000. The cash limit for class VIII vote 2 is to be reduced by £4,806,000 from £192,400,000 to £187,594,000 to take account of transfers of:—

  (a) £2,500,000 to the non-cash limited class VIII vote 3 as a partial offset to the increased cost of port severances in the spring Supplementary Estimate on that vote, which is also subject to parliamentary approval;

  (b) £ 1,477,000 to class VIII vote 4 as an offset to the spring Supplementary Estimate on that vote; and

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  (c) £829,000 to class VIII vote 5 as a partial offset to increased public expenditure on rural bus grants on that vote.

  The balance of the spring Supplementary Estimate on class VIII vote 3 will be charged to the reserve and the balance of the increased requirement for rural bus grants will be offset by savings on class VIII vote 5, in neither case adding to the planning total of public expenditure.

  The running costs limit of the Department of Transport has been reduced by £80,000 from £272,850,000 to £272,770,000. This £80,000 will be transferred to the running costs limit of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland to cover the cost of additional work which it is undertaking as the agent of the Department of Transport on the licensing and registration of vehicles in Northern Ireland.

  Pension Schemes (Government Contributions)
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has any plans to reduce the Government 's contribution under the Transport Act 1980 to the British Rail pension scheme or to the National Freight Corporation pension scheme.

  Mr. David Mitchell
  I have no immediate plans to reduce these pension contributions. But the amounts involved are substantial (some £90 million a year to railway pension schemes, and £6 million to NFC schemes), so that the necessity for them must be kept under review. I am in touch with the chairman of British Rail about this and would, of course, also consult the chairman of the NFC before deciding on any action which would affect the contribution to NFC schemes.

  Any changes in the existing arrangements for Exchequer funding of BR or NFC pensions would require primary legislation, and would not affect any pension rights already earned.

EDUCATION AND SCIENCE

  Equal Opportunities
  Ms. Richardson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he plans to upgrade the equal opportunities officer post in his Department to grade 7, in line with civil service guidance.

  Mrs. Rumbold
  The grading of the equal opportunity officer's post will be considered in the light of a regular staffing review of the Department's personnel division now taking place.

  Derbyshire (Capital Spending)
  Mr. Oppenheim
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was capital spending on education in Derbyshire for each parliamentary constituency in each of the last 10 years.

  Mr. Dunn
  Data relating to individual constituencies are not available. Excluding expenditure on voluntary aided schools, gross capital expenditure on education in Derbyshire for the years in question was as follows:

  £

  1986–87

  9,647,731

  1985–86

  9,311,397

  623

  £

  1984–85

  11,109,215

  1983–84

  9,367,044

  1982–83

  10,442,459

  1981–82

  10,062,010

  1980–81

  9,069,225

  1979–80

  6,913,713

  1978–79

  6,686,695

  1977–78

  7,138,386

  Source: Department of Environment Form CO1.

  Expenditure on voluntary aided schools in 1986–87 and 1985–86 was £186,580 and £310,314 respectively. Data in relation to earlier years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Degree Courses
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what proportion of children whose father's occupation is given as being in social class III, IV and V were university or polytechnic students undertaking degree courses in 1986; and what were the comparable figures in 1958, 1961, 1971 and 1981.

  Class

  Vote

  Description of expenditure

  Current cash limit

  Revision

  Revised cash limit

  XII

  3

  Universities etc.

  1,708,028

  -1,410

  1,706,618

  XII

  4

  Central administration

  58,309

  + 450

  58,759

  XII

  5

  Agricultural and Food Research Council

  54,427

  + 512

  54,939

  XII

  7

  Natural Environment Research Council

  72,070

  + 1,250

  73,320

  XII

  8

  Science and Engineering Research Council

  357,752

  -290

  357,462

  The increase on vote 4 is needed to cover the running costs of extra staff required to implement the Government's education reforms. A reduction in expenditure on staff seconded to outside bodies means that the associated gross running costs limit is unchanged, but the consequent reduction in receipts for seconded out salaries results in the need for an increase in net provision.

  The increase on vote 5 is required to reimburse the Agricultural and Food Research Council for costs incurred by the council in 1987–88 as a result of the sale of the National Seed Development Organisation and the assets of the Plant Breeding Institute.

  The increase on vote 7 is to reinforce the work of the British Antarctic Survey.

  The increases on votes 4 and 7 are offset by reductions on votes 3 and 8. Of the increase in vote 5, £200,000 will be met from unallocated expenditure provision within the science budget with the remainder charged to the reserve. These changes will not therefore add to the planned total public expenditure.

  LINK Programme
  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement about progress on the LINK programme.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  In announcing the LINK initiative, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister indicated the Government's intention to boost industrially relevant research and development, and to make scientists and the
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  Mr. Jackson
  It is estimated the number of university entrants from social classes Him, IV and V as a percentage of the relevant working class population was 3 per cent. in each of the years 1986, 1981 and 1971; 2 per cent. in 1961 and 1 per cent. in 1955. Information for 1958 is not available.

  Similar information is not collected by the polytechnic central admissions system, but a sample survey of young people attempting examinations qualifying them for HE entry in 1985 indicated that about 7 per cent. of the relevant working class population entered some form of HE including sub-degree courses. A sample survey of 21-year-olds in 1962 indicated the equivalent percentage then was 3 per cent.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Pawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will give details of any revised cash limits for his Department's votes in 1987–88.

  Mr. Kenneth Baker
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates where appropriate the following cash limit changes have been made:

  business community more aware of the potential of science and technology for commercial exploitation. LINK will eventually range over the whole spectrum of science based technology.

  Today, with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, I have announced the first five LINK programme areas. These are — molecular electronics, advanced semiconductor materials, industrial measurement systems, eukaryotic genetic engineering, and nanotechnology. Each of these programmes is in a key area of strategic research. The first five programmes will account for some £83 million. The total expenditure on LINK by Government and industry is expected to be at least £420 million over the next five years; Government will meet up to half of the cost of each programme.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  South Africa (Exports)
  Mr. Cunliffe
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on the exportation of plastic film to South Africa, in the light of United Nations arms embargo.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  The export of plastic film to South Africa is not in breach of the United Nations arms embargo or any of our international commitments.

  Apartheid
  Mr. Turner
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what are the implications of Her Majesty's Government's support for the forthcoming United Kingdom South Africa Trade Association trade mission for his policy on apartheid; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  Government policy towards South Africa remains unchanged. Within the limits of our international obligations, the full range of DTI services is available to the United Kingdom South Africa Trade Association trade mission to South Africa.

  Regional Development
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by name and location the amount of regional development grant and regional selective assistance grant moneys made available for private nursing homes in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland in each of the last two years.

  Mr. Atkins
  Private nursing homes do not qualify for regional development grant. There were three offers of regional selective assistance in Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland in the two years ended 31 December 1987. Details are as follows:

  Name and location

  Amount £

  Mr. and Mrs. P. Smith, Whitley Bay

  10,000

  Redezeus, Sunderland

  25,000

  John Lisle, Whitley Bay

  20,000

  British Steel
  Mr. Roy Hughes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he last met the chairman of British Steel; and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Atkins
  I last met Sir Robert Scholey on 16 December when we discussed a number of matters relating to the corporation and its prospects.

  Regional Development Grants
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list all those companies which have received regional development grants for the years 1979 to 1987, inclusive; and(a) how much each company received and (b) for what purpose the grant was provided.

  Mr. Atkins
  The information requested is only available at disproportionate cost. However, details of grant recipients above certain thresholds are published quarterly in "British Business". The relevant publication dates are given in the table.

  Date

  1979 Q1

  18 May 1979

  Q2

  19 October 1979

  Q3

  7 December 1979

  Q4

  22 February 1980

  1980 Q1

  6 June 1980

  Q2

  29 August 1980

  Q3

  28 November 1980

  Q4

  13 February 1981

  1981 Q1

  15 May 1981

  626

  Date

  Q2

  7 August 1981

  Q3

  6 November 1981

  Q4

  12 February 1982

  1982 Q1

  7 May 1982

  Q2

  13 August 1982

  Q3

  29 October 1982

  Q4

  4 February 1983

  1983 Q1

  6 May 1983

  Q2

  29 July 1983

  Q3

  4 November 1983

  Q4

  3 February 1984

  1984 Q1

  25 May 1984

  Q2

  31 August 1984

  Q3

  9 November 1984

  Q4

  15 February 1985

  1985 Q1

  10 May 1985

  Q2

  16 August 1985

  Q3

  17 January 1986

  Q4

  11 April 1986

  1986 Q1

  20 June 1986

  Q2

  19 September 1986

  Q3

  5 December 1986

  Q4

  10 April 1987

  1987 Q1

  10 July 1987

  Q2

  4 September 1987

  Q3

  18 December 1987

  Notes:

  Details published are:

  (i) original RDG scheme: individual payments which exceed £25,000;

  (ii) revised RDG scheme: payments to individual undertakings in a Travel-to-work-Area which cumulatively exceed £25,000 in any one quarter.

  Pest Control Services (Report)
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the report of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on the supply of pest control services is to be published; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Maude
  The commission found that a monopoly situation existed in favour of the Rentokil Group plc and its subsidiary operating company, Rentokil Ltd., which supplied over 60 per cent. of the United Kingdom market for pest control services. They concluded that Rentokil had established a dominant position in the market which enabled it to fix its prices largely unconstrained by competition. Many customers were charged higher prices than they would be in conditions of normal competition. There was an unduly limited choice of suppliers., particularly for customers who required a nationwide service.

  Where Rentokil does encounter competition, the commission noted that its high profitability — as illustrated by its 28 per cent. return on turnover and its 92 per cent. return on capital employed—had enabled it to cut its prices selectively, thus inhibiting the development of competition. The commission found that Rentokil's differential pricing practices operated against the public interest.

  As a remedy against the charging of high prices, the commission has proposed that Rentokil should provide more information in written statements to its customers about the way its charges have been calculated.

  The commission pointed out that some of Rentokil's past acquisitions of smaller pest control companies had been designed to reduce competition or frustrate the expansion of potentially larger companies. Rentokil's

  627
  stated policy was now to expand by organic growth of its existing business rather than through further acquisitions. Nevertheless, the commission referred to the Director General of Fair Trading's duty under the Fair Trading Act 1973 to keep himself informed about the creation of merger situations and suggested that this task would be facilitated if Rentokil gave an undertaking to notify him of any proposed acquisitions of other pest control companies.

  Where an MMC report finds that aspects of a monopoly operate against the public interest, the Fair Trading Act gives me powers to take appropriate action to remedy the adverse effects. These powers include a requirement to divest assets and prohibition of price distrimination. Although this report did not specifically canvass these possibilities, I thought it right to consider these and other options. However, I accept the MMC's view that in the circumstances of this case, the most appropriate remedy is that Rentokil should provide the customer with more information.

  I am consequently asking the Director General of Fair Trading to hold discussions with Rentokil with a view to obtaining appropriate undertakings; that Rentokil should provide more information about its charges to customers and that the company will notify him of any proposal to acquire further pest control companies.

  Cash Limits
  Mr. Gwilym Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether any changes will be made to his Department's cash limits and running cost limit for 1987–88.

  Mr. Butcher
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the cash limit for Class V, Vote 2 will be reduced by £7,498,000 to £456,751,000 to offset the increased provision on Class V, Vote I. The cash limit for Class V, Vote 3 will be reduced by £2,000,000 to £148,085,000 since £2,000,000 of the planned expenditure on accommodation works for the DTI has been met from PSA expenditure on Class XX, Vote 19. The Department's running cost limit has been reduced by £165,000 to £275,207,000 to reflect the reclassification of £139,000 of Industrial Research Establishment expenditure and to allow an increase of £26,000 in the Government Actuary's Department's running costs to cover additional work on behalf of my Department's insurance division. No net increase to public expenditure results from these changes.

  Chile (Ministerial Visit)
  Mr. Foulkes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if, pursuant to his answer of 30 November 1987,Official Report, column 380, he will list the representatives of the Chilean opposition whom the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mr. Clark), met during his trip to Chile, indicating whether the meetings were separate or in a group, and giving the venue for each.

  Mr. Alan Clark
  [holding answer 2 February 1988]: I met the following in the British embassy residence. I had discussions with them individually and we then assembled for a private dinner hosted by His Excellency Mr. Alan White.

  Sr. Patricio Phillips, President, National Party.

  Sr. Juan Hamilton, Vice-President, Christian Democrat
  628
  Party.

  Sr. Heraldo Munoz, University of Chile.

  Sr. Rene Abeliuk, Former President, Social Democratic Party.

  Sr. German Molina, Chilean Human Rights Commission, Member, Izquierda Cristiana Party.

  Sr. Armando Jaramillo, President, Republican Party.

  Sr. Ricardo Claro, University of Chile.

  Sr. Jovino Novoa Vasquez, Member, Renovacion Nacional Party.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  AIDS
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further plans he has to contribute to the international effort to combat the spread of AIDS.

  Mr. Eggar
  We will continue to play a full and active part in international co-operative efforts.

  On 26–28 January, we hosted in London a world summit of Ministers of Health on programmes for AIDS prevention. This conference, jointly organised with the World Health Organisation, was attended by representatives of 149 countries of whom over three quarters were Ministers. A London declaration on AIDS prevention was adopted by consensus; this should help to give a significant impetus to the development of public education and information programmes as the single most important component — in the absence of vaccine or cure — of national AIDS programmes.

  As my right hon. Friend Secretary of State for Social Services announced on 26 January, we will, subject to parliamentary approval, be contributing a further £4·5 million from the overseas aid programme to the World Health Organisation's global programme on AIDS in 1988.

  NATO-Warsaw Pact (Force Balances)
  Mr. Sumberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the progress being made in talks on the present imbalance in conventional forces between NATO and the Warsaw pact.

  Mr. Mellor
  The MBFR talks, which deal with a limited area of central Europe, have made no real progress for the last 15 years. The main reason has been the Warsaw pact's failure to provide adequate data on its forces or to accept proper verification. Informal discussions are now under way in Vienna with a view to setting up a new negotiating forum within the framework of the CSCE process. This would deal with the whole of Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals. Progress has so far been encouraging. We hope that substantive talks can begin later this year.

  Drug Running
  Mr. Gerald Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department is doing to counter the international threat from drug runners.

  Mr. Eggar
  We are taking a leading role both bilaterally and in multilateral organisations. We have played an active part in United Nations activities in this field and within the Council of Europe. We make substantial
  629
  contributions to international assistance programmes and are working to conclude reciprocal agreements for the tracing, seizing and confiscation of traffickers' assets.

  Mr. Robert G. Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government are receiving co-operation from the Government of Thailand in tackling the question of drug running.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are frequent exchanges between the drug enforcement bodies of the Royal Thai Government and their British counterparts. I will be visiting Thailand next week with a view to establishing areas for further cooperation on drugs matters.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government is receiving co-operation from the Government of Pakistan on tackling the question of drug running.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are regular exchanges between the Pakistan enforcement bodies and the corresponding British authorities. When I visit Pakistan later this week I will be looking to see if this valuable co-operation can be improved further.

  Cyprus
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Cyprus.

  Mrs. Chalker
  For the last few months, attention in Cyprus has been focused on the presidential election which is to take place on 14 February. Once the election is over, we believe the United Nations Secretary-General's new permanent special representative will begin fresh efforts to find a way forward.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to make an official visit to Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to visit Cyprus.

  Middle East
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he has made to the statement made by the Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat in January that the Palestine Liberation Organisation would recognise Israel in exchange for Israeli and United States' agreement to participate in an international peace conference on the middle east.

  Mr. Mellor
  None. The Palestine Liberation Organisation cannot expect to play a role at an international peace conference until it unambiguously renounces violence, accepts United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338, and acknowledges Israel's right to a secure existence.

  Mr. Dykes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he intends to discuss middle east problems with his opposite number in the European Economic Community member states; and if he will make a statement.
  630
  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend expects to discuss middle eastern questions with his European colleagues at their next meeting on 8 February.

  Mr. Janner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will take steps to promote an international conference to promote peace in the middle east.

  Mr. Mellor
  We shall continue to work for an international conference under United Nations auspices as the framework for negotiations between the parties directly concerned.

  Sharpeville Six
  Mr. Meale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government to secure the grant of clemency in relation to the Sharpeville Six.

  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what instructions he has given to the British embassy in South Africa with regard to securing a grant of clemency in relation to the Sharpeville Six; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Ann Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action Her Majesty's Government have taken towards securing a grant of clemency in relation to the Sharpeville Six.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In February 1986, Her Majesty's ambassador expressed to the South African Government our concern at the death sentences and at allegations that some of the accused had been tortured. After their appeals had been dismissed last December, the members of the European Community made a collective appeal for clemency. We also supported a statement issued on behalf of the United Nations Security Council. We have since reiterated our concern direct to the South African Government.

  Mr. Buchan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has contacted the South African ambassador over the issue of the granting of clemency in relation to the Sharpeville Six; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  In February 1986, Her Majesty's ambassador expressed to the South African Government our concern at the death sentences and at allegations that some of the accused had been tortured. After their appeals had been dismissed last December, the German ambassador made an appeal for clemency on behalf of the European Community. We also supported a statement issued on behalf of the United Nations Security Council urging the South African Government to commute the death sentences on the six. We have since reiterated our concern direct to the South African Government.

  Chinese Foreign Minister
  Mr. Andrew MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet the Chinese Foreign Minister.

  Sir Geoffrey Howe
  As I said in the House on 20 January, I look forward to welcoming Mr. Wu Xuegian on an official visit to Britain in the spring.

  EC (Foreign Policy)
  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is satisfied with the progress being made towards achieving co-operation in foreign policy between European Community members.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Yes. The ability to speak and act together with the Twelve is a significant help in achieving British objectives. The Twelve have issued declarations on a wide range of major international issues as they have arisen. At the European Council in December 1987 they welcomed the INF agreement between the United States and Soviet Union; called on the Soviet Union to withdraw all its troops from Afghanistan by a date in 1988; reiterated their support for an international conference on the middle east; expressed their concern at the situation in the occupied territories; and called for an end to the Iran-Iraq conflict and a follow-up resolution to enforce implementation of Security Council resolution 598.

  Mr. Knox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next proposes to have discussions with his European Community partners concerning the developments of common European foreign policies.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend will be meeting his colleagues from the Twelve to discuss European political co-operation matters on 8 February.

  Nigeria
  Mr. Speller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on relations between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the recent visit to Nigeria by the Prime Minister.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's visit to Nigeria demonstrated the close and cordial relations we enjoy with a fellow Commonwealth member.

  Mr. Govan Mbeki
  Mr. McLeish
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government about the restrictions being placed upon Mr. Govan Mbeki by the South African police and the security services.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We regret the South African Government's decision to place restrictions on Mr. Mbeki and have made our views known to them.

  African National Congress
  Mr. Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made official contact with representatives of the African National Congress.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend met the president of the African National Congress, Mr. Oliver Tambo, on 20 September 1986 when he was president of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Community.

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Couchman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about Soviet intentions towards withdrawing from Afghanistan.

  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the Soviet Union's intentions with regard to a total withdrawal of their military forces from Afghanistan.

  Mr. Eggar
  We welcome the Soviet Union's publicity expressed wish to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. We look to it to do so this year.

  Mr. Harry Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to meet his counterpart in the Afghanistan Government; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  No.

  Austria
  Mr. John Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on United Kingdom relations with Austria.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Relations between the United Kingdom and Austria are friendly and reflect the common interests of our Governments and peoples.

  Pakistan
  Mr. David Nicholson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has about the extent of the Afghan refugee burden on Pakistan.

  Mr. Eggar
  There are some 3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan. We admire Pakistan's generosity in giving them refuge. We have ourselves provided about £50 million in assistance to these refugees since 1980.

  Central America (Peace Plan)
  Mr. McTaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to congratulate the President of Nicaragua on his compliance with the Arias central American peace plan, and enjoin all parties to the conflict in Nicaragua, including the United States of America, similarly to comply.

  Mr. Eggar
  The central American Presidents decided on 15–16 January that they were not entirely satisfied that the peace agreement had been fully complied with. Statements issued by the Twelve members of the European Community on 15 and 26 January urged all the central American countries to fulfil their outstanding obligations without delay and requested all parties indirectly involved to contribute to the efforts to achieve peace.

  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in central America about the progress of the Arias peace plan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  Her Majesty's ambassadors in the region maintain close contact with the Governments of Central America about the peace plan. We shall have the
  633
  opportunity to discuss it with central American Foreign Ministers during the European Community/Central America/Contadora meeting in Hamburg on 29 February to 1 March. The United Kingdom will take an active part in these discussions.

  Mr. MacDonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made any offer of assistance to President Arias of Costa Rica in his efforts to bring peace to central America.

  Mr. Eggar
  We and our European Community partners have strongly supported his efforts to bring peace and strengthen democracy in the region. As recently as 26 January a statement by the Twelve reaffirmed our readiness to assist the peace process to the best of our ability. The doubling of European Community aid commitments to the region underlines our support.

  Moscow
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has any plans to pay an official visit to Moscow.

  Mr. Mellor
  My right hon. and learned Friend will be visiting the Soviet Union from 14 to 17 February at the invitation of the Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Eduard Shevardnadze. He expects to discuss a broad range of issues, including bilateral relations, arms control, regional questions and human rights.

  South Africa
  Mr. Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any ministerial visits are planned to South Africa over the coming year.

  Mrs. Chalker
  No ministerial visits to South Africa are at present planned.

  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name those black moderate leaders within South Africa, or their representatives, whom he has met since June 1983 and the places and dates of his meetings.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Since June 1983 my right hon. and learned Friend has met many representatives of black opinion in South Africa including Chief Buthelezi, Archbishop Tutu, Chief Mabuza, members of the House of Delegates and members of the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce. In the last 18 months, I have met among others, Dr. Phatudi, Archbishop Tutu, Mr. Gumede and Dr. Boesak.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government about the recent curbs on legal trade union activity.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have welcomed the legalisation of black trades unions in South Africa. We continue to follow their development with interest. We have made repeated representations to the South African Government about the detention without charge of trades unionists and others.

  Gaza Strip
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to pay an official visit to the Gaza strip.

  Mr. Mellor
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no present plans to visit the Gaza strip.

  EC (Political Development)
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on political development on the EEC in 1988 to date.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Negotiations have concentrated on the future financing of the Community. We have made it clear that effective and binding control over Community spending is essential to any agreement.

  EC (Internal Market)
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will raise at the next Foreign Affairs Council the progress being made towards achieving an internal market in the European Community by 1992; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend and I regularly discuss progress towards completing the single European market with EC Foreign Ministers. Detailed discussions on the single market are pursued in the internal market and other specialist councils. Over 100 measures towards that goal have been agreed in the past 18 months, 48 of them during the United Kingdom presidency.

  Gulf (Protection of Shipping)
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received concerning the protection of shipping in the Gulf area.

  Mr. Mellor
  We are in close and frequent contact with a wide range of Governments, shipping organisations and unions about the protection of shipping in the Gulf. We remain committed to the principle of freedom of navigation, and will continue to do everything possible to assist British merchant shipping in the region.

  Falkland Islands Council
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next intends to meet representatives of the Falklancl Islands Council; and what matters he intends to discuss.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has no current plans to meet Falkland Islands councillors.

  Chemical Weapons
  Mr. Moss
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the progress being made towards achieving a verifiable worldwide ban on chemical weapons.

  Mr. Mellor
  Encouraging progress was made last year in the chemical weapons negotiations in Geneva. In July the United Kingdom tabled a paper on practical steps
  635
  needed to ensure the effective implementation of a ban. However, complex issues remain to be dealt with, particularly on verification and arrangements for an international inspectorate, if we are to achieve an effective convention.

  Acid Rain
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from foreign Governments concerning the pollution of other European countries by acid rain, resulting from pollution emanating from Britain.

  Mr. Eggar
  We maintain close contact at all levels with a number of countries, mainly in Europe, on a range of pollution issues including acid rain.

  UNESCO
  Sir Russell Johnston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will now reconsider British membership of UNESCO.

  Mr. Eggar
  As we made clear when we withdrew from UNESCO, we would need to see clear evidence that fundamental and far-reaching reform had been achieved in the organisation before we could reconsider our position on membership. We welcome the appointment of a new director-general; but our fundamental concerns remain UNESCO's programmes and administration. We shall follow developments in UNESCO closely, in order to see how the reform process proceeds and will keep an open mind.

  Sir Jim Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation he has received about the Government's policy towards contacts with UNESCO.

  Mr. Eggar
  We have received no formal representations.

  Angola
  Mr. Harry Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will have discussions with the Angolan Government about how Britain could best assist the People's Republic of Angola, in the light of the South African Government's failure to comply with United Nations Security Council Resolution 602; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We are in regular contact with the Government of Angola through normal diplomatic channels.

  Mrs. Wise
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make representations to the South African Government about the withdrawal of its troops from the territory of the People's Republic of Angola; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We support United Nations Security Council resolutions 602 of 25 November and 606 of 23 December, both of which called for the immediate withdrawal of South African troops from Angola. We continue to urge this upon the South African Government.

  Namibia
  Ms. Armstrong
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to secure South Africa's compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 601 on Namibia, and the early implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 435; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We have taken every opportunity, both publicly and in private, to urge on the South African Government the pressing need for them to withdraw from Namibia and allow the early implementation of Security Council resolution 435.

  Mr. Darling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last conveyed to the South African Government Her Majesty's Government's demand for South African withdrawal from Namibia; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  We take every opportunity, both publicly and in private, to urge on the South African Government the pressing need for them to withdraw from Namibia and allow free and fair elections in accordance with the United Nations plan for Namibian independence.

  Anglo-Japanese Relations
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current state of Anglo-Japanese relations.

  Mr. Eggar
  Relations are good and friendly. During my right hon. and learned Friend's recent visit to Japan he and Foreign Minister Uno reaffirmed both Governments' commitment to building and strengthening our mutually beneficial partnership.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Governor of Hong Kong and what matters were discussed.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met the Governor on 26 October last year. Their discussions reviewed the whole range of current issues involving Hong Kong. Such meetings play an important part in our close and regular consultations with Hong Kong.

  Mr. Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received about the introduction of greater democracy in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend has received representations on this subject from a variety of sources in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, covering a range of opinions. These have been carefully considered and will be taken fully into account in the decisions which will be announced in the Hong Kong Government's White Paper in February.

  British Citizens (Overseas Assistance)
  Mr. Devlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking to ensure that adequate help is given to British citizens abroad in genuine distress.
  637
  Mr. Eggar
  Her Majesty's consular staff overseas make every effort to give prompt, sympathetic and effective advice and whatever help they properly can to distressed British nationals seeking assistance.

  Demand for consular services continues to rise sharply with nearly 27 million people travelling abroad from the United Kingdom in 1987 compared with only 5·5 million 20 years ago. Both procedures and staffing are kept under constant review to ensure the optimum use of available resources.

  The aim of our public education activities, including the wide distribution of the consular leaflet "Get It Right Before You Go", is to explain what consuls can and cannot do and to encourage self-help, wherever possible, so as to enable consular staff to concentrate on cases of genuine distress.

  European Parliament (Electoral System)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will report on the progress which has been made towards the establishment of a uniform electoral system for the European Parliament in time for the 1989 elections.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Discussion has so far produced no agreement among the member states of the European Community on a uniform electoral procedure.

  PLO
  Mr. McAvoy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold an official meeting with the London representative of the Palestine Liberation Organisation to discuss the recent development of Palestine Liberation Organisation policy on the recognition of Israel; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  No.

  Common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government will take steps to ensure that there is a thorough reform of the common agricultural policy before any further money is provided for the European Community.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I have nothing to add to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on Tuesday 8 December, at column 167, following the European Council.

  Ministerial Visits (Central America)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when was the last visit by a Minister of Her Majesty's Government to(a) Costa Rica, (b) E1 Salvador, (c) Guatemala, (d) Honduras and (e) Nicaragua.

  Mr. Eggar
  Baroness Young the then Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, visited Costa Rica in January 1986 and Guatemala in February 1987. There have been no ministerial visits to Honduras, El Salvador or Nicaragua in recent years.

  Gulf (UN Naval Command)
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is yet in a position to report on progress towards a United Nations naval command in the Gulf

  Mr. Mellor
  The Soviet Union has put forward a number of proposals relating to the establishment of a United Nations naval force for the Gulf. We continue to believe that such a force would be impractical in current circumstances.

  Japan
  Mr. Gregory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he discussed the balance of trade between the United Kingdom and Japan during his recent visit to Japan; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend's talks with Foreign Minister Uno, with International Trade and Industry Minister Mr. Tamura, and with leading representatives of Japanese industry included discussion of trade. He called for Japanese efforts to increase domestic demand to open her markets. We note the United Kingdom exports to Japan rose 30 per cent. in the first 11 months of 1987 and are now worth over £1,500 million per annum.

  Nelson Mandela
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to the South African Government for the release of Mr. Nelson Mandela and other imprisoned leaders of the African National Congress.

  Mrs. Chalker
  With the Commonwealth and our European partners we have long called for the unconditional release of Mr. Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners. The issue was last raised with the South African Government in January.

  United States Ambassador
  Mr. Lamond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the ambassador of the United States of America; and what subjects were discussed.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend regularly meets the United States ambassador to discuss a wide range of bilateral and international topics and values this frank and constructive dialogue. They last met on 19 January.

  Third World Debt
  Mr. Skinner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will meet the other Foreign Ministers of the EEC to discuss Third world debt; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Chalker
  My right hon. and learned Friend meets his counterparts from the European Community and other leading industrialised countries regularly. Debt is often discussed.

  Kampuchea
  Mrs. Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to review Her Majesty's Government's current policy on Kampuchea.

  Mr. Eggar
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made during the Adjournment debate on Cambodia on 21 January, at column 1224.

  French Government (Visa Requirements)
  Mr. Hardy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made in response to the imposition of visa requirements by the French Government in the light of the problems which have arisen in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

  Mrs. Chalker
  None.

  Spain and Portugal
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what ministerial contacts there have been recently with Spain and Portugal on European affairs.

  Mrs. Chalker
  I visited Madrid and Lisbon from 17 to 19 January for talks with Spanish and Portuguese Ministers.

  SADCC Countries
  Mr. Wells
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement on the progress of the policy he is pursuing with SADCC countries.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Britain has long been involved in working to strengthen the economies of SADCC states, to reduce their economic dependence on South Africa and, through the SADCC organisation, to restore the natural pattern of transport in the region by rehabilitation of regional routes through Mozambique. From 1980 to 1986 Britain gave £819 million in bilateral aid to SADCC states.

  My hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development visited Tanzania from 26 to 30 January to attend SADCC's annual meeting in Arusha (28–29 January) and for bilateral discussions. During his visits my hon. Friend announced a further £10 million of British aid for the SADCC organisation's projects, taking our total pledges to SADCC to £45 million. He also announced £20 million additional programme aid for Tanzania. Our aid is highly valued by SADCC states. Steady progress is now being made in the rehabilitation of the regional transport routes.

  Diplomats (Parking Fines)
  Sir Anthony Grant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty's Government have any plans to seek to reduce further the number of unpaid parking fines by diplomats in London; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  We seek continually to reduce the number of unpaid parking fines by diplomats in London through the firm application of the policy described in its White 640
  Paper on diplomatic immunities and privileges (Cmnd. 9497). The figures for unpaid fines for the full year of 1987 are not yet available, but will be published as soon as possible. We expect that they will show a further decrease on those for 1986.

  Middle East (Killings)
  Mr. McCartney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to instruct Her Majesty's consulate in Jerusalem to forward Her Majesty's Government's condolences to the families of those shot dead by the Israeli security services during the recent disturbances in the occupied territories; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  No. We sympathise with all those—Palestinians and Israelis—who have suffered as a result of the recent violence.

  Chile
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the Chilean ambassador to discuss relations with Chile.

  Mr. Eggar
  My right hon. and learned Friend last met the Chilean ambassador on 1 December 1987 to discuss bilateral relations, including the question of human rights.

  Syria (Nerve Gas)
  Mr. Dunnachie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implications for the middle east peace process of allegations by the Government of Israel that Syria is developing nerve gas production facilities; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The development of chemical weapons by any state in the region cannot but further complicate an already difficult and dangerous situation. We are working for a global ban on chemical weapons as the only practical way to relieve mankind of this terrible threat overshadowing his future.

  Nicaragua
  Dr. Moonie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he has any plans to expand United Kingdom diplomatic representation in Nicaragua.

  Mr. Eggar
  Yes. A third United Kingdom-based diplomatic service officer is shortly to be posted to Managua as proconsul.

  African National Congress Office, Bulawayo (Attack)
  Miss Mowlam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the South African Government about the infringement of Zimbabwean sovereignty during the attack by the South African armed forces on the African National Congress office in Bulawayo in January.

  Mrs. Chalker
  So far as we know, the Zimbabwe Government have not claimed that the South African armed forces were involved in the attack. However, we are opposed to cross-border violations in either direction
  641
  however and wherever they occur. We have consistently urged the South African Government to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their neighbours.

  South Lebanon (Bombing Raids)
  Ms. Short
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he has made to the Israeli Government about the retaliatory bombing raids by the Israeli air force against civilian targets in South Lebanon; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Mellor
  The Israeli Government are well aware that we condemn such raids.

  Occupied Territories (Deportation)
  Mr. McKelvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he proposes to make to the Israeli Government about the breach of international law involved in the deportation of Palestinians from the occupied territories to the Lebanon.

  Mr. Mellor
  We have already made representations to the Israelis bilaterally and together with our partners in the Twelve. We voted for United Nations Security Council resolutions 607 and 608 which called on Israel to refrain from deporting Palestinian civilians and to ensure the safe return of those already deported.

  Argentina
  Mr. Haynes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British citizens are currently resident in Argentina.

  Mr. Eggar
  In the period since 1982, 3,741 Argentine residents entitled to British nationality have registered with the British interests section in Buenos Aires. Of these, 647 males over 18 are recorded as holding exclusively British nationality. The remainder are not categorised as holding single or dual nationality.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom-Spanish agreement on Gibraltar, dated 2 December 1987, will come into operation.

  Mrs. Chalker
  The first step is for the Gibraltar House of Assembly to adopt the necessary amendments to current Gibraltar customs and immigration legislation. Once this has been done, the agreement will come into operation not later than one year after the United Kingdom notifies Spain of the House of Assembly's decision. During this period, the new Spanish terminal will be built.

  Bophuthatswana
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates since 1 January 1983, British Embassy staff in South Africa have visited Bophuthatswana; with whom discussions or consultations were held; and what was the purpose of these visits.

  Mrs. Chalker
  Staff at Her Majesty's embassy in South Africa pay regular visits to Bophuthatswana. Full details of the information requested are not available.

  Drug Trafficking (Caribbean)
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he intends to take any action to discourage drug trafficking on British dependent territories in the Caribbean.

  Mr. Eggar
  We are currently implementing a number of recommendations arising out of our 1986 survey to improve the defences of the dependent territories against drug-trafficking. These have included assistance with training and advice, and provision of detection and surveillance equipment, including an aircraft and police launch. It is part of our continuing programme to combat drug-trafficking in the Caribbean as a whole, in cooperation with regional Governments and the Government of the United States.

  British Council
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from British arts companies touring abroad concerning the effect on their activities of the levels of funding for the British Council; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Eggar
  None. The British Council has maintained a suitable level of arts promotion activity overseas.

  Northern Ireland (Administration of Justice)
  Mr. McCusker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth. Affairs if he has asked the Government of the Irish Republic to list the precise objections held by them to the administration of justice in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Stanley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government of the Republic of Ireland have made known to us their concerns about the present arrangements for the administration of justice in Northern Ireland. They have put forward a number of proposals for change which we have considered as part of our continuing commitment to enhancing public confidence in the administration of justice in Northern Ireland.

EMPLOYMENT

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many people are employed in the confectionery, cake and biscuit industries in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Lee
  In September 1987, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 129,000 employees n employment in the bread, biscuits and flour confectionery industries in Great Britain. The figure is unadjusted for the effects of seasonal variations. Estimates for the United Kingdom are not available.

  Dock Labour Scheme
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Pembroke of 14 January,Official Report, columns 362–63, why the administrative costs of individual local dock labour scheme boards are not made public.
  643
  Mr. Nicholls
  I regret that the information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Restart Interviews
  Mr. Clay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will place in the Library a copy of the specimem answers to be used as guidelines by his Departments staff when interviewing claimants for the restart interview.

  Mr. Lee
  No. Other than as a training aid, no such specimen answers have been issued. Staff are instructed to approach the interview on the basis that clients have individual needs and treat them accordingly.

WALES

  NHS Expenditure
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the expenditure per head in real terms in Wales on the National Health Service in 1980 and in 1986.

  Mr. Grist
  Expenditure per head at 1986–87 prices in 1980–81 was £299·52 and in 1986–87 £350·69.

  BBC Wales
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the controller of BBC Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Peter Walker
  I met him on 2 February on the train from Swansea somewhere between Slough and Paddington.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was the number of National Health Service beds in 1979 and in 1986, in Wales and in each Welsh county.

  Mr. Grist
  The information is given in the following table:

  District Health Authority

  Average daily available NHS beds during:

  1979

  1986

  Clwyd

  3,053

  2,769

  East Dyfed

  2,098

  1,758

  Gwent

  3,883

  3,509

  Gwynedd

  1,570

  1,630

  Mid Glamorgan

  4,943

  4,498

  Pembrokeshire

  466

  473

  Powys

  1,266

  1,014

  South Glamorgan

  3,584

  3,460

  West Glamorgan

  2,594

  2,574

  Wales

  23,457

  21,685

  But I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will wish to know the substantial increase in in-patients treated during the same period. These are as follows:

  Number of renovation grants applications outstanding at September 1987

  Welsh districts

  Improvement and Conversion

  Repairs

  Intermediate

  Special

  Total

  Aberconwy

  63

  33

  1

  0

  97

  Alyn and Deeside

  88

  226

  2

  0

  316

  Arfon

  59

  178

  1

  1

  239

  Blaenau Gwent

  1,143

  3,045

  747

  0

  4,935

  Brecknock

  46

  413

  12

  0

  471

  Cardiff

  1,164

  3,703

  385

  166

  5,418

  Carmarthen

  237

  412

  3

  1

  653

  Ceredigion

  119

  730

  12

  0

  861

  Colwyn

  203

  55

  0

  4

  262

  Cynon Valley

  145

  1,793

  1,236

  0

  3,174

  Delyn

  5

  21

  10

  0

  36

  Dinefwr

  49

  324

  7

  0

  380

  Dwyfor

  49

  368

  12

  0

  429

  Glyndwr

  110

  228

  52

  0

  390

  Islwyn

  86

  365

  13

  0

  464

  Llanelli

  32

  431

  0

  0

  463

  Lliw Valley

  33

  152

  24

  0

  209

  Meirionnydd

  5

  0

  0

  0

  5

  Merthyr Tydfil

  8

  1,017

  59

  1

  1,085

  Monmouth

  3

  9

  2

  0

  14

  Montgomeryshire

  41

  338

  53

  0

  432

  Neath

  208

  579

  11

  0

  798

  Newport

  452

  1,697

  91

  23

  2,263

  Ogwr

  321

  975

  50

  11

  1,357

  Port Talbot (Afan)

  105

  379

  29

  0

  513

  Preseli

  637

  793

  1

  1

  1,432

  Radnor

  94

  183

  18

  0

  295

  Rhondda

  1,196

  3,629

  837

  0

  5,662

  Rhuddlan

  43

  17

  0

  0

  60

  Rhymney Valley

  316

  2,298

  20

  0

  2,634

  South Pembrokeshire

  276

  147

  7

  0

  430

  Swansea

  772

  714

  111

  12

  1,609

  Taff Ely

  68

  242

  0

  4

  314

  Torfaen

  427

  950

  269

  0

  1,646

  Vale of Glamorgan

  20

  995

  0

  7

  1,022

  Wrexham Maelor

  58

  242

  19

  0

  319

  646

  District Health Authority

  1979

  1986

  Difference

  Per cent

  Clwyd

  47,741

  57,519

  + 9,778

  (20)

  East Dyfed

  27,725

  31,405

  + 3,680

  (13)

  Gwent

  49,843

  65,991

  +16,148

  (32)

  Gwynedd

  28,698

  34,867

  + 6,169

  (21)

  Mid Glamorgan

  64,182

  80,119

  +15,937

  (25)

  Pembrokeshire

  10,885

  13,186

  +2,301

  (21)

  Powys

  5,411

  6,842

  +1,431

  (26)

  South Glamorgan

  67,526

  81,891

  + 14,365

  (21)

  West Glamorgan

  47,684

  62,050

  + 14,366

  (30)

  Wales

  349,695

  433,870

  + 84,175

  (24)

  Housing Grants
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the number of outstanding applications for(a) general and repair grants, (b) standard grants and (c) improvement grants for each district authority; and how many of these grants in each category and district have been outstanding for (i) four years, (ii) three years, (iii) two years, (iv) one year and (v) under one year.

  Mr. Grist
  The numbers of renovation grant applications outstanding at September 1987 and the estimated numbers outstanding since April 1986 or earlier are shown in the following tables. Information is not collected regularly on the period for which grants have been outstanding.
  647

  Welsh districts

  Improvement and Conversion

  Repairs

  Intermediate

  Special

  Total

  Ynys Môn

  70

  328

  10

  0

  408

  WALES TOTAL

  8,751

  28,009

  4,104

  231

  41,095

  Number of pre-April 1986 renovation grant applications outstanding at September 1987

  Welsh districts

  Improvement and conversion

  Repairs

  Intermediate

  Special

  Total

  Aberconwy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Alyn and Deeside

  41

  179

  —

  —

  220

  Arfon

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Blaenau Gwent

  913

  2,801

  307

  —

  4,021

  Brecknock

  32

  340

  —

  —

  372

  Cardiff

  805

  1,841

  —

  —

  2,646

  Carmarthen

  35

  57

  —

  —

  92

  Ceredigion

  109

  684

  —

  —

  793

  Colwyn

  32

  55

  —

  2

  89

  Cynon Valley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Delyn

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Dinefwr

  38

  306

  —

  —

  344

  Dwyfor

  44

  267

  —

  —

  311

  Glyndwr

  85

  158

  24

  —

  267

  Islwyn

  71

  89

  —

  —

  160

  Llanelli

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lliw Valley

  1

  3

  —

  —

  4

  Meirionnydd

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Merthyr Tydfil

  —

  978

  —

  —

  978

  Monmouth

  3

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Montgomeryshire

  38

  338

  31

  —

  407

  Neath

  180

  528

  —

  —

  708

  Newport

  298

  1,119

  67

  —

  1,484

  Ogwr

  17

  15

  3

  —

  35

  Port Talbot/Afan

  85

  341

  —

  —

  426

  Preseli

  316

  400

  —

  —

  716

  Radnor

  70

  150

  —

  —

  220

  Rhondda

  1,185

  2,701

  —

  —

  3,886

  Rhuddlan

  40

  16

  —

  —

  56

  Rhymney Valley

  273

  2,028

  —

  —

  2,301

  South Pembrokeshire

  24

  22

  2

  —

  48

  Swansea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Taff Ely

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Torfaen

  171

  596

  174

  —

  941

  Vale of Glamorgan

  14

  818

  —

  —

  832

  Wrexham Maelor

  35

  175

  —

  —

  210

  Ynys Win

  86

  301

  —

  —

  387

  Wales Total (LA)

  5,041

  17,307

  608

  2

  22,958

ENVIRONMENT

  Housing Waiting Lists
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many households were recorded on local authority housing waiting lists at a convenient date in each of the last five years in(a) Vale Royal and (b) Chester.

  Mrs. Roe
  The numbers of households on waiting lists at April, and the changes in the previous 12 months, appear in columns B51 and B53, respectively, of the 1986 and 1987 Housing Investment Programme "All items prints", which are available in the Library. Information for earlier years is not available centrally.

  The figures reported by Chester district council in their 1986 return included transfer list cases; excluding these cases, the numbers on the waiting list in 1985 and 1986 were, respectively, 4,940 and 2,962.
  648
  Local authorities' criteria for inclusion of names on the waiting lists are not uniform and the frequency of reviewing the lists varies.

  Rating Reform
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will estimate the number of pensioner couples who will(a) gain and (b) lose as a consequence of the replacement of domestic rates by a community charge.

  Mr. Howard
  On the basis of data contained in the family expenditure survey, I estimate that 0·8 million pensioner couple households would gain from the introduction of the community charge without safety nets and 1 million would lose. On the other hand 80 per cent. of single pensioner households 2 million would gain. On the basis of the 1988–89 rebate arrangements all pensioner couples reliant entirely on the state retirement pension will qualify for an 80 per cent. community charge rebate.
  649
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what additional regulations or advice his Department will produce to ensure that the collection of personal data for use in the community register complies with the terms of the first data protection principle; and whether he will make a statement;

  (2) what additional regulations or advice his Department will produce to ensure that the disclosure of personal data from the community charge register complies with the terms of the third data protection principle; and whether he will make a statement.

  Mr. Howard
  I am continuing to discuss the implications of the Data Protection Act for the operation of the community charge with the Data Protection Registrar. My right hon. Friend will consider the need for guidance to local authorities and community charge registration officers in due course.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will reproduce the information in the tables in annex F to Cmnd. 9714, "Paying for Local Government"(a) for England only and (b) on the decile basis used in his reply of 16 December 1987 to the hon. Member for Warrington, North (Mr. Hoyle) Official Report, column 522, in the latter case together with information from the equivalent tables in his Department's note on the relationship between local taxes and income and the distributional impact of the community charge.

  Mr. Howard
  No. I have already given my latest estimates based on 1986–87 information. These replace the estimates based on 1984–85 data as published in Cmnd. 9714 and reflect decisions taken since that time.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the estimated(a) over 18 years and (b) total population in the households and tax units referred to in figures six to 10 of his Department's note on the relationship between local taxes and income and the distributional impact of the community charge.

  Mr. Howard
  Figures 6 to 10 of the note on 13 January are based on a sample of 24,120 households in England and scaled to an adult population for England of 35·2 million. This is consistent with a total population of 47·2 million.

  Pollution Inspectorate
  Mr. Heddle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish in the Official Report the text of the letters sent by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in December 1987 to all local planning and waste authorities.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Yes. Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution sent one letter, in December 1987, to all the authorities referred to; which was on the subject of "Licensing and Control of Landfills Evolving Gas." Copies of the letter have been placed in the Library.

  Right-to-Buy Applications
  Mr. Anthony Coombs
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many outstanding right-to-buy applications there are at present in Lambeth, Ealing, Tower Hamlets and Westminster; and what proportion of these have been outstanding for more than one year.
  650
  Mrs. Roe
  At the end of November 1987, some 4,882 right-to-buy applications were being dealt with by Tower Hamlets borough council. It is not known how long each application had been outstanding. Regular statistics on the handling of applications by the other councils are not collected because their right-to-buy performance is not formally monitored by the Department.

  House Condition Survey
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the initial results of his Department's English house condition survey 1986; and whether this will be before or after he brings forward legislation to reform the current system of grant aid for home improvements, as proposed in his Department's consultation paper of 5 November 1987.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  We hope to publish the results of the 1986 English house condition survey before the summer recess. This will precede legislation to reform the current system of grant aid for home improvements.

  Home Improvements
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is his Department's estimate of(a) the number of dwellings which are currently unfit and (b) the number of dwellings which are currently below, target under the standards proposed in his Department's consultation paper on home improvement policy, issued on 5 November 1987; and what is his Department's estimate of the proportion of these dwellings which are (i) publicly and (ii) privately owned;

  (2) what is his Department's estimate of the number of households who would currently qualify for (1) mandatory assistance (a) with the full cost and (b) with part of the cost of eligible work to bring their homes up to fitness and (2) discretionary assistance (a) with the full cost and (b) with part of the cost of eligible work to bring their home up to target, under the standards and the means test proposed in his Department's consultation paper on a new framework for home improvement grant aid, published on 5 November 1987;

  (3) what estimates his Department has prepared of (a) future levels of expenditure and (b) future levels of activity on (i) improvement assistance; (ii) slum clearance; and (iii) group repair of dwellings under the new framework for home improvement policy, proposed in his Department's consultation paper of 5 November 1987.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  Firm estimates cannot be made before the results of the 1986 English house condition survey are available. Estimates of grant entitlement, and of future levels of expenditure and activity will also depend on other factors, including the eventual form of the test of applicants' resources, on which the consultation paper invited comments.

  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he plans to publish the full results of his Department's distribution of grants inquiry of 1983; and whether this will be before or after he brings forward legislation to reform the current system of grant aid for home improvements, as proposed in his Department's consultation paper of 5 November 1987.
  651
  Mr. Waldegrave
  We plan to publish a further report on the Department's distribution of grant inquiry before legislation to reform the home improvement grant system is brought forward.

  Housing Statistics
  Mr. Allan Roberts
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his Department's latest estimate of(a) the rate of deterioration in the state of repair (i) of the publicly-owned housing stock and (ii) of the privately-owned housing stock and (b) the level of expenditure required to prevent any increase in the rate of deterioration in the state of repair (i) of the publicly-owned housing stock and (ii) of the privately-owned housing stock.

  Mr. Waldegrave
  The latest estimates of change in the condition of the housing stock are those provided by the 1981 English house condition survey. They show that (i) Between 1976 and 1981 the condition of the publicly-owned housing stock did not change. (ii) Between 1976 and 1981 the proportion of the privately-owned housing stock estimated to require repairs costing more than £7,000 (at 1981 prices) increased from 6·2 per cent. to 7·1 per cent.

  Estimates of the expenditure required to maintain the stock in a steady state are not available.

  North Sea
  Mr. Patrick Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he is now able to issue advice on the action required to follow up the second international conference on the protection of the North sea; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Ridley
  My Department has today issued a guidance note to explain the implications of the agreements contained in the ministerial declaration of the second international conference on the protection of the North sea held in London last November. This demonstrates that the Government have moved more quickly than any other North sea country in following up that declaration with proposals for action. The guidance note is directed particularly at the water industry, other public utilities and industrial interests. Several aspects of the follow-up action will also be the subject of further detailed guidance following consultation with the bodies directly concerned.

  I am arranging for copies of the guidance note to be placed in the Library.

  Ordnance Survey (Cash Limit)
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if there are any proposals to change the 1987–88 cash limit and running costs limit for the Ordnance Survey.

  Mr. Moynihan
  Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XX, vote 10 will be decreased by £227,000 from £21,420,000 to £21,193,000 and the running costs limit will be increased by £1,035,000 from £52,299,000 to £53,334,000. The increase in running costs is required for payments on surveying contracts and for unavoidable VAT payments. There will be an increase in the VAT 652
  refund from Customs and Excise of £245,000. The decrease in the cash limit is due to Ordnance Survey not taking up the end-year flexibility provision of £1,017,000 as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the House on 23 July 1987, Official Report columns 434–38. The balance will be surrendered to the Reserve.

  Rate-capping
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what further developments have taken place since his announcement in December 1987 of the proposed limits for rate-capped authorities in 1988–89.

  Mr. Ridley
  Of the 17 rate-capped authorities, three—Manchester, Middlesbrough and Kingston upon Hull—accepted the proposed rate limit within the statutory period. I understand that a further authority, Tower Hamlets, also accepts the limit proposed in December.

  The remaining 13 authorities have not accepted the proposed limit. After considering the representations made by authorities, including proposals from some of them to agree with me an increase in the limit, and having taken into account any other relevant information, I am proposing

  (a) in the case of eight of these authorities—Basildon, Haringey, Lewisham, Waltham Forest, Thamesdown, Newcastle upon Tyne, Lambeth and Liverpool—no increase in the provisional limit;

  (b) in the five other cases a higher limit, on which I am seeking agreement, as follows:

  Hackney 136·00p (12·20p above the proposed limit)

  Southwark 101·00p (2·98p above the proposed limit)

  Camden 117·00p (1·59p above the proposed limit)

  Greenwich 136·00p (10·28p above the proposed limit)

  Ealing 167·00p (41·94p above the proposed limit)

  Where I am unable to reach agreement with an authority on a different limit from the one proposed in December, I am required under the Rates Act to specify the maximum by order.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Alternative Land Use
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to encourage farmers to plant trees as an alternative land use.

  Mr. Gummer
  We propose to introduce a farm woodland scheme later this year following the passage of the Farm Land and Rural Development Bill and the necessary subordinate legislation.

  In addition, the Community set-aside scheme, on which discussions are continuing in the Council of Ministers, is expected to include provision for land taken out of arable crop production to be used for woodland. The consultation document issued by the Agricultural Departments on 8 December 1987 contained suggestions as to how this option might be put into practice in the United Kingdom and linked with the new farm woodland scheme. I and my colleagues will wish to consider the matter further in the light of the Community's final decisions and of views expressed during our own consultation exercise.

  Fishing Industry
  Mr. Tim Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he has made regularly to assess the financial state of the fishing industry.

  Mr. Gummer
  The financial state of the industry is kept under regular review through the collection of data on the value and volume of fish landings, imports and exports, vessel numbers, levels of investment and numbers of fishermen. The results of these surveys are published annually by Fisheries Departments in the form of sea fisheries statistical tables.

  "An Extensification Scheme"
  Ms. Mowlam
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what he considers will be the environmental consequences of his recent proposals contained in the consultation document, "An Extensification Scheme".

  Mr. Gummer
  The consultation document suggests that one of the objectives of the scheme should be to foster a changed pattern of land use in the countryside so as to improve conditions for wildlife and to enhance the landscape and the environment generally. My colleagues and I are considering the views expressed on this and other points.

  Farm Effluents
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received seeking the extension of the 60 per cent. grant for farm effluent control and disposal to lowland areas not in less-favoured areas; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Gummer
  I received some representations from the Farmers Unions, the County Landowners' Association and the Scottish Landowners' Federation during last year's annual review discussions about the need to increase grants for effluent facilities outside the less favoured areas.

  Grants for effluent facilities, which are kept under regular review, are now at the highest level available under the agriculture improvement scheme.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the number of grants and amounts paid under the agriculture improvement scheme for effluent disposal systems since 1985.

  Mr. Gummer
  Estimated expenditure on effluent handling facilities in the United Kingdom in 1986 was £7·7 million and 1987 £14·2 million. I regret that a detailed breakdown of this expenditure on the lines requested is not yet available.

  Pig Industry
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the current level of profitability in the pig industry in(a) England and (b) Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The pigmeat market is weak thoughout the European Community and the United Kingdom. The EC Pigmeat Management Committee,654
  responding to pressure from the United Kingdom and other member states, has recently decided to reintroduce a scheme of aids for private storage. I hope this decision will help to strengthen the market.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list in the Official Report the changes that have occurred in United Kingdom pig prices since October 1987.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  Monthly average all pigs prices in the United Kingdom since October 1987 have been as follows:

  p/kg deadweight

  October

  97·63

  November

  96·10

  December

  94·11

  January

  190·47

  1 To 23 January only.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will consider immediate introduction of a low cost private storage scheme for pig producers.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  The Pigmeat Management Committee has decided to reintroduce aids for private storage as from 15 February. This decision was taken as a result of pressure from the United Kingdom and some other member states.

  Pork Processing Units
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will list in the Official Report any port processing units in (a) England and (b) Wales which have been closed since 1979, indicating, the location of the unit and the date of closure in each case;

  (2) if he will list in the Official Report every existing pork processing unit currently in operation in (a) England and (b) Wales.

  Mr. Donald Thompson
  This information is not available.

SOCIAL SERVICES

  Resources (Allocation)
  Mr. Bowis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to announce the results of his review of the resources allocation working party; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  We expect the review's programme of analysis and research to be completed shortly. Any recommendations will then be carefully considered.

  Mentally Disordered Prisoners
  Mr. Goodlad
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what measures have been taken by his Department to implement the recommendations of the joint Home Office-Department of Health and Social Security working group of officials chaired by the director of prison medical services on the problems presented by mentally disordered offenders in the prison system in England and Wales;
  655
  (2) what steps have been taken to implement the recommendation in the report of the director of prison medical services on the problems presented by mentally disordered offenders in the prison system in England and Wales that further encouragement should be given to regional health authorities to develop a comprehensive network of provisions to meet mental health care needs in their regions.

  Mr. Newton
  The report has been sent to regional general managers, asking them to bring it to the attention of those in charge of their regions' strategies for mental health. The report was also circulated to the royal colleges and other professional organisations.

  Whenever the opportunity arises, regional health authorities are reminded of the need to provide the comprehensive mental health service referred to in the report, including provision for both those chronically mentally ill people and those mentally handicapped people who may need longer-term secure facilities as described in the then Minister's letter of October 1986 to regional chairmen. This comprehensive service is also a topic which features often in the regional reviews held annually between Ministers and regional health authorities.

  The recommendations in the report aimed at increasing the extent to which mentally disordered offenders are detained other than in prison custody are being taken forward in discussion between Home Office and DHSS officials.

  AIDS
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make it his policy to encourage regular testing for HIV antibody status amongst laboratory workers handling the virus; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Newton
  The Department with the Health and Safety Executive has already issued guidance that local arrangements should be made to test, or store for future testing, serum from those laboratory staff who request this in connection with their work. The take-up of this facility is entirely voluntary.

  Regular testing would not play any part in further reducing the extremely remote risk of HIV infection by laboratory workers through occupational exposure.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services by how much National Health Service waiting lists have changed in percentage terms between 1979 and the latest available year in(a) the Mersey regional health authority and (b) England.

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

  Number of cases on in-patient waiting list at 31 March

  1979

  1987

  Percentage change 1979–87

  Mersey Region

  41,103

  29,147

  -29·1

  England

  752,422

  687,945

  -8·6

  Dentists (AIDS)
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what guidance has been issued to dentists on the sterilisation of drills, brushes, mouth suctions and other equipment, in view of the AIDS epidemic.

  Mr. Newton
  The chief dental officer issued guidance to dentists in April 1986 on the precautions to be exercised when treating HIV positive patients. The guidance indicated simple procedures to ensure that exposure to the virus during the course of dental treatment would be minimised.

  The need for further guidance is kept under regular review.

  NHS Patients (Statistics)
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many people died as a result of operations in National Health Service hospitals in 1986; and how many of these deaths resulted from(a) surgical error and (b) unnecessary operations.

  Mrs. Currie
  This information is not held centrally. The recent report of the confidential inquiry into peri-operative deaths (CEPOD) looked at deaths in 1986 within 30 days operations. In three regions (Northern, South Western and North East Thames) it was found that the proportion of deaths which were attributable to avoidable surgical or anaesthetic factors was small. The overall death rate following half a million operations was found to be 0·7 per cent. Most of those who died were elderly and death was due to the progression of their illness or to other coexisting disease. One one in 25,000 operations resulted in death which was thought to be due solely to "avoidable surgical or anaesthetic factors", although there were "avoidable elements" in 0·14 per cent. which could have contributed to death. A copy of the CEPOD report has been placed in the Library.

  Private Health Care
  Mr. Shersby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will estimate the average amount currently being paid by an average family of four by way of the annual subscription to private health care schemes; and what are the comparable figures in terms of taxes and charges payable in respect of the National Health Service.

  Mr. Newton
  In 1986, the latest year for which United Kingdom data are available, the annual average subscription to private health care schemes per family of four was £468. Gross NHS expenditure for the same year was £1,380 per family of four. However, these figures are not directly comparable. Health Service expenditure includes the family practitioner service as well as care for the mentally ill, mentally handicapped and frail elderly, services not generally covered by private health insurance.

  Macclesfield District Health Authority
  Mr. Neil Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will tabulate the number of cases dealt with by the Macclesfield district health authority for the years 1981 to 1986, in(a) general medicine, (b) paediatrics, (c) geriatric medicine, (d) general surgery, (e) trauma and orthopaedics, (f) neurosurgery,

  657
  (h) gynaecology, (i) obstetrics, (j) special care baby unit, (k) mental handicap, (l) mental illness, (m) general practice other and (n) other specialties.

  Number of patients by selected specialty for Macclesfield District—District Health Authority

  Specialty

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  General medicine

  Discharges and deaths

  1,782

  1,820

  1,901

  2,072

  2,535

  2,400

  Day case attendances

  59

  38

  70

  127

  196

  283

  Out-patient attendances

  9,498

  9,620

  10,218

  9,914

  10,586

  10,488

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Paediatrics

  Discharges and deaths

  650

  687

  693

  797

  968

  950

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  6

  40

  Out-patient attendances

  4,752

  4,679

  4,961

  4,694

  5,048

  4,398

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Geriatrics

  Discharges and deaths

  777

  799

  652

  604

  413

  603

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  1,543

  1,595

  1,733

  1,886

  1,869

  1,957

  Regular day patients

  6,333

  6,829

  7,515

  7,999

  6,986

  7,151

  General surgery

  Discharges and deaths

  2,471

  2,230

  2,322

  2,484

  2,737

  3,026

  Day case attendances

  414

  166

  357

  1,256

  1,563

  1,635

  Out-patient attendances

  9,155

  9,041

  8,859

  10,521

  11,597

  11,144

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Trauma and orthopaedics

  Discharges and deaths

  1,134

  1,267

  1,448

  1,277

  1,287

  1,275

  Day case attendances

  408

  208

  397

  385

  518

  566

  Out-patient attendances

  14,018

  13,436

  12,052

  13,897

  14,491

  13,777

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Neurosurgery

  Discharges and deaths

  43

  40

  65

  98

  63

  53

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Gynaecology

  Discharges and deaths

  924

  819

  1,027

  1,119

  1,265

  1,421

  Day case attendances

  791

  723

  656

  753

  777

  653

  Out-patient attendances

  5,092

  5,393

  5,413

  5,308

  5,819

  5,550

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Obstetrics and GP Mat

  Discharges and deaths

  1,882

  1,594

  1,602

  1,470

  1,548

  1,562

  Day case attendances

  91

  98

  77

  56

  83

  47

  Out-patient attendances

  7,899

  7,363

  7,393

  7,025

  6,831

  7,040

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  S.C.B.U.

  Discharges and deaths

  477

  250

  244

  215

  268

  221

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Mental handicap

  Discharges and deaths

  0

  91

  76

  92

  94

  55

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  18

  61

  61

  66

  89

  91

  Regular day patients

  0

  31

  116

  194

  233

  62

  All mental illness

  Discharges and deaths

  789

  736

  767

  773

  917

  1,048

  Day case attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  3,705

  3,876

  4,325

  5,328

  5,297

  6,225

  Regular day patients

  6,827

  13,070

  14,921

  17,078

  23,985

  55,101

  GP other

  Discharges and deaths

  535

  566

  584

  567

  527

  607

  Day case attendances

  4

  7

  3

  0

  0

  0

  Out-patient attendances

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  658
  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested is given in the table.
  659

  Specialty

  1981

  1982

  1983

  1984

  1985

  1986

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  All other specialties

  Discharges and deaths

  915

  809

  814

  716

  419

  793

  Day case attendances

  86

  75

  77

  107

  102

  231

  Out-patient attendances

  15,563

  15,995

  16,843

  16,671

  16,891

  18,241

  Regular day patients

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  Discharges and deaths

  12,379

  11,708

  12,195

  12,284

  13,041

  14,014

  Day case attendances

  1,853

  1,315

  1,637

  2,684

  3,245

  3,455

  Out-patient attendances

  71,243

  71,059

  71,858

  75,310

  78,518

  78,911

  Regular day patients

  13,160

  19,930

  22,552

  25,271

  36,204

  62,314

  Birth Statistics
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what proportion of babies are born at home in each health authority.

  Mrs. Currie
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what is the lightest and lowest cost for deliveries of babies and what is the average cost of deliveries of babies for each health authority in England and Wales.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret the information requested is not available centrally. 1 expect information about the hospital costs of obstetric cases to become available in 1989.

  North East Thames Regional Health Authority
  Mr. Leighton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he next intends to meet the chairman of the North East Thames regional health authority; and what matters he expects to discuss.

  Mrs. Currie
  Ministers will next meet the chairman of North East Thames regional health authority, together with all regional chairmen, on 16 March. This is one of a series of regular meetings Ministers have with regional chairmen at which current topics affecting the NHS are discussed.

  Single Payments
  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will provide a breakdown for each of the last four years for which figures are available of single payments made from his Department's Blyth and Cramlington office to(a) pensioners, (b) single parents, and (c) long-term unemployed.

  Mr. Scott
  The information requested regarding single payments made to single parents and long-term unemployed during the last four years is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  However, information on the yearly totals of numbers and amounts of payments made to claimants of pension age, to claimants registered as unemployed and to those neither registered unemployed nor of pension age for the years April 1983 to April 1987 by the Department's Blyth local office is given in the table:
  660

  Year April to April

  1983–84

  1984–85

  1985–86

  11986–87

  Claimants of pension age

  Number

  266

  369

  588

  572

  Amount (£)

  13,737

  20,979

  29,719

  30,333

  Claimants registered unemployed

  Number

  2,348

  3,645

  4,270

  3,232

  Amount (£)

  160,765

  210,233

  288,579

  215,666

  Claimants neither registered unemployed nor of pension age

  Number

  1,803

  2,473

  3,300

  2,675

  Amount (£)

  120,237

  170,575

  250,401

  185,882

  1 The figures for April 1986 to April 1987 are provisional and subject to amendment.

  Accident and Emergency Services
  Mrs. Rosie Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what procedures are followed when a decision is made to transfer excess accident and emergency services from one district health authority to a neighbouring one.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Community Health Councils Regulations 1985 (SI 1985 No. 304) require a district health authority to consult a community health council on proposals to make any substantial variation in the provision of the health service in the council's district. Provision is made for urgent temporary closures to be implemented without consultation. If the hon. Member has a particular instance in mind, perhaps she would like to write to the chairman of the health authority concerned.

  Cervical Cancer
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to improve the provision of cervical cancer screening in the Lewisham and North Southwark health district; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  As a response to our development of screening services, the existing recall system operated by Lewisham and North Southwark health authority will be improved from April 1988 by the implementation of a fully computerised call and recall system for all local women aged between 20 and 65. With a view to reducing waiting times, the health authority is now reviewing its colposcopy service and will consider if extra sessions at Guy's hospital and Lewisham hospital would be helpful.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Colin Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the total sum collected in national insurance contributions for the year 1986–87 and that anticipated for 1987–88; and if he will show it broken down with employees, employers and self-employed contributions.

  Mr. Scott
  The information is as follows:

  Estimated receipts from National Insurance Contributions

  £ million

  Great Britain

  1986–87

  1987–88

  Class 1

  Employees

  11,750

  12,550

  Employers1

  12,450

  13,500

  Self employed (classes 2 and 4)

  700

  750

  Total

  24,900

  26,800

  1 Net of SSP deductions of £750 million in 1986–87, and of SSP and SMP deductions of £950 million in 1987–88.

  The total excludes voluntary class 3 contributions, which yielded £30 million in 1986–87, and an estimated £25 million in 1987–88.

  Bassetlaw Area Health Authority
  Mr. Ashton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) whether he will make extra money available to the Bassetlaw health authority for the underfunding of pay awards to staff, the additional cost of hiring junior medical locum staff from agencies, new and additional consultant staff posts, an increase of stock levels in certain areas and increased levels of activity in a number of services;

  (2) whether he will make an extra allocation of £700,000 to Bassetlaw area health authority to prevent the closure of wards in Retford and Worksop hospitals

  Average weekly earnings: Male manual workers

  (1)

  (2)

  (3)

  (4)

  (5)

  (6)

  Date

  Earnings rule

  Gross

  Net

  Column (2) as a percentage of column (3) Per cent.

  Column (2) as a percentage of column (4) Per cent.

  £

  £

  £

  November 1984

  70·00

  159·60

  108·90

  43·9

  64·3

  November 1985

  75·00

  168·70

  115·60

  44·5

  64·9

  July 1986

  75·00

  176·20

  122·30

  42·6

  61·3

  April 1987

  75·00

  185·50

  131·30

  40·4

  57·1

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to abolish the earnings rule for retirement pensions.

  Mr. Scott
  We do not feel able at present to give this issue priority over other claims on resources.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Gareth Wardell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many couples of pensionable age share a pension book and are not eligible to receive £8 each as an adjustment to their pension following the miscalculation in the retail prices index.
  662
  Mrs. Currie
  Trent regional health authority is responsible for allocating funds to its districts, including Bassetlaw. In December, The Government made available a further £5·8 million to Trent RHA for this financial year. For 1988–89, Trent RHA's revenue allocation will be £1,050 million, an increase of 6·3 per cent. The hon. Member may wish to contact the chairman of the regional health authority for details of how these additional sums are to be allocated.

  Earnings Rule
  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services at what level of income the earnings rule has operated in respect of retirement pensions in each year from 1984–85.

  Mr. Scott
  The retirement pension earnings rule applies for the first five years after minimum pension age (60 for women and 65 for men). In November 1984 the specified level of earnings net of certain expenses was £70, rising to £75 in November 1985. Pension is reduced on a sliding scale for earnings over the specified level. Entitlement to full basic retirement pension would generally be extinguished when the level of earnings net of expenses reached the amounts shown:

  £

  November 1984

  107·80

  November 1985

  115·30

  July 1986

  115·70

  April 1987

  116·50

  April 1988

  118·14

  Mr. Andrew Bowden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what was the value of the earnings rule for retirement pensions as a percentage of(a) gross and (b) net average earnings for each year since 1984.

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

  Mr. Scott
  It is not possible for a retired couple to have both of their pensions paid on the same order book. In all cases, therefore, each will receive an £8 payment. It is possible for a pensioner to receive an increase to his or her pension in respect of a spouse who has not retired. However, this increase was unaffected by the error in the retail prices index. Such a pensioner's single £8 payment will accordingly fully compensate him or her.

  Health Authorities (Fire Regulations)
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list for each district health authority the money spent over the previous five years on meeting fire regulations.

  Mrs. Currie
  I regret that the information is not available.

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice he gives to health authorities about fire regulations; and what information he has about the way in which decisions are made about the amount of money to be spent for this purpose.

  Mrs. Currie
  The Department in November 1987 published new and updated guidance to health authorities in "FIRECODE", a comprehensive suite of documents which advise on fire precautions regulations, policy and management as well as giving technical guidance on various building, engineering and equipment fire precautions matters. Health authorities are expected to discuss fire precautions with local fire authorities and to meet the cost of compliance with statutory and other regulations and guidance from within their normal allocations.

  London Ambulance Service
  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps his Department has taken to test the electronic or mechanical efficiency of the telecommunications equipment at the headquarters of the London ambulance service; if he is satisfied with the arrangements made with British Telecom plc; and if he will make a statement.

  Mrs. Currie
  Arrangements for the testing of electronic and mechanical efficiency of the telecommunications equipment at the headquarters of the London ambulance service are the responsibility of the South West Thames regional health authority as managers of the service.

  Mr. Spearing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what specific allocation of funds he makes to the South West Thames regional health authority in respect of the London ambulance service.

  Mrs. Currie
  No specific figure is identified for the London ambulance service in the allocation of funds made by the Department to the South West Thames regional health authority. However, I understand that the regional health authority has set aside £45 million from its 1988–89 budget for this purpose.

  Postneonatal mortality numbers and rates (per 1,000 livebirths) for he United Kingdom, 1975–86 and also France, Holland, Federal Republic of Germany and Denmark, 1975–84.

  United Kingdom

  France

  Holland

  Federal Republic of Germany

  Denmark

  1975

  Number

  3,575

  3,462

  540

  3,559

  170

  Rate

  5·1

  4·6

  3·0

  5·9

  2·4

  1976

  Number

  3,097

  3,209

  536

  3,327

  190

  Rate

  4·6

  4·5

  3·0

  5·5

  2·9

  Leukaemia
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services when he expects to receive the formal report by the Committee on Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment into the incidence of leukaemia clusters.

  Mrs. Currie
  COMARE reports from time to time on individual topics within its terms of reference. Its next report will cover the incidence of childhood leukaemia in the vicinity of Dounreay, and is expected to be available before the summer.

  Meningitis
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will list the number of cases of meningitis recorded in the past 12 months(a) in the Wirral as a whole and (b) by individual hospitals in the Wirral; and if he will list the number of deaths from meningitis (i) in the Wirral and (ii) by individual hospitals in the Wirral.

  Mrs. Currie
  Mortality data for 1987 are still being processed: during 1986, meningococcal infection (ICD 9 036) was mentioned on the death certificates of four usual residents of Wirral county district. Of these one was meningococcal meningitis (ICD 036.0). Mortality data at hospital level are not released for reasons of confidentiality.

  In 1986, there were 30 notifications of acute meningitis from Wirral county district. Of these, 17 were meningococcal meningitis. The figures for 1987 were 28 and 21, respectively. Hospital data are not collected on the infectious disease notification form.

  Infant Mortality
  Mrs. Mahon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is taking to investigate possible reasons for the rise in infant mortality in England and Wales in 1986.

  Mrs. Currie
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Provan (Mr. Wray) on 26 January 1988 at column 219.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Services how many post neonatal deaths there have been in the United Kingdom; and what are the comparable figures for(a) France, (b) Holland, (c) the Federal Republic of Germany and (d) Denmark, in each year since 1975.

  Mrs. Currie
  The latest available data are shown in the table.
  665

  United Kingdom

  France

  Holland

  Federal Republic of Germany

  Denmark

  1977

  Number

  3,028

  3,039

  509

  3,034

  185

  Rate

  4·6

  4·1

  2·9

  5·2

  3·0

  1978

  Number

  3,102

  2,954

  528

  3,147

  180

  Rate

  4·5

  4·0

  3·0

  5·5

  2·9

  1979

  Number

  3,358

  3,211

  491

  2,840

  184

  Rate

  4·6

  4·2

  2·8

  4·9

  3·1

  1980

  Number

  3,325

  3,407

  532

  2,956

  166

  Rate

  4·4

  4·3

  2·9

  4·8

  2·9

  1981

  Number

  3,324

  3,398

  510

  2,899

  156

  Rate

  4·4

  4·2

  2·9

  4·6

  2·9

  1982

  Number

  3,290

  3,351

  543

  2,848

  180

  Rate

  4·6

  4·2

  3·2

  4·6

  3·4

  1983

  Number

  3,096

  3,091

  528

  2,612

  158

  Rate

  4·3

  4·1

  3·1

  4·4

  3·1

  1984

  Number

  2,854

  2,702

  559

  2,422

  156

  Rate

  3·9

  3·6

  3·2

  4·1

  3·0

  1985

  Number

  2,980

  2,856

  542

  2,337

  173

  Rate

  4·0

  3·7

  3·0

  4·0

  3·2

  1986

  Number

  3,179

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Rate

  4·2

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Postneonatal mortality: deaths at ages 28 days and over but under one year.

  Sources:

  World Health Statistics, 1986.

  Annual Abstract of Statistics, 1987.

  Eurostat Demographic Statistics, 1987.

  n/a = Not available.

DEFENCE

  British Army Equipment Exhibition
  Ms. Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if, to show his support for the work of the third United Nations special session on disarmament due to be held in June, he will cancel the British Army equipment exhibition planned for Aldershot from 27 June to 1 July.

  Mr. Sainsbury
  No. The British Army equipment exhibition has no relevance to the United Nations special session on disarmament. The United Kingdom remains firmly committed to seeking arms control agreements which are both balanced and verifiable.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the implementation of decisions or recommendations taken at Montebello in November 1983 or Luxembourg in March 1985 by the NATO planning group will lead to an increase in(a) the number of nuclear warheads available for use by NATO from western
  666
  Europe, (b) the total nuclear fire power of NATO available for use from locations in western Europe, (c) the number of air-launched or sea-launched or similar nuclear weapons available for use from western Europe, to a level in excess of that available (i) before and (ii) after implementation of the intermediate nuclear forces agreement 1987;

  (2) whether the implementations of improvements submitted by SACEUR and approved for implementation at th nuclear planning group meetings in 1985 will lead to any increase in the number of air or sea-launched missiles deployed in western Europe, including the United Kingdom, to a level greater than that which existed prior to the recent intermediate nuclear forces agreement;

  (3) whether he will make a statement as to the effect of the Montebello 1983 NATO planning group's recommendation and decisions on the modernisation of nuclear weapons on the present numbers of nuclear weapons deployed.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  At their meeting in Montebello in 1983, NATO Defence Ministers agreed both to a reduction by 1,400 warheads of the Alliance's land-based nuclear stockpile in Europe and on the need for possible
  667
  improvements to ensure the continuing effectiveness, responsiveness and survivability of remaining systems. SACEUR's detailed proposals for implementing the Montebello decision, which he submitted to the nuclear planning group in 1985, are confidential. The INF agreement, when implemented, will lead to a further reduction in the stockpile.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what reductions and increases in nuclear deployment in the report of the NATO high level group were approved by NATO Ministers prior to the publication of the 1984 Defence Estimates;

  (2) which proposals from the NATO high level group were endorsed at the Montebello NATO planning group conference in 1983.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the communiqué issued following the ministerial meeting of the nuclear planning group at Montebello in 1983, a copy of which is in the Library.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all the decisions and recommendations taken at the 1983 Montebello NATO planning group conference, as they affect the United Kingdom, were known to all the parties during the course of the recent intermediate nuclear forces negotiations, which led to an agreement on a reduction in nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  The proceedings of NATO's nuclear planning group are confidential. However, a very full official communiqué was issued at the end of the ministerial meeting of the group at Montebello in 1983. I assume the contents of this were known to the parties involved in the INF negotiations.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will name those British officials who are members of the NATO nuclear high level planning group.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Mr. Stanley) to the hon. Members for Leyton (Mr. Cohen) and for Merionnydd Nant Conwy (Mr. Thomas) on 8 May 1987 at column 556. It is not our practice to name individual officials involved in specific activities of this kind.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations or decisions taken by the Montebello NATO planning group conference he does not intend to implement in relation to the modernisation of nuclear weapons.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  SACEUR's recommendations for implementing the agreement by NATO Defence Ministers at Montebello in 1983 to a reduction in the Alliance's land-based nuclear stockpile in Europe and on the need for improvements in its effectiveness were submitted to the meeting of the nuclear planning group in Luxembourg in 1985. As regards the modernisation recommendations addressed to the United Kingdom, no decisions have been taken.

  RAF Stornoway
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the calculation of the current noise contour maps around RAF Stornoway took into account run-and-break manoeuvres by incoming aircraft.

  Mr. Freeman
  No. However, run-and-break manoeuvres will be taken into account in the forthcoming noise survey at RAF Stornoway if this is practicable.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the calculation of the current noise contour maps around RAF Stornoway took into account the noise of aircraft on the ground.

  Mr. Freeman
  Yes. The current noise contours for RAF Stornoway take into account all noise from aircraft operations, including noise emitted by aircraft prior to take-off and after landing. Noise from ground engine running is not included, but the forthcoming noise survey will take this into account if practicable.

  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what modifications to the Airnoise I aircraft noise model were made in mapping the noise contours around RAF Stornoway.

  Mr. Freeman
  Two major modifications have been made to the original Airnoise I computer model which formed the basis of the predicted noise contour used for the 1981 public inquiry at Stornoway. The current contour based on the Airnoise II model incorporates a bend to the north-east of the airfield reflecting the fact that militry aircraft taking-off fly over the sea in order to avoid the villages of Tong and Coll. The current contour is also slightly narrower because more reliable source data, derived from actual measurements of the RAF Phantom and Tornado aircraft, and more sophisticated computation methods, incorporating allowances for sound transmission through the atmosphere and close to the ground surface, have been used. These modifications are in line with internationally agreed criteria.

  Aircraft Noise
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the aircraft types whose source noise and operational flight profiles are held in the data bank for(a) the Airnoise I aircraft noise model and (b) the Airnoise II aircraft noise model.

  Mr. Freeman
  All the aircraft types used for the Airnoise computer models are listed in a report called "External noise of MOD military aircraft", a copy of which is in the Library. At RAF Stornoway, the noise source data and operational flight profiles for the Phantom and Tornado aircraft have been used to produce the predicted noise contours.

  Royal Artillery Range, Hebrides
  Mr. Macdonald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the purpose of the volumatic disintegrator to be installed on the royal artillery range, Hebrides.

  Mr. Freeman
  A "volumatic disintegrator" — a large paper shredding machine — has been installed on the Royal Artillery ranges Hebrides since 1981.

  Nimrod (Search and Rescue)
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will consider the privatisation of Nimrod aircraft tasked in the SAR role.

  Mr. Freeman
  No.

  Pilots
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots left the Royal Air Force in 1987 without completing their engagements.

  Mr. Freeman
  The numbers of pilots who left the RAF in 1987 without completing their engagements are as follows:

  Number

  Through premature voluntary retirement

  74

  At a recognised optional exit point

  65

  Other exits (medical, death, disciplinary etc.)

  11

  Total

  150

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots left the Royal Air Force in 1987 or have expressed a desire to leave the service.

  Mr. Freeman
  The number of pilots who left the RAF in 1987 was 224. The number of pilots who in 1987 expressed a desire to leave the service was 232.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots have expressed a desire to leave the Royal Air Force without completing their engagement.

  Mr. Freeman
  The numbers of pilots who in 1987 expressed a desire to leave the RAF without completing their engagements are as follows:

  Number

  Through premature voluntary retirement

  88

  At a recognised optional exit point

  119

  Total

  207

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current cost of training a fast jet pilot for the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Freeman
  The average cost to the Ministry of Defence of training a student pilot to the point when he joins an operational fast jet squadron is approximately £3 million at current prices.

  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen entered the Royal Air Force college Cranwell to train as pilots in 1987.

  Mr. Freeman
  Two hundred and forty-eight.

  Navigators
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current cost of training a fast jet navigator for the Royal Air Force.

  Mr. Freeman
  The average cost to the Ministry of Defence of training a student navigator to the point when he joins an operational fast jet squadron is approximately £1 million at current prices.
  670
  Mr. Rogers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen entered the Royal Air Force college Cranwell to train as navigators in 1987.

  Mr. Freeman
  Eighty-five.

  RAF Brawdy (Rescues)
  Mr. Nicholas Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by category the number of rescue sorties carried out by the search and rescue detachment at RAF Brawdy, Pembrokeshire, in 1987.

  Mr. Freeman
  In 1987, a total of 70 search and rescue sorties were carried out by helicopters based at RAF Brawdy, resulting in the following numbers of persons being recovered:

  Military

  Civilian

  Total

  3

  19

  262

  74

  1 Category includes merchant seamen and civilians on passenger vessels for example, ferries.

  2 Other civilians, including fishermen, pleasure craft and those rescued on land.

  Cash Limits
  Mrs. Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he proposes to make any changes to the defence cash limits for 1987–88.

  Mr. Younger
  Yes. The following changes are being made, subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary spring Supplementary Estimates.

  £'000s

  Class and vote

  Current cash limit

  Increase/decrease

  Revised cash limit

  I, 1

  7,257,411

  +162,048

  transferred from I, 2

  7,419,459

  I, 2

  9,152,897

  -259,048

  transferred to I, 1 and to I, 4

  8,893,849

  I, 4

  1,478,330

  +97,000

  transferred from I, 2

  1,575,330

  These changes allow for transfers within the Ministry of Defence's block cash limit, to reflect the expected pattern of expenditure. The changes have no net effect on public expenditure.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Blood
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his estimate of the proportion and number of adults in Northern Ireland that would be suitable for blood donation.

  Mr. Needham
  About 75 per cent. of adults eligible (only adults in the 18 to 64 age group are considered eligible for blood donation); some 670,500 people.

  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion and number of suitable adults give blood in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Needham
  The information is not available in the form requested. Approximately 65,000 donations are collected each year which represents roughly one in 10 from suitable adults.
  671
  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion and number of suitable adults are needed to give blood to make Northern Ireland self-sufficient in blood-derived products.

  Mr. Needham
  Northern Ireland is self-sufficient apart from the blood product albumen. An increase in blood donations of about 10 per cent. — 6,500 — would be required to attain total self-sufficiency.

  Mr. Hanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will consider reducing the period between permitted donations of blood to four months from six, to ease the shortage of blood and blood-derived products, and to make Northern Ireland self-sufficient; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The Northern Ireland blood transfusion service already collects blood at four-monthly intervals from male donors. The service is striving to achieve total self-sufficiency through its programmes to increase both the number of donations and the plasma yield from donations.

  Cervical Cancer
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance he has issued to health and social services boards to ensure that the current backlog of cervical cancer tests is cleared; whether he intends to issue to boards in Northern Ireland DHSS Health Circular HC (88)I on health services management of cervical cancer screening; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  The Department of Health and Social Services is in regular contact with the health and social services boards over ways of increasing the rate of processing cervical smear tests. The backlog of tests has been reduced by 30 per cent. over the past two months. A Northern Ireland circular comparable to HC (88)I is being prepared and will be issued shortly.

  Cash Limits
  Dr. Hampson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the cash limits for the Northern Ireland Office and for Northern Ireland Departmental Services for 1987–88.

  Mr. Stanley
  Subject to parliamentary approval to the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for the Northern Ireland Office — class XVIII, vote 1 — for 1987–88 is being increased by £32,203,000 from £512,405,000 to £544,608,000 to cover increased requirements for expenditure on law, order, protective and miscellaneous services. The increase is mainly due to higher than anticipated police activity levels, prison officers' overtime costs, and rent allowance payments for police and prison officers, expansion of the police capital works programme and an increase in the level of criminal damage compensation claim settlements, partly offset by savings arising from slippage in various capital works programmes.

  This increase is partly covered by a decrease of £22·6 million in the cash limit for Northern Ireland departmental services, NIDI, from £2,447·8 million to £2,425·2 million: this reflects emerging savings in that
  672
  sector. The balance of £9·6 million is being met from the Reserve and there is therefore no increase in total public expenditure.

  In addition, the Northern Ireland public expenditure total for 1987–88 has been increased by £2·1 million for health and personal social services, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Health on 16 December, at columns 1093–1106, and by £1·7 million in respect of the costs to Northern Ireland Departments of the weather damage in October. These are also being met from the Reserve and do not increase total public expenditure, I do not propose to increase NIDI correspondingly.

  Hospital Beds
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Belfast, South on 22 January,Official Report, column 875, whether he will instruct health boards to collect information about beds available at both 12 noon and 12 midnight; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Needham
  It is considered that the recording of bed availability by the midnight count is sufficient to meet all planning requirements. It is not proposed to introduce an additional daily bed count at noon.

  Glaucoma
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland in the last three years for which figures are available have been given free eyesight tests and free dental examinations; and how many cases of glaucoma have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland over that period.

  Mr. Needham
  Figures are not kept which identify the number of people who receive free sight tests and dental examinations but the number of tests carried out in Northern Ireland in each category over the last three years was:

  Sight tests

  Dental examinations

  1985

  219,259

  780,463

  1986

  226,080

  801,202

  1987

  240,660

  817,723

  The number of glaucoma cases diagnosed is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Cost Limits
  Mr. Charles Wardle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the 1987–88 running cost limit for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments.

  Mr. Stanley
  I have reviewed the running cost requirements for Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office for 1987–88 and I have agreed that the running cost limit should be increased by £4·187 million from £476·762 million, which I announced on 23 July 1987, to £480·949 million. This mainly reflects additional requirements for prisons and social security. It includes also provision for additional costs to Northern Ireland Departments of administering certain programmes on behalf of the International Fund for Ireland, and a
  673
  transfer of £80,000 from the Department of Transport to the Department of the Environment (NI) in respect of vehicle licensing. The necessary resources will be found from within existing public expenditure provision or, in the case of the international fund, receipts.

  Republic of Ireland (Extradition)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects further applications for extradition to be made in respect of persons believed living in the Irish Republic where the persons sought are wanted in respect of(a) terrorist offences and (b) other offences.

  Mr. Stanley
  The Royal Ulster Constabulary continues to give consideration to possible extradition cases involving both terrorist and non-terrorist offences. As I said in my reply to the hon. Gentleman on 10 November, at column 166, it is not the practice to give details of possible individual extradition cases.

  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many of the applications for extradition from the Irish Republic made between 1 December 1987 and 14 December 1987 were for terrorist offences.

  Mr. Stanley
  All three.

  Dog-licensing Law
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has any plans to bring Northern Ireland dog-licensing law into line with the law in Great Britain; and if he will make a statement.

  Mr. Viggers
  No. Requirement for dog control in Northern Ireland are separate from those which exist in Great Britain. The present dog-licensing arrangements in Northern Ireland are part of control measures introduced after extensive discussion with local interests to meet Northern Ireland requirements.

  Salmon (Tagging)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the proposals by the Government of the Irish Republic to introduce a system of tagging salmon will apply in any part of the area covered by the Foyle Fisheries Commission.
  674
  Mr. Viggers
  The Government of the Republic of Ireland have not made any proposals to introduce a salmon-tagging scheme and speculation on the application of a salmon-tagging scheme in any part of the Foyle area would be premature.

  Housing Executive (Contracts)
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show what sums have been paid to date in respect of loss and expense claims by contractors made in respect of Housing Executive contracts let in the financial years 1978–79 to 1987–88, relating to (a) legal costs, (b) professional advisers costs, (c) Housing Executive staff time costs, (d) interest charges and (e) capital sums; and if he will show under each heading what sums relate to measurable and evaluated items, and which sums arose under contractual claims;

  (2) if he will publish a table in the Official Report to show the sums recovered from and the claims outstanding against contractors by the Housing Executive in respect of contracts having been let in the financial years from 1978–79 to 1987–88;

  (3) if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing what sums have been paid to date for loss and expense by contractors and how many claims and for what sums are still not settled, in respect of Housing Executive contracts let in each financial year 1978–79 to 1987–88, for (a) new build, (b) rehabilitation work and (c) other capital expenditure.

  Mr. Needham
  These are matters for the chairman of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive who has informed me that the information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish a table showing, for each district of the Eastern Health and Social Services Board, the number of people on waiting lists for each specialty for the last five years for which figures are available, giving a breakdown of the total waiting list by time spent on list.

  Mr. Needham
  [holding answer 28 January 1988]: Since the answer is in lengthy tabular form, I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

  MOUNTAIN AND HILL RESCUE OPERATIONS
  MOUNTAIN AND HILL RESCUE OPERATIONS
  DTI STATIONERY
  DTI STATIONERY
  INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
  INTERNATIONAL LAWYERS IN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
  IRAQ: BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
  IRAQ: BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
  NORTH SEA: PROTECTION
  NORTH SEA: PROTECTION